Saturday, February 27, 2010

EXCITING NEWS at the Hart House!

We had some big stuff going on yesterday! Events were set in to motion earlier this week that we were not anticipating AT ALL, but isn't that how blessings usually work? They come when you are least expecting (or wishing) for their arrival! A previous manager of Donnie's now works for a medical device company and recommended Donnie for a device sales position that opened up in Lubbock. He was given a phone interview last week, aced it, and was flown to Dallas yesterday for the final interview. If you are not in the world of medical sales, you might not know how nerve-racking an interview with a device company can be...device sales are like the "BIG LEAGUES" of medical sales. Needless to say, Donnie was NERVOUS and we were keeping our mouths shut about it, so that's why no one really knew he was interviewing yesterday! Neither of us wanted to get too excited about the possibility of him being able to take such a giant leap in his career, and we didn't want to jinx anything!
Before we get into the outcome of his gut-wrenching ordeal, let's talk a bit about Sydni's big news. At the same moment Donnie was being grilled in an interview room in Dallas, Sydni was being named "Student of the Month" at her Kindergarten six weeks awards ceremony. (Donnie was ticked he missed it, and so was I. I was at a literacy workshop, but Granny Deb acted as our liaison and was there to cheer Syd-o on as she received her award!) Sydni received a certificate, a voucher for a FREE MEAL AT THE COTTON PATCH, and a free pass to Skate Night at the Sports Plex. She was over-the-moon when we picked her up from school! Donnie arrived back in Lubbock around 2:30, but didn't know the outcome of his interview yet. He felt confident in his answers and had a good feeling about his performance. We decided to take Syd and Mak for ice cream immediately after school to celebrate her award while we waited for the "verdict" from the excecutives in Dallas. They still had one more interview to excecute after Donnie and told him they would let him know something before five o'clock! While we were finishing up our cones, Donnie received a call and disappeared in the ice cream store bathroom for awhile, and I think my heart did flips and lodged in my throat during those excruciating minutes he was gone! He came out grinning from ear to ear! They had offered him the job! To say he was excited is a gross understatement...Donnie was PUMPED!

So we had multiple accomplishments to celebrate last night! Cotton Patch Cafe was rockin' (with blue hairs and geriatric patients) but the Hart Family livened up the joint for the hour or so that we were there! Sydni made sure every waitress knew about her "Student of the Month" free meal, and I think that plate of macaroni was the "best food" she's ever had...according to her. I am so proud of my Syd-o and my Don! Donnie will start on March 8th, and will have a hard year of work ahead of him, but I know he can do it! He is too smart not to succeed in this industry. He will be the device rep for foot and ankle products at Wright Medical. Click on one of the "how to" videos to see what Donnie will have to know how to instruct his doctors to do! I'm glad he doesn't have a queasy stomach! Aye Ca rumba! He wouldn't take a "thumbs up" picture for me to post, so here's a few pics of Sydni and Daddy's "Congrats" balloon!
She wanted a picture of her jumping off of the coffee table, but I don't have a great camera for those kids of shots. So here's a blurry picture of Sydni jumping. Ha!
No, it's not warm enough for sleeveless yet, but Granny Deb bought her this outfit the other day with the intention of Sydni waiting for warmer weather to wear it. Guess who's been driving me NUTS to wear it when it's 34 degrees outside? Sheesh.

Posing with the "Congrats" balloon I bought Daddy when I ran in to United to pick up a few groceries after he found out he got the job. WE are SO PROUD of him!

She's such a cheese ball! But a cheese ball that is STUDENT OF THE MONTH! lol!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The iPhone Foot Bandit!

Whose foot is this?
There's twenty more pictures of this little foot...

I'm not kidding...
SOMEBODY has a serious problem.
I WONDER who it could be?

Makenzi and Her Granny Glasses

Makenzi is going through a weird phase that involves (what she calls), GRANNY GLASSES. Her Granny Deb wears reading glasses, and Makenzi has always admired them - sometimes too much! I found a pair of fashion glasses at Dusty's accessory store the other day that didn't have any magnification to them so I figured they would be the perfect gift for Makki! She has worn them nearly every day since, and I'm not sure how long she will continue to "need her glasses". Here are a few pics capturing Makenzi and her new obsession.

Makki and her glasses, playing "office" at Granny's house!
Passed out in her Granny Glasses...

Modeling her Granny Glasses with Granny and Sydni (wearing my glasses)!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A Few Random Pics!

I'm usually annoying with my constant posting, but MAN, this semester has been brutal on my time to do anything other than work and write! I'm doing my best to compensate for lack of documentation this month, and since I'm forgoing Facebook for forty days, I've decided to focus energy on the girls' blog! Here are a few pictures I took today and a few days ago.
The girls watching Aunt McCaleb's basketball game. Mak is enjoying some popcorn. She can't do anything without a snack and Syd can't go anywhere without the proper accessories.
Mak and Belle Bennett playing at our neighborhood park. Belle dressed herself that day! Isn't she cute in her Halloween leggings and skirt, Valentine shirt, and diva boots? Do you see why Belle gets along so well with my girls? She likes to play in the dirt AND look great at the same time!
Our neighborhood has a great park with a track for me to run on while the girls play. I'm not kidding when I say this place is FULL OF KIDDOS! Every day that we go (weather permitting), there are at least ten other kids playing. The girls love it, and here they are with a few of our neighborhood friends! Notice how Mak's feet are not touching the ground. Impressive!

The Diva, posing at the park.
Granny Deb bought the girls ADORABLE "Tigers" hoodies.
Pretty cute, huh?!
The Doodle before heading to Amarillo for Alee and Alyx's birthday party. She had to have those "spark-le-leeeee" shoes she saw at Target the other day. She's starting to care about fashion, but I don't think anyone could be as DEMANDING about what they wear as her DIVA big sister!

Friday, January 29, 2010

10 Minutes to Dress, 5 Minutes to Play

Unless I'm going snow skiing, purposely going outside in this kind of weather holds no appeal to me. So when the girls began begging at 9am to go outside and play in the snow, I knew that the only way to avoid having this discussion all day long would be to go ahead and let them. We do not have proper snow gear so we rounded up every article of warm clothing we could find, bundled them up, and sent them on their way. I'm a wimp about cold weather, so the pictures you see below are taken from the kitchen window. I'm a jerk, and told them it was a "Daddy's job" to build a snowman with them, so that's why I was staying inside. Donnie gave me several go-to-you-know-where looks for making such a statement, but no amount of guilt on their part could get dear ole' Dad in his winter gear THAT EARLY in the morning. Instead of bonding with Dad through snowman building, they settled for eating snow, playing on the fort, pelting the dogs with snowballs, and making lop-sided snow angels. The whopping TEN MINUTES they spent outside was pure bliss!
They woke up wanting to go outside to play....Ugh.
They are doing their best to convince Fudge to climb up the slide.
"FUDGEY! COME UP HERE!" I didn't think he would do it, but...
That's him, looking out over the fence! Can you imagine seeing a huge, chocolate lab peering at you from the fort?
Sydni played nearly five minutes outside, and Makenzi lasted just a little bit longer. At least it is out of their system and I don't have to hear about going outside for the rest of the day!
Makki had a lot of snow to eat!
Her attempt at snow angels failed. They had a hot bath soon after this little adventure was over.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Gifts With Mamaw

Since we stay at home in Wolfforth on Christmas Eve, we miss Mamaw's Christmas Eve gathering. It stinks trying to split time between our families, but the girls enjoy having Santa come to their house, so we have to make sacrifices. When we come to White Deer, we exchange gifts with Mamaw and visit with her for awhile. It is nice because we have her all to ourselves! Thank you to our Diggs family members (Tammy & Frank, Dad & Sherry) who left gifts for us! We love all of them!
Loving on Mamaw.
Having fun tearing into presents.
Cool "I Spy" books. Thanks Tammy! We love "I Spy"!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A "White" Deer Christmas

The Mitchell's (my mother's family) are a huge group. We no longer fit in typical homes, so we had to rent the WD Community Center to hold all of us! We had fun playing games and eating...lots of eating. The girls enjoyed playing with their cousins and testing out new toys.
The youngest of our brood, little Brenner.
And the craziest (Karson) was our entertainment. His dancing is hysterical!
Riley Kay and Alyx.
Alyx and Alee playing in the back. Brenner's roller coaster was fun for all of the kiddos.
The men, supervising the steaks. Thanks for the delicious steak, Uncle Jim!
Kaycia gettin' her guns up in her new Tech Snuggie. Wreck em'!
Miss Merrit!
Playing Twister with the cousins!
Gift time!
Sydni Ryen
Layci captured the look I always give Donnie...
Don't you love how she accessorized her loud dress? I do!
Kienan and Sydni playing in the back of the Community Center. I've climbed that wall MANY times!
Freckles just like Mommy's! Nana used to call them "angel kisses", which may be true in her case, but I was more like Makenzi in attitude when I was little.
Mak (her bangs were unleashed) and Alee, playing with their baby dolls.
The Doodle.
Kienan and Syd...they get along great!
Makki was singing for all of us.
Makenzi is in her pj's after an "accident" in the back. Her accident being that she didn't want to take the time to go to the potty to tee-tee. She "forgot ta' go", in her words.
A girl after my own heart. No, I didn't force her to ask for these, but I sure was stoked!
Headlock hugs are the best.
Granny Mar made everyone robes. Where's mine, Granny? If they had Twilight fleece, I would SOOOOO want a Twilight Snuggie. Get on that, Marla! We could be rich!
All of Granny Mar's brood. We are a fertile family, to say the least.