The Cruz Family

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Just a few more of the Surprise Party

My sweethearts

Friends since they were two
(Katelyn and Emily)

Opening her gifts

Opening Owen's gift

Does she look happy or what???

I love her smile

More Birthday Photos

Picture frames the girls made

Such sweet friends

Table decorations

Balloons (forgot to turn this photo...sorry)

Cookie Cake (made my mom)

Friday, January 8, 2010

My daughter turns 11

My first cookie cake

(didn't turn out that great)

Hollywood was the theme

this is a retake of the SURPRISE
(I missed the first one and this doesn't
do the first one justice.)

Girls being silly showing off their craft

Katelyn was princess for the night

(wow her socks are dirty)

My sweet and beautiful girl turns 11 today. The time is flying so fast. She is getting so grown up and I see her pulling away from me in more and more ways. Today was the first day since she started school that I didn't go see her for lunch. She didn't want me to. To grown up for that. I acted like it didn't make me sad, but actually it really did. Things have been tight money wise for us lately and we had told Katelyn that she would not be able to have a party this year. She was very upset about it, but over the course of the last few weeks had come to grips with it. Well, Joe and I decided to give her a SURPRISE party about a week ago, and tonight was the night for it. She went to school kind of sad about not having a party and I told her we would take her where ever she wanted to go for dinner as long as it wasn't too expensive. She wasn't upset by this, but still would have rather had a party. It was so hard keeping the secret from her. I invited six of her close friends and all of them came. When Joe picked her up from swim team practice, he brought he back home to where she thought she was just going to get me, but instead walked into the house where we all yelled surprise. The look on her face was priceless. The surprise went off like clockwork and she had a great time.

Yes 11 years ago my daughter was born, I have been so blessed to have been able to stay at home with her and watch her grow. From her first step to the loss of her first tooth, to her first set of braces and lots of other firsts I can't recall right now, I have been blessed to watch her grow. Happy Birthday sweetheart, I love you so very much, you make me so proud to be your mom.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Happy New Year

Happy New Year...O.K. so I'm four days late, but the greeting is still one that I mean. It will be a happier new year for this family. I choose to make it one. We may not have all that we want but we are still blessed. We are healthy, happy and ready for the wondrous blessings God has in store for our family this year. New Year's Eve was spent for me away from family babysitting three sweet little loves. The chance to make an extra dollar or two was my incentive, and though Katelyn and Owen weren't all that happy that I wasn't going to be with them when the ball dropped, they soon got over it. Dad was home with them and that always makes things better in their eyes. I would have to agree with them. I love it when Joe is home too. We had a few days off together and oh how I enjoyed our time. New Years day was spend not doing much. We did some grocery shopping and then back home where the kids played outside. It wasn't the warmest, but better than in days past and they were itching to get outside. Joe and I took advantage of the alone time and watched a movie together. Owen has been at a friends house the last two days and I really miss him. He left yesterday around one in the afternoon to go to Six Flags with some friends of ours who bought him a season pass the week before Christmas. He was invited to spend the night which he was so excited about. It was his first time away for the night without having Katelyn with him. My baby is growing up so fast and I hate it. He got to go to Six Flags for the first time and I didn't get to see his face or his eyes as he rode the rides. It was hard at first and I have to admit I cried a little that day, but soon got over it and was filled with joy in knowing we have such good friends to do something so nice for one of our children. I picked him up today for a dentist apt. and was asked if he could come back over and spend the night again. Since we haven't got to do much during Christmas break I said yes. He could hardly wait to get the dentist apt. over and get back over to his friends. He has spent the whole day there and will sleep over again tonight. Tomorrow we will be back together. Joe said he missed his little buddy. Katelyn and I have enjoyed our time together. Shopping, playing the Wii and watching movies together. Girl time, it is great and I really enjoyed it. Yes, this year is going to be a good one. :-)

Monday, December 28, 2009

Christmas 2009

Snow on Christmas in TX...YEAH!!!

Christmas Eve snow Angel

times two :-)

Look at that smile

Could hardly wait to get this open

I haven't posted in so long I don't know where to start. I meant to get our summer vacation photos posted, the kids activities over the last few months, and so on, but with this year coming to a close I thought I would just post some of our latest adventure...Christmas.

Christmas this year was very humbling to me. With GM's announcement of bankruptcy earlier this year, things have been bad at Joe's work this year. Sales have slowed to a near halt, and business all over the dealership is down. We were forced to use some creative thinking this year. Thanks to the reward points from GM we were able to get the kids some things for Christmas. We were also blessed by a secret Santa who dropped gifts off to our house on Christmas Eve. Several friends gave us more love and support than we could have ever dreamed of. We know our God provides and boy did he ever. We are so blessed and so thankful for the ways he shows his love for us. The kids got us wonderful gifts from the holiday store at school, and they were so sweet to even think of each other. Katelyn got the Wii Fit, which she absolutely LOVES, and Owen got a Razor Spark Scooter. He and that scooter have not been apart except for times when he needs to use the bathroom, eat or sleep. To say he loves it would be an understatement.

Joe's brother sent us a wonderful DVD he made of pictures of their family. Many from his mom and dad when they were younger. Some Joe had never seen. What a precious gift. Yes, Christmas was a true blessing to us this year, Thank you to all who were the hands and feet of Jesus. God Bless you all.

Monday, September 14, 2009

First Day of School...four weeks later

Mrs. Schmitt 5th Grade

Katelyn on her first day of school

All smiles

Katelyn at her locker

Owen and Missy, 1st day of school

Owen at his locker

A "I hate this" smile

Giving me a dirty look

Mrs. Henderson's room

So it has been several weeks since I last posted. Did our lives just stop? No just the opposite... It has moved on and on faster than I can keep up with. I'm working this week to try to update all that has happened the last few months. Today I start with the first day of school. Aug. 24Th, 2009.

Katelyn entered fifth grade and gave us instruction not to enter her classroom while dropping her off. She was kind enough to let us at least walk her to her room. The picture I posted wasfrom me honoring her wishes and standing outside in the hall. My little girl has grown so much, it was sad to see her pulling away and seeking her own independence. My heart broke a little, but rejoiced much more in knowing that she is growing into a wonderful, confident person. The days since have not been so easy on her. She is still trying to find her place in fifth grade. The teachers are not as loving and caring in years past. Not that they are mean, but they are tough, and expect high standards. Katelyn is a good kid and a good student but things are much more formal this year. She joined the orchestra this year and is learning how to play the violin. I'm loving that. I look forward to each day she comes home and shows me something else she has learned. She is the student and the teacher. :)

Owen's first day of school was followed by his need to be just like his sister. He didn't want mom and dad to walk him into class. He was a big kid and could do it on his own. However, unlike Katelyn asking politely, Owen was not so nice about it so mom and dad both walked him into his class. He didn't like that much and so most of the pictures of him are ones with discuss in his face. He has a very sweet teacher and seems to really like her. They have a class turtle who's name is George. He got to feed George the first day of school. Since then he has had various jobs, his favorite was "paper-passer-outer". He has friends from last year in his class and is making new friends as well. First grade is well in swing and I'm looking forward to watching his mind grow.