the spivey story

jump

2012-02-08T08:24:00.007-06:00

National Champions

2012-02-07T08:01:00.005-06:00

SCA competed at Cheer America Nationals this past weekend. Team "Honor" won first place and the National Championship title.

Josie was blessed to have Granny, PaPa, and Aunt Lizzie come to watch her compete.

Photo Credit: Courtney Rector Photography

You know you're getting older when...

2012-01-24T18:33:00.004-06:00

getting a new washing machine is the highlight of your week.

you go next door to admire your friend's new refrigerator.

all you wanted for your birthday was a clean house (but you didn't get it).

you just want to come home from school and knit.

Watch Out, We Rock!

2012-01-18T17:06:00.004-06:00

Nationals are coming up for our SCA teams, and they are looking great!

They had an awesome show-off for friends and family last week.

Can't wait to see them compete!

Christmas...yes I know it's been a month!

2012-01-15T08:47:00.004-06:00

We traveled to the Texas Panhandle and the Hill Country over Christmas, spreading good will and germs everywhere.

What a blessing to be able to spend the holidays with our family!

Christmas Around the World

2011-12-26T21:16:00.004-06:00

Jake's and the rest of the 1st graders presented Christmas Around the World. His class represented the United States so he got to be a reindeer. He was a fabulous Dasher!

Thanksgiving Hunting

2011-12-26T21:13:00.002-06:00

Josie's First Deer

2011-11-26T09:21:00.003-06:00

Josie got her first deer this past week.

I love the pink shoelaces with the camo!

She had the special treat of having PaPa take her hunting.

What an amazing memory to have with him! Thanks PaPa!

More Old Pictures

2011-11-15T21:02:00.003-06:00

This summer, I began scanning some of the old pictures that are at my Mama's house. There are just so many that I have just barely gotten started. It is so much fun to look at them and hear stories about family, many of whom I did not get to meet. If any of you see that I've made mistakes in telling who is in each picture or when it was, let me know.

This was my great uncle Bob. I'm guessing that it was taken sometime in the 1920's. Nonnie, my grandmother, says that she sometimes sees Bob (her brother) in Jake.

I love this wheat picture. It must have been quite a crop. Just look at how tall it was. The child in the picture is my grandmother, so it would have been in the 1920's also.

This picture is Nonnie's Aunt Edna with her kids. I love the bonnet and the car!

This is Nonnie and Bob with their cousin Doris.

The man on the right is my great grandfather. "1908?" was written on the back of the picture, so I'm not sure if that is the correct year or not. This would have been in the early days of Happy. There are postcards and letters that he wrote to his family in Arkansas during this time period, and they are so much fun to read.

Thankful

2011-11-13T19:31:00.003-06:00

Thankful tonight for so many things, but especially a legacy of love,

of service,

and of family.

Love these old family pictures! Thankful for how far we've come and all who have gone before.

Jake's First Deer

2011-10-30T18:38:00.004-05:00

This weekend was full of celebrations! Jake turned 7, and he got his first deer during youth hunting weekend.

Happy Birthday Jake Hunter!

Red Ribbon Week

2011-10-29T21:36:00.003-05:00

Twin day...

Book Character Dress-Up Day...

and to think I got a college degree for this!

Field Trip

2011-10-29T16:02:00.002-05:00

Jake's class went on a field trip to The Oil Ranch this week.

Aside from a short rain shower that left us soaking wet, we had a great time!

Cheer Season Begins!

2011-10-23T10:01:00.003-05:00

We had a great start to our 2011-2012 cheer season. Team Honor came home with 1st place! All of our SCA squads did an awesome job.

October

2011-10-08T08:53:00.001-05:00

My baby turns 7 this month. How is this possible?

This face!

2011-10-06T17:40:00.001-05:00

SCA Day

2011-09-26T21:36:00.004-05:00

Saturday marked the beginning of our cheer season with a parent showcase.

This is kind of a dress rehearsal and a chance for parents and friends to see all the squads from our gym.

Can't wait to see them perform at competitions!

Writing Activity

2011-09-19T21:20:00.002-05:00

We are loving the Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems. Our library just got some new ones, and I snatched them up so my kids could read them first.

They are so simple and yet the kids love to read them.

During our writing time today, we did our own graphic writing.

Here's my attempt.

Here's one of my students' work.

Weekend Pics

2011-09-18T22:37:00.002-05:00

Josie turned 10 in August, and this weekend we took some pictures to commemorate her 10th birthday.

Here's our green-eyed beauty.

Time really flies! It's so hard to believe she is so grown up.

Back to School...again!

2011-09-12T18:40:00.005-05:00

Today we went back to school after 9 days off.

We still had lots of kids absent as many of our families (students and staff) are still displaced.

Every student wrote letters and drew pictures for the firefighters, law enforcement and volunteers who have made such a difference in our community.

I love seeing kids' work and hearing their words.

Their insight often amazes me.

progress

2011-09-10T22:26:00.004-05:00

Today was a good day...no big plumes of smoke over our heads. The smoke was still in the air, but not billowing black clouds. Many evacuated areas are being opened back up for people to return home.

I took this information from Facebook. It gives an idea of how much "firepower" it is taking to get the fires contained.

This is what was up in the air today: The 11,000 gallon DC-10 Air Tanker supported the firefighting resources again today. Total Aircraft resources on the fire include: 4 Single Engine Air tankers (SEATS), 4 Black Hawk Helicopters, 1 Type One Helitanker, one DC-10 Air Tanker, 1 Type Two Helicopter, and 1 Type Three Helicopter. And the California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 was deployed this morning.

It was a good day--maybe I'll unpack my car tomorrow!

Fire Images

2011-09-10T10:38:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a scary day for us. We have been out of school all week because of the unpredictable wildfires in Montgomery, Grimes and Waller Counties.

We have been fortunate that our neighborhood has not been threatened or evacuated, but so many people have not been so lucky.

Every morning, we wake up to a fairly calm situation, and every afternoon, the winds kick up and things change rapidly.

Yesterday, parts of Magnolia city limited were evacuated, and we packed up my car just in case. Thankfully we did not have to leave.

Wildfires

2011-09-10T10:37:00.002-05:00

Birthday Girl

2011-08-25T21:20:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to my precious girl!

You've been a blessing to us for the past 10 years.

You're growing up to be a beautiful young lady,

and we are so proud of you!

I'm a week late in this post, but when you have an August birthday and your mom is a teacher, you get used to getting the shaft.

Fall Pinterest

2011-08-25T17:54:00.004-05:00

From craftaholicsanonymous.net

From urbandaisies.blogspot.com

From bhg.com

I am loving these ideas for fall and Halloween from Pinterest.

Classroom Pics

2011-08-24T21:04:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited about my new rain gutter bookshelves! They were really easy to put up, even on a cinder block wall. I hung them by myself in about an hour. I bought two 10 foot pieces of gutter which cost around $12. Then Cody helped me cut the pieces into four 5-foot pieces. I used 2 end caps and 3 brackets for each section. I don't remember how much the end caps and brackets cost, but I think they were more than the actual gutter.

You can go here to see the tutorial. I'm trying to figure out where I could put some in my house!

Back to School...Take Two

2011-08-24T20:48:00.003-05:00

First Day of School (only 1 day late)

We've all had successful first 2 days of school. So glad that it's only a 4 day week; I'm tired already.

Back to School

2011-08-24T18:56:00.001-05:00

More of Hawaii

2011-08-13T07:56:00.001-05:00

Hawaii Part 2

2011-08-11T20:19:00.004-05:00

Here's two more pictures from our trip. I've tried to upload more, but our internet is on the blink, and I haven't had time to call to get it fixed.

Aloha - part 1

2011-08-10T21:48:00.002-05:00

Two words for the helicopter ride--never again!

Cheer Camp

2011-08-10T21:39:00.000-05:00

I am Enjoying Summer!

2011-08-02T09:54:00.002-05:00

Check out the I am blog. My picture was posted! I was busy at cheer camp so I didn't blog the day it was posted. My internet and I are having a war, so as soon as I win, I will post cheer camp pics!

Firework-Free 4th of July

2011-07-23T14:26:00.006-05:00

What do you do when there can't be any fireworks on the 4th of July? Pray for rain...and still have lots of fun!

You decorate water bottles and shoot them off using pvc pipe and an air compressor.

You fly kites,

paint faces,

and spray paint your hair.

Then you talk your grandmother into letting you spray paint her hair too!

Photo Shoot Fun

2011-07-21T19:24:00.005-05:00

Playing around with the camera at Granny's and PaPa's house...all the kids got in on the fun!

Kitty Kazoo

2011-07-21T19:21:00.001-05:00

Meet Kitty Kazoo. She's the newest member of our family.

Actually I have no idea if this is our cat or one of her siblings, but since I can't tell them apart, I guess it doesn't really matter.

iphone photos

2011-07-14T12:41:00.006-05:00

Pioneer Woman's photo challenge this week is photos taken with your phone. I am having a hard time deciding which picture to enter. Any votes?

These were all taken on my iphone and then "square-ified" with Instagram.

Conversation With a 9-Year-Old

2011-06-28T09:11:00.002-05:00

Josie: "Hey, Mom. You know Sally's* mom?"

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Me: "Yes."

Josie: "When she wears make-up, she looks like totally young."

Me: "Oh really?"

Josie: "But when she comes to school and doesn't wear any makeup, she looks like your age..." pause "...old."

Me: No response. I think my daughter said it all.

Remember this?

2011-06-26T22:07:00.005-05:00

I was organizing my picture files tonight and saw this picture from when Jake was a year old.

Time really does fly!

Looking Out My Backdoor...

2011-06-26T13:12:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite things about summer is gardening. Unfortunately I have learned that my small flowerbeds are not great for vegetable gardening. Jake talked me into planting corn in our biggest, but not necessarily big enough for corn, bed. Between the weather and the dog that keeps digging stuff up, we managed to grow 3 corn stalks. I figured that they wouldn't actually ever make corn since I've always heard you need several rows for it to pollinate.

Well apparently I was wrong. If this silk is any indication, we might actually get a few ears of corn.

Zinnias are one of my favorite flowers, probably because they are easy to grow. The kids and I grew these from seeds.

The fact that butterflies are attracted to them is just an added bonus. Maybe the butterflies helped our corn along.

I'm trying to learn to use the manual controls on my camera, so I've been taking pictures of all sorts of things trying out different settings.

Overheard

2011-06-24T12:19:00.002-05:00

Jake had a friend over today, and I smiled when I happened to hear this comment.

"You know, I can use a butter knife now."

Apparently this is a milestone when you are six.

A Picture of My Dad

2011-06-17T20:24:00.002-05:00

I found this picture of my Daddy and me from a LONG time ago. I'm not sure how old I was, but I remember this day vividly. It was the 3rd Saturday in August...I know this because the Happy Days Celebration still takes place on the same weekend. They still have a parade and barbecue in the park. This particular year, my dad agreed to let me walk this "hay ring" down Main Street for the parade. I believe we were the official advertisement for R&S Drills and Equipment that day.

I had practiced lots of different tricks in the grass in our yard, but I remember being too chicken to do any of them on the actual road. I think that one of my Mama's trees lost its life to the practice sessions. Sorry Mama! I'm thinking that if my dad were still here, my kids would love to have some hay ring adventures!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-17T19:53:00.007-05:00

Happy Father's Day to the best dad in the whole world! Our kids are blessed to call you their Daddy!

Happy Father's Day to the best PaPa in the whole world!

God has truly blessed us!

Great Wolf

2011-06-12T22:27:00.002-05:00

We took a quick trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine last week.

I didn't get very many pictures, and none of them turned out too good.

Josie ended up with a bit of a shiner when her tube turned over when she and Daddy were coming down a slide.

We had lots of fun getting to spend some playtime as a family.

Summer Instagram

2011-06-03T15:24:00.005-05:00

We spent a few days this week at Granny's and PaPa's house. Cody had to work in the area, and the kids and I went along for the ride.

The kids had a ball playing in the water,

and I had a ball watching Cody catch fish when he wasn't working.

With the help of this stinky stuff, he pulled in a mess of catfish.

And even though his hands will probably stink through the weekend, it will be worth it when we eat them.

School's Out

2011-05-29T14:58:00.004-05:00

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of end-of-the-year activities.

We watched the 4th grade play, "The Texans."

Josie was an oil driller.

Josie received her end-of-year awards.

These two cuties performed in the school-wide Talent Show.

Jake played his final soccer game.

And now we get to relax because summer is here!

Kindergarten Promotion

2011-05-21T13:40:00.003-05:00

Monday was Jake's Kindergarten Promotion program. Four more school days and he will officially be finished with Kindergarten!

Family Blessings

2011-05-15T20:48:00.003-05:00

The past two weekends, Jake has been blessed with a cheering section at his soccer games. Thanks Granny and PaPa and Uncle Toby and Aunt Lizzie and Gamma for coming to watch him.

Our Weekend

2011-05-10T21:23:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure how to tie these pictures together except to say that they are all from our very fun, very full weekend.

It's amazing what you can get out of gum ball machines. Now they have everything from gum to teeth. Somehow that doesn't seem quite right.

Saturday included a wine tasting and a flashback to college days of playing 42 and eating Tijuana Fries.

I think I have developed an addiction to Instagram. I still think it is the square pictures.

3x5 Folded Card

2011-05-08T21:51:00.004-05:00

Classic Collage 3x5 folded card

Send custom cards from Shutterfly for St. Patrick's Day.

View the entire collection of cards.

I love shutterfly! I had a coupon for 50 free prints, so I ordered some pictures for my students to do an end-of-year project. I noticed that shipping was free if I spent $30, so I ordered some blank notecards with a few of my favorite pictures. After I checked out, it gave me the option to embed my notecards in my blog to get $10 off my next order. Sounds good to me!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2011-05-01T09:11:00.002-05:00

We went to MinuteMaid Park last night to watch the Astros take on the Brewers. We had great seats right behind the dugout.

He is Risen!

2011-04-27T18:29:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend celebrating Resurrection Day!

Random

2011-04-20T18:50:00.004-05:00

This is a very random post, filled with totally unrelated pictures...lately that's how I roll.

I don't know what to call it, but I love this! We went on a road trip Saturday and drove through Carmine. If you ever drive through there, stop at Texas Trash and Treasures.

A few weeks ago, Jake talked me into ordering caterpillars. He was sweet and decided he would let me take them to school so my students could also see the transformation. Today most of our butterflies emerged! I don't know who was more excited....Jake, my students, or the two adults in the classroom.

Jake is enjoying soccer. This past Saturday, he only stopped for a drink once while play was still going.

This little guy was in the backyard hanging out on my cannas. Surprisingly he just sat there and let me take his picture.

This picture is a couple of months old, but I just discovered it in my phone and realized I never posted Jake's first lost tooth.

My Week Monday

2011-04-11T17:05:00.005-05:00

This past week is a little bit of a blur, but here is a bit of it documented using my iPhone and Instagram.

This old barn, with its weathered wood made me wish for home.

When I looked at Jake, all dressed up for his first soccer game, I wondered where the time has gone.

Josie's vending machine mustache just made me laugh.

My students laughed and smiled almost all day long when we were on our field trip to the fair.

Our irises are beginning to bloom in the backyard, making me wish I could stay home from work and dig in the dirt all day.

Conversation Overheard in the Car

2011-04-08T16:00:00.002-05:00

Jake: "What is that Josie?"

Josie: "Something you can have if you smile, and are kind, and nice, and sweet, and helpful, and...." the list went on and on.

Jake (interrupting): "Forget it, I can't do all that at once."

Quotable

2011-04-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

This morning...

Me: "Jake, it's time to get up."

Jake: "I can't."

Me: "Why?"

Jake: "I have to rest for my soccer game today."

Me: "You're going to stay in bed until 6:30 tonight?"

...not to mention it's just a practice not a game.

Spring Fever

2011-04-04T20:56:00.006-05:00

Spring fever has hit! We are counting the days until school lets out for summer -- too many to say out loud yet, but we're getting closer. The tree pollen is still bad here, so maybe our spring fever is really a bad case of hay fever.

I am not going to call these bluebonnet pictures since the flowers are a little scarce around here. We haven't gotten rain at the right times for the wildflowers to thrive.

We did find a few of them though. More cute pictures to come!

A Note From Jake

2011-04-03T20:44:00.003-05:00

Dear Mom

I Love You for What You Did For Me

Love, Jake

I'm not thinking about the fact that he wrote this note when he was supposed to be going to sleep. I am just going to focus on the sweet message not the valiant time-wasting efforts.

Instagram

2011-03-30T19:15:00.007-05:00

After seeing this post from Pioneer Woman, I downloaded the Instagram app.

I have had lots of fun playing with it. It somehow makes so-so cell phone pictures look better.

When I showed it to Cody, though, he looked at me like I was a little crazy. Possibly it is not quite as amazing as I think; I don't get out much.

But it was free!

You can crop and edit pictures taken on your phone. There are several fun "edits" to change the look of your pics.

My 2 favorite parts: I love square pictures. I'm not sure why, but for some reason they make me happy. Maybe it's because they remind me of the old polaroid snapshots I used to take as a kid.

My other favorite part? One of the filters is called 1977, and that was a good year. The only problem is that I don't actually remember which of these pictures has the 1977 filter on it.

sad days

2011-03-23T21:18:00.002-05:00

Magnolia ISD Workers Get Layoff Notices: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Engagement Pics

2011-03-20T10:47:00.005-05:00

I had the chance to take engagement pictures for this cute couple. They were so fun to hang out with. Thanks for making the trip!

There were so many good ones to choose from. These are just a few of my favorites.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-03-07T17:51:00.016-06:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

36 pictures . . . 36 birthdays . . . a million reasons why we love Daddy!

NCA Video Day 1

2011-03-01T16:58:00.002-06:00

NCA Nationals

2011-02-27T21:08:00.003-06:00

We spent the weekend in Dallas watching this amazing group of young ladies. They ended their season today by winning 2nd place in their division!

We are so proud of them--especially since they weren't even expected to compete at Nationals this year.

Andrew Peterson - Dancing In The Mine Fields

2011-02-20T10:58:00.001-06:00

I just had to share this song and video.

Sitting in My Pajamas Day 2

2011-02-20T10:38:00.002-06:00

For the second day in a row, I am still in my pajamas (haven't even officially gotten out of bed) at 10:30 am. I'm pretty sure this has not happened in years--at least not 2 days in a row. Jake and Cody are gone to Granny's and PaPa's. They made deer sausage yesterday, and Cody had to do some work at a couple of golf courses in the Hill Country. Josie and I stayed home because she had cheer practice on Friday evening and a birthday party sleepover last night. I haven't really accomplished a single constructive thing, but I have read 2 good books and gotten a lot of sleep. What a blessing! Next weekend, we are off to Dallas for Josie's final cheer meet of the season. It's hard to believe that February is now almost over!

Nine-Year-Old Recaps The Bible

2011-02-13T09:59:00.001-06:00

This boy is amazing!

Parent Show

2011-02-12T08:36:00.002-06:00

We had lots of fun watching Josie's team perform last night. All of the girls did a great job and looked like they were having so much fun. Our sweet friend, Mrs. Anderson came to watch the show with us and even brought Josie flowers. We are so blessed to have friends who love our kids too!

Video courtesy of Jake--hopefully the camera movement won't make you sick. Maybe you'll even be able to pick her out of the group.

Josie is trying to decide now whether to continue with Spinners next year. It is a huge time commitment, so she is weighing her options carefully.

The Spivey Story 2010

2011-01-23T22:10:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Christmas in Burnet

2011-01-17T16:28:00.002-06:00

The boys got a big surprise this year for Christmas--they all got a new gun. Apparently you can never have too many.

While we were taking pictures, the kids decided they didn't want to be left out. Without saying anything, they all three went and got a bb gun to hold.

Lizzie and Toby

Josie and Samantha in their new matching pajamas.

Toby and PaPa

Christmas in Happy

2011-01-02T18:28:00.005-06:00

We made a whirlwind trip across Texas before Christmas. Our first stop was Happy, and we had a great time visiting with my family. We had such a great time that I didn't come home with many pictures.

Flashback to the '80's (and other decades)

2010-12-28T21:52:00.001-06:00

Sadie and Josie discovered a closet full of treasures--prom dresses, bridesmaids dresses and formals from when we were in Rainbows.

They spent hours trying on and modeling fashions from several decades.

Josie tried to talk me into letting her wear this one to church.

This one is from my wedding.

I wore this one for my 8th grade banquet.

My mom wore this dress when she was pregnant with me at my aunt's wedding.

This one makes me want to break out singing, "My Rainbow."

This one was one of Laura's prom dresses.

I guess we're just holding onto all of these just in case big, puffy sleeves and huge bows come back into style.

Competition Pics

2010-12-01T19:47:00.005-06:00

I love these pictures of JoJo. I am so glad that we bought the cd at the NCA competition a few weeks ago, since my pictures rarely turn out well because of lighting.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T00:35:00.003-06:00

This Thanksgiving, we did something we haven't done in a long time...we stayed home. We planned our meal, and it turns out, that I am enough of a grown-up to "do" Thanksgiving.

Okay, I cheated. Enrique at the golf course cooked the turkey, dressing, and gravy, but I (with some help from Cody and Josie and all the people I called for recipes and cooking advice) did the rest. I won't mention how we sat down to eat and realized we had no vegetables except mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, but I'm not really sure they count. We did have Pea Salad at Cody's request, but I know that doesn't count because no one but Cody was going to touch that stuff. I had planned to cook Funeral Beans (Green Bean Casserole for those people who aren't from a small town), but I totally forgot to do it.

I did, however, fill every one's requests. For Cody, it was Pea Salad, and he got the whole recipe all to himself. For Josie, it was Granny's cream cheese pie. Jake asked for Granny's chocolate cake with chocolate powdered sugar icing. And for myself, I made pecan pie. I tried this recipe from The Pioneer Woman, and it was delicious.

In the end, it didn't matter what foods we had or didn't have. We sat at our dining room table that belonged to Cody's grandparents and filled plates that belonged to my great grandmother, and I thought about how blessed we truly are.

NCA Lonestar Classic

2010-11-18T16:14:00.004-06:00

Veterans Day

2010-11-17T23:38:00.008-06:00

Veterans Day is always a special day at Magnolia Elementary School, and this year was no exception.

Although our program is small in the whole scheme of things, we love honoring the veterans in our school family. Thank you to all the dads, moms, sisters, brothers, grandfathers, and grandmothers who shared November 11 with us this year.

I can remember Veterans Day and Memorial Day programs when I was in school. My grandfathers always came to them. Both of them were World War II veterans. When I was a child, they were part of a large group of men who served during World War II that lived in my small community. It is sad to realize that there are few World War II veterans left to attend programs like this. We had only one World War II veteran at our school program this year. I am grateful that we were still able to honor my grandfathers by putting their pictures on our school Wall of Honor. Each year, I look at those pictures and remember so many things about them that I want to share with my own kids who never got to meet either one.

PaPa flew P-38s, but I remember him trying to teach my brother to drive. It wasn't a very successful lesson, as I recall. My brother came out of the wreck with a black eye and my nose has never been the same. I don't think PaPa was allowed to "teach" driver's ed after that.

Grandad was in the Army during the war, and I am not even sure exactly where he was stationed as he and PaPa rarely talked about the war. My memories of Granddad are of family reunions, stock shows, and playing games like 31 and Liverpool Rummy.

Outside my window...

2010-11-17T23:19:00.006-06:00

This is one of the windows in our living room. It's up high above the regular widows that have blinds on them. It looks out on the deck and backyard.

Look what was sunbathing on our windowsill. I was not home to witness this visitor, but my Mama and Jake were. Thankfully they had the foresight to take pictures, because, let's face it, I woudn't have believed them.

Here's a different angle. Can you tell what it is?

And yes, that is something stuck on the top of the fan. A hairband maybe? Just trying to keep it real.

I guess this guy climbed up the pergola and through the vines that I have determinedly twined around the wood in hopes of it providing a great shade canopy over the deck. When I think of all the times I stood on the bench and reached up to move the vines and water the hanging plants, I get a little queasy. I guess it could have easily been this snake that I grabbed to twine around the wooden slats overhead.

Here he is turning around to leave. He's turning around to slither back to the pergola, through the vines, and presumably back to his home. I am very afraid he lives under the deck.

Celebrating 6 Years of Jake

2010-11-03T20:26:00.009-05:00

Happy Birthday to our fun-loving,

ball-playing,

tackling,

hunting,

little brother.

We love you!

Supper Conversation

2010-11-01T18:42:00.001-05:00

Josie: When there's a tornado, you should get out of your car and get in a ditch.

Jake: We can't all fit in a dish.

There's a spirit...

2010-11-01T17:39:00.015-05:00

Last weekend, we spent Saturday in Aggieland, tailgating and watching the Aggies btho Texas Tech. There's no one I like to get beat more than Tech.

But let's face it, I go to A&M football games for one reason....to see the band.

Halloween

2010-11-01T17:15:00.005-05:00

Character Dress-Up Day

2010-11-01T17:03:00.003-05:00

Friday was Character Dress-Up Day at school. Everyone in school participates, and we have a parade through the building so that everyone can show off his costume. I was a pig from Who Sank the Boat?. Josie was Laura Ingalls Wilder. Jake finally consented to be a frog, even though his first plan was just to stay home that day.

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Katie Kazoo

His Nose Is Growing...

2010-10-21T21:48:00.001-05:00

Have you been telling fibs, Jake?

This Is My Father's World

2010-10-18T22:14:00.005-05:00

When I was uploading these pictures I took in the backyard this weekend, this song ran through my mind.

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.
This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.
This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.
-Malthie D. Babcock (1901)

It's 8:30 am...

2010-10-16T08:37:00.002-05:00

and my kids are still sleeping. I just checked to make sure they are still breathing. They are. I dare not leave my room or the silence will be broken and someone will need to be fed. I will just lay here in my pajamas and absorb the quiet and count my blessings. They are many.

Self Portraits

2010-10-13T01:04:00.003-05:00

This is what Jake does...a lot.

He takes pictures of himself with my phone.

Apparently taking pictures of yourself does not get old.

No one had to teach him how to do this.

No one showed him how to navigate the phone.

He just knew.

Is it an instinct?

Apparently five year olds do not have to get accustomed to touch screens.

Five year olds know how to make videos. It probably wouldn't take a five year old 30 minutes to figure out how to upload video to a blog. Unfortunately 5 year olds go to bed early. Maybe if he were still awake, he could make this video would play correctly.

Cheer Power

2010-10-09T21:47:00.010-05:00

We traveled to Galveston for our first cheer competition. Josie's team and several other Spring Creek teams earned gold ratings. It was a fun way to kick off the competition season.

iPhone Images

2010-10-03T20:27:00.006-05:00

It's always a surprise when I look at the pictures in my phone. I never know what or who I might find. These pictures are mostly courtesy of Jake and go back several months.

Bedtime Conversation

2010-10-03T20:15:00.002-05:00

Jake (from the top of the stairs): Mom, I fell off the bed.

Cody and I (at the same time): Okay, good night.

Thirty seconds later...

Josie (from the top of the stairs): Mom, Jake's mad at me because he fell off the bed.

Cody and I (at the same time): Okay, good night.

Parenting at its best from the Spivey house.

Cody's Scenery

2010-10-02T08:48:00.002-05:00

The views in Oregon are a little different than Texas.

When he sent me this picture, he didn't say what golf course this is, but it looks amazing. Hopefully the High Meadow Ranch Team will have good luck in their final day of their tournament today.

Snakes

2010-09-30T18:47:00.004-05:00

Every time I look at this picture I cringe. I try not to think about my baby holding a rattlesnake. If I thought too hard about it, I probably would never let him go with Daddy dove hunting again.

Loving Fall

2010-09-27T17:50:00.003-05:00

We had our first fall day today. When I say it was a fall day, I mean it didn't feel like summer. I wouldn't call it cool exactly, but for the first time this year, I didn't have sweat rolling down my back standing in the car rider line.

We have a new computer. I am so excited to be able to blog and edit pictures. I have been offline at home for a couple of months now. I have a shiny new Mac, now I just need something to blog about.

SCA Day

2010-09-26T09:16:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated SCA Day at Spring Creek Athletics. All of the squads performed for parents and friends to kick-off the competition season. It's amazing how many hours go into each routine. We were so proud of Josie and her team. Their hard work paid off.

Go Minis!

Caitlin and Josie

All of the Spinner Squads

Dear Computer,

2010-09-22T10:13:00.002-05:00

When I throw you in the garbage, please tell all of your other PC friends that they are not welcome in the Spivey house. Our family is tired of spyware and viruses and trojan horses and cookies and virus scans that don't work and all the other things that have fried our laptop.

With no love,
Jennifer

Picture of the Day

2010-09-10T15:07:00.001-05:00

Things like this make me know that my job is worthwhile.

4th of July Redo

2010-08-24T22:21:00.004-05:00

When we were in Happy we had a 4th of July Redo--in August. Here are a few pictures of our celebration, which according to family tradition, included a bike parade, roasting hot dogs and s'mores, and fireworks.

First Day of School 2010

2010-08-24T21:04:00.002-05:00

Jake-Kindergarten

Josie-4th Grade

Home

2010-08-12T23:47:00.005-05:00

I've always heard you can't go home once you leave and make your way elsewhere. Contrary to popular belief I always feel like I'm home when I'm in this pasture. Maybe it's because very little has changed since I was a child. In a world where things change at a rapid pace, it's comforting to know that a few things are constant...

like toting bb guns in search of unsuspecting birds and jack rabbits.

There's a sense of homecoming when we get to the part of Texas where the land is flat and few trees block the views. It took years of living away from the Panhandle to get used to the trees...how can you see anything with so many trees in the way?

I love to watch my kids climbing the same windmill that I climbed while Nonnie watchfully stood nearby.

Only the climbers and the watchers have changed.

I know we spent hours exploring the pasture in search of treasure. Explorations often included looking for interesting holes and poking sticks in them to see what might appear. Once we approached a potentially interesting hole, and to our suprise, a coyote jumped out. I think that is the closest I have ever come to wetting my pants.

Even the same lake still lures kids to test the waters, no matter how dirty the Mamas and Grandmas say they are.

Okay, so a few things have changed. Sneaky sheep who head butt anyone who turns her back are not part of my childhood memories. I guess a few changes keep things interesting.

Great Wolf Lodge

2010-08-04T13:52:00.004-05:00

Romance

2010-07-30T12:49:00.003-05:00

When we were at the lake, my husband made a sweet gesture...he brought me a gar. Doesn't sound romantic? Well, there's a story behind it.

When we were dating, I caught 2 big gar one day. I didn't have a camera to take a picture, but Cody wouldn't let me put them in the live well to bring back to the house. Ever since then, I have hoped to catch a gar so I could get a picture of it. So when he brought this guy home for me, I was touched that he remembered something so silly from over 10 years ago.