crazy weekend

It is monday morning and I am trying to recover from our busy weekend on top of being sick.  I have been fighting a bad cold and lack of sleep doesn't help.  We surprised Brent and had his brother Clay fly in for the weekend for a belated bday gift.  I tricked Brent into getting Cowboys tickets for a friend but they were really for him and Clay.  He took Austen and a friend with them and had a great time.  Besides that my friend Shellee and her family were here for the weekend house hunting (hopefully they are moving here) and hanging out.  We had four ball games on saturday and a house full of little kids and crazyness.  It was fun though and miss the company already.  It's just me and Ashlen right now and she is already up to no good.  I didn't get a diaper on her fast enough after her bath and she had an accident on the carpet, nice!!!

The one Photo from Italy I thought you'd all like

Tighty whitey anyone????

Hurricane Ike

Well, we are alive and able to report that we have survived the Hurricane!!  Well, Brent and the kids did anyway, I was gone for the worst of it.  Many of you may ask, Why Amysue, why would you leave your dear sweet family in the midst of a natural disaster?  My reply would be, "A 8 day cruise in the French and Italian Riviera".  Yes, I left a day before the storm hit and went on the cruise without Brent and left him with the kids!!!  The first two days of the cruise were miserable cause I hadn't talked to Brent and I was so worried about the family and what was happening.  After I talked to Brent and found out they were OK I started to really enjoy myself.   The Cruise was a Dealer trip so there were other dealers there that I knew and so had a great time getting to know them better and everyone was so nice to me and kept inviting me to hang out with them.  It turned out to be great, but I missed Brent being with me.  It's hard to be in such a romantic place without your honey.

Back to the family.  The storm hit and our power went out so Brent took the kids to his sisters house in San Antonio for 4 days until we got power back.  We didn't have any damage to our house, just lots of tree limbs and pine needles and stuff everywhere.  The worst thing was our pool, it is a disaster.  I have been working on it for the last few days and it is getting better but it is bad.  I may have to drain it and start over!!!  Anyway, Brent said that it was a bit scary around here because of the power outages everywhere and there was no food, water or gas.  He said that people were starting to get desperate and there were ever armed policeman at gas stations.  Part of the city, mostly the southern part by the ocean looks like a war zone.  They are just today letting some people back to their homes just to look at the damage and get what they need and then get out.  Many schools are still without power, my kids just went back to school today.  They loved the break, and they were all complaining about having to go back.  I am just great full that we were ok and that thanks to our church's recommendation to be ready for times like these we were fine.  

What's up today

I really need to recap all that has happened this past summer but too much has happened so I am just going to go forward with the now.  Bottom line, it was a great summer, but back to reality.

The boys just played their first football games for the season.  Both of their teams won, no injuries, I survived yet another game of watching in half fear half proud and boiling hot.  I did make Brent dump their pads and helmets in the pool and scrub them out due to the fact that the smell was horrid.  It was bringing back memories of walking into my brothers room growing up.  

Lauren again made the top volleyball team for her school.  Her first game is on thurs.  Can't wait to see her crush the ball.  She is indeed a beautiful girl, inside and out. How I got so lucky to get her as a kid I have no idea, cause I really don't deserve her.  She and I made the hour and a half trip up to A&M last night to watch the volleyball team play BYU.  It was so fun to watch those girls play.  I wore a BYU shirt and Lauren wore and A&M shirt.  We cheered for both teams but in the end A&M won.  

Ashlen started her little preschool class this past week and did well. Not one tear was shed by her or me.  I saw other moms crying as they left their little ones behind wondering what the heck was wrong with them.  They are only gone for a few hours twice a week, live it up!!!!  She needs the time to play just as much as I need to time to myself.  She is adorable as you all can witness in her photos.  She managed to do a half summersault down the aisle in church today during the meeting.  I caught her thats way she didn't make it all the way.  Life is all about her, as it should be.

Brent and I leave for France on friday.  Neither one of us are excited about leaving cause we are having to miss a volleyball game and two of each boys football games.  You may think we are crazy but we live for these things.  We are cruising the French and Italy riveria for a week, along with Brent and his two partners and their wives.  Every year we take a fun big trip with them, we will love it once we are there, it's just having to leave that is hard.  

Brent is turning 40 while we are gone on our trip.  Can't believe that could be happening.  I met him when he was just 21 and boy what a cutie he was.  It took me only 3 years to figure out I was in love with him, but there was no going back after that.  He is the love of my life and an amazing husband and father.  Happy Birthday Brent.

Just Ashlen

Grandma Huxfords house in Monmouth

pictures from our Oregon trip

Another pic of the house in Monmouth.




Lauren in front of haystack Rock in Cannon Beach Ore.

pictures

Pictures of the boys in Cooperstown NY at a baseball tournament. Peyten was the bat boy.