This Crazy Life

Things have been so crazy this month!  I have been busier at work which is nice.  I have also been super busy at home.  We had a garage sale on April 10th and it was a great success.  Then we were scheduled to go to Pearland for a show, but unfortunately we were not able to go.  It actually worked out well because I was still getting ready for our first festival in Brenham. We went to Brenham this past weekend and it was great.  It was a smaller festival, but we still had tons of lookers and had quite a few sales.  It was a good confidence booster because our stuff was some of the nicest quality yet moderately priced stuff.  All in all, it was great. 
Riley and Bentley have really seemed to be changing to me lately.  Riley is like a little man, I mean really.  He talks so maturely and he CAN be a real sweetheart.  He has been helping Bentley with her adjustment at school (going more) and it is SOOO sweet.  I want them to be close and really all I see at home is him agitating her, but there is obviously so much more to their relationship.  He also knows EVERY word to EVERY song...even songs that I don't know!  It is crazy.  He is signed up for camp with his cousins and is getting excited about his trip to Florida in June.
Bentley has really done good with getting off my hip since she started school two days a week.  Her teachers have been telling me how they really see her personality and she is so happy and almost goofy with them.  I am so glad she is coming out in front of others.  She is so fun, especially when it is just her and I.  I want the world to see that personality.  We have started calling her "DVIA" and she loves that.  She is all girl.  She loves bows and clothes and especially shoes!  She really is my kid!!!! 

The Wedding Party of 2031

Riley and his first love Anna are planning to wed after college when they are 4 years old.  Or at least that is his version of the story.  Anna came over to the house to get her birthday gifts from Memaw and she also opened Riley's gift too.  She just has to dress up in her new duds and that prompted Elvis, I mean Riley to dress up as well.  So here you have it....Princess Anna, Elvis, Bentley (note, that is a PLAY shirt) as the Maid of Honor, and Firetruck (that is what Cole insists his name is) as the best man!!!!

Mr and Mrs Bryant

Riley also told me that he and Anna are going to have 5 children (he started with 8) and their names are going to be Oscar, John, Bailey, Freddie, and Cedric.  Hmmmmm very interesting.

Easter 2010

Our Pastor, Larry preached a great sermon on walls that you encounter in life.  These walls range from losing a job, to fighting an addiction, to getting along with your spouse.  Basically there are many walls that keep us from getting closer to God.  We must overcome these walls and focus on him.  Easter this year to me was a wall.  Easter is tough because it is a constant reminder of my Dad.  We also had several issues that kept arising (weather, news reports) and kept coming in between our making plans.  Easter Sunday, after a very busy morning with Easter baskets with the kiddos and then working in the church nursery and plans still not being hammered down, became a wall persay.  But after a while, I realized that it was just Satan trying to spoil a family event and draw us even further from God.  I changed my attitude and then everything started falling into place.  The weather turned out to me beautiful - we could not have asked for more.  We ended up going to a beautiful shaded park and the kiddos had an absolute blast running around and hunting eggs.  Nana brought cupcakes and bubble guns and WEIRD jellybeans.  It was a great afternoon.  I am so thankful for what Christ did for us.  Sometimes, we just need to stop getting caught up in the worldy things going on around us and focus on him and he will do the rest.

Tricia has strep throat and could not join us and we missed her very much.  That was the only problem with yesterday afternoon.  Click the link below to see the pictures!

Easter 2010

I Miss You Daddy

Two years ago today, I lost something, someone so very important to me. My Dad was one of the most admirable men that ever lived. He was so kind and caring. He really did care about everyone genuinely. He instilled that sense of love and understanding in me. His Christian example was so obvious to everyone, not just me. He treated everyone, his family, his friends, his employees with love and respect. This was how he witnessed to people. He did not judge or shove religion down any one's throat. He just lived life by example. He did not believe in lying or cheating or stealing. His business was run on honest Christian principles. Everyone who took their cars to his shop saw this example, day in and day out. Now that I am grown and out in the real world, I realize, his type is rare. There is a lot of dishonesty out there. Everyone who knew him loved him. Even if they didn't know him personally, they loved him. Some of the people who live in mom's neighborhood had never spoken to him, but every day when they would drive to and from work and pass mom and dad's house, and he would wave to them. That was just him.

It is still very hard for me to remember the good times without getting very sad because I miss him, but it is starting to get easier. I was just remembering his nightly routine last night...just the things he did, the robe he wore, the way he smelled and I cannot walk down that road yet without shedding tears. I know that I would not be the person that I am today without the example that both he and mom set for me. I think when you make that much of an impact on someones life, it just takes lots and lots and lots of time for those wounds to heal. I miss him so much. I miss his smile. I wish my kids could have really known him. But instead of dwelling on that, I just rejoice that I got to know him. I focus on the fact that he made such an impact on me and shaped me and the things I believe in. And I will pass that on to my children in hopes that one day, I can shape and mold their life the way he did mine.

I cannot wait to be reunited with him one day and I am so thankful that I will be with him again beause of the blood that Jesus Christ shed for us.  Easter will always be special to me, not only because of the reminder of what my heavenly Father means to me, but also what my worldly Father means to me too.

This is me and dad in Colorado with Missy and Hans our weiner dogs

I love this picture!

This was on fathers day 2007 at Mary Joe Peckham park in Katy

This was Dad's bday celebration in 2006.  Riley is less than 2 weeks old.

This was Christmas 2006

Pawpaw holding his "Partner" when he came home from the hospital

This was taken Easter 2008 one week before he died

I miss you Daddy and love you so much.

Riley's First Sleep Over

Friday night, Riley had his first sleep over (other than at Memaw's house).  Nathan and Melissa had us and mom over for dinner and we left Riley there.  We had a really good time (and some REALLY good food!) and the kids played and entertained us too.  Riley proposed to Anna and she accepted with the condition that she finishes college first.  It was really a good time.  We left about 8:30 and Riley did great.  Melissa said they had a great time.  Riley wants Anna to come spend the night with him next time so he can show her his big boy sports bed.  Melissa and Nathan took the kids to their community Easter egg hunt the next morning and Riley had so much fun.  Below are some of the pics that Melissa took of them.  Riley was sooooo tired from all of the fun he had at his sleep over with Anna, he fell asleep in the car on the way home from the mall!!!

Anna, Cole and Riley

The happy couple and their Bunny

Riley

So sweet

All the loot they gathered at the egg hunt

I Love You Easter Bunny, NOT

We took Riley and Bentley to see the Easter Bunny this past weekend.  Riley has been really into Easter this year and was very excited to see the Easter Bunny.  He had gotten an eraser at an Easter egg hunt Saturday morning and he was very excited to share it with the Easter bunny.  Bentley appeared to be equally excited.  She was running around laughing and having a grand ol time.  As we approached the gazebo where the mysterious life size furry thing was sitting, Miss B started to get a little more apprehensive.  When she peaked around the curtain and saw the bunny, she had an absolute melt down and screamed as loud as she could.  Riley was so good and posed for the picture....and shared his eraser with the Easter Bunny.  Oh a picture is worth a thousand words!

Like Father Like Daughter

I thought this was cute......

Happy Birthday to Me

I celebrated my birthday almost a week ago, but I have been so sick, I haven't had the chance to blog about it.  We had a family crawfish boil over at Rick and Tricia's house and it was really nice.  It would have been nicer had I not had fever the whole day, but still it was a good time.  The kids had an absolute blast....10 little boys and 1 little girl.  They played outside all day and tortured the mudbugs before they were executed. I didn't bring my camera but Casey Canizaro snapped a few pics.

Some of the ladies

Tricia added to the mix

Mom and Barbara and David and me chowing down

Carter and the wagon of bugs

I love this pic of Riley and Carter