First trip to the zoo this year turned out to be as exciting as ever!

Anna Kate was the first person to guess an animal on a show we were watching all together as a family this summer.  You know what the animal was – a Meerkat!  Anna Kate is one lucky girl to go to such an awesome preschool!  We love Mrs. Paula and her “always in teacher mode” attitude.  It’s incredible all that she has taught Anna Kate so far; we are so blessed and so thankful Anna Kate has such a loving, happy, and intelligent environment during this special time in her life! 

The baby elephant has arrived!

Wow!  I can almost hear him Roooo-aaaa-oooo-r!

What is that on his nose?  Eww!

I can’t believe Anna Kate got up this close to the tank!  It’s awesome Mrs. Paula takes and shares pictures every week for us parents to watch our kids learning too!  So awesome!  Anna Kate and I always go through the pictures, and she tells me all about what she learned or was interested in or how she felt in each picture!  She explains a lot and fills in the stories that some of the pictures can’t tell. 

“The mingos are making a heart!” says Rose when she sees this picture pop up on the computer!  Cool, Rose!  She can’t wait to go to Mrs. Paula’s and talks about it all the time!  “I go to Paula’s too, Mommy, OK?”  We tell her when she is potty-trained we will ask (and she has to be 3), but Rose just smiles and says, “Nah!”

Anna Kate and Conner… sweet buddies, sweet pic!

What a beautiful day!  Thank you, Mrs. Paula, for always sharing the beauty of Anna Kate’s preschool days with all of us!

The Bobcats got to play on the big college football field for their Stockshare Game this season.  When we drove up to the stadium, Noelle started screaming with delight that they were going to get to cheer on such a big field!

Noelle can touch her toes to her forehead and her tumbling coach said it’s a good stretch for her to do.  She’s crazy!  I can’t do that!  Can you?

Little sisters Sydney and Anna Kate with Big sissies Hannah and Noelle

First steps on the big field were so exciting for Noelle.  She’s such a little performer and couldn’t wait to get started!

Here are some of my friendsies: Aimme (Mason and Carson’s mom), Rebecca (Hannah and Sydney’s mom), and Amy and Kyle (Ava, Eden and Liv’s parents)

The girls were all fired up!

Cute cheerleaders right here!

Lacy, Sydney, Eden and Anna Kate colored their little hearts out together today!  When people ask Anna Kate if she’s going to cheer next, she always replies, “No way!  I’m going to be a soccer star!”  I love it… love it all!

Anna Kate is coming into her own!  She’s sassy, spirited and knows where she’s going!  She’s all about being a part of the family and having a blast!  Anytime we’re ready to go, she’s the first one in the car with a big smile on her face!  She LOVES life!  I draw my strength from her joy, energy, and spunk as we go about our days together.  I don’t even want to think about Kindergarten.  I need Anna Kate in my days!  Here are some spontaneous (adorable) pictures she asked me to take at the big (exciting) stadium last week while we were getting concessions before the game.

No words.  Simply adorable.  My girl.

One of Anna Kate’s favorite games is “Spot It.”  She’s really good at it too!  One of the symbols you have to yell out if you “spot it” on the card, is lips.  When she spotted lips for the first time, she yelled out, “Smoochy Kissy Lips!”  We all cracked up because she could’ve just yelled out “Lips!” so from then on, everyone in the family that gets the lips symbol on their card, calls out, “Smoochy Kissy Lips” because it’s so cute and fun!  When I saw this shirt on clearance at Target, I knew Anna Kate had to have it.  It matches her Cherry Bomb Converses perfectly!  We’ve had those Converses for years (I bought them on clearance at Nordstrom for Noelle, but she never wore them… not once), so I’m loving seeing Anna Kate enjoy a style that is different from her sister that I think is so totally cute (and I enjoy Noelle’s super awesome one of a kind diva style every day too, of course)!

Cutie Kate is as fun and alive as they get!  I thank God for her every single day!

When our country is in the middle of the scariest debt crisis of our history, all this mommy can do is focus on these three sweet little beauties!  I took international business in college as an upper-level elective (only class I took in the business school; I just wanted to be with Mike), and what’s going down in Washington right now, would’ve been so interesting to get a live commentary from our professor, Dr. Van Auken.  I wish I hadn’t received this education, because it is frightening to me.  There are so many moving parts to make this world go round; it is insanely more complicated than I can even comprehend now.  All that class did was teach me exactly that.  I envy those who are clueless on this subject because what can I do?  I’m a fixer, and all I can do is sit back and watch what happens.  Hopefully there will be a resolution/compromise today.  All eyes are on Washington, even this stay-at-home mom in Texas.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/us/warning-of-global-risk-leaders-urge-us-to-solve-its-debt-limit-crisis.html?hp&_r=0

*The littles weren’t in their full costumes because it was too hot!  Anna Kate is going to be her favorite Disney character for Halloween, and it’s not Belle.  Any guesses? 

Happy 8th Birthday, Emily!  We love you!

Julia and Anna Kate, Autumn, Jovie, Noelle, Emily and Brianna having fun at Camp 8 Rocks!

Best friends forever!

Sleeping bag race before arts and crafts and everything else under the moon my creative friend, Rachel (Emily’s mom), could think up!

Happy 8th Birthday, Emily!  You are so special to our family!  You’re like a 4th sister to our girls, and Noelle is so blessed to have you as one of her best friends in the whole wide world!  Way to grow, Emma-P! 

After the ramen and applesauce incident at lunch today (story on Instagram), I needed to end this day reflecting on Rose’s newborn goodness.  This precious, calm, peaceful bundle sure can make big messes these days, but after all is said and done, I love our beautiful mess!

I wasn’t feeling so great last Saturday, so Mike took the girlies to Noelle’s cheerleading game!  The Pond girls love their Daddy so much! 

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the girls are wearing pink bows and socks to support the cause, and the boys are wearing pink socks as well.  So cool!  A cold front moved in during the game.  Check out the sky!  The girls ended up freezing, but thankfully, I had packed Noelle leggings… and then strangely, the very next day (we had a Sunday game too), it was so warm they didn’t even need their undershirts!  Crazy Texas weather; you never know what you’re going to get!

Sweet Rose loves our new bigger picnic blanket!  I’ve searched for a bigger one that more kiddos can sit on for a long time and finally found the perfect one to do the job!  It’s super comfy too!

Noelle is still totally loving cheering with her friends for the Bobcat football team.  Her favorite thing is performing, of course!

I can’t believe Noelle is almost half-way through elementary school!  Time is flying by!  Mom and I put together this cute fall scene in our yard a couple of weekends ago.  We have enjoyed it so much!  Thanks for your help making us smile everyday, Mom!  You’re awesome!

What a beautiful bunch of lovely little girls with their Poppa and Rara!