Merry Christmas

WARNING: THIS POST WILL BE LONG!!

Christmas Eve and Christmas was cool for me because it was my memories from being a child.

Christmas Eve we went over to Grandpa McCoy's for pizza, treats, and traditions. It is a tradition in our family since I was a wee one that on Christmas Eve We would gather around as a family (on the McCoy side) to read out of the scriptures of the birth of Jesus as well as his death. Then Grandpa pick on someone to read The Night Before Christmas. We had a fun time as a family and there was a lot of people that I didn't get to see while we were there because I wanted to concentraite our time with my parents and my brother, Michael, and sister-in-law, Trish.

Its great to see my cousins all grown up and be able to hang out with them. My aunts and uncles are great people and I do miss all of them so much. I was spoiled growing up being around family, having get togethers monthly, and seeing everyone all the time. I do wish that my kidos had that now, but we know that Heavenly Father has us here for a reason and we love it.

On Christmas morning it was just our Bertram family. The kidos were so excited about Christmas. To be truthful, so was I! We had a great morning opening presents and having fun with our new toys and treasures, but the one thing that I was looking forward to more was a gift for my mama ceta.

Okay for the beginning of this story. My crafty and witty sister-in-law, Trish, and brother had asked for all of us siblings to fill out questions from our childhood, 192 questions. They gave me plenty of time, 8 months. Well, I got it done and turned in in 10 months.

Trish had put together all of our question and answers into one book with pictures. It is awesome and we knew that that would be something my mom would love.

She opened it and cried! Thats when you know that a gift is a treasure. Trish also surprised me with my own book and then we each got a DVD with our pictures in it of our family growing. BEAUTIFUL!

It was a great Christmas getting to know Michael and Trish more. (umm, this is where I'm suppose to have a picture or two of Michael and Trish, but the pics that I took of them is not on here!! grrr, where did they go?!)

Oh I better list what the kids got. Each kido, including David, got got an air soft pistal.

Kolton got all kinds of tennis stuff, games, and movies.

Kaylea and Bre Bear got clothes, movies, games (Kaylea collects Uno games now), purses, and TONS of scrapbooking things. They will be doing scrapbooking this summer.

David received most of his gifts early. He got a new Mountain bike, jacket to keep him warm, some books to read other than text books, and stuff that I cannot remember anymore.

It was a good Christmas day full of stories, hanging out, and being around the ones we love.

January Snow Day in Texas

Its raining, its pouring. . . Oh no it isn't!

It snowed on us and it was fun stuff. The day before it snowed and froze though it rained so the next day when we went to church I told David to watch the roads while we were in church. They said that they advise us to leave right before the 3rd hour and thank goodness they did. On the way home I started sliding 3 times! Okay, I know some of you out there are like "Your a bunch of wusses in TX", the roads were frozen people!! and its kinda nice to leave from church early. We got home and waited for David to get home, he had to stay at church until everyone left. Ryan and Liz REALLY wanted to go to the park to play in the snow there.

We listened to them and went too and we froze!!! It was FREAKIN cold. We could have stayed home to play in the snow. Any who, David, the kids, Semi, and Chewy loved though running around in the snow.

Semi and Chewy love to catch snow balls in their mouth.

The kids hand a ball out there, but I think we were there only for a half an hour before everyone was saying how cold they were. Ryan started whining first.

The snowed for the whole week. It was really cool. This is unusual for us to get it this soon so we are expecting to get more snow in February like we always do. Nice.

Yep, I suck!!

So once again I will try updating you on things because it has been crazy. So a quick updating for ya'll.

KC is now in the 6th grade and the school here has a total separate place for the 6th graders. He is in band playing the sax. I think he likes to do the things that his daddy did. In December he had his first band concert and he was chosen for 1st chair. He does love reading!!! Wow, this kid goes through a book a week. I'm so glad that they have libraries. He is in student council and is in charge of a program called PALS. He sets up times for sixth graders to go read to Kindergarten or first graders on Fridays. He is taking a break from Tennis this season due to us moving. (We'll talk more on that later)

Kaylea has been busy as well. She is in the 5th grade this year. We have been learning a lot from her and all the interests that she has. 1st interest is still softball. She is know on a different team and loves this team. 2nd Baking and cooking!! She made her first apple pie for our Thanksgiving and it was delicious!!! 3rd and this just was this past week she is starting to design dresses from material and from sheets. She was heart broken when I wouldn't let her wear her favoritest dress to church. I had to tell her that she couldn't wear a sheet that is all safety pinned up. David told her that we will take her to the store to get a pattern, material, and let her start sewing. umm, I'm not too sure about this, but maybe I should just let her do it. She is going to be competing in UIL for story telling next Saturday.

Bre has had a interest turn in events as well. She has decided that she no longer wants to play softball and has turned to swimming. She has practice 3 times a week for a hour and half. This season her team will start competing. She loves the water and anything to do with water. She is helping Kaylea out with the designing dresses by being the model because she is loving Kaylea dress her up. She is having a harder time in school this year, but she is trying hard. She is also going to be competing in UIL this year for Listening. Listening is new this year so we will see how she does.

David is right now in the home stretch of completing his Masters in Science Management. He will be graduating this August!! He is sooo not looking forward to this semester or the summer classes because there will be a lot of writing to do, but I know that he will do great and feel better when he is done. He has a calling as the executive secretary for the Bishopric. This guy is way busy so we like to keep our weekend free so he can relax on Saturday and the rest of the day on Sunday's after getting home from church. Humm, out of all the pictures 2010 this is the only one that I could find of David. That's crazy. Well, here's David with his groupie.
This has been a weird year for me. I had to have surgery to take out wires from a surgery that I had in high school. My right hand was starting to act weird and I couldn't control it and it hurt bad. The Dr. took out the wires and then had to fix my muscles and tendinit in there. I had to take fall semester off because I could not write or do anything with the right hand. I still am not going to school because of the move coming up soon, hopefully.

Well, that's a quick review of what has happen with us.

More info to come and hopefully I will do better with this.

Beach fun from last summer

Ok, I haven't put pics up in FOREVER!! Sorry. Last summer we did had some fun at the Galviston beach after the girls 9th birthday.

This beach isn't the pretties, but it cooled us down. We stayed at a hotel that was just right across the street from the beach which was nice to just be able to walk over.

David had fun teaching the kidos how to body surf. Bre was the one out there the longest having fun with that.

KC and Bre also liked looking for shells up along the beach. There is tons of seaweed all over though.

This trip was after I was getting better from my hernia surgery and my first time out. I didn't get in the water much because of that. Tater Tot was by my side most of the time. We desided to take a risk and get out into the ocean to jump some waves.

Of course you have to bury people in the sand when you are at the beach.

We all had a great time out there in the sun for 2 days and it was the kids 1st time to acually go out into the water.

I just now asked the kids how they liked it and this is what they said.

KC= " Going to the beach was almost the best thing that has happened in my life."

Tater Tot= "It was cool and awesome, but I hate sea water in my eyes, mouth, and nose."

Bre Bear= "It was fun. Especially when daddy lost his sunglasses and we had to look for them with our feet and the body surfing."

Let's Start Over

WOW 2010, a new year! We have been just a bit busy. We ALL started school again. KC is a 5th grader, the girls are 4th graders, I started at A&M Commerce as a Junior, and David was excepted into a MSM (masters in science management) that L-3 does. Then in September the bishop asked me to be Relief Society President. I actually was calm and excepted the calling. I know that this was Heavenly Father that really wanted me in that position and have been doing quite well. The kidos were all on the same soccer team thankfully because that saved us a lot. It also rained tons so the kids didn't get to play too much.

Thanksgiving week we adopted a 1 1/2 month old puppy. David named him Chewbacca and he is David's puppy. He will sit and stay now and even goes to the back door to let us know that he needs out. He is now almost 4 months old and is growing so fast. He and Dee play with each other all the time and Dra just snaps at him. Dra is an old man and is not like anyone around him, he will let the kids go lay on him while they watch TV and wants to be around David once David gets home. He doesn't get up much and David does have to pick he up most of the time. The vet did let us know that more likely that this year will be Dra's last which is hard. David and I got Dra 2 months after we got married. It will be hard when he goes.

We had a much needed brake for Christmas that we did absolutely nothing! We even told the kids that we were not going to do anything and they liked that idea as well. Oh wait, we did go to Sixx Flags for a day for their Holiday in the Park. David and the kids had fun on the rides, I didn't get to ride anything because I was sick to my stomach. We did buy a second vehicle, a 2004 Suburban that is awesome. I have to get use to parking it still.

KC is almost done with his Webelos year. He just got nominated for the Education in Action from his teacher. This is a program to teach him more about Leadership. So this summer he will be leaving us for a whole week. I didn't know if he would go for it, but he said that he is excited to do it. He just had a busy weekend too. His last pinewood derby, got 5th place, and then UIL competition for Maps, graphs, and charts. He placed 5th in that. He is on the A Honor Roll. He is a very smart boy and we are proud of him and his accomplishments.

Kay is doing well. She did try out for UIL this year, but for something different and did not get in. She's more laid back this school year which is good, but then again then its not. We are having to stay on her about homework and trying hard. She has decided that she would like to stay with catching in softball. This works for her because she does have the trash talk down and does very well with that. We have to work with her about how to talk with people because she is sooo blunt. Other than that she is doing well, just looking forward for softball to start up soon. She is on the A/B Honor Roll. She has been helping me with Relief Society stuff and around the house because she does realize how busy mom and dad are. We are appreciating that.

Bre Bear is doing very good this school year. She too tried out for UIL this year, but has never been able to get in which is fine to her. She has been working hard in school this year and is on the A/B Honor Roll as well and is darn proud of that. She has always been a little slower, but this year she has opened up a lot. She is going to try pitching this season with softball. She does like it out in the field, but wanted to give pitching a try. She loves being outdoors and is bummed that we have not done ANY camping this past year so we are going to have to make up for that this year. She is also helping me with Relief Society stuff and will ask questions about what we are doing and why. She is such a smart little girl and is trying hard this year.

As for David, well he's a busy, busy man. He is going to school for his masters, kidos, me, and now he just got called as executive secretary! He flipped a bit, but I think he's starting to calm down and knows that this is a calling from Heavenly Father. He is working hard to do everything for his family and we all love him for that.

Well, I think that is the updates. I will try my hardest to get on here at least once a week to get pics up and whats what with us.

We love ya'll and know that Heavenly Father is blessing us.

Spring stuff

In the spring we were TOTALLY busy, which I love. I like the craziness of running around and stuff going on. I feel that I'm actually doing something. KC and Kaylea were chosen to to do UIL (University Interscholastic League)for academics. Kaylea for third grade story telling and KC for fourth grade music memory. They did very well. Kaylea placed second place and KC placed fifth place. I'm very proud of them.

As this was going on, KC was also playing "FOOTBAAAALLLLL" or we in the USA call it soccer. He did fairly well and had tons of fun. I think he liked it more because he would occasionally play against his best friend, Master A. they would have so much fun.

So along with all of that there was pinewood derby of course. This year I told David to have KC do most of the car. KC loved it and had so much fun learning how to make it. He named his car Destructinator, after his favorite band. We were so proud of him doing the work and getting into it. The boy got FIRST place!! Yeah, he was happy.

A great beginning of our spring.

Yeah, I'm a SLACKER

The summer has come and gone and I'm finally getting pics down loaded so I got to put them on here. I need to do this in sections, from the spring until now so you will be seeing alot of new things. Hope you enjoy.

Where have we been?

So the question is "what have I been doing?" this is because I am lost people, lost!! I have to write this quick like because we are running off once more. The kidos are in baseball/softball. Tuesday and Thursday's are practices, Monday is softball games and Saturday is basball games. David is the assistant coach for KC's team. I help with the softball. We are loving it. Wendsday's is girls activity days and cub scouts which David and I are apart of. David's the Bear assistant leader and I'm the Webelo leader by myself. All this and we still have piano practice which we like. So our Sunday's have become VERY sacrid now. I'm trying to get this semester over and done with because I'm way sick of it all. I'm burnt out!! Well, I got to go. I will write more later, bit by bit of what is going on and maybe someday soon I will get pics up.

up dates

Goodness, Why is it I feel like I cannot keep up? So the kids are all in sports. KC is playing soccer and will be starting baseball with David being the assistant coach. The girls are playing softball. So this is how it goes. The kids get home from school around 3:30, have a snack, do homework, practice piano, and do what little chores they have. Tuesday's and Thursday's they have practice all at the same time at different places for an hr and half. Monday's right after school is piano lessons and Wednesdays its cub scouts/activity days. Now in the mix of all of that, I go 4 times a week to work out my muscles with a friend of mine around 6p. So life is busy, but we like it that way.
I don't remember if I mentioned this in the older posts, but I have two hernia's that I get to have fixed. I cannot do it now because I have school and the Dr. is saying I'm going to be down for six weeks. I will be able to walk around after two weeks, but nothing like housework and stuff. So I just scheduled the date for May 21st. Its a Thurs. and memorial weekend, so David will have those days off. Mom is planning on flying in on the 26th. It does hurt, but I think I can deal with it for another 3 months. We are thinking about starting to garden too. I have a friend that does it and Tiff is inspiring me, so David said "Lets do it!"
Oh, so we're already planning for next yr and are sooo exited. We are planning on going to Havasupai with family. I have never been and the kids are old enough now to make the hike. We have been looking up pictures and did see the pics of the flood that went through last yr. I have cousins that will be going this yr in June and will tell us if the water is all blue again. I think it would be fun. Any who, well, I will get pics on here soon enough. Sorry for being such a slacker.