mOmMy dAy!

What can I say?; Except, I am so glad I am a Mommy! Having a day that revolves around just you is wonderful. The only thing I would change about it is I would change it to a different month. Mother's Day is always the week of my birthday. It is great to get showered with lots of things but I would prefer to have them more than three days apart.

Greg and the girls went all out for me. With church at 9:00 we opted for no breakfast in bed this year. We are always rushed as it is to make it on time. After church we came home and just had a snack then while the girls and daddy prepared some of dinner and dessert I had a nap! It is always nice to take Sunday afternoon naps but I am always a little groggy when I get up.
We had an awesome steak dinner and oreo pie for dessert. I think I'll have to double up on walks and going to the gym this week to work off Mother's Day and Birthday meals!

Mackenzi made me a book at school. I remember making these silhouette pictures when I was a kid and love them. Maci made me several cards and then in our Primary class on Sunday(I teach her class CTR 5-6) I made up a Mommy Quiz for the kids to answer and give to their moms. It was quite amusing to hear some of the answers they came up with. Greg bought me some new tennis shoes and then is having a leather steering wheel cover put on my car. We were going to get this when we bought the car but changed our mind about it. Greg thought since I spend a lot of time being a taxi driver he would make my already nice van even nicer.

Yes, as you can see in the pictures we were all dressed alike for church. I was so afraid to do this but thought since it was my day and we all had matching things why not? We got a few comments about it. Most were good but we got alot of stares and we didn't even have to walk in late for sacrament. Thank goodness we were on time otherwise I am sure everyone would have turned to look when the Gordons walked in!

I am so grateful for Greg and for making my dreams of being a mommy come true. Thanks for letting me stay home and be with the girls 24/7. It is very tiring but rewarding at the same time. I absolutely love my job!

Happy Mom's Day!

How do you express the love and gratefulness you have for the person who brought you into the world and has been there for you through everything, both good and bad?
Thank you many times over Mom for all you have done and continue to do. Thank you tons and tons for never giving up on me and helping me through the tough times. Thank you for who you are. I am so blessed to have you as my Mom and am so proud to call you mine. Thanks for your many examples. Your willingness to share, comfort, work, provide, and everything else you have done for our family. Thanks for teaching me to always remember who I am and to live the gospel everyday. Thanks for being a wonderful example of a wife and mother. All I ever wanted was to be a mommy and I had the best trainer for that job, hands down! I truly hope I am half of the Mother you are to us. Thanks for all of the help and support you and Dad have given to us down this long journey we have taken. It would not have been possible without you both.

I got a new little book called "Why A Daughter Needs A Mom?" 100 Reasons. I thought I would post a few of the ones I felt were important in my life.

A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM-
who is never more than a phone call away.
because no one understands girls like a mom.
to tell her that beauty never fades if you look in the right places.
to teach her to love her friends, no matter what they do.
to teach her how to cook.
to teach her how to be a lady.
because there are some things a dad just can't handle.
to read to her.
to show her how to give back to others.
to help her on her wedding day.
to catch her if she falls.
to soothe the pain of a broken heart.
to remind her, on the bad days, that she is not alone.
to protect her from strangers.
to encourage her to be whatever she wants to be.

to show her how to put a little love in everything she does.
to prepare fer for becoming a wife.
to show her how to raise a family.
to show her how to love someone with all her heart.
to encourage her to be grateful.
to teach her not to wait until tomorrow to say, "I'm sorry."
to teach her that the path taken means as much as the destination.
to teach her that her body is a temple.
to instill patience in her.
to tell her that the road to happiness is not always straight.
to teach her how to care for children.

to encourage her to laugh as often as possible.
to encourage her to be grateful.

to teach her to make thankfulness a habit.
because without her she will have less than she deserves.

Happy Mom's Day! I love you. Thanks for being YOU!

How do you say thank you to the person who made it possible for you to have the family you have today?

Thank you soooooooooooooooooo much for wanting to have children and for raising such a wonderful son. Without you, there would have been no Greg, and then there would have be no Greg & Angie, and there would have been no Greg, Ang, & Mackenzi, and then there would have been no Greg, Ang, Mackenzi, & Maci, and there would have been no Greg, Ang, Mackenzi, Maci, & Maryn. Thanks for making my dreams of being a mommy come true.

Thanks for being who you are and for teaching your children the gospel and teaching them to work hard. Thanks for you and Dad constantly supporting us. We have been down a long road and it has been nice to have wonderful supportive parents standing by us through it.

Thanks for being YOU! Happy Mom's Day! Know we all love you!

Mother's Day "Good Mail"

Jenny dropped this by for Mother's day a few days ago and I can classify this as "good mail". I know as Moms most times we are thinking of our children, husband, family and forget about doing things for ourselves. It is so nice when you aren't expecting people are thinking of you and then they surprise you with a little something just for you!

She brought me a Victoria's Secret tote bag and as you can see it is pink. A girl,with three girls can never have too many bags and especially pink ones. In the bag was a memo pad (I think Jenny knows me oh-so well that I always forget things that I need to do or things I need to buy at the store). Now I can jot them all down on my hot pink note pad. There was was also a little bag of scrapbook paper, and yes they were all in the "pink family". I love the bath and body works lotion and shower gel in their new scent-Japanese Blossom. A girl can never have too much bath and body works stuff!

Thanks Jenny for the good mail and thinking of me on Mother's Day.

oUr hOme aWaY fRoM hOme

I wanted to add the water park pictures but as you can see the sun reflecting off of the water made the pictures way bright. The girls are actually sitting and standing in water but you can't tell that.

For the next three months this will be our home away from home.

We have gotten Six Flags every year we have lived. We wanted sure and take advantage of having 2 amusement parks within 20 minutes of our house our last full summer here. We have loved being here in San Antonio and enjoyed everything a big tourist city offers. We have yet to decide where our journey will take us next but it's probably not going to have and amusement park this close to our house.

Even though it is hard to take and keep up with three kids at such a busy place it is a lot of fun. The girls had a blast and we ran into several friends there that they got to play with. You can see even Greg was able to go with us this time. There aren't too many times we take on the adventure of going to Fiesta Texas on a busy Saturday but, since Greg was home today wand we really had no set plans for the day we decided to go fo it. It was extremely crowded and very warm. Yes, I know this is Texas but, it seemed really hot today for being the middle of May. I guess we should expect an unseasonably hot summer here in S.A.

sHopPing fOr pIctUreS

I wanted to add this picture showing the shopping I had to do to get ready for the family picture. I SERIOUSLY went to The Shops at La Cantera 4 times in a 24 hour period. Yes, I bought things, returned some, bought some more, and now I get to go back on Monday and take back the rest of what we didn't end up using. I was soooo afraid while I was checking out one of the 10 times, my card would surely be denied. I am so surprised my credit card company didn't call or put a hold on my card thinking someone had stolen it, I used it so many times in such a short amount of time. I think I got my shopping fix for awhile.

gOrdoN faMily pIctUrEs

We went to the McNay Art Museum to take family pictures yesterday. As always this is a very stressful time for me as a Mom. Hopefully I'm not the only Mom out there that gets so frazzled trying to coordinate outfits, do 3 girls hair(Jenny thankfully saved me on this one and did Maci's hair for me-Thanks again Jen!), and get to the location on time while fighting terrible Friday rush hour traffic.

Before we could leave home Maryn found her way into our bathroom when Daddy didn't notice (he was in charge of her while I got ready) and grabbed the curling iron. None of my girls have ever done that until now. YES, I win the worst Mommy award today! Needless to say she was hysterical for the next 15 minutes we were home and the 30 minutes or so we were traveling in traffic. I had worked so hard planning and making sure we looked perfect to have it ruined by a dumb curling iron. And as you can see from the pictures no one had curls even left in their hair.

These pictures are a just a few snapshots we took with our camera after the photographer was done. The girls were just playing around and I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures since I love to take pictures and all. I will post the real-deal pictures as soon as I get some proofs.

Where I'm From

"If you don't know where you're from, you'll have

a hard time saying where you're going."

by Wendell Berry

Where I’m From

I am from the piney woods, of the Car Tradin’ Capital of SE Texas and home of the Fightin’ Silsbee Tigers.
I am from the quiet and comfortable, with wood paneling walls and smell of Magnolia flowers. From the smells of afternoon thunderstorms and wet pine needles, and I am from 100% humidity.
I am from dogwood, sweetgum, and pine trees, azaleas, buttercups, and bluebonnets, from alligators, armadillos, treefrogs, Longhorns, mockingbirds, and tons of mosquitos.
I am from Christmas Eve spent with cousins, from
ham sandwiches for breakfast on Christmas morning and sleepovers on Friday nights with Nanaw and Papa and both blue and hazel eyes and natural curls from Ruggles and Hokes, and from Rawls and Jenkins.
I am from extremely shy, quiet and tender, from quick to laugh but from more quick to cry.
I am from drinking Dr. Pepper and watching Dukes of Hazzard at 7 o’clock on Friday night.
From “always remember who you are” and “don’t let the bed bugs bite”.
I am from a church that focuses on Eternal Families and Young Women Values and “Saturday is a Special Day”, and from a church that as kids we sing about "Popcorn Popping On Apricot Trees" and someday going inside Temples. I am from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I am from a place where everything's BIGGER, I'm from The Lonestar State, from Hurricane Rita’s ravaged Beaumont, from the home town of Tracy Byrd and Clay Walker and many other cowboys, and from part of The Golden Triangle.
I am from chicken and dumplings and homemade chili.
From the fishing stories of Papa and Daddy and the 52 pound catfish, that is still hard to believe was caught in the waters of “Dam B”.
I am from boxes and boxes of pictures most were of color but some of black and white, from themed tablecloths, and from what some would call trash but to us are our family treasures.

Tagged by Jenny now it's your turn.

View template for poem at

http://www.swva.net/fred1st/wif.htm

prE-kiNdeR gOes to pEtcO

Today Maci's Pre-Kinder class went on a fireld trip to Petco. Maci was totally in her element. She is by far my animal lover. She is fascinated with any animal and wants to know anything and everything about it. Maci is the blondie in the group for those who don't know.

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home....

Daddy's GirlsThis past weekend Greg went out of town to an Orthopedic Trauma Assocation conference in Atlanta. I always think these weekends home alone will be no big deal when Greg plans his trips. Every time he is getting ready to leave or we are on our way to the airport I get really stressed out and feel like I could have an anxiety attack. I never like when we are apart, especially days at a time.

I know this Primary song is meant for kids to sing about their daddies but I think the words are appropriate for Mommies to say about Daddies too.


I'm so glad when daddy comes home.
Glad as I can be.
Clap my hands and SHOUT for joy
And climb upon his knee.

Put my arms around his neck
Hug him tight like this.
Pat his cheeks and give him What?
A GREAT BIG KISS!

We all missed Daddy bunches and bunches and are so glad he is back at home with us!

Potty Training...

Maryn is really growing up way too fast. She has been sitting on the potty occasionally for about 2 months. Usually it is before her bath and I have even convinced her to sit on the toilet BEFORE she goes Poo-Poo just a couple of times. She usually says, "POO-POO POTTY!!!" after the fact.
I guess it is never too early to start this dreaded process but it just makes me sad. One reason, because that means she is no longer my baby and second, because that means every public place I enter I will most likely be visiting the nasty restrooms there. What is it with bathrooms? Do kids just like to check them out or do they really "HAVE TO GO" in every Target, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Costco, and Sam's on the planet?
Maryn will probably hate me when she is older if she finds out I put a picture of her on the potty on the internet but the things we do as Mommy's to document accomplishments, milestones, and even some disappointments. We have only begun the process so I will post the accomplished pictures later.
I'm sorry Maryn if this embarrasses you later in life.

Before The South Beach Diet

Before










Greg is going to kill me for posting this picture of him. Excuse the facial expression he is making. He usually has his eyes closed all of the way.
This was taken last October when we were in New York for our anniversary and was the most recent picture I could find where he was facing the camera straight on.
I just wanted everyone that hasn't seen him in a while to see what great determination and will power he has. We had gotten really bad in our eating habits we were always eating out and eating so unhealthy.
We both were a little concerned about blood pressure and other health issues more than the whole weight thing. But after you see the after picture you can see that he almost got obsessed with it. Don't get me wrong I think he looks awsome and am so proud to have him as MINE!

South Beach Diet Results

After









WOW!! Greg decided the second week of January that he wanted to lose weight. He had had success on the Adkins Diet before but wanted to do something that would be more healthy and something that would lower his blood pressure,cholesterol. We bought the South Beach Diet book and he dove head first into his new eating lifestyle. He dropped his first 10 pounds quick and was so excited. After only being on the diet for 2 months or so he had lost about 30 pounds. I have to say I can't believe he had the will power to do it. He was so dedicated to being healthier that we would go out on dates to mexican restaraunts and he wouldn't even touch the chips. That is very difficult if I say so myself.
I think Greg looks great. I have never seen him so thin. He even weighs less than he did when we got married 10 years ago. He has really gotten into working out, running, lifting weights, etc.
We had to go out and buy him quite a few new clothes. He has gone down about 2 or 3 jean sizes and I started buying him more fitted shirts to show off his new physique! He keeps saying everyone he sees probably says "Look at the guy trying to look like a kid again."
Way to go Greg!

GO SPURS GO!!

GO SPURS GO!
GO SPURS GO!
I thought I would show our Spurs spirit and cheer them on tonight in game 6 against the Kings. These pictures are from earlier in the season when we went to Thornton Elementary's Family Night with the Spurs. We have really turned into die hard fans since moving here 5 years ago. Greg and I have actually gone to several games and love every minute. There is something about watching the National Champs play. I have always enjoyed watching basketball (since I played in high school) but, there is just something about being there watching it in person. It is always nerve racking for me to watch especially if it is an important game or a close one. It reminds me of being on the court myself and getting butterflies when while playing.

A Night In Ol' Stormy San Antonio

The quality of these pictures are terrilbe but wanted to post them anyway. Last night a really bad storm blew in with high winds (60 mph+)with thunder and lightening about 11pm. Lately the storms die out before they ever get to our house but of course on the night I was home alone with the girls it never slacked up. It rained more in about an hour than it has rained in a long time. I kept debating on getting all of the girls in bed with me (Maci had already been scared by the thunder and had made her way into bed with me). About 11:40 it started to hail. I jumped out of bed to see how big the hail was but couldn't see because of the rain going sideways. I wanted to call someone but was afraid everyone around was sleeping right through the excitement. Then at 11:44 the phone rang. I knew it probably was Jenny checking on me and it was. Her and Doug were awake watching and listening to it all. I opened the front door to see if we were having much damage but luckily all that I could see was our trash cans dumped over in the street. Then Doug says, in the background, take a picture and BLOG it! So I did. I didn't go far. With the high winds I got pretty wet just standing by the front door and all I could do in the back was just open the door and take a quick picture.
This morning there were lots of signs that the storm didn't let up when it passed over us. There were tons of trash cans and garbage and debris all over the neighborhood and signs of how far the water had been up. There didn't seem to be any hail damage on Greg's car but who knows what the roof looks like. I guess we wll wait and see next year when we get it inspected when we are ready to sale.
You could never tell that we had a stormy night by walking outside now. It has turned out to be a beautiful day it is sunny and in the high 80's. The kidsare home from school early today(early release day not sure why) and are out playing in the sprinkler right now.

Life As Resident Wives........CRAZY!!

Crazy, Insane, Loud, Wild, Busy, Hectic, Never Ending, Lonely........

I could go on and on and on about ways to describe all the times Jenny and I (along with most resident wives) spend alone (without our hubbies).

Tonight we took on the challenge of taking all 7 of our kiddos to dinner at Culver's. Both Greg and Doug weren't going to be home so we decided to WASTE time this evening by venturing out! For the most part the kids are good but seem to have a hard time using an inside voice when they are together in a restaraunt (fast food joint). It is always amusing to watch the looks we get when we are together will all the kids. I can just inagine what people are thinking.....why are they out in public?, Are all of those kids theirs?, Do those girls know when to stop having kids? I know it gets on peoples nerves (I see it on their faces) when we are out and about BUT we have to live too. We would probably be more crazy if we never got to venture out. So everyone we drive nuts, with all our precious noise makers, will have to just deal with it.

This long journey we are on would even be longer if we weren't friends and if our kids weren't friends. It is great to have someone that understands what your going through and to share your complaints and whines with.

Celebrating at Rudy's

We decided to go out to dinner at Rudy's to celebrate Trauma being over. Our very first Orthopedic Resident dinner was at Rudy's Bar-B-Q and we loved it. I actually make their famous cream corn quite often (another resident's wife somehow came across the recipe). Now a lot of the residents are addicted to it. Greg being a huge barbeque fan really likes Rudy's. As you can see from the sign it is the WORST Bar-B-Q in Texas!! It really isn't. It is pretty dang good and that's coming from someone who can live with or without barbeque. We had a fun time together as a family and we all left feeling a little bit stuffed and glad we made it through another trauma rotation.