Blevins Family Blog

SNOW DAY!

2011-01-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

The first snow of 2011 gave us a day off from school! WE HAD A BLAST!

Holiday Happenings

2010-12-27T05:56:00.000-08:00

SOME CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

The kids did an excellent job singing a special birthdy song to Jesus.

Christmas at the Blevins' House where Santa left all kinds of toys for our good little girls!

Christmas with the Jordan family:

A much needed break from work and school was taken overnight to Grapevine to stay at the Gaylord and see the ICE! This really took it out of the girls. Brynn left in tears after becoming so frozen waiting in the line to go down the ice slide and Paisley was asleep in the backpack the minute we walked into the show! It was pretty cute...we had random people taking pictures of us because they thought it was just so precious.

We had Christmas at Ma and Pa's and got to visit with Flick...he is too cute!

The family took a trip to the North Pole on The Polar Express to see Santa!

Brynn had her very first gymnastics competition for the mini-team with Gymnastics Sports Center!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have so much to be Thankful for.

Going all the way back to Halloween I thought I would share a few pics of my little pumpkins!

Since You Saw Us Last...

2010-11-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well...it's been awhile since my last post, so here is what you've missed!

1. Brynn is really loving school, she says she doesn't want to go but she plays school every minute that we are not there. She loves being the teacher and teaching lessons to her students at home! Brynn is now on the competition mini-team for gymnastics sports center. She tumbles and works on the bars every chance she can get. She has had such great improvement. It's fun to watch her learn new things each time we go to practice. Her first meet is coming up in December!

2. Mark's job on 635 is going really well, but we miss seeing him early in the morning when he is on the road. He is doing lots of running again and says he plans to run another half marathon in January! GO MARK!

3. Paisley just had her half birthday! Yes, my sweet baby girl is already 6 months old. She is eating lots of baby foods, rolling all over the room, sitting up alone, and trying her hardest to crawl. She has had 1 ear infection that messed up her sleeping pattern for a few weeks but seems to be back to normal. She gets a bath and a cereal bottle at about 7:30 and then is off to bed and usually sleeps until about 7:30 in the morning! SHE IS AMAZING!

4. As for me, I have stayed super busy with school work, taking Brynn to her practices, holding my sweet "P", and working on sewing projects like crazy. I wish I could just work on my crafty stuff all the time, it is so relaxing.

5. Halloween flew by and Thanksgiving is just a few days away. For Halloween Brynn wanted to be a witch, with a rather unusual twist. She had striped leggings, a tutu skirt, red sparkle shoes, and to top it off she decided that her face needed to be painted green...interesting. Paisley was Little Miss Piggy, which fits her perfectly. She loves to eat eat eat!

6. I finished "my two little turkeys" some turkey shirts that turned out precious. They looked so adorable together in all the fallen leaves outside.

I know we have done a 1000 things more but that wraps up our highlights and I will get some pictures posted hopefully over Thanksgiving holiday!

Back to School / Football Season

2010-09-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

We have all adjusted well to going back to school! I have a class of 17 great kids, and Brynn has made some wonderful friends in her PreK class. Also, the really big adjustment has come with Mark's new job this week. It's in Dallas on 635 so he has quite a commute everyday, but it seems to be going smoothly. We just wish he wasn't so far away from us. I have to say, I got very spoiled to always having him 15 minutes away. The not so great news right now is: I am already home sick from school, Mark feels a sinus infection coming on, and we think Paisley may have a slight cold/allergies :( Brynn on the other hand is A OK! She has stayed super busy with school, gymnastics 2 times a week, and going to fun things like the Sherman Bearcat Cheer Clinic! She is ready for some Bearcat football! But most of all we are just really thankful my sweet momma has been here for us to help us adjust to new schedules, take care of us while we are sick, and run Brynn around to her gymnastics practices. We couldn't do it without her!

Summer Wrap Up

2010-08-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

Summer seems to have just flown by all to quickly. I enjoyed every minute that I was able to spend with my precious baby girls. They are such a beautiful blessing. School is approaching way too fast and Brynn is thrilled. This will be her first year to go to public school. She will be attending Pre K at S&S Elementary and be in Mrs. McDonald's class! Sweet Paisley will have the best babysitter ever...her Mimi! We are thankful that this has worked out and that she is in good hands so that we may both go to work. So, to wrap it up, here are a few pictures from the rest of our summer adventures.

Brynn's First Ranger's Game

Brynn & Paisley's First Trip to the Circus

Brynn's First San Antonio and Sea World Trip

2010-07-07T10:47:00.001-07:00

Digital Scrapbooking Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

July 4, 2010

2010-07-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

This was a very exciting July 4th for our family! We got to take a mini vacation to Addison with the Boothe family to see the Kaboomtown Fireworks and stay the night in a hotel. Clay and Brynn loved running back & forth from room to room, jumping on the beds, and pretend calling each other on the hotel phones. While we were there they also got to swim. We had an amazing view of the fireworks show from our hotel room window, which was so nice due to the crummy, rainy weather. The kids loved it so much that we hope it becomes a new tradition we get to look forward to every year!

We also went to spend some time with friends at the Martin's house in Gunter. There was great BBQ, swimming, and fellowship. After that we meet up with Mimi and Papaw to see the Gunter fireworks show. IT WAS SUPER! They did an excellent job and we had a great place to park and watch the show.

Summer Sewing Project!

2010-06-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

During the summer break I always like to try a new sewing project. Last year I made a denim patch work quilt and today I finished a vintage pillowcase dress! I think it turned out precious and fits Brynn so well! I can't wait to make more!!!

We Celebrate

2010-05-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

Our family celebrates as we welcomed our sweet new blessing from God into this world 1 week ago today!

Paisley Brooke Blevins
May 21, 2010
Born at 12:49
6lbs. 11oz.
19 3/4 in long.

Although very deeply saddened, our family also celebrates today in the fact that we know our Nanny is now in Heaven and rejoicing in her new body. We are thankful for her life here on Earth and the many joys and blessings she brought to our family. We love her and miss her but know we will see her again in Heaven one sweet day.

Before and After of the house remodel:

2010-04-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Back in February we had the house remodel begin. It took only 1 short month for the amazing transformation to happen and I couldn't be more pleased with my beautiful new house! Thanks so much to the wonderful and diligent work of the crew from BLUESTONE I have the house I always wanted! They exceeded all my expectations and I would recommend their company to everyone I know.

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

Back Patio Before

Back Patio / New Office After

TEXAS BEAUTY

2010-04-21T18:01:00.001-07:00

Paisley's baby shower!

2010-04-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our family was showered with tons of adorable gifts and baby essentials today. It was an amazing shower. We appreciate all of those who helped and stopped by to share this day with us!

Easter 2010...a little late!

2010-04-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well...Brynn got a special Easter Basket from the Easter Bunny filled with a pretty new necklace, bracelet, and lots of eggs! She looked so beautiful all dressed up in white for Easter Sunday at Church. Following the service the kids enjoyed a special egg hunt in the prayer garden.

Our 5th Anniversary

2010-03-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today Mark and I celebrate 5 wonderful years of marriage. We have been able to experience so much together and loved every minute.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY, I LOVE YOU!

Brynn's Big Birthday!

2010-03-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe this sweet little baby turned 4 this week. We love her so much!

5th Anniversary Getaway to FLORIDA!

2010-03-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Our Little Valentine

2010-02-04T17:58:00.000-08:00

"The Works"

2010-01-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

We got to enjoy open house at Brynn's school on Friday. We went in for a visit and to watch her complete some of the "works" she has had lessons on at school. It was amazingly fun and wonderful to see all that she has been learning and discovering at Montessori school.

Here is Brynn at WORK!

December in Review

2010-01-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some highlights from our action-packed December:

1. We headed to Rusk, TX to ride to the North Pole on the Polar Express:

2. Brynn was a big help in the kitchen:

3. Brynn "participated" in the church Christmas musical:

3. Went to go see the holiday lights in style (thanks Grand-dad!):

4. Too many presents to count (or store):

5. Great time with family & friends:

...what a great month!

Christmas Fun Has Begun...

2009-12-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well actually it all started before Thanksgiving!

1. We took Brynn on a little trip to Grapevine to stay at the Gaylord and go to the ICE show the week I was off for Thanksgiving!

Here is Brynn trying out the beds!!!

2. We decorated the house!

3. We watched the Sherman Christmas Parade!

Baby Blevins @ 11 weeks & 3 days

2009-11-16T21:22:00.001-08:00

We thought this was a precious sono pic and wanted to share it with everyone! Baby Blevins looked perfectly healthy and was doing wonderful. The heart rate was 173 bpm and the baby was already trying to suck it's little thumb. We were told we would get another sono with the specialists on Dec. 2nd and they would give us their best guess on the babies gender at that appointment...so we can't wait for that day to arrive to find out what the precious little baby is going to be.

We're Having Another Baby!

2009-10-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard the news, baby Blevins #2 is on the way! The dr. said things looked healthy and normal at our appointment. The due date is June 3rd, yes my birthday. We seem to just have the timing down perfectly on these due dates. Brynn was due on our wedding anniversary and baby #2 is taking the same approach and picking an extra special day for its arrival. The dr. didn't let Brynn go full term, and he said he would plan the same with this baby as well by inducing a week or two early...I think I will be just fine having to miss those last few weeks of school!

We were very excited to get to have a sono at this appointment even though I am only a few weeks along. It is amazing how rapidly they grow, develop, and change in a few short days. Here is the 1st pic we had of Brynn at 8 weeks 3 days, and also a 1st pic of baby #2 at only 7 weeks and 1 day. The differences in the pictures are so unbelievable.

Brynn at 8 weeks, 3 days

Baby #2 at 7 weeks, 1 day

Time To Catch-Up

2009-09-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well it has been way too long since my last post, but here are the many things that have been happening in our lives over the past few hectic (very hectic) weeks! ENJOY!

Once school started things have been like a whirlwind of events.

1.ARTS FEST 15K RUN

Well we ran in the Sherman Arts Fest 9.3 mile run on Sept. 19th and we both beat our time from last year. Mark and I both received 2nd place in our gender age divisions.

Mark's Time: 1 hr. 28 min. - which was 15 min. off of last years time

Lindsey's Time: 1 hr. 32 min. - which was 11 min. off of last years time

2. MARK'S 28th BIRTHDAY

Mark's birthday was September 21st and we celebrated by having a super fun family dinner at Mamu and Grandad's house. Brynn helped her daddy open all of the presents by making sure he knew what was in them right before he opened them...it was really cute, she would whisper...it's candy and a movie!

3. LAURA'S ACL SURGERY

Well, not to disappoint ya but I didn't think you would want to see the pictures of Laura's knee surgery that the surgeon took, but I do want to report that she is still recovering and doing good. Brynn and I have been down many times to check in and help out!

4. SHERMAN BEARCAT HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME

Brynn got all dolled up in her cheerleader outfit and once we got to the game she got her *sparkly* eyes! Thank you Malissa for bringing the goods and thank you Courtney for making Brynn look soooooo pretty! Of course all the girls were there to play with each other, poor ACE he has to deal with all those pretty little girls at every game and no boys to hang out with! Brynn also got to go down with BFF Kaitlyn to get a picture with the BEARCAT!!!!! It was a FUN night!

BACK TO SCHOOL

2009-08-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well...its was back to school for myself once again. It took many hours to prepare the room, the first weeks lessons, and definitely many hours too prepare my mind for getting a new batch of kiddos in my room. With all of that it did turn out to be a great first week.

I wasn't the only one who went to school last week...Brynn started preschool! She has already learned so much in one short week. She loves her school and talks all about it when she gets home. She has taught us many lessons like she is a teacher.

Future Gold Medal Olympic Gymnast

2009-08-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

We started gymnastics Tuesday evening and Brynn had a blast! She loved the activities they got to do and really listened to her teachers. We can't wait to go back again next week! I love the picture of Brynn in the flip belt on the trampoline...it was the first time she was being flipped backwards and she freaked out a little but thought it was fun.

VBS week!

2009-07-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful week it has been with the kids at VBS. Brynn enjoyed it very much. We learned to "FEAR NOT" because God is always with us, He is powerful, He does what He says He will do, He gives us life, and He cares for us!

Hard to say GOODBYE :-(

2009-07-21T14:02:00.001-07:00

Well, we had to say goodbye to the Mustang today, and I'm going to be honest...I shed several tears over trading in the Mustang. I know I said many ugly things about the black Mustang but I will really miss it...Mark and I called it the date car because all 3 of us could not ride in the car comfortably at the same time...so the only time that I ever got to ride in the car was when Mark would take me out on a special date when someone was watching Brynn for us.

So...we went for the more practical 4 door, family friendly, sport utility vehicle. And...Mark seems to be excited to have a silver car again...we won't go into the silver Mustang story (hahaha)...but it's a Jeep Grand Cherokee that Brynn was really excited about...she calls it the monster car for some reason...who knows!

FUNNY SONG

2009-07-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

ok...I saw this video on a friends blog and just thought it was hilarious...

don't forget to pause the music at the bottom so you can hear the video!

More brave than I ever was...

2009-07-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

That's right...Brynn got her ears pierced and she looks so big now. I was 7 I believe when I went through what I considered a very traumatic experience. First of all I had to get my ears pierced at some booth in the middle of the mall where the entire place was staring at me...(this was back in the day when Midway Mall was the place to be). I got extremely nervous and pale. I had to even ask for a drink of water before I finally said I can't do this yet and made my sister go first. Then when it came my time I remember it being painful and one even bled.

Now as far as Brynn goes she was nothing but excited...I was still the nervous one. I kept saying maybe we should wait for daddy to come up here and be with us, but she insisted I want them pierced now! So, we went ahead and got them pierced. She was brave and had no tears at all. The earrings are precious too...little sparkly flowers!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T07:48:00.001-07:00

I guess I should have been happy with the one cute picture but I tried to make several...but anyway we wanted to wish you all a Happy 4th of July!

GOD BLESS THE USA!

some favorite vacation pictures from Pigeon Forge, TN and Destin, FL

2009-06-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

back home...

2009-06-27T11:52:00.001-07:00

After driving over 2600 miles in the car, we are back home from the 2 week vacation. I am very glad to not be driving anywhere else, but I sure do wish I was still at the beach! I will post pics later!

Our Supermodel

2009-06-17T20:40:00.001-07:00

CANNONBALL!!!

2009-06-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention. I need all of you, to stop what you're doing and listen. Cannonball!

Precious Memories

2009-06-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

We have shared many special times with Granny and made so many precious memories. We will miss her funny stories, her outgoing spirit, and her unconditional love. We are truly thankful for the time that God did give us with Granny and that she lived to see so much. We love you...

A wonderful birthday!

2009-06-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

Although I had to go to work on my birthday I came home to many birthday surprises from Mark and Brynn that made it really special. They went and got red roses, milky way candy bars, cd's, and the big surprise was a hammock that I was really wanting! After that Mark took me on a special fishing trip out at Lake Texoma and then to dinner at The Island at Highport. It's just hard to believe that I am now 26...that is soooo close to 30...dern I'm old.

Paper Clip Fashion

2009-06-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I introduced Lindsey to the paper clip earring. The paper clip earring was one of the coolest things to hit Piner Middle School in the 90's - it allowed any boy who wanted to be "cool" to have an earring that could be taken off before your parents saw it.

Lindsey then proceeded to introduce me to Gunter's paper clip fashion craze - the paper clip retainer. It was very believable...I thought Lindsey had put her retainer in for the afternoon.

So...we need your help. Please answer the poll question to the right and help us decide which paper clip accessory is really the coolest. Or maybe there is something even cooler than the paper clip earring or the paper clip retainer that we haven't even heard about. Who would have ever thought that a simple paper clip could be so useful!

So Very Ready For This!!!!

2009-05-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

To the BEST moms around...

2009-05-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Well...not only are Marianne and Carla the very best moms that God could bless us with, but they are fantastic mother-in-laws, and wonderful grandmothers too. We love you both very much. Have a very Happy Mother's Day!

Answered Prayers

2009-05-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

As most of you know Brynn gave us a scare this week and had to be hospitalized overnight. She became very sick on Sunday with a high fever, vomiting, and a headache, and with all that has been going around this made us really worry. I got her in to see Dr. Lipscomb first thing Monday morning and he was very concerned about her then. He did several test and gave us a diagnoses (UTI) and said we should watch her close the rest of the afternoon. So we left, went to get the prescriptions filled and then returned home. Once we were home she began the vomiting again and the doctor immediately wanted her to come back in to the office. I rushed her back up to Denison to have her checked again, and this time he said that she was very dehydrated and he would need to begin an IV. So, at the office Brynn had an IV put in...she was so brave, no tears, but very scared and told us it was really hurting as she sort of made this "help me mommy" face. From there we went over to the hospital to get her a room and hooked up to the IV fluids. That evening Brynn still was vomiting, but her fever had gone down. The next morning Brynn was able to eat some cheerios and had really made some great progress. Later on Tuesday afternoon the doctor said he felt that she was well enough to go on home and rest there without the IV, and just as soon as the IV was out Brynn was back to her happy little self. This was a definite answer to our prayers.

I am thankful to have such a wonderful pediatrician that cares for Brynn. Dr. Lipscomb was very informative and helpful. He made Brynn feel very comfortable and protected the entire time. I thank God that he was there to care for her when she was so sick.

I praise God for the fact that he answered our prayers and helped Brynn recover so quickly.

I am thankful for the many, many friends and family members that called, sent a text, prayed for, and came by to make Brynn feel better and to check on her.

There is something else that I have been praying about lately. My prayer recently is that God would provide a way for me to be able to stay at home and care for Brynn. I feel like I need to be there for her during this time in her life as she is growing and learning new things. I want her to know that mommy is there for her. It breaks my heart when I am rushing out the door to go to school and she is pulling on my clothes and begging me not to go, or when she says things like, "mommy's too busy, she has to grade papers." I want to be there for Brynn whenever she needs me. I want to care for my child and not have to leave it up to somebody else during the day to care for her.

You know me, I couldn't help but to take these sweet little pictures of Brynn as she was at the hospital...and you know Brynn she definitely worked up a smile for the camera! Look at my "tired little tiger"...

Stay at Home Mom

2009-04-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

I get the pleasure of being a stay at home mom today! The babysitter called us and was sick so I thought it would be fun to blog our day.

We got to tell Daddy bye today and send him off to work.

Well, its not even 9:00 am and Brynn has managed to climb up on top of the entertainment center while I was loading the washing machine. What a monkey, she even managed to break off the knob that she was climbing up on. Looks like we are in for a very long and eventful day. Oh how sweet it is to have a precious 3 year old that is in everything.

10:00
Brynn's watching Barney and I got to braid her hair...how cute is that!

Lunch
We got to meet Daddy for Lunch at Chick-Fil-A and play for a while!

Then we went to get a few things from Wal-Mart but had to stop and watch the crazy bird inside the store that was pecking at a bag of bird seed helping himself to some food.

Next we were off to the pet store to get some new fish for the aquarium!

Then we washed the car...It was reallllllly dirty!

Finally we headed home to play outside for a while but Rocko rolled in the mud and Brynn was being a monkey again so mommy had to be mean and tell them both it was time to come in to clean up and take a nap. And yes, she is finally down for a nap at 3:15!

I am also keeping a "Mommy Your Mean" counter going today. Those seem to be Brynn's favorite words right now. We are really working on trying to get Brynn to be sweet to us so that we don't have to discipline her, but what can I say she is only 3. As my mom says, "It's just a phase". But anyway, we are still working on the being sweet to mommy stuff, but I thought it would be interesting to see how many times I was "being mean" today!

Mommy's Mean Counter: 14

Although it was very difficult at times today to see Brynn misbehaving or telling me that I was mean I wouldn't have traded today for anything. I very much enjoyed the time that I got to share with Brynn. She is a very sweet and loving little girl and I had to realize today that it really won't be like this for long. Her behavior is just a phase but even when she is treating me not so nicely I love her more than I ever thought was possible. She is a wonderful, precious gift from God that I am very thankful for. Being a stay at home mom for the day was a wonderful blessing that I wish I could have everyday. Brynn and I had an amazing day!

Time to Catch Up

2009-04-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

Ok...Well since the last post we have been a busy little family! Here is the breakdown of the many events that have taken place:

Thursday:
Lord's Supper Reenactment - Mark portrayed Jesus
FYI: our previous music leader @ FABC moved to Waples in Denison and the first Jesus backed out, so needless to say Sam called on Mark to do the job and he had to get his lines memorized in only a few short days. Of course Mark did a fantastic job and really helped to make Easter a special time for their church.
ALSO, A PICTURE FROM THE SERVICE MADE THE FRONT PAGE OF THE HERALD DEMOCRAT ON SUNDAY MORNING! CHECK IT OUT!

Friday:
After a long day of Easter activities at school we were all ready for some relaxing time at the lake. We meet up with Mark's family at Lake Texoma to go camping for the night and had a wonderful time. We ran around on the beach with the dogs, did some fishing, took many pictures, and even got to have a campfire and wonderful breakfast. It was just what we all needed after the long week. Brynn really liked sleeping on the "table bed" in the pop-up too. Camping is becoming one of her favorite things to do.

Saturday:
After coming home from the lake we had a great lunch at Kent's in Denison. Yummy! Then we were all so exhausted that we took naps from 4:30 - 9:30. We stayed up until about 1:30am after that because we couldn't get back to sleep.

Sunday:
This was a very fun filled day as well. Brynn woke up to find the goodies the Easter bunny had left for her, and then she put on her pretty Easter dress and we all went to church. Because of the rain the kids at church had to have the egg hunt in the fellowship hall. Poor Brynn came home with only 1 egg and then a half piece of another one. Then we were off to eat with my family in Gunter. Everyone was able to make it and we ate the best lunch I have ever had. My mom fixed a wonderful brisket that I need to get the recipe for. Best I have ever tasted! All the girls had fun playing together and breaking confetti eggs. After that we headed back to Mamu & Grandad's to find more goodies that the Easter bunny had left behind. Thank goodness the weather had cleared up enough for Brynn to go outside and find some eggs! She had a fantastic time looking around for the hidden eggs!

Decorating Eggs!

2009-04-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Everyone got to join in on the decorating of the Easter eggs at Mamu & Grandad's house! We had too much fun!

4 YEARS!

2009-03-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

March 26th was our 4th anniversary...take a look at memory lane!

Today

2009-03-21T13:19:00.001-07:00

3 years ago!

2009-03-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Brynn Avery Blevins
March 21, 2006
7 lbs. 6 oz.
21 1/2 in long
2:35 pm

Brynn's Chuck E Cheese Party

2009-03-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Brynn had the best time at her 3rd Birthday Party. Thank you all for coming and being such a special part of Brynn's life. She loves you all so much.

Vacation Flashback!

2009-03-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hopefully we can get a better beach shot this year.

Mission Accomplished

2009-03-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was so proud of Mark as he crossed the finish line at the Rock to Victory course this morning. It was somewhat of a redemption race from our previous try on the course in December. This time Mark came in over an hour faster than when we ran in the half marathon for the first time. He did amazing! I was cheering so loud for him at every point that I could! His finishing time was 1 hr. 55 min. 35 sec. He is so outstanding and has worked so hard.

Our Saturday Race

2009-03-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

It seems that we cannot get a weekend to run without some crazy weather conditions. This Saturday the family participated in the City of Allen's fun run and the wind was really strong. My dad and Laura are currently working at Bolin Elementary in Allen, and the run was held to support and raise money for the community and schools. As you can see, my dad was the drill instructor of the Bolin army as we walked 1 mile. Brynn received a ribbon for the 1 mile completition that she was very proud of. After completing the mile warm up Mark, Laura, and myself ran in the 5k run, 3.1 miles. Mark finished in 24 minutes and Laura and I came in at 27 minutes. Much to our surprise Laura and I came in 1st and 2nd place for the female 25-29 age division! We got these cute little trophies!

COWTOWN COMPLETED!

2009-03-01T06:27:00.001-08:00

Yesterday the 3 of us ran in the Fort Worth Cowtown Run! It was blistering cold but truly a very fun race to have been in! Laura and myself completed the 10K - 6.2 miles in just under 1 hr., and Mark really did a fantastic job in the half marathon - 13.1 miles by coming in just around or under 2hrs. We had so much fun but really froze standing dowtown in the 36 degree severly windy weather! Take a look at the pics!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T19:41:00.000-08:00

Mark spoiled his little valentine very much. She loves her Daddy more than anything!

We Miss You...

2009-02-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

I found this picture on an old memory card. Brynn misses her Kimo so very much. Wish we could see you soon.

Our Next Run!

2009-02-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

We will be running in the Fort Worth Cowtown Run on Feb. 28th:

Mark will be doing the half marathon - 13.1 miles

Myself and Laura will be doing the 10k - 6.6 miles or so

Not much to blog about lately...just got vacation on the mind!

2009-02-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

She's Gone Country!

2009-01-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

Look at those boots!

Brynn hasn't taken her pretty pink boots off since she got them from her very special friends Hannah and Haley!

Christmas 2008 Memories

2009-01-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful and blessed Christmas we all had. Christmas Eve was spent with my side of the family at Rob and Steph's, and then Christmas morning with Mark's side of the family. Then for a special lunch we all went to Granny's to eat a family dinner! It was very special and we made so many memories.

The Polar Express

2008-12-23T22:03:00.001-08:00

We went to Palestine, TX and took a train ride on the Polar Express. We were served hot chocolate and a treat by very energetic waiters, had our tickets punched, rode to the North Pole, and received a special christmas bell from Santa! When we were leaving the depot Brynn said, "Cool Action." So, this must have meant that it was pretty amazing!

Gingerbread Houses with PaPa

2008-12-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

What a fun time the girls had with PaPa and the icing!

Christmas Angel

2008-12-23T21:33:00.000-08:00

Brynn was an angel in the church Christmas performance! Look at how beautiful!

Girls Day Out!

2008-12-20T11:51:00.001-08:00

White Rock Marathon

2008-12-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

After a very long, windy, and hilly race we successfully completed our very first half marathon on Sunday morning. We went into the race with a goal of completing the 13.1 miles in 3 hours and we did just that. Our final time as we came into the finish line hand in hand was 2hrs. 53mins. and 58sec. It was an absolute unbelievable experience!

Gaylord Texan Ice!

2008-12-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

2nd Annual Holiday Lights Visit

2008-12-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday was the Blevins family 2nd annual viewing of the Grayson County Holiday Lights...and of course we rode in style with the Limo, and Brynn actually stayed awake for the entire drive this year!!!!

Christmas Parade

2008-12-06T17:31:00.001-08:00

This year was by far the best Sherman Christmas parade that I have seen, despite the frozen fingers and toes. But, Brynn made it all worth while when the parade was over and she looked at all of us and simply said, "well, that was good!"

Deck the Halls

2008-11-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

The Blevins household is all decked out for the Holiday season. The tree is up, the lights are on the house, and the stockings have been hung. We have even made a visit to see SANTA! This year Brynn went up to Santa all by herself and told him what she was hoping to get for Christmas.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2008-11-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

We are so thankful for our wonderful family!

Our Newest Addition

2008-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

Here is sweet little Murpy, our new dog. We are taking care of Murphy for some of our friends for a while. We love him so much. Murphy is the best dog, and he can do some pretty awesome tricks!

Halloween

2008-10-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

WONDER WOMAN...
The World is Waiting For You!

Arbuckle Wilderness

2008-10-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

Mamu's Surprise Birthday Party

2008-10-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

A Fun Filled Family Weekend

2008-10-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we find ourselves so wrapped up in so many tasks and duties that we find it hard to even enjoy the simple things in life. Mark and I decided that it was time for a short break away from so many of those things that were taking up so much of our time and energy. We decided that it was time for a chance to get away and enjoy watching Brynn laugh and smile and just be happy to be with her mommy and daddy. We took a much needed break and began by celebrating Mamu's birthday on Thursday night with a surprise party and a home cooked meal. Mamu enjoyed all of the fun fishing supply gifts that she got! Then Mark and I took off on Friday to spend some quality time with Brynn. We headed up to Oklahoma and made our way through the adventurous drive at Arbuckle Wilderness. I have never seen Brynn so happy and excited. I was so thankful to have gotten to spend the day with just her and Mark. It was really special and fun...except for the overly aggressive camel that almost took Brynn's hand off and then decided to eat the cup the food was in. Despite the camel, it was one of the most fun days that I have had. Then on Saturday, we went over to Whitesboro for the annual peanut festival. We had a blast walking around with some friends, eating popcorn and cotton candy and doing some shopping! IT WAS THE BEST WEEKEND...WE ALL HAD SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER!

The Great State Fair

2008-10-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

It is truly amazing how much there is to see and do at the State Fair. First we rode the DART train and Brynn thought that was pretty interesting, but she did not enjoy it when it was crowded. Once we arrived we stopped to see BIG TEX and Brynn kept saying, he is tall. Then we managed to sample many different fair foods, see many shows including the dogs and the pigs. Brynn loved the pig races and the 920 pound pig that came out. Brynn and I rode THE SWANS, but some how we ended up on the little duck instead of the pretty swan, but that was probably my favorite part of the entire day. After all of that and the many exhibits we stuck around for the illumination sensation light show. It was spectacular but scared Brynn a little bit. The flames that shot out were very hot and Brynn decided that she needed to put on her sunglasses so that it wouldn't hurt her eyes. It was a fantastic day. Brynn was a perfect angel and wanted to stay and see even more.

Future Bearcats

2008-10-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

It was an exciting Homecoming Football game Friday night. Everytime that we got a touchdown Brynn would get so excited about the band playing and get her pom poms and start cheering and clapping! She had so much fun at the game with her best buds!

Happy Birthday Leigh Leigh!

2008-10-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Leigh Ann's birthday on Friday before the football game. Brynn helped lead us all in singing Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to KATY!

2008-09-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we got together to celebrate another important birthday! Although Katy's real birthday is on October 6th we celebrated it a little early so that Steph and the girls could go down to the coast area to see Rob. Rob has gone down with his job to help with the hurricane relief efforts, and the last time that he was sent to help with one of these disasters he had to miss Katy's 1st birthday. Steph wanted to make sure that Rob didn't miss out again. Here are a few pictures of the birthday bash!

Another Lake Adventure!

2008-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Spent some time relaxing at Lake Texoma again this evening. Brynn jumped in the water, Mamu and Mark went fishing, and I relaxed and took some fun photos of it all. Check out the big catch! Brynn loved it!

15K Sherman Arts Fest Run

2008-09-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

SURPRISE!!!

2008-09-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Surprise Mark! Happy Birthday!

We threw Mark a surprise birthday party at his favorite restaurant, La Mesa, Friday night. He was so surprised and speechless! We had a great time, and we were so happy that everyone was able to come eat with us!

Philippians 4:13

2008-09-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

We successfully completed the 15k run in the arts fest this morning! It was such a challenge but we are both so happy to have completed this task and reach a huge goal that we had set for ourselves! It is so amazing to have run the entire way and see that finish line. We felt so many emotions, but we were determined to not give up and to complete the run. And that we did, hand in hand across the finish line! And much to our surprise we both won medals in our first ever 15k run. The results were as follows:

Running Time:
Lindsey: 1hr. 36min. 2sec.
Mark: 1hr. 36min. 3sec.

Overall age group placement:
Mark:
1st place (men's 25-29 age group)
Lindsey:
2nd place (women's 25-29 age group)

Overall Placement:
Lindsey: 41st
Mark: 42nd

(more pictures to come)

Preparing for the Sherman Arts Fest Run

2008-09-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

We have successfully made it up to running a little over 7 miles, but we are really going to challenge ourselves Saturday morning at the arts fest run and go for the 15K. That is about 9.3 miles. Hope that we can do it! It's going to be real tough.

Halfway to the Half Marathon!

2008-09-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Went out tonight for an hour long run that got us up to 6 1/2 miles! I can't believe the progress that has been made. We have made it to the halfway point and will now continue to head for a total of 13 miles.

Yippee!

2008-09-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

We ran 6 miles last night!!!! But, still feeling so tired today.

Making Progress

2008-09-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

We did a 5 mile run tonight for our half marathon training!

GO BEARCATS!

2008-08-29T16:54:00.001-07:00

Half Marathon Training

2008-08-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

We started our official half marathon training today. A good 4.5 mile run. We really pushed ourselves tonight and went about a mile farther than usual. It felt good to reach 1/3 of our overall goal! I guess I forgot to mention that we are running a half marathon (13 miles) in December!

Off to work I go...

2008-08-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

School is now back in session and I am already so worn out it is unbelievable. You forget how chaotic the first few days of school are. There are so many emotions that by the end of the week everyone is drained. Thank goodness we already have a holiday on Monday. I am ready for a break! I sure did get spoiled to sleeping in during the summer, not watching the clock every five minutes to make sure I wasn't missing anything, and I really enjoyed staying up late at night watching so many movies. It has been difficult to get back into that old routine and roll out of bed so early in the morning. I can't remember the last time that I woke up when it was still dark outside. Anyway, it has been a pretty good first few days of school.

Happy 1st Birthday Keelie!

2008-08-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a fun filled day at the Jordan house as we all celebrated Keelie's 1st Birthday. There were lots of toys to be opened, and big sister Katy helped out with those. Then we sang Happy Birthday and let Keelie play in her cake. After that, we were off to the pool for some more fun. It is always so much fun when everyone in the family gets together!

Keelie

2008-08-18T19:48:00.001-07:00

A Time For Change

2008-08-11T13:19:00.001-07:00

Although this was Brynn's second haircut I took it a little harder than I did the first time around. This time we cut off probably 4 inches. The ends were so thin that it was very difficult to even do anything to her hair. About all that could be done was pig tails, but that usually was a battle every time I tried to get them in. I admit, I cried a little because it was so hard to see that much hair cut off, especially since it took so long to grow it out. Although the pig tail days were adorable, Brynn looks very precious with her new little bob haircut! We think that this new haircut will help thicken up her hair and actually grow out better this time. Her daddy loves the cut and really thinks that it will be much easier to deal with in the mornings when he is trying to get her to the babysitters house!

Brynn's Haircut

2008-08-11T13:17:00.001-07:00

Best Buds

2008-08-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

Brynn and Kenzie playing in the bounce house together. They had so much fun!

I Love You

2008-07-28T10:31:00.001-07:00

Aladdin

2008-07-21T08:36:00.001-07:00

Sherman Theatricks presents Aladdin

2008-07-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

We took Brynn to see the Theatricks presentation of Aladdin a few days ago and it was amazing! The actors did a super job and really entertained us all. Brynn's favorite character, and ours as well, was the Genie. He was loud and funny and rode around on the magic carpet with Aladdin, which was very cool. Brynn took her picture with several of the actors and got their autographs!

Camping at Lake Texoma

2008-07-19T08:54:00.001-07:00

Lake Texoma

2008-07-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

We went out to the lake to visit Mamu and Grand-dad at there campsite. It was so relaxing and fun to just get away from it all for a few hours. Brynn loved every minute of camping. She jumped in the lake with all of her clothes on, helped cook out burgers and build a campfire, watched the sunset, and she even roasted some marshmallows! This summer has been such a fun time for Brynn and our family. Brynn is able to go and do everything. It has been such a blessing for me to get to stay home with Brynn this summer and to take her to do new and fun things. Check out the lake adventure!

Singing with Mamu

2008-07-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

Sweet, Little Prayers

2008-07-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Brynn came to me this morning and said, " I pray for you mommy. Watch me." Then she bowed her little head and closed her eyes and said, "God gives us food and God gives us mommy and daddy. Amen." It was the sweetest, most precious thing that I have ever seen. God is so wonderful! It is amazing how God can bless your life in so many ways. Brynn is such a blessing to our family, and her little prayer reminded me that I need to thank God everyday for all of the things that he has blessed us with.

Goats, Coyotes and Bears, OH MY!

2008-07-17T06:54:00.000-07:00