A Few Pics...

Not happy with whatever he just ate...


Sam's new ride




Awwww...

December Wrap-Up...

Well, Christmas has come and gone... And I must say, I'm EXHAUSTED!! But we really did have a wonderful holiday. The kids got some good loot--a little too much;) I get a hard time from my family and friends because Landon and I don't do the whole 'Santa' thing. I know, I know, I'm a bad mom. It's not that we tell them Santa is fake, it's more about wanting our kids (especially Madison) to understand where the presents come from. Our church has a large homeless population due to our outreach programs and mission work downtown and Madison has been with me on most days when I work in our children's nursery. She has seen kids come in with no shoes, no jackets in the winter, as well as kids come in wearing the same clothes they were in the last time we saw them. It is heartbreaking for me to see, but confusing for her. She doesn't understand because she has never gone to bed hungry or cold.

If there is such a thing as Santa, then why do some kids go without presents on Christmas?

Maddie sang at our churches benevolence party before Christmas. It was awesome to watch the Lord work through the simple act of giving a gift to a child. Kindness is such a small thing that sometimes in the hustle and bustle of the season we forget that. I am definitely guilty of it myself. It is easy to get caught up in the decorations and gifts and forget the true meaning of this day.

Rejoice! Our Savior is Born!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and the warmth of God's love surrounded you and you family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Happy Anniversary!

2009

Paris, 2007

Paris, 2007

Christmas, 2006

Thanksgiving, 2006

Halloween, 2006

Pregnant with Sam- 2003

On this day seven years ago, I made the best decision of my life. I married my best friend.

I know I haven't posted in a while and in the near future I promise I will be posting pics of our summer, but let me explain the reason for the delay.

I woke up the tuesday after Labor Day to a phone call no parent wants to receive. On the other end was the father of my daughters best friend. She had passed away from H1N1 coupled with a Staph infection. He was calling to let us know first before he went to the school. I honestly cannot put into words the grief I felt. Just a week before this I myself lost a friend to Colon Cancer.

My daughter is very bright for a 6 year old. We go to church regularly and she understands the concept of Heaven and what happens to our souls when we die. But honestly, nothing can prepare you for telling your child her best friend is with Jesus. Kharra and Madison were two peas in a pod. They were in the same pre-K and K class and if Madison got in trouble for talking too much at school, I could pretty much guess who else was involve. Kharra was the closest thing Maddie had to a sister. They fought like sisters and loved like sisters.

I have two best friends that I have known since I was 5 years old. We were all in the same Kindergarten class at Madison Heights and have stayed in touch eventhough we are all on different paths. I cannot imagine how my life would have been different if I did not have one of them. Up until I married my husband and gained a sister-in-law, they were they closest things I had to sisters. We fought like sisters and loved like sisters.

Everyday Madison's pain fades more and more; but as a parent, I cannot fathom the pain her family is going through. Having to plan a memorial for your 6 year old daughter is something I just don't think I could go through, no matter how strong my faith.

It is hard to think of the positives that can come out of a situation like this, but let me tell you this: The Davis family was baptized this past summer because of their daughter Kharras love for Jesus. The Lord had put His plan into motion when they were raised from that water and He is in control.

I know my daughter will forever have a guardian angel in Kharra Davis and we will love her and remember her everyday.

Demi Lovato!!

For Maddie's 6th birthday we got a great opportunity to take her and her cousin Jessalyn to the David Archuletta/Demi Lovato concert hosted by Radio Disney. We have a great friend that hooked us up with tickets and meet and greet passes to take pics w/ David and Demi. I love Demi Lovato and couldn't have been more impressed by her singing. For being a teenager, that girl can wail!! The whole show was live and was awesome!! She is tiny in person!!

Landon was such a good sport through the whole night. Eventhough we got the tickets for free, I think we spent about $150 on snacks and junk!! But it was so worth it. The girls had the best time and were knocked out by the time we got home:)

Fourth of July Fun!!

For the Fourth, we were lucky enough to be able to spend it with our good friends Ryan and Betsey at Lake DeGray. Between the houseboat, ski boat, tube, and jet ski, we were kept entertained the entire day. It was so funny to watch the kids. Maddie is a natural in the water. She loved the jet ski and being able to float in the water thanks to her life jacket. By the end of the day, she was jumping off the boat into the water!! Sam is a whole 'nother story. On land, that kid is fearless!! He will jump of rocks and walls taller than he is. He'll also climb up just about anything. But in the water, that kid is a WUSS!!!! He pretty much stayed attached to me the entire time in the water. He had a blast, just as long as I was 2-3 inches from him. One major step on this day was Sam's potty training!! He didn't wear a diaper or swim diaper the entire day!! And since the 4th, we have been diaper free during the days!!!

6!!

I love this girl. She is funny, smart, fearless, stubborn, sassy, energetic, and COOL! She is my little best friend and for the first 3 years of her life, she was the best shopping partner!! Eventhough she's not the only kid in the house, she is still my best girl! I love her more with everyday that passes and cannot believe God blessed me with such an amazing daughter. So, Happy Birthday to one awesome gal!

A Little Late....

Words cannot describe how amazing my trip to Costa Rica was. I think it was the first time in my life EVER that I have not had any stress. The way God worked to bless this trip was noticed by everyone around us- including our tour guides. I really could go on and on about the trip, but it really would take up too much room. I honestly can say this trip really made me realize how blessed I am to have a healthy, happy family and the opportunities that I have.

Birthday!!

On May 16th we celebrated my 27th birthday!!! I know this is selfish, but I love my birthday! It's the one day a year that I get to myself. I get to choose what I want for breakfast, lunch, and especially dinner! This year my birthday fell on a saturday- and it was perfect. I gave a personal lesson for vb that morning and played sand vb all afternoon long. We went to a Hibachi-style restaurant for dinner and then had a small get together at a friends house. I have to say, this was one of the best birthdays I've had in a while (last year was pretty good, though). I was surrounded by people that I love and make me laugh- and my husband kept me laughing all night long. I hope 28 can top it!

Field Day!

Last Monday was the Kindergarten Field Day at Maddie's school- I have to say, I was sooo excited for her! Technically, I had 2 finals that day, but I rescheduled them for wednesday so I could be there the whole day. SO, that meant I had 5 finals on wed!! OY! But, it was totally worth it (eventhough it rained pretty much all day).

For the most part the events were focused on group participation, but Maddie did place FIRST in the only two individual events- baseball throw and broad jump. I have to brag a little bit:)

BUT- I did realize one big thing during the course of the day... I am THAT mom! As much as I hate to admit it, I wanted her to win more than she did! She didn't care what color ribbon she had- in fact, she didn't want the Blue ribbons at all, she wanted Purple (4th place)!! It really made me re-evaluate how I plan to coach her in Highschool. Oh well! In the end, we had a great day and I was so proud of her and the way she cheered everyone in her class on.

Whahhhh...

Dear Fight Gone Bad:

I hate you with a fiery passion.

Sincerely,
Erica

Grass Season is Upon Us!

Let the games begin!!

Fight Gone Bad...

3 Rounds, 1 Minute each exercise, 1 Minute break between each Round:
(Count your reps- as many as you can get in a minute)

Squats w/ 10 pound med. ball- squat and throw ball to 10ft.
Sumo Dead Lift High Pulls (45 pound bar)
Box Jumps (14 inch box)
Push Press (45 pound bar)
Burpees

So, a minute for each excercise with no rest until finished w/ all 5. Do it 3 times. Keep track of how many reps you do for each excercise. Add up total at end. This is the third time I've done this work out. The first time I threw up (but I finished!!) and ended up with like 175!! This time I had a total of 263. Landon had 370. He's a freak of nature, though:)

I challenge you to try it- or make your husband's try it!! Post your results!

Operation Spandex, day 1

5 Rounds (for time):
12 reps Dead Lifts
9 reps Hang Cleans
6 reps Shoulder Press

Total Time: 7:01

5K (not going to mention how long it took)

Aaahhh, good times...

COSTA RICA!!!!!!

WOW!! I don't even know where to start! Sometimes God gives you amazing opportunities. I still don't know how it came about, but I am going to Costa Rica in June for a Volleyball Missions Trip. I'll be on tour there for ten days!! I know it sounds silly, but I still have dreams of playing competitively. This is an incredible way for me to combine two of my passions; God and volleyball:) And I'll be playing with college players (some of whom were in 7th grade when I was first married). So please pray that everything goes well with the fundraising- also pray that I can slide back into some spandex shorts, haha.

Woo Hoo!

Last year when we moved back to Hot Springs, I got together with another coach in the area and we started a Club Volleyball program for girls in this area. Last year was rocky to say the least. We had 3 teams and really only went to 2-3 tournaments. But we stuck through it and this season, we doubled!! We have 6 teams! We have girls from 9-17 years old, and my 17's team has 5 tournaments this season. After a rough start with our first 2 tournaments, we rallied together for a big weekend in Little Rock! We ended up winning First Place in the Silver division!!!! We went undefeated the second day of the tournament. I think I was more excited than the rest of the girls! This really is a big deal- my team is playing in the 17's division, but the majority of my girls are 15 and 16!! So this means we can only get better for next year, since we will still be in the 17's. Here are some pics after our WIN!!