The Snyder Family

OKIE Dokie... We're back!

2010-12-27T13:24:00.003-06:00

Wow... Can't believe it has been 6 months since our last post. Okay, well, I can... It's been a pretty crazy (but great) few months! We bought a house in Edmond in September. The year+ of looking around for "the right house and neighborhood" paid off, as we really love where we ended up! We finally feel like we are getting settled here, as we have met some great people.

Carrine (22) graduated from college last May! Yeah, Carrine! She is now doing an internship as an Administrator in Training for a long-term healthcare facility. She is still dating Bo - 3 years in January! We're very proud of her, of course, for all she has accomplished this year!

Clara (17) is a Junior in HS now and is still in dance. She's a great kid! We miss her and Carrine so much now that we are 3 hours away!!

Drew (6) is in first grade and is enjoying getting to know his classmates at his new school. He played soccer this year for the first time and enjoys his video games and playing with his sis.

Kenna (3) is in preschool 2 days a week and will start pre-k next year (hopefully at Drew's school!) Drew's school is literally across the street from our new neighborhood, so it has been a dream being able to walk over to get him when the weather allows! (Although, with Kenna in tow, I do prefer to drive - she likes to stop and pick up rocks and look at the leaves which makes a 10 minute walk about 20 minutes!! Our little nature girl!!)

Bobby continues to enjoy his position with JE Dunn in the Oklahoma office. We are so proud of him and really appreciate all of his hard work that allows me to stay home with the kids and all of us to enjoy our new digs in OKC! He still enjoys paddling, but hasn't had a chance to do much of it lately. He is also trying to get back into running and possibly do another marathon this year.

As for me, I am trying to scale back my business a bit. Being too busy is a great problem to have when you are a small business owner, but I started to enjoy it a little less this year. We decided the answer was to scale back to allow me more time to spend with the kids, Bobby and do things around the house.

2010 has been a great year of growth for us. It's a great feeling to finally be settled in a new house and enjoy the friends we have made here in Edmond. We're looking forward to an equally exciting and enjoyable 2011! Missing our Texas friends and hope to get back more often this year, too!

XOXO ~ The Snyders

Carrine's Graduations from North Texas

Drew's new specs - that he has already lost! :(

Drew - First Day of First Grade

Kenna - First Day of Preschool

Kenna and her bud Lainey


Kenna's 3rd Birthday

B's favorite part of the new house

My favorite part! My kitchen!

So Long, Plano House!

2010-05-12T09:37:00.009-05:00

With the sale of our Texas house, we're officially Okies... uhm... Texans living in Oklahoma! I am sure the kids are thoroughly confused now - Kenna keeps asking when we are going back to "Plano House" and explaining to a 2 year old that we don't have that house any more is a bit puzzling to her. We're so glad to be living out of ONE house, at this point, and it appears that construction can begin on the new Snyder Casa in June!

The past few months brought us a birthday with Drew turning 6, Uncle Clay came for a visit (and made his oh so yummy pork sandwiches), Drew lost (and ate!) his very first tooth, and we've had lots of time outside experiencing this weird OK weather. I thought Texas was bad but add in the wind (let's just say one of my friend's trampolines ended up on her neighbor's roof - yes, THAT kind of wind!) and tornadoes (or tortatoes, if you're Kenna) then it makes for interesting living!

Pictures from the past few weeks. And more to come with Carrine graduating from college this weekend! YEAH Carrine! More to come on that...

Visiting the OKC Bombing Memorial with Uncle Clay!

She She's beautifully decorated cookies!

Eavesdropping

2009-12-04T09:34:00.011-06:00

So I have been such a bad blogger. It's been months and so much has been missed. We had Drew's first day of Kindergarten, Kenna's first day of preschool, Clara turned 16, Carrine turned 21, and we moved to Oklahoma City! Whew! Promise to "try" and be better in 2010!!

And, to explain the title... I overheard Bobby the other day talking to Drew about how to towel off after getting out of the shower. "Okay, buddy. Take the towel and rub your back. Make sure you get your legs and arms", etc... It was just one of those mundane moments that made me smile. I try to teach them to be good, polite people. "Use your manners, eat all of your food", blah blah blah. Thank God for dad's who teach them how to towel off, tie their shoes, ride their bikes and actually tell a girl she looks pretty when you think she does (this was another conversation they had the other day).

Drew's First Day of Kindergarten

Kenna getting in on a little story time on Drew's first day...

Kenna's First Day of Preschool

Not sure what to do....?!?

VEGAS BABY!

Clara's 16th Halloween Bash!

Sweetness

Things...

2009-07-28T21:40:00.010-05:00

Since I am catching such flack for not posting updates (smile), here is a quick one:

Fourth of July - Fun and Relaxing

Game Night with She-She and G, S3 (Scott, Stef and Sofia) and Eric - fun/funny/fabulous food ("awww... stymied again!)

Kenna's Birthday - Sassy

Precious dress from Ms. Stacy

Drew and Skyler at Kenna's Birthday Dinner #1

Getting to know our new town - interesting...

Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

Southard Ranch

Drew & Will at the Southard Ranch

And just because....

More to come! XOXO The Snyders

My Husband's a Stud

2009-06-22T09:56:00.005-05:00

Boat Preperations - $500.00

Food for race - $300

Hours to finish the race - 88

Hours of sleep during those 88 hours - 6

Number of requests to God for Mercy - 61

Number of numb fingers a week after the race - 3

Cost of winning the C1 Class of the 2009 Texas Water Safari.....

PRICELESS!

Congratulations, Bobby! You're a stud!

Home Is Where The Horns Are!

2009-03-18T05:43:00.007-05:00

We recently found out that we will be moving to Edmond, Oklahoma (suburb of OKC). I am really not sure I have ever even been to Oklahoma, much less know much about it. The good news is everyone who is from there or has lived there LOVES it. The other news is that I have to find a school for Drew who starts kindergarten in September and a pre-school for Kenna! I did get a great list from my brother, Clay, that I had to share... Hook 'Em Horns!

1. If I ever see you guys having any OU sport gear or items , by all means stay there, don't even consider coming back to Texas except for holidays.

2. If you stay in Oklahoma more than 10 years also don't come back to Texas. Same rule applies to me as far as North Carolina. ( Hey, I gotta be fair right?)

3. I don't know what those Okies do for fun up there but to be safe, DON'T DO IT! Unless you have a first aid kit.

4. If asked a question where the answer involves the number two always
reply with the hook em horns sign.

5. When arguing with an Okie be sure to point out your from Texas and you will win every argument.

6. If you are visiting Texas after the move and get pulled over by the cops and you give them your Oklahoma drivers license, always tell them you are only living there temporary. You will get off with just a warning.

7. When relatives visit, apologize profusely tell them the location is only temporary. You will also get away with just a warning. ,,

8. If asked a question that the answer involves the number four, give
them two hook em horns signs. ,, ,,

9. If you get pulled over by cops in Oklahoma, mention you are from Texas and only living here temporary and they will apologize for stopping you and let you off with just a warning.
10. When asked a question that involves the number one, give them the
finger. ,l,,

With the exception of maybe number 4 and 8, you will do just fine.

Drewisms

2009-03-03T07:14:00.009-06:00

We recently celebrated our sweet little Drew's 5th Birthday! He's a sweet, smart and funny little guy who never stops making us laugh with his "Drewisms":

"You're making me angry"! - Back-talking
"You can color, if you want" - When trying to get someone to color with him!
"Come on, Bean Pot" - When asking Kenna to follow him somewhere
"Are you finkin' what I am finkin'" - When he has a "great idea" for what we should do next
"I'm Fluting You" - Blowing raspberries on you :)
"I'm just having a joke with ya!" - When he's kidding
"Because that's how I roll" - Usually comes after I ask "Why did you just..."
"Wicked cool" or "Rockin cool" - When he likes something A LOT!
"You're the best mommy in my whole world!" - Awwww
"Kenna, I very love you" - Expressing his love for his sister!
"May you please get me something to drink, please may you" - When trying to be polite
"You're not the boss of me" - More back-talking
"That's Ridiculous" - When something doesn't make sense to him.

And some pics of my little man through the years and his recent bowling party and birthday!

Enjoying a birthday present from The Millers (this is how he came downstairs in that morning after waking up)

We love you Little Man! "You're the best son in our whole world!"

~Mom & Dad

Happy New Year, Birthday!

2009-01-08T16:18:00.007-06:00

This time of year is always busy for the Snyders! We celebrated She-She's birthday on December 15 (HAPPY DAY!) Following a crazy busy holiday, we celebrated Bobby's birthday on the 7th! Happy Birthday, Bobby!!! As he said to my mom, it gets a little less eventful as we get older (which I completely understand, as I no longer even enjoy celebrating my birthday), but we still enjoyed some good food and company.

Uncle Clay stayed with us for two weeks - we really had a great time and Drew always enjoys his Uncle Clay time!

Pics...

More to come - I hope to get better at updating!

Spooktacular Fun!

2008-11-12T04:59:00.009-06:00

Just catching up on pics. This past month, we've enjoyed the pumpkin patch, trick or treating and Canton with my girlfriends! We spent our Halloween with friends Ken and Stacy and their boys Kennedy and Slader along with Lynn and the girls. We had pizza (thanks, Lynn!) and Bloody Mary's! Mmmmmm... Here are some pics from the last few weeks. Enjoy!

"Is this the one?"

She-She and G joined us for Drew's Halloween Party at school...

Pirate Drew

Prettiest Little Witch...

Rock On, Rocker Baby

More cute pictures of Baby Sofia!!

Kenna has decided she loves crawling up in my chair and "working" like mommy. She even uses the mouse like she knows what she is doing! So, we gave her her own keyboard and a chair in the office, so I can get some actual work done, and she can still feel like she is "working".

Kenna just being cute :)

Drew being cute...

'Til Next Time!

BnL

Happy Birthday x 3!!!

2008-10-16T08:36:00.003-05:00

This time of year finds us celebrating birthday after birthday after birthday! We have several very important birthdays 3 days in a row! Happy Birthday to one of our most photogenic family members, Clara! Clara turned 15 on October 15th. 15!!!! She was 5 when I met her! Where does the time go?

Happy Birthday, Papa, Daddy Bob who celebrated on the 14th!!! We Miss You!

And, last but certainly not least, Happy Birthday to Uncle Eric who turned ?? on the 16th! (I just remember him saying "What Birthday?" when I wished him a Happy Birthday! I get it, Eric, TRUST ME!)

Happy Birthday, Family! And to many, many more!!!!

Whatcha Lookin' At?

2008-10-11T10:07:00.008-05:00

This picture of Kenna just cracks me up!!!

So, lots to catch up on... In no particular order....

We met Jenn and Eric (along with my parents) in Waco to catch up on birthdays, Jenn's trip to Greece, etc... We enjoyed a great Cajun lunch and got to open lots of goodies from JennEric.

Bo took Carrine out for a very nice birthday dinner!

Lots of playground time since the weather is so nice! (And, check out Drew's clothes that, of course, he picked out himself!)

Dinner out for my birthday!

Carrine made me a strawberry cake for my birthday ~ mmmmm....

Drew and I went on "The Great Balloon Hunt". Balloon Festival was a few weeks ago, and we enjoyed driving around chasing hot air balloons!

One even landed in his school parking lot and he thought that was so cool...

And, finally, Drew just had his first annual bike-a-thon at his school! He did 18 laps!!!

Our top fundraisers and my good friends, The Spauldings! Ron, Rayne and Sadie! Go, Rayne, with your fundraising skills!!!

This is my "partner in crime" Stacy... We get lots of shopping time in while the boys are in school! We had the best looking "sign girl" of the day!

This is our "after school" group - Skyler, Slader, Josh, Luke and Drew. The boys like to gather by these benches after school and play. Most of these boys have been in the same class since they were 18 months old, but will all go to different schools next year!

Worn out after a long day of biking!

Hope everyone is enjoying this weather! I know we are!!!

BnLCCDK

Hooray for Aunts and Uncs!

2008-09-21T15:16:00.011-05:00

Where exactly my head was towards the end of March... who knows! I missed "blogging" two special birthdays - Uncle Clay (my brother) and Aunt Sharon (Bobby's Sis). This absolutely does not mean they are any less important - this just means I am more forgetful! So with that... Happy BEEEEEEEEEElated Birthday Uncle Clay and Aunt Sharon!!!

Uncle Clay - March 30

Aunt Sharon - March 31

Who is also a new grandma to Ave' Solis!!!

We love you both!!!

School Days and Birthdays!

2008-09-04T11:13:00.004-05:00

We've had lots to celebrate lately!!! First, my sister-in-law, Jennifer, celebrated her birthday August 10 (just after graduating with her masters)! Happy Birthday, Jen!!!

(Tacky Sweater Christmas 2007!)

Then on August 20, G (Dad) celebrated a b-day! He thought we were not celebrating this year, but we surprised him with a game night at cousin Stef's house with Scott and baby Sofia. Despite me writing out the cake description -they still spelled it wrong and got the flames wrong, but the cake turned out cute and gave us all a good laugh with a couple of old (I mean "distinguished") pics of G!

Wow - that's a lot of smoke from those candles!

Last, but certainly not least, Carrine is no longer a teenager as of August 28!!! Happy Birthday, Carrine! Vegas 2009! Woo hoo!

Drew started school this past week. He is really loving it...

...And, still keeping us laughing daily. Here he decided he was a farmer and going to work on the farm. The funny part is that the overalls are 18m overalls. They still fit him, except in length, obviously!

Clara started high school - I know! HIGH SCHOOL! It freaks me out, but she is a smart, funny girl, and I know she will do great. She's on the dance team, so look for dance pics soon!

'Til Next Time... BnL

Catching Up

2008-08-07T13:53:00.011-05:00

Just a quick post, as I am on a roll today steadily marking "To Do's" off of my list!

Drew's swimming now - self-taught, so we are still going to put him in lessons to learn some technique and safety! Kenna is saying more words - she says LISHA, which is hilarious... hi, outside, Clara (which is more like LaLa), and she learned the sign for MORE which is always in reference to food!!! Catching up on pics....

Kenna's B-day Cake

Drew helping Kenna open her gifts

Carrine and her boyfriend, Bo

A couple of weekends ago, the kids and I visited with my nieces Kathleen and Shirley and their kids Charlie and Samuel on our trip to visit Mema and Papa (Bobby was in CHINA - I will let him post on his trip later). The kids had a great time and my in-laws were kind enough to let me sneak off to Austin for a couple of days for a girl's night out and time with my brother, Eric, and sis-n-law Jen.

Speaking of... congrats Jen, who is graduating this weekend with her MASTERS!!! Go, Girl!

More pics...

Drew thinks he is a photographer now

Kenna learning to color

Me and the girls...

Kenna in her new big girl seat!!!

Sweet Baby Sofia (cousin Stef and Scott's new baby) 2 months old.

#5 Update blog, Check!

'Til Next Time! Lisha

One Year Ago Today...

2008-07-10T17:52:00.007-05:00

We welcomed KENNA PAIGE to our family! She has been an overwhelming delight with her infectious smile and sweet little charm.

Leaving for the hospital...

Oops... caught stealing hot dog buns!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl - We Love You!

**I did take some professional b-day pics that are not in yet - I will post those along with some b-day party pics later!

Pics from her b-day night...

New stroller :)

XOXO

She Works Hard for Her Money

2008-06-28T13:13:00.016-05:00

I hate garage sales. Really - I hate them! So, why I subject myself to the same torture year after year is beyond me! On the heals of last year, where I had one lady try to steal a pair of pants and one lady who said my $.75 Nordstrom's top was priced too high, I swore I would never do it again. All of that for a big $37 profit! But... I just knew this year was going to be different!!! Nope... had one lady tell me my jackets were out of season. (Okay, really woman - where do you think you are shopping - it's a freakin' garage sale!!!) So, after my $16 ad in the newspaper, and $3 I owed Drew for selling some toys, I came away with $27 (after 4 1/2 hours).

Have I mentioned I hate garage sales?

Update on the munchkins... Kenna is walking!

Fourth of July

She is very fast and in to EVERYthing! But, she is so fun! She loves sitting in chairs - it cracks me up. She will get a toy or food and sit in a chair and watch TV.

Drew is learning to swim - getting very brave and doing tricks and flips off of the side. He also enjoyed some "boy time" with daddy on Father's Day weekend. They took a camping trip to the San Marcos area to watch the Texas Water Safari.

Worn out after swimming...

Clara has spent some time at two camps this year and will soon be gearing up for dance camp for her first year of high school! (Yikes?! Is that even possible?)

Clara & her cute new haircut...

Carrine is working with Bobby this summer, and we rarely see her other than the occasional "pop-in" since she has a boyfriend now!!! :)

**They will both be over for Kenna's first birthday next weekend, so I hope to have more pictures of them then!

In other news... Happy Birthday, Waynene/Mema!!! (June 23)

And, Happy Father's Day to our special Daddy's!!! Happy 4th Weekend!

No Crybabies Allowed!

2008-06-04T17:53:00.010-05:00

So I am on an e-mail list for a "mom" newsletter. The main article of the last newsletter was about how much some moms dread the summer because their kids are out of school and home with them all day. Okay, all I can say to THAT is WHAAAAAAA!!! Poor YOU! Let's put this into perspective... I have worked for 16 years - I finally have the opportunity to stay home with my kids, so I am THRILLED and have been looking forward to the summer for months. I have friends who also work full-time and can only see their kids at night and on weekends. So... for all of my stay-at-home mom friends who get a little overwhelmed and are counting the days until the next school year, I say "Get over it and ENJOY YOUR KIDS!" Be thankful you CAN stay at home with them!! Now, I have no delusions that this summer will be all swimming, snow cones and smiling, happy kiddos all summer, but I do HOPE I can keep my own attitude in check if the sugar from those snow cones start to get my little ones a little hyper and working my nerves!

Okay, maybe that is all a little harsh - but, you get the idea ~ and I mean it with all of the love in the world, mom friends! So, in the spirit of SUMMER, here are some pics of the kiddos starting to enjoy this one!

Kenna's First Trip to the Pool - Ever...

This made me giggle... Drew cannot swim yet (on our To Do List this summer!), so he had these other two boys (whom he had just met that day) tote him around the pool.

At She-She and Gs...

No school tomorrow!!!

Peter Piper Pizza

This is how Drew came downstairs after getting up one morning...

Lunch with friends - Julie, Austin and Addison

Sidewalk Chalk!

A little too hot for the park?!

Now, go out and enjoy your summer, too - and, No Crybabies Allowed!!

A Good Marriage Is...

2008-05-27T20:15:00.004-05:00

... a partnership between two good people. It's trusting, laughing, and knowing when to compromise. It's remembering what matters and forgetting what doesn't. It's filling life with what you love and loving who you're with.

BOBBY & LISHA

May 27, 2000

Engagement in Mexico...

Wedding Photos... (check out the sky!)

Hawaiian Honeymoon!

I love you, Bobby!

Who's The Boss, Applesauce?!

2008-05-25T10:32:00.007-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS to my hubby who has recently been promoted to Assistant Vice President with his company! This was a huge promotion and long overdue for him. It couldn't have come at a better time with the end of my job nearing. He has worked so hard and so deserves this promotion! We're proud of you, Bobby!

The month of May brings many special occasions for the Snyder Clan and extended family - Doug (our brother-in-law) turned 50 (May 2)! Bobby's sister Kim also celebrated a birthday on the 5th and cousin, Kari, celebrated her birthday on the 18th. Hope you all celebrated like you should!

Happy Birthday, Doug!!

Happy Birthday, Kim!

Happy Birthday, Kari! I think these first few are from like 1994!!!!

Happy Anniversary to She-She and G and also to Shae and Chris!

She-She and G!

Shae & Chris

Shae - when I was looking for a photo of you and Chris, I found this one.... ha, ha!!!!

To those I missed - I am sorry - my memory is slowly deteriorating as I get older!

Random Pics:
Mother's Day Candle from Drew

Dinner Divas

Drew and Slader - last day of school

Is she giving me the bird?

Why 9 month olds don't do dishes!

HAPPY SUMMER!

Ellum Minnow Pee

2008-04-30T06:20:00.024-05:00

I know, I know... long time, no blog. I can't take another reprimand from a certain friend (clear throat, Rayne) SMILE RAYNE!, so here goes....

We have been busy, busy. Bobby has been just the greatest "handy man" EVER! In addition to the new floors in my upstairs guest bathroom, drain on the back of the house, new grass in the backyard, new garage door system and tint on my new car, he managed to find a day or two to build Drew a playscape! Drew is so excited - it has a slide, steering wheel, saucer swing and sand box! (Pictures of the progression below).

Over the last month, we have celebrated Mamma's 90th birthday, (Bobby's grandmother), enjoyed Easter, visited Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Eric, attended Clara's dance banquet, enjoyed some beautiful weather and some time inside when it wasn't so beautiful, celebrated cousin Stefanie's pregnancy and watched little Kenna as she gets closer and closer to walking! Some pics of the last month... Enjoy!

Drew enjoying his Easter egg coloring.

My favorite egg!

I was so proud of my work this year! :)

My grandmother's Iris's now at my parent's house...

Clara found a money egg!

Trip to the park...

Kenna's 1st "swing"!

Mema (Bobby's Mom) and Kenna at Mamma's 90th b-day party...

Kenna loves looking out of the window! Kenna & Drew at JenEric's...

"Hmmm... what's this..."

"Looks yummy to eat..."

"Or not"

Eric and Jennifer - and someone who should not be in this picture! :)

Drew performing for Kenna - this has become a common activity at the house!

Kenna enjoying her "show".

Bobby's project... START

FINISH

Love this picture of Clara (I cropped myself out!) :)

Drew and his friend Trey (my parent's next door neighbor) playing golf

Drew and Trey hiding when it was time to go home!

Stef's Shower...

Kenna was SUCH a good baby for like THREE hours!!!

Drew's photography...

Playing dominoes...

You're A Doodie Head

2008-03-19T11:41:00.004-05:00

Drew: "Mommy, you're a doodie head."

Mommy: "Drew, why would you say that - that is not polite. Who taught you to say that?"

Drew: "Michael." (Name changed to protect the not-so-innocent)

Mommy: "Well, next time he says that, tell him you do not like being called that."

Drew: "But, I do like being called a Doodie Head."

Mommy: "Why in the world would you want to be called that? "

Drew: "'Cause that's the way I roll."

Oh , the joy of little boys! It was hard not to laugh at his last statement, but really? No matter how much we try to teach our kids to be polite, respectful, there is always a "Michael" out there teaching them to be doodie heads!!!

So, not much is going on with the Snyder clan. Spring Break is this week. I am taking off tomorrow and Friday to hang with the kids. I think Carrine is doing "college" stuff, but maybe Clara will want to hang with us a day or two!

Here is a "photo" update of the last few weeks....

SNOW DAY! Leave it to our Texas weather to provide us with snow in March! Drew was so excited! We got him up early to play in it before school. Bobby stayed home and had a snowball fight with him. They had fun!

Love this picture... :)

Drew performing for Kenna (below). She just EATS him up (and him, her). My friend Rachelle once said (long before I think I even had kids) that the biggest joy is seeing your kids play together. Although Kenna is still pretty young, that is SO true! She just lights up anytime he enters the room. And, he is so attentive and sweet to her. He has started calling her DINKY, which is really funny to me considering my Mema (who past away a few years ago) was nicknamed DINK because she was so little!

Kenna watching Drew "perform".

Kenna standing up... she gets so proud of herself! She is also walking behind things like the laundry basket (she pushes it and walks behind it in the kitchen) and Drew's toy wagon. Won't be long before she is WALKING!
(First time standing in her crib!)

She was SOOO pleased with herself!

Now that she has figured out she can stand up, she crawls over to the window in my office and looks out of the window.

Drew's Easter Egg Hunt at school. Shirt - another Barbara creation - "Chicks Dig Me". Kenna's is "Sassy Chick". And, just so you know, I have lost the battle of doing Drew's hair. He has decided he does not like it spikey (or UP, as he calls it), and he "allows" me to gel it, but promptly smashes it down. We're seriously considering shaving it off for the summer. It's a mess most of the time!

Dinnertime!

No idea.... she just randomly starts giggling. It is the funniest thing. She literally just cracks herself up and will start deep, belly laughing out of no where!

So, I had to take a picture of this... I went up into Drew's room and this is what it looked like... may not be anything that stands out immediately to you, but I knew I had not yet cleaned his room, so I called him up and asked him if he had done this... He did - he cleaned his own room! Even put the pillows up and everything! Now, animals were stuffed in the toy box and puzzles, clothes and Power Rangers jammed in drawers, but I was so impressed that my little 3 year old (this was just before his b-day) had cleaned his own room!!!! He was so proud of himself, so he, of course, had to take daddy upstairs as soon as he got home from work to show him! Love it! He'll be helping around the house in no time!

Have a HAPPY Day!

Happy 4th Birthday, Drew!

2008-02-25T10:56:00.012-06:00

Four years ago, a precious little ball of chunk entered this world and our lives have been forever changed! Andrew Austin "Drew" has been pure joy since the day he was born! Of course I am a little bias, but he is the cutest, funniest little thing. And, sweet. Boy, is he sweet. There is not a day that goes by that he doesn't randomly say "Mommy, I love you" while sitting on the floor and playing or "Mommy, I love my sisters". The other day, I was in Kenna's room, and he came in and said "You know, mommy, I think you're pretty special". He cracks me up, melts my heart and has me thanking my lucky stars every day for such a healthy, high-spirited and thoughtful child!

Happy Birthday, Drew!!!!

It's My Blog and I'll Brag If I Want To

2008-02-13T18:40:00.008-06:00

Okay, so I stole that title from a magazine, but I thought it was funny. And what is a blog really? Just to give you a laugh, keep you informed on our lives and, of course, brag a little!!!

So, where should I start? I guess I will start with the youngest and work up!

Kenna Bean is growing like crazy! Okay, so not in size - she is still just a teeny 14 pounds, but she has her first two teeth, she's starting to crawl, she is saying da da, daddy, ma ma and bu bu. Of course, I am sure she doesn't know what these mean yet, although, she will look at Bobby and say "daddy" - sounds more like da (pause) dee. She started out saying bbbbbbb, so Drew is convinced her first word was Bubba. (We won't tell him otherwise). She is the sweetest little thing - sleeps so well, eats well and has the sweetest disposition. She also loves watching Drew play and will deep belly laugh over him flipping a plastic fork - it's priceless.

"Why do you always have me in these crazy hats?"

Doing her "skydiving" pose - feet up, hands up, belly on the floor...

"Feed me woman!"

Starting to crawl....

.
Drew is still all boy. Loves doing his Power Ranger moves, playing on the computer and watching TV. He'll be 4 on the 25th - can you hear me weaping? FOUR! Where does the time go!!! He is hilarious, though, and very smart. The other day I told him to get dressed for school. He said "You're bossy!". I said "Excuse me, what did you say"? He then sheepishly said "I said you're the boss of me". He thinks he is so funny. And, he is, actually.... He had an ear infection last week - running 102.2 fever, hopped up on meds. He gets up off of the couch after a 3 hour nap and comes in the kitchen to me and Bobby. In a low, sickly voice, he said "Mommy, do I have something on my bottom", as he turns around to proudly display a large Spiderman sticker that he had placed there. He then giggled and went back to lay down. I thought - this kid is hilarious - he is sick, in pain with an ear infection, yet still has the energy to muster up a funny!!!

Clara is busy with school and dance. She is still sweet as ever, although, a little "teenager" does come out in her every now and then. I actually think it is kind of funny to see her with a little attitude sometimes! She has always been the sweetest, most polite, thoughtful kid and for her to roll her eyes at my horrible singing in the car or not want to hang out with us EVERY weekend just reminds me that she is growing up and won't always want to be with us every second like we'd like! Although, she IS still the sweetest thing - Bobby, me, Drew and Kenna managed to sit through a 4 hour Spring Fling (for her dance). Yes, all of us made it the entire 4 hours without incident. But, it was painful. 61 dances and Clara was in about 4. And, of course, she was in the second to the last performance, so we couldn't get up and leave early :) The fact that we spent an entire afternoon in a gym watching kids who shouldn't really be in leotards dance like they could didn't get by Clara one bit... afterwards she thanked us for being there like we had donated a kidney to her or something. But, that's just her - always thankful and thinking of others.

Carrine is also busy with her junior year in college. After Italy this past fall, she decided to stay home and go to UNT. This is exciting to all of us, as we get to see her more often and don't have to drive 5 hours to do it! Although, we don't see her as much as we'd like. When she is not in school, she babysits for 2 families throughout the week and then spends weekends with her friends. I still don't get that. I mean, what 19 year old wouldn't want to spend the weekends with her dad, obnoxious step-mom, 3 year old little brother and a baby sister! Sounds like loads of fun, right?

***I apologize for the lack of pictures of the girls - they are just not around enough for me to snap pictures of their pretty little faces! We are having a Girl's Double Scary Movie Night on Friday, so we will take tons then!!!

As for me and Bobby, I am still trying to figure out a workable schedule so that I can spend some of my time during the week in the sales office for my company while having "kid-coverage" and then finding time to do stationery orders. Oh, and I guess somewhere in there, I need to clean the house, do laundry, cook, grocery shop, pay bills and spend time with my family - not necessarily in that order. Bobby is training for "the race I swear I will never do again" - the Texas Water Safari. He is doing it this summer in another 3-person boat with Mike Stinson and some poor woman they suckered in to joining them this year. He is also doing a running program, so between that, the paddling, his work and the family, he stays pretty busy.

That's all for now! I will really try to stay more on top of my blogging! I get reprimanded from friends for not keeping it up-to-date - but, probably just because I hound them to update theirs!!!

'Til Next Time, My Friends...

Lordy, Lordy Look Who's......

2008-01-07T10:40:00.000-06:00

A most special birthday tribute to our favorite man, Bobby Carroll Snyder!!!! Today is Bobby's 40th! We have spent the weekend celebrating (The 4 days of Bobby's 40th Birthday) starting Friday with dinner downtown and a trip to see the Dallas Maverick's with the kids. Saturday, we made homemade pizzas and went to Strikz to bowl and play video games. Sunday was VERY low-key - lots of sleeping :). We grilled out and watched a couple of movies. We happened to finish one movie at 11:59 so me, Carrine and Bobby enjoyed a little birthday cake followed by another movie! Today, we served breakfast in bed and Bobby is off now doing his favorite "relaxation" sport of paddling. He was supposed to get a massage today, but I think he is rethinking that idea - sounds good to me, but hey - it's HIS birthday! He wanted low-key and time with the family, so that is what he is getting! We are both off today and Carrine is here, so we hope to do a little more celebrating tonight! We are planning a more "formal and fun" celebration this Spring - snow-skiing somewhere....?

Happy Birthday, Bobby - we love you tons. You are the absolute most fantastic father, husband and friend in the world, and we are all lucky to you have you in our lives and are better people for knowing you!!!

Your adoring family~
Lisha, Carrine, Clara, Drew and Kenna

(And, just for an "awwww".... I asked Drew what he wanted to put on Bobby's birthday card - I wrote it down word for word, and he signed it. It was so cute, I thought I would share:)

"Daddy - Happy Birthday to you. Do you want to be a family? You are my best friend, and I love you ~ Drew"

Priceless!!!!

Happy Birthday, My Love!!!!

Bowling pics.... Carrine and Drew

Bobby helping Drew bowl

Kenna giving Daddy sloppy birthday kisses!

Pretty girls!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T10:22:00.000-06:00

Lots to catch up on! I will let the pictures tell the stories! Too much to type and not enough time! Happy New Year!!!

These pictures kind of go in reverse order, so we're starting at New Year's and working back to Christmas Eve...

Clara, Kenna and Drew at midnight!!!

On New Year's Eve, we took the kids to the see the ice sculptures at the Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine. The sculptures were amazing!!! Here are some pics...

Love this picture of Bobby and Kenna

Our own "ice sculpture" on NYE. He, he.

The girls heading out to the symphony with their mom.

Clara and Drew rockin' out. Guitar Hero has been a permanant fixture at the house this holiday season! I think Bobby is the MOST addicted!

Kenna's first veggies - she loves green beans!

Kenna's first hair cut. She was getting this weird mullet thing in the back, so Bobby cut it off!

Sweet baby girl!

Christmas! Carrine and her two new books!

Clara and a new guitar for Guitar Hero

The Snyder Girls - Awww!

Uncle Clay came to visit for a few days. He worked at Twin Creeks one day, so we took Drew over to watch him dive. It was so cold, but Drew said it was "ffffuuunnnn".

G & Drew!

Drew & Uncle Clay

Kenna - Christmas Eve

Baby's First Christmas!

Matching Jams

Drew's School Christmas Program - do you think he is bored?

Happy Birthday, She-She!!!

2007-12-17T12:50:00.000-06:00

This weekend we celebrated a very special birthday! Mom, She-She, Shesh turned ?! on Saturday (December 15). We pulled one over on her - my dad told her he was taking her to PF Chang's and then to a movie. She thought it was just the two of them, but me and my clan (all 6 of us!) arrived ahead of time to get a table. Even more special for my mom, my brother, Eric, and his wife, Jennifer, drove in from Austin to surprise her, as well. I think she was surprised, excited, and we had a great lunch!

Happy Birthday, Mom/She-She/Shesh!!!!

Happy Turkey Day!

2007-11-22T09:58:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season! I have to thank my husband, my very own Bob the Builder, Tim the Toolman, etc... For reasons unknown, I have not been "in the spirit". Fall is normally my favorite time of year! But, I was actually considering not decorating for Christmas this year! "What?", you say???? I know, I know - it's Kenna's first Christmas for crying out loud! Leave it to Bobby and his little helper Drew to get up yesterday and spend the entire day putting up Christmas lights (front AND back!), putting out the trees, yard decorations, etc... It did actually get me motivated to decorate, so my dear little Kenna will actually have a true Christmas this year!! (Like she cares, right?) You know I am not normally the sentimental, mushy type, I will, however, leave you with some "Thankfuls!":

I am thankful for:

*A husband who is not only a great partner, but an unbelievable dad! He's truly amazing!

*Healthy kids who all bring a smile to my face in ways they may never know!

*The best extended family a girl could ask for.

*Wonderful, supportive friends.

*The fact that we are both gainfully employed!!!

*Again, these little faces.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

(And, this month's Diva Dinner at PF Chang's...)

To Shop or Not to Shop - Is That Even a Question?

2007-11-11T11:56:00.000-06:00

It is no secret that I am a shopper! Not your ordinary "go to the mall and dig through racks" kind of shopper, but "browsing online, looking for something cool and different" kind of shopper. And, a good bargain doesn't hurt, either! So, with the holidays upon us, I thought I would share some of my favorite shopping spots! Sorry, this is not your Oprah kind of favorites where I will be sending each of you a little something from each of these, but maybe you'll be able to mark someone off your Christmas shopping list with a gift from one of these places or just get something for yourself or your little one!

Williamson County Candle Co.: The best candles around! My friend, Shae, turned me on to these. They are made in a little garage in Hutto, Texas! They are long burning, soy candles, so they are safe to burn with little ones in the house! My current favorite is the Creme Brulee. Anytime I have someone over, whether it's burning or not, they comment on that candle! The Pink Sugar is another favorite - it smells like cotton candy!!! http://www.williamsoncandles.com/

Sew Cute Creations: Anyone who sees Kenna or Drew knows I am a FREAK for Barbara's creations! She is very, very reasonable and will work with you to make just about anything you want! She does burp cloths, bibs, onesies, etc... She does not currently have a website, but she does have an album, so let me know if you want to see it! Here are just a FEW of her items:

Mia Boutique: I met Christel last Christmas at a play-date at my neighbors. I was pregnant with Kenna, but did not know what I was having yet. I knew if I was having a girl, I'd be in trouble! Her outfits are just the reason why!!! She started with just the pillow case tops (like the one Kenna has on below). She now has pants, hair accessories, etc... What I LOVE about these is that I buy them as dresses first and because the strap is adjustable, once Kenna outgrows the dress, I can pair them with jeans and make them a top! You can also add tights and a long sleeve shirt underneath for the winter! Love it! These pictures do not do these outfits justice, so check out her site - http://www.boutiquemia.etsy.com/

http://www.cafepress.com/ - My sister-in-law introduced me to this site. I have not purchased anything yet, but they have awesome shirts that you can personalize.

http://www.palmercash.com/ - Another cool website for cool shirts for guys and gals. I bought my brother, Eric, a shirt from there for his beer-themed birthday party (Pour Favor) and my cousin, Chad, one for his birthday (Chad is Rad). I had one when I was pregnant - it was a Buddha and it said "For Good Luck, Rub My Belly". Hilarious.

http://www.babywit.com/ - Not only does this site have hilarious shirts for toddlers, but it has great stuff for mom, too! They also have fun mom and baby matching shirts (Drew and Mommy in 2005 with our Baby Wit shirts...)

I am starting to sense a theme here with all of the clothes sites. So... here are a few more that I love that aren't clothing or accessories!

www.shutterfly.com - I've always used Shutterfly to share family photos with friends, etc... but they have added so many new products that I am actually going to use them for some great gifts for Christmas this year! My favorites are the photo puzzles, personalized story books and photo albums. Since I am not a scrapbooker, I plan to use Shutterfly to make the kid's an album every year for their birthday. I think they are reasonable - $39.99 for 20 pages and then just $1 for each add'l page. What a fun way to "store" your families memories each year! And wouldn't a photo album of all of the grandkids make a wonderful grandparent's gift, too?!?!

http://www.sbceramicstore.com/lolita-hand-painted-glasses.html - One of my favorite gifts lately was a New Mommy wine glass from my good friend, Laura! It is from the Lolita line of wine glasses and martini glasses. I have a few now that I want to get, like the Leopard wine and/or martini glass! They have super cute themed glasses and some with just fun designs! I recently gave the flip flop wine glass with a bottle of wine to a girlfriend - it's a new favorite - to give and to receive! This is perfect for a holiday gift exchange - pick up a nice bottle of wine or martini mix and you have a great gift for any of your girlfriends!

www.personalcreations.com - While I admit some of the stuff on this site is a little cheesy, they do have some great gift ideas. One thing I have given for a few birthday parties is the personalized Kideo Video. Send in a child's photo, and they become a character in the video and their name is said throughout. The kid's freak when they see themselves on TV! Drew has a Dora video from his first birthday, and I just noticed they have a Spiderman video, so as soon as I am done "blogging", I am going to get him that DVD for Christmas!

Okay, my blog friends... it's late and I still have an order to finish. I think I have A.D.D. I came in here to finish an order and have since read several blogs, blogged myself and browsed the internet. And... still haven't finished that darn order!

Peace!

"Trick Or Treat, Mommy's Feet!"

2007-11-02T13:25:00.001-05:00

This will be short and sweet. Just wanted to upload some pics from Halloween. The kids had a good time - no matter how many houses we hit, Drew was amazed each time at how "THEY GAVE ME CANDY!!!!" He just thought it was the coolest thing that he was able to knock on someone's door, and they opened it up and gave him candy! He's already on the countdown until next Halloween. "Mommy, how many days until Trick Or Treating again?" And, if you're wondering, the blog title is from a message Drew left for She-she (my mom). Instead of "Trick or Treat, smell my feet", he thought it was "Trick or Treat, mommy's feet". Maybe he had that in mind because of this.... (he insisted I take a picture and even came up with his own pose! Yikes!).

Drew Trick Or Treating his own house... he thought this was pretty smart...

That's just wrong, Daddy...

Don't know why I think babies are so cute when they cry!

Have a GREAT weekend!!!!!!

UFC 185: Battle of the Bulge

2007-10-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

Hello, my blog friends. How's life treatin' ya? Halloween is this week - woo hoo! As many of you know, this is my favorite time of year! I love to see all of the costumes and scaries. Drew is going to be a skeleton (not MY choice) and the Little Miss is going to be a ballerina. Clara and her mom are suppose to come over for some treatin' and eatin' - ha, I just thought of that - I'm funny. (I promise I am not drinking - it's 3:00!). 3:00 and we're waiting on a call back from CareNow to take Drew back up there to have them look at this....

No, not his teeth. (He thinks he's pretty funny). But, the nice little gash across his nose. I received the call on Friday that I knew would come one day, but I was dreading. "Lisha, you need to come get Drew, he's probably going to need stitches." Ugh! Poor thing... he tripped and planted his face right into the slide at school. Of course, you know me, always the calm one. "Bobby, Drew hurt himself - What do I do? Where do I take him? To Dr. Kaplan? To the emergency room? To the care clinic? Can you come home? Meet us there? Help!" Sigh..... Anyhoo... I took him to the CareNow just about 3 minutes from his school. They gave me the option to have it glued or to have stitches. I couldn't stand the thought of him getting stitches, so I opted for the glue. It was easy, painless, and he was back to rolling around on the floor by that night!

We had a nice weekend with Uncle Eric and Aunt Jen. Unfortunately, I do not have many pictures because my camera died. I did manage to eeck out a couple of my yummy potato casserole that I made for breakfast. Anyone who has had dinner here multiple times has probably had my potatoes supreme. They are quick and easy and I make them a lot! Well, I was eating them the other day and thought - hmmmm.... I can add ham to this and make a breakfast casserole. So... that's what I did:

POTATOES SUPREME - BREAKFAST STYLE!
1 bag cubed potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
2 cups of mild cheddar cheese
1 small to medium onion, chopped
12 oz. cubed ham
1/2 cup melted butter (mmmm)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of dijon mustard (grainy) - I did steal this little ingredient from another breakfast casserole recipe - thanks, Rayne!
8-9 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 bunch chopped chives

Combine all ingredients (except the bacon and chives). Cook at 425 for one hour. Sprinkle with the bacon and chives and serve - easy cheesy and delicious! So, let me know if you try it, like it, love it, gain 10 pounds from it!

Speaking of... Bobby and I love the UFC (Ultimate Fighting for anyone who doesn't know). We use to buy all of the Pay-Per-View fights, we watch the reality show, etc... So... in the spirit of the UFC (no, we're not body slamming each other), we decided, along with my brother and Jen, to have our own UFC - Ultimate Fit Challenge - complete with nicknames, of course!

Eric "The Pounds Have Fled" Domstead
Jennifer "Sweet Tooth" Domstead
Bobby "Lighter" Snyder
Lisha "I still don't have a nickname" Snyder

This is where YOU come in. For all of the 5 people that may read my blog, I need you to vote on a nickname for me! I tried to add a nifty poll, but I keep getting errors, so take a minute to vote (leave me a comment)! It's crucial to my success in this challenge! I wanted "Go Figure" - you know, kind of a play on words, but they said that was lame :(. I thought it was clever. Here are your options:

Lisha "I'll Have Fries with That" Snyder
Lisha "Hold The Mayo" Snyder
Lisha "Are You Gonna Eat That?" Snyder
Lisha "Go Figure" Snyder
Or, come up with your own name for me - be nice!!!!

I had to take a pic of the Little Miss in her first pair of tights! She can finally wear them, so we wore them with a little mini-skirt to the baby shower for my dear, sweet friend Amy (Rollins) Maxwell this weekend. I have known Amy since about the 4th grade! She's having her 3rd baby, a girl, Lexey DeeAnn!

And, here's a pic of the darling little ones whose birthday party we went to this weekend. Luke turned 2 and his sister, Aly, turned 4! Aren't they precious!

Okay, friends, I am off for now. Thanks for checking in!
Eric and Jen, thanks for a fun weekend!!!

Clara Kate and Other Things I 'Heart'

2007-10-26T12:34:00.000-05:00

What a bad blogger, step-mom, daughter-in-law I have been! I completely missed two very important birthdays - only in the blog world, though - I am not that forgetful!

Clara Kate Snyder blessed this world 14 years ago on October 15. I met Clara when she was around 5. She was, and still is, the sweetest little thing. Whether waking us up in the mornings when she was SEVEN to ask if she could make us breakfast or calling during my pregnancies to see how I was feeling - Clara is always thinking about others first. She's smart, funny and my goodness is she photogenic....

So to Clara, let's raise a glass (of root beer, of course) and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Another special birthday that deserves a tribute is that of BOB MURFIN. Daddy Bob, Papa, Billy Bob. This, of course, is Bobby's step-dad Bob who turned ?! on October 14. Happy, Happy Birthday, Bob - a wonderful father-in-law who can dish it out as well as he can take it - my kind of man!

Okay, so on to the "other things I 'heart'". I keep telling Bobby I want to start a list for the fridge. Anyone in the family can stop by and jot down something they LOVE. Other than the obvious - family, etc... Just things that make us say "Awww... THIS is life". It can be something as simple as a rainy day or something as profound as the birth of our children! Here are some of mine, and I do think I will start this list - today! I can't wait to get a little insight on what makes my family happy!

I LOVE:

A good cup of coffee in the morning

Cold sheets in a warm bedroom

A rainy day (when I can stay home and relax)

Cuddling with my babies

A good, deep conversation with Carrine, Clara or Bobby

Massages!

What do YOU 'heart'????

Okay, so I tend to think I am the witty one in the family, but dern if that hubby of mine doesn't have a little funny in him! In sharing some pics of Kenna with some of his friends, one commented that she looked just like him. They asked if any of his other kids looked as much like him and here was his response:

Oh... the suspense.

You ready.....?

That made me laugh - I mean hard. I sat down in front of the computer this morning and saw that on e-mail - hilarious.

Well, have a wonderful weekend, my friends. We have Aunt Jen and Uncle Eric visiting us this weekend along with a double birthday party and a baby shower. Whew. I need a nap already!

Adios!

Happy, Happy Birthday, Uncle Eric!

2007-10-19T22:35:00.000-05:00

This is SO long overdue, but Happy Belated Birthday, Brother/Uncle, Eric!!! (October 16). Uncle Eric lives in Austin, so we don't get to see him as often as we'd like. Drew reminds me so much of him when Eric was little! We hope you had a great birthday - we love you and miss you bunches!!

Sorry, Eric... I just had to...

And the best for last.... he, he!!! Happy Birthday, Bro!

Great Friends, Great Weather

2007-10-19T20:06:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, I met a business associate (April) for lunch. During our conversation, we discovered that both of our husband's had an interest in paddling (kayaks/canoes). At that time, Bobby was just getting into it and her husband, Jason, had apparently been doing it for several years. That lunch led to the boys e-mailing about paddling, which lead to them meeting to paddle. April and I actually never saw each other after that day, as she left that company soon after to go to work for another company. Over the years, however, I have seen her husband and her son, Ayden, several times at races, etc... This past weekend, we had them over for dinner. What a delightful time (did I really just type DELIGHTFUL?)! However, it was! We found out that not only do BOTH of our kids have birthdays just one day apart (Ayden - Feb. 24, Drew - Feb. 25; Eliot - July 11, Kenna - July 10), but April and I both are account managers in telecom and our husbands are both project managers!!! Now, Ayden is 2 years older than Drew and Bobby and Jason work in different industries, but come on - weird huh? (Insert the theme to the Twilight Zone here!). We truly had such a great time with them - we have a lot in common, and I am so looking forward to getting to know them better. We'll see them again tomorrow (Saturday) for The Trinity River Challenge (kayak/canoe race), and we also have a short trip planned in December. Drew loves his new friend, Ayden and wants him to "Come spend the night sometime".

Ayden and Drew - new buddies!

Love this... the guys both feeding the babies!!

Eliot (Ellie) Awww....

Last weekend, we also headed to the pumpkin patch. It was in Selina, which was a longer drive than I thought it would be. Drew had a great time, though, and some of these pictures from that day still make me laugh. He was scouring the field for that perfect pumpkin! It was a little windy and overcast, but cool. I so 'heart' this weather! I bought a yummy creme' brulee candle from Williamson County Candle Company and I have been burning it everyday while enjoying this nice weather that we are FINALLY getting! So, enjoy this weather, enjoy these pictures and until next time.... :)

This cracks me up...

Hmmm... too small.

Nah, these don't feel right.

I think this is the one, Mom!

Thinking Boy

"Ladies Night, Oh What a Night!"

2007-10-10T18:45:00.001-05:00

So what a weekend we had! I headed to Austin to spend some quality girl time with my Austin buddies, Shae and Dana!

First, a 90 minute hot stone massage followed by a pedicure! The massage was nice, but I would have much preferred a 90 minute Swedish. There was too much time wasted going back and forth to get the stones, etc... Rub, woman, rub!

"Ooo, I'm melon-toed!"

Saturday night, we headed to dinner at Trudy's. Shae and I split some TO DIE FOR Tilapia Quesadillas and had Trudy's famous Mexican Martini's - Yuuummmmyyyy. After dinner, we had about 2 hours until our comedy show started. Shae was familiar with a band - LC Rocks - that was playing at a local pub. Hilarious, these guys! They are a true "hair" band that does 80's cover songs. Think Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, Bon Jovi. They even had their little fans blowing on them so their mullets would blow while they jammed! It was a BLAST!

Cute little man who was rocking to LC Rocks with his daughter - he was 76! Precious.

We then headed to The Capital City Comedy Club to see Carlos Alazraqui from Reno 911. He was hilarious, as well, and stuck around for pictures after the show.

We called this guy "Edward Beer Hands". He had on surgical gloves and was scooping up all of the empties...

Back to Sherlock's for more head bangin'...

Then home... but, not before stopping to take more pictures....

Scary Red-Eyed Pig

Stopping in someone's yard - sometime in the a.m. - to take pictures of their scaries!

I stayed up WAY past my bedtime, but wouldn't trade our night for a little sleep! Good times, good times!!!

*********************************************************************************

While I was having a "free" day, Drew spent time with Uncle Eric, Aunt Jenii (yes, two i's) :) and Uncle Clay. I know he had a great time - he has asked at least 4 times if he can go back or if Aunt Jenii can come spend the night with him!

I'm Firty Free!!!!

2007-09-30T18:51:00.001-05:00

When asked how old mommy was today, Drew replied "this many" holding up 4 fingers. I wish... or not. Thirty-three is not all that bad. (Or, firty free as Drew says). We had a relaxing day - had lunch with She-She and G at PF Chang's - yummy - thanks, Mom and Dad. Bobby is treating me to a spa weekend next weekend with two of my girlfriends, Shae and Dana. We all have birthdays almost exactly 30 days apart, so we are having a weekend of spa treatments, Mexican martinis and comedy clubbin' to celebrate! Can't wait!!!

Speaking of 'Firty Free'... Drew's mispronunciation of words has provided us with endless hours or entertainment! Some of my favorites... "I want more porn!!!" (meaning to say he wants more CORN). Star Whores (Star Wars), cramra (camera), curse (purse) and, of course, I love hearing him sing his favorite song "Come on feel the noise, GRILLS rock your boys. We'll get wild, wild, wild. Wild, wild, wild. Come on, Felix!!!" (Anyone who knows this song knows it is "Come on FEEL IT,". Hilarious.

I did miss blogging about my Dinner Divas dinner a couple of week's ago. We went to Ricardo's and had good food and great conversation. Note to self - "Skip the second drink!" I love these ladies. We are all very different, but very much alike at the same time! Our dinners are getting more elaborate as the months have gone by, so come this time next year, we may be having Dinner Diva nights in Vegas or on a beach somewhere. Oh, a girl can dream!

Well, grills and boys... that's all for tonight. Heading off to enjoy the rest of the pampering I get for 5 more hours. :) I'll leave you once again with some favorite pics reminding me why Fall is my favorite season!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Putt Putt's For Nutt Nutts!

2007-09-17T10:20:00.000-05:00

Clara thought it would be a great idea to go play Putt Putt on Saturday! It was a great idea - little did we know that Putt Putt is where all of the pencil-mustached, 20 year old kids who are still in the 10th grade hang out. Ick. This place was gross. We had a good time, but we won't be frequenting the local miniature golf anytime soon! Bobby, of course, was the big winner! Yeah, Bobby!

Clara was the first to get a hole in one!

Wild animals on the loose at Putt Putt!

We also visited my grandfather this weekend along with my Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Charles. We snapped a couple of sweet pictures including this one of my 90 year old grandfather holding Kenna's 9 week old hand. Love this picture!

More pictures from the weekend...

"I love my first pair of shoes!"

So I was getting onto the Pediped website to use a gift card we received for Kenna and was frightened by this child...

Not sure what she is doing - perhaps preparing to karate chop the next toddler who touches her cheerios?!? Moving on...

Thank you, Aunt Sharon, for Kenna's Pedipeds!!

That's all for now - I am looking forward to my Dinner Divas tomorrow after not being able to attend for 2 months! So... I am sure I will have some pictures from our night out at Ricardo's!

This and That...

2007-09-11T11:53:00.000-05:00

Lots of photos to catch up on, so this post will be a mish-mash of "stuff"!

A couple of weeks ago, we were thrilled to be visited by Uncle Clay! For those who don't know, Uncle Clay moved to North Carolina in April. This was his first visit back and his first time to see Ms. Kenna! As Drew would say - "North Carolina is too far!" We miss you, Uncle Clay and we'll see you at Christmas!!!

This past weekend we hosted the Miller Girls for the weekend. We Peter Pipered, we pedicured and, of course, we had some wine! Shae is known as "The Queen of Catch Phrase" ("Hey, do you like my fun pone?" - referring to her cute little pony tail back in college). She is constantly coming up with off-the-wall comments that somehow seem to "stick". This weekend was no different ("So, you've never been on a hayride?"). I'll spare you too many details as only those who were there truly understand how funny she can be, but we enjoyed our visit, and Shae, I am looking forward to our spa weekend with you and Dana in October!!!

While Shae was here, we looked through old pictures... below are some that we got a kick out of!!

Back in the day....

Eric and Chad...

The cousins! Oh, I miss you guys!!!!

Chad changing the litter box!

Shae and Lisha roller skating!

Weston and Lisha testing Biore' pads...

Random man changing my tire...

Lisha and Dana in the GTE days...

Eric circa 1983!

And, here are some of the Little Miss...

She-She and Kenna

Too little for the Bumbo!

And... Drew's First Day of School this year!

My Daddy Paddles Hard!

2007-09-04T15:44:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was a blast! Bobby had a kayak/canoe race - The Colorado River 100 - which is a 100 mile race down the Colorado River. His goal was to win his division (adventure solo-unlimited), but he was not 100% confident since he has not spent much time training.

Carrine was his Captain, and I assisted as shore support. What that basically means is that we met him at each checkpoint and handed him water, food, ice socks, etc... We had a detailed plan for hand-offs at each location except we did not anticipate him paddling so fast that we would miss him at the very first checkpoint! For all of you non-paddling folks (like I was just a couple of years ago!!), this means that he was without his needed water, food, etc... for over 3 hours of his paddle (think Texas heat, no water, not good!). Needless to say, he was not thrilled with us when we caught up with him at his next checkpoint.

I think the shock of us missing him threw me off my game for the rest of the day. At the last checkpoint, we handed him his food, etc.. and this was the point where I was suppose to give him his lights for the boat and his headlamp in order for him to see at night. I was apparently so frazzled that he handed them back to me and said he did not need them (since he would actually finish in the day time). This went right past me... as we were cheering and waving from the side as he paddled away, I looked down and noticed the lights were still in my hand!! I freaked out and lunged into the water screaming that I still had his lights. Well, him and all of the sane people on the shore, were yelling at me "He doesn't need them - he'll finish in daylight!!". By this time, I was thigh deep in merky water - realizing I was making a spectacle of myself, I jumped back out of the water and Carrine and I proceeded to pack up the gear and try to hit one more "surprise" place where we knew we could see Bobby, but he was not expecting us. We thought we had a lot to make up for after missing his first stop!

This turned out to be an adventure in itself. Carrine and I were so excited, nervous - we had no idea where we were going, but we set out to find White Rock Park - a little dot on a map and the last place we could see him for 5 more hours before the finish. After driving across the Colorado River (nice house, ugly monkey, Carrine), we realized we were going the wrong way. We turned around, started to cross the bridge over the CR again and noticed the #2 boat was about to go under the bridge. We were disappointed, as this meant Bobby had already been past that point, but excited because we had someone to cheer for. I threw the car into park like a crazy woman, and we proceeded to run out onto the bridge to yell for the two-man boat who was trailing Bobby. (Picture Carrine running ahead of me in flip-flops yelling back to me "This is SO dangerous" and me trying to catch up as my pants nicely slip towards my thighs (hey, I have yet to buy new clothes so some of my maternity clothes just happen to be the most comfortable! Not made for running across busy bridges, but comfortable!). At this point, we pretty much knew we missed Bobby, so we decided to call it a day and head towards the finish line. As we were heading back, however, we saw the sign for White Rock Park. We quickly turned into the neighborhood and made our way back to the park. After getting reprimanded from an off-duty police officer for pulling into the park too fast, we ran down a walking trail to wait for boats. And wait, and wait... nothing. Then, after 25 minutes, here comes a solo boat... we cheered, we yelled - Carrine did ask him how many boats were ahead of him - Two - he motioned. "One solo and one tandem" he yelled back to us. Woo hoooooo - this meant Bobby was still out in front.

Have I mentioned that Bobby has been the LEAD boat - we're talking numero uno - each time we have seen him at the checkpoints??? This was very exciting!

So... after checking into our lovely hotel in Columbus, Texas (Bobby said it was a negative 1 star, but I guess that is what you get in Columbus!), Carrine and I showered (yeah!) and headed to the finish line to hopefully see Bobby come around the corner as the first boat to finish. Close to 7:30 p.m... boat in site!! We ran up the shoreline to see if it was Bobby - we both thought it was, but we didn't want to get our hopes up (it's hard to tell when they are pretty far back). "Bobby?" Carrine yelled. No answer - crap. "Bobby?" No answer. Then finally, he raised his hand and waived to us! Woo hoo!!! We went nuts! He was the first boat to cross the finish line, first boat ever to finish this race in the daylight. To put this into perspective... 145 boats started the race. It was a staggered start meaning his group started at 7:00 a.m., the two-man (tandem) boats started at 7:10 and then the competitive class (the fast boats made for racing!) started at 9:00. Although he did not have the overall fastest time compare to the competitive class and the tandem teams, he still won his division beating 54 other solo competitors and 106 total boats which included the TWO man boats!!! Hello!!! He was faster than boats who had two people paddling! The only boat to have a faster time out of 106 boats was a tandem team and their total time was only faster by 4 minutes! Carrine and I were so happy for him - it was very exciting. I think Carrine had a total blast. We have all been to several of his races, but we agreed this was the most fun, by far! Bobby, you are a rock star! Thanks for giving us an exciting weekend!!

First one in....

Making it official....

Team Captain Carrine...

Happy 19th Birthday, Carrine!

2007-08-28T10:47:00.001-05:00

19 years ago today Ashlie Carrine Snyder was born! Carrine was 10 when I met her - she was so cute. Already quite the little fashion plate at that young age! She has grown from a soccer playing, glasses wearing little cutie into a smart, beautiful young lady! She'll leave us in two weeks to study in Italy for the fall, and we'll miss her terribly - I mean, who else is going to stay up until 2 a.m. watching movies with me or help me make brownies at midnight or make sure I don't buy any new clothes that look too much like a "mom" :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARRINE! Vegas 2009!

Too Tired To Suck In...

2007-08-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

Well, the day started off a little crazy for us! Drew crawled into bed with us this morning around 7 - nothing too unusual except around 7:20 he sat straight up and started tossing his cookies! He managed to soak the bed, pillows, Bobby... We sprang into action - Bobby grabbed Drew, I pulled all of the sheets off of the bed... By 8:00, the sheets were washed, Drew was out of a bath and clean, and our morning had begun! A little earlier than I had anticipated! (As many of you know, I am NOT a morning person!) Bobby was home sick today, too, so I got dressed to run some errands and let the boys relax. I was tired... around midnight last night I got a wild hair and decided to pull out some of Kenna's plain onesies and decorate them with my fun little Kandi Kane machine. It adds Swarovski crystals to things like clothes, paper products, eye ware, etc... Boy, was I impressed with my blinging abilities (are ya feelin' my sarcasm?). Some of my "work" is pictured below. It was fun anyway... I had to get this project out of the way before she is old enough to pull them off and eat them! She'd have the blingin'est poop of any baby in town!

Between the midnight blinging and the morning barfing, I didn't get much sleep. This was evident as I was getting ready... I'll usually get dressed and do a last minute "once over" before I leave the house. Turn to the side - suck it in to see what I could look like if I lost the baby weight that was actually on there pre-baby. But this morning, I was just too tired to suck in! How awful is that - that I would actually turn to the side and consciously think - "I am not even going to exert the effort!" Maybe tomorrow...

On the shopping front, my wonderful friend, Shae, turned me on to these darling shoes called Pedipeds. I have purchased two pairs for Kenna and have my eyes on several others - I am trying to pace myself! I have the Samantha (below, 2nd pic) and the Sophia Black... aren't they darling? I purchased mine on eBay (of course), but you can check them out on their website at http://www.pediped.com/. The Abigail Pink (below) and the Olivia Brown are next on my list! They have cute pairs for boys, too. Britney Spears's boys have them, and we know we ALL want to be like Britney... so, get to shopping, ladies!

So, as of this evening, the boys are feeling better and seem somewhat back to normal! Although we were not able to do much, I SO enjoy the time Bobby is home. I know Drew gets a kick out of it, too. He follows Bobby around like a little puppy - it's so cute, and I know it is time they will both treasure!

I will leave you with a gallery of my some of my favorite photos of the fam! One of my maternity leave projects includes cleaning out the photo cabinet. I kept running across funny photos, so I thought I would share some that made me smile, some that made me laugh outloud and some that made me just say AWWWWW....

That's all for tonight - woo hoo!

Our First Post!

2007-08-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

Well, apparently "blogging" is the thing to do! I have so many friends who blog, and I do actually read them for updates on their lives. With so many changes in ours, and with so many friends and family who are out of town, out of state, out of touch, we thought we would jump on the bandwagon! I once read that blogs were self-indulgent. I thought that was funny, but somewhat true. So... we'll try to make our postings as "un" self-indulgent as possible!

We'll post family updates, pictures, fun links or resources we have found. So, check back often, shoot us a note every now and then and ENJOY!

Bobby & Lisha

PS - Just to get us started, thought I would share a picture of the girls and this funny photo of Drew and Kenna. 1.) Clara and her "stylist" Carrine. Clara got a wild hair and decided to color her hair black. Carrine was happy to do it. He, he. I think it is actually pretty flattering on her. 2.) Drew was getting frustrated that Kenna was crying during their photo session!

AND... HAPPY Birthday, Dad (aka, G!)