We Are Alive

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted a blog. We have been real busy and all out of sorts! As you all know we have been living with my dad, David Miller, for the past 8 weeks while waiting to close on our house! We finally closed on October 7th! Dad kept saying "It hasn't been bad!" but I know he was ready for us to get our own place! Cole and Chloe were ready to have their OWN rooms back but Corlee really misses her Pop-O and Mrs. Chris. The first few nights that we were in the new house she would run into our living room after prayers calling for her Pop-O...It was routine at his house for her to give them hugs and kisses before bed each night! She didn't understand why they didn't move with us!

After closing on the house we did a little painting and cleaning before we began to move things in! We repainted the entryway, living room, hallway, and the 3 kids rooms! I am tired of painting. Chloe's room had lots of "beautiful" wallpaper that had to be removed before we could even begin to paint! He room took the longest but the transformation was well worth it! We also hung ceiling fans, changed locks, cleaned carpets, and pulled out shrubs. The move went well. Most of the boxes are unpacked. The only boxes left to unpack are mainly decorations and things to hang on the walls! Looking to start that tomorrow! There is so much more to be done(that I want to do) but I keep telling myself I have plenty of time because

I AM NEVER MOVING AGAIN!!!!!

I have a before and after picture of Chloe's room that I will share with you all. But you will have to take note that I have not hung anything on her walls nor have I hung the chair railing that will divide the pink and green! I must say that I am very please with her room!!! I owe lots of THANKS to our friends Clint & Jina and Aric & Cheri! They have helped many hours painting, scraping wallpaper and moving boxes! We could no have done it without them! Enjoy this pic of Chloe's room and I will try and post more soon.Sorry that you can not see the "beautiful" border that went around the 10 foot vaulted ceiling :)

It looks like such a big girl room now! Kind of make me sad...she is 7 going on 17!!!

CRAZY BUSY !!!!!

My last post was about how I couldn't believe that school was about to start...and now I am already posting how school has started and we have not slowed down for one second!!!
We are in week 3 of school. The kids have both adjusted well to their new school. One benefit to playing sports in Forney and being connected to a church group is that you are bound to know kids in all the elementary schools. The kids have reconnected with many friends that they already knew and they have already made new friends. They both really like their teachers and neither of them have gotten a conduct mark yet! (Keep saying those prayers!)

With school starting comes fall sports. Cole is playing fall baseball this season. This will be his first season to play KID PITCH! Chris is not coaching this fall, we decided that Cole needed some time away from dad to really prove himself and Chris needed some time away from coaching to catch up on things around the home front. Cole got drafted to the Yankees!!! If you only knew how much he hated the NY Yankees you would really see the humor! Again he has a great coach and knew some of the other kids so he is having a great time and we are looking forward to his first game this Saturday! Go Yankees!!!

Chloe is beginning her 4th year or her 7th season of soccer. She is still on the Ballhogs. There are 4 girls on the team that have played together for several years now. Like Cole she is moving up a division as well. They were suppose to move up to the Under 7 division, however there weren't many teams in that age bracket so they decided to combine under 7 and under 8 leagues! This should make for very interesting games! Especially for Chloe since she HATES to lose! We are excited to see her first game on Saturday as well!

This past weekend we had an extremely busy weekend. We took advantage of the long weekend and "partied" for three days! We had birthday parties, family gatherings, picnics, and even worked in a trip to Six Flags! The following pictures are just a few from our crazy busy weekend!

My SILLY girls playing outside! Chloe is very good with her baby sister!
The birthday party we went to was a Rock N Roll party at the local dance studio. Corlee loved dressing up and watching herself dance in the mirror!
**Bonus**She took a great nap when we got home!

Yes, Chloe enjoyed herself too! Such a SASSY little thing!

We also enjoyed some time at Chris' mom and dad's new pool!
The kids love to swim at Noni and Papa's!

Can't have a family picnic without some good ole' watermelon!

Corlee enjoyed EVERY bite!

This is a pic taken at the top of the tower at Six Flags! I had actually never been up there!

We had a great time, it wasn't crowded and CHLOE even rode the TITAN!

For those of you keeping tabs on our housing situation...we do have a contract on a house and are looking to close the end of this month! I believe that's all for now...until next time!

It's Almost Over!!!!

Wow I really can't believe that summer is almost over and that school is about to start! This summer has really flown by, however we have been a little busy!
As you may remember from a previous post our land lord had sold the house we were calling home so we were being forced to move yet again! Well we are officially homeless. All the papers were signed and our rent house was sold on August 1st. We have been looking for a house to buy since the beginning of June. We have found lots of houses, but either we can't afford them or they need way too much work. It has been a very discouraging hunt. We have looked in Forney as well as all the surrounding cities. We finally found a house in Forney that was just what we were looking for, however apparently nothing can be easy for Chris and I! The couple that is selling the house we want are going through a nasty divorce and they apparently can't get along long enough to even sell their house so all offers and such must go through the judge! Yes...NICE. This has taken 4 times as long as it should have. We are currently on our second counter offer! But we have decided that they can "Take It Or Leave It" at this point!
"We are currently living at my dad's! It has been fine but he has been out of town on vacation since we got here so we shall see how much he really loves us when he gets back!!! We are anxious to find a house we can call home so we know where to put the kids in school. They are a bit nervous about finding yet another new school! So all of you say your prayers that something will work in our favor. We are very grateful to my dad and Ms. Chris for letting us stay here. The kids act like they are at a resort or something, Cole can't wait for Pop-o to get home so he can cook for us every night...I keep telling them that "living" at Pop-o's is different from "visiting" at Pop-o's. We will not be treated as guest...we are family...and we should be cooking for him every night! YUCK!!!
I will try and get better about posting more often. However while at dads I won't be posting many pictures until I figure everything out on our laptop!!!

Fun in Galveston

My SWEET Girls!

Cole and Chloe enjoyed riding the waves!

The kids buried Chris but Corlee didn't know what to think!

Their Daddy, The Mermaid!

Cole even found cute little shells to place as nipples on the mermaid!

Our buried treasure...Chloe

Chloe and her BFF!

They were super proud of their shirts!

As I unpacked this is what I found!

Summer Time = Busy Time

The Blogger website is not cooperating right now. I can not move my pictures the way I usually can so this blog is opposite of what I really wanted. Here are a few pics from summer so far the actual blog is below! I could just eat her up!!! Girls will be...Boys and Boys will be ...Girls

Our neighbors from our old house spent a week with us so that they could go to VBS with the kids. They had a great time together as you can see!

Wow when I look at the calendar I can hardly believe that the kids have already been out of school for 5 weeks! That means that summer is half over already. Some days that would make me sad but on days like today I can't wait for school to start back :) All kidding aside we have really been enjoying our summer together but we have been extremely busy! The kids have had something going almost every week since school ended. Cole has been to a baseball camp, a catchers camp, speed and agility training and VBS. Chloe has been to a soccer camp, VBS, and has another soccer camp this week. In between all these camps we have managed to find time to swim quite a bit in our neighborhood pool, have sleepovers with friends, go to the movies, and catch a Ranger Game or two!

However all the fun is about over for the kids. We got news last week that our landlord had received an irresistible offer on the house that we were renting...yes, a house that was not even on the market...therefore she is selling the house in which we call home. We have until August 31st to be out but since we were not looking at all we have a big job ahead of us! So just about everyday last week I spent several hours on the computer searching for the perfect house...then I would load the kids up in the car to go drive by or peer into the windows of my latest find. The kids are already sick of hearing "let's go look at a house!"

So Chris and I decided to take an impromptu mini vacation to Galveston with some friends this past weekend. We really figured that this might be the only opportunity we had to sneak away. Because the next month will be filled with house hunting, packing, and moving! The kids had a great time in Galveston. We spent a little time on the beach and we spent a day at Schlitterbahn. It was just a treat to get away and have some fun with the kids and our friends and leave our house worries behind for a few days! However we were home for less than an hour before we met with the realtor and went and looked at several houses! There is no time to waste if I am going to find my "diamond in the rough"!

Here are several pictures from the past month! (Sorry it has been that long...I will try to do better but you just heard how busy my next month is going to be!)

**I will post beach pics later when Blogger decides to cooperate!**

PIRATE Season Sails to an End

Last night was Cole's last regular season game with the Pirates. They ended their season with a 10-6 record! The boys really worked hard this year and really pulled together as a team! Last year they had a 2-14 season...see the improvement! It is fun to watch the boys learn how to actually play the game! They really pay attention now, make plays, hit the ball, score runs, cheer each other on , and help each other out...very rewarding!

Next year will be another story, Cole will move into the kid-pitch league...lots of walks!

Here are a few pics of my "Pirate" and his fans!

yes...yes...that is Chloe in the stroller!

Corlee giving her bubba good luck "knuckles" before he bats!

Chloe, Corlee (saying "CHEEEZZZ"), Cole, and Aaron (Cole's best bud)

Coach Chris, Chloe, Corlee, and Cole...My Pirate Team!

Corlee telling her Daddy what he did wrong!!!

God is AWESOME!!!

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for my student, Trent!

I am so happy to announce that Trent is home!

They finished up the radiation a little earlier than expected because of some brain swelling (a side effect of radiation). But before they left they did blood work, an MRI, an EKG, a minor surgery to remove his port, and numerous other test...And all test results came back great!
According to the Dr.'s the tumor is stable and the radiation did exactly what they wanted it to do! They will go back in 3 months for another MRI just to keep an eye on things! Can I say it again...

Our God Is an AWESOME God!!!!!!

Fun In The Sun

We met our friends, Kelli, Courtney, and Jina (along with all their kids) at out neighborhood pool today! There were 4 adults and 11 kids! Why are we parents always out numbered! Anyway...the kids had a great time swimming and playing together and we adults had a nice time catching up! Here are a few pics from our day!

This is my friend, Kelli's, little boy who is only 3 days younger than Corlee. They had fun together...they even did a little kissing but I didn't have my camera handy!

This is Chloe's best friend, Makenna. They always enjoy each others company!

And yes Corlee loves her big brother! Cole is usually very good with her!

Again we enjoyed the company of all of our friends. But remember that 4 to 11 ratio...No wonder I am tired this evening! I hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as we are!

12 Years and Counting

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

Wow it is really hard to believe that Chris and I have been married for 12 years. The past 12 years have been filled with many up and downs. When I look back at all the events that have occur ed in our lives since 1997 I am amazed that we are still together! No, I am teasing the last 12 years have been a blessing to Chris and I! We have shared so much together...we began our careers... started new businesses...bought new houses...sold houses...built houses...became an Aunt and an Uncle...rejoiced in becoming parents to 3 beautiful children...accrued debt...mourned the loss of loved ones...encountered wonderful friendships...coached little league teams...grown in our faith...but most of all we have nurtured that LOVE we have for one another! I am proud to say that I have been married to my BEST FRIEND for 12 years! I hope and pray that we have many more years ahead of us to continue to share our love for one another! If you are reading this blog then Chris and I owe you a thank you as well for being a part of our lives. We are so fortunate to have many, many friends and family to share in our happiness!
On a lighter note Chris and I (and the kids) did go to dinner last night for our anniversary. I know how romantic dinner with 3 kids. We thought about getting a sitter but Cole and Chloe really wanted to celebrate with us so...what the heck! Well I am glad that we have been married for as long as we have and that neither one of us was expecting anything too elaborate because as it turned out we ate in shifts. One got to eat while the other sat outside (yes outside) with Corlee! I have never in all my years of parenting had to take one of my children out of the restaurant! But never say never! She had a long day at the ball fields and was wanting no part of behaving in a highchair! And to end our "date" a trip to Wal-Mart! And the rest is history!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

3rd Child

Wow...Why is it that my parental skills have really slacked off with this 3rd child?
For example:
Cole was never allowed to even get near the dog's food and water bowl. I mean that is just gross and the dog might bite you! So Cole left the bowl alone!
Chloe was told not to get near the dog bowl for the same reasons. But she did it anyway, so she got in trouble.
Corlee was told the same rules...because it is gross and the dog still might bite. But she doesn't listen and I don't have the energy to fight her...and she is just so darn cute!!!

Yes..This is the cute little face that was looking at me today when I caught her playing in the dog's food! How can I even get mad at this little face?

Big Day

Well today was a big day for the Thomas children! It was AWARD day at school! Another proud parent moment for Chris and I.

Chloe received an award for 6 Hour Six Flags Reading - She read at least 360 minutes which entitled her to a free 6 Flags Ticket! She also received her Kindergarten Promotion Certificate! I cannot believe she will be a first grader. Chloe has really surprised us this year! According to her teacher she is an angel, she was not sent to the office at all this year! I would have lost that bet! She is reading, as a matter of fact she was 1 out of 5 kids in her class that was reading well enough to begin the Accelerated Reader Program at their school! Mrs. Tuley was the perfect fit for Chloe, she really fostered her love for learning and school!

(Front row 2nd from the left)

Cole was a recipient of a few awards himself! Cole received the Perfect Attendance Award!!! Cole was very determined to get this award and we are very proud of him! He also received "A" Honor Roll Award, yes that means that he made straight A's all year long! Cole has yet to make a "B" on his report card as long as he has been in school. Chris and I are wondering where he got his "smarts"??? He also received the Social Studies Award for excellence in that subject area. And lastly he too received a 6 Flags Reading Award! So yes we will be visiting 6 Flags soon!

(Front Row 2nd from left)

Then tonight Chloe had her End of the Season Party for soccer where she received her trophy for the Ballhogs! They ended their season with 6 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie I believe! There are 4 kids on the team who have been together for 3 years, one of them in a boy, Ethan. Well next season our team moves up a division due to their age so we have to go all girls. We are all sad about losing Ethan, but he refuses to wear a pink jersey and grow his hair long so he will have to go play on an all boys team! Chloe really loves soccer and if I can I must say...she is pretty good!


So as you can see our children gave us alot to smile about today! We really do take things for granted around here, but at the end of the awards ceremony today they played that song "Thank God For Kids" and tears swelled up in my eyes and I had to stop and really THANK God for my kids! They really are my life and I love them all so much!

Cole and Chloe you really made us proud today...We Love You!

Trent Update

Many of you have asked me for a Trent update so here it is!

I spoke with Kim, Trent's mom, today and she sounded pretty positive, but a little discouraged about Trent's treatment. He has just finished week 3 of radiation! Which should have been half way but they added a week so Trent will undergo 7 weeks of radiation. The side effects have been minimal. He is experiencing a little hair loss and he is not eating. The not eating is a huge concern right now. The radiation has in a sense killed his taste buds so nothing taste good therefore he is not eating. His not eating is greatly effecting his weight, his blood sugar, and his energy level. All of these things must remain in check or he cannot continue with his treatment. Kim said she would drive to the other side of Houston to get him food if he would only eat it! They saw a Neurologist this week that thinks that Trent is having some seizure activity. They noticed some rapid eye movement and a few other things that give them this idea. They are scheduling a 24 hour observation at the hospital to check this further. The Dr.s are saying that the seizures could be caused by the tumors or that it could be a side effect of the radiation to the brain. The radiation does cause some swelling in the brain therefore it could be that.

I give you all this information to say please don't stop praying now! Kim was in good spirits but she was also down to hear that they have added a week and that there is potential seizure activity. Please continue to pray that God give her strength! She said that Trent has been in good spirits but that this week he has cried often and just wants to go home. I did talk to Trent on the phone! We had a nice conversation about being on summer break! He told me that he loved me and missed me! I assured him that we all loved and missed him too and that we would see him soon! Please continue to pray for God's healing hand to be laid on Trent and that God grant him patience and understanding about being away from home. Please continue to pray for Troy, Trent's dad, and Baylee, Trent's sister. Troy is here working and Baylee is trying to finish her last week of school while at the same time they are very worried about their son and brother! And I ask that you please pray for all of the Dr.'s and specialist that Trent is seeing, please pray for their wisdom while treating our good friend. God is good and I know when we take the time to ask he listens.

The Travers family has been very blessed by many of God's people already and Kim was very appreciative today! They were granted a FREE stay at The Marriott Residence Inn in Houston, they have received many gift cards to restaurants and stores from total strangers. This is in addition to the many cards, toys, books, gifts....they received from Trent's friends at Little Red!

Again Thank You All! It is an honor of mine to have such wonderful friends and family! It really feels amazing to know that so many of you have placed Trent in your hearts and prayers when you don't even know him! But like I have said before when you are one of my students you have a special place in my heart...So Trent is part mine!

Thanks again ...Keep those prayers a coming!!!!!

Field Day

Well the kids had Field Day yesterday at their school. Chris and I were both able to go and help. I volunteered to help with Chloe's class and Chris went with Cole's. They both had a good time! There were a total of 17 stations but a few of their favorites were bounce house obstacle course, hippity hop race, football throw, sack race, three-legged race, and the 30 yard dash (Chloe liked this I am not sure Cole can run 30 yards). As I said before the kids had a great time and all of the students were well behaved and seemed to enjoy themselves.

I on the other hand want to know what happened to the days of real "Field Day"? When I was a kid (this makes me feel old) we really ran races and competed against each other! What a novel idea. This motto of "everyone is a winner" is for the birds. The real world does not treat us all as winners. We have to compete every day. We compete for jobs, parking spaces, a good seat in the movie theatre, we women compete with other women for best dressed, best hair, most well behaved children... the list goes on. And men I know you compete with each other too. Everytime I saw Chris today he was standing with a group of dads and they all had that "Yea I'm the Man" stance...You know the one I am talking about...Standing real tall (I guess you don't want to be the shortest), arms crossed in front of you(trying to hide your belly???), head held high(what's this about), all of them just a talking ...competing for the best story! So see we all compete and we are not all winners...Sometimes we have to lose. And this is one thing that I think kids aren't good at. Kids these days don't know how to lose. I know none of us like to lose but we have to teach our children how to lose with dignity. How to get right back up and try again! How to try, try, try again! So I think I will start a Facebook Group called "Bring Back Field Day"...Do you want to be a member?

Okay enough for my soap box here are a few pics from Field Day. I am sorry to report that I do not have a picture of Chris racing Cole on the Hippity Hop Ball Race...I would have loved to have seen that for myself!!!

The little boy to the left of Chloe is her "friend" Grant! She talks about Grant all the time and apparently Grant talks about Chloe all the time. Grant recently told Chloe that she looked "HOT" with her hair down so now it is a fight to get her to wear a ponytail to school! WOW...Already!

Cole is in the middle with the hat on! Go Hippity Hop Go! Wouldn't you like to see Chris on these!

See Cole is not a good loser at all but we are trying!

Granny and PaPa Ray

Last week we had a wonderful visit with Cole, Chloe, and Corlee's Great-Grandparents. They came down from Virginia to spend some time with Chris' parents and us! The kids were very excited to get to see them. We only see them about once a year so it is a fun time when they are here! They had not been here since May of last year so Corlee had changed ALOT. They spent one day with us and we went and had lunch with the kids at school, did a little shopping, and let Corlee entertain them for the rest of the afternoon! We got very lucky with the weather and Granny and PaPa Ray were able to see Chloe play her last soccer game of the season (in the rain but no lightning)and Cole play a baseball game. Chris' grandfather is a huge sports fan so I think he really enjoyed seeing the kids play their games. Chris even arranged with the opposing team for PaPa Ray to throw the first pitch of the game! Cole is the catcher for his team so that was really special! Cole even said at dinner that night that he felt like it was an honor. We had a great week and it was hard to see them leave. The kids are already asking when we can go to Virginia again! I just haven't answered them yet...I don't know when I will be ready for a 21 hour car ride with 3 kids!!!

It took Corlee all of about 5 minutes to warm up to them!

And the first pitch is a ....STRIKE!

And she even scored a goal for them!!!

We Love You and Miss You Granny and Ray!