The Cowan Three

AWANA Grand Prix

2012-02-11T09:45:00.016-06:00

Big C and little c competed in their first AWANA Grand Prix this month. AWANA is our Wednesday night church for kids and the Grand Prix is their version of the pinewood derby. So Big C and little c were charged with the task of creating a car from a block of wood, painting it, and getting it ready to race.

little c sands her car

and more sanding...little c was really excited to get to do this (for a little while...)
ready to paint!

pink, of course

finishing up her paint job...does this car look any different from the ones pictured above? (It should. This is car #2. Big C discovered the first car did not weigh nearly enough and did not have enough room to add weights. So it was back to the drawing board. little c was none too excited about that after all that sanding she had done!)

the finished product, complete with glitter paint, weighing in at exactly 5 ounces on the nose...introducing...#67 Sparkle & Speed!!!!

the track

Sparkle & Speed and the competition ready for judging. There were some really cute designs including the Wii remote down front, a box of crayons toward the top, and several that looked like real cars with drivers!

cheering on the cars in the first division

Grelyn and little c discuss the competition

watching the race

little c ready to race...Go Sparkle & Speed!

the driver and the pit boss

Mr. Shipp gets the cars lined up

Look who won the first heat!

And look who won the second heat! I think Sparkle & Speed might be a contender!

setting up for the 3rd heat...

winner winner chicken dinner!!!!

Sparkle & Speed made it to the championship race!

Mr. Shipp lines them up

the first heat was a photo finish

Sparkle & Speed wins by a nose!

the competition takes a break to hear a devotional from Mr. John Homer

little c watches the other races with Clark

little c receiving her trophy for design, the Glitter Gal award!

and receiving her trophy in the Speed competition...drum roll please...
1st place!!!!!

All of the competitors in the Puddle Jumper II category

The winners in the Speed competition...little c 1st place, Elijah 2nd place, Clark 3rd place

all smiles

little c and Sparkle & Speed

little c and Clark

Sparkle & Speed

Way to go Big and little C!

Junie B. Jones

2012-02-09T13:36:00.004-06:00

little c and I were joined by Christy and Katie recently on a Sunday afternoon for a trip to Bass Performance Hall in Ft. Worth to see Junie B. Jones Top Secret Personal Beeswax, the musical. little c loved those books and Katie is reading and loving them now so they were both VERY excited to see the play.

Katie and little c wait for the play to begin

the stage

After the show we went across the street to The Cupcakery for a quick treat before heading back home. We spied the Chocolate Chuckwagon cupcakes topped with barbecue icing and candied bacon bits, but we all decided on traditional chocolate and vanilla one instead!

It Sounds a Little Fishy to Me

2012-02-09T13:29:00.007-06:00

little c recently performed at her elementary school in the 2nd grade musical "It Sounds a Little Fishy to Me."

little c and BFF Mary Kait (dressed as Ollie the Octopus)

the play begins...

little c singing in the chorus

little c delivers her line...

the whales

Ollie, the octopus

the sharks

It was really cute and, of course, little c was the best one!

Broken Bow

2012-02-09T13:22:00.004-06:00

So in mid-January, all the BFFs and I took off for an exciting weekend in Broken Bow for what has become the annual Girls Only weekend. As has become tradition, we all leave whenever we can on Friday and eat dinner at a really funky, cool pizza place called The Greatful Head. The weather was nice this year so we all sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the band and each other's company.

On the way in, we spied Girls Gone Wine which is the traditional Saturday evening stopover, but Shirley, Shelley, and I snuck in a day early for some tastin'

Cheers!

The whole gang at the Greatful Head

Chasity, me, Shelley, Christy, & Shirley

Sticking to tradition, we all hung out in our jammies Saturday morning, headed in to town for lunch and little shopping (Wal Mart counts, right?) and then headed out on the town Saturday evening. First stop--Girls Gone Wine.

The Omaha girls...Stacy, Michelle, Neesa, Deidi, Shelley, Christy, and Chasity

The MP girls...Anna, Mellisa, Shannon, Shirley, Amy, & me

It was a great weekend full of great friends and lots o' laughs!

Century Club II

2012-01-16T10:04:00.005-06:00

little c was recently honored at school for having 100 AR points...the first one in the whole school to reach that milestone!

So proud of you sweet girl!

After receiving her award it was time to celebrate and do the Macarena with Daddy!

lookin' good Big C!

Way to go little c!

smarty pants

2012-01-16T09:58:00.002-06:00

So proud of our smarty pants kid!

Surprise!!!!! (sort of...)

2012-01-16T09:32:00.011-06:00

Surprise!!! My BFFs all surprised me with a party at Los Pinos to celebrate my 40th birthday. Christy texted a week or so ahead of time and asked if we would like to meet them there for dinner. I replied that we would love to and then asked if I could invite a few others. I then proceeded to text and invite all of my friends who had already been invited (I just didn't know that part.) Anyway, several of them made up lies about why they couldn't attend including doctor's appointments in Dallas and funerals...all of which made me feel very unloved.

My adorable zebra print cake!

The birthday girl and her plus 1

The scene

"Happy Birthday to you..."

"Happy Birthday dear K..."

blowing out the candles...thankfully there were only a few!

presents!

Deidi minus Todd (Terry was more than happy to pose as her plus 1)

Bret & Christy (the mastermind behind the plan)

Steve & Shelley

Ted & Shirley

Scott & Mellisa

Carl & Amy

David & Stacy

Terry & Shannon

the girls

Bret, me, and Terry

the boys

my husbands

Deidi & Shannon

Deidi, Christy, & Shannon

Deidi, Christy, Shannon, & Stacy

Big C and his other plus 1

Shelley, me, & Shirley

Stacy, me in my crown, and Christy

Mellisa, Stacy, me, & Christy

Amy, Mellisa, Stacy, me, Christy, & Shannon

Amy, Mellisa, Stacy, me, Christy, Shannon...and Terry.

When it was time to leave, we all gathered around the large elephant statue outside to take some pictures (don't ask.)

Listen. I have been on an elephant before. I do not need your help.
Me and my BFF. On an elephant. Wearing a crown. Me, not the elephant.
The crew

Stacy, me, and Christy

MAJOR fun had by all. Thanks to all who were able to come and I promise to never try to plan my own surprise party again!

just chill

2012-01-16T09:31:00.003-06:00

After the c's finished shooting cans in the back yard, they sorta left the pinic table out there. Not really on purpose, just too lazy to bring it back to the back porch.

Curtis didn't mind one bit.

my 40th birthday

2012-01-16T09:25:00.004-06:00

It is no secret...I celebrated the BIG 4-0 this year. On my actual birthday, my family took me out to one of my most favorite places, Shogun. little c particulary enjoys all the fire and smoke and knife tossing, etc. For me, it is the fried rice. LOVE. IT.

little c and Granny take in the show

little c wows us all with her command of chopsticks

When we returned home we had one of Granny's famous cakes (which I was too full to enjoy.)

Yep. Just one candle. That's all we needed.

little c insisted that I blow out the candle and that she take a picture of it.

Happy Birthday to me!

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

2012-01-16T09:21:00.004-06:00

One sunny afternoon shortly after Christmas, Big C determined that it was time for little c to christen that pink gun of hers. They got all the necessary supplies and headed to the backyard.

gun...check.
picnic table moved to middle of yard...check.
box and Dr. Pepper can for target...check.
Curtis the Wonderdog in the house...check.
Mommy let Curtis out...uncheck.
Mommy herded Curtis back in...re-check.

First, a lesson on finding the target.

lining 'er up

the target...a fully loaded Diet Dr. Pepper (no one in the house drinks DDP so I have no idea where this came from...but no one was sad to see it go either).

Ready

Aim

BLAM!!!! FIRST. SHOT. Man down.

So excited in her sequined pink jogging suit.

I think she's hooked.

Merry Christmas 2011

2012-01-16T09:18:00.002-06:00

The Cowan Christmas card 2011

Mark the Elf

2012-01-16T09:14:00.002-06:00

Mark the Elf made a return appearance this year, hiding in oh-such-silly places every morning for little c to find. In all the Christmas madness, I only took 2 pictures of him though...

sitting on Santa's lap (little c determined that he must have been missing him)

And I set my coffee cup out one Friday night in anticipation of filling it up and savoring it the next Saturday morning, only to find that Mark landed in it and perched there all day. little c found this particularly amusing and has retold this story numerous times.

Santa told us in his letter that he left little c that Mark had wonderful things to say about her. little c sent him off with some presents Christmas Eve night and was delighted to see that he really did take them with him when he left.

Until next Christmas Mark!

Christmas Day

2012-01-15T21:10:00.016-06:00

Santa came!!!!!! He brought little c:

some new clothes, American girl craft sets, a sewing kit, an American girl pet, some American girl moves (Chrissa, Kit, & Molly) and The Smurfs and Dolphin Tale

more new clothes, s9me American girl activity books, and American Girl mini dolls (Josefina, Addy, Emily, Molly, & Kit)

more American Girl stuff

an armoire for her American Girl clothes

an American Girl trundle bed

Fashion plates and the Apples to Apples Jr. game

little c was quite the Sleeping Beauty Christmas morning so Big C had to go in and get her!

It's Christmas!!!!

checking out her new stuff

checking out her stocking

some new clothes for Ken, some American Girl stickers, some American girl mini books, and some peppermint patties

checking out the letter Santa left her

checking to see if the reindeer ate their goodies

After checking out what Santa had left, it was time for the Cowan Three to give our gifts to each other. little c made Mommy and Daddy little boxes...so cute!

Mommy's box

Daddy's box

she also got Daddy some tiny little key chain sized tools

in the midst of opening present she remembered to check the advent calendar...

little c opens the first present

an American Girl charm bracelet with Josefina, Addy, and Kit charms! (The Molly charm arrived as an after-Christmas surprise)

little c also gave Daddy some new gloves!

some new DS games

new jogging suits (not for actual jogging, just for looking cute :))

some new books (American Girl, of course)

some new TOMS!

YAY!

pink glittery ones!

a new zebra and pink sleeping bags...1 for her and 1 for her American Girl doll!

a family present from Jesse & Michelle in Denver

and a special present just from Daddy...

a pink 22 rifle!!!!

getting a quick lesson from Daddy

After all the presents were opened, we all got dressed and went to FBC for the Christmas morning service. After church, we all returned to our house for Christmas lunch.

little c set the table and place cards for everyone using her new American Girl card making set from Santa

After lunch, Mommy, Daddy, little c, Granny, and Monna enjoyed a game of Apples to Apples.

Later that afternoon the Cowan Three all headed over for a visit with Grandmomma and a game of '42'. After leaping out to a quick lead, Monna and I "let the rope slack" and let Big C and Grandmomma come from behind for the win. We rounded out Christmas day with leftovers and an American Girl movie night at home.

Ready for Santa!!!

2012-01-15T21:05:00.004-06:00

After lots of Christmases it was time to get ready for Santa to arrive and for a long winter's nap.

little c wrote Santa a note

getting Santa's table ready

she left him peppermint oreos, hot chocolate with marshmallows on the side, a wreath she made him, two Christmas rings, and her note

Dear Santa,

We left an apple on the porch. The apple is cut. 1 slice each. (p.s. the apple is for the reindeer). I know you normally have chocolate chip cookies and milk. We gave you peppermint cookies and hot chocolate (p.s. you can put marshmallows in the hot chocolate if you like). --Connelly Cowan

I really want the Josephina, Addy, Kit, Molly, Emily, and Julie American Girl mini dolls :)--Connelly

The apple and oats we left for the reindeer on the front porch

Ok, we are ready!

Christmas Eve at Steve's

2012-01-15T20:59:00.004-06:00

After a wonderful church service at FBC, it was on to Steve's for Christmas Eve with the whole Cowan fam!

Grandmomma, little c, and Kylie

Mason saw the Kodak moment and hopped in!

little c and Aunt Betsy

little c with her most fave cousin ever...

Aunt Mopsy opens a bird house covered in birdseed...the birds actually eat the outer layer and reveal a new house underneath...pretty cool!

little c helps Mason

little c's turn

Grandmomma opens her family calendar

Aunt T and Aunt Mopsy look at all the family photos

Uncle Steve and Lucy get in the Christmas spirit

Merry Christmas from lots of Cowans!

Christmas Eve service at FBC

2012-01-02T17:10:00.006-06:00

Christmas Eve at FBC is special every year, but this year it was especially special because Big C and Monna got to do the advent reading!

Great Job!!!

Christmas Eve surprise from the East Coast!

2012-01-02T17:07:00.003-06:00

We returned home from Monna's for a few minutes before changing and going to church, only to discover a box from afar on the porch!

little c discovers she has packages from the East Coast!
She was VERY excited to get something from Harper!

Little House on the Prairie books

and Pippi Longstocking (one of my all-time personal faves!)

Thanks Clay, Amy, and Harper!!!!!

Christmas Eve with Monna

2012-01-02T16:47:00.009-06:00

After lunch it was on to Monna's for Christmas #2. We ate snacks with Brent, Betsy, Randee, Kylie, Claire and Mason and then opened lots of presents.
little c gives Monna the special present she picked out just for her

a candle!

Mason opens his present from us

a whole box of superhero costumes!!!!

He couldn't wait to get in there!

YAY!!!!

Spiderman

Captain America

Raaaawwwwrrrr

little c opens one

Betsy opens her new copy of The Joy of Cooking.

We've been told her old copy is a mess!

Monna

little c gets some Barbie stuff

little c opens her really cool globe from Monna.

It's a talking globe!

Monna gets some help from little c

little c checks out her new coloring books and art pencils

Mason's superhero fashion show...

Shooting us with his web

Captain America had to wait for Monna to make the eye holes in his mask a little bigger...
little c

Finally, Captain America is complete!

It was a great afternoon full of Cowans!

Christmas Eve with Granny

2012-01-02T16:36:00.005-06:00

The Cowan Three kicked of Christmas Eve with our annual breakfast at Granny's. There were eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, toast, jelly, syrup...enough to put Cracker Barrel to shame!

little c and Big C (and Marisa Bella who simply couldn't be left out of the fun)

little c and Mommy

little c and Granny

our budding fashion model before breakfast

seriously????

After breakfast it was time to check out what was under the tree.

little c breaks in to the first present

Big C's turn

I get by with a little help from my friends...

little c opens another (and another and another...)

loving her new books!

And one of the things she wanted most...an American Girl mini doll!

And one of the things Granny wanted most...a new coffee pot! Her old one seriously came over on the Mayflower.

little c and her stylish Miss Me jeans

Merry Christmas Eve from The Cowan Three and Granny!

Making Candy

2012-01-02T16:27:00.002-06:00

Loving that our girl can help make the Christmas candy now! She sifted, mixed, rolled things into balls, made patties, stirred, put things on wax paper to dry, attempted to dip things in chocolate (that's a little more delicate) and had a splendid time!

And in other news, Big C bought me this fabulous tree to put our candy on for Christmas Eve. It rotates all the way around and the lights look spectacular! It is so heavy I can't lift it, but it is just pure awesome! It originally showed up at the FBC Youth Cake Auction holding 108 cupcakes. Big C was bidding on it for me, but when the price reached $600 AND we realized that we were bidding against the creator's mother, we gave up. But lo and behold, look what I got as a big surprise!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

The North Pole of Texas

2012-01-02T14:59:00.009-06:00

On the Thursday before Christmas the Cowans and Harts met up for a little train ride and then dinner at Pete's to celebrate the holidays. First we all rode over to Purley, TX for a ride on the trains at The North Pole of TX.

The Cowans and Harts have made this trip before...

How did we go from this...

to this?????

And from this

and this...

to this

and this??????

The girls were pretty excited to see each other and were very excited about riding in the caboose!

the elf pond

The Nativity scene

Santa's Toy Shop

the beautiful trees that Christy swears will be lining her driveway next year...good luck Bret!

we arrived at 5:10 and were the third train to go. By the tine we made it up over the bridge, check out the line!!!!!

After the train ride, we all went to Pete's for pizza and a gift exchange.

Katie's Junie B. Jones books

little c's legos...she loves building houses!

Trace with his golf balls and ball retriever...her was SUPER excited about it!

The girls immediately opened the Junie B. Jones set and started reading.

We had a great time (as always!) Merry Christmas from the Cowans & Harts!

Santa visits Brice

2012-01-02T14:44:00.003-06:00

Santa took time away from his busy schedule to make a stop at E.C. Brice just before the holidays. The National Elementary Honor Society got in touch with him and asked him to help them to raise some money.

little c fills Santa in on everything she wants

Thanks for stopping by Santa! Merry Christmas!

little c's class Christmas party

2012-01-02T14:03:00.006-06:00

little c's class celebrated Christmas on the last day of school with a class brunch. The kids enjoyed a sausage & egg casserole, mini donuts, muffins, juice and other treats. After they ate, some of the kids passed out the presents they brought for their classmates.

little c gives Jaxson the present she made for the boys

little c and Anna Claire

little c made these cute bookmarks from ribbon and magnets...baseball for the boys and pink & black zebra print with jewels for the girls.

We attached them to postcards with a little Christmas message.
boys

girls

After the presents were handed out, it was time to play the gift exchange game. Boys were to bring a present for a boy and girls for a girl. The boys were first. They sat in a circle and passed the present while the girls sang Christmas carols. When the music stopped, whoever had the present would open it and then leave the circle.

When the boys were finished, Jaxson and Brady chilled while waiting for the girls.
The girls

Naomi opens her present

little c & Mary Kait sing while passing the present

little c, Mary Kait, & Anna Claire

Carlie opens her present

Mary Kait's turn

Anna Claire opens one

Katherine opens a present

little c ended up with Barbie stuff...how perfect!

little c and Anna Claire

little c and Carlie

little c and her BFF Mary Kait

Merry Christmas from Mrs. Heeren's class!

Thompson family Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T13:50:00.002-06:00

On the Saturday before Christmas Eve, the Cowan Three traveled to Omaha to the home of Don & Loretta Thompson for the annual Thompson Christmas celebration.

little c waits to see if there is a present under the tree for her
little c, her new Barbie, and cousin Rebecca take a turn on the swings

It was a gorgeous afternoon with lots of food and family. Merry Christmas from the Thompsons!

Santa Claus is coming to school!

2012-01-02T13:28:00.007-06:00

Over the course of the past year, with Monna's help, Big C has taken on a new job...Santa. Big C and Monna searched all over for just the right fabrics and she made his suit. And Big C searched far and wide for just the right wig and beard. And so...

Santa Claus came to the Cowan household!

His first gig was at Lollipop Kid Stop, a preschool in his hometown. Big C himself is a Lollipop alum! After visiting the kids there, I asked him to make a stop in at the high school and visit our Life Skills class.

Santa with Eric and Dakota

Kailey

Darius and Luis

Casey

Dulcie

Sandra

Merry Christmas from the MPHS Life Skills class!

an early Christmas present!

2012-01-02T12:52:00.004-06:00

little c received an early Christmas present this year. Try as they might, Big C and his helper Tim could not roll it into our back room, which was the original plan. They even removed the door to little c's room but it just would not make the corner. So, one Friday after school, little c got her first present of the holidays...a piano!

surprise!

checking it out

playing her new piano for the first time

Merry Christmas little c!

FBC Christmas musical "Emmanuel"

2012-01-02T11:42:00.004-06:00

little c and the FBC Children's Choir recently performed in the annual Christmas musical, "Emmanuel". The children sang along with the adult choir on "Go Tell It on the Mountain" featuring soloist Phyllis Freeman.

The kids under the direction of Cammy Burkhalter

The musical was amazing and the kids sang great!

December supper club

2012-01-02T11:05:00.007-06:00

The Harts recently hosted December supper club at their home in Omaha. We enjoyed great food, games, and lots of laughs.

the girls

Christy and me

Big C and two of his favorite girls

a little BFF silliness

the Left-Right-Center crew

Merry Christmas from the supper club gang!

Christmas Parade 2011

2012-01-01T16:01:00.010-06:00

After a piano festival and a visit with Santa, we made it home in time to get changed for the MP Christmas Parade. My friend Shirley and I were in charge of the float for little c's school again this year. The theme was "A Storybook Christmas" so our school chose "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for our float.

The Peanuts gang...Sally (Mackayla), Charlie Brown (Baker), Snoopy (Matthew), Peppermint Patty (Reagan), Lucy (little c), and Linus (Parker)

little c with Snoopy's doghouse

Lucy with Charlie's pitiful tree

Our construction class at the high school created the whole float and did an amazing job!

Merry Christmas from Brice!

Santa!!!

2011-12-31T16:38:00.003-06:00

After little c's piano performance, we headed over to the Longview mall so little c and Santa could have a serious discussion.

Thanks Christy for loaning us the adorable outfit!

Please note that little c brought a legal pad to talk to Santa. He kept laughing his "ho ho ho" laugh but telling me what an amazing list it was!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Piano

2011-12-31T15:57:00.004-06:00

little c began taking piano lessons again this year, this time from a new teacher, our sweet friend Cammy Burkhalter.

She has been going since August and it has been a wonderful experience thus far. Mrs. B gives her homework each week and little c has loved the lessons she has learned and doesn't mind practicing usually. On Saturday, December 3rd she competed in her very first piano festival in Longview. She began working on a piece titled "Jazz Jig" several weeks ago and had to play it for a judge that Saturday. My big girl entered the room all by herself, sat down at the piano, played her piece and then carried on a full blown conversation with the judge! The judge liked it so much, she asked her to play her piece again! Meanwhile, Mommy was in the lobby about to have a full on panic attack! She played beautifully but we had to wait until the next day to hear the results.

My sweet little c just before going in to play

The next day, Sunday December 4th, little c performed in her first piano recital at the Mt. Vernon Music Hall. Fifteen of Mrs. B's students played the pieces they had worked on for the festival and then Mrs. B announced the awards from the day before. The students could receive ribbons for good, excellent, or superior, or they could receive a medal for outstanding.

Look who got a medal!!!!

We are so proud of you and all of your hard work precious angel girl!!!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-31T14:56:00.010-06:00

The Cowan Three enjoyed a very relaxing Thanksgiving holiday, with little c and I off from school for an entire week. We slept in every day, snuggled in bed and watched cartoons every morning, and played on our iPads...

We did crafts including a turkey shirt for little c to wear...

And we enjoyed spending time with friends and family.

little c and Camdon catch up at the FBC Thanksgiving banquet

Tragedy struck the Cowan house on Thanksgiving day. I managed to pull my camera off the entertainment center at Monna's house onto her concrete floor. It lived a good life. So alas, I have no photos from Thanksgiving but rest assured, we had a great lunch at Monna's with the Cowan family and a wonderful dinner at our house with Granny, Brent, Betsy, and kids, and even Uncle Don! It was an amazing Thanksgiving break with family, friends, and FOOD!

AND...TEXAS won the final Thanksgiving day UT vs. A&M game which made it one of the greatest Thanksgivings ever!!!!

Bookworm

2011-11-03T14:20:00.001-05:00

little c is back at it again...she loves, loves, loves to read. Right now she is very heavily into the American Girl books. She started with the Josefina series since her middle name, like Maria Josefina in these books, is Josephine. In the midst of reading those, she also snuck in Chrissa and Chrissa Stands Strong. She plans to move on to the Addy Walker series next since they are about a little girl who grew up during Civil War times as a slave. Last week she was reading three different books simultaneously...the fifth Josefina book, Chrissa Stands Strong, and How to Drive Your Family Crazy on Halloween!

Big C, Granny and I went to her elementary school on Thursday to see her get a reading award. While we were there she also got to help lead morning exercises!

Mrs. Abbott, her Principal, asked if there was a little girl in the crowd who was getting an award and little jumped up and RAN to the stage!

Mrs. Abbott telling everyone that little c has 50 AR points...the first in the whole school to receive an AR award this year!

This is little c correcting her principal and telling her she actually has 54 points. Glad we got that straight.

little c, Mommy, and Granny celebrating on stage by doing the Chicken Dance!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

We love our little bookworm and are SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T15:13:00.001-05:00

The Cowan Three celebrated Halloween in traditional fashion this year. Big C and little c have been dressing up as a duo for 4 years now and this year was no exception. After MUCH debate over costumes, they finally settled on being Barbie & Ken. Since Halloween fell on a Monday this year, we had to dress little c at Mrs. B's after piano lessons.

Barbie

We left the Burkhalters and headed for FBC for the annual Fall Family Festival. Ken met us there...

Barbie & Ken

little c had a great time playing the games. This year's Festival featured some new ones, including Pin the Moustache on the Minister!

So close!

Our Sunday School class sponsored a Pumpkin Roll game. It was quite popular, but not as popular as the Youth's version of Angry Birds, complete with block towers and a sling shot using stuffed angry birds characters...genius!

Happy Halloween from The Cowan Three!

All "A" Honor Roll

2011-10-31T09:20:00.000-05:00

Looks like PE and Music need a little work ;)

Boo!

2011-10-31T09:17:00.001-05:00

Our new favorite Halloween tradition... Boo-ing our neighbors. I read about this on a friend's blog and we gave it a go for the first time last year. This year we just had to do it again. We chose a different house to start with this time.

little c in full-on stealth mode

We ran across the street to our neighbors, The Shipps, dropped the bag on the front porch, rang the doorbell obnoxiously, ran to the side of the house, waited until we heard the door close, ran like fools to the woods next to their house, made our way through the scratchy tree limbs, and ran back to our house...TOTALLY UNDETECTED! Not sure all that was completely necessary...but it was really fun.

A few days later we were boo-ed back. We were just certain that the Shipps had returned the favor, but as we took Curtis on a walk that evening, we noticed that all the houses in our neighborhood except for one had a Boo sign on the front door! We quickly remedied that by filling a pumpkin with candy and taking it to them, this time not as stealthy and in broad daylight. We camouflaged ourselves as innocent dog walkers, though I don't think they bought it.

It has become a really neat neighborhood tradition. Thanks to the Zanutto's for giving us the great idea!!!

Red Ribbon Week

2011-10-31T09:14:00.001-05:00

little c's school observed Red Ribbon Week last week with dress up days each day...

Crazy hair day. She said her head hurt at the end of this day! I can see why.

Pajama day, little c's favorite.

Hat day..our little diva.

Somehow I missed taking oictures of Peace Sign Day and Favorite Team Jersey day (that could be because she chose to wear her Texas A&M shirt and it is a moment I don't wish to remember forever.)

Fall Festival

2011-10-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

little c's elementary school recently held its annual Fall Festival. Granny made a cake for little c's teacher to be auctioned off in the cake auction...

German Chocolate with a coconut & pecan filling...we got to have one of her "practice" cakes and all I can say is...YUM.

Her cake went for quite a lot of money to our good friend Ryan Gunn and here is why: While he wasn't looking, his youngest child, Carson, stuck her finger in it! So Ryan had to wait until the bid slowed down and keep bidding in order to win it and take it home! Priceless.

little c with sweet friends Carlie & Mary Kait

little c and MK show off their sand art necklaces

little c and Mary Kait enjoyed lots of games, especially the cake walk and book walk! They finally tuckered out and were ready to leave and go to their friend Brooke's house for a birthday party sleepover. Big C and I actually went out to dinner...ALONE! Great night had by all!

Academic Rodeo, part II

2011-10-01T08:57:00.000-05:00

little c also competed in the Academic Rodeo on the math team for her elementary school. She tried out for the spelling bee and the math team (she could only participate in one of those events) and she was on one of four kids chosen. For the math competition, the kids are given a 60 question math test and 20 minutes to complete as many problems as they can. Each correct answer is worth 1 point. The team that earns the most points wins!

After the test, little c and friend Mary Kait share a cookie in the waiting room

The E.C Brice math team...Jacob, Clark, Mary Kait, and little c

The Brice math team placed 2nd overall out of 6 teams...way to go!!!!

little c and her Academic Rodeo ribbons

celebrating over a double dip, chocolate ice-cream candy bar sundae with M&M's!

Congratulations little c...we are so proud of you!!!!!!!

Academic Rodeo 2011

2011-10-01T08:23:00.001-05:00

This year, little c participated in her very first Academic Rodeo, an annual event for elementary school kids in Titus County that is held in conjunction with the fair. The first event she entered was the science fair. She chose to do a project that tested which method would get a person's hands the cleanest: soap & water, germ-x, a wet one, or just wiping them on a wet towel.

First, we made the agar and poured it into the petri dishes.

Next, we tested each method. Washing with soap & water...

using germ-x...

wiping with a wet towel...

and using a wet-one

Each time a hand was cleaned, little c would wipe that hand with a q-tip,

and then rub the q-tip onto the agar.

When she finished, she bagged all the petri dishes in individual ziploc bags,

put them all in a box,

taped it up and put in on a shelf in the garage to keep them warm and dark. Four days later, she opened the box to look for her results.

The winner was the germ-x since it grew the least amount of bacteria.

A close 2nd was the soap & water.

3rd was the wet towel.

and last was the Wet One. little c concluded that it could have been because the wet ones are always left in the car and due to the extreme heat this summer, they could be less effective.

Next, little c had to create her display board and get ready to talk to the judges about her project. We set up her project on Sunday. little c competed in the 1st & 2nd grade division.

our little scientist

She placed 3rd in her division! Way to go little c!!!!

The 1st & 2nd grade science fair winners

Congratulations little c!!! We are so proud of you!!!!

MPHS Cheer Clinic 2011

2011-10-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

little c recently participated in the annual MPHS Cheer Clinic, an event she looks forward to every year!

sitting with the 7 & 8 year olds waiting to perform for the parents

she learned lots of cheers and chants

...if you love our Tigers, stand up and scream!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Homecoming 2011

2011-09-17T10:27:00.001-05:00

The MP Tigers celebrated Homecoming this month and kicked off the week with the annual Homecoming parade. little c got to ride on the float and had a great time waving to the people on the street!

E. C. Brice won 2nd place in the float competition...way to go!

little c and buddy, Reese, on the sidelines at the Homecoming football game.

little c sitting with her fave cheerleaders Katelynn, Kayci, and Rianna watching the Homecoming queen nominees and Football Sweethearts being introduced.

little c with her Tiger Doll, Daylee Warren, during 3rd quarter.

The Tigers won the game! Happy Homecoming!!!

little c goes to the spa

2011-09-17T10:08:00.001-05:00

little c recently went to a really fun birthday party for friend Jacee (they were born 2 days apart!) It was every little girl's fave...a spa party! Each girl got their own towel wrap, a specially made towel wrap for their hair, and were treated and pampered in every way imaginable!

little c and friends in the hot tub

soaking her feet and getting ready for her pedicure

getting her nails done

super fancy press-on nails!

little c with her fancy hair!

Happy birthday Jacee! Thanks for having little c over...she is STILL talking about it!!!

little c's actual 7th birthday, the final chapter

2011-09-17T08:39:00.001-05:00

little c's actual birthday was on Sunday this year, so after church (where she wore her cupcake dress for the occasion), she opened the last of her presents.

something special from Daddy

an A&M t-shirt!

lots and lots of new books for our little reader

birthday spankings from Daddy

After our little mini-party, it was time to head to the Vinyard/French lakehouse for our first Sunday School party of the new year.

enjoying a cupcake from Jerilyn's build-your-own-cupcake bar

swimming and homemade ice cream with friends...Carys, little c, Sarah Kate, Anna Claire, Bennett, and Luke

the parents huddle in the shade...man, was it hot!!!

Carys and Luke

little c discovered snorkeling

the kids and adults had a great day and it was the perfect end to little c's birthday weekend.

little c's 7th birthday party

2011-09-17T08:01:00.000-05:00

This year we celebrated little c's birthday with an ice-cream themed party at the pool.

her awesome ice cream cake, made by Granny

cupcakes made in ice cream cones

"sundaes" made of cake in a waffle bowl

chocolate chip cookie and brownie "popsicles"

Singing to the kid

blowing out the candle

the boys...being boys.

little c and Anna Claire

playing lifeguard

jumping in to "rescue" someone

due to the unbearable heat and the pool, we decided to bring the presents home and open them after the party (this drove the 7-year-old child crazy)

her 1st pair of Toms!

Despite the oppressive heat, it was a wonderful afternoon with LOTS of little c's friends. Thanks to everyone...she had a great day!

Happy Birthday little c, round 1!

2011-09-17T07:36:00.000-05:00

little c began her birthday week celebration on the first Friday of school by sharing iCarly cupcakes with her class.

the class gathers around to sing

Happy Birthday to you...

blowing out the candle

little c's table...Taylor, Katherine, little c, and Alex

Mary Kait, Audrey, Zade, Carlie, and Tommy

Emmanuel, Nic, Brady, and Anna Claire

Naomi and Marisa

Hailey, Jaxon, and Devin

Sam and Morgan

getting birthday spankings from Mrs. Heeren

and one to grow on!

little c with the girls

little c with the boys (who of course, have to act crazy for the camera!)

Let the birthday weekend extravaganza begin!!!!

School days...

2011-09-16T10:26:00.000-05:00

Our sweet 2nd grader on the first day of school.

Her desk

After school, our friend Shirley picked up her boys for their traditional first day of school ice cream run, and this year, little c got to tag along as a surprise!

looks like they all had a great 1st day...

but 2nd grade can be exhausting!

Meet the Teacher 2011

2011-09-16T07:48:00.000-05:00

Meet little c's 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Heeren!

It's going to be a great year!!!

The Cowan Three--summer 2011

2011-09-10T13:40:00.001-05:00

our fave moments of summer 2011

2011-09-10T09:51:00.000-05:00

Here are some of our fave memories from the summer of 2011:

watermelon and silly friends

SciPort and the IMAX movie

visits from friends

CornHole

the rope swing

tubing

the water park

VBS

swimming lessons with Mr. Todd

sewing class

time with friends

popsicles

swimming

boat rides

more tubing

"the beach"

Oreo

the 4th of July

the fireworks that weren't meant to be...

shopping on the Boardwalk

movies

sweet friends

first sleepover

the hammock

gators

Chuck E. Cheese

ice cream

friends that are more like family

time together

So long Caddo!

2011-09-10T08:42:00.000-05:00

After little c and I spent the week at the cabin, The Omaha Harts and Big C joined us for our final weekend on the lake.

Bret & Christy

Big C & me

little c & Katie

Trace

We enjoyed the weekend tubing and riding the sea doos. The kids tried out the double tube ride!

We all took off Saturday morning on the sea doos for a really long ride up the river toward Jefferson. Along the way we saw some local folks we knew, the Derricks from Omaha (I work with Shelley), so we stopped and let all the kids swim. After our ride they came back to the cabin and hung out with us for a little while.

It was a perfect end to the summer doing some of our favorite things with some of our favorite people.

So long summer!

Our week long vacay at the lake

2011-09-05T10:44:00.001-05:00

For our final week of summer vacation, little c and I went to the lake cabin and spent an entire week there, just the two of us. We left mid-morning Monday and our first stop was a place outside Shreveport called "Gators and Friends". We arrived just in time to see the big guys eat!

As we walked in the gators began to emerge from the little stream where they called home. Apparently their lunch time alarms go off at the same time everyday! After just a few minutes of waiting, a guy emerged from the gift shop area carrying a large bucket full of chicken parts and a long stick with a hook on the end.

He would lower pieces of chicken down to the gators below!

The gators made the craziest noises...they sounded like vacuum cleaners!

Cheese!

After seeing the gators eat, you could hold a baby gator!

Swamp person.

The rest of the park was a petting zoo. So we bought a couple of cups of feed and set off to see the animals.

After feeding and petting the goats, deer, miniature horses, and more, it was time to see the gator feeding frenzy.

We walked out onto a large bridge and things below us began to move! little c got a little weirded out and started talking about how bad it would be if the bridge suddenly gave way (agreed!) so we made our way to the side away from all the immediate action.

After a few minutes, the same guy from before came out with a bucket of feed that he was shaking. The gators below began swimming in a big pile.

He would act as though he were going to toss the food out and gators would jump out of the water!

After being in the heat all afternoon, we cooled off with a slush!

We then headed back toward the cabin, stopping at the store to get the ingredients for homemade pizzas...

We settled in for the night with pizza and Justin Bieber!

On Tuesday we slept in then made the drive to Shreveport to meet friends Christy, Michelle, Katie, Payton, & Brock at Splash Kingdom!

little c and Mommy do the double slide

ONE...

TWO...

THREE!!

my little daredevil rode every slide in the park (except for the one that just goes straight down...that didn't even look fun ;))

Katie

After a day at the water park, it was time to head back to the cabin and meet Granny for dinner in Jefferson. After dinner at The Hamburger Store, we headed back to the cabin for the evening and watched "Pete's Dragon" until bedtime.

The next day we got up and headed to the Boardwalk in Shreveport to do a little back-to-school shopping. We also took in the IMAX movie little c had been DYING to see, "Tornado Alley". It was a documentary about a team of storm chasers who built a vehicle called the TIV that they drove into the path of on oncoming tornado. It was really fascinating and the IMAX experience made it feel like we were really there!

little c's dog on rollerskates she made at Build-A-Bear

taking the trolley at the Boardwalk...we were beat! Granny stayed with us Wednesday night then we all went into Jefferson for a Kornbread Sandwich and a little shopping on Thursday.

Thursday night little c and headed in to Marshall to see The Smurfs in 3D. It was the perfect end to a great week with my kiddo!

Granddaddy

2011-09-03T10:01:00.000-05:00

The Cowan family lost an amazing man this summer. G.M. "Mickey" Cowan, known to most in the family simply as Granddaddy, passed away July 27, 2011. I have been an official member of the Cowan family for 15 years, and a trial member since 1987, and being at Mickey & Josephine's house is as normal to the family as breathing. Since we moved back home in 2001, we have gone there every Sunday around lunchtime. Things will definitely never be the same!
little c, age 2, and granddaddy

age 3

age 5

Granddaddy and Mason, his great-great grandchild

Mickey & Josephine Cowan

Granddaddy and "the apple of his eye" going across the street to pick apples at Bobbie's

Easter

Grandmomma and Granddaddy coming to check out our garden

little c and "The Greats"

Granddaddy and his famous old red truck.

Granddaddy, you were the best 42 partner a girl could ever ask for. You were, and still are, a role model for the entire family in how to conduct business, how to treat people fairly, and how to love unconditionally. Big C and I will never forget our trip to San Antonio, our many trips in the van going sight seeing around town, and just simply the way you loved us. I personally will never forget our William Otis encounter! We are taking care of Grandmomma the best we can, though no one will ever do that as well as you. We love and miss you!

She's Famous!!!!

2011-08-20T08:36:00.000-05:00

While at Caddo one weekend in July, Monna texted (yes, texted!) and said that little c's picture was in the Longview News Journal. The Longview newspaper puts out a special edition annually called the Best of East Texas, which rates businesses in the East TX area.

And look who is the spokesmodel for the sewing center where she took sewing class this summer! It was rated the best Sewing Center in East Texas!

Hollywood or Bust! We are ready for her close-up...

The Agans Visit Caddo

2011-08-20T08:11:00.001-05:00

This summer our sweet friends, the Agans, came down to Caddo for a weekend on the lake. They were 2 minutes out for about 6 hours on Friday but they finally made it!

just chillin' and tubin'

The Agans brought a really fun game called "Corn Hole". We all protested going downstairs to play and tried to explain that we don't play games at Caddo, we sit on the dock in the sun and veg out. BUT, once we gt up and started playing (thanks Anna) we couldn't stop and the trash talk began!

Bret

K

Anna

Big C and Rocky

Allison, Katie, little c, and Madison...MAJOR corn hole groupies!

The Norfleets joined us and brought their new boat! Bret was very excited since that meant Terry would pull the kids all weekend and not him!

Trace and Ryan

Trace sporting the super-cool mohawk

Madison, little c, and Allison

We all took a trip down the river and decided to stop at the rope swing for a little rope swing action.

Rocky

Mr. Rocky helps little c up

Ryan

a little daddy-daughter floatin'

and of course there was the ever-popular jumping-off-the-back-and-splashing-the-adults-below performed by 2 little girls...

Then it was time for the adults to try extreme-rope-swinging off the makeshift tree ladder...

the judges gave it an 8.2 due to the amount of splash on entry

Madison and little c

Then it was time to do a little knee boarding

On Sunday, we took the barge out and pulled the tube behind the barge for one last spin on the river before going home.

Note the three on the left who are making it look like the ride of a lifetime, while the big one on the right looks like it is just another day at the office.

splashin' on the left and nappin' on the right

Then things got crazy...

George Paul (a.k.a. Granddaddy) had been watching all this fun and decided he needed to do a little tubin' too. The kids all thought he had lost his mind!

GP leans to the left to try to get the tube in the wake
Then they all joined in!

It was a great way to end an awesome weekend with friends!

The Yarbrough's visit Caddo

2011-08-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

Mid-July our friends Kyle and Marlee Yarbrough brought their two sweet girls and stayed in the cabin with us for the weekend. little c and the girls hadn't seen each other since they were babies, but they got along great and have big plans for "texting" each other. Since none of them have any texting devices, this is going to be a challenge!

As soon as everyone was all moved in to the house, it was time for swim suits, life jackets, and lake water.

BFF Katie from next door joined the fun!

After swimming for a while, the girls moved on to the water toys...

little c got really brave this week and pulled up to her knees on the kneeboard

Kate and Erin

a sea doo ride

Erin gave the knee board a try

Kate on the slide

the girls tried out the tube, but were NOT huge fans of tubing!

Big C with our little guests

we also did a little fishin'

Kyle and Marlee

little c the daredevil with Kate

Kate on the kneeboard

Mommy and little c

2 chicks in a hammock, chillin'

Sunday morning after breakfast, out for one final spin

sweet friends Erin, Kate, and little c

We had a great weekend with great friends!

Caddo

2011-07-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

The Cowan Three has been spending lots of time on Caddo again this summer. After our trip to Sci Port, little c, Katie and I met the rest of the gang at the house for a weekend of lake fun.

There was jumping off the platform...

This year, Trace finally worked up enough courage to...

JUMP!!!

There were lots of sea doo rides.

a little swimming...

little c tried out the kneeboard

Trace gives little c some instructions.

It was more of a bellyboard for little c.

But she loved it!

And there was lot of tubing!

We love Caddo summers!

SciPort

2011-07-27T11:18:00.000-05:00

FBCMP recently took the elementary kids on a field trip to Sci Port. Because we were going to the lakehouse that weekend, little c took along friend Katie and we all headed to Caddo when we were done. The girls had a great time checking out all the things to do!

They each made a paper airplane and used the airplane launcher to watch it fly!

Experimenting with wind, making their own fan.

The star walk...this was their favorite!

Driving the big ship.

The boat had a working whistle so they each loved pumping it up and pulling the cord.

Painting a picture of the Mona Lisa using paints made from egg yolks.

Putting together a giant human body. They had to put his organs in, then his muscles, then his bones!

Where are little c's legs?

Guess they walked away with Katie's!

Using pullies to pull themselves up.

Using air pressure to ride up to the top.

The girls really enjoyed the children's area with a huge house play structure, lots of tunnels to crawl through, magnets and blocks to build with...and most importantly, a bench for mom to sit on!

After a morning full of play and a picnic lunch, it was time to see the IMAX movie, Under the Sea. Of course, we had to sit at the very top!

The movie was beautiful and featured some very interesting ocean creatures!

It really felt like you were in the water!

We had a great day! Thanks for coming with us Katie-bug!

first sleepover

2011-07-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

little c recently had one of her favorite friends, Brooke, over for a day of play. She and Brooke have been friends since their days at Kindlelight, but when it came time to go to public school, they each attend different elementary campuses. So they don't get to see each other very often. We had Brooke over for a day filled with fashion shows, Barbies, baby dolls, McDonald's, swimming...all in about 6 hours!

The goggle twins...thanks Uncle Steve and Aunt T for letting us come swim! (And thanks Lucy for coming out to greet us).

The next week, Brooke had little c over for her very first sleepover. They went to Chili's for dinner and then proceeded to play until AFTER MIDNIGHT! When I picked her up the next morning, we ran a few errands and then met Granny in town for lunch. little c almost fell asleep at the table so I took her home and put her down for a nap! They had so much fun and we look forward to doing it again!

We love T-Ball!

2011-07-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

Big C, little c, and I have been following our hometown t-ball all-star team because our sweet little buddy Matthew is a team member. They recently played in the North Regional State Tournament and made it to the championship game. Little c and I took a quick road trip to the booming metropolis of Atlanta, TX to cheer on our little friend. Big C wanted to go SO BAD but couldn't get away early enough so I spent most of the game texting him updates!

It was a hard fought battle that went into an extra inning, but MP emerged as the winners! Way to go Matthew!

Matthew and his biggest fan.

On the Grow

2011-07-21T08:54:00.000-05:00

So we know that little c has really grown a lot this past year, but just the other night she was looking particularly tall so we decided to measure her and check out the situation.

The last time we measured her was March of 2010.

In 1 year and 4 months, little c has grown two and a half inches!!!! WHAT????? No wonder her clothes don't fit well anymore! Here's to hoping the growing slows down just a tad...

puppy love

2011-07-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

Curtis is rather happy to have his little c around more often this summer...

Fourth Fun

2011-07-11T21:14:00.000-05:00

The Cowan Three celebrated the Fourth of July in a very low key manner this year. We started Sunday night with the annual FBC Fourth of July service that honors the vets in our church family. This year's service was especially special though because Brother Tim asked little c to lead the congregation in the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the service!

She was very nervous!

She very bravely walked up on stage, faced the audience and said "Attention, salute, pledge" and then lead the audience. She did a fantastic job!

She even got to wear a wireless mic...pretty cool huh?

After the service, we all went to Two Senoritas for dinner and then parked in the adjacent parking lot to watch the annual fireworks show put on by Trinity Baptist Church. We waited, and waited, and waited...until we couldn't wait any longer so we gave up. We stopped by the store to get milk on the way home, and as we drove toward our house, they finally started! We could still see them from the road leading to our house. Little c begged us to pull over so we could watch, and just as we did, they stopped! Next year, we will camp out in our own backyard...

waiting on the fireworks

my sweet little firecracker

The next day, little c and I headed over to The Omaha Harts for a dip in the pool.

After swimming for a bit it was time for some good ole Fourth of July watermelon for a snack.

three sillies

Later that evening, The Cowan Three were joined by Granny and Monna for some hamburgers off the grill and apple pie to round out our low key Fourth of July weekend. Hope yours was filled with family, friends, food, and fun...and maybe fireworks!

She's crafty

2011-07-04T09:38:00.000-05:00

little c has been quite the crafty kid this summer!

This is her first cross stitch project. She started it quite some time ago at Monna's and was able to finish it this summer. It is now hanging in her bathroom and looks amazing!

She has also been making pot holders for people using her weaving loom.
Her first one...

a gift for Granny!

Her second one...

for Grandmomma Josephine's birthday!

"Sew" far it has been a crafty summer!

Pinkalicious

2011-07-01T15:43:00.001-05:00

Before

In Between

After

Happy Summer!

Supper Club weekend at Caddo

2011-07-01T10:51:00.001-05:00

The Cowan Three recently hosted the supper club gang at Caddo for a weekend on the lake. We rented the house from last summer again and have so looked forward to getting back down there for some R&R.

Loaded up and ready to go, little c watched the Justin Bieber movie on my iPad the whole way there. She wore her headphones so every so often, I would get an acapella serenade...priceless!

Once we arrived, little c was anxious to try out the Harts new slide on the dock.

That night we took these little gangster kids to the restaurant next door for a little catfish, french fries, hushpuppies and 'slaw.

Which one of us does not belong???

After dinner it was time for a little boat ride.

The next day we were joined by lots of friends who were ready to swim.

the approach...

the spray!

Caddo Creature hunters David, Scott, Duke, and little c (with a net).

little c, Shannon, and Katie do their best walrus impression
Katie, little c, and Alli

swamp kids

Stacy & Christy

Stacy & Duke

and again, which one of us does not belong???

Bret, Terry, & David

If you cook breakfast, they will come!

It was a great weekend full of fun and great food. Thanks Harts, Sinclairs, Fitts, and Norfleets for a great weekend!

Material Girl

2011-06-25T09:02:00.000-05:00

The second week of summer found little c in sewing class. Monna took her to Longview on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to a sewing machine shop that was holding classes for kids. She was SO excited! Growing up with both grandmothers sewing for her, she has sen each of them create lots of cool things so naturally, she wanted to learn too. I really hope she continues with this because I can't even sew on a button!

The kids each picked out several fabrics that were cut into strips. Then they spent the next few days learning to use a sewing machine and sewing the strips together.

The final step was to attach the strips they had sewn together to a square piece of fabric to create a pillowcase...

Voila! little c's final project...I just LOVE IT!!!!

And I love the picture in the middle using transfer paper. So sweet. This looks great on her bed.

So proud of her final piece. AND she already has a sewing machine on her birthday list, and on her Christmas list in case she doesn't get it for her birthday. Great job little c and thanks for taking her Monna! She loved it!

Swimming Lessons

2011-06-23T12:46:00.000-05:00

After Bible School every day for the first week of summer, little c took swim lessons from Mr. Todd. She is swimming so well this year!

working on her backstroke

floating

this year, Mr. Todd started working with her on diving

Due to the bent knees, the judges gave this one a 6.

reckless abandon

We have to work on keeping our head down...major belly flop situation.

Better!

To end the week, we jumped in and swam all the way to the other end without stopping.

more reckless abandon

Sweet Swimmin' girls... a popsicle is appropriate EVERY time.

Thank you Mr. Todd! She had a great week and learned ALOT!

VBS 2011

2011-06-17T07:41:00.001-05:00

little c spent the first few mornings of summer break at VBS. This year's theme was Big Apple Adventure so our church was transformed into New York City for the week. little c enjoyed crafts, music, recreation, New York style snacks like big pretzels and pizza, and had a great time!
Tuesday's dress up day was crazy hair and crazy socks

I was off on the the last day and got to enjoy seeing all the kids at the closing assembly

little c and Reese

little c singing and dancing with friends Anna Claire, Sarah Kate, and Grelyn

There were over 300 kids in attendance throughout the week!

All week long the boys and girls had a competition to see who could bring the most pennies by weight for their annual offering.

On the last day the kids anxiously waited outside to see if the boys or the girls would win and who would get a pie in the face.

Coach Parker announced the winner was...THE GIRLS!!!!!!

Brother Richard prepares to take a pie

On Sunday night, all the kids came back in their VBS t-shirts and sang some of the songs they learned for the congregation.

A big THANK YOU to the many volunteers who made the week possible! little c had a great week and is looking forward to it again in 2012!

We are the CHAMPIONS!

2011-06-11T07:42:00.000-05:00

little c and her team mates celebrated a great season with the softball closing ceremonies Monday night.

ball players or super models?

waiting in the sweltering heat to get their trophies

little c gets her trophy

the 1st place Glitter Gloves

our favorite GG

sweet friends Grelyn, little c, and Christina

We are so proud of you Glitter Gloves! Thanks for a wonderful season!!!

So long First Grade!

2011-06-08T20:12:00.000-05:00

So this was our little beauty on the first day of first grade, a mere nine months ago.

Fast forward to June and look at how she has changed!!! I just can't believe how big and grown up she looks.

The last day of school at Brice means only one thing...water slides. How awesome it must be to go to school in your bathing suit!

I snuck over to see little c and her friends for a few minutes and found...

these two basking in the sun! They both declared the slide their class was on "too scary" and chose to lay out instead.

But after watching the rest of her class, she mustered up a little courage and decided to give it a try.

Please note how she is holding her breath. This was a DRY slide!!!

Next it was on to the obstacle course...

Sweet classmates Kaleb, Ja'Braelyn, Oscar, George, Brady, & Sam

Reese, Mary Kait, & Zoey

Emma, George, Christopher, Eric, & Oscar

So long first grade! It has been fantastic!!!!!

Read, Relax, Reflect

2011-06-06T21:26:00.001-05:00

Brice held its annual Read, Relax, Reflect event on the next to last day of school. little c read us a couple of books and showed us her journal.

Proud of our girl!