Day of Planting...

It is wonderful to have so much already started. Now we just have to add our touches and in a few years it will all come together.

On Casey's day off we tackled a few small planting and transplanting projects around the yard.

Corndogs + Magic Shows = Laughter

A sneak peak into our wonderful adventurous day!

More to come........ (I promise!)

Really AWESOME....Not just regular AWESOME

Parker stayed home with Casey on his day off this past week for some Daddy time. They started with breakfast at Altana Bread Company then moved on for a little shopping. Parker explained that he needed some new shoes. He and daddy went to 5 different shoe stores looking for the right pair. Casey attempted to guide Parker towards, Jordans or Nikes while Parker had his mind set that he wanted Skechers. When did Skechers become so popular that a four year old wants/needs them?

Anyway he a daddy had pretty different ideas about the "right" shoes. I even recieved a phone call from Casey about the type of shoes Parker wanted. Finally Casey gave in Parker selected a pair of light up green Skechers. Casey said they had a hard time finding the right size. I guess I didn't explain clearly enough that he wears an 11 or 11 1/2. :)JK Well Paxson and I met them for lunch at Samurai. Parker showed off his new amazing pair of shoes. His pride and excitement could be seen for miles. I watched him walk around the resturant in them and noticed he was kind of limping. I asked him if they hurt and he said a little but that "they are still new so I just have to get used to them". I asked Casey what size they were. He said 10. :) Casey said that Parker told him the same thing about having to get used to them. I immediately new the problem. It took both of us thoroughly persuading him to take them off and put his old shoes back on. I understand his hesitaiton to take them off. I know what it feels like to love your shoes! I explained that we could look online when we got home and order whatever pair he wanted. We even discussed how many days it would take for them to arrive...how fun it would be for him to get the package in the mail and to open it. I finally found the shoes he wanted online but with shipping they were going to cost $12.50 extra. (Maybe that doesn't sound like much but I am not going to hand over $12.50 for shipping when the shoes were on $38.00) So I convinced him to go back to Academy return the ones he and daddy bought and look around town for new ones. Once we finally made it to Academy I looked in the bigger boy shoe section. He has moved on apparently. There they were the exact shoes he wanted! Perfect ending!!!!! He was ecstatic to say the least!!!!!!! Later that day we were going upstairs to lay down for a nap and I was watching him swagger up the stairs with such pleasure looking at his shoes. He looked up at me and said "mom these shoes are really really awesome not just regular awesome but really really awesome." Just thought you all might like to see what really really awesome shoes look like. :)



While they are lighting up

And this is why we did it...

The past two nights we have hosted the neighborhood "sword" adventures. I looked across the front yard and joyfully watched 6 little boys be "boys"! There are several little boys that live around us. They are slightly older but very very good with Park & Pax. They invited Parker and Paxson over to their houses and I explained that they have to stay in our front yard with us. So the boys one by one migrated to our yard to join in the swords, light sabers, and buzz guns extravaganza. I am perfectly fine with this being a daily activity.......their friends coming to our house to play! :)

I so wanted to snap a few pics the first evening but I was afraid I might come across as the "creepy mom". However when the festivities began the second night I couldn't resist.

Paxson hangs in there pretty well!!!

Small towns, small neighborhoods, knowing your neighbors....this is why we moved. :)

Pay it Forward...

It's been a little while since I have had this feeling. You know the feeling you get when someone completely unexpectedly does something so sweet, simple, and purely from the goodness of their heart! I am so grateful for these moments. God knew we needed extra thoughtful people on earth to help remind us of his love.

Today a friend I work with brought me a Diet Coke. You are probably thinking .....what is the big deal it's just a Diet Coke. This friend is someone I work with and usually see on a daily basis but we don't always visit. We aren't extremely close but we are friends. I believe that made the gesture mean even more to me.

Yesterday while I was getting water for the water table we were visiting and I was saying how good a Diet Coke sounded. She reminded me of the beverage machine in the Rec. Lobby but it is a Pepsi machine. I shared that I wasn't a big Pepsi fan that actually I would rather nothing if it had to be Diet Pepsi. She felt the same way. She is also a Coke fan. We talked about it a little more and had a very casual conversation. Well this morning at school I was visiting with another teacher in the office and she walked by and said I dropped off a Diet Coke for you in your room. You would have thought someone gave me a million dollars with the expression on my face. I explained that I wanted to bring a diet coke with my coffee this morning but all I had at home was a 1 liter so it didn't work out. I was so excited! I thanked her over and over again. I carried my Diet Coke around like a prized possession and shared the story with anyone willing to listen. As I sat and waited for my first parent conference I drank my special Diet Coke and thought more about how sweet it was of her to bring it. She previously shared that she preferred Coke rather than diet Coke so I began to wonder did she have the diet Coke at her house or did she make a special trip to pick it up. It made the delightful drink even more special. As I finished the diet coke I thought about how much the simple gesture meant to me and I thought about "paying it forward" to someone else. In between parent conferences I ran to Walgreen's to pick up a few things. As I was checking out I noticed that the trail mix I was buying was on sale $2/4. I grabbed another bag (I also had a coupon for $1 off 2 bags LOL). I remembered that my next parent coming for a conference shared how much she liked trail mix on FB one day. I eagerly anticipated her conference so I could "pay it forward". After our conference I handed her the bag and smiled and said just because. She smiled in return and thanked me. Her reaction showed that she was just a surprised and appreciative as I was. We talked about how much we liked trail mix and whether it was okay to snack on or not (fat and calorie content). As she left I felt the same happy feeling I felt when my generous friend brought me the diet coke. I honestly believe that was the best diet coke I have had in a very long time!

Thank you Connie for an amazing Diet Coke!!

Mother's Night at SLP

ME...(mommy)

As I was hanging mommy next to daddy on his bulletin boards he said...Awww I wish I could have painted daddy giving you a kiss. (TOOOOOOO sweet!!!!!!)

This past week was Mother's Night at SLP. One of my very favorite evenings of the year. I couldn't resist sharing Parker's perspective on ........Mommy.

"Her first name is Mommy but her next name is Kimberly."

"I call her Mommy."

"My mommy is about as tall as When you stand on your tippy toes or on a bucket."

"Her favorite color is pink, I guess."

"She works at school and she works for the kids at here."

"She likes to watch adult shows with daddy" (Once again ...telling everyone our dirty secrets. LOL)

"Her favorite dessert is some stuff that looks like candy but it's not candy."

"I think she likes the purple restaurant by my new house."

"I like to play Spiderman games with her like Spiderman games with webs!"

"She likes to eat a sandwich the best."

I love her because she is pretty."

We Fight Bad Guys...

Paxson getting ready to "get to business"...

Parker sliding in to be sneaky...

I really think the title of this post explains everything. We stay pretty busy around here fighting bad guys. So beware any bad guys the Allen house is not the place to be!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad...

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

My brother, sister and I owe a generous thank you to our parents for teaching us what marriage really means. They have continuously modeled what it takes to make a successful marriage. When I say successful I don't mean just staying in a marriage "getting by" I mean truly making it work! In this earthly world it is all to easy for marriages to fail. My parents have given an us amazing gift by showing us what it means to say I Do. There is absolutely nothing more that we could ask for from our parents. I can truly honestly say that I have the the BEST parents in the entire world.



Thank you Mom for teaching me ...

Wives can be a "handy man"...

To be creative on a budget when necessary...

It's okay to leave the laundry piled up so you can play...

To always put your children and husband first...

How crucial a mom and wife are to a happy successful family...

To place little importance on money and more importance on time ...

To be a take charge mother and wife...

To listen, support, encourage, love, forgive, and remember what really matters...




Thank you Dad for teaching me ...

You can always start over...

A husband should always protect his family...

I should never be afraid of a little hard work...

That nobody is perfect but love is...

That a wife's place is not solely in the kitchen...

What type of husband to look for... (Because I certainly found the greatest!!!!!!)

The importance of leaving little sweet notes...

To paint, lay tile, lay grout, put up a tile back splash, put up a fence, put up sheet rock, remove and reassemble car doors, the great uses of phone books, sand things , roof a house and so much more...

A kindhearted woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.

Proverbs 11:16

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

Proverbs 17:27

Lucky to be where I am...

I was recently reminded what an amazing gift it is to be teaching preschool at School for Little People. The clear cut reasons being....I am with my boys, I am only teaching 3 hours a day, and I have the opportunity to reach children at such young ages. The un-obvious reason being the ladies I work with. It is easy to take for granted the people you work with and overlook how fortunate you are. (Don't get me wrong when I was teaching Kindergarten I LOVED the people I worked with and I realize that I will probably never ever have that again in the public school system. They were awesome!) But God knows what our heart desires and he provides. Thank you God because you have surely provided for us some months since I quit teaching full time.

Back to the point.....when I made the transition to teaching part time it was simple to see the reasons and how great it was going to be. What I didn't predict was how lucky I was to become one of "them". The teachers at SLP are a very close group of ladies that have been teaching together for many many years. Each with strong personalities and beliefs. I was a little apprehensive about entering the click. After the annual shopping trip I immediately realized another reason God supported this change for our family. I am surrounded by supportive, caring, funny, real, Godly, dedicated ladies that have a passion for their job. They teach because they want to and they love seeing children thrive and achieve. They all exhibit such amazing qualities. I love how truly honest I can be with them. It's a challenge to feel that way with the people you work with. It is easy to keep a small shield up. Yet with these women it is different. Thank you God for surrounding me with such supportive non judgemental women. They understand life and LOVE GOD!

Well, every Friday the teachers try to meet in the morning for breakfast and prayer. It is a great time to catch up and share stories. Many Fridays are very busy and breakfast is pushed to the side. This past Friday one teacher said she wanted to have a party since we have missed several lately. She also requested that each teacher bring a list...the list was to include something about each teacher. We all prepared our lists (or as some said our progress reports) and copies were made to share with each individual. As we read them together we laughed, smiled, nodded, and yes a few cried(me). It was such a nice reminder of how special each of us are to one another. It was great confidence booster. I told Casey about our breakfast party and told him he should try it at work. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL (Can't you just see that happening.)

My challenge to you is to try and appreciate the people you work with and let them know how much you enjoy them. (Even if you really don't ...pretend and maybe eventually you will)

Ecclesiastes 9:10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Dinner Time with the Allen's

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Dinner Time Conversations at the Allen House

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Valentines Pizza

The boys made a heart pizza for Valentines day dinner.

It was very yummy with cheese globbes and all.. :)

they made it all by themselves

The Royal Treatment

I realize I just finished bragging in my last post however.... Apologetically I am doing the same in this post as well. I would like to take a little time to express my gratitude for my husband. He is a wonderful husband he just isn't....... well the greatest at surprises. If he ever gets a gift early it is an extremely rare occasion that he can wait until the occasion to give me the gift. He knows that surprises are one of my favorite things but he gets so excited to give me my gifts he just can't wait. Actually it is pretty cute.

Well for Valentines Day this year he surprised me. For the past two years for Valentines day I have made surprise arrangements for us. Last year I surprised him with a trip to OKC and a stay at the Colcord with dinner at the Melting Pot. Then this year he was surprised with dinner at Pasquals and a evening out. Well on Valentines morning Parker and Paxson brought me my gift and I was surprised. It was a gift certificate for a day at the spa. The Royal Treatment...A Pink Valentine pedicure, Almond manicure, 30 minutes of foot reflexology, 1hour Rose Petal facial and more...

I suppose this gift meant so much to me because it was so thoughtful. Since the move things have been a little busy and I have been tackling a few projects around the house. And it has been over two 1/2 years since I have had a pedicure. Partially due to being so busy with two little ones and the other part is due to me not wanting to spend the money on a "purely me thing". I know it's important for all moms to take care of themselves. But come on moms honestly how many of us do that??? Isn't it so much easier to do things for others or spend money on them rather than ourselves. So I am very excited to take advantage of this "Me Day". I owe a big thoughtful thank you to my precious husband. You came through big time this Valentines. Thank you for knowing me so well and knowing that if you had given me just about anything else I would have somehow put it back into the house or used it for the boys. Thank you for loving me so much and being so supportive, patient, and understanding!!!

All Grown up....

So I have to do a little bragging........My little brother is graduating.....

Perkins Tryon Senior 2010

Check out her blog http://www.photoemotionphotography.com/

My mom and brother came for a visit and to have my brothers senior pictures taken. DeEdra Folmer from photoEmotion. (She recently took our fall family pictures) was offering an amazingly spectacular February special for Seniors. So I quickly took her up on her offer and made Jesse an apt. Saturday afternoon Jesse and I met DeEdra and she took us all around downtown for a photo session. I am in aw of her dedication and passion for capturing the "right" image. She is so very talented and it is evident that she truly loves what she does. My mom stayed home with the boys for naps and a little Gigi spoiling. Later in the evening I surprised Casey with dinner reservations at our favorite restaurant. It was yet another wonderful Valentines.

More to come...

Snow Day...

So....We decided it was best to miss school today. I attempted to leave and Casey called and said he really really thought it was better for me to come home. We turned around and he met us at the Henrietta WalMart (Dollar General) and we picked up a few things for the day. (We also have grocery store, Dairy Queen, Sonic, Subway, and Leals :)


I can't believe we have had two good snows here in Texas. I wonder what summer will bring? The boys and I started the day finishing Valentine cards for their friends. As most of you know I can't be simple with things. I made little valentines for their friends that were mostly parent made but I also let the boys select several boxes of valentines to make for their friends. Instances like this remind me of a good friend of my moms. Her son once asked her if he could just take store bought cookies to school rather than fancy cookies. LOL So far Parker and Paxson are impressed with my ideas. That may change but I sure hope it doesn't.
(My bananas turned a little quickly they aren't as pretty as I wanted them to be.)



They spent the morning drawing and putting stickers on their cards. I have always hated how little the cards are. It's hard for little hands to fit their entire name on the cards.
P.S. I also found some great Chucky Cheese Valentine token cards online. We printed several for friends and ourselves. :)

After lunch we went outside for a snowball fight and of course building a snowman. Paxson actually enjoyed being out for a bit. He brought a bowl and filled it with snow and tasted the "cold cold no mommy". Parker and I threw a few snowballs. It's hard not to really get into it. Our neighbor stopped by and asked Parker if he needed any help. Parker's reply " no my mommy is a good ninja but I am much better." :) Our snowman wasn't as large as before but we still couldn't pass up the opportunity. Plus the snow was PERFECT for packing and rolling.. and throwing.

A perfectly nice snow day! (Parker still asked if he could swim today...so far it's been once a day. :)

Fathers Night at SLP

Parker's portraits of Daddy.

We recently had Fathers night at school and this was so sweet I wanted to share. Every year the children share their thoughts abouts Daddy's through pictures, questions, and art work. These are a few of Parker's responses this year. I just love these!

"His favorite color is orange."

"I call him my best buddy."

"I like to play games with him."

"I like to go to the Y and work out with him."

"At home he likes to play games with me."

"He likes to drink pop."

"His favorite food is chicken strips."

"He is tall like a daddy."

"He likes to watch football and basketball on tv."

"He likes to watch adult shows with mommy."

(This really made me laugh... I asked Casey if the other daddy's laughed when they read it. When shows like CSI or Law & Order are on we explain they are adult shows so we can't watch them. We refer to "those" shows as adult shows. to funny)

"He likes to eat where there is no playgrounds." LOL

At work his boss just tells him what to do and he does it.

A heart filled day...

We started the morning with heart pancakes and continued the theme through the afternoon.

We baked and frosted Valentines cookies.

Three bottles of sprinkles and 2 batches of frosting. All for only 13 cookies. Oh so yummy!!

As usual rolling them out was quite fun.

We finished the day with a dinner party with our old neighbors. Randy and Debra came over to see the house and visit. It was a great evening with fun company.