The Krazy Kraus'

Who's got the deal?

2011-11-25T22:33:00.001-06:00

Here we go again... I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone! Let the countdown begin... because CHRISTMAS is just around the corner people. So much to do, BUT... 1st things FIRST... Christmas/Holiday Cards!

One of my favorite things to do since I was little, was to help my Mom pick out our Family's Christmas card. Since I now have a little family of my own it makes it just that much more special and the tradition continues...

Last year, Shutterfly had a great deal that they offered to their bloggers for holiday cards. As I started to prepare this season and check out their card selections, I found that Shutterfly didn't have as good of a deal this year. So, I decided I would see what else was out there and I stumbled onto Tiny Prints. I have actually heard a lot about them and I really liked their Christmas Card selection. I wanted to share some of my favs...

I love how "kiddy" this card is... very much would go with my little 2 1/2 year old!

I'm a sucker for polka-dots... LOVE them!!!

So different... I have never thought about a circle Christmas Card! How unique...

The choices are endless and it truly will be hard to choose! I am excited about loading my pics and narrowing down my selection. To add to this holiday excitement I found out that Tiny Prints is doing a promotion this year for bloggers that's a lot like the one Shutterfly had last year.

Apply and get selected to blog about their Christmas Cards - receive 50 FREE Christmas Cards - they offer a lot of the same stuff as Shutterfly too! It's great...

What? You want to know where to apply... :) to participate in this AWESOME promotion this year... just fill out the form by Tiny Prints ---> HERE!!!

I will go ahead and tell you that when I applied it did take close to a week for me to hear a response! I won't lie I thought they forgot about me... but low and behold, I finally got it!

So there you have people... Who's got the deal?

TINY PRINTS

Happy Holidays...

Shut Yo Mouth... SHUTTERFLY! FOR REAL?

2010-12-04T23:42:00.014-06:00

Well it's that time... Christmas! While most of you are worrying about what gift you're getting, and for whom. I am "excitingly" worrying about what our Christmas card is going to look like. Will it be in color or black/white. Will I do one picture or multiple. Who all will even be in the pic. The decisions are endless... I don't know what I love more... creating/sending or receiving holiday cards.

It's all just so much FUN!!!

Like every year, I search around looking for the cutest selection online. I must say, hands down Shutterfly has it going on. Their 2010 holiday cards are too, too cute! So many to choose from... it will definitely be hard to decide! What? You would like to some I have been checking out...

I am really diggin' the square, not to mention the color combo we have going here. Red and Green with a splash of chocolate... makes you want some hot cocoa huh?

Oh, the plaid... always so sweet!

Oh wait... that was just the flat cards! Moving on to a WHOLE new world...

Folded Holiday Cards! More plaid... I'm LOVIN!!!

Classic Holiday Card with Initial Stamp and Year... TIMELESS!

After checking out all the holiday cards I had to venture over to the other Fabulous Cards! SHUTTERFLY has thought of everything... they have it all, baby announcements, birthday cards, party invitations. I had to share these cutie Holiday Party Invitations.

Something for the kids...

Ahhhh... Don't you wish you were invited to this CLASSY party?

Now, that I have your attention and got your Holiday wheels going... Shutterfly has this AMAZING offer going on right now. Are you ready for this???

SHUT YO MOUTH... SHUTTERFLY! FOR REAL?

SHUTTEFLY is giving 50 Free Christmas Cards to you just for blogging about them! You read correctly. You can get high quality cards, just by letting the world know how wonderful Shutterfly is and what all they have to offer. What are you waiting for? Start spreading the news... AND get a jump start on your Christmas Cards today!

A New World of Fun!

2010-11-27T09:51:00.016-06:00

So, if you hit up Toys R Us, on Thanksgiving or Black Friday... pin a rose on your nose! You, my friend, are a BETTER person than I! Beep and I attempted Thursday night @ 10:00, with all the other 70,000 outlaws that live in Longview. NO LIE, the line was wrapped around the whole outside of the store, it weaved around to the other side of Circuit City, and was headed up to Academy. WTH? IT WAS CRAZY... We laughed hysterically... and LEFT!!!

2nd Attempt - Black Friday 3:00 ish' ... the parking lot itself looked like the aftermath of Chilifest (just smelled a little better). We looked past it, and followed the other penny savers inside. G-ooooooooooooooo... someone went seriously MAD on this store! There was crap thrown everywhere. Nothing was in it's place. Oh, even better was when you would ask an EMPLOYEE for help. LOL!!! And EVERY TIME you would get the clearly REHEARSED... "Oh mam, I don't know, I'm just helping this store out!" or "I usually work in the back!" my favorite was... "Your guess is as good as mine!" NICE... and like DejuVu... Beep and I laughed hysterically and LEFT!!!

3rd attempt - this morning 7:00 a.m. Parking lot still looked pretty disturbing, BUT at this point WHO CARES!!! We counted and there were 8 cars in the parking lot. 6 had frosty windows... must be "workers!" The other 3 were... OUR COMPETITION! It was a MAD dash to the door. Bahahahaha .... It didn't go like that at all. We ALL casually got out of our car and meandered to the door. IT WAS GREAT... We had the store to ourselves. It was Heaven... there were TOYS on the SHELVES, and even better underneath it would have a tag that told you what the toy was and how much! ORGANIZATION is Priceless!!!!

Fast Forward - An hour later, we were back in the car and headed to where else for breakfast... Chick-fila of course! Again it was just us, not including most of the Longview Police Department. They love them some chicken don't they? It seems that every time we go there, Chick-fila is having some big celebration, so the play area is overflowing with excited kids. This morning it was calm... and still.... NO KIDS! It was the perfect time to introduce Mr. Kingston to this new world of FUN!

I don't know who had a better time... Kingston or his Mama & Dada watching him!

Lil' boys are ridiculously adorable and fun!

I am so very very blessed and THANKFUL...

Happy Holidays Y'all!

The After Bath Rundown...

2010-10-14T21:50:00.005-05:00

So, here is Mr. Kingston... in what else, but HIS DIAPER! My case: We did actually just get out of the bathtub and his pj's are on a hanger behind him. I know y'all think I make all this up and he actually is never dressed and ALWAYS wears his diaper, TELL THE TRUTH! Despite what my son has on... a cutie video... is a CUTIE VIDEO!

SO, turn the music down and sit back for a couple of minutes and let Kingston give you the rundown...

Bye Bye Everyone!

Catch up with the Kraus'

2010-10-09T22:16:00.019-05:00

Embarrassed...

Kingston is completely embarrassed for his Mama, and how long its been since her last post! Let's see the last post was from THIS SUMMER!?! Oh, JEEPERS... Let's catch up!

School is in session... I'm still teaching Kindergarten and lovin' it. Pine Tree PIRATES... REPRESENT!!! Twenty new lil' kiddos and they are all wonderful. I have a great class this year. Beeper still bleeds "some" blue... BUT he is a PANTHER. This is his second year, coaching at Spring Hill. You name it, and he coaches it!

On to the MAIN SHOW...

My #1 Boy... Kingston Hunter

I'm always up for a photo shoot. Even better when they are impromptu and unplanned. Here are some pictures taking downtown last month. We had so much fun watching Kingston STRUT his stuff. I just can't figure out where he gets it from.

:)LOL

One of my favorites...

So innocent and following his CUPCAKE!!!

I knew if I wanted to get more than 1 picture. I would need something to keep him entertained. Thanks to Mr. G... my man loves him some SUCKERS. So, I got a HUGE sucker that would last him ALL DAY and allow me to take hundreds of pictures... it was PERFECT!

After getting STICKY sucker ALL over our CUTIE outfit... we new what had to be done! Down to the BASICS. Oh yeah, you know Kingston didn't mind. He thought it was great! Check out those dirty lil' feet!

The excitement continues...

Just chillin! You should have seen the people driving by. All of them, STARING at my child sitting in the alley with a ginormous sucker... oh yeah, and with no clothes on. Some people just don't understand... what you have to do to get a GOOD PICTURE!!!

I love this picture... his signature head tilt.

Time for reflection... or is he coming down from his "sugar high?"

You decide.

Kingston and his best buddy... Landon!

Every time "My Michelle" comes to town... it is inevitable that we have a PLAY DATE with our boys! It was crazy when they came over and we opened the door we realized they both had their jerseys on.

We LOVE BOYS and we LOVE FOOTBALL!!!!

Speaking of football... Kingston is obsessed! We wear our Cowboy jersey EVERY Sunday. The minute you turn on a Football Game he is running full speed to the TV screaming, "FOOTBALL! FOOTBALL!" This lil' dude get his football, lowers his head, and with his BOOTY up in the air say, "Down..."

It cracks me up every time!

These two are NEVER still...

Somehow Beep can always get them to lay down and be still just long enough to be... TICKLED!!!

10 years... SERIOUSLY???

Last weekend, Beep and I had our 10 year reunion. It's still NUTS to me, just thinking about it. DENIAL - Not really... I just can't believe that much time has already passed.

Pictured above: Old Baseball Buddies

Blake Stagner and son, Warren

Zach White and daughter, Sloane

Beeper and Kingston

We had so much fun!

It was great seeing everyone and getting to meet their kids at the park.

Kingston and Manda...

He thinks it is SO funny to yell "Manda, Manda, Manda..." I know people hear him and think "Listen to that poor kid, that Mother doesn't want to be called Mama and instead she taught him her NAME! Parents these days! What is the world coming to?"

Actually, NOT the case, he gets BIG LAUGHS from his Daddy etc. when he says it... and Kingston is ALL ABOUT BIG LAUGHS... therefore, I am his "Mama Manda!"

Fall is in the air! Well sorta...

One day it 90 degrees, and then a "cold front" comes through and we all get excited. You know what I am talking about. We break out the scarves, even cater to the thought of wearing our UGGS. Then we realize it may be FALL, but it still feels like SUMMER! Summer was fun, BUT I am ready for FALL WEATHER!

Our Fall tree is decorated... and pumpkins are everywhere. Every night, Kingston helps me turn them all on. Every night, it's as if it were the 1st time... he gets so excited!

What's a ghost say Kingston? YEP... BOOOOOOOOOO!

This is the face of... "Picture time is over... and I am done Mama!"

Well that's all for now folks!

I will try not to wait so long next time!

Until then...

Happy Fall Y'all!!!

Lakeside Memories

2010-06-25T19:26:00.012-05:00

Early June, Kingston and I were invited to go to Lake Ouachita, AR with our great family friends the Mahone's! I was so excited! I have gone almost every summer since I was 14 with Michelle. This would be the first time to be back there and have both of our boys!

We were off... Kingston and I drove the 3 1/2 hour drive! Just like his Mother, Kingston slept the entire way. What a nice drive it was!

We finally made it... and we couldn't get to the "GREAT COBALT" fast enough! Kingston's first time to put on the orange life jacket... Let's just say it was like putting a stray jacket on a cat that just got a bath!

IT WASN'T HAPPENING!

BUT, after much distraction... snacks and of course BALLS... KHK knew he would be OKAY!

One loaded down banana!

Starting from the front: Maylee, Ella, Hadley (Michelle's Nieces,) Leigh Anne (Michelle's sister-in-law), Kingston, Me, Landon, and Michelle!

After tubing, Captain Wesley took us to a cove so the kiddo's to take a dip. I have never been one to swim around in the lake! I tried to keep Kingston in the boat, but that lasted all of about 2 minutes after he saw everyone else. What the KING wants... the KING gets!

BUT, let the record show... I AM STILL NOT A LAKE SWIMMER!

After a yummy dinner, at the Shangri-La Diner, we took the boys for a wagon ride.

Kingston telling Landon some Baby Jokes!

Back out on the water...

We retired the banana... Moving onto THE MOLECULE!!!

Kingston was never scared (he gets that honest!) In fact, he fell asleep on this ride!

Picture Break with Mama!

We still can't believe that we were here with OUR BOYS! Oh, how our lives have FOREVER changed!

Kingston and I had so much fun making"NEW Lake Ouachita Memories" with the Mahone Family! Thanks again for taking us for the ride...

What a great way to kick off Summer 2010!

ONE! REALLY?

2010-06-15T16:47:00.011-05:00

June 9, 2010, Mr. Kingston turned ONE years old!

Can you believe it? Seriously, this has been the fastest, MOST FUN, year of MY life! It is CRAZY to look back and see how much Kingston has GROWN and LEARNED! He is PERFECT... and has changed my LIFE in SO many ways!

Sunday, June 13th

Kingston's 1st Birthday Beach Bash

My lil' man had his celebration at the Neighborhood Clubhouse this past weekend. So DIVE in and check out the pics from the PARTY!

The King's Chair

Kingston's Gift Area

Kingston enjoying his Uncle Hunter's (heirloom) tug boat

What's a Beach Bash without some Hotdogs?

Beep putting on his HAPPY face even though he was SWEATING to death!

Present time...

Cupcake got Kingston a plush Teddy Bear mat... and this is basically what he has been doing since Sunday with Mr. Bear! Oh yeah, the bed is FULL... you know we have to sleep with him too!

He LOVES Mr. Bear!!!

We have been practicing Happy Birthday all year... it's the celebration at the end that sometimes will bring Kingston to tears! So, he was WELL PREPARED when it was his moment... and like a CHAMP he smiled and ever so delicately DOVE into his cake!

He wasn't sure what to think and couldn't understand WHY I was ALLOWING and ENCOURAGING him to make a mess! I can see how this is a little confusing.

Always time for a quick family photo!

That's my boy ALWAYS willing to SHARE!

Grandmama got Kingston a Pirate Ship (water station).

HE LOVES TO PLAY IN WATER!!!

It was such a BIG hit... with ALL ages!

Kingston and his buds: Landon and Brannon.

Brooks and Kingston

Kingston and Uncle Hunter cooling off.

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!!!

My baby doll is all partied out and so very sleepy!

Happy Birthday Our Sweet Baby Boy!

We LOVE you SO MUCH!!!

Mama & Daddy

It's Been A Long Time...

2010-05-02T22:05:00.010-05:00

So it's been since Easter... LONG TIME! Let's play catch up...

Here is a little video I put together to let you see what all Mr. Kingston has been up to.

(You will probably want to mute the music, because there is music on the video. Otherwise, it is going to be MUSIC OVERLOAD!)

Enjoy!

I feel the need to address that Beep and I DO dress our child. He actually has lots of really cute clothing. BUT, when I was putting this together and looking at all his videos, I noticed that we're always catching a lot these moments before bath time or after. Which is why we he is always in his DIAPER!

Geeeezzzz... I just really thought that I should address this! Please know that we DO NOT take our child to WALMART in his diaper... we ARE NOT those people!

I also think, NOW I should apologize to anyone that I may have offended that takes their child to WALMART in their diaper.

Ohhhhhh well, I need to go ahead and tell THOSE people that DO... YOU SHOULDN'T... IT'S GROSS! If you don't want to go to WALMART in your underwear, DON'T MAKE YOUR CHILD!

And... yeah, I'm done!

My love to you all...

What an EGG-cellent Sunday!

2010-03-28T18:40:00.013-05:00

Mr. Kingston was invited to his 1st Easter Egg Hunt today, out at the Ogle Family Farm. I was worried about how it would all go down, because lil' man hadn't had a nap ALL day. Pulling into the driveway he falls asleep... I was thinking "GREAT... Well we may just have to sleep through the Egg Hunt this year!"

We decided to just go with it... Beep got out Kingston and gave him a quick "Father/Son pep talk" on how to find the eggs SUPER FAST! :) Hey, don't laugh... it's never too early to teach these things!

Kingston was unsure what to do... I think he was thinking, "Mama your telling me you WANT me to pick something up off the GROUND?"

Ever so carefully studying what he has found.

Yummy, Yummy, Mmmmm... He found a Easter Egg in the shape of a Cupcake!!! He was partial to those... which could be why we came home with six of them.

Kingston LOVES his Cupcake!!!

I can't help it... He is such a little DOLL BABY?

This KING doesn't need a nap!!! He is ALL smiles... ALL the time!

Mr. Kingston & Miss Mollie Kate Ogle

(TOO CUTE)

Okay let me explain...

I was trying to get an action shot here... you know show off Kingston's "MAD" crawling skills. Well... when Beep put him down, so he could go and get his egg, he really didn't care for the way the grass felt on his knees. So, instead he showed everyone how to BEAR CRAWL! See I told you... "MAD" skills!

(I think I remember a story about a little girl who HATED to feel the grass on her legs when she was little!) LOL

What a great Sunday spent with family and friends! Thank you to the Ogle Family, for including us in your Annual Easter Egg Hunt! We had a EGGcellent time!!!

2,4,6,8 almost 9 MONTHS!!!

2010-02-16T20:53:00.022-06:00

Yeah, I'm CREEPING up on 9 months... you wanna make something of it? Listen you don't want to mess with me, I've got two teeth... yeah you heard me 2!!! 2 more coming in on top!!! I like to chew on anything I can get my little hands on. Did I mention that I can drool like nobody's business? Hmmmm.... huh!

Crawling.... CHECK!!!! I am ALL over the place. There is nothing that I can't get my little pincher's on now. I go OVER... I go UNDER... I am UNSTOPPABLE!!!

Have I mentioned how strong I am yet? Besides my daily push-ups, I also have been

working out my arms and legs with all the pulling up I have been doing. I love to pull up in my bed, but my favorite is in the bathtub. This makes my Mama go crazy!!! Life is great! There is nothing that I can't get to... JUST TRY ME!!!

My Mama and Daddy have been teaching me sign language for the past two months. (LOL) I am still wondering why I need to know sign language... I can sit and cry and they run around trying to figure out what I want anyway. Last week, I thought that I would make them feel accomplished... I used my "milk" sign. They were really proud of me!

Things that I love...

*Watching Little Einstein, Jungle Junction

& any video featuring... me, Kingston, of course!

*My LOVEY & My PACIFIER

*Eating Biter Biscuits & Puffs

*BATH TIME

*Crawling

*Playing with Cupcake's "BIG CHAP STIC"

*Listening to Uncle Hunter play the guitar & piano

*Playing with Baby Brooks

*Taking Naps with my Daddy

*Being Tickled

*Listening to my Mama make

Miss Allie & Mr. Lion talk!

(she thinks they're real ;)

A note from Kingston's Mama:

Can you believe just how big this little guy has gotten? Like everyone always says, don't blink because they grow up so fast! It's the truth... I can't believe that he is about to be 9 months old! YOWZA!!! I really hope these next couple of months DRAG by...

I'm not ready to sing Happy Birthday yet...

KINGSTON, JUST STAY MY BABY FOREVER!!!!

I know... I know!!!

2010-02-04T21:57:00.023-06:00

WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN RIGHT?

Seriously, I know... I know... I have turned into one of "THOSE" people!

(I'm so ashamed!)

Okay, well let's see looks like last time we chatted it was GOOD HEAVENS... THANKSGIVING!!!! Well light a fire under my BOO-TAYYYYYY, we've got some catching up to do.

Do you hear what I hear Kingston Hunter?

It's your 1st Christmas...

Christmas Holidays 2009

I don't know how Christmas is celebrated at your house,

but Christmas with us is CrAzY BUSINESS!!!

Christmas Eve - we hung out at my parents house. Yep, that is "Miss Allie" the Alligator that Kingston got from his Cupcake and Papaw. He loves to ride her like a horse and then take naps on her. I think that "Miss Allie" will keep him happy for a LONG time. I really did not know what to expect with Kingston and the whole opening presents thing. TISSUE PAPER... that is ALL we should have bought the child... TISSUE PAPER!!! Had we only known what entertainment it would have provided him.

Christmas Morning - Here is Baby Kingston with his toys. He couldn't decide what he needed to put in his mouth first. Does this look like some sensory overload or what?

Christmas Day - The margarita's are flowing (Compliments to Uncle Brandon), Kids are yelling out "I'm a LOSER" or "RAT SCRATCH FEVER," people are EVERYWHERE!!! Wait we must be at my Auntie Shay- Shay's house with the Cox's!!! Always a good time with the Cox's... we played our Annual RAT SCRATCH FEVER that my Uncle Timmy created for all the COX Rats! It involves lotto tickets and something to scratch with. This year was big because there were to NEW rats added Baby Kingston and Baby Brooks! If that doesn't that sound like a good ole' wholesame holiday family game... I DON'T KNOW WHAT DOES?

Best Little Buddy Cousins... Kingston and Brooks!

Let's try to act normal...

Nah... That's over rated... LET'S PARTY!!!

Christmas Evening - We left the country and headed back in to hang out with the Kraus'. Yummy food, Egg Nog, and hopes of Uncle Eddie to make an appearance!

Round 3 for Mr. Kingston - GOING STRONG!

I think that this is the most precious picture of my nephew Jackson playing with his race track. He is such a sweetie!!!

Doesn't this always happen, parents taking over the kiddo's new toys?

Actually poor Carson had to wait because everyone wanted a turn.

He's such a BIG BOY... he kindly waited his turn!

No worries I'll give you a moment...

You need more time?

I mentioned earlier that every year we HOPE that Uncle Eddie will make an appearance. And every year we are never disappointed! Uncle Eddie this year, came in FULL RED (MUCH TOO TIGHT) LONG UNDERWEAR! Oh yes, buttons in the back and everything. Believe me once you got past that you SHOULDN'T LOOK it was the FUNNIEST THING YOU HAD EVER SEEN!!!

My cheeks were hurting from grinning ear to ear for so long...

If that picture didn't alarm you the next one will!

For all you Mother's out there - The ONLY reason that this "PERSON" was aloud to get near my child and touch him, was because I know that JOEY is inside there... somewhere?!?

This picture actually brings tears to my eyes... To see these three BUSY little boys play together is the most precious thing ever. I look SO forward to watching them grow up together. (This picture also makes me laugh, because it was the ONLY picture that I could capture with the three of them in it!)

Don't move, SMILE... and it will be painless! :)

Day after Christmas - Are you tired yet? Well grab a snack because we are still HOLIDAY'n it up people!!! Christmas with the Greens! Every year we go to someone else's house in my family. This year we went to my Uncle David and Aunt Beth's house. They're house looked like a Christmas store! Everything was decorated... with Santa collections everywhere. BEAUTIFUL!!! We had SO much fun eating MORE DELICIOUS FOOD...putting a hurting on some popcorn cans and playing games. THE GIRLS WON... GIVEN!!! Better luck next year BOYS!

What do these two Green's have in common?

Umh... They're both BOYS... and you thought I was going to say BALD!!!

I love you Uncle David!!!

Brothers

Hunter Jacob and Kingston Hunter

The Green Family... take 15!

I love the Holidays!

I have the best memories as a child of the Christmas hustle and bustle and yes it continues. I wouldn't change a thing!!!

My HUGE family is amazing... I am so blessed!

God is good!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and are kicking off 2010 with a BANG!

Hope to visit again soon. I will try not to let 2 months slip by again!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-05T00:28:00.002-06:00

Plain and simple...

I am thankful for my "healthy"

Baby Kingston

and our

FAMILY.

Life just doesn't get any better!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-14T18:07:00.005-06:00

How so much can change in a year! Last year we announced that we were having a baby... now that baby is 5 MONTHS OLD! Please hold so I can stop my head from spinning! WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

Mr. Kingston rocked it in his pea in the pod costume and his Mama and Daddy... well.... we attempted high school "Panther" style!

Moving on...

Can you seriously believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner? You know what that means... A BREAK.... 7 days to do... WHATEVER I want! BRING IT ON... Ahhh I can just "smell" it from here!

Let the count down begin...

Ohhhh October.

2009-10-25T21:13:00.020-05:00

Major things have been going on over at the Kraus House. Our little man has been GROWING BIG TIME!!!!

October 9th... Kingston turned 4 months old. Seriously, where did the time go? Here were his "stats:"

Weight: 16lbs. 14 oz. (87%)

Height: 28 inches (100%)

Head circumference: 17 inches (76%)

Dr. Hudson gave us the "GO" to start giving Kingston baby food! Whoo-hoo! So far we have tackled cereal, applesauce, squash, and green beans. YUMMY! Next up, here comes CARROTS! Jealous?

Kingston has just recently started to realize that Bailey too, occupies our home. He watches her roam and run all over the house. He gets so excited when she is around... I wish I could say the feeling was mutual. Poor Bailey Boo... she is just not real interested! She'll come around once KHK can play "retrieve" with her...

Beeper and I were asked to go to Gold Rush last weekend with the Mahone's! Anytime I can spend time with "My Michelle" I'm in... on top of that dressing up, good food, drinks, and DANCING! SHOOOOOOOT.... LOOK OUT! Oh to dress up... right up my alley...

We all couldn't have been MORE DIFFERENT!

I was a hippie and Michelle was a pirate. Arrgh!

Here we have... Rocky and Payne Stewart.

Like I said "VERY DIFFERENT!"

As for this picture... well this just shows that we had a GREAT TIME!

(Is there anything better than "back seat pictures" after a party?

You know you've all taken them... Ahhhhh... good times... good times!)

I also need to give a shout out to our babysitter that night. Thanks Paige and Greg for watching our little munchkin. We really do appreciate it! :)

Rewind...

2009-10-06T19:12:00.016-05:00

No lie... I'm just flat embarrassed about how long it's been since I blogged last... geeezzz its literally been 2 months! Really it isn't like there hasn't been anything going on, I MEAN HELLO YOU KNOW ME... there is ALWAYS something going on! :)

Let's dive in... we've got some catching up to do!

Here are some pics of a random Cox Get Together... I love that we just get together for no reason, but just to visit! Oh, who am I kidding and to EAT good food of course! :) The baby with Kingston is my precious little cousin Brooks that I am sure you have all heard me dote over time and time again! I love seeing those two little guys together! (Check out my other little cousins and their AMAZING POSES!)

As most of you know, this September was a MILESTONE month for my parents... they both turned 50! Holy Moly Right? (lol) I don't know how it happened, but I actually managed to throw them both a surprise birthday party! I still can't believe that I pulled it off, getting them both there and keeping it a secret! Thanks for everyone that came to help celebrate! A Big thanks to my cousin Angela for helping me get my "ELDERS" there! :) I must say that my Mama and Daddy make 50 look DAMN GOOD! (Let's hope that those genes got passed on!)

I always get excited with "My Michelle" comes in to town. Now, more than ever because we have two little guys that we love to watch play together. So last week she came in and you know what we just had to do? Well a MINI-PHOTO-SHOOT of course! A very short, short, short photo shoot! These boys are really going to have to get used to this...

Hands are Yummy!

2009-08-19T19:38:00.008-05:00

I'm back... Man talk about taking a break! Like always let me catch ya up to date...

So Mr. Kingston is now 2 1/2 months old! :) Seriously can you believe it? Time has flown by... as summers usually do! At KHK's 2 month dr. apt. he weighed 14lbs. and was 25 1/2 inches long.

We just recently went through ANOTHER growth spurt and had to DASH off to Tyler for some "6 month clothing shopping!" FUN-FUN! I mean seriously the child was looking like I couldn't handle him growing up, so I was determine to make 3 month outfits still look cute! I swear it happened over night! Anywho... Tyler got the job done! He no longer looks like a orphan child... bless his heart!

Mr. Kingston is cooing up a storm... I think that this is due to him spending so much time with his YAYA! He definitely will not struggle with a language barrier that is FO-SHO. I can't wait when he can start telling me what all they talk about ALL day! He comes home flat worn out... :) I LOVE IT! It's great!

He is smiling all the time... and it isn't GAS! He thinks I AM FUNNY! It is great to have someone in my house who FINALLY laughs at my jokes, even if he is a "wee little one!"

SLOBBER... OHHHHH DO WE EVER SLOBBER! I swear he slobbers worse than any bulldog I have ever seen. This could quite possibly be due to the fact that our mouth is ALWAYS open, because we are trying to attack our "new friend," OUR HAND! Oh, Kingston loves Mr. Hand! He tries to stick the WHOLE thing inside his mouth... it is fascinating to watch and then scary, because what am I going to do if this actually happens? (Come on people you know what I am going to do... GRAB MY CAMERA!)

Anywho... here is a short video of Mr. Kingston being his CUTE SELF... and Mr. Hand!

One month... REALLY?

2009-07-07T22:11:00.014-05:00

I am sitting in my bed.... looking over at my precious baby boy, Mr. Kingston as he peacefully sleeps. He doesn't even know that exactly one month ago he BUSTED out of his Mama's belly! :) Literally! No really he did... I was busting at the seams!

I cannot believe that he has been here for 4 weeks. What did we used to do without this lil guy! (I am going to be real honest here... because most of you LIE!) :) I know exactly what Beep & I used to do... we stayed up late, went out, drank fun drinks, partied with friends... AND SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT! Yeah... it was the good life, SO WE THOUGHT! Having children is the best thing in the entire world! There is nothing like it... THIS, my friends is the GOOD LIFE!

So, let's get back to my little heart-throb, Kingston Hunter!

It is crazy how much of his personality is already shining through... he is here to teach US! We have been taking notes, and here are some things that you NEED to know about lil Kingston:

*He drinks 6 ounces

*He weighs over 10 lbs. and measuring over 22 inches long.

*He is tracking objects and learning to reach out and grab at them (for instance my glasses, flowers on the door etc.)

*Recognizing voices - especially Mama & Daddy's

*Grunts while creating a "dirty surprise" in his diaper for Mama (cracks me up, no lie)!

*LOVE... LOVE... LOVES... Bath time!

*Sleeps with arms UP, as if riding a roller coaster.

*LOVES to look at the "Pretty Baby" while getting his diaper changed (what a DIVA!)

*Favorite time to be awake is 11:00-1:00 a.m. and 4:30-6:30 a.m. :) Feel free to come and visit during these times.

*Could lay on his "Magic Pad" for hours - this is where "ALL THE MAGIC HAPPENS!" You know where he gets his grunt on! What a DIRTY-BOY!

*Prefers to be moving, dancing, or swinging... ALL THE TIME! (My kind of man!)

He teaches us some-thing new everyday! Just when we think we are starting to get the hang of "Life with Kingston," he changes it up for us once again!

Well, we did it... we have made it for a whole month! No need for applause... :)

Beep & I are having the time of our lives! "Parenthood" is such a gift... what a blessing our little Kingston is!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-20T22:36:00.007-05:00

I am warning you now... it's about to get MUSHY up in here! If you can handle it... READ ON!

I cannot hold it in any longer... I want to shout it from the rooftop... Beeper Kraus, is not only an amazing husband, but also the best Daddy in the world! (Is this a real shock to anyone... I mean seriously?)

I married the man of my dreams and I loved him with all of my heart... then we had a child together! Everything changed... my heart grew and I now see my husband in a whole NEW light! I feel as though my heart could explode, because my LOVE for Beeper has surpassed something that I could have never imagined!

I sit here now... glancing over to see him sleeping peacefully with our little blessing! I reflect back 13 days ago, when Kingston was born and it brings tears to my eyes to remember what all Beep did for the both of us. From the get go, Beeper was always concerned with how I was doing, feeling, and wanted to know if there was anything that he could do to help me. He had to help me walk, get in and out of bed, potty, shower... you name it, he had to help me do it. On top of that "Super Man" was taking care of our newborn baby at the same time. We kept Kingston in our room the entire time that we were at the hospital. He would stay day/night taking care of Kingston: changing diapers, feeding, holding, and just loving the little man. Never complaining, always saying that he wouldn't have it any other way.

I have told him that I really think he missed his calling... he could have been making the BIG BUCKS, because he was supposed to be a "Celebrity Manny!" Maybe next lifetime. Until then, he is ours...

Beeper is our rock and he definitely puts his family first. He needs to help other men out and teach them how to be the "COMBO MAN," a great husband and Daddy. Kingston and I are so incredibly lucky to have such a caring and loving MAN in our lives.

So raise your glasses and toast with me.

Here's to Beeper... may you have the best 1st Father's Day ever,

because you deserve nothing, but the BEST!

Love,

Kingston & his Mama

Kingston Hunter Kraus

2009-06-17T22:22:00.016-05:00

To all our LOYAL readers... I apologize for just now updating! It's been 10 days to long... I promise that it WILL get better! To tell you the truth and I am really not trying to make excuses... I have just been busy this week! I mean you know having a baby and all! :)

Now that I have your attention let's back it up...

June 6th

Beep and I arrive at the hospital at 9:30. I was having some MAJOR anxiety... NO LIE! I prayed up until we walked through the ER doors, asking God to please send me a sign letting me know that everything would be just fine. :) As we were waiting on the elevator, I turned around and out of a room behind us came two men, dressed in black dress suits, and they were rolling out someone all ZIPPED up in a BODY BAG! OMG!!! Really?!? Not, really the sign that I was looking for...

Super, we have been at the hospital less than 10 minutes and the tears are already building up in my BIG green eyes! Beep was thinking... "Oh lordy, this could be a LONG day!"

Out the elevator and we are off to Labor and Delivery. Round the corner and there is Joey, Nicole, and Flipper! To sweet... after some high-fives we were off to check-in.

I was not heading back for surgery until 12:00, so we had two hours to chill-out, take pictures, and attempt to take-in what was actually about to happen. Those two hours flew by and before I knew it was SHOW TIME...

I enter the all white, super cold room (which felt wonderful) and I was thinking, "Is it to late to back out?" They asked if some Kilgore College interns could watch... I told them that they could, but if I catch any of them posting it on you tube I would hunt them down. :) I am still on the look out!

Shake.. Poke... Shake... Poke... Shake... Stab... Went my back! Spinal Block, FINALLY in... Legs go numb... and I am still in SHAKE CITY. I literally thought that I was going to shake off the table. They straped down my arms and put up the sheet! I was ready to see Beep and my Mama walk through the doors!

The doors open and here came my "SMURFS," Beep and my Mama! Beep sat right by me and my Mama had a side shot and watched everything that was going on. (No lie she could have delivered her grandson, with no problem!) :) I kept asking Beep, "are you okay?" I didn't need him hitting the floor! (No worries, he was a champ!) Also, Thanks Mom for being one "tuff cookie" and taking pictures, while your daughter was being "sliced & diced! The pictures you took were priceless!!!

"Your going to feel some pressure," says Dr. Hutchison. PRESSURE?! It felt as though they had lifted my legs up in the air over my head. I felt all the blood rush to my head and then, at 12:28, my ears heard the most precious sound... our little baby boy! My eyes were immediately filled with tears of HAPPINESS. I couldn't believe that he was finally here! They whisked him away and I watched from the side as Kingston's proud Daddy cut the cord.

Beeper walked over and kneeled down beside me... and then he kindly introduced me to our son! The proudest moment in my life was right then, this was the son that we had been praying for! He was perfect... and he was ours!

Kingston Hunter Kraus was born at 12:28 p.m. He weighed in at 9lbs. 6.7oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. (He be BIG BOY... BIG BOY long time!)

I am so glad that he is finally here, healthy and ready to enjoy life with his Mama, Daddy, and Bailey Boo!

So here are some long overdue pictures of my precious baby boy and all his family and friends that helped welcome him into the world! :)

A big thanks to the best sister-in-laws in the world! You two helped capture everything on camera and video and I can't thank you enough! Thanks for being there!!! :) Love ya'll!

Also, to Kingston's TALENTED Big Daddy... the 7ft. stork was AWESOME! What a way to come home and let everyone know about our "special delivery!" You are truly the most talented and creative person that I know. Thanks again for making everything so special and personalized Dad! Love you so much!

Doooo-Do! Dooooo-Do! (Jaws Theme People)

2009-06-09T07:57:00.003-05:00

I am sitting at my kitchen table, looking out at the pond, the 3 neighborhood ducks, people leaving for work, others taking there morning stroll. This is just another day for them... I want to run outside and scream "DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS?" But I guess it is too early for all that... :) or should I?

I stayed up last night, with a thousand thoughts running through my head... "Love on Bailey, did you do this, oh don't forget that, Love on Bailey, make a note so you don't forget, wash this, Love on Bailey some more..." Then I think that my brain had enough and CRASHED!

Is it still totally weird that I cannot wrap my brain around what is actually happening today? I mean, I have had 39 weeks to prepare my brain for this new little resident that will be living with us and still... I don't believe it! I set up a nursery fit for a little "King!" Yet, STILL I DO NOT believe it! We keep talking about this baby... I feel him daily... I'm talking ALL DAY AND NIGHT... and still I feel like we are talking about someone else!

I was awakened by "boo-coo-tools" of text from family and friends expressing their happiness, prayers, and excitement! Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers... we are so lucky to be surrounded by such caring people!

I am beyond the point of excitement... I am so ready for the reality of it all to begin and to see what God has created for us to share with the world!

On that note... I better go get ready! This is something that I actually should be ON TIME for, don't you think? (Otherwise I will never hear the end of it from my Mother, but Mama Shirley you understand don't-cha?) :)

Let the countdown begin...

We'zzzzz Gonna BE PARENTS YA'LLLLLLL!

Holla Back! :)

We have a PLAN!

2009-06-08T13:46:00.010-05:00

I wasn't supposed to go in to see Dr. Hutchison until Tuesday, but I couldn't wait any longer! I called this morning at 8:00 and she called me back around 9:15, telling me to come on in at 11:00.

We arrive and I can see her eyes are HUGE... she had just looked at Kingston's sonogram pictures and measurements! She said, "Girl what do you want to do?" I wanted a plan... and I didn't want to wait until Friday that was FO-SHO! So she brings in all the sono. data and we start to deliberate.

Kingston's head is in the 93% percentile and as for his belly... well it was off the charts! My son's TUMMY is SO BIG that it could NOT be measured people! She then told me that she would prefer to take him out via c-section. I just nodded thinking, "DAMNIT - Why did I skip all those chapters in my baby books!" Back to earth... "Okay, yeah I guess I can do that... so when are we talking here?" "Whenever you want!" Holy Smokes I am going to get to pick out his birthday...

ALK Brain Thought: "Yeah, well Wednesday isn't really good for me, because that is our ANNIVERSARY! Hello, Mr. Kingston has to have his OWN day! Umh... Thursday is the 11th and 6/11/09 I don't really care for that. Friday is just TOO FAR AWAY! Back up to tomorrow, Tuesday, 6/9/09... numerical order... multiples of 3...I like that!" Just an FYI: on 6/9/34; Donald Duck made his 1st film appearance. That's it... IT WAS MEANT TO BE! lol

So there you have it people... Big Mama is going to the BIG HOUSE, Good Shepherd tomorrow at 10:00. I will be prepped at noon and Mr. Kingston will come out, into this CRAZY WORLD before 1:00. NOW THAT IS A PLAN, and if you know me at all, you know that is ALL I ever wanted!

The only thing is... now I feel like I am taking a test tomorrow that I haven't studied for at all! Oh geezzz... I've gotta start reading! :)

Stay Tuned,

One Anxious Mama-2-Be

Whooooo wants an update.... Who? Who? Who? Who?

2009-06-06T20:15:00.007-05:00

For those of you that don't play the game name that tune very well... I feel the need to tell you to go back and read the title singing the tune "Who let the dogs out! :) There you go... MUCHO BETTA!

I thought that I should put out a written update on Mr. Kingston... if you haven't heard by word of mouth yet!

Tuesday, June 2nd

I went to the doctor for our regular weekly checkup. Everything was going normal... I was even impressed that I actually DID NOT gain any weight from the week before! Can I get a little what-what for BIG MAMA? Anyway, she then says, "umh... I just don't really remember you measuring and looking so BIG last week!" I'm thinking "umh... that was below the belt, but I will let it slide!" She then told me that she thinks that Kingston is going to be bigger than what she had expected and she wants for me to have a sonogram to measure his weight. Alrighty then... I made an appointment!

Friday, June 5th

Our appointment was for 11:00... Beeper & I got there at 10:35! YOWZA - anxious, much? I was so excited, we hadn't seen him since March. So we assume our positions and look up at the the screen... and there he was... Mr. Kingston... and all smooched up! Bless his little heart, I just "thought" that he was uncomfortable! The sono. tech then began to measure his head, belly, and thigh. "What a big belly he has!" she said. After that she said, "well do you have any clue what he weighs?" Beep & I had discussed it before... he thought 8 lbs. 5 oz. and I was thinking closer to 8 lbs. 7 oz. Comically she smiles and states, "well.... my measurements show that right now he weighs 9lbs. 10 oz.! UH-DOO-WHAT? Come again? One more time?

We then walk out of the room... with CROOKED smiles on our face (for different reasons I am sure)! I am baffled... Beep is PROUD! Of course my doctor isn't there for me to talk with her about the results that we have just heard! My next appointment is Tuesday, June 9th! Yes, I know, by then my son could weigh close to 10lbs. Ahhhh!

As I sit here and type... I glance out the window to see a bright sky, lit up by one BIG FULL MOON!

"I'm ready... BRING IT ON... It's GO time people...let's get this BIG slugger OUT!"

Stay tuned...

Gotta Give Props!

2009-06-05T09:55:00.005-05:00

Let it be known that I had the BEST photographers to capture my "big-bellied-self" and all my glory. My sister-in-law, Nicole, and her sister, Jessica have started a photography business... and I'm not just saying this... BUT THEY ROCK!

I was privileged to have them come to my house and take some maternity pictures... the session lasted three hours... and we had SO MUCH FUN, and yes Beeper was a trooper! Don't ever let "Lil Kraus" make you think that he doesn't enjoy being in front of the camera! The Pretty Boy LOVES IT!!! :)

Here are some of the pictures that they captured...

Did they do an AWESOME job or what? I can't thank you enough Nicole and Jessica for coming down and taking pics of "our bellies!" Some how you two managed making this "Big Girl" look halfway decent and for that ALONE... big kisses to you both! Mmmmwwwwwahhhh!

Too see more pics that have been crafted by these "Talented Twin Sisters" check them out at http://www.jessicawilliamsphotography.com/

I'm PREGNANT & I'll CRY if I want to!

2009-05-19T21:03:00.014-05:00

4:55 the alarm goes off... Bailey and I are out the door 5:08! We do our morning walk with fellow Preggo Val. Come home, take a shower, and then somehow this morning, I ended up back in bed! :) This BIG GIRL was tired!

6:20 Bailey is doing her little bark in the laundry room. I knew she put her ball somewhere where she couldn't get to it. So, I called her in our room and asked her to please go lay down. Which she did... SO I THOUGHT!!!

6:45 I finally decide that it is REALLY time to get up AGAIN! I am dressed and walking into my closet when I feel a dampness underneath my right foot??? Beeper cleaned the carpet yesterday, so at first I thought it must be a place that hadn't dried yet. I continued to feel around with my feet trying to see if anymore of the carpet was wet... ODD just in that one place. I make my way down to the floor (which is a task) and decide to use my BIG SNIFFER! OMG it is TT, PEE, TINKLE, or whatever cutie little name YOU call it! SUPER, I have URINE all over my feet and now in my BIG SNIFFER! Who let their dog in my house to do this... because BAILEY BOO is perfect (besides her gorged anal glands) and would NEVER do something like this!

At this point, I am NOT HAPPY to say the least, because I am discovering that my dog has lost her mind and did her business on my CLEAN carpet... and it's no where near the door, therefore I know this wasn't a accident. After making enough noise, Beep gets up mad and looking for Bailey. SHOOOOOT... Bailey is out underneath Kingston's bed (her newest place to crash!) That girl doesn't know anything is going on. Beeper then calls her out from underneath, saying "WHAT DID YOU DO?" He walks her over to "the SPOT" and then begins to scold. She has NO IDEA what she is in trouble for... now I am NOT MAD anymore I am SAD, because she doesn't know why Beeper is getting on to her. She did this hours ago. So, I scoop her up, take her into the living room, and turn into the Dog Whisperer... telling her that she knows better... BLAH BLAH BLAH! Oh, but then $#*T hit the fan...

After our talk, I was walking back to the bedroom, when I saw the dress that I wore yesterday out of the laundry basket and on the floor. I slowly walked up to it like it was a python that was going to strike at any moment... I lifted it up with my fingertips and then I saw it! My four-legged-little-friend had EATEN a whole in my dress! "WHAT THE HELL?" She has OFFICIALLY lost her MIND!!!

GET OUT OF MY WAY... I grabbed the dress and came barreling down the hall shaking it... oh and I should mention, at this point PREGGO is having a EMOTIONAL breakdown! Tears are going EVERYWHERE! Beeper comes running out of the bedroom... I'm sure that he thought I was in labor! Nope, just have a dress with NO BACKSIDE!

I am LIVID at Bailey... Then Beeper, who was just throwing a fit over her "tt episode" says to me "it is okay Amanda, it is not a big deal!" OH NO, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, thing to say! My "RAGE" took an awful shift... it moved from Bailey... to BEEPER!!! :( In my mind I didn't understand why he didn't want to BEAT HER after what she had done... he was more worried about carpet... THAT WE COULD CLEAN! I had LOST it... at this point it was way past time to take my CRAZY EMOTIONAL self to school.

I cried all the way to school... Thinking that my perfect little Bailey is basically acting out due to Mr. Kingston's arrival. Cried because my dress was now TRASH. Cried because I TOTALLY lost my marbles on Beep. Then I cried because I looked like POO! I'm telling ya "IT WAS BAD!"

10:15 Lil Kraus walks in my room... I am puzzled! He has a sack... My PRINCE went to MOTHERHOOD and bought me "THE DRESS" and a slice of cookie cake to go with it! I don't care who you are... NOW THAT IS SWEET! Melted my heart and then I was crying all over again... (can't wait to be TUFF again) He made my day! :) I was Happy!

11:15 I called Beep to tell him how much it meant to me, what he had done! I could barely hear him... so I said "where are you?" He said, "Oh I am eating with Jeff!" I was thinking "oh man... I would much rather be with him, eating out, then eating this microwave pizza!" I then said "Oh that is fun, I just hope that you aren't eating Gonzalo's!" All I could hear was SILENCE! (Oh yeah that's where he was) Poor Beep... I know he was thinking "DAMNIT I can't catch a break!"

Just an FYI: Not only am I PSYCHO, I am a PSYCHIC! :)

I haven't been sick these past 9 months, and that is a true blessing, BUT I HAVE had some kind of BI*POLAR MOOD SWINGS! Beeper has seen me turn into a crazy women at times, and he is ALWAYS trying to make life easier and better for me! I know that I don't have to tell you this, but I am so LUCKY to have such a UNDERSTANDING and LOVING husband!

"SHMILY Beeper Kraus!"

It's been way too long... time to catch up!

2009-05-12T16:56:00.022-05:00

Alrighty, let's back it on up...

My PT family threw me and Mr. Kingston one AMAZING shower! I really do work for the best school in PINE TREE ISD - the PRIMARY ROCKS! I am so blessed to have such great people to work with! Nothing, is better than to be able to say that I work with "ALL MY FRIENDS!" What is better than that people? Notta - Nothing!

Mr. Kingston was hooked up with everything that he could imagine and possibly need! He is going to be one SPOILED little dude! Would we have it any other way? I want to thank everyone again that helped make my shower so special, and personable. I am one lucky preggo chick... :)

After the shower, my cousin came in town from good ole' Whitesboro, Texas. She is such a HOOT, and there is NEVER a dull moment when Angela is around.

We were sitting up in Mr. Kingston's room looking at all his new stuff when I noticed my precious Bailey doing something TOTALLY DISGUSTING! Good Gosh, she was dragging her butt on my floor! Umh... What the hell? I immediately yelled, "Bailey Kraus what are you doing?" (Guess what... she didn't answer!) Anywho, I was thinking great just what we need... our dog to have WORMS ALL UP IN HER BOOTY! As I am freaking out... because Bailey has NEVER done this before, Angela is laughing hysterically saying, "Oh my gosh she just needs YOU to squeeze her anal gland!" Uh-Do-WHAT? ANAL GLAND? SQUEEZED? And you think that I am going to do it? Ha... You must BE CRAZY!!!

Needless to say, I thought that this was a STINKY joke until she said that she would do

it. Naturally I said, "okay let's go outside, I will get you some toilet paper and GLOVES!" So, there we were sitting on the deck... I'm held Bailey (who didn't even have a clue how she is about to be TOTALLY VIOLATED!) and that's when it happened! A "TOXIN" emerged from my "lil brown dog" a SMELL that NO ONE should ever have to inhale. My eyes began to water... and my nose was burning! Ahhhh... I was outside and still couldn't get away from that FUNKY STENCH!

What's worse is Angela then says... "Good LORD , I didn't even get all of it... there is MORE in there!" OMG we have to do it AGAIN? Are you kidding me? I gagged my way through it and then began to laugh hysterically as Bailey looked at me as if saying, "See I was just trying to drag that Nasty $*#t out of me...LITERALLY!" She was relieved and unharmed... as for me on the other hand my eyes and nose will NEVER be the same!

So, now her ANAL gland is filling back up... and NO I will not be going ANYWHERE near her little tan booty! The next time that she will be relieved is when "VETERINARIAN ANGELA" comes back in town to "Get her Squeeze on!"

SICK!!!

Last weekend was Aidan Cain's 7th birthday! I can't believe how big my little cousins are getting! I mean, I still call my cousin Baby Paige and she is 9 years old! :) It's just insane how fast they, WE, all grow up! I am going to have to come up with a way to freeze time when Mr. Kingston gets here.

Needless to say, we had a lot of fun celebrating and just hanging out. There really isn't anything better then being with your FAMILY, where you are FREE to be YOU and they don't mind when your BIG BABY BELLY hangs out! :) Love ya'll!!!

1st Baby Shower for Kingston!

2009-04-13T13:51:00.010-05:00

March 28th, I had our 1st baby shower for Kingston! I didn't think that it could get any better than wedding showers... well guess what? It can!!! Baby Showers are SO MUCH FUN (especially when it's YO baby!) Even though you register for all this stuff... it doesn't make it REAL until you get home and lay it all out in his room. Beeper and I just sat in the floor saying "WOW!" This is when you realize how blessed you are to have such great friends and family that have helped out during this very special time. I cannot thank Brenda, Michelle, Crystal, Tina, Teresa, Jennifer, Julie and Paige enough for hosting this shower for us. Thank you to everything for helping Beeper and I celebrate this AWESOME time in our life!

Some captured moments from the shower...

Part II

2009-03-26T20:50:00.014-05:00

Warning: In some people's eyes I always seem to tell WAY TOO MUCH information ( TMI if you will.) So, I am telling you ahead of time that this posting will be no different and this is your opportunity to make a decision... TO READ or NOT TO READ! As my principal says... "The choice is yours!" lol

Let's Begin...

March 22nd, Sunday Morning, I awake at 8:30 needing to use the restroom. Normal right? I roll back into bed and realize that I have some pain in my lower back on the right side. Not two minutes later, the urge is back... "OH MAN, REALLY A BLADDER INFECTION?" I wait until 10'ish and then decide to give my doctor a call to go ahead and get some antibiotics flowing.

The LONG day goes on and the back pain is getting WORSE, it has now spider webbed up and over my right hip and taking over my tummy. This is NO BLADDER INFECTION!!! Braxton Hicks got nothing on this! Beeper had watched enough rocking and listened to enough moaning, it was time to call the doctor AGAIN! I called and the on call nurse says that it is sounding like I am having contractions... OMG! She said that I needed to go to the hospital. Off we go...

We are placed in a labor and delivery room and they do everything, BUT give me something to relieve the pain! I mean seriously, can't all the questions, baby monitors, IV's, wait? I will lay still if you just GIVE ME SOMETHING! After all the yah-da, yah-da, they discover that KINGSTON is sitting on my right kidney and blocking some fluid from passing through, which was creating somewhat of a fluid pocket. SUPER, I thought... "WELL JUST MOVE HIM!" Nope, they can't do that... we have to WAIT until HE decides to move! I feel as though I have already lost CONTROL! :) After being rejuvenated and finding a pain killer that wouldn't make me HURL, I was finally doing BETTER!

I know that this next part is TMI, but I can't NOT write about it...

Thursday, I decided to go back to school... evening though I looked and felt like a ZOMBIE! I was still taking my pills every four hours for my back that was still throbbing. That evening I thought about something that hadn't happened in 4 days... I haven't had a bowel movement! This is very ABNORMAL for me. I looked up the side effects for my pain pills... BINGO the very first one CONSTIPATION! Houston we have ANOTHER "STINKIN" problem!

Friday morning, I called the nurse and she suggested that I take some Milk of Magnesium. After all the gals at my school told me how WONDERFUL it tasted I couldn't wait to get my hands on some. So, I took it at lunch... waited and waited some more! NOTHING! So, I took it again that evening... STILL NOTTA! I am now thinking that something is seriously WRONG! I decided that this "ISSUE" would just have to wait until after my shower on Saturday.

My shower (which I will be bloggin about soon:) came and went and still NOTTA a RUMBLE or nothing, BUT... there was one thing that kept being suggested to me to take... MiraLAX!

I was desperate it had been almost a week!!! I got the GOODS and mixed it in my SONIC sweet tea... and did what I do best WAITED! In less than TWO HOURS a miracle happened at 212 Millpond Drive. I have never been so excited about a BM in my life! :)

Let this be a lesson learned... don't let yourself get BACKED-UP, when there is an AMAZING powder out there to help you! I stand by this product! I swear by MiraLAX... this stuff is THE BOMB BABY!!!

Here's hoping that MiraLAX, will put me on a commercial, to share my story and help others, so they don't get "plugged" like I did! People need to know that there are resources out there to help them in their time of need!

Thank you for reading my story! :)

PART I

2009-03-21T18:23:00.026-05:00

WOW! Do I ever have SO MUCH to share... be prepared guys this is going to be a LONG-DOOZIE!!!

It all started last Friday, when Beep and I made a quick trip to good ole' Prosper, Texas to visit "My PREGGO" Michelle and James! I wanted to see her BEAUTIFUL house and hang out ONE last time before we became Mommies! We had so much fun... ate SO MUCH FOOD... and grossed out our husbands like we always seem to do. There is something about when the two of us get together we turn into.... well BOYS!!! We had two main goals for that weekend... take some BELLY PICS and go on a LONG WALK (we love to go on walks!) Saturday we were off... Jetta & Bailey Boo were ready to go! Needless to say, our pace has SLOWED down incredibly... and an hour in 1/2 later we were dead tired and ready to get back. I could see Michelle's house and the only thing that was stopping me was a fence. No big deal right? I mean hands down I knew that we could get through the fence... if not we could climb it! :) HA!!!

As we get closer to the fence, Michelle says "Manda there is no way I can get through that fence!" Oh, but I am still confident that BIG MAMA can do this!!! Nothing is more comical than a BIG GIRL thinking that she isn't very big and attempting to CORK herself through a fence. I swear it was an optical illusion... It looked bigger from a distance! Anywho, I just knew that I could have climbed over it, but Michelle wasn't EVEN going to let that happen. :) Someone has to look out for me!

After wasting SO MUCH TIME... we decided to

get walking, and we finally made it home. After, downing some water we were delirious and took some BELLY PICS!

I have said for the past 7 months that there was NO WAY I would ever post any belly pics on my blog, because I care about my BLOGGIN BUDDIES EYES! Well consider this a warning... if you wish to save your eyes you

may stop reading now! If your feeling a little daring then venture on... don't say I didn't warn ya!

Like always, we had so much fun, just spending time together. How exciting it is that we will have OUR little BOYS at the same time! I mean really Michelle I don't think that we could have planned it any better! ;) So, let the countdown begin until those little dudes jump out of our BIG BELLIES... and the REAL FUN begins! Thanks again Michelle and James for letting us crash at your BEAUTIFUL CASA!

I just thought that my Spring Break was over... little did I know that my weekend was about to take a turn for the worse!!!

Stay Tuned for Part II

Hip-Hip Hooray!!!

2009-03-17T15:30:00.025-05:00

Well first off... can I get a BIG WHOO-HOO? LOUDER PEOPLE... IT IS SPRING BREAK for goodness sake!!! Needless to say I am beyond excited... A break long overdue that is FO-SHO!!!

Beeper and I have been cleaning out the upstairs... "YOW-ZA" have we ever collected a bunch of CRAP! Now, I can proudly brush my hands together and say "ALL CLEAN!"

Next, up on the list was to get one of our guest rooms ready for a new resident that is planning on moving in this June! You just never know about people... sometimes they SHOW UP early so we new we had to start eventually and Spring Break seemed like a perfect time.

Almost seven months ago, I began to think about Kingston's nursery... Ha! Who am I kidding? I have thought about it since I was little, playing house with Lauren and Whitney and the rest of the Northwood Crew!

As mentioned earlier I have had some ideas... You see this is how it has always worked, I come up with the ideas, pass them on to my INSANELY CREATIVE DADDY, and HE makes it happen! We work great as a team that way! (Love you Daddy! :)
As luck would have it... my Dad took off the same week as my spring break! Lucky for him right? I said "Dad this is going to be EASY... here are the colors I would like striped on the wall, and on this wall we are going to create a magnetic chalkboard, then on top of the chalkboard, I wish that you would draw a big "K" with a crown!" If you know my Dad, there is nothing that MOOSE can't do... and like always he looked at me and said "Yeah, okay we can do that!"

He started on Friday... and we officially finished Kingston's room on Monday! My chalkboard took us a little longer than expected! You see I I wanted a magnetic chalkboard... it would have been too easy to go and by one from the store! I wanted something different and I don't do easy anyway (I get that from my Mama!) After buying the different paints, to create this one of a kind chalkboard, I realized that if we do it right... it is going to take some time! (Have I mentioned that my Dad is a PERFECTIONIST!) So, it took us some time!

Of course throughout the weekend I had to document everything that was happening.

Kingston's room is perfect... exactly the way I imagined!

I couldn't have done ANY of it without one special person...

My Dad,

Thank you again for helping make another one of my visions come true!

Side Note to BIG DADDY:

I just realized that we still have five more days left... do you know what all we could get accomplished? No worries I'll start thinking...

You know you love me! :)

Another Peek In on Kingston Hunter...

2009-03-06T22:13:00.024-06:00

So I am LONG overdue for a posting... I KNOW, I KNOW, I have heard ALL of you! You want an update? Your wish is my command!

Let's back up to February 5th... We went in for a normal checkup and at the end Dr. Hucheson revealed that Kingston had a Chorid Plexus Cyst on his brain. She told us not to be alarmed and not to worry, because they believe that this is another form of development. NOT to WORRY? Ha...

Even better she told us that our next appointment wouldn't be until March 4th. For a month we were supposed to NOT worry! YEA RIGHT!!! What made it even worse was I came home and did exactly what you should never do... began searching on the INTERNET! I knew better... but I READ everything, the GOOD and the BAD.

Long story short... March 4th finally made it here. Our appointment was at 7:30. So at 7:30 I had blood taken for the diabetes test, YES, I finally got to drink that AWFUL drink that everyone loves so much. I must say it really wasn't that bad... Now, don't get me wrong it totally made me GAG, but it was fun to CHUG something again! (LOL) Just kidding... or AM I? :) After, getting my arm jabbed we headed up to the 2nd floor for the BIG SONOGRAM! Nothing but GREAT news. Our prayers had been answered and the cyst was COMPLETELY gone! I was relieved and to top it off I passed the other test so we didn't have to hang out there for another 3 hours!

All-in-all another great day... God is good!

Here are a couple of pics from the sonogram...

No lie... does Kingston not look like Benjamin Button here... SERIOUSLY?

This most likely will be the LAST time that we get to peek in on our Lil Guy! I can not wait to see him... hopefully the next 3 months will fly by just like the past 6!

It's OFFICIAL!!!

2009-02-02T21:05:00.027-06:00

Naming your child has to be one of the HARDEST things that you do! It has definitely not been taken lightly over at OUR house. We have gone back and forth between TWO names, but it is very HARD when you like those two names EQUALLY so much!

We have asked our friends and family their opinion... HOPING that would help our decision! Well of course it really did not help because ULTIMATELY we were STILL going to NAME the little man what WE wanted! Oh geezzzz... back to square one...

There was one "family member" that Beeper and I had STILL not asked for HER opinion! I mean this girl is honestly one of my best friends and has been with me through everything the past 2 1/2 years. She is always there for me and I TRULY felt that her little "voice" deserved to be RECOGNIZED!!! So Beep and I sat down with her and listened...

2 out of three...

So there you have it... Miss Bailey Boo has SPOKEN!

PAWS DOWN... she is going with KINGSTON!

Beep and I have decided FOR SURE that we have come up with the

PERFECT name for OUR SON!!!

(and with Bailey's acceptance, we can't go wrong)

Drum Roll please...

Kingston Hunter Kraus

Of course we had to go tell Hunter Jacob the BIG NEWS!!!

He was excited to say the least! It was the nephew that he prayed for and he was going to be NAMED AFTER HIS UNCLE!!!

What more can you ask for?

Well, Hunter did wonder why we didn't go with Hunter for the 1st name!!!

It's never enough is it???

So there you go...

Kingston Hunter Kraus

IT'S OFFICIAL!

Let's go get something MONOGRAMED MAMA!!!

Our little SECRET!

2009-01-29T20:59:00.034-06:00

Today I got to share my news with not only my friends at school, but with the KRAUS CREW! They have played such a BIG role in my pregnancy. They are very involved and we talk about Mrs.Kraus' little BUMP daily... they love to tell me how BIG it is getting! Honestly, can you ever imagine telling your teacher that they were getting BIG? Hey they are HONEST... I respect that! :) Anyway, I wanted to share our events that took place today and how the Kraus Crew find out what our "NEWEST" Kraus Crew Member was going to be.

First, I had the morning message on the board, which explained that BIG NEWS was awaiting. Then, I told them why I was gone the day before... because I went to the doctor. They knew that I had found out what it was because we have been counting down for a couple of months now! Moving on... I then passed out paper hearts for them to write down their predictions. Afterwards, we tallied them all up. We then met at the rug and I revealed that the majority of the class was right... I was having a BOY! They were so excited!!! I told them that this was our SECRET and we would tell the school the afternoon. (ha "our secret" Do you really think the chicks at my school could have waited that long? - they cheated and looked on the BLOG! :) Anyway, I told them that I have a little jingle that we could learn and we could announce it this afternoon. Whoo-hoo! They were excited and it was ON!!! After practicing some, I showed them BABY KRAUS pictures on the computer. After that, we read one of my most favorite books... I LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!

Here are some pics from our BUSY day...

The Kraus Crew - when they found out the BIG NEWS!

What you want to see how our "Lil Jingle" went down?

Check out the SHOW!!!

Now, please don't judge... we had to learn it under a short period of time! :)

So there you have it... This is how the "BIG NEWS" went down at the Primary!

BIG NEWS FOLKS!!!

2009-01-28T14:01:00.016-06:00

This morning was insane I couldn't sleep for anything. I got up and ate my usual... 2 waffles and began drinking UP SOME WATER! I was going to make sure that we could see the baby and ALL of his/her glory!

Our appointment was at 11:00 and of course Beep and I showed up right at 11:00 and not a minute earlier... (it is just what I do!) Oh, and of course my Mama & Daddy and Frannie were all there before us (it is just what they do.) (I unfortunately didn't inherit that gene.)

Did I mention that this was a total family affair? Hey, You know Amanda Laine loves a Party! So we all PILE in the dark room and take our places in front of the little 15" monitor! (Oh I feel the need to mention that Flipper was unable to make it due to a "Belly Jelly" issue - we all know that he has ISSUES, but this one trumps them all! So he HAPPILY awaited, but on speaker phone of course!) :)

The show began with some measurements... they measured the brain, kidneys, spine, all the little organs, etc. The baby continued to keep his/her legs tightly closed the whole time. Then apparently the baby got tired and realized that we were on a mission so it gave us a sneak peak...

As promised...

Yes! I am a physic and the PENCIL TEST is CORRECT AGAIN!!!

It's a boy... It's a boy! I am crazy excited!

Here are some pictures of our Precious Little BOY!!!

I am in tears just typing that out... I can't believe that this day has FINALLY COME!

GOD is GOOD!

This picture proves we're having a SON!

Full body shot...

Would you check out the posture on that boy!

Sitting up already? lol

This is an up close picture of his face.

We think that he may be a little BOXER...

today he was working on his punching skills!

Okay now come on this is just TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!

Our little guy is just relaxing... already a KRAUS, crossing his feet and ready for a NAP!

As you can tell I am so PROUD and EXCITED! Thank you for letting me gush about our happiness... but, please let me type this just one more time...

WE'RE HAVING A BOY!

Okay, that will hold me over until the next blog! :)

Love ya'll,

A. Laine

HOLY SMOKES...

2009-01-27T20:01:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow brings BIG news people. In less than 24 hours Beep and I will find out if we will be having a BOY or GIRL! It feels like Christmas Eve, at my house (NO this is not because I have a lit tree in my living room.) lol

I am gushing with EXCITEMENT! Holy Smokes... this is what we have been waiting for the past 150 days! That is a LONG time!!!

People have been asking me, "So Amanda are you going to find out what it is or let it be a surprise?" I just stare at them and inside I am thinking... "umh, DO YOU KNOW ME AT ALL?" Seriously, I am like a HUGE planner... My whole life is one BIG plan! Anyway, for all you crazy folk out there wondering... YES WE WILL BE FINDING OUT, and did I mention we FIND OUT TOMORROW!!! Okay, I realize it is a little sickening my giddiness and all... "BUT I'M SO EXCITED, AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT!!!" (Okay, that was a little over the top, I'll even admit that!)

I just wanted you all to know that tomorrow we will know which one of you are WINNERS and who of you are the LOSERS! No matter what the case, I'll still love ya (Mama always said losers need love to!)

Here's hoping that "Baby Kraus" cooperates tomorrow... and if it is a PRISSY GIRL she will be practicing her SPLITS and if it is a TUFF BOY he will be showing off his MAD AIR JORDAN POSE!

Whoo-hoo! Alright, I have to go and talk to "MY BELLY" and discuss the importance of tomorrow.. Stay tuned everybody our appointment is at 11:00... BIG NEWS SHALL FOLLOW! :)

You never know who is listening...

2009-01-20T18:20:00.020-06:00

Out with the OLD and in with the NEW! Today was a day to remember forever... NO MATTER your race, gender or age! I learned that more today from my little "Kraus Crew" friends...

So we started off the day reading stories and discussing how great it is to be an American. Which led us into how our parents got to vote for our president, just like we vote on things everyday, in our class. That is when the stories came FLOODING.... Parents truly under estimate their children and how much they HEAR, RETAIN and TELL their teachers! You would have thought that my children ACTUALLY voted in the election. It was a debate... and IT WAS ON!!!

A couple of FUNNY quotes from the "Kraus Crew:"

Mrs. Kraus is "Rocco Boom-u" going to steal my money like he is going to steal my Mommy and Daddy's?

Mrs. Kraus, I like Obama, and I would have been friends with Hillary Clinton too... EVEN though she is WHITE! My mama said she's AIGHT!!! :) lol (I don't care who you are... NOW that is FUNNY!!!)

I must admit I did let this go on for a while, because it was hilarious to hear what ALL was coming out of their little innocent mouths. At the same time, I was excited to learn that all of this was actually being discussed in their home... PEOPLE FINALLY CARED!!!

Moving on: So I came up with some hats to make... I thought they would be festively fun, AND THEY WERE!!! :) We wrote on them President (last name)... So I was finally President Kraus for the day. (hmmm... I wonder if they wondered why President Obama didn't have his festive hat on during the inauguration?)

I feel the need to mention that I had 6 friends missing from this picture... in a perfect world you would only have 12 children on a daily basis. :)

This afternoon we also made a Kindergarten "Student Body" American Flag! They had so much fun... fingers crossed we will be in the paper tomorrow!

Here's to being a PROUD American, Loving Kids Innocence, and knowing that "DREAMS" really do come true!

God Bless,

Amanda Laine

a.k.a. President A. Kraus

(It really does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?)

Time to OWN up!!!

2009-01-15T17:24:00.004-06:00

First of all, let me thank you for voting on what you think our little Baby Kraus is. It has been VERY interesting to say the least, watching the number of people that actually think that this child could possibly be a GIRL!!!

This leads me to my next request... I am now asking for all you "Dream Girls" to speak out and own up to your vote. Let me know who you are... I am dying to know. So please if you are one of the "PINK FANS" leave me your name, in the comment box below.

Thanks again for playing "NAME THAT SEX!" For all you dirty minded folks I am still talking about my LOVE CHILD!!!

Give it up and START COMMENTING!!!

All aboard... to OUR Christmas Break Madness!!!

2008-12-29T13:17:00.078-06:00

Christmas 2008 came BIG and has now been wrapped up and put away until next year! I am always ecstatic for the Christmas MADNESS to begin, that when it finally gets here, all I can think about is how it will soon be over. :-( So jump aboard the Crazy Train of Our Christmas Break!

We start off with a last minute trip to Dallas with Joey & Nicole. We were lucky to get tickets to the Farewell Cowboy Game. (Thanks Dad) Description of the game - Atmosphere: Perfectly FREEZIN and Exciting, Food: Greasy and Delicious, The Actual Football Game: Comically HORRIBLE!!! Would it have been to much to ask for them to ACTUALLY play like they DESERVE the $ million dollars they are PAID every year??? I mean come on...

Anywho, we decided to leave at Halftime so we could go to... ICE!!! Oh yeah, ICE, ICE, BABY!!! We're talking 9 degrees and 2 million pounds of ICE people! A Winter Wonderland in TEXAS!!! Whoo-hoo!!! Here are some pics from the weekend...

You're never to OLD to SLIDE on ICE! (Thanks ~ Nicole)

Tuesday Night we had Christmas at my parent's house...

Christmas Eve at the Kraus House!

We spent Christmas Day with my Mama's Family...

The Cox's!

Last, but not least, the day after Christmas we spent with my Dad's Family... The Green's!

I was so happy to see Paige and Erin, (two of my GREATEST friends since 5th grade,) this past Saturday before they headed back home. It was great to be able to catch up" IN PERSON," which is so much better than on the phone! It was just like old times! Here is a pic, from our Great Breakfast, at none other than the International House Of Pancakes (IHOP)! Can't wait to see ya'll again!

As you can see Christmas Madness can be quite exhausting. I am now ALL caught up on my rest and ready to BRING IN THE NEW YEAR!!! Bring it 2009... I am awaiting great things and LOTS OF 2009 BABIES! Here is a shout out to all my fellow "Baby Bump'n Mamas" (Michelle, Katrina, & Ashley) our little guys will be here before we know it!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Love, Amanda Laine

Just when you thought elections were over...

2008-12-17T17:56:00.004-06:00

Alrighty people... I want to know whatcha think! Take it for what it's worth... because usually "I DON'T CARE!" (just kidding :-) No really, I am taking a gender poll which is located on the right side of your screen. If you wouldn't mind please put your two cents in and vote! :)

Baby Bump Update...

2008-12-15T18:55:00.012-06:00

So let me take you back to last Thursday. We had another doctor appointment... which I find myself looking SO FORWARD TO these days!!! Ha! Who would have ever thought that a doctor's appointment would be the HIGHLIGHT of OUR month? During this visit, we were going to get to see how our little miracle had grown since our 1st sonogram. Our last sonogram was 6 weeks ago... remember the "Lil Kraus Blob?" Anyway, Beep and I have been reading and keeping up with how the baby has been developing, but that still did not prepare us for what we saw. I think that we both still thought we were going to see this blob with a fluttering heartbeat... again!

"HELLO!!! There is a BABY in my TUMMY!!!" A real baby... not a blob... A PRECIOUS BABY!!! When the tech put the wand on my petite (lol) belly immediately we could see the BABY... I sat straight up (don't do that) to get a better picture of the screen. I was then asked to lay back down and relax. RELAX!!! Are you kidding me... I wanted to say "look lady - - I haven't felt pregnant, I don't get sick, the only time that I truly know that I am pregnant is when I come here and you put THE WAND ON THE BELLY!" I didn't want to ruin the moment :) so I kindly laid back down and strained my neck to look at the screen.

I wasn't the only one who perked up... ole' Beep straightened that LONG BACK of his straight up. I think that he grew 5 inches! He thought it was amazing... to say the least!

As we peeked in on our little one... he was just chillin! Laid out on his back... like "yeah, glad ya'll good drop in, this is where I stay!" (Of course he talks LIKE HIS MAMA...) We also learned that Baby Kraus (like his cousins) loves the camera and is very photogenic. He laid there long enough for the tech to do all the measurements and then some. We were able to see him: yawn, have the hick-ups and do some backward caterpillar rolls (look out Uncle Joey, you've got competition coming June :). Apparently, we had stayed to long, because lil Kraus rolled over and showed us his bum... PARTY OVER... EVERYBODY OUT... and that was it!!!

So here is our "STAR of the Show!" I have also posted little labels for those of you that do not know what you are looking at when looking at sonograms! No need to thank me!!! :)

Yes, I feel the need to explain that I do STRONGLY believe that this child is a little boy. Whoo-hoo! I actually do not care the sex... it will just be great to know what IT is. So when referring to Lil Kraus I naturally just say him. Hmmm... maybe we need to start a gender pole! I will get on that!!!

Gobble... gobble... till ya wobble... wobble!

2008-11-28T11:44:00.020-06:00

I hope that you all had a Happy Thanksgiving! I gobbled... gobbled... FO SHO! The night before Thanksgiving we always head over to the "Kraus House," to help out with the big FEAST... wait... DON'T GET ME LYING! The BOYS help make a mess, in Flipper & Frannie's kitchen... while the girls play with the babies :) and watch SCARY clay-mation Christmas Movies! It's all big fun really! If you know the Kraus Boys AT ALL... you know that when they get together they always invite: Jack... GIN... and Mr. WINE-O! These three pals always seem to make the gatherings get "a lil HOT," which makes the Kraus Boys LOOSE THEIR CLOTHES...

Example 1:

Now you know these boys were raised better than that! Sitting at the table, preparing Thanksgiving dinner, with their shirts off didn't last long! No worries... Flipper was happy to share his "Beach Tanks" with his boys... even Carson Grant got one!

Example 2:

Thanksgiving Day, we continued our "Eat-athon" over at the Kraus'. I ate like it was my last meal... to give you a visual on how full I was----> I know that you have all seen those Great White documentaries. Okay, well you know when they show the Great White PIGGING out on a Whale carcass, and the Great White eats so much that it becomes drunk and begins to float on its back. BINGO!!! THAT WAS ME!!! I am sorry to disappoint you, but I do not have a picture to illustrate! :(

I do have a family picture that I managed to get, after our YUMMY meal! Thanks again Flipper & Frannie for a great Thanksgiving! Love ya'll!

Did you think that our Thanksgiving was over???? Heavens NO... we still had to FEAST it up with my family! This year we did things a little different... I couldn't have planned it better myself! If I was to imagine a perfect Thanksgiving, this is what it would be... DRUM ROLL!!!!

Me, Beep, Hunter Jacob, Grandmama, and my Mama and Dad loaded up and went to Cracker Barrel! Whoo-hoo! It was perfect and shockingly NOT CROWDED... perfect timing they said! :) I know that you are wondering how could I have possibly eaten MORE FOOD, when less than 3 hours I was floating upside down at the Kraus'... I am telling you it was a miracle, when they brought out all that MAC & CHEESE, I was hungry ALL over again! :) Amazing!

The festivities didn't end there... we left there and went to SANTA LAND! OMG This is like one of my most favorite places... what is better than blaring Christmas music and looking at more Christmas lights than you eyes can handle? Oh, did I mention that my Dad bought us all these 3D glasses, so that when you saw the lights they turned into snowflakes, even headlights on cars? ;-0 GROOVY!!!

Me and my Mama enjoying all the LIGHTS!!!

Hunter & Beep... Trippin on some Snowflakes!!!

Thanks Mom and Dad for helping make my Thanksgiving so special and fun!

My life has truly been blessed and I have so much to be thankful for...

Hope that you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Amanda Laine

R.I.P "BB-Ring"

2008-11-21T20:50:00.007-06:00

Dearly beloved,

We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of my friend "Pinky" the BB-Ring. For many years she graciously, helped "ICE*OUT" my belly. She had everything... from ATTITUDE to BEAUTY!

I remember the first time I met "Pinky"... I was in a "upper class" tattoo shop, in South Longview (lol), signing my life away, so that some random "SCARY MAN" could put a hole in my belly. I was taken over to a display case that was full of BB-rings - when I saw her. She was BLING-UTIFUL and PINK... Perfect for me! I knew that she and my "INNY" would be a perfect match. They hit it off immediately!

Pinky, was always so supportive, never complaining after ALL those HOT summer days I would BAKE in the sun and HEAT her up. She never skipped a beat just kept on SHINING!

We have been through so much together! She helped me get through college. She traveled with me through Europe. Pinky, was even there when I walked down the aisle and became Mrs. Kraus!

October marked the beginning of the end. This was when "Pinky" got the news. She was a fighter and fought till the end, but the END was inevitable...

After much thought, "INNY" and PINKY decided that it was time to part. "INNY" explained to PINKY that BIGGER things were in the near future and that over time he would most likely become an "OUTIE," involuntarily of course.

November 21st, at 8:15, Pinky was unscrewed and taken out of "INNY." It was a planned and peaceful ceremony. She was cleaned and laid to rest.

PINKY is survived by: INNY, her partner of 8 years. Best Friends: Mrs. Wedding Band, Mrs. Diamond Earring, and Mr. Toe Ring.

Summer 2000 - November 2008

Coming June 2009

2008-11-10T20:34:00.005-06:00

Last Thursday we went to the doctor to have our 1st sonogram. Yea! We were able to see our little "Blob Baby" and it's heart beat. It was AMAZING to say the least!

Things that we learned:

*There is ONLY 1 baby :)

*Our baby is 1.3cm long (size of a blueberry)

*Heartbeat was 159 bpm (Does this imply a BOY or GIRL?)

*The Due Date is... June 20th (Grandma Joan's B*day!)

Ladies & Gents we are proud to SHOW-OFF...

"Baby Blob Kraus!"

Check him/her out.. :)

It was a Trick-or-Treat FO SHO!!!

2008-11-09T19:27:00.006-06:00

Our house was FULL of "A LIST" Celebrity Craziness this Halloween...

The guest list included: Michael Phelps - dressed in a lil more than just his gold medals; Sarah Palin - who was still trying to win over some last minute votes; The Cutest Polar Bear in Town - who chased Bailey Boo "the BUG" all night long; JOEY - yes you read correctly, Senator came dressed up as JOEY. Live entertainment was provided by a "local musician" that is still hoping for his BIG BREAK! Ahhh yes, Beep and I too dressed up, FRO and all! :) Beep was a "70's Flipper Flashback," and I was an "80's HOTTIE" of course! lol

From the moment that our guest stepped into our house they were playing a game - - and didn't even know it! We changed ALL the pictures; in our house, to "CLUES" that TIPPED off a few and CONFUSED one or two. It took some longer than others... but there was one clue that made it all so CLEAR "it was as if it were written in the sand!"

Thought that you may like to see some pics from the Halloween Bash!!!

Whoa Baby!

2008-10-20T17:07:00.012-05:00

One of my good friends found this website (makemebabies.com) and I just had to dabble in the fun! This website takes your picture and your spouse's and morphs them together to make a baby.

Prepare yourself... Ladies and Gentleman I would like to introduce you to the next generation of Kraus'. HA*HA*HA!

Of course we must start out first, with OUR curly headed little boy...

Next is OUR little girl! Hey, I can dream can't I... who knows it could happen! LOL

Let's be honest these children look a little devilish! They look angry as though they are plotting something against their make believe parents! Scary!!!

Hope that this made you laugh as much as it did me! Alright, I will wrap it up now... because I know that you are already thinking of what pictures you can use to see what the future holds for you! Happy Baby Making!

Who's got JUMBO BLUE STRAWS?

2008-09-28T12:04:00.026-05:00

I know that you are probably thinking, "WOW Amanda must be desperate to blog if she is posting pictures of STRAWS!" Well, I am not desperate... but, yes this post is about STRAWS! Let's begin...

Beep and I went to Burger King to grab a nutritious supper, in a sack. Along with our dinner, we ordered a dessert to share... a Oreo Sundae Shake (like a blizzard.) I was driving and Beep was holding the food, which is never good because then 1/2 the fries are gone before we get home. Moving on, Beep couldn't wait any longer and dove right in, literally, to the Oreo Shake. He then discovered that we had just been given "THE BIGGEST STRAW," in the WORLD. It was a scene straight out of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", you know when Charlie finds "THE TICKET." This "JUMBO BLUE STRAW" was AMAZING... Blizzards have been around for years... why hasn't anyone ever thought of JUMBO straws? (Another one of those things that you say "Dang why didn't I think of that!)

To give you some idea on how big this straw is compared to an average drinking straw... check out these pics!!! I am not kidding this straw feels like you have a "garden hose" in your mouth. Have you ever been slurping on a Oreo Blizzard and all of sudden your eye balls feel like they are going to explode, because you were sucking so hard, and a big piece of Oreo got stuck in the bottom?

Problem: Your straw is TOO small.

Solution: GET A JUMBO BLUE STRAW FROM BURGER KING!!! (Have you learned anything?)

You will never have to stop slurping and move your straw around, in your cup again, because of a clog! Nope, no need for a spoon... "JUMBO BLUE STRAW" will get ever one of those pesky little Oreo chunks!

You see people... Blizzards with Dinky little straws are soooooo YESTERDAY! It is time to UPGRADE guys... Let's enjoy these OREO shakes the way it was intended...

This advertisement was brought to you by: "Jumbo Blue Straws!" GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!

1 WEEK DOWN...

2008-08-30T21:39:00.019-05:00

Zzzz... Zzzz... This is what I looked like Friday, when I put my last little friend on the bus! Hanging out with 20 five year olds, for a week, can really put a number on you. I forget every year how tiring it is... physically and mentally. I have done more squats this week than I did, in 6 weeks of Boot Camp! This is no joke!

Side Note: Did you know that Wipe containers (the tube kind) are dangerous? Oh yeah, I almost lost my middle finger Thursday afternoon due to one of these.

Explanation: One of my lil friends was celebrating their birthday, so we were all eating cupcakes. It was getting a little messy, so I thought I better start passing out some wipes. It was a new container, so I had to push the first wipe through the hole. After pushing the wipe through the little (X) top, I went to pull my finger out... OUCH! My finger was caught, and the plastic was digging into it! (I starred at my finger, seriously does this kind of stuff ever happen to other people.) "No way this is not happening!" I thought. At this point my finger is swelling and turning different shades of purple and red. I kept trying to tug on my finger, which shoved the little plastic corner deeper into my finger - PAIN, PAIN, MORE PAIN! I then decided to calmly walked out of my room (yes, I left children in the room alone - believe me they never noticed they were still gobbling up their cupcake) and across the hall to V. Neel's room. She was on her computer, with her back turned, when I told her I needed her help. You can imagine her face when she turned around and saw that I had a wipe container attached to my finger. :) (I can laugh now!) It took awhile... nothing was working! How embarrassing would it be if I had to go to the emergency room with this plastic container hanging from my arm? I can see it now, "Coming through, we have an emergency, lady with the wipe finger!" Then V. Neel did the unthinkable she sacrificed her own finger and shoved it up underneath right by mine. It made the opening large enough for me to pull my finger out! I WAS FREE! I couldn't feel the tip of my finger... BUT I WAS FREE! The length that friends will go to! Thanks V. Neel, you saved my middle finger and I owe you!

Reflection: Do you think that God was punishing me for using my middle finger for purposes that it wasn't intended for? Lesson learned. You will all be happy to know that... I have retired these sign-language gestures, (so if you cut me off etc., I will just do absolutely nothing.) I love my middle finger and I am glad that it is still attached to my hand. I can happily announce that I have been doing finger therapy and have regained ALL my strength back.

As mentioned earlier, I made it through my first week and I am still in one piece.

How many more weeks till Thanksgiving Break? Just Kidding... Hope all of my fellow teachers "got their groove back" and had a great 1st week.

Who's ringing... I mean POPPIN?

2008-08-13T22:44:00.004-05:00

You watch... you be the judge... and then come over so we can try it! (LOL) I love stuff like this!
Thanks Mom

It's been a while...

2008-08-09T22:14:00.018-05:00

August 6th was my BIRTH-DAY... I turned a whopping 26! Anyway, we celebrated and went to the Ranger game (vs. Yankees) where we met Michelle & James. I will be honest, going to see the Rangers and sitting in over 100 degree weather, really isn't my idea of fun. Our tickets gave us access to the Cuervo Club and our original plan was to hang out pre-game and then head outside to sweat to death. Fun right? What actually happened... Pre-game trickled into game time, and before we knew it, the game was over and we were watching 45,000 people (seriously) scurry up the bleachers and out of the park. We decided what was the hurry.. so we sat in some PHAT leather seats and watched them clean up the field... very interesting actually! The moral of this story (Yes there is one) even I can have fun at Ranger Games... I just had to do it "my way..." (as Frank would say) ---> Dressed up, sitting at a table INSIDE, with one hand dipping chips in cheese dip and the other... well holding a Long Island of course! Oh yeah...GO RANGERS!

Tune In...

2008-07-22T21:19:00.006-05:00

I had to share... For those of you that have XM Radio, Channel 51 is doing a Coldplay Marathon for the next 30 days! Yeah, I know AWESOME right! I love them... just thought that I would let my fellow Coldplay "Lov-uhhhs" (as Carey Bradshaw would say) know!

P.S. It has been brought to my attention that some of you can not see (located on the right) my bloggin buddies, past posts, or my playlist. It appears perfectly fine on my computer, so I was unaware of this problem for quite some time. Please leave a comment and tell me if you see these things or if you TOO are missing out!

Thanks for all your help.
Happy Listening!

Kranky's Beach Bash!

2008-07-20T19:13:00.015-05:00

We're Back! We spent a whole week on the beach in Navarre, Florida. Oh my gosh, it was amazing... & much needed might I add!

First off... Beeper & I want to thank Uncle Kranky & Aunt Sarah again for their generosity & including us on their family trip! You made it all happen & I hope that you know how much we appreciate it! While I am thanking folks...

Let me just break in down...

HERE'S TO...

Flipper & Frannie - Who shuttled, not only Beeper & I but... ALL OUR STUFF! Who is never without a Lionel CD when it is time for the "Annual Kraus Suburban Concert." Also, thank you for cooking literally every meal - breakfast, lunch, and AMAZING DINNERS! Hey, who wants some CHICKEN SALAD? --POINT--

Jeff (Prissy) - Who never forgets to bring all his "lil monsters" (lol), & is always coming up with "new material" & most importantly... never lets me down when we are going over the PENSACOLA BRIDGE. :)

Carson Grant (Diggy) - Who showed us how to act like a GORILLA, & "dick'n" everyone involved with all your entertainment!

Lauren Brooke (Sissy) - Who always was in good spirits & never hesitated when I would ask her to be my photographer. Thank you again for all your help!

Jennifer & Sean (Senator) - Who brought the Wii that kept everyone entertained ALL WEEK! Who helped me check off two things on my 'bucket list!" Who lived it up at the Juana Club, danced, and camped out on the beach with Beep & I! Thanks for the memories... That was AWESOME! (I wonder if the 'Lil Gnome" is still sitting on his perch?)

Chase (Wheeler) - Who was a great roommate - thanks for not snoring! Seriously!!! And who continues to keep us laughing his contagious cackle.

Jordan - Who came into this BIG KRAZY family and gave Flipper someone else to make fun of besides... ME! I really do appreciate it!

Uncle Kranky & Aunt Sarah - Who ventured out into the treacherous waters with me and Beep! Who provided us with a memorable trip, vermicelli, & wine tasting, at its finest! Thanks again for everything!

Another good trip with FAMILY! It doesn't get better than that!
Enjoy the pics... you know I only took A FEW!

Love you guys!

2 GiDDy BeaCh BuMs!

2008-07-10T22:07:00.034-05:00

Let the count-down begin, in less than 30 hours Beep & I will be in a packed suburban heading to the BEACH! Whoo-hoo! Oh my geezzzzz.... We are stoked and are happily welcoming the eight hour drive! :) Well technically for me it is roughly a 4 hour drive... I tend to fall asleep sometimes, (lol) oh alright...EVERYTIME!
Hey, guess what Prissy, I MADE PUPPYCHOW! Should have known not to make it today, Lil Beep can not stay out of it... he is such a SNACKER! Anywho, I will be making some more tomorrow... HERE'S TO VACATION! This pic goes out to "All My Rowdy Family," R U Ready 4 A "GOOD TIME" & R U Ready 2 "PAR--TAYYYY!" Can you tell who started their Pre-Party already? (POINT!) SOMEBODY GET US TO THE BEACH!!!

KraZy KraUS BOYz!

2008-06-28T12:31:00.000-05:00

Anytime you head over to the "Kraus House" you know that you are in for a GOOD TIME and last night was one of THOSE nights. Like always, we began the evening with a feast of scrumptious food (thank you Flipper & Frannie). Afterwards, we planned on playing some "family" card games, you know, any game that the BOYS can cheat at works. During cleaning up and getting all the "Lil Kraus Boys" down for the night... the "Big Kraus Boys" began to get bored. You all know what happens when BOYS get bored... well they find things to do! After hearing "POINT" for the 13th time... I knew that I had to take a peek. This is what I found...

Everyone knows that when MOM is not around... you tend to do things that you WOULD NEVER do in her presence! No one worries about the Dad's.... nope, because they are right in the middle of it... as illustrated PERFECTLY by... Flipper.

My New Fav...

2008-06-22T18:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, so today I was cleaning the house and you can not clean without loud music, at least I can't! I rarely listen to CMT, but today VH1, MTV, BET etc. wasn't playing music so last resort was CMT. Anywho... CMT was doing there weekly countdown when I heard my new favorite song with a slammin (how you like that) SUMMER VIDEO to go with it. I am sure I am behind on the lastest country hits, but I just had to share! Hope that you enjoy this video as much as I did... I can not wait to hang out on the beach, with Beep & the ipod, and soak up the sun, while jammin to "All I Want To Do!" Here's to summer... Whoo-hoo! I LOVE SUMMER!!!

Father's Day!

2008-06-17T13:04:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated Father's Day with all the Daddy's in our family.

Saturday we hung out by the pool, at the Kraus House. We ate great food... thanks to Jeffrey for being the cook and sharing your "home grown" veggies with us. Everything was scrumptious! Special shout out to Joey who celebrated his 1st Father's Day! Whoo-hoo!

Sunday we went to Pappy's farm and ate more food! Again there were more veggies, compliments to Pappy, the gardener. Dang, who doesn't have their own garden? Maybe that is what I need to do over my summer... Oh my gosh...I could buy some cutie-puh*tootie garden shoes, and a HUGE hat, to keep away the rays! You laugh, but you can totally see it too right? Yes this sounds like a great idea, but I will have to run this all by my right hand man...BPK!

Father's Day was fun and eventful, I even got to go flower picking with my Daddy! Here's to all the Daddy's out there hope that you had a Great Father's Day!

What... A New Post?!?

2008-06-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

Alright Val... Are you happy I have finally made my way back to the keyboard?

Okay, first thing first... I must apologize to those of you that actually read our blog! You haven't been doing any reading in the past month... because I have totally just dropped you! Again my deepest apologies! Believe me I have not been blogging because I nothing to blog about... the past month has brought a world wind of events. Bunker down people your gonna be here for a while! :)

Let's begin...

Memorial Weekend we all set sail to Kranky's Resort in Kingwood! As you can tell in the pics we had so much fun! Some of us... BPK... got over served with the help of his "Rowdy Family" - which would explain the "bobbing for beer!" I too, did what I love most which was: eating yummy food & watching movies with great company - thanks Sarah and Jordan! "Hats Off" to Uncle Kranky and Aunt Sarah for the great weekend and sharing your retreat with us. I can not wait to party again with you guys... this time on the BEACH! Hootie-Hoo!

June 7th was a day of celebration! My brother and cousin graduated from high school. Unfortunately, one went to Pine Tree and the other in Hallsville, and there graduation was the same night and same time. Seeing how the whole family could not be both places at once we all had to get together to celebrate. So we ate an early dinner at GZ's (yummy) and then parted ways. Graduation did not start till 8. This made me excited, I had time to relax, it wouldn't be hot... etc! WRONG-O! If you know my Mother this will not surprise you in any way. We left for the stadium at 6:20'ish...
Sitting in the stands for an hour/half I had plenty of time to think and reflect. I could not believe that it had been 8 years since Beep and I had made our walk on that very stage. I loved high school, I am one of those that would go back in a minute if given that choice. It was a time of learning, living carefree, biggest worry literally was what your Friday night plans were. Oh were those the days! Let's check the time: hmmm... 6:45... did not take me very long to reflect!
Let's fast forward---> Finally 8 o'clock and the music begins to play... Hunter makes his way down the track! He looks so big and grown up! They all sit down and I look down at the program to discover all the people that will be called out before his. Oh geeeezzzz... I really do not remember graduation being this long. We make our way through the alphabet and then we arrive to the G's... "HUNTER JACOB GREEN!" He walks across stage and gives us his BIG, side hitched, "Stephen Tyler," smile. We yelled like it was nobodies business! And that was it...
It still is amazing to me how you work so hard and dedicate 13 years of your life for five seconds!
Here is a little math: If you stay in school all thirteen years (I am including the most important year here people, kindergarten-duh!) That puts you at dedicating over 16,653 hours of your time at school, that is not including extra curricular activities, studying etc. DANG THAT IS A LOT, but you see it is all worth it because on graduation night they are going to announce your name in front of everyone and give you five seconds of that 16,653 hours back. :)
So here is what I have learned... you only get those five seconds once... GO OUT WITH A BANG BABY! Do something that people will remember, spice it up! I am going to start thinking about what my kids, the kids I do not have, can do at their graduation. If you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know... :)

Beep and I just celebrated our two year anniversary on June 10th! Whoo-hoo! Funny Short Story: Beeper told me "hey look everyone always says that if you can make it past the first two years you are good to go!" Hmmm... I didn't know if I should tell him or not, but I always heard it was called the "SEVEN Year Itch" and we had five years to go before we would be "GOOD TO GO!" He was so serious... oh an I didn't tell him so let's keep that our little secret. Time flies when you are having a good time! Here's hoping that the next two years are as great as the first two!

Prom Night

2008-05-18T00:02:00.000-05:00

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Tonight was another milestone for Hunter Jacob... PROM! He looked so handsome & his girlfriend, Brianna, was beautiful in her sparkling tangerine dress! Precious cleans up real nice like! I had so much fun partaking in the "water front" photo shoot... I LOVED IT! Thank you two for letting me be apart! It was so mind boggling to look out into the crowd at promenade and see all the parents, of the once "little boys" that played with Hunter on pee-wee football... and to know those boys, like Hunter, are all grown up now and about to embark on a new life. CRAZY!!! A time that we never thought would come, but came much too quickly... in a couple of weeks Hunter will join me and become a PINE TREE ALUMNI!

5 and 0

2008-05-06T09:22:00.000-05:00

We have a target on our backs. We are the only team in the league that is undefeated sitting at 5 and 0 as well as the only team that has its own team videographer. Thanks Amanda, we all enjoy it.
Zach White hit the ball well last week and we are expecting big thins from him this week at the plate. Hunter had some fans there this week and it showed at the plate. He was frustrated and of course, we have video to prove it.
Big Joe hit the ball well again wearing his lime green shorts that took him yard again. Your boy Blake Tucker handled 3rd base like a true 3rd basemen, making great plays. Charles has to be the best pitcher in the city of Longview, Chad Powell closed the game with a charging catch out in left field. Wednesday night will be a test for Charles in Charge because we play the late game at 9:30.

Off to the races!

2008-05-04T14:16:00.001-05:00

We got all dressed up... we were off to the Kentucky Derby Races! We had the "Big Wig" hats & money in our pockets. We all went over to Joey & Nicole's for some friendly betting. (They recorded hours & hours of the races from earlier!) We drew our numbers... & took our places for the 1st race.
So we start the races... Dang first race down and no one wins! OH WELL, MORE MONEY IN THE POT FOR ME NEXT TIME! I have to mention that the first race took up 2 hours of the recording time! Yeah, so we only had two hours left! :) Next race... again like the first... NO WINNER! Whoo-hoo... more money into the POT PEOPLE! (Note: that race accounted for another hour of recording time!) Can you imagine if you were really there & you had to spend 6 hours to watch a couple of races! NO THANK YOU! Okay, back to the races... Down to the wire & we are hoping that we can get in one more race because there is only like 20 minutes left of recording! We drew the last numbers of the evening... I had #13,#20 & Beep had #12. There off... at this point the horses are in one huge clump, you can not see any of their #'s. Then one horse takes the lead & starts smoking the others leaving them in his DUST... literally! (I am sure that it had nothing to do with the fact that the jockey was totally beating it with his little whip--- HORSE ABUSE!) Anywho? So the race is over and that horse won... Finally, I can see the horse's #! WHAT? #20... BIG BROWN wins which means... AMANDA WINS! Whoo-hoo! Look out BIG WINNER of $24.00! It was a GREAT night: got to dress up, eat great snacks & pizza, spend time with family & friends & I WON! Thanks Joey & Nicole for using up all your DVR time for those 3 races... :) WE HAD LOTS OF FUN!!!

Happy 70th B*day!

2008-04-29T19:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my Grandmama turned the big 70! Of course we had to CELEBRATE!!! The family and special guest, Reeder and Katherine, all met at Cheddar's for a birthday dinner. There were gifts and there was CAKE! YUMMY CAKE!!! I must add that I got the cake from Butcher Shop and had them put it in the back so Grandmama wouldn't see it. The moment finally came... they came out with lit candles and everything! Grandmama then proceeds to tell them, CHEDDARS, how sweet THEY are and how nice it was that they gave her a cake. THEY SAID YOU ARE WELCOME AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I had to squash that and let Grandmama know that good deed was all... ME! Needless to say she had a great birthday! Nothing is better than celebrating with your loved ones and friends!!! Here is to many birthdays to come! Happy 70th Birthday Grandmama!!!

This is one of the cutest videos I have... Make a wish!!!

4 and 0 and Still In Charge!!

2008-04-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

I know I am late on posting again, but better late than never...
So, We are 4 and 0 now and still going strong. "Sunshine" opened the game by missing a ground ball hit to him out in center field. He tells us that he would have had it, but he was putting his tooth pick behind his ear while fielding the ball and it just got by him. No worries Sunshine!
Chad Powell went yard on us first followed by Ted, two nice hits. Hunter got a little worried on the bases not knowing what to do. Blake had his chance to turn two, but couldn't make the throw from third! I made a couple, okay, too many mistakes out in the field. Sorry TEAM! Jeff was at his prime position , on the bench, running his mouth. Joey was a little pre-occupied because Jackson, his son, was there to watch his daddy play, or maybe just to cry!! Thanks to Amanda for coming in the dug-out and taking pictures and videos. Thanks to the Tucker's and the Green Family,for coming out and supporting us along with the other fans of Charles in Charge! The videos tell it all...Next game is Wednesday at 8:30!

How time flies!

2008-04-27T14:31:00.000-05:00

So yesterday, April 26th, Hunter Jacob turned 18! I can not believe it... it still seems like he should be curly headed, dressed up in his BATMAN costume and standing at the end of the sidewalk waving to all the neighbors! Time flies... he is 18, graduating from high-school and about to sail into the next chapter of his life!
To celebrate his birthday I took him and his "work buddies" a healthy breakfast... DOUGHNUTS!!! Well not so healthy, but I do not think that they minded.
The celebration continued... we went to the "All My Rowdy Family" concert in Shreveport, La. SO MUCH FUN! Last night Hunter was able to put a BIG check on his "bucket list," seeing Lynyrd Skynyrd!!! If you know Hunter at all, you know he thinks they are the BEST. It was so much fun to watch him... watching them!!! Of course, I had a teary moment -- one of the first songs Hunter ever played on his guitar was "Tuesday's Gone." It is one of this favs. When they played it last night and Hunter's face lit up with so much "WOW," it was all I could do to hold back the "happy" tears. :) I just love that kid!!!
I can not write about last night without mentioning, Hank Williams Jr. I have now seen him twice, OH MY GOSH! He is such an entertainer! He is none stop and a one man show! Hank is so talented, not only vocally, but the various instruments that he plays and lets not forget his impersonations. If you ever get an opportunity to see him, without question GO, GO, GO! I hope that I get another chance!
All in all, I think "Precious" had a great birthday! One to remember for sure!!! Happy Birthday Bud!

3-0

2008-04-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

I have been a little sluggish on the blog and a few team mates have been getting a little upset. Yes, we are 3 and 0. It was the first game that the 3 KRAUS boys all played. Joey at 1st, Jeff at 2nd, and Beep at Short Stop.
Once again, that #4 Blake Tucker had a great game! He is swinging for the fences and coming really close to putting it out! It is amazing how that lil guy can come to a stop on the bases...
Hunter came through again coming really close to hitting a HOMER bringing BIG JOJO on in to home, making sure his run counted!
Let's see, Jeff, Walt, and Beep all came up bleeding in the first inning and it looks like I will be the only 1 out of the 3 of us to play this week due to injuries. I think that we all need to THANK those few supporters that we have, including the appearance of Mrs. Tucker in her Orange!! For those who want to come and support us, the game this week is at 6:30 on Wednesday! We are having to move some players around due to the injured reserve list, but we will have a few players back and things are looking good for Charles in Charge.

PIR Annual Crawfish Boil

2008-04-20T21:57:00.000-05:00

For the past seven years my Uncle Brandon's company PIR has put on a big crawfish boil. As always we had so much fun! We got it started early and ate into the night.... oh did we ever eat! The hottest potatoes and corn that I have ever put into my mouth... you know I was not about to put any little critters up in my mouth! My taste buds have grown over the past couple of years, but not that much people. Thanks again Uncle Brandon & Aunt Shannon for some good time family fun! Here's looking forward to next year!

Babies!

2008-04-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

Lil Robin Mama's babies have finally hatched! They are precious... in an alien'ish way! As of right now we have three baby birds and two eggs left. (Left) Here are the babies just hanging out trying to catch a lil shut eye.
Side Note: Most of you know that Beeper refers to me as the "Dog Whisperer." Well add "Bird Whisperer" to that... (Right) I was whistling to the lil birds asking them if they were hungry. As you can see... THEY WERE STARVING!
(If you would like a closer look at the baby birds click on the pic.)

Ram-zee!

2008-04-13T21:27:00.000-05:00

So, all of you know on February 23rd Hunter's truck, Mr. Peterbuilt, was demolished. Since then, he has been driving my mustang, Black Magic. As you can imagine, Hunter did not love her half as much as I did. He quit going through drive throughs, because he said that he got embarrassed when they would have to hang their whole body out of the window to hand him the food. Needless to say... she got him from A to B. It seemed like we were never going to get anywhere because of insurance etc. Things have finally started looking up... and today Hunter purchased his new truck! I am so ecstatic for him, because he found this truck and wanted it really bad. It is loud, fast, and old... it is a "Hunter-Truck!"

Crawdaddy Crazy!

2008-04-13T21:02:00.000-05:00

This Saturday we helped celebrate Val and Jennifer's birthday! We had so much fun that even people that weren't invited started showing up... with strobe lights & a DJ setup! lol Nah, they were just at the wrong party, but we did have a good time! I bet Jennifer is still finding tags around her house with Lauren's name on it. We were all stuffed because Tommy bought like 180 lbs. of crawfish and what didn't get eaten still had to be shelled! We are all expecting an invite over to the Ogle's for: crawfish e-2-fay, crawfish fettuccine, crawfish pie, crawfish soup, crawfish enchi-LA-duhs, crawfish dip and anything else that you could throw in some CRAWDADDIES!!! Here's to gett'n some tail! Happy Birthday to Val & Jennifer!

She did it!

2008-04-07T18:24:00.000-05:00

"My Michelle" is now Mrs. McKeehan! The weekend was full of laughter and fun! There were so many fun activities to do at Rough Creek Lodge. If you could think of it... they offered it! I would recommend this resort to anyone! The wedding was perfect and the bride was absolutely gorgeous! Nothing makes me happier than to see one of my best friends truly happy! James and Michelle were totally made for each other. You can feel how strong their love is for one another! Sappy I know... but so TRUE! The reception wouldn't have been complete without Michelle singing her, "anthem song," R-E-S-P-E-C-T to her new husband! It was classic! Michelle you rocked it out like you always do! I love you girl!

Wheeee!

2008-04-07T07:03:00.000-05:00

There were so many things to do at Rough Creek including the Zip Line! It was four stories high... and so much fun! I mean it wasn't like we were going through any rainforest's or anything, but we still had a lot of fun! Did I say we? Ha! I meant that "I" had a lot of fun! As usual... just like at Six Flags, I had to ride it by myself while Beeper stayed on the ground and watched! Don't let him fool ya... I really am the adventurous one! :)

SOFTBALL SEASON- "CHARLES IN CHARGE"

2008-04-03T19:08:00.000-05:00

The game is softball, the colors are Orange and Blue, the team is "Charles in Charge". Last night we played our first softball game of the season and blew the Tornadoes out!!! Charles is our pitcher and is now the best pitcher in the league, now that Ted Woodard was moved to 3rd. Blake Tucker lead the game off with an inside the park HOME-RUN! I had to hit the first "REAL" home run... Other team mates who went YARD were Ted Woodard and Joey Kraus! Unofficially, I would have to give Hunter Green player of the game due to his Outstanding Bat and Amazing Field play with two great catches in the out field by the youngest player on the team! Congrats Hunter!!
Next game is next Wednesday at 8:30 against the Bad Hombres!

It's Finally Here!!!

2008-04-03T12:04:00.000-05:00

I can not believe that it is finally here... my BF Michelle Mahone is getting married this Saturday!!! Ahhhh!!!! We are going to have so much fun! Beeper and I are leaving today, to get the party started a day early! Whoo-hoo! No worries I will take lots of pics to come back and share with you all! Listen to me, I write as if I have a fan club or something! I like to amuse myself every now and then. No really I may go through "Bloggers Withdrawal." (I'm not joking!) Okay we are off...

PEOPLE!!!

2008-04-02T17:10:00.000-05:00

I am still in shock... So I had to make a quick trip to Wolly-World this afternoon. For some reason ever time I try to get out of that parking lot I feel like I am playing chicken with other vehicles. Picture this... I am driving down a lane, when luckily, in the corner of my eye, I see a white hoopty hauling across about to slam in the side of me. I stop because it is very apparent that she was not going to. I then pointed my finger and said "SLOW DOWN!" (Mind you my window was up and she could not hear me... I basically said it for my ears only.) Anywho! (Oh I also need to mention that she had 3 small children with her.) She then slams on her brakes and oh so kindly allows me to go. After her kids got up and out of the floor board she follows me on to Gilmer rode. The light turns green and she is making a mad dash again... now she is all up in my rear! She pulls a Nascar move and squeezes herself in between two other cars... she makes a run for it... she comes up on my right side... AND... Mother-of-the-year has her seven year old son reach across her and FLIP ME OFF!!! WHAT!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? She then speeds off and all the little kids jump in the back seat smiling to see my reaction. If you know me at all you know what I would have liked to have done... but I do have some morals I am not going to flip off some one in front of there kids... especially when it was the kid who did it! And as a teacher I wonder why some of these kids act the way they do...

Lil Robin Mama

2008-04-01T19:16:00.000-05:00

I have recently discovered that we have a visitor staying with us. Out of all the doors in the neighborhood Lil Robin Mama, (LRM,) chose ours! :) Now, at first I thought this would be so much fun... you know documenting and checking in on her daily to see what is going on up in LRM's crib, until she turned on me. That girl has been BUSY every night laying an egg or two... I think that she is finally done, with a total of 5 eggs. LRM stays gone all day and comes back at night to catch some shut eye. OH YOU DO NOT WANT TO WAKE UP LRM! Yesterday morning,which is any day before today, Bailey and I were coming back from our morning run and walked up to the door forgetting about LRM. We both quickly remembered... LRM comes bursting through my pink flowers, hanging on the door, and comes straight for my head. Please remember that it is six o'clock in the morning so it is dark, Bailey thinks that I have lost my mind because I am flailing my arms around trying to get the bird away from me. She was very persistent and assured me that the front porch now belonged to her! Minutes later, after acting a complete fool, I admitted defeat and went through the garage. Be aware there are more LRM's out there... Be strong and don't let them take over your door as she did ours.

Not Just Any Ol' Plastic Cup!

2008-03-31T20:28:00.000-05:00

A little background... These cups are from the restaurant, Eskimo Joes's, where I have never been. Ever since I can remember, every time I go and stay with Beeper's Aunt Sarah and Uncle Mark I dig through their cabinets to claim "my cup". These are not just any ol' plastic cups! They are the perfect size for a big glass of refreshing H2O and even better they CHANGE COLOR PEOPLE!!! Oh yeah think back to your middle school days when you wore those "cool" hyper-colored shirts! Exact same thing... it is just a cup! Moving on... A couple of years ago I received four pink cups for my birthday from the Fanning's. While Chase was down, a couple of weekends ago, he found that I was still holding on to one of my pink cups even though there was a 1 inch crack in it! Are you seeing how much I love these cups? So today when I got home from school there was a package FOR ME (another thing that I love)! Inside were 10... yes ten brand new and all different colored Eskimo Joe cups. I was ecstatic! Thank you Chase for making my Monday so Marvelous!!!

Stop & Smell The Azaleas!

2008-03-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

Whoo-hoo! I am a blogger! I have become obsessed in reading my friends and sister-in-laws blog, (Love ya Nicole), that I decided it was time that Beeper and I branch out from facebook and myspace and have one of our own!

So, this past Saturday Val and I ran the Azalea Run in Tyler. The race started at 8, it was raining, and it was cold! I was thinking not only did I volunteer to do this but I PAID for this... WHAT? I feel the need to fill you in that it was only two miles! I know compared to my husband, the "Marathon Runner", this is nothing. Even though it took us half the time to run it, than it did to drive there... it was well worth it! We had a lot of fun!!!

He we are before the big run!

After the big run!