Boys Will Be Boys

"A picture is worth a thousand words"

but for these pics a few words of explanation might be in order... Before you call animal cruelty, let me just say, IT WASN'T MY FAULT!

Everyone knows that I have 5 brothers, how lucky am I, all these great roll models for my boys...

Well, Uncle Quinten graciously volunteered to watch Marshall so that I could take Durham to his kindergarten orientation by himself (the girls were with a friend).
I happily accepted and was in the middle of "meet the teacher" when these two pics pop up from Quinten on my phone--my gasp was so loud, the teacher stopped talking to look at what I was doing! :(

Thanks Uncle Quinten for showing my boys how to be boys!

There's a New Sheriff in Town...

...and it doesn't get any better than that!

First Day of School

September 23, 2010

Summer came and went way too fast!!! We made sure we had all our clothes laid out the night before, and set the alarm to wake up extra early and Daddy gave each of the kids their annual "Father's Interview and Blessing". Something both Dad and the kids look forward to and enjoy...it's a time for Eric to really talk to the kids one on one, he always asks how they're doing and if they have any worries. Kyla was worried about getting to school on time--we vowed to do much better this year :) Camden and Durham weren't worried about a thing, just ready to GO! So the day came...the First day of school!

Kyla (3rd Grade)

Ms. Ferguson

Camden (1st Grade)

Ms. Macha

Durham (Kindergarten)

Ms. Beyer

Marshall (Home with Mom)
He was NOT happy about not being able to go to school with his sisters and brother, until... he realized having Mommy to himself all day wasn't such a bad thing. We made chocolate chip cookies for everyone for their after school snack.

*not pictured is the two of us and the entire kitchen covered in flour when Marshall decided he needed to turn the mixer on full speed while I was on the phone. Oops!

The first day of school was a success all around, we got there on time, everyone loved their classes and teachers, and we had yummy chocolate chip cookies and milk to celebrate with when we got home!

NO MORE DIAPERS!

It has actually been about two weeks now that the Mach household has been diaper free! I can't believe that for the last 8 years I have been changing diapers, sometimes on two and three hineys at the same time, and now it is all over! Mister Marshall Man was a trooper, the easiest by far! It only took him a day to get it down and now he is sooo proud he loves to show his new skills off to everyone, his favorite is when he gets to go "tee-tee" outside! Oh how fun it must be to be a little boy! Today, it was so funny, Marshall and I were cooking in the kitchen and I had set the oven timer (the timer I had used the day we potty trained to remind us to go). When the timer beeped Marshall said, "Time to go potty" and started laughing at his own little joke. It was so cute, my little man has quite a sense of humor. NO DIAPERS is SERIOUSLY AWESOME!

Bath Time Babies

I had to document the very last time that all my little babies were able to take a bath together. This is how I've been able to get through the last seven years of bath times--group bath!!! Now we have had to split it up to girls in the shower (they are too big to fit in the little tub together anymore) and boys in the bath. I just miss when they could all bath and play together. This is a super cute pic, but behind the scenes was lots of "Durham has his bottom on my foot...", "Kyla will NOT scoot over", "I don't have any room!!!" "Tell Marshall to stop jumping on me!!!".

Bath time is FUN time! :)

There's a SNAKE on the roof!!!

Yes, I realize that this isn't a very good clear picture, BUT seriously, I'm surprised I could compose myself enough to take a picture in the first place--I just didn't think anyone would believe me! Here's the story:

The kids, one of their girl friends and I were all sitting down at the table for dinner. Dinnertime is always a silly time at our house, we love to play games at the table. We play "movies" where we take turns quoting a line from a movie and everyone has to guess the movie, and "telephone" the game of whispering from neighbor to neighbor and the last person repeats the sentence out loud to see if it made it around the table in it's original form, or when Daddy is home we all take turns telling jokes--that game is only fun with Daddy because Daddy knows all the good jokes, and Mom always forgets her punchlines.

Anyway, we were all absorbed into our game when Durham states calmly "Mom, there is a snake on our roof." A little annoyed because Durham has a tendency to change games in the middle quite frequently and LOVES to be able to shout out"tricked ya" even when no one even acknowledged the attempted trick, we all ignored him. Then as another movie line was being quoted with great enthusiasm, Durham looked over with wide eyes and horror on his face he said, "Mom, there is a snake on our roof", I thought he's definitely getting better at this tricking, I decided to see...

Just as I was telling Durham, "Oh, buddy, it's just a stick someone tossed up on the...IT MOVED!!!!" "OH MY GOSH THERE'S A SNAKE ON THE ROOF!!!" I ran outside, ran back inside, ran in circles trying to think who to call. Eric-out of town, Dad-out of town, Quinten, August--out of town!!!! TYLER!!! I called Tyler. HE WAS IN CYPRESS!!! "When are you coming back?!?!? There's a SNAKE ON MY ROOF!" Tyler being the hero that he is made a call to a friend, and he came over within minutes to rescue us from our horrifying ordeal!!! He jumped out of his truck, machete in hand, and saved the day! As the kids all watched in amazement, begging him not to hurt the snake, I quivered in the doorway ordering it be killed and taken away IMMEDIATELY!!! I was sure it was an extremely venomous snake just waiting to "jump" on top of the next passerby. Those of you that would tell me it was probably just a chicken snake sunning itself, harmless, and that snakes don't jump...you were NOT HERE!!! It was a HUGE SCARY CREATURE!!! Thank you Tommy for slaughtering the beast!

Cute Pic From the Past

Found this pic the other day when browsing for pictures to put in Kyla's picture slideshow at her baptism. I can't believe my little girls are growing up so fast!!! Look at those two cute little faces, don't they just say, "Mommy we'll be your babies FOREVER!"??? How dare they grow up!!! Ashley is graduated, and Kyla just got baptized! Not "babies" anymore! :(
I have enjoyed every moment of watching them grow and become the beautiful young ladies they are. Every moment EXCEPT the realization that the years have gone by much too fast!

Ashley's Graduation

Friday June 4, 2010

CLASS OF 2010

Ashley worked hard all year and it paid off! She graduated from Angleton High School an entire year early!!! We're so proud of her accomplishment! Her commencement ceremony took place at the new Wildcat Stadium friday night. It was HOT! But soo exciting getting to hear her name be called, "Ashley Marie Mach", over the loud speaker as she walked up to recieve her diploma. She looked beautiful! I can't believe she grew up so fast!!!Proud Dad

Found my phone! Losing my Mind!

I finally found my phone!!!! I just new I had thrown it away mindlessly, just like I do so many other things when my multitasking body leaps ahead of my much slower and less capable brain. It was in my church bag! The one place EVERYONE told me to look first! Stubborn, stubborn me, I just knew I had lost it saturday with all the comotion of Kyla's Baptism, therefore making it impossible that it could be in my Sunday bag...oops! It would have been much easier to check the church bag than dig through the NASTY, poopy diaper laden garage trash, or scower the entire church building several times, or tear up the house from one end to the other. Next time, next time.

What I've learned after a week with no phone...

I've learned that if I had to depend on my brain to recall a phone number in an emergency, I'd be in pretty bad shape! I had to look up phone numbers in the "phone book", yes they still exist! But, alas, no one publishes their cell numbers, and few people still have a house phone--if they do, they don't answer it (I have to include myself in that category).

I learned that people are confused if you have to physically go into a store to ask for directions somewhere...evidently I should call the place or GPS it!?!? Duh, I HAVE NO PHONE!

I learned that this IS my last Iphone, and if I lose it again, my husband will have no sympathy, and I will be forced to get a cheapo--No more GPS, Internet, or cool apps! :(

But, most importantly, I learned that I can get alot done when I'm disconnected from the world. I took my kids to the museum, and instead of constantly being interrupted, got to talk with them and explore and enjoy all the exibits. I have some pretty smart kids!

It's funny how we can feel like every call is important or might be an emergency, but they very seldom are. It's such an automatic response to answer the phone every time it rings...in fact, it's VERY difficult not to. But after a week, I found that no major crisis happened without me, and if it was something important people found a way to get a hold of me. I think this summer, I'll spend more time with my awesome kids, and less time with my phone! So if it's important, call twice!!! :)

I'm back in the stone ages...

Okay, maybe not the stone ages, but I lost my cell phone AGAIN!!! This is the THIRD iphone in the last year that I have either lost or broken--Eric is not too happy with me right now! :) But, seriously, how in the heck are we supposed to survive without the technology we depend on. It's funny how you think the technology of smart phones has propelled our generation farther forward, but I think it has rendered us incapably of self survival! I had somewhere very important to go today, and couldn't find the way because without my phone I had no GPS, and no way of calling for directions--I had to stop at Walgreens and ask for directions! Who does that anymore!?! I had a very lonely, day because the ONLY phone number I have memorized is Eric's, so everytime I needed to call someone I had to call him to get the number from his phone, and then I had to listen to his reminding me that he is still on his first iphone!

Kyla wanted to call her friend, and we had to look up the number in the phone book (what's that?) and she couldn't figure out how to work the house phone!!! I really hope I find it soon, I have a horrible feeling that I threw it in the trash, with all the comotion of the baptism, and parties this weekend...that's the problem with multitasking!!! I can't tell you how many times I've misplaced or throw things away, because I'm doing 10 things, while thinking about 15 others!!! Oh and by the way, the only house phone we have is plugged into the wall, so when I AM on the phone, I'm STUCK sitting there!!! Ugh! Why, phone, why?? Why did you have to run away, I was treating you soo much better than the others, I even gave you a pretty pink case! Come back to me, I promise I'll never drop you again or let the kids play with you with sticky goopy fingers...perhaps I'll even keep you nice and charged! Please come back, I can't live without you!

Kyla's Baptism Day

Saturday May 29, 2010

Yesterday Kyla was baptized.

She looked so beautiful in her white Baptism dress.

When she was blessed as a baby, she wore a tiny little flower corsage bracelet tied around her wrist--Grandma Judy bought it for her, and it came with a little poem:

A bracelet for this little girl

Tied softly at her wrist,

Will hold a sacred memory

Of the day that she is blessed

Then let the flowers sit untouched,

Safely tucked away,

To nestle in her shiny hair

On her Baptism Day

As days turn into weeks and months...

Years filled with tears and joy,

Your precious girl will tell you

That's she's found the perfect boy.

So on the day that she is wed

The garter 'round her knee,

May hold the tiny flowers

Full of love and memories.

*Copyright Michal's Perfect Touch

I remember when we blessed Kyla, Eric held her in his arms, she was so tiny, so fragile. Her blessing dress swallowed her up completely. She wore her little bracelet. I thought at the time that baptism was so very far away, I was sure to forget all about the bracelet by then...Eight years went by way too fast. As I tied the little bracelet into a bow, and clipped it into her hair, and admired my beautiful little girl in her second white dress as her Daddy lowered her into the water, I thought about how fast my girl is growing up. How way too soon, I will be pinning it to a bridal garter and sending her off on her own. I am so very thankful to my Heavenly Father for entrusting me with such a precious sweet spirit.

I gave the talk on Baptism, as I've done times before for others, but this time as I explained to Kyla that she was now old enough to make her first covenants with her Heavenly Father, and that she was taking her first step in her own journey through this life, I felt the magnitude of my own responsibility to help guide her along the way. So many detours and distractions in this life, so many opportunities to loose your way. I am so grateful that I have the gospel in my life to pass along to my children. I am so grateful for the knowledge that we are NOT alone on this journey, that our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ love us. That They have given us a roadmap to follow and continue to help guide us along the way. My prayer is that Kyla will always remember her Baptism day. That she will always remember the special spirit that she felt that day. She is a wonderful, beautiful, and sweet little girl.

Kyla, I love you so much! I am so proud of you.

Kyla's Project Pride

Kyla is always proud of her projects, and she should be! She does them all by herself! It is no secret that Kyla is VERY creative brained. She is always creating something. This month has been an extremely busy one, and with the school year finally winding down, and so much on our already full plate we had procrastinated a dinosaur project Kyla was supposed to do.

Ms. Beyer's 2nd grade class had been researching their chosen dino all week in school then had a week to create a habitat. Kyla chose the ALLOSAURUS They were told that they had to make sure that the habitat included their dinosaur and was true to the region and time period in which that dinosaur was found. I was washing dishes the night before the project was due, and Kyla reminded me, for the hundredth time, that we needed to get started. I told her "after dishes," besides aren't projects always done last minute by parents anyway...

Kyla, being the determined girl she is, went about "doing it herself." I saw her going back and forth from craft room, to my room, to the boys room. I figured she'd have some cute ideas, and some things together and when I got around to it I could just pull it all together, check off the project as done, and move on. About 30 minutes later (no it doesn't take that long for me to do the dishes, but as my kids know once I start cleaning I have a hard time stopping) Kyla waltzes into the living room with a shoe box..."Do you want to see my project", oh yeah the project! I stopped cleaning and came over to "help" her start her project. TOO LATE! PROJECT COMPLETE, and it was AWESOME!

She was very detailed, even down to the three toed footprints, river with a log across it (dinosaurs have to drink), and a skeleton of a Stegosaurus with partial flesh attached and a big hunk of flesh in the Allosaurus' mouth.

As Kyla presented her research and project to the class I was amazed at just how smart my little girl is. I looked around at the other projects and hers was outstanding! I had to giggle, because after each kid presented, the class could ask questions...They always asked, how'd you do this, or how'd you do that, and the kids would just shrug their shoulders and say "I dunno my Mom did it!"--and sometimes a Dad or two came up. BUT when it was Kyla's turn, she gave a detailed description about how she did her project ALL BY HERSELF!

I DID print out the two little info squares for her to glue to the lid! Great job mom! I think it is amazing what our children are capable of doing if we just let them do it! I just can't figure out why this same little GENIUS has a hard time placing her dirty clothes in the hamper--she must get that from her Daddy :)

Our Weekend Getaway

It was our TEN year anniversary this year.

And here's our story...

Eric proposed to me under the Century Tree at Texas A&M University on March 31, 2000

We were married 1 1/2 months later on Friday MAY 19, 2000. I remember it was a friday because when you only have about 45 days to plan a wedding your choices of venue are limited. Everywhere was booked on saturday (it was May--EVERYONE gets married in May), but we were finally lucky enough to find a place that had an opening on FRIDAY. THAT is how a devout Mormon, non-drinking couple got married at a WINERY! :)

We were married at MESSINA HOF WINERY in College Sattion (well Bryan actually) ;. It was a beautiful place, and a beautiful ceremony! But as soon as the photographer took the last photo, it POURED!!! (The worst flooding in Houston in the last 50 years) We however were dry and safe inside the reception...though I did slip and fall down the stairs going to the limo--oops!

Shortly after the Honey Moon, less than a month, Eric left for the summer to finish his Master's Degree in AUSTRALIA! :( We were soo love sick and spent hundreds of dollars on phone cards. When he got back he told me how BEAUTIFUL it was and vowed that he would take me back there on our TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

Dinner

Oh the foolish dreams of childhood...little did we know that we would have 5 kids, a job that would not allow a long vacation and the expense of the trip now seems a little extravagant. Since we have frequent flyer miles and free hotel stays, we thought Hawaii would be a nice alternative. Oh did I say "we"? I meant I! Eric felt the trip would have to be several days to justify the long flight, AND it would be hard to get back if the kids needed us...:( BUT there is always the Bahamas!!! We LOVE the Bahamas! And the flight is a quick one! But alas, it was not to be, there were NO flights available at on the day we needed to fly home...we could get there, but we couldn't get back (and YES that is a problem). So choice number 4! We went to College Station for the weekend!!! Australia, College Station, Australia, College Station...Now don't get me wrong, you would be hard pressed to find a more maroon bleeding, horn sawing, whooping and humpin, Aggie out there, but for a Ten Year Anniversary?

We booked a weekend getaway at Messina Hof Whinery, strolled down memory lane, and relaxed our way into the very best anniversary we could've had!

A photo op with the owner of the winery/vineyard--quite a friendly and excentric guy! He chatted with us for about 15 minutes at dinner

The Vineyard

This pic was taken from the upstairs where we had our wedding reception.

This is the little Bed and Breakfast at Messina Hof where we stayed.

Our room was the "Antoinette", it was soo fun! It was very antiquely decorated--Eric said it was like staying at a grandma's house. :) This was where Eric's parents stayed the night of our wedding, the bridal party all got ready in their room. We got to sleep in every morning because breakfast wasn't served until 8:30am. We had a delicious breakfast each morning with the other couples staying there. The bed and breakfast thing is kinda neat.

Me displaying the cute little grape cluster in the vineyard

Eric posing with the wine barrels.

With our stay we got a free tour and wine tasting...it was free so we couldn't pass it up! It was fun and an interesting tour--we took the last tour of the day and our guide had been through quite a few wine tasting already that day so he was quite interesting! The tasting was very educational, I had no idea there were so many categories of wine, and different ways of tasting each--oh yeah, that's probably because I don't drink wine!!! They gave up glasses of sparkling grape juice, and we got to keep the wine glasses (bonus).

The guide told us about all the CRAZY/DRUNK turtles in the pond, I thought "um, crazy/drunk guide", but the next day we walked by the pond, and YES! It was full of CRAZY turtles...

I have never seen anything like it1 I was just stand ing by the pond, no food, no sign of turtles, and within 2 minutes about 100 turtle heads popped up and started swimming toward us! But they didn't stop at the bank, they just kept coming!!!! They climbed right out of the water, all over each other and right for us!!!

Our little weekend getaway was just right! Very low key, very relaxing, and very close to home--just in case. Eric's parents had the girls, mine had the boys, and we had a BLAST! Perhaps Australia for number FIFTEEN?

Happy TEN YEAR Anniversary

May 19, 2010

What an amazing TEN YEARS it has been!

I can't beleive it's been sooo long...it feels like we just met, just fell in love. I can't believe how lucky I am to be married to such a wonderful man and have FIVE beautiful children. My blessings are abundant! When you first fall in love and decide to be married ten years seems soo far away, but I still remember...that first glance, that first kiss, the first fight, the first time we held hands, the first time we said "I love you". It feels like only yesterday that I was pinching myself hoping that this guy was really into me, "How could I be soo lucky", and now I'm still pinching myself, wondering, "How could I be soo blessed"? I truly have found the love of my life, and I am so thankful that that love can last through the eternities.

Thank you Eric, for being my HUSBAND, my LOVE and BEST FRIEND!

April Showers Bring May HURRICANES!!!!

The month of May has always been a CRAZY month for the Mach's, but this year May is INSANE!!! We have been caught up in a whirlwind that just won't stop blowing!!! Every year we celebrate:

Ashley's Birthday (May 3)

Kyla's Birthday (May 17)

Our Wedding Anniversary (May 19)

Grandmommy's Birthday (May 21)

Niece Megan's Birthday (May 22)

and all while winding down the school year with tests, end of year parties and finals...

BUT THIS YEAR:

Kyla turned Eight--Plan a Baptism

Ashley graduates High School--Plan for graduation day AND a graduation party

It's our TEN YEAR anniversary--Plan a getaway

It is a HUGE month of CELEBRATION, but WOW, it all hit at one time, and I'm just hoping we get it all done, and live to tell about it!

Happy Birthday Kyla!!!

May 17, 2010--EIGHTHappy Happy Birthday sweet Kylabel!

Now you are Eight years old, so big, so strong! You have such a wonderful independent personality and such a creative mind. You are such a blessing in my life. It has been fun watching as you have become such a little person--your own ideas, your own thoughts and opinions. I love to just sit and talk to you and have you share all that is in that fabulous brain of yours. You truly are a unique soul and I am so thankful that I get to be your mother!

"HAPPY COWGIRL"

Texas is full of cowgirls, but the Mach family has a very Happy Cowgirl! Every year the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has a big Art Competition and Expo. Over 300,000 pieces of art are submitted from children all over South Texas. This year 100 schools and 60 private schools participated. The art was judged and 681 pieces were chosen for awards and displayed in the Hayloft Gallery for the duration of the Rodeo.

Camden's masterpiece "HAPPY COWGIRL" recieved a Gold Medal!!!Showing off the Gold!Cami proudly pointing out her artwork in the Gallery--one of the very few (3-5) kindergarden and first grade art work chosen.

LITTLE Camden sitting down there in that BIG arena with all those BIG kids waiting for her BIG AWARD

A proud Momma and Cami waiting for the awards ceremony to beginEric and Camden on the bus ride over to the Rodeo

Mom and Camden after the Rodeo and Concert--we rode that Ferriswheel!

Cami getting to ride the horse named "Gem".

Part of the Award was 3 free tickets to the rodeo and Jason Aldean concert ?(Camden loved singing to "Big Green Tractor"). We had to wake up super early to get to Reliant Stadium by 7am to sign in for the awards presentation that started at 9am. So Pa and Gammy brought everyone else up at 9am to watch Camden get her award, then they took the kids back home with them so that Camden and Mom and Dad could enjoy the whole day at the rodeo. She felt so special getting to ride the ponies, and pet the animals, go to the fair, and just spend so much time with Mommy and Daddy all to herself!

On the way home late that night she said, "Mom, this was the BEST day EVER!"

It was definately a very special day.

Happy Birthday Ashley!!!

MAY 3, 2010--SEVENTEEN

It was really only yesterday that you were our tiny little "goose" and now you are all grown up, ready to take on the world. We used to play dress up and you would twirl around in my dresses and heels, so proud of how "grown-up" you looked. Now you have your own dresses and heels, and I look on, proud of how grown up you are.

You are a wonderful daughter and we couldn't be more proud of you!

Mister in the Bluebonnets

Marshall and I go running every morning with a friend and her two little ones, but the other day they weren't able to make it so it was just the two of us. It was nice to just run and chat with my baby boy--he is growing up too fast! We sang and counted and told stories, but Marshall kept pointing out the pretty flowers. So at the end of the run, we had to take his picture in them! He was soo cute, he was very careful not to step on any of them!

Cute Kids, Smart Mom!

Spring 2010

Kyla 7yrs (2nd grade)

Camden 6yrs (Kindergarten)

Durham 5yrs (PreK)

So it was Spring Picture time at the kids school...not a very easy time for the pocket book! Some would say your kids pics are priceless, especially those that come around twice a year documenting the inevitable growing up of our babies. Although I am that sucker that countinues to shell out the cash, for the sake of tradition, to see my beautiful children captured in time with the awkward smile, forced uncomfortable pose, backed by some hideous background, and taken right after either lunch (stained shirts) or PE (red face and crazy hair) or BOTH, this year I decided to buck the system! After calculating that I would have to spend almost $100 and still not get enough pictures to share with family, and nothing larger than a 3x5 (seriously! ) I decided to "volunteer" on picture day, and instead of buying 3 packages, I just bought 1 big one and made them throw all 3 of my kiddos in it! I think it turned out pretty cute! My Elementary School babies! We'll see if I can squeeze Marshall in there too in a couple of years. :)