Fun to be at the YMCA

My mom stopped working at 24 Hour Fitness, so we needed a gym membership so we could go to the pool. We found the YMCA in Hutto.

They were smaller than the 24, but more family friendly.

 However, the tween kids space was practically a closet with an art station and a TV. The indoor pool was too cold to enjoy most of the time, but they did have cool programs to participate in.

After a couple of months, 24 Hour Fitness asked Mom to come back and just in time for summer too.  We are able to keep using the pool, Mom gets to work out with Dustin and she only has to work once every 3 months now to keep our membership.  So all's well that ends well.

Gym picnic

 I just had to blog about this. We were all at the gym and my mom decided she would go home and make some lunches. Each of us had a banana with lunch and I don't remember who started it - it wasn't me! - but someone got the boys and Bella talking on banana phones. Yes, all our picnics are weird, but they are never the same way twice.

My karate brother

 Recently R2 has been wanting to do karate like me. One day I told him I could teach him and he agreed. I had no idea what I was in for.

 I started him out with doing some stretches when I discovered he couldn't do jumping jacks. We spent the rest of the day working on them.
 The next day he didn't want to do 10 jumping jacks.  Things went on like this for a while.

It was about a month later when my mom offered to take him to my instructor, Master Hill. I could help Read at home. It sounded fine to me, so he borrowed my old white belt and tested out a class.

 One day he told me his favorite part of class was running after stretches.
 At the dinner table a week later, Mom suggested why doesn't Read wait until he was older, so he could enjoy it and he agreed. So I'm back to by myself. But I really don't mind.

It's not exactly a dog...

Ever since Duncan and Chloe (Our pet dachshunds) died, my mom, my siblings and I have been wanting a dog. My dad doesn't want a dog because of all the things we'll have to do for it. So my mom got something different and this is how it happened...

My mom and I were on a date together and my dad texts her. The text said my dad crashed his new drone so of course Mom calls him and asks him what happened. He told her it was just a joke but  Mom was pretty startled, she decided to get back at him.

We went to Walmart to pick up a few things and I told her remember how I used to beg to look at the fish every time we came to Walmart and could we go see them now. We went over there and were looking at the fish when she grabs a fish bowl, colored gravel to put in it, fish food, and she told me to pick out a Betta Fish. When I asked her what she was doing, she told me she was getting back at my dad for scaring her by telling her he crashed the drone

After going home we all put a name in a hat and drew for the name. He was named Wasabi and he is a Blue male Betta Fish. So we have a pet that was a prank.

Johnson City Science Mill

I totally recommend this children's museum. True, it does not look like much from the outside, but you should give it a chance. After you create a digital robot avatar-which will teach you about certain things in the museum- You just need to start exploring. There is a model of Romanesco Broccoli (Which you can see Read with in this picture), Animated Texas animals, which you can control, Makey Makey, and much more than I can explain or remember.

Dogs biggest fan

For Bella's date she requested that Mom take her to the animal shelter. Bella loves dogs with all her heart, so she brought a book along to read to the dog. I guess she wanted to look like a pet too, because she wore her gray ears. She (of course) picked a dachshund named Porsha. Porsha sounds like a name of a car, but Bella named one of her Beanie Boos after the dachshund. You probably won't find anyone who loves dogs like Bella does. Please visit the local animal shelter and be with a dog for just a few minutes. They really do like it.

Top 10 of 2016

This is the 10th edition of our Top 10 list.  I didn't realize I had been blogging for so long.  Since I joined Instagram (and for a lack of time at a computer instead of a phone), I blog far less.  I still write the blog for us and posterity sake.  This is by far one of my highlights of wrapping up a year to look back and see all that we have done.  Have a blessed 2017.

10. Ben became a RSBA coach.  Rock Steady has grown exponentially this past year and Ben traveled to Indy to become a coach.
9.  I became a personal trainer - I'm not really interested in personal training, but wanted to have a better understanding of exercise science.  It took me almost four months to study and take the exam.
8. We had a fun reunion with Ben's family.  This was the first time our kids met many of Ben's family.  We had a great time at Mo Ranch in Hunt for the weekend.
7. We started our 7th year of homeschool.  LE is in 6th grade, Boo is in 5th, R2 is in kinder and HR does pre-k/kinder.
6. The girls and I headed to church camp.  This is the girls' 2nd year to pre-teen camp, my first and probably last.  I have discovered being with other people's children is a thing of my past.  I'll stick to my 4.
5. Landry has taken up karate.  She has already taken her first belt test and worked up to an orange belt.  She goes twice a week and has to pay half of her tuition.
4. Boo was in the production of I Never Saw Another Butterfly.  Boo really missed theater from co-op so this past school year she participated in the One Day Academy Theater classes.  We think she has gotten bitten by the acting bug.
3. We participated in Round the Rock Instagram challenge.  We had a task of 50 things to do in RR this summer and we accomplished 40+.  The last 8 were too expensive or didn't qualify for our ages.  We had an absolute blast and discovered some of our newest favorite things to do in the area.
2. We traveled to Port A.  We took an extended weekend getaway to Port Aransas earlier this fall.  I'm not usually a beach person, scratch that Texas beach person.  But it was a great time to connect with the kids.
1. We had a great family vacation to Branson.  We were gifted a week stay at a time share in Branson and our fighters blessed us with cash for travel expenses.  It was a great week to go off the grid and connect as a family.

"Vader"

My Christmas Wish list:

1) new floors 

2) kitchen redo

3) Maid

4) camper

5) New SUV to pull #4

6) personal assistant

7) Maid or personal assistant

8) gift cards for date night

9) gym equipment

10) maid or personal assistant

I guess my wish list was a little unrealistic because I got a new mini van.  It's the coolest minivan one can get, even black this time.  Isn't it weird when you become an adult how your gifts become more of necessity.  It's a 2016 Honda Odyssey and it has been affectionately named Vader.   

Christmas traditions

Monty Mouse has made his home under our tree again this year.  Every morning he leaves tasks for the boys to complete that day.
So far, we have had a slumber party under the Christmas tree, Christmas movie marathon, made gingerbread houses, Pancakes in Pajamas for dinner, made an advent chain, Christmas music dance party and my favorite so far was when they made Ben and I breakfast in bed for our anniversary.
I am so grateful for these moments and I am so especially proud of my girls for taking on so much responsibility in this crazy time of our lives.

18 years

18 years of marriage and 2 years of dating before we walked down the aisle; we have been together for twenty years.  I honestly had no idea what 20 years could look like, let alone feel like.  I never thought life could or would get better, but each year it does.  We have been through some rough patches, and this year had some real doozies and we have come out unscathed.  I honestly cannot imagine riding this crazy roller coaster with anyone else but you.  You complete me and make me a better person.  I love you, Maximus.  Here's to twenty more.