Some of My Favorite Photos from the Holidays...

Small group Christmas get-together - playing "Taboo"

Hannah and Josh, wearing our Christmas hats

Daniel and Jenny, the "newlyweds," looking sweet and cuddly by the Christmas tree

Christmas Eve service at the New Braunfels campus

Kassia, helping Nonie read the newspaper on Christmas Eve morning

Kassia and Nonie

Kassia and Papa

Kassia reaching for one of Nonie's Christmas ornaments...(I just love how this one turned out!)

Mom's pretty table all set for Christmas dinner

Kassia and I with Nonie's Christmas decorations in the background

Our first "family" Christmas picture in front of our tree

Kassia, excited about opening presents

Jeff and Caleb, wearing their new hats we got them for Christmas

One last hug "goodbye" at the airport before Caleb had to fly back to Wyoming

Jeff, Kassia, and I - taken just before Jeff shaved his head because he had to report back to the Army that evening

Happy New Year, 2009!

I can't believe it's time for the beginning of yet another year! Time sure flies by quickly! I'm excited to see what 2009 has in store for the Ross family... We know for sure that it's going to be a year of significant birthdays for a few of us - Kassia will be turning 1, and I'll be turning the big 3-0... And, we're hoping to maybe do some traveling this year... But, what other surprises lie along the way? I know God has his perfect plans for each of us... So, let's step into them and see what amazing growth and changes will take place this year!

Welcome, 2009!

Happy New Year, everyone!

New Layout...

I guess it was about time for a new layout...one that'll last a few more months, through the winter...(and the theme and photos for this layout are more like the winter I'd like to have...not so much the winter that we'd see around here...although, I am hoping!) I know I'm terrible at posting to this blog... Maybe that'll be one of my New Year's resolutions...we'll see... Hope everyone's having a nice holiday season and enjoying getting ready for Christmas! I know I am!

Here's a sweet picture of my baby at her Noni's "Christmas house"... Enjoy!

"Monday...Mondaaaay..."

At home...

Doing laundry...

Washing dishes...

Eating lunch...

Paying bills...

Playing with my adorable daughter!

The "usual"...

This past weekend was really nice...busy, but nice... Saturday, Mom, Kassia, and I went to a couple of craft fairs, one of which I went to last year, and at that time, I happened to have a huge pregnant belly... It was kind of surreal walking around this year, pushing that very baby, who I hadn't even met yet, around in a stroller (that didn't roll so well in the dirt!)... Of course, I saw tons of things I wanted to buy to decorate the house for all the upcoming holidays...but, as "funds" are low, I didn't buy all three million of them... Instead, Mom blessed me with a cute little scarecrow guy I was really wanting...and he's now hanging out on my couch! I love fall! Next, we met Scott for lunch at Chili's...and had some delicious burgers! Then, Scott went to run some errands, and we visited another craft show, where I bought something to decorate Kassia's room...and picked up some wood-carvings of all our names to eventually paint in Christmas colors to decorate the bar area...(definitely a good idea, Mom! Can't wait to see how they turn out!)

Saturday afternoon, we headed over to X and E's adoption party...and boy, what a spread! Kelly and Ryan went ALL out! The decorations were awesome...there was tons of food...and everything was set up so nice in their backyard! There was a "bouncy castle" and a small ball pit for the kids to play in... And, there was even a "sno-cone" machine and a cotton candy machine! When the Newcom's say "party"...they mean it! Kassia had a blast in the ball pit! She and Morgan rolled around in there...put as many as balls they could get into their mouths...and just had fun! I'm glad the party was such a hit...and what a wonderful way to celebrate and make new memories for such a beautiful occasion!

We ended up going out to eat with Mom later that evening...and had some yummy steaks at the "Texas Roadhouse"...(you know, the place where they throw the peanut shells on the floor!) It was nice to just hang out and talk and enjoy each others' company!

Sunday, Scott wasn't feeling well...so Kassia and I did everything on our own... Church - a delicious lunch with Chris and Lynn (thanks again, guys!) - "Love and Respect" Bible study... We all just hung out and relaxed yesterday evening...a good way to prepare for the new week...

And, speaking of starting a new week - didn't I mention "doing laundry" somewhere up there? Yeah, I need to go switch over the loads... Back to work!

First Day of Fall...?

Is it really the first official day of fall? Really? I mean, it's like 90-something degrees outside! Where are the changing colors of leaves on the trees? Where's the cooler weather? You know, the kind that makes you want to put on your favorite pair of blue jeans and that really comfy long sleeve shirt or sweater that you haven't worn since last year... The kind that makes you crave soups and stews...and all things baked - cookies, cakes, and pies...YUM! I'm so ready for fall... Will the "real fall" please stand up? Here's what I'm used to:

Slideshow...

Here are some photos of the happenings in our lives over the past few months...

Including:

• a visit from our great friend (and brother!), Peter, who joined us for a short while at the end of July... It was so good to see him! And, we were glad he finally got to meet Kassia...
  having to say "goodbye" to Caleb, after enjoying a wonderful summer with him... He left to fly back to Wyoming at the end of July, and we really miss him so much... The time spent with him was precious!
• having to say "see you later" to my brother, Jeff, who went up to Dallas in the middle of August to enlist in the Army
• a visit from my cousin, Lisa, and her husband, Calvin, who came down to enjoy a few days off before having to start back with school and work in the fall
• trying out new recipes for cooking meals at home... I'm always on the lookout for new ideas, especially ones involving chicken, as that's Scott's favorite thing to eat! This blackberry chicken recipe was pretty good... I also have a recipe for apricot almond chicken that's delicious! By planning out these recipes and shopping for specific ingredients at the grocery store, we're saving quite a bit of money on our food bills... What a blessing...
• still trying to get our house situated...(I think it'll be an on-going thing for as long as we own it!) But, the yard is looking wonderful! Scott does an excellent job of edging and mowing and watering...making the yard gorgeous and green!

6 Months...2 Days...

My sweet baby is growing and growing! I can't believe she just passed her 6-month birthday this past Monday! She has her check-up next Wednesday...(it's postponed due to company coming in to town to visit and stay with us)...so I can't wait to see how much she's grown... Here are some photos I took of my "growing girl" on her "1/2 year" birthday:

What a Weekend!

We were going non-stop from Friday evening until 8pm yesterday night! We went over to my parents' house to eat dinner and have cake and ice cream for Caleb's birthday... Even though it was just a small party with his family, I think Caleb really enjoyed it... He had a HUGE piece of cake that Mom baked for him...and the homemade peach ice cream that Dad made was a big hit, too!

Birthday cake...("Wall-E")

Caleb, caught drinking the rest of his homemade peach ice cream

Saturday, we all spent the entire day at Fiesta Texas...sweating...out in the almost-unbearable 100+ degree heat...and had an absolute blast! The day was made much more "bearable" by taking a dip in the wave pool...by drinking large amounts of frozen lemonade...and by finding shade wherever possible... It really was a lot of fun, though... And, Caleb, now measuring 43" tall, was able to actually ride several of the "big people" rides there...including his very first roller coaster...after which, he said, quite loudly while laughing: "That wasn't fun! That was almost scary!" The guys in the seat in front of him couldn't stop laughing, either... We spent nearly 12 hours there at the park, and we were all exhausted by the time we left... But, I'm sure glad we got to spend that time with Caleb and make some great memories!

The "kids" getting their pictures taken with Bugs Bunny at Fiesta Texas

Kassia was so tired, she fell asleep, holding her cup in her mouth! Sweet baby...

Sunday, after church, we headed back over to my parents' house to have a large "lupper" with everyone, including my cousin and a friend of his that were visiting from out of town...and a friend of my brother's, who came in for the weekend to hang out with Caleb... You just can't beat a Southern-fried meal prepared by Mom: chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, homemade biscuits, cream gravy, and fried okra! YUM! After eating and helping to clean up, Mom and Dad watched Kassia while Scott and I went to see "The Dark Knight"...and the movie was awesome! I was thoroughly impressed...especially by Heath Ledger's performance... Christian Bale looks as good as ever...(he's been one of my absolute faves since I was about 10 years old! I need to make a shirt that says something like: "I loved Christian Bale before it was cool...") Yep, I would definitely recommend going to see the new Batman movie...just make sure you have plenty of time blocked off as it's a pretty long movie...(with all the previews and everything...it went about 3 hours) We went back to pick up Kassia and spend a little time with my family and then headed home...

And, today...Monday...has been really hard to get started... After such a busy weekend, I'm SO unmotivated to do anything... But, unfortunately, I'm going to have to force myself to get up and get cleaning, because we have a small group meeting at our house this evening! ACK... Ah well... The house needs to be cleaned anyway... I just need to go do it...

And, I'm still sitting here...

And, typing...

And, trying to do anything BUT clean...

Alright...I'm really going now...









Really... :)

Friday Again Already?!

I can't believe it's already Friday again...meaning it's been a whole (busy) week since I last wrote... Here's a re-cap from the last week:

Friday:
- Went to dinner with my family and some out-of-town relatives at Chuy's

Saturday:
- Finished cleaning in the morning
- Went over to my parents' house to help set up for the pool party
- Enjoyed a fun day of hanging out with the Hyde family (my dad's side) and swimming, playing, and eating














Sunday:
- Returned to my parents' house to eat a very large and tasty breakfast with everyone...(thanks, Mom!)
- Spent the day relaxing and swimming some more
- Had some delicious spaghetti for dinner...(thanks, Dad!)

Monday:
- Met up with my family and the last of the remaining relatives at IHOP for breafast
- Stayed home for the remainder of the day and did absolutely nothing...but rest... (Kassia slept...and slept...and slept...)

Tuesday:
- Hung out with Mom and Caleb at the pool at her gym... Kassia loved all the noise and splashing and kids playing...

Wednesday:
- Had lunch with Barb and Morgan at Papouli's...yum!
- Ran some errands
- Enjoyed having our small group meet at our house, where we all pitched in and fixed fajitas for dinner...then, played "Catch Phrase"

Thursday:
- Ran errands
- Had lunch with Connie
- Ran some more errands...(which included finally mailing out most of Kassia's birth announcements...)
- Spent the evening with Kassia and Scott

Friday (today):
- Got up extremely early...(Kassia didn't want to go back to sleep after her feeding)
- Watched some TV
- Ate some oatmeal and drank some OJ
- Updated my blog...
- Am getting ready to leave to do some shopping here in a little while... I need to find a birthday present for Caleb - we're celebrating his birthday this evening with a small party, and then heading out tomorrow for a full-day's worth of fun at Fiesta Texas...

Well, I guess that about catches ya'll up! I'll try and write again soon...

"Celebrate America" Sunday...

We went to church with my parents and Caleb yesterday morning, and the theme for the day was "Celebrate America" for the "4th of July"... They had a really neat video presentation, honoring all military personnel and veterans, where they showed clips from various wars and played the songs representing each branch... Then, they "presented the colors" and brought in the American flag...we said "The Pledge of Allegiance"...and then, listened to an all-male choir sing "The National Anthem"... It was astounding... It was also wonderful getting to see so many different men and women in their uniforms...even retirees were asked to come in wearing them... There was an entire Army unit taking up two to three rows as well that was there visiting for the day... But, the best part of the service was getting to see my dad, in his flight suit, serving communion... What a blessing that was to my heart! That flight suit kind of IS my dad...the way I remember him from my childhood... And, to see him wearing it once more...and combining that with him serving the "elements" to fellow believers...was just awesome! I was raised in a very moral home, but not a Christian one... My parents started going to church when I was a sophomore in high school...and not too long after that, I noticed a considerable change in my father...a change for the better...as he dedicated his life to Jesus... And, he's been growing in the knowledge of the Lord ever since... I was so proud, watching him serve communion yesterday...and so glad that he knows the God of the Universe...

I love you, Daddy...

Kassia and Papa, in his flight suit

No. 100...

Has it really taken this long to get to my 100th post?! I really need to be better about blogging more often...(and, in order for that to happen, my life will have to get a lot more interesting...fast...so I'll actually have things to write about! I'll let you know how that works out...)

So, our "4th" was really great! We so enjoyed hanging out with our friends, James and Ashley, and their kids and friends for breakfast yesterday... The waffles were delicious! (and so was everything else that was served!) We hadn't seen them in months... The last time we'd seen Ashley, she was coming over to see the baby right after she was born... And, James just met Kassia for the first time yesterday... It was really good to see them and do some much-needed catching up!

Then, we were off to my parents' house for some oh-so-tasty Bar-B-Q that my dad had been working on for hours! We ate ribs and chicken...had baked beans...and corn on the cob... And, watched Caleb wear himself out, playing in the pool... Kassia played and played, too, keeping herself busy by watching the fan in my parents' living room...and by playing on the floor mat play-center my parents bought for her... Everyone took naps in the afternoon and just relaxed... And, after naptime, it was "homemade-ice-cream" time...YUM! Dad fixed some homemade strawberry ice cream...and we all ate at least two bowls or more! It was a really nice time, just hanging out with my family...

Yesterday evening, after we got home, we gave Kassia a bath and then watched a movie together before heading to bed... All in all - a great 4th of July!

Left: the whole "gang" at the Collins' house for breakfast, Right: James, Ashley, and Ellie - the hosts for the annual "4th Breakfast"

Caleb, playing in the pool with his new scuba mask

Kassia, having fun playing with Nonie and Papa

Our first 4th of July!

Happy 4th!

We're up early this morning...getting ready to head over to have breakfast with some friends at their annual "4th of July Breakfast Get-Together"... Homemade giant Belgian waffles - YUM! Then, later this afternoon, we'll be Bar-B-Q-ing with my family and hanging out by the pool...(that is, if it isn't raining) Should be some fun times!

Just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Independence Day! And, special thanks to those who have served or are serving in our country's military to protect and preserve our freedoms! Happy 4th!

Whirlwind...

Life just seems to be speeding by...with no hopes of it slowing down anytime soon... It seems that most days I'm barely keeping up, if not falling behind...and on days when I'm actually feeling motivated and energized enough to accomplish a few things, the "feeling" is only there for a short time before quickly fading away, and then I'm back to where I started - exhausted, unorganized, frustrated, and ready for a nap! I'm hoping to get a better schedule set up soon... And, I've started going back to the gym in the early mornings a couple times a week (when I get enough sleep the night before to allow me to do that), so hopefully, that will help, too... And, as we're expecting visitors in less than two weeks, I'll be working on the house in a hurry to get it ready...so it'll be nice to finally have the house in order...and I think that'll help my state of mind as well...

Here are some photos from the past month:

Kassia, chillin' in her sunglasses at the hotel pool in Dallas

The knights of Medieval Times (we cheered for the Red Knight, there in front)

At my cousin, Scott's, high school graduation (from left to right: Jeff - friend, my Aunt Belinda, Calvin - her son-in-law, Scott - her son and the graduate, Kim - daughter, and Lisa - daughter)

Kassia and Daddy on their first Father's Day

Caleb, standing in front of a waterfall on the Riverwalk, the day we took the River Cruise (he loved all the ducks!)

Kassia, eating her toes! One of the first times I caught her doing it... It's amazing to be that flexible, huh?