Dear Friends,

I am crazy. I chase my children all day. Then I sleep. I keep up with most of you through Facebook. The profound thoughts I have are in my journal. Come over and read it sometime. Bring coffee when you come.
Love,
Kristi

Cameron's Birthday

You graced us, little man, two years ago today. Into this world you came, full of spirit and energy and passion. And you haven't stopped since! What a treasure you are to us. What a blessing you are. Daddy and I talked today about the circumstances surrounding your birth. From the early stage of the pregnancy when my body did not want to support you....yet the Lord saw fit to give Dr. Belle-Henry the wisdom to correct it..........to the day you were born, cord around your neck so precariously....and the diligence of the NICU team that worked to clear your lungs. The lump in my throat does nothing to express how utterly grateful we are for the provisions over you in those early days...and much more so for the covering over you now as a Two Year Old!

A JOYFUL, happy kid!

What a HAM you are now....this is your CHEESE!!!! smile! :)

Just a little ornery.......hummm....will I get in trouble for crossing the line?!.......But those EYES! Sweet, charming, beautiful! :)

What a joy it is to be your mom. I love watching you grow...It is so fun to see you learn and change and become the man the Lord created you to be. I love that you are firm, you are strong...you are passionate. I love YOU Cameron John Lowe - Happy 2nd Birthday!

Cameron with Jordan, his buddy. Are they SO cute or what?!
Joey going off the diving board!

Meredith jumping off the diving board...nice hair, girlfriend. (Seriously, she'll kill me someday for posting this pic with her hair like that!) :)

Oh the joy of swimming! We headed to the pool this afternoon with my friend Vanessa and her kids Joey and Jordan. It was a blast. Our pool closed on Sunday (don't they know that stay-home moms still need a pool until after Labor-Day?!), and since their pool didn't, we joined them for the afternoon. Thanks 'Nessa!

It's been a while since i've posted....here are a few things that have happened in our world:

1. Meredith found out she has Ms. Jiou for Pre-K 4 this year. Our 'tea-party' is on Friday. She is thrilled to no end about this fact, and is already plotting conversations and such with her new friends. I think her outfits are already picked out for the first week, and she's already guessing who will be in her class. She also has a countdown on her calendar until school starts (8 days). What a mess. A 4 year old mess!

2. Cameron John Lowe is ALL BOY. He runs constantly. CONSTANTLY! And, because he is growing rapidly right now, his feet and coordination have not caught up with his speed......so last Tuesday, he tripped while running full speed through my kitchen, and BROKE HIS NOSE on the kitchen cabinet. It was awful. He was screaming, and it bled profusely. Oh there's nothing worse than your baby getting hurt!! We took him to the dr, and it didn't have to be set (thank you, sweet Jesus!!!), but it sure left a big ole bruise across his nose. Of course, it didn't help matters that a day later, with the monster bruise on his nose, he is running (notice the pattern?) down our hall, trips and hits his cheek on the corner of the door to Mere's room. Nice. BIG strawberry-bruise on his face.....coupled with the broken nose. I just wanted to put a sign on his neck that said, "Please don't call CPS on us. He's just uncoordinated!"

3. In other exciting news, John and I have begun training for a half-marathon. several folks from john's work are participating, so we decided to join on the fun! Its called a Rock n Roll Marathon. There are bands playing at each mile marker....So if i totally run out of steam on mile 9, I'll just stop and listen to the Goo-Goo Dolls or John Maier for a while. Right?! I think I am just sick of where I am physically. I can't seem to get past this point in my 'baby weight loss' - IS it still considered "baby weight" when the kid is 2?! I digress......anyways, I am excited about the training. I'm using a program that Hal Higdon devised. Good stuff.

Okay...my timer went off. I have started limiting my time on the computer so i get stuff done around the house. So sad that I must discipline myself in this way. I feel like a child. However, the time seems to slip by if I don't set a timer. i'll look up and realize i've been on for over an hour. No wonder my house is a disaster!!!!!!!! Signing off to go tackle the darn laundry room........much love to each of you out there.

Kristi

Ps. oh, and if anyone wants to join me in the Half-Marathon....it's going to be in San Antonio, on Nov 16th. I'd love a walking/running buddy! :)

The Lathams Rock!

I HEART the Lathams! All of you! Even Papa Scott who didn't get to chat with us :( What treasures you each are! Beautiful folks who have hearts for the Lord. I love it...love it...love it! Also, you know I enjoyed our time together this afternoon (how nice to just 'sit a spell'!).......but I am certain that MAX did! The old dog didn't know what to do with all that lovin' :) ("Thanks for the scratches", says Max the dog) Blessings over your home until next time!

I'd like a Grande Sugar-Free Vanilla Soy Latte, no foam please.....

Yeah, it's a mouthful to say, but oooohhh, so good! The kids and I got out this evening to run errands...and I stopped by Caffeineville to get an evening cuppa joe. I actually meant to get decaf........but alas....It's 11:30p.m., and those who know me, know that I'm usually asleep by now. I'm more of a morning person than a night owl. (My mom wonders how I came from her womb, loving the morning the way I do!) But I'm a goober (which doesn't take much to figure out)...and drank a -say it with me-(FULLY CAFFEINATED)-Grande-Sugar-Free-Vanilla-Soy-Latte-no-foam-please this evening. They are yummy.

But I am wired!

San Antonio!!!!!!

Meredith took this pic of John and I...Our little budding photographer!

Well, I hadto post our most recent traveling experience......John had a conference to go to, so we loaded up and headed to the Riverwalk for a few days. It was hot there (you know that sticky-hotness that only San Antonio and Houston has!?), but we braved it....We took the kids to the Riverwalk for the first time (the pics are of us at Casa Rio on the RW, the BESTEST place to eat chips and salsa and Mexican food)!

Okay, I tell no lies. Cameron took this picture. Really. Meredith wanted a pic of the two of us. Cameron had just seen Mere take one of us (the one above), so he's giving me the 'uh-uh, mine' bit. (that's 2 year old code for "My turn.") So I let him 'take' the picture - he pushed the button while i held the camera.
And then, of course, I got to take his pic! He stood up in the chair the whole time we were there, eating his quesadilla. I think he just wanted to see the Riverwalk Boats go by. Really, big guy? Well, how about a ride in one of 'em?!

Here's Cameron and Daddy, on the boat on the riverwalk.

John, Cameron and Meredith

The next day we decided to go to San Marcos for some outlet mall shopping. I do believe I was much more excited about this than my better half. Something about acres and acres of bargains does not enthrall John the way it does me. But he pressed on, with a very good demeanor (as he always has) and even found a bargain or two himself. Attaboy, babe! (Maybe my shopping prowess is rubbing off on him. Or he decided he deserved a treat for hauling me and the two kidlets to Shopping-Mania. Whichever.) Anyways, I found some good bargains...pants at the Ralph Lauren outlet for John, and darling khakis at Gap for Mere. I even bought some lotion from the Bath and Body Works outlet - talk about a throwback....Flowering Herbs lotion. I remember when BBW opened (we were in early high school, i think)....that was THE scent to buy. Oh man I loved that stuff. So I bought a little. It takes me back. Yeah, I'm a dork. I do know that. But the funniest part of our day trip to San Marcos was that we let the kids get a toy from the toystore before we left. Meredith loves swimming, and picked out a snorkel and mask. check it out.....

Out of focus, but Mere with Daddy, checking out the new scuba gear!

Did I mention that we ate really, really well when we were there? I mean, we could not avoid partaking of the plethora of fabulous mexican food restaurants!! It really would be a loss to not give props to one more restaurant.....here's the link to The Alamo Cafe. Go there if you are ever within 100 miles of the place. Seriously good tortillas...

Well, I'm off to go workout . I have new tennis shoes that I should break in......and plenty of calories to burn off from the weekend! :)

Chicken

There is a phenomenon going on at my house that I must bring light to. It is a mystery that I cannot understand, although some conspiracy theories are beginning to emerge. I am fairly certain there are forces greater than me at work here.

Let me explain. I have health conscious issues that gravitate me toward lean meats, healthy choices. Fish is wonderful, pork is good (except for this one time that i really screwed it up...), and of course, our diet needs CHICKEN. Chicken. White meat is one of the best things you can do to prevent colon cancer. (as well as high-fiber diets). Chicken should not be a big deal, should it? Grilled chicken, baked chicken, pan-cooked, fajitas.......CHICKEN!

Now for the phenomenon going on.....It seems that my family, dear husband and oldest daughter, primarily, can SENSE the nights when Chicken is on the menu. It's like they know - they have this internal alarm that goes off - CHICKEN TONIGHT! IT'S BEEN A WHILE! CHICKEN!!!!!! I BET SHE'S COOKING CHICKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me prove my point. A few weeks ago, as we were leaving my daughter's gymnastic's practice, John pops up and says, "Hey, I think Fuddruckers sounds good for dinner. What did you have planned for dinner?" Chicken, I say. "Well, how about I (John) treat everyone to Fuddrucker's?" Off to Redmeatville we go. (Let me reiterate, i have NO aversion to Hamburgers or Fuddruckers. Don't sue me, Fuddrucker's. It's wonderful...follow me here...).

Then, last night. I had chicken in the fridge, marinating, to grill with veggies. The kids and I went swimming....and on the way home..........Meredith pops up and asks for "Chopstick House". Chopstick House, aka, Pei Wei. She loves Pei Wei. We all do. Who doesn't?!! So, we get home, and she proceeds to tell Daddy that she wants Pei Wei for dinner. "Please Daddy, please. I realllllllyyyy want Chopstick house!!" He tells her that sounds great...."Honey, what did we have planned tonight?" Guess what we had for dinner last night?......

There is 'fowl' play involved. I'm convinced. I'm thinking that it's the Chicken's getting back at the Cow's from the Chick-fil-A commercials...."Eat Mor Cow"........Or it's a dark spirit that doesn't want my family to eat white meat. Or it's that my husband hates chicken.