i'm still here!

it feels like it's been forever since i blogged, and well, i guess that's because it has been forever!  thanks to some really sweet christmas blessings, we were able to upgrade our technology.  and with an upgrade in technology has come a steep learning curve for me!  i'm definitely not as smart about these things as i once was!

so we have a new laptop (a macbook pro!), which means i am now using the old macbook and we have plans to use our old pc laptop for the boys.  just as we swapped things out, the old pc refuses to log onto the internet and with the holidays and getting back into school, we just have not had the time to address it.  so unfortunately a few pics that i would love to share here are being held hostage by the old pc.  it's probably mad because we are now a macbook family, ha!

and to further complicate things, i was able to upgrade my camera to a canon t2i dslr!  i'm totally excited and totally overwhelmed with all the things this camera can do.  so in between working full time over christmas break, getting everyone back into school and back on a schedule and being the all-around super-wife and -mom, i've not had a whole lot of time to figure things out.  i finally sat down with the camera and the manual for about an hour last week and learned what all the buttons mean!

i will say i am completely impressed with the upgrade in technology.  i would love to someday take professional looking (you know, because i'll never be a professional) pictures for families that just cannot afford to have that done the conventional way.


so other than the upgrade in techonology, here's what else we've been up to:


*we took a trip to abilene to meet up with 2 of my college roommates and their families (6 adults and 9 kids 8 and under!).  it was super fun to take the kids to our college campus and reminisce about our days there.   here are a couple of pics from john's phone (mine are being held hostage, remember?):

 these are the 6 oldest kids.  the 3 youngest were napping.  we had kids ages 8, 7, 6, three 5 year olds, 3, 2, and 1!

then came christmas with my family on christmas day and with john's family the day after.  here are a few of my favorite pics from that:

 then we rang in the new year with friends and back to school and routine we went.  it has been a smooth transition and we are all reminded of how helpful routines can be!

and just when you think the celebration is over, january 11 comes and we get to celebrate our anniversary.  this past tuesday i celebrated being married to this cute guy for 8 years!  i am reminded daily of his love for me.  i am truly blessed!  we celebrated our anniversary this year by leaving the boys with mimi and poppy and heading to downtown mckinney to check out their little antique shops.  we had such a great time and i am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a good gift in john!

so that's where we've been.  busy, busy little bees!  hopefully i will rule this new technology and it won't rule me and i'll be a more faithful blogger!


blessings,