Back to School

Well, Andres and I are back to school. He's reading now and completes a reading log weekly with Ann. Speaking of back to school, Ann is considering going back to college to get her teaching certificate! WOW! It would be so great to have summers off with her and the boys. I need to complete my dossier for level 3 licensure so I guess I'll hit the books once more...
My dad had knee replacement surgery January 12th and he is recovering well. He says he is 3/4 of an inch taller now! The new year is busy, busy already. I am glad to not be taking classes but I am dreading having to work on another thesis--my dossier. Hopefully it will be straightforward and simple though. Being president of the PTA is a lot more work than I had planned for but it is only until the fall. I have almost completed the drawings for our addition so we can jam on it this spring...the boys really need more space! So many plans for this year but the best is Ann getting ready to go back to school. I support her 100% and am so excited for her and our whole family! Andres is turning 6 on February 17th. And 6 years have FLOWN by...its another outer space/NASA party as he is still infatuated with all things space.

Best wishes to all. It's going to be a great year!
Marcie

End of Vacation/End of Year

Christmas in Texas

After our wonderful Thanksgiving vacation with my family in the Davis Mountains of Texas, Ann and I decided to go to the ranch for Christmas. The boys were so excited to see their cousins and Grandma and Gramp again just a few weeks after playing with them before.

A huge "thank you" to my Aunt Becky and Uncle Lucky for putting us up in their guest house. It was wonderful to play house and have a big 'ol 2 bedroom 2 bath home all to ourselves! The boys seemed to relax and enjoyed having their own space and Ann and I slept in a different room from the boys for the first time since they were born (5 1/2 years ago!). We realized the need for personal space not only for us but for the boys as well and our addition to our NM house will be our #1 priority this year! Andres and Cruz rode bikes and trikes and wiggle cars up and down Grandma and Gramp's driveway with Davis, Sammy and Kade; and Cruz wore out more than one pair of socks trying to stop using his feet. Andres wanted to move into Grandma's house and said it was the "best house ever". I think he felt cozy and loved there. I could post a ton of pictures but I won't. We had a peaceful, restful, reflective Christmas and though I really missed my parents and brothers and sisters who I haven't seen now in 2 YEARS... it was good to be back on the ranch and with the people who love me most. I don't want to start crying now but I love all you guys sooooooo much and you have no idea how much I miss you. It was so satisfying to watch my boys play in the same place I used to play as a child. WOW!

Camping in Black & White

I wanted to share a few of Ann's great black and white photos from our Thanksgiving camping trip. Isn't my girl talented?

Thanksgiving Camping At Davis Mtns

Camping at Davis Mountains near Big Bend was a great way to spend Thanksgiving. I had so much fun and we had plenty of time to talk, hike, read and play with the kids. The boys had a great time with their cousins Davis and Sam. I caught up with Amber (though we never stayed up late around the campfire--maybe next year!) and we generally had a wonderful time. Well, there was the "pig incident" in which a javelina pig stole a loaf of French bread from the rations box, but the wildlife was generally tame and the deer came right into the camp. I wish we could do this every year.................