Yard Work

Apri 21

Matt had someone come and terrace our backyard, so it could be more functional.  They did a great job.

May 24

Matt had a truckload of mulch delivered at the top of our yard.  The kids helped with wheelbarrowing it down to the two sections that had been terraced.  They also did some planting on the sides.  The kids friend Quatro even helped.

June 14th

We all helped to clean up a rock bed that had overgrown with grass. It meant taking out all the rocks, getting rid of the grass, putting a landscaping cloth down, and filling the rocks back in.  It looked so much better afterwards.   Blake helped with dancing entertainment, and Julia pulled Asher around in the wagon, and Brayden dried to make rain angels when it started to sprinkle. 

August 22

Matt had a vision of making a wood walkway going down the hill. He started working on it at the end of the summer.  It looked great.

Money Desktop Package

Matt received a package for the kids while we were gone in Mexico, so they opened it the morning after we got home.  When we visited Utah the kids were so excited about Money Desktop and Brayden was asking if they had money desktop items, like shirts.  So, the kids were super excited to get a package from Uncle Ryan and Uncle Nathan.  They were so excited to put on their shirts and shoot their guns.  It provided many hours of fun that turned into fights for getting hit in the face or for bullets lost.  There was even a special bag for Asher with a sippy cup, baby snacks, and a bubble blower.  The older kids got a gun, green gumballs, a shirt, glasses, and a glow stick.

Carlsbad Caverns

Matt and I had been talking for years about stopping by Carlsbad Caverns on one of our trips between El Paso and San Antonio.  We both enjoyed going when we were younger.  I had looking into going to caves here close by and they were so expensive and not nearly as large as Carlsbad.  We decided that on the way back from our trip to Mexico would be a good time to go. Everyone thought it was really neat and enjoyed going.   

Dallin's Birthday / Thin Air

The Gaspar de Alba family came down our way for the wedding of Monica Gaspar de Alba (Joey's sister) in Austin.  Camille tagged along with her boys to hang out with us.  It was Dallin's 12th birthday so Camille decided to celebrate by going to Thin Air with the cousins.  Gabbi had gone recently with a date and thought it was really fun.  The older boys ended up spending most of their time in the dodge ball area and the rest spent most of their time jumping, flipping, and falling into the foam pits.  It was fun for everyone.  

Camille asked Matt if he could make Dallin a cake.  Matt was a little reluctant because he didn't want it to turn into a expectation with so large an extended family, but he relented and made a Raymond Raving Rabbids cake for him surrounded by onlookers.  It turned out pretty good and Dallin liked it.  

Computer Finders, Keepers

A family across the street recently moved out of their rental house.   We heard from other neighbors that they hadn't left things very nice.  Brayden was exploring the area behind the houses around that same time.  He kept asking the random question, "Say there were computers in the alley way, would we be able to get them and keep them?"  I didn't quite understand what he was getting at, because of course we wouldn't expect computers to be left out around the neighborhood.  He also asked Matt who gave him the go ahead.  He left early in the morning with Santiago and together they lugged back their loot.  I figured out that the renters had just dumped them over their back fence when they left.  

Hurricanes Summer 2014

1st Swim Meet - June 9, 2014

Hurricanes vs. Colonies

3rd Swim Meet - July 1, 2014
Hurricanes vs. Northwest Crossing

Swim Team Party - July 7, 2014

At the swim team party they called them up by age group and gave them their trophy for being part of the team.  We ate pizza and salads and they got to swim in the pool for fun.  

Championship Meet - July 12, 2014
Northside Aquatics Center

Blake 6 yrs old

100 yard free relay - 6th -2:44.60

6&U 25 yard freestyle - 14th out of 25- 40.99

Boys 7&U 25 yard freestyle - 18th out of 21-38.29

Julia - 8 yrs old

Girls 8&U 25 yard Freestyle - 9th out of 21- 25.27

Girls 8&U 100 yard Freestyle Relay - 5th - 1:49.74

Brayden - 11 years old

Boys 14 &U Medley Relay (breaststroke) - 4th -1:17.85

Boys 11& U 25 yard Breaststroke - 2nd-22.37

Boys 11&U yard Freestyle - 5th - 18.17

Boys 12 &U 100 yard Freestyle Relay - 4th - 1:12.43

Kylee - 13 years old

Girls 13 & U 25 yard Backstroke - 2nd - 21.09

Girls 13 &U 25 yard Freestyle - 4th - 15.78

The Hurricanes won the Championship swim meet.  They swam against Northwest Crossing - Dolphins, Colonies House- Dolphins, and Dominion.  In the championship swim meet they usually swim 2 individual events and 1 relay, with the possibility of swimming 2 relays.  The entries were not entered in correctly.  There was a lot of mistakes.  Kylee did not get put in any relays, which they mistakenly overlooked her.  They forgot to put Julia in  her other individual event.  Blake was put in the same event twice in a different age group.  The second time he swam it, he dropped 2 seconds.  They forgot to put him in the Backstroke.  At least they got to swim because there was some swimmers that were mistakenly not added in any events. It was fun to do the season with the Herreras and I enjoy the opportunity for the kids to get better at swimming.  The summer seems to go quickly because they stay busy in the pool.

School Year 2013-2014

Kylee - 7th Grade at Jefferson Middle School
favorite subject - English
favorite teacher - Ms. Best.  I like her because she is crazy and gets distracted, so there is less work.

Her friends were Karlee Jarmon and Callista Wayt.  She had classes and ate lunch with them.

She did FCS (Family and Consumer Science) for her elective.  In the class they did hands on learning about cooking, sewing, and taking care of babies.  She was in the 8th period, so they were also the set up crew for dances and football games.  She really liked going to the football games, and would stay after school to man the concessions booth for the Wednesday night football games as part of FCS.

With her GT class she got to be part of a Mentathalon competition with the Northside School District involving all the 7th grade GT classes from the different middle schools.  They had different activities for competition including an egg drop challenge, junk sculpture, aerodynamic challenge, rush hour game, and tangrams.

Her church friends are Stephanie Stockwell and Stephanie Franco.  She is always on pinterest pinning quotes.

Brayden - 5th Grade at Kuentz Elemantary
Teacher - Mrs. Rodriguez - 1st, Ms. Robertson - 2nd
Favorite Subject - Science
Favorite Specials- Art
Favorite Food - Chicken Patty
Friend in Class - Mason

During the beginning of the year he played with Matthew Stockwell during recess.  In the end of the year he would swing on the swings during recess.

Some highlights of the year - Mrs. Rodriguez gave him a big swirly lollipop because he got a hundred on his Math test and everyone else did not do very good.  He really enjoyed the fun projects Ms. Robertson did.  She had them create their own planet, and read a book and answer questions.

Ms. Robertson would have them earn tickets in their class by being good and helping her out.  He would earn a bunch of tickets and would earn homework passes.  He was excited he didn't have to do a social studies project because of the tickets.  He did the Cardio Coyote club for half the year.  He jumped on a pogo stick for a Christmas program.  He liked the second teacher better.

Brayden was super excited to start the year at a new school.  Soon after they started he decided that he actually liked his old school more.  One of the main reasons was PE class.  He said that PE was not fun because they didn't get to play games and just spent time learning sports like basketball, hockey, and golf.  He also said there was a lot more cussing at Kuentz. On a scale of 0 to a 100, he gave Kuentz a 90 and Bob Lewis a 60.

Julia - 2nd Grade at Kuentz Elementary
Teacher - Mrs. Trenz
Favorite Subject - Art 1st, Writing 2nd
Favorite Color - Blue
Favorite Food to eat at School - Chicken Patty Sandwich, Chicken Nuggets, or Popcorn Chicken
Friends in class- Bella - I walk with her at P.E., Reading Partner - Anna S.
Other friends in her class Anna B. and Marcella
Friends she played with at recess - Adia and Cami, and Alejandra. We would play on the monkey bars and a game where we would go all around the playground without touching the ground, we could only touch for 5 seconds.

The Field trip got changed from going downtown to the Riverwalk because it rained.  They ended up going to the movie at the Palladium to see Bears.  (They studied woodland creatures).  Then they went to a park for lunch.  She got the Trustworthiness Award.

Some highlights of her year were that she participated in the Bike Rodeo, and a snowman she made was in the Art show. She go the Trustworthiness Award.  She also likes that she can choose what day she wants ice cream.

Blake - Kindergarten at Kuentz Elementary
Teacher - Ms. Bruns
Favorite Subject - to go to centers
Favorite Color - Blue
Favorite Specials - PE
Favorite Food to buy - Chili
Friends he played with - At recess he mostly played with a boy not in his class.  They would play minecraft.  He could not remember his name.  He would sit with Trenton on the bus who was a friend from his class.

He enjoyed after snack time when they would do centers and he also enjoyed doing computers.  Blake went to the zoo for his fieldtrip.  I was going to meet him there, but I ended up being sick that day.