Once...twice....three times a Shirack!!

Fasting social networking

2011-12-31T18:30:00.001-06:00

Sitting here reflecting on the goodness of God in 2011....seriously, to say I'm grateful is an understatement....there are so many things that I'm thankful for....from my incredible husband (who seems to just get better with age), son (the light of our lives) and family (the best legacy I could ask for)...to our dear friends (who have become our family)...to a job that I truly love...to my kids (that I didn't birth)...I'm MORE than blessed...I pray that the best is yet to come in 2012...tonight, I'll ring in the new year quietly with Brandon and start the new year right with service at Gateway...and I'll be taking a break from all social networking sites for a good while...I know, pray saints...LOL! If you need to reach me, call/text me...Happy New Year to everyone...love ya'll!

Celebrating the Christmas holiday!

2011-12-26T21:09:00.000-06:00

I’ve had such a good time being off during the holidays! The whole week we’ve had fun things planned and some of the days, we just got to chill at home in our pajamas. From last minute shopping with friends, to baking Christmas cookies with Tyler, having lunch with MawMaw and seeing the Chipmunks movie with friends….we’ve made awesome memories.

On Christmas Eve, we stopped by to see MawMaw and give her our Christmas gifts and then we kept up the tradition of going to the Gaylord Texan to see the Christmas lights and have dinner with PaPi & GiGi. The Gaylord is gorgeous and the older Tyler gets, the more he understands everything.

We got home and put on our traditional Christmas pajamas and got Tyler into bed so we could get ready for Santa.

On Christmas morning, Tyler walked into the living room and saw all of his gifts….I need to upload the video because as soon as he saw his motorcycle, he said, “that’s what I’m talking about!” We cracked up! He was so excited!!

We then headed down for PaPi and GiGi’s in our p.j.s and had Christmas there. Tyler got lots of toys and clothes from them, and Brandon and I opened our gifts to each other! I was so stoked because one of the gifts I got was a North Face puffy vest that got destroyed when Cavell attacked me two years ago. I was SO happy to get it!! We both got money to spend which is always nice too! The best part of the day was just eating good food and hanging out together! We’re so thankful for our family and that we’re so close that we can celebrate holidays together. I’m looking forward to my last week off with little man; he’s got lots to entertain him this week! LOL!

Seeing Santa and Christmas Break here we come!

2011-12-18T22:41:00.000-06:00

It was a crazy busy last week before break, but we did manage to see Santa! Tyler has been saying for weeks that all he wants from Santa is a yellow motorcycle and fast race cars....which we cracked up when he was so bold and just told Santa what he wanted! He's never been scared and just sits on his lap like he's an old familiar friend. We liked two poses and had a fun time shopping at North Park with PaPi and GiGi afterward.This is Tyler's fourth year to see "his" Santa and it's amazing how much he's changed over these last four years!

Santa visits Tyler....on video

2011-12-13T07:15:00.000-06:00

This is the second year we did the Portable North Pole with Tyler, and he loved it! If you haven't done it, you can customize it and our three year old thought it was great! The look on his face is priceless! We'll be seeing "his" Santa on Thursday....can't wait!

All aboard......

2011-12-11T21:07:00.002-06:00

We’ve had an incredibly busy week but a great one! This past Saturday was our District Debate Tournament in Ft. Worth, and so I stayed late every day for debate practice. By the time, I pick up Tyler and get home, it’s so late and we’re wiped out! We’re in the process of getting a new house, so we’ve been looking and looking for just the right house that will be closer to school, Tyler’s daycare and church. That in itself will make things SO much easier for us all……we’re just praying for that “right” house. We have wanted to take Tyler on the Polar Express in Grapevine, and so we waited in line for tickets on Friday night, and met our friends there so they could ride along. PaPi and GiGi met us there to drop off Tyler, and we quickly changed him into his pajamas so he could be like all the other kids on the ride. We had a blast! Afterward, we went out to eat and just people watched….you have to be with the right people to do that…..SO fun!

I had to be at the school at 6:00 on Saturday morning for our debate tournament….and left Brandon and Tyler asleep in our bed……wish I could have stayed there with them….but I was excited to be with my debate kids. They did awesome and I was so proud of them…..we’ll be off to the State tournament in Austin next month….can’t wait. PaPi and GiGi picked up Tyler on Saturday to spend time with MawMaw who is visiting from North Carolina…..Tyler played and talked MawMaw’s leg off while he was there….they were both worn out when it was time to go home! LOL!

I rushed home and changed clothes and we went to Brandon’s corporate Christmas party…..we had a great time with his co-workers, but we were both glad to get home and sleep in.

Today was all about hanging out at home and catching up on our sleep from our busy week. We snuggled and watched Charlie Brown Christmas…..with Tyler…..you can’t watch something just one time…he wanted to watch it over and over again. This is my last week before Christmas break…and while it won’t be so busy…..there’s still lots to do…..we have to see Santa Claus this week….and let him know what a good boy Tyler has been. Thankfully, Buddy (our Elf on the Shelf) has been watching little man to make sure of it. When he got home yesterday…..Buddy was hanging upside down on the light fixture….just waiting for him! Brandon has been so good to put him in different places….and Tyler loves to wake up and find out where Buddy is…..we really need him year round. LOL!

Our kids are getting older....

2011-12-05T22:08:00.003-06:00

I love that we still connect with college friends as our kids grow up. This past week, Malachi turned three, just three weeks younger than Tyler! Several of my SAGU friends were all pregnant at the same time, and it's neat when we get together and our kids can play. Brandon and I took Tyler to Malachi's birthday party and they had a blast playing together and celebrating "THREE!" The decorations were so cute and the cakes were awesome...a great Veggie Tales theme! Brandon and I got to love on Lawson who is so cute! I wished we all lived closer so we could see each other more, but I'm happy for the times that we do get together!

After the party, we dropped little man by PaPi and GiGi's and we went to church and out to Cheesecake Factory with the Alltop's.....more college friends! Pastor Robert is challenging Gateway to a 40 day fast the first of 2012....I will be fasting social networks.....should be interesting! He's an amazing leader and we're so thankful for his leadership. After dinner, it was cold and rainy, and we were happy to just go home and hang out! PaPi and GiGi put up their tree before Tyler got there, and he had fun seeing his ornaments on their tree. Buddy is doing an amazing job of keeping Santa updated on how Tyler is doing and we love our little Elf on the Shelf! Too bad he can't stay around year round! LOL!

A Thankful Thanksgiving!

2011-11-27T21:46:00.002-06:00

We are finishing off an awesome few days off celebrating Thanksgiving! We spent the holiday with PaPi and GiGi, and I can honestly say, we spent most of our time just hanging out and relaxing in our jammies, eating leftovers and knowing that we didn't have to be anywhere. Tyler has tons of toys at their house and he was great hanging out with all of us. We debated on going out Black Friday, but decided being at home and watching football was more fun. We're so thankful to have family close and that it's just so easy to be there. On Saturday, Brandon and I had went to Trinity's playoff game, and sadly watched them lose to Arlington Martin....which meant that was the end for us. We're still SO proud of our boys! Afterward, we headed to Cowboy Stadium to watch Baylor BEAT Texas Tech! We were there with friends and were so stoked to see them win! Such an awesome game and Baylor is having a great season!!

Today, we packed up and headed back home to spend our last day of vacation relaxing and putting up our tree and starting our Christmas tradition with Tyler's Elf on the Shelf, Buddy! Buddy has his work cut out for him this year as we hope he'll help us get Tyler to try some new foods! Even though it's hard to have to go back to work tomorrow, we're less than a month away from Christmas, and just three weeks from break! Tyler is at such a great age and understand so much more about the holiday. When we ask him what Christmas means, he says it's Jesus' birthday....LOVE that boy!!

GREAT football weekend

2011-11-20T20:05:00.004-06:00

We had an awesome weekend, full of football and family time. Trinity played Allen at Cowboy Stadium on Saturday and we were there with family and friends and had a BLAST! We weren't slated to win and so I was SO nervous the entire game....it was a nail biter for sure! Tyler hadn't had a nap, but was such a good sport the whole time. He had plenty of laps to sit on, and our IPhones to keep him busy if he got bored.

We got home just in time to watch Baylor beat Oklahoma for the first time in history! Tyler was asleep in the living room with us, and so we couldn't scream like we would have, but it was UH-MAZING!!!! Today, we've been home watching football and hanging out and saw the Cowboys win too! GREAT games and great times with the family.

We have a short week this week and we're looking forward to the time off and spending with family. We have had such an awesome year and we're SO thankful! Happy Thanksgiving!

Quiet week at the Shirack house...

2011-11-13T21:09:00.000-06:00

After celebrating his big birthday, both Tyler and Brandon haven't felt so hot this week. Brandon was on his second round of Z-pak and little man went to see the doctor because of his cough. Thankfully, the cough wasn't in his chest, but he did have to get three shots....which he didn't like at all! He'd grown three inches since his last visit...and she didn't seem to be too concerned with his picky eating habits....still can't get that boy to try anything new!

Earlier in the week, little man stayed with PaPi and GiGi and he celebrated his birthday at their house. When he walked into his playroom, he found one of his birthday surprises.........the look on his face says it all!!
We stayed home most of the weekend for R & R and it was so nice. We're gearing up for the holidays, and Tyler's little elf on the shelf will be making his appearance in just a few days...maybe that will be the incentive he needs to try some new foods! LOL!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Tyler Vaughn!!!

2011-11-05T10:30:00.001-05:00

We wake up with you on our floor

You say you gotta potty but you really mean more

You climb in our fridge to get your own milk

Your feet smell like potatoes even if they're smooth as silk

You talk like a grown up and smile with ease

But you sometimes have trouble with thank yous and please

Your sweet little lisp brings a smile to my face

Your precious personality brightens any space

You're the smartest kid I know for such a small body

But your face is so cute even GiGi calls you "hottie"

You're Papi's favorite boy, the apple of your daddy's eye

You're GiGi's little man, my sweet little guy

You changed our lives forever 3 years ago today...

Tyler Vaughn Shirack....

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

Celebrating THREE early!

2011-11-04T23:49:00.001-05:00

Tonight was an absolute blast! We celebrated Tyler's birthday at with a Lightning McQueen theme! When he walked in, he was SO excited! Last year, he wasn't too keen on the bounce house theme, but this year, he was totally STOKED!! There were girls invited, but as it turned out, it was an all boy party....and those boys were totally into their cars! The cars were battery operated and it was hysterical to see them drive them. The racing uniforms were SO cute on them and they all got into wearing them! After driving the cars non-stop for over an hour, they celebrated with cupcakes and pizza! Little man racked up with lots of Lightning McQueen toys and one of his favorites was new Lightning McQueen bedding! It was AWESOME celebrating with our family and friends and we're SO thankful and Blessed for our little man, and those who love him so much!! Enjoy the pictures of our THREE YEAR OLD DRIVER!

2011-10-31T20:51:00.010-05:00

Argghh, matey!

Little man decided he wanted to be a pirate this year and he had a blast at Gateway's Fall Festival! This is his third year to go and this year "he got it." He was so excited to play all the games and win candy! He kept asking if he could play another game! He went home with a bucket of candy and was one happy little pirate.

On Friday afternoon, we went out of town with several of our friends to a ranch in Oklahoma to celebrate Cavanaugh's birthday On our way, we stopped in Choctaw and checked out a casino....which made for great people watching. We relaxed the rest of the weekend, and had a blast! We were ready to get home yesterday and see our little man!

PaPi and GiGi kept Tyler and since he has mastered his tricycle, he spent a lot of time riding around the block at their house!

We spent the rest of the day watching football and hanging out together. This week is going to be busy as we're finalizing all of his birthday party. We got his decorations and party favors in the mail on Friday.....so stinkin' cute! Can't wait!!!

Homecoming

2011-10-23T21:50:00.000-05:00

We just finished an awesome week of Homecoming events at Trinity! There was a dress theme for every day and all of the teachers had to get in the spirit as well. One of the days was Jersey Shore Day, so I did my best impression of Snooki! I used fake tanner and Brandon said my face looked like a football! LOL!

Once again, Brandon, Tyler and me, along with our friends were down on the sidelines watching Trinity pulverize Grapevine with a 38-0 win. As you can see by the pics, Tyler is very much at home on the sidelines and has a BLAST!

On Saturday, on our way to church, we took Tyler to one of his friend, Dominique’s birthday party. I don’t know what it is about boys playing in the dirt, but they could have stayed in that backyard for hours! He had a meltdown when we had to leave!

Yesterday, we spent the day watching football, and finishing up shopping for little man’s birthday. We can’t believe he’s going to be THREE in two weeks!! We’ve been planning his party for awhile and can’t wait to celebrate with friends and family! I’m thankful that he’s having great days at school, that he has such a fun personality, that he’s healthy and happy…..even though he doesn’t like to sleep in his bed and sneaks in our room every single night to try to crawl in between us….or that we have to be careful that we don’t step on him because he’ll be asleep on the floor by our bed….always with his blanket! LOVE that kid!

Texas State Fair Tradition

2011-10-16T22:16:00.006-05:00

We spent the day with family today at the Texas State Fair. We started off at the Food Court and between the five of us, we all had the fair favorites......corny dog, fried turkey leg, deep fried oreos and cake balls, cotton candy and funnel cakes!

We then hit up the midway, and Brandon and I had to win little man some stuffed animals, and we let him "fish" for a toy! The weather was awesome and we had a blast!!
This was our third year to take little man....and each year he understands more and makes it so fun! Here we are with the last three years of fair pictures....had a BLAST!

Love Sundays with my boys!

2011-10-09T21:33:00.005-05:00

We're winding down an awesome weekend chillin' at home on this rainy Sunday!

Little man is having great days at school and one of his rewards for doing so well is a random visit to Guitar Center to play drums. This past Thursday, he had an exceptionally good day, so we headed there to let him drum away. Uncle Josh met us there and Tyler was in heaven getting to play with him.

On Friday, we met our friends again at Trinity's football game. They love coming with us because we get to be on the sidelines and little man is in heaven! We all went to eat after the game, and little man was worn out on the way home!We got up Saturday, and went with friends to Waco to see Baylor win against Iowa State. Tyler drove down with us and we met mom and dad, and they brought him back with them, while we went to the game. We had a blast and loved hanging out with the Bartlett's.After a busy and fun weekend, there's nothing like being in pjs watching football with my boys....having tomorrow off doesn't hurt either!

LOVE OUR WEEKENDS!

2011-10-03T22:47:00.001-05:00

I get so busy that I forget to update the blog for my family! With high school and college football, my debate team’s fundraisers, and life with my little family, my blog has taken a backseat! This past weekend was so busy, but SO fun! It started out with our high school game with our rivals, Bell on Thursday night. The game was rain delayed so Brandon and our friends ended up sitting in the car and then just going on home. The game didn’t start back up until 10:45, so we were glad we didn’t wait, but even happier that we won!! GO TRINITY! My debate team usually sells their t-shirts for home games, so we busted out our new design at the pep rally and they were a hit.On Friday night, we met with friends for dinner and then watched a movie in their cinema room….I’m SO thankful that our friends love our little man and enjoy hanging out with him too.One of my favorite things about the weekends are sleeping in, lounging with my boys, college football, Gateway, and sushi with friends. On Sunday, Zsanae and I went to Canton….it was my first time to go and while the boys watched football, we shopped all day! We came home with my 4-runner packed; I LOVED it and definitely plan to go back next month with mom.I can’t believe that Tyler will be three next month; I’m working on his birthday party right now. I’m thankful that he has great days and school, and loves his teachers. He’s SO much fun and we love his personality. We feel so blessed right now in our lives.

2011-09-25T21:31:00.003-05:00

We had another great, but busy week! My debate kids are busy with fund raisers so we’re doing all we can to raise money for the big event in Austin. I helped them at the game on Friday night, and Brandon came with all our friends to hang out on the sidelines to watch the game. We had a blast, and later, we went to eat and people watch….one of our favorite things to do. On Saturday, we went to church and later hung out with Uncle Josh and Ali….little man loves hanging out with them! Pastor Robert is incredible and we love Gateway! Today, we hung out at home and watched football, and got serenaded by this little guy! He’s such a little ham! Love my sweet fam!

2011-09-18T19:13:00.002-05:00

I’ve been bad about keeping up with my blogging since school started. We’re back in the routine with school and I have to say Tyler is doing awesome this year! Having kids a little bit older in his class has helped him a lot. Before he moved up, he was the oldest one in his class and was a bit bored and a bit bossy. This year, he has a lot to keep him motivated and right now, he’s learning his colors in Spanish! I love his school so much and we’re thankful for such a great place! Tyler is at such a great age, and he’s so much fun. Wherever we take him, he adapts and is just so easy! Brandon and I both love that he’s such a cuddler and at night, he usually passes out on Brandon’s chest and gets carried to bed. We had a birthday dinner to go to, and because it was so late, Brandon said he’d stay home with Tyler so I could go. He sent us all the sweetest little prayer that Tyler did that night and prayed for them all at the party. Sweet boy! Every day, Tyler always loves that his daddy comes to the car to get him when we get home. In the mornings, Brandon gets him up and takes him potty and then they cuddle a little bit more before they get up to get ready. When we tell him it’s bedtime, he’ll say he wants to hang out with us! LOL! Gotta love that kid!

High school and college football is keeping us busy right now! If we’re not going to Friday night games, we’re driving to Waco for Baylor games! Brandon and I went with friends to Waco again this weekend to see our former student play. We had a blast, even though the game ended early because of rain. Little man went with PaPi and GiGi to see The Lion King in 3D while we were gone, but we came home early today so we could hang out and watch more football! LOL! We’re in the midst of planning Tyler’s 3rd birthday party; I can’t believe it’s been three years, but we’re so thankful for so many things in our lives!

2011-09-05T20:45:00.005-05:00

We are relaxing today after an awesome week and weekend! Last week, little man had his first soccer practice at school. I took time off from my conference period to go watch him. He was the smallest kid out there, but he really liked it. The only thing the coach says he needs to learn is that this isn't basketball, because he wants to throw the ball in the net. LOL!

On Friday, our boys at Trinity got the coolest surprise at the pep rally! Nike designed new football uniforms for us and and this is the first high school that's been chosen. I literally got chills watching the uniform be unveiled and seeing the excitement from the players, the students, the families and faculty. It was amazing! Here's a few pictures of the uniforms and I was so sad I didn't get to see them play on Friday night, but Brandon and I went to Waco for the Baylor/TCU game!

Since two of my students got college scholarships with Baylor and TCU and were playing against each other, Brandon and I didn't want to miss it. We took off early and got to Waco to check in the hotel and get to the game, which was a sellout! While it was SO hot, I have to say it was one of the most amazing games we've ever been to. Tyler did awesome and we were so proud of him! When Baylor won the game, everyone stormed the field and the place went crazy! We even took Tyler down on the field. We waited around to see Brandon who was playing for TCU, and Suleiman who was playing for Baylor. Brandon got on the bus to go back but we took Suleiman out to eat afterward. We didn't get to the hotel until 2:00 in the morning, and little man stayed up that entire time! We slept in on Saturday, and then made our way back home.

We met PaPi and GiGi at our favorite Mexican restaurant, and Tyler spent the night with them on Saturday! We had date night and then picked up our little man yesterday. We went out with friends last night, but today we have just enjoyed hanging out at home! I have to say it was one of my favorite weekends....we're looking forward to football AND soccer season! LOL!

Back to the old routine.....

2011-08-28T23:39:00.002-05:00

We seem to be getting back into our school routine this week. Tyler is doing great at school, but he comes home wiped out. Even though he takes a two hour nap at school, he plays hard all day. He's doing great at school with going potty.....he's got it down....we just need to get through the night time pull up, but we'll get there. Friday night was Trinity's first football game and I debated getting little man out in the hot weather, but he had a blast being down on the field. We had a great weekend hanging out with friends and just hanging out with our little man!

GREAT first week!

2011-08-21T20:29:00.002-05:00

We had a GREAT first week back to school. Even though it was just teacher's meetings for me; we still had to get back on our school schedule. We were a bit concerned how Tyler would be getting back in a routine but he did AWESOME! I was concerned how he was going to be about going potty in a new place and with new people. He only had two accidents the whole week....one during naptime....and one cause they couldn't get him to the potty in time. He's still in a pull up at night, but there have been nights when he's dry in the morning.....we'll take that for sure!! Tyler's teacher said his vocabulary is outstanding and she laughed and said there was a little girl crying in class, and he said, "Don't be such a crybaby!" That boy! LOL!

This weekend, we got to hang out with our SAGU friends and celebrating V's 30th birthday! We had a blast and then we went to Waffle House....Brandon's new favorite place....even though there's more food on the floor than anywhere else. Tyler got to go to a birthday party on Saturday night....can't believe he and his friends are about to turn THREE! Tomorrow, is my official first day of class...and I'm excited to see all my students! Can't believe summer is over....but ready for an awesome year!!

Tho we gotta say goodbye to the summer.....

2011-08-14T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well tomorrow is officially my first full week back to school, even though the kids don't come back until next Monday! I had a full day of work last Friday and because we didn't want little man to have to go back for just one day, GiGi took the day off and spent the whole day making memories! He had a blast and I felt better knowing he was with his GiGi while I was at at school. Brandon and I got to have dinner with friends on Friday night, but Saturday was devoted to our little guy. We took him to the Guitar Center to get some new drumsticks and then he had to get a haircut. We've been taking him to a cool barber shop (Tyler calls it that now too) and they do a great job on his faux hawk cut. We tried to prepare him for what was to come this week....it's back to school...and it will be interesting to see how he does.....no more banging on the drums all day long or Kung Fu Panda! :-( This afternoon, mom and I went to see "The Help" which was an AWESOME movie! If you've never read the book, I highly recommend it!So....ready or not.....school year....here we come! It's been an awesome summer and I can't wait to see what the fall holds!

Last days of summer break....

2011-08-08T20:43:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I don't even have a full week before I start back to work. We had a great weekend of spending time with friends and being at Gateway on Saturday and Sunday night. Tyler does great with all of friends and it makes it so easy when we go out. But, this week we are winding down our summer and getting ready to get back on a tighter schedule. While I will miss Tyler like crazy when I go back to school, I know he'll love getting to play with the kids at school and being back in a routine. It will be interesting to see how he does with a more scheduled nap time and with his "big boy" underwear. He will also move into a new room with a different teacher and older kids.....I think that will be good for him. This video and picture is my summer wrap up.......this is every day!

The rocker has collapsed after a long day of rockin out...buck mccluck...typical...

Musical week for the Shirack's

2011-07-31T17:55:00.004-05:00

Brandon and I had given each other concert tickets for our birthdays, and it worked out that they were back to back nights. On Thursday night, we went to see Katy Perry, who was #81 on my bucket list. We had a blast, and it was a GREAT people watching night. She actually sounds better in person and had a lot of soul in her voice. It's SO obvious she was raised in church....I counted like 20 human video moves in her choreography.On Friday, we met GiGi at Guitar Center so Tyler could see their drums. We were just going to stay for a little bit, but it ended up being almost an hour and a half of straight drumming for that boy! He was in Mecca......until we had to leave!! He has talked about it since we left!!
On Friday night, we celebrated Brandon's birthday by seeing Kings of Leon! We both love them, but were very disappointed that the concert was so bad and ended early due to the lead singer being sick. Fortunately, the show is being rescheduled in September and we'll get to see them again for free. It was an outdoor concert and stinking hot, so the concert in September should be much cooler! Afterward, we went to dinner at Nandina's for sushi and had the waitress who waited on us at our first date!Last night, we had dinner with the Alltop's and then hung out with them at their place! Uncle Josh took some time to make Tyler's mohawk LEGIT! Little man was SO proud!
I can't believe that I have to go back to school in two weeks; the summer has flown by but we've had so much fun! We're both going to have to learn to get disciplined again with getting up, getting ready and getting out of the house by 7:00 a.m.

Just following the fad.........

2011-07-27T16:17:00.002-05:00

Bienvenido a Miami!!

2011-07-24T19:45:00.006-05:00

Can't believe how quickly vacations come and go! We got back from Miami yesterday and had a BLAST! We left last Sunday morning and had a terrible day of traveling. We were supposed to be there by 3:00 that afternoon and didn't get there until 12:30 Monday morning! We had a total of 10 hours in delays and were stuck in Tampa for 7 hours. We were so worried about little man but he was AMAZING! With Kung Fu Panda on the IPad, his blanket and GiGi's lap, he had it made!

Because we lost a full day because of delays, we decided to add another day to our trip right off the bat. From a cool hotel, to laying by the pool or the beach with Tyler, date nights, shopping and just relaxing, we had an awesome time! Tyler loved the water and even though his schedule was off most of the time, we were amazed at how well he did. We lathered him with sunscreen and he was the only one who came home without being red at all. He does have a little tan line and some rosy cheeks which was great considering how much he was outside. Brandon and I loved being able to go out in Miami, since it's one of our favorite cities. We did our usual people watching on Lincoln Road and had an amazing sushi dinner there. All in all, it was one of our best trips! Thanks to PaPi and GiGi for giving us time to ourselves and just hanging out with us! We're ready to plan our next trip!

Countdown is on....

2011-07-10T22:31:00.005-05:00

We had a great week and are winding down to our vacation. I went with a my friend Keri and her kids to Waco this week to visit Baylor and the Mayborn Museum Complex. The boys loved it and Tyler loved being with other kids close to his age. While I love our one on one time, I know he misses the interaction. They had a blast!The last picture I'm showing is what I found once we got to Waco.....Tyler had changed his shoes on the way to meet Keri and I didn't notice when I was loading him in the car. He had to go around the whole time with two different flip flops....that's my son! LOL!On Saturday, I went to a baby shower for my friend, Jessica and it was fun to see all of my SAGU friends.PaPi and GiGi picked up Tyler and Brandon and I had a date night. We went to a cool Mexican restaurant, and then to the car show at AAC. It's so nice to have the time together and that PaPi and GiGi are so close and want to have Tyler on the weekends. We're also SO stoked to be leaving for vacation in one week!!! Miami, here we come!!

2011-07-05T21:36:00.005-05:00

We've had a busy few days! We took our little man to his first movie on Friday night! We went to dinner and then the late showing of Cars 2! We weren't sure how he was gonna handle sitting still for a movie....he did fine at first, but we ending up leaving because he just got too restless. The action parts were great...but if there was any slow part of the movie...he couldn't handle it! He does love his Mater and Lightning McQueen; he could play with those cars all day long!

Little man spent the night with PaPi and GiGi on Saturday night, and we hung out with friends and watched the UFC fights. We met up with the Alltop's on Sunday night to head out to Kaboom Town to watch the fireworks. Tyler took advantage of sitting on everyone's lap during the scary parts of the fireworks. The loud noises scared him a bit, but once he got used to it was fun....hot, but fun!

We just got home from a whirlwind trip to attend a funeral of one of our closest friends. Brenda was my first babysitter and Pastor dedicated me when I was born. We drove to Tulsa and stopped by Oral Roberts University where PaPi graduated and took a quick three generation picture. Tyler did great during the five hour drive and it was neat to see so many of our old friends from when we lived there 27 years ago. I'm SO glad to be home; Brandon said Solomon did great and slept through the night! We're still working on potty training for both our boys.....I think Tyler has Solomon beat for now!

Double potty duty for the summer!

2011-06-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I think we are getting the hang of this summer thing! I’m learning how to make plans with a toddler who is being potty trained! Tyler is doing AWESOME and he’s SO proud of himself going in the big boy potty!! He still doesn’t have the hang of using his big boy underwear, but we’ll get there! We’ve started getting out and hanging out with friends during the day! This past week, I got to have several outings with friends! We met my big sis from Baylor, Sarah and Tyler met her son, Ethan! He is SO precious and SO little! Tyler is learning how to be gentle with babies; he was really sweet with him!

We also took Tyler to a Ranger’s game on Tuesday night; it was SO hot but we had a blast with our little man!

On Friday, we added to our little family and got Tyler a puppy! Our newest addition, Solomon (where Brandon was born), is a teacup yorkie and he’s SO cute….and SO little! We are getting used to such a tiny dog, and as you can see, Atticus is too! They actually are getting along pretty well. The look on Tyler’s face says it all! SO SWEET!On Saturday, we had a date night and went to play Top Golf; we had a BLAST and then on Sunday, we went to ANOTHER Ranger game to celebrate Ali Alltop’s birthday! It was fun but STINKING HOT!So, we are enjoying the summer so far; not only am I potty training Tyler, I’m training Solomon as well! We are SO ready to go on vacation in two weeks! We’ll see how little man does while we’re traveling!

Catching up - Potty training, Birthday and Father's Day

2011-06-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

Since I've been out of school, you would think I would have all this time to blog, but potty training my two year old takes all of my time! I will say that we are making progress but most of my days are following him around Buck McCluck and making sure that he doesn't have accidents. He's been doing pretty good, but today was a bit rough. He left us a little present in his room, and then he'd taken everything out of the bathroom and put it in the toilet....from Q-tips on, you name it...it was in the toilet....and he was so proud of himself! He stayed at PaPi and GiGi's on Friday so I could celebrate my birthday, and he made sure that when he went to bed, that he had a big boy diaper (pull-ups) instead of the regular ones. LOL! Sooo, we are making progress! My time at home with him is so special; he loves nap times with his mommy and is such a cuddlebug....I love it! Here are a couple of pictures the past week where he actually had clothes on...we met GiGi for ice cream and another time we went to Grapevine Mills and he was checking out the crocodile at RainForest Cafe!On Friday, I celebrated my 29th birthday, and Brandon planned a fun night with our friends. We went out for pizza in Addison, and then to a piano bar....we had a blast people watching. It was hat night so we all came in hats and it was SO fun! Brandon got me Katy Perry concert tickets and I was SO excited...she's on my bucket list and we're going to see her next month!We got to sleep in the next morning and then met PaPi and GiGi at church. Afterward, we celebrated my birthday and Father's Day at Cheesecake Factory! Tyler is just full of himself and told the waiter there that he needed ketchup for his french fries! The kid is 2 1/2 and he's already telling a waiter what he wants! That kid! I do want to wish Happy Father's Day to the best daddies I know... Samuel Vaughn Peak and Brandon Shirack, thanks for being great men, husbands and daddies....I love you BOTH so much!!

2nd Day of Potty Training

2011-06-07T17:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Veggie Tales....today, it's drum lessons with Carter Beauford...been in here about an hour now...no potty but he knows what 2/4 time is...

1st Day of Potty Training

2011-06-06T17:06:00.000-05:00

Our day in a picture...no potty in the potty yet...two pairs of big boy undies down for the count...thank God for Veggie Tales!

Brandon's Birthday Celebration

2011-06-05T16:54:00.002-05:00

After church on Saturday, we met our friends to celebrate Brandon's 30th Birthday! We went to this hilarious place called Pocket Sandwich Theatre! You love it and hate it at the same time, but with the right friends....it's SO much fun! We had a great time celebrating with friends that we love so much! Thanks to PaPi and GiGi, we got to be out late and sleep in on Sunday morning!Tyler got to go swimming with his PaPi and GiGi and had a great time...so much so that he was EXHAUSTED on his way home!I'm excited about the summer....first thing on Monday morning....POTTY TRAINING!

First Full Day of Summer Break

2011-06-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

Snack Time = WIN Arts/Craft Time = FAIL

Happy 30th Birthday, Brandon

2011-06-02T09:00:00.003-05:00

The day is here, 30 years later...unfortunately you're at work, spending it with Mader...

your life is like a story, an adventure through time...so, of course, I had to write you a stupid little rhyme...

you started in Kansas then thought Texas was the place...barely hair on your head and peach fuzz on your face...

but now you're a grown... up, with big-boy work and bills...that hasn't phased you though, cuz you got SKILLS...

you're quiet and calm but randomly funny...when I'm having a dark day, you turn it to sunny...

you're the best daddy I know, which Tyler does agree...you're the best thing that's happened, to him...and to me...

so hopefully you know you're loved in every way... Brandon Michael Shirack,

Happy 30th Birthday!!!!

End of school and already behind on my blogging!

2011-06-01T15:57:00.001-05:00

Today was my LAST day of school and our schedule has been crazy this past week! The last day of school was on Friday and Tyler's last day at day care as well! He'll miss his little friends but we have lots planned for the summer! We had dinner with friends on Friday night and I had high school graduation on Saturday, and then had to work that afternoon for a makeup snow day! I rushed home and we went to a Memorial Day Party with Brandon's work! Tyler had a good nap and actually had a fun time playing outside. I only snapped one pic of him playing in the sandbox and he was worn out by the time it was over! On Sunday, Mom and I made a day trip to Tulsa to see a friend of ours who is really ill. We had a great time, but while we were there, we sat outside by the pool, surrounded by trees. They also have a company that sells college attire and they made Tyler a cardigan with our high school logo! When I got home, he had just gotten out of the shower, because he'd been daddy's little helper and was filthy! I put his cardigan on him with nothing else on and we had him pose...the first picture is supposed to be a thug....um, he didn't quite pull that off! LOL!

On Memorial Day, I woke up with pink eye, from being out in the wind and all the trees the day before! NO FUN! We had plans to go swimming, but decided to stay at home since my eye was nice and puffy! We watched the Mavs game and captured our little man during the Pledge of Allegience! SO sweet!Whew! So now, I'm going to relax the next couple of days and get ready for Brandon's 30th birthday! I'm looking forward to a great summer with little man! Can't wait!!

The countdown is on....summer break here we come!

2011-05-22T12:13:00.006-05:00

This past week was my last full week of school! I go three days this week and for all practical purposes....I'm DONE!! SO SO READY! It was a busy week with end of year events and meetings. On Thursday night, THS hosted a cool basketball game "Playing with the Boys" with former players of the Dallas Cowboys! Since part of the proceeds went to our Debate Team, I worked the event and Tyler came with me. Several great players were there and for some reason, Michael Irvin really took to Tyler! Of course, Tyler had no idea who he was, but we got pictures of him feeding Michael potato chips and sitting on his lap! The players also gave Tyler a really cool autographed football! For now, he just thinks it's a cool football...one day he'll appreciate the significance! Brandon had to work late so he didn't get to be there but I kept sending him texts so he could see what was going on! We were both tired after the event, but had a blast!On Friday night, we had date night with Josh and Ali, and went to see Pirates of the Caribbean! We decided movies are okay...but we'd rather hang out and just talk. We ended up going to some other friend's house afterward and had a great time! On Saturday, Tyler had a birthday party that we went to, and then we went to church and celebrated GiGi's birthday at Cheesecake Factory! Mom is THE most amazing woman/wife/mommy/GiGi I've EVER known....she doesn't get older, she gets better....I love you SO much....to the moon and back!!Tyler was worn out after a full day and he fell asleep on his daddy's lap watching the Mavs WIN!!! He is just SO much fun....we LOVE this age!!! Today, we are chillin' at home and getting ready for little man's last week at day care! CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

Birthdays and Bully Boys

2011-05-15T23:44:00.005-05:00

We had another busy week, but a fun one! Brandon and I had sushi with good friends on Wednesday night and it was so fun to hang out mid-week. Tyler stayed with PaPi and GiGi because they wanted to see him during the week since they were attending a big event on Saturday. We hung out at home on Friday night and then Brandon took little man on Saturday to get another haircut. We were trying to let it grow out, but decided his shorter fauxhawk was easier for him. He looks so cute! We went to church and then ate at PF Chang's with friends who were keeping a new baby! It was funny watching Tyler interact with Presley. We told him to give her a high five...and he was a little too rough! A puppy might be easier for him to handle! LOL!

Today, we had a birthday party for Brandon's boss' son. It was a big deal and they had hot air balloons, petting zoo and bounce houses! It was an over the top party but Tyler had fun! After that we went to look at bully puppies! Since our bully boy, Boss died a couple of months ago, we've been deciding if we're ready for a new puppy! We went to see a breeder and let Tyler play with the puppies. He was fine for a bit but more interested in throwing rocks! LOL! Brandon and I found one (the one by itself and with Brandon and Tyler) we LOVED, but we're going to wait until school is out to get one! The breeder also had mastiffs which is what mom THINK she wants....they are massive! We took a few pics and so we may be adding to our family soon....no baby, but a bulldog! LOL!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T20:55:00.003-05:00

We've had a crazy busy week but a great one! Brandon and I were busy the whole week with Josh and Ali's wedding! I took Friday off to help with decorating and took little man with me until GiGi picked him up! Brandon and I decided to stay in a hotel downtown because we were also clean up crew! The wedding was beautiful, but I was horrible and left my camera in my bag! I will update with pictures from the wedding as I get them! We got to see good SAGU friends and then went out for breakfast afterward. We were SO tired when we got to our room and wanted to take a shower and crash...only to find out the water had been turned off! Needless to say, we were pretty bummed and checked out early the next morning and went home and crashed in our own bed! LOL! We met PaPi and GiGi for church and had a Mother's Day dinner afterward!

Pretty sure I got the best mom in the world....hopefully I let her know by my words and actions how much I love and appreciate her EVERY day, not just today.... God knew what He was doing when He gave me you as my mommy...you've been my role model my whole life...I love you more than words can EVER express! Happy Mother's Day!

I've had a sweet day with my family just enjoying going nowhere! I'm SO not ready to go back to work tomorrow!

Our little patriot

2011-05-01T19:23:00.006-05:00

We've had an incredibly busy weekend! Brandon and I had bachelor/bachelorette all night parties for the Alltop's on Friday night! Thankfully little man was with PaPi and GiGi and we got to sleep in on Saturday morning! Once we got Tyler on Saturday, we went to friend's house to hang out and they all wanted to see little man! WE had a great time hanging out and little man entertained us all! He fell asleep there and we carried him to the car and he slept all the way home! We had quiet morning at home and mom and I shopped this afternoon. Right before I left, we took this video of our little man saying the pledge of allegiance! The kid is growing up...can't believe him!

Tyler thinks he's grown!

2011-04-29T12:54:00.004-05:00

Last week, Tyler started calling us mom and dad! We don't know where that came from, but it makes him sound so much older...and we both miss him calling us mommy and daddy! Last night, we had a fund raiser at Fuzzy Taco's and Tyler got to sit with the big kids! These pictures are funny and sad at the same time! Funny because he acts like he's big and sad because he is getting big! Sitting at the table like a big boy.....are "mom and dad" ready for this? Not quite sure! LOL!

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T20:01:00.005-05:00

We're home relaxing after a busy, busy week! After having Powder Puff practice twice a week for several weeks, we had our Powder Puff game on Thursday! We had a great turnout, but I was SO glad to get it behind me. The girls did great, but no more late practices this year! I had another personal shower for Ali this week, and then on Friday, I had Tyler's Easter Egg Hunt at school, and then we went to church for Easter.We usually go with PapI and GiGi, but they were out of town visiting a sick friend. Afterward, we ate at California Pizza Kitchen with little man! Yesterday, after church, we met PaPi and GiGi at Outback's and they took little man home with them. Brandon and I went out with the Alltop's to Pappadeaux, and then came home to watch The King's Speech...a great movie! PaPi and GiGi had little man this morning, and looked out to find a bunny in their front yard. It became an adventure and because it was a tame rabbit, PaPi and Tyler had to check it out! The bunny ended up in their backyard for a little bit, until he ended up in the next door neighbor's backyard!
Tyler had fun and came home with lots of Easter candy! Thanks, PaPi and GiGi! We're thankful for what Easter means to our entire family!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

2011-04-17T19:51:00.004-05:00

Some bunny loves Tyler!!

2011-04-17T18:25:00.008-05:00

We had a busy, but FUN weekend! We took Tyler to Nash Farms in Grapevine for an Easter Egg hunt! WE've never seen so many kids there, but with daddy's help, Tyler got his share of eggs! He got to check out the animals at the petting zoo, and hang out on a tractor too! He was wiped out after we finished and once he napped, we met Papi & GiGi cause little man was staying with them. We had a couples shower for Josh and Ali, and after the shower, we went with them to Billy Bob's. While that's not our music style, Alltop had free tickets and just going with them made it fun! Today, we wanted to get Tyler's picture made like last year with the live bunnies, so we met PaPi and GiGi at North Park Mall. On their way, they stopped to have pictures with little man in the blue bonnets! After we got little man's picture made with the bunny, we ate at PF Chang's with PaPi and GiGi! >Little man was worn out so we're relaxing on the couch for the evening! Even though it was a fun weekend, it's just as fun to hang out with my boys at home too!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2011-04-14T09:01:00.002-05:00

Busy but fun weekend!

2011-04-10T22:09:00.007-05:00

We had such a fun weekend! On Friday night, Mom and I had Girl's Night Out at Pink Impact at Gateway! The featured speaker was the Bishop T.D. Jakes and we were both anxious to hear him! He was awesome and we ended the night at Cheesecake Factory! FUN! While we were there, Brandon took Tyler to the park with Atty! They had a fun boys night out too! On Saturday, we met PaPi and GiGi at church, and afterward we all watched Tyler play in their awesome play area! He had a blast! They took Tyler with them, and we went to see Arthur with the Alltop's and other friends from Gateway! Studio Movie Grill was fun...the movie...I'd give a C! It was more fun hanging out with friends! Today, after I picked up Tyler, I went to see one of Sarah and Bryan's new baby boy, Ethan! Sarah was my big sis at Baylor in Phi Lamb and her baby was born 8 weeks premature! He's doing great but I went to see them at the hospital! He's SO little, but doing well! Please continue to remember him in your prayers so he can come home soon! Tyler continues to have great weeks at school and I'm thankful for that little trip to the office to sit in the red chair! LOL!

Quiet weekend with little man!

2011-04-03T22:10:00.003-05:00

Little man has taken after his mommy with allergies! We spent the weekend at home medicating him because he was congested and his little eyes were running! He calls them crusties in his eyes.... He slept yesterday morning until 11:00 and took a long nap both days too....poor baby!! On a positive note, he had a GREAT week at school...no incidents and every day when we picked him up, he'd say, "I no push today!" Yay for PROGRESS!

Sic 'em Lady Bears!

2011-03-30T07:03:00.000-05:00

We took Tyler to his first Baylor basketball game last night at American Airlines Center. We've been watching the girls play and since they were up against Texas A & M, we decided to go as a family. All day yesterday, Tyler kept saying he wanted to see the Baylor Bears and "that big girl" play! LOL! We had a blast at the game....disappointing loss, but still fun! While we were there two of my students who graduate this year were there and we hooked up with them! One is going to Baylor and the other is going to OU to play football! I'm so proud of both of them! We didn't stay for the entire game.....couldn't stand to see them lose at the end, but proud of the Lady Bears for a great season!

Growing pains....

2011-03-27T14:58:00.003-05:00

Tyler has done SO great in his class and has learned SO much, but the teachers have started to notice a little trend with the little boys! There's a group of them that have started to hit and push, and while Tyler didn't start it, he joined right in! We've tried to address it at home, and encouraged him to use "gentle hands" and that we don't push our friends. We decided we'd tell him that if he didn't get in trouble at school that he could sleep in "mommydaddy bed." Well, the first day we did that he was great....no issues! Then came this past Friday! He started it again in class and had to go to the front office for time out in the red chair! Well, that broke him DOWN and the director took a picture of him in timeout and said it was priceless! Well of course, we were upset, but they told us that it's a phase and that the boys don't realize they're hurting anyone. We've NEVER seen that behavior in him, but I will admit, this picture is pretty priceless! After he had to sit in the red chair, they said he had a great rest of the day! I'm hoping that's the first AND last time that he has to go to the dreaded office! We had a great weekend! We had date night on Friday with the Alltops again and had a blast! Little man stayed with PaPi and GiGi and he played outside and had a blast! After we met P & G at church, we met up with the Alltop's again for dinner with a few couples! Tyler LOVES his Uncle Josh and he took him backstage at Gateway and gave him some new drumsticks! Tyler was SO excited....and he's been playing them all day today! Thanks, Uncle Josh! LOL! The weather was AWESOME yesterday, but we are happy to be home today! Here's hoping and praying for a great week for little man!

Spring Forward to Spring Break and now back to school!

2011-03-20T20:36:00.008-05:00

Warning! Picture overload! I'm trying to play catch up on the past two weeks and we had a GREAT Spring Break! The weather was great and even though Brandon had to be away part of the week on business, we had fun! On Monday, we enjoyed the day in our jammies! Tyler and I slept in and had a lazy day! SO fun! On Tuesday, we headed out to the Galleria, shopped and played in their playground area! The place was crawling with kids but it was fun to watch Tyler!

That night, Brandon and I took him to North Park Mall to get a Build a Bear. We did this last year on Spring Break and Tyler loved it! He got a Kung Fu bear and named him Bruce Lee! On Wednesday, we got Tyler a tricycle for our house and his first skateboard! That kept him busy and was so fun to watch him play, but we can't believe how big he looks riding his tricycle! On Thursday, we went to the Museum of Arts and Science to see the dinosaurs! Again, he had a blast and got his own dinosaur, T-Rex! His bed is getting crowded because he has to sleep with all his "friends!" Brandon was on a business trip to Arizona for part of the week, and able to go to Spring Training with the Texas Rangers. He had dinner with the players and met Nolan Ryan! While we missed him, I'm proud of him and glad he had that awesome opportunity! We stayed with PaPi and GiGi so we spent the weekend playing and spending time together! We had a birthday party on Saturday to celebrate one of our friend's birthday, but it was at a bounce house, so no pics for Tyler...he stayed safely on my lap! He's not a fan of bounce houses! LOL! Today we picked up Brandon from the airport and are glad to be home and resting before tomorrow! I can't believe Spring Break is over, but now I'm ready to get back and finish the school year so we'll have the summer to play!

2011-03-06T12:29:00.000-06:00

We are having a lazy Sunday today after a busy week! On Wednesday night, Brandon and I went with the Alltop's to see Linkin Park at American Airlines Center. New musical experience for me....things that you will NEVER see at an R&B show...1. Mosh pits 2. Crowd surfing 3. Braided ponytails 4. JNCO jeans 5. Black wife beaters with matching combat boots 6. Calf tattoos...yep, and we were right in the thick of it...we left early...but still fun! Tyler spent the night with PaPi and Gigi on Friday night and Brandon and I spent a quiet Friday night at home. We missed him so much that we called to talk to him right before he went to sleep...we love his sweet voice on the phone! Yesterday we met them at church and we all went to dinner afterward! We LOVE that Tyler enjoys Gateway and the new building is AWESOME! We took a couple of pictures of him as we were getting him signed in....SO thankful for our church! We ate at Texas Roadhouse and then went home to watch the Baylor Bears! That's the best part of Saturday church....getting to stay home on Sunday!

Blog catch up!

2011-02-25T15:28:00.003-06:00

I’ve been SO bad lately about keeping up my blog! Once the Debate Tournament was over, I got lazy! We had a great weekend last weekend celebrating our anniversary. We ate sushi where we had our first date! We hadn’t been there in awhile, and after church, PaPi and GiGi took Tyler so we could celebrate. We had fun talking about when we first met and then did such a romantic thing; we went to Wal-Mart to get groceries! LOL! Believe it or not, we had fun doing it and then we spent the evening at home! Here's our picture outside of Nandina's! We’ve kind of gotten in a routine to go to meet PaPi and Gigi at church on Saturday nights, they take Tyler to spend the night with them, and we have a date night! We get to sleep in on Sunday mornings and they get their time with little man!

Speaking of little man, we are dealing with some little boy issues of him pushing at school. His teacher said that he didn’t start it, but there is a group of little boys that are now pushing people. We have talked to him about it and now when any of us pick him up from school, the first thing he says is, “I pushed!” At least he’s good at confession for now! Yesterday, he got in trouble for hitting a little boy and the first thing he said to Brandon when he got home from work was, “I pushed Thomas, daddy!” It’s hard for us both to keep a straight face but we talk to him and tell him we don’t push our friends. We let him sleep in our bed some nights during the week, but when he has to sleep in his bed, he’s so cute when he says his nightly prayers, because he prays through his tears! Brandon and I both have to look away so he won’t know we’re trying not to laugh. He continues to amaze us with his vocabulary; he talks in full on sentences all the time, sings all the time, and has a great sense of humor! He cracks us up! The other day he learned about emergencies at school. We called PaPi and Gigi so Tyler could tell them what you do in an emergency. He said you stop, drop and roll, and call 911! Smart kid! Tyler loves Yo Gabba Gabba and this week, we saw the cutest Yo Gabba Gabba shoes! They had three styles and these were the ones he picked out! He’s so proud!We only have two more weeks until Spring Break, and we’re ready for warm weather and a week off!

Happy Anniversary, Brandon Michael!

2011-02-17T08:23:00.002-06:00

Snuggling on the couch til we fall asleep
Bedtime chats from shallow to deep
Sushi to bueno with queso on the side
Some highs and lows nonetheless a great ride
There's nowhere else I'd rather spend my life
...Than being by your side, your best friend and your wife
We're in this together, a covenant, a team
Brandon Michael Shirack, you've been more than a dream
So here's to the years, we've been married, today four
I can't wait to share...many, MANY more!
Love you babe...Happy Anniversary!

Playing catch up

2011-02-13T18:02:00.006-06:00

I haven't been so good at blogging so I'm going to finish up last weekend's blog and this weekend as well! Brandon was SO blessed and got a chance to go to the Super Bowl at the last minute! He got to go with his boss and while I was jealous, I was excited for him to go! After church last Saturday, Tyler went with PaPi and GiGi and we had a great date night of sushi and watching the fights! On Sunday, Tyler and I watched the game at PaPi and GiGi's and saw Brandon several times on TV. He was in a suite level with the endzone, so we saw him during field goals! SO cool! Here's a few pictures from the game!This week we had another snow day, which makes five in all for us! Tyler and I stayed home and enjoyed hanging out again! Yesterday, we had a birthday party and the boys had a great time playing video games. We met PaPi and GiGi at church, and they took Tyler again so it was another date night for us! We ate at Waffle House and went to see "Just Go with It" with our good friends, Josh and Ali. It was a great movie and we love hanging out with them! Today, before I picked up Tyler, he got to play outside riding his tricycle at his PaPi and GiGi's and came home exhausted! We're all excited about the warmer weather and Spring Break is right around the corner!

Little man in the snow!

2011-02-04T20:55:00.000-06:00

A REAL Winter Break

2011-02-04T19:28:00.009-06:00

After my fourth day at home with little man, we were glad to see snow so we could get outside. To say we had cabin fever is an understatement! Brandon had to go in all four days, but I never left the house! He did get to come home early and we took little man out to play in the snow! It was a lot different from last year's snow day and we made great memories! Tyler LOVED the snow, but we didn't stay out too long because it's so cold outside! After being away from him for four days, I was SO thankful to get those days back and have one on one time with him! While we've had fun, we are ready for this weather to pass so we can finally leave the house!

Proud Teacher

2011-02-01T19:14:00.004-06:00

I'm behind in my blogging but I was waiting on more pictures to post from our State Debate Tournament in Austin last weekend. Since the weather took a turn for the worst, I didn't get others to send pics, so I'll post the only one I have! We left on Thursday and took 46 kids to compete. We were all excited and I couldn't have been prouder of my group! They did SO awesome and we had a blast! Here's a picture of the group in the state shirt I designed. Since they're such a diverse group, I designed their shirts like a box of crayons that said "Got Colors." The kids LOVED them and I LOVED representing Trinity High School and an awesome group! PaPi and GiGi took Tyler on Thursday and Friday, and Brandon had him the rest of the weekend. Little man had fun sleeping with daddy and hanging out, but I was SO ready to see them both! It was a fun few days, but I missed my boys!!

Out of the mouth of babes....

2011-01-23T18:54:00.003-06:00

The weather has been cold and yucky this past week, and little man has been feeling yucky too! This past week, we would hurry home, all get in our jammies and cuddle to stay warm. All of us have been congested so I took little man to the doctor just to be safe. She put him on an antibiotic because he had the beginning of an ear infection. I was glad to see his doctor because I wanted to talk to her about his eating habits. He is THE pickiest eater! There are only certain foods he likes and he just refuses everything else. We wanted to see what she thought about it and once we got there, he'd gained five pounds since his last visit so she wasn't too concerned. LOL! That made us both feel better, but we're hoping he learns to like a variety of foods....any ideas you have are greatly appreciated! The one thing she did notice was his vocabulary! We've always been surprised at how well he talks and it was neat to have her notice it. I thought I'd keep record of some of his sentences because every day he amazes us! Here are a few things he's saying/doing:

During the holidays, we were watching a music program with violins and he picked up two sticks and started holding them like the violin and said "I'm playing the violin." Neither one of us knew what a violin was at that age. Every morning on the way to school, if I don't turn the music on, he says, "I need music, mommy, I need music!" Um...he needs music? LOL! He LOVES his drums and says "I wanna play hi hat" ...unbelievable! The other night he told his GiGi, "I learned about Jesus at church, GiGi!" SO sweet! Brandon was cleaning his nose last week and Tyler looked at him and said, "That's gross, daddy!"

Brandon and I both LOVE this age...he's so much fun and cracks us up at his little personality. Even though he's growing up, he's still such a cuddle bug and we both love that. The other night I was changing his diaper before bedtime and his little lip started to quiver and he said, I wanna sleep in mommy/daddy bed!" That was it....I called Brandon in and told him he needed to put him to bed because I couldn't turn him down!

Last night we went to church and had dinner with PaPi and GiGi...here's our sweet little guy at Snuffer's! He did like their french fries....I guess that's a good start! :-)

Happy Birthday, PaPi!

2011-01-17T06:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Daddy....thank you for being THE BEST dad, papi, mentor, pastor, example I've EVER known....I'm SO thankful for you....I love you more than you know!

A Happy Reunion

2011-01-14T08:04:00.000-06:00

I had a banquet to attend last night, so Tyler stayed with PaPi and GiGi. This past Sunday he left his blanket in their car and although we realized it was missing, he never asked for it. As soon as little man got in their car last night, he was reunited with his "Tyler blanket!" Here he is this morning, making sure he has it with him! We actually have two exactly alike so he'll have one at our house and one at theirs.....I know....CRAZY!! He gave up his pacifier very easily.....wondering if his "Tyler blanket" will be as easy! SWEET boy!!

2011-01-09T15:44:00.002-06:00

Little man had a hard time getting back in the swing of things this past week...he had to get up earlier and HATED having to sleep in "Tyler Bed" every night! When we tell him it's bedtime, he first says he wants to sleep in "MommyDaddy Bed" and then if we say no, he asks to lay on the couch! LOL!It's snowing today and we are all bundled up at home! None of us are feeling too well, so being in our p.j.'s and hanging out is awesome! Sure would love a snow day tomorrow!!

And the beat goes on....and on....and on.....

2011-01-02T14:51:00.003-06:00

This about sums up this past week...non-stop drumming...I'm so grateful for naps and bedtime...but it is really cool seeing your kid love something that much!

Nothing like family to ring in the new year!!

2011-01-01T17:40:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, we spent the morning with family, hanging out before MawMaw Peak went back home to North Carolina! We had a blast laughing, talking and watching Tyler play! We also got to take more four generation pictures! I'm SO thankful for my family and what they mean to me! We spent time again with Josh and Ali last night and are hanging out today in our jammies with little man! I can't believe my break is just about over, but am SO ready for a GREAT 2011!

Growing boy and engaged boy!!

2010-12-31T15:24:00.001-06:00

Last night, little man stayed with PaPi and GiGi while Brandon and I helped one of our best friends get engaged! Josh is a drummer at Gateway and I've known him since Bible college. We were SO stoked for him! He's getting married May 6! Congrats Josh and Ali! Little man practiced riding his tricycle at PaPi and GiGi's and seeing him on it makes us sad! He's growing up way too fast!

After the engagement party, we were STARVING so after midnight, we hit up Waffle House! Brandon had never been there and I was excited for him to have the experience. Seriously...the food is SO good...but he couldn't understand why everything was sticky...I told him to just eat and don't look in the kitchen...it's better that way! LOL!

Loving Christmas Break!

2010-12-29T17:19:00.000-06:00

We are having a BLAST being home, sleeping in and letting little man play with all his new toys!! Tyler is on his drums most of the time and is actually pretty good! Last night we took him with us a Mavs game; he did great and has been telling everyone he went to a "Dallath Maverickth" game! LOVE that kid!

Blog book is here!!

2010-12-28T17:12:00.002-06:00

SO glad to get our second blog book done! They came today, even though a little late for Christmas but we give all the grandparents one! I used Blurb again and even though I've looked at other programs that might be easier, I like this one the best! Can't believe we're already working on the third one! Looking back makes us realize how much little man has changed over the past year!

Christmas at the Shirack's and with PaPi & GiGi

2010-12-26T14:14:00.006-06:00

Brandon and I were both SO stoked to let little man wake up to his drums on Christmas morning. We usually spend the night with PaPi and GiGi, but stayed home until he could open his gifts. We then got in the car (in our Christmas p.j's) and headed to their house! Tyler was SO excited when he saw his drums; he played and played with them, and then decided to check out his new train set. He didn't do too bad breaking himself away from his toys....we were worried about that before we left. He got so much stuff from Santa (who gets the credit for all the good gifts) but then we were off for more stuff at PaPi & GiGi's!!When we got to PaPi and GiGi's house, there were all new presents under the tree for him to open. They were most excited about his tricycle and when he saw it, he had to get on it and try to ride. He will definitely have to grow into it, but he was on and off of it all day long. We had a blast watching him open gifts and also, opening family gifts too! We all got money to spend after Christmas, and GiGi was the most surprised!! PaPi got her an IPAD and we all had our time on it yesterday! We had a great time just hanging out in our pajamas, eating lots of good food and snacks, watching football games, and best of all, seeing little man play with all his new toys! I'm SO thankful for an awesome Christmas with our family!!

Nothing like Christmas morning with a two year old!!

2010-12-25T09:30:00.000-06:00

We were STOKED and ready for little man to get up and see his gifts that Santa (why does he get to give all the good gifts??) brought him! SO glad we captured this!!

The good kind of ICE!! on Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T23:00:00.004-06:00

Even though it was cold and rainy, we made our way to dinner with PaPi and GiGi, and then an awesome trip to the Gaylord Texan to see their lights and ICE! Their theme this year was Charlie Brown Christmas and it was incredible! We got to take little man inside with us and he kept saying, "There's Charlie Brown!" He was so cute but since it'd been two years since we'd been, I forgot just how cold it was!! The place was packed and going through was very slow, so we were all glad to get out and warm up by looking at Gaylord's awesome Christmas lights! Little man had a blast and we made sure he was worn out so he could be asleep when Santa dropped by (aka Mommy and Daddy getting everything ready!) Such a fun night!!

Christmas memories captured...

2010-12-24T10:04:00.001-06:00

While we were making our gingerbread house, we captured little man on video! LOVE LOVE LOVE this kid!

Lovin' the holidays...

2010-12-24T00:18:00.004-06:00

We are having a blast being off this week! Tyler and I have had fun during the day, sometimes staying in our jammies and other times getting out and running around. I took him to Bass Pro early in the week to see their holiday display! Little man had a blast seeing the animals!Last night, we started another new traditon and made a Gingerbread house for our "ginger boy!" Tyler really got into it, but honestly he ate most of it right after it was done! At least we got a picture of it all done. We also videotaped him too! We're looking forward to this weekend and can't wait until little man opens his gifts! He's been asking Santa for drums, and since he's been such a good boy....it looks like Santa just might drop off a drumset tomorrow night! We stayed in tonight and there's nothing like seeing my boys like this! Gotta love the holidays!

Christmas Break...here we come!

2010-12-18T09:43:00.006-06:00

SO glad to have the next two weeks off with my little man! It's been a busy week and we're ready for time at home! Tyler had two nights where he went in the potty! We're celebrating even though we don't think he realizes what a big deal it is! LOL! Our Elf on the Shelf has gone great....little man sees his "Buddy" every morning watching him to make sure he's a good boy. Tyler always tells him that he's been a good boy...and he has been! Tonight is the State Championship game at the Cowboy's Stadium and we're SO stoked for our guys!

Last weekend, we braved the cool weather and had our second year family portraits. A college friend of mine did our pictures and if you need anything done in the DFW area, here's her link. She's great!

Here comes Santa Claus....

2010-12-12T20:34:00.004-06:00

For the third year in a row, we took little man to see "his" Santa Claus at North Park Mall. GiGi waited in line Friday morning and got a ticket and our sweet little guy got to tell Santa that he wanted drums for Christmas! He was all smiles until he got on Santa's lap and even though he didn't cry, he wasn't too sure about it. Once it was over, he kept telling us that he sat on Santa's lap! Sweet boy! When we saw his pictures, we couldn't believe how big he looked from last year! Here are his last three years of pics with Santa! He's growing up too fast!!

A Winning Weekend!

2010-12-05T11:50:00.008-06:00

What an awesome weekend! After staying late every night last week because of debate practice, I was glad to go to a football game on Friday and have fun! It was a HUGE game for Trinity because both teams were undefeated! After NEVER being ahead the entire game, we won by one point in the last second of the game! It was amazing! Brandon and I were on the field along with tons of other people who were laughing and crying! It was so awesome and we're looking forward to another playoff game in Waco next weekend!

I drove home excited but exhausted knowing I was going to be up at 5:30 to go to our Debate tournament at UTA. I took 50 kids with me and 39 out of the 50 are moving to the State competition. I was SO proud of them, but it made for a really long day. I didn't get home until about 8:00 last night! I was SO ready to get home and CHILL!

PaPi and GiGi had Tyler on Friday night and took him to his little buddy Malachi's second birthday party! This was second time we've had to miss his party because of debate, but because my parents live close to Nick and Jessica, they've taken him both years! They didn't stay long because they were going downtown to Neiman's to see the window displays. Mom said she tried and tried to get a good picture of them but they kept moving around. Here's a pic of all her attempts! LOL! Happy Birthday, Malachi!

After they left, they took little man downtown to see the Neiman Marcus window displays. This year, they're interactive, but little man was too young to participate. He did get to check out all the window displays which was really cool! He was worn out and ready for a nap so he spent the rest of the day with his daddy!I was SO ready to get home and hang out with my guys and today, we are all in chill mode. We're watching little man play basketball and loving being in our p.j.s! I can't believe it's December 6!!! We have so much to do before Christmas but can't wait!!

Santa and Tyler - check out the link!!

2010-11-30T07:35:00.003-06:00

Brandon sent me Santa and Tyler yesterday and I had to share it with you! We did it last night with little man and he LOVED it! It's great for your kiddos! Enjoy!

Trees, trains and family...gotta love Christmas time!

2010-11-29T22:12:00.010-06:00

You would think that our first night home after Thanksgiving break would mean doing nothing, but we decided to put up our Christmas tree and start a new Shirack family holiday tradition. Tyler helped us with the ornaments and his daddy setting up the train set. Back in 2006, I got Brandon a train set for Christmas because he said he'd always wanted one as a kid, but never got it. Since that time, we've always put it under the tree, and now we have a son who loves trains! It was neat seeing them put it together tonight! I found the picture of Brandon getting his train four years ago, and put it with these pictures. We got the tree up, now we just need to add the presents!Our new Christmas tradition will be "Elf on the Shelf" and we're going to see how it works with Tyler! Neither of us did it when we were growing up so we're looking forward to trying with our little guy! Here's the Elf on the Shelf link for this tradition if you want to try it as well! We'll see if Tyler will be naughty or nice before Santa comes! The older he gets, it's makes the holidays so much more special! LOVE it!

Awesome Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T09:30:00.000-06:00

We've had an awesome holiday so far! I loved having Wednesday off so I could get my house all clean before heading down to PaPi & GiGi's on Thursday. Brandon had to work, but Tyler and I stayed in our jammies and just had fun hanging out together. On Thanksgiving, we headed down for our big Thanksgiving feast and stuffed ourselves! The food was awesome, and we hung out together, napped and got seconds and thirds of leftovers....that's the best part!

While everyone napped, I surfed trying to find as many Black Friday deals as possible. I had planned on going with friends around 3:00 a.m. to get started with the sales. Brandon was going to watch Tyler while I was out, but the more we talked about it, he decided he might want to go too. PaPi and GiGi told us to go and they'd keep little man for the night. So off Brandon and I went to our first Black Friday event! We started that night about 10:00 and stayed out until 6:30 the next morning! Okay, seriously....how people do this every year is beyond me! We had a blast, but people are cuhrazy when it comes to deals. There were couples with walkie talkies, people camped out in tents, and lines EVERYWHERE!!! We were determined to wait in the cold or stand in lines, but several times, we just gave up and said it wasn't worth it. We did get some great deals for Tyler and just had fun people watching! About 2:00 in the morning, we were at Grapevine Mills shopping and ran into Kirk Franklin. I became close to him and worked with him while Brandon and I were dating, but Brandon never got to meet him. It was so cool to see him and laugh that we were out at that hour of the night trying to find a deal! When Brandon and I got home, we crashed! I got up about three hours later to get his favorite donuts, but the shop was closed, so I decided to hit the stores again....in my pajamas! I shopped for three more hours and then went back home to crash again! I then bundled up and got ready to go to Trinity's big playoff game....with layers of clothes and foot/hand warmers! It was an awesome game and we won again!! SO pumped for our guys!!The rest of the weekend will be spent with us just hanging out at the house....we want to be plenty rested before we go back to work on Monday! I have SO many things to be thankful for and God has been more than faithful in our lives...even when we didn't really deserve it! Thankful for a great holiday, an amazing son, a brave husband that went Black Friday shopping with me all night and THE most amazing/loving/gracious/classy parents on the face of the planet...God's good!! To my family and friends, I pray I can bless others as much as you've blessed me...love you all!!

Awesome weekend and full of THANKS!

2010-11-22T07:15:00.001-06:00

We had such a great weekend!! Brandon and I went to Trinity's playoff game with Allen on Saturday at the Cowboy Stadium.....talk about a nailbiter!! It was close the entire game....I was so nervous! Trinity has never beaten Allen in a playoff game and this was the game to watch! The stadium was packed, but it was such an awesome game!! We won by only two points 37-35 and it was awesome! Here are few pictures from the night! We were so proud of our guys!Yesterday, we chilled at home with little man and watched even more football! I'm so thankful for a two day work week and get to have some time at home! I love Tyler's school and almost every day, he comes home with some type of art project! They're all over our refrigerator, but I took this one picture because it was so sweet of his little hands! I'm SO thankful for his school and that he's learning so much while he's there. He's learning the Pledge of Allegiance and it's precious! We're gearing up for good food, football and shopping! I'm going to venture out for the first time on Black Friday! We have our eyes on several deals and I hope getting out at 4:00 in the morning is worth it! LOL!!

Blast from the past

2010-11-19T07:07:00.000-06:00

We lived in Waco for almost 13 years and made so many great memories and friends! Last night, we were able to get together with Peggy and Al Bartraw, and we hadn't seen them in almost 8 years. Dad married them and I sang in her wedding. She always stayed at our house when my parents traveled and was SO much fun!! She was going to be in town for a couple of days so we met for dinner so she could meet little man. Brandon has to work late on Thursdays so he didn't go, but it was fun to hang out! Tyler was so cute talking to them! We've got a big weekend coming up; Trinity is in the playoffs and playing at the Cowboy stadium tomorrow! Little man gets to play with his trains at PaPi and GiGi's and Brandon and I hope to see Trinity win!! They're expecting 65,000 people at the stadium....SO fun!

Four generations

2010-11-14T09:18:00.004-06:00

Last night was so cool for us! Gateway had their very first service in the new building! MawMaw is in town from North Carolina and we all got to go to church together. It was great having four generations there together and also take pictures. The place is incredible and Tyler's new classes are awesome! This was the first time he walked right in and did fine...he usually puts up a little fuss so we were stoked! Traffic was horrible getting in and out and they even had to put people in overflow rooms! It's an awesome church, but I'm more thankful for Pastor Robert Morris....he's an awesome teacher!

Our "punkin" at the Arboretum

2010-11-13T09:05:00.009-06:00

A few weeks ago, PaPi and GiGi took Tyler to the Arboretum to see the pumpkins and we had planned to take him to an actual pumpkin patch until we realized most of them close in October. Our plan was to go on his birthday weekend, but all of them had closed except the Arborteum. We were going to there ourselves today, but the weather turned too cold and windy to have our little guy out. He's been so healthy this year that we didn't want to risk it getting him out in the wind. I was going to post both sets of pictures at the same time, but it just didn't work out. SO....here's our little man checking out the "punkins."

"Two Two" Train

2010-11-09T08:15:00.001-06:00

We celebrated little man's birthday on Friday night, but PaPi and GiGi didn't bring their gifts to Tyler because he was staying with them last night. Brandon and I went with friends to see the Mavs and Celtics play and Tyler celebrated his birthday again at their house! My parents got him the entire Thomas the Train collection and have had it since the summer. Tyler loves trains and so when he would come over, he was not allowed in PaPi's office because everything was stored there. On Saturday night, PaPi put that extra hour to good use by getting everything set up! He was so excited about it. While we were at the game, they sent us pictures of Tyler's face....SO cute! They said he played with them until bedtime and asked about them again this morning before he left for school. We had a great time at the game and little man had SO fun with his "two two" trains!!!

Allstar Party

2010-11-06T12:42:00.008-05:00

We were excited about Tyler's party and since we all love and wear Converse....we decided to go with an Allstar Party! I designed the invitations and we wanted tennis shoes and stars for the theme! The decorations turned out really fun and I was glad to find cute party favors for the kids. Cake Carousel did his cake from a picture I sent them and they did an awesome job! It was really good too!We decided to go with a Jump Party and set it up for last night! Since it was on a Friday night, we made it a pajama party....even for the adults. That way the kids could go home and go straight to bed after bouncing and playing all night. It helped the parents too, because we were exhausted after it was all over! There were so many bounce houses in one place and everyone had a blast...except for the birthday boy! He was not a fan!!! Thankfully, there were other things for him to do while we were there....but when Brandon sent him down the slide...that was it...no more bounce houses for him. He barely got near one for a picture with all the kids.I wanted to get a picture of all the kids together in one place right before we went to the party room to eat...getting them altogether was a job, but we managed to get them to sit still long enough for one pic....it's harder than it looks! LOL!Tyler was happier once we got to the party room and he had balloons, sweets and presents! When he saw everyone else eating cupcakes, he decided he wanted one of those rather than his shoe cake. I took off his birthday shirt and let him eat. He had several bites of his shoe cake, and we got to take one of them home for later. All in all, it was a GREAT party, and little man got lots of cool gifts. More importantly, it was great to get together with so many friends and family that we love and care about! Once we got home, Brandon and Tyler played with all his gifts, but this mommy was exhausted but happy for such a great night!

Our TWO year old....Tyler Vaughn!

2010-11-05T06:48:00.002-05:00

TWO years ago today, you came into our life....
Turned us in to "mommy" and "daddy" rather than just husband and wife....
I remember looking down, seeing your TWO bright eyes
You looked just like an angel, wrapped in a cute baby disguise....
I held your TWO little hands, your fingers just like mine....
Each one of them perfect, only God could design....
I counted your little piggies on your TWO chubby feet....
I was holding my precious son, the kid we couldn't wait to meet....
I kissed your TWO little ears, wondering what you could hear....
But once Kings of Leon came on, it became pretty clear.... ;-)
I can't hardly believe it, it's been TWO years since that day....
You amaze us even this morning, with the witty things you....
You're the smartest boy I've ever met, with a smile that lights up a room....
And you dance today even more today than you did in mommy's womb....
The way you say "I wub you" makes my heart melt every time....
You're such a big boy now....you can walk and run and climb!
You're the best cuddle bug I know, and your hugs warm my heart....
And I just can't help but laugh to hear "I tooted" when you fart....
From that day TWO years ago, our lives were never the same....
And it was all because of just one perfect boy,

TYLER VAUGHN SHIRACK is his name!

Mommy and daddy love you SO much....we can't wait to party it up with you and all your friends tonight....you're the best thing that's ever happened to us...have a

HAPPY BIRTHDAY bubby!

Potty training....it's serious business!

2010-11-02T06:44:00.001-05:00

Tyler decided he wanted to go potty in his chair last night, so off (or should I say on) we went. He sat....and sat.....and sat.....and that's about it. At least he's getting some idea of what it's about. Pardon his hat....all the kiddos made them for Halloween and he uses his when he pretends he's playing the drum or guitar so he can fling his hair back and forth! Such a little rocker dude! And YES, this picture will resurface again in his future! He'll love us for it!

Our little Allstar is almost TWO!

2010-11-01T07:07:00.001-05:00

We have been planning and gearing up for little man's second birthday! His party is on his actual birthday, which is Friday! I have such mixed emotions about his birthday because he's growing up so fast! I always keep a slideshow updated for every month, but I decided to post one with his birthday theme this week! You are are our #1 ALLSTAR, Tyler Vaughn!

A cool Friday....that ended with a bang!

2010-10-30T14:39:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was our coldest day so far and little man was bundled up for the day! Caught this cute pic of him on our way to school!Last night, we had a Girls Night Out and Brandon picked up Tyler and took him to his old boss's house. They have a drum set and Tyler went nuts! Brandon sent these pics to me while he was there. He's always had rhythm and loves drumsticks, so for Christmas, he's getting his very own drum set. They're already at the house and still boxed up and I've been SO tempted to open them up, but I know we need to wait. I don't know what we're getting ourselves into, but he sure does love them!

Gateway Fall Festival - more treats than tricks!

2010-10-27T07:15:00.001-05:00

Our church always has a Harvest Party for our community and thousands of people come out for it. This is Tyler's second time to go, and since he wasn't walking last year, we knew it would be more fun for him! He did great wearing his costume, but he totally didn't get the concept of winning candy. If he played a game, they gave him two pieces of candy....he would see the big buckets and want the bucket rather than a few small pieces. We ended up having to tell them to just put the candy in his bag while he was playing so he wouldn't want more than his allotment! LOL! We had SO much fun and it was awesome to see so many families out with their kiddos on a Tuesday night!

A rainy Baylor Homecoming

2010-10-24T17:15:00.003-05:00

Baylor vs. Kansas State for Homecoming 2010: Tickets - check, BU Homecoming shirt for me - check; K-State shirt for Brandon - check; K-State shirt and BU hat for Tyler - check; Two hour rain delay - check; Drenched Shirack's - check; left early to warm house and dry clothes - check; Baylor win - CHECK!

2010-10-17T10:39:00.003-05:00

We made it through the crazy week of Homecoming! Every day was a different theme and we went from "Pajama Day" to "Dress Your Best Day." Tyler is becoming a regular at school events and I was so glad to have him at the Homecoming Pep Rally! He LOVES our marching band and stares in awe at the drums. Our Baylor commit, Suleiman was crowned Homecoming King and Tyler is crazy about him. It's so cute to hear him say his name. The Friday night game was a blast and we blew Nimitz out of the water with a score of 56-7! Church and long naps was the order for Saturday. Today is a lazy football day....just what we needed!

Trinity Homecoming Week

2010-10-12T07:15:00.000-05:00

Tyler and I had fun yesterday since I was off from school. This week is Trinity's Homecoming and we got to go to the Homecoming Parade yesterday afternoon. Tyler had a blast hanging out on the golf cart, watching the parade and being with the big kids. I was able to get a picture of him with the 2010 Homecoming Court and LOVE it! The guy holding Tyler is Suleiman Masumbuko, who plans to play football for Baylor next year! My dad said he makes Tyler look like a doll, since he's so big! We can't wait to watch him play next year for Baylor! The big game is Friday night with lots of fun things in store! Can't wait to take little man to the game!

FAIR day was more than FAIR!!!

2010-10-11T13:35:00.003-05:00

I think everyone in Dallas was at the fair on Saturday! Brandon and I met some friends for the Texas Tech/Baylor game and just finding parking was unbelievable! Even though Baylor lost, it was a great game, however, EVERYONE decided to stay and go to the fair afterward. The lines for coupons, food and rides were just CRAZY! We did get to let Tyler ride one ride and he wasn't a fan! Both Brandon and I won a ball for him, which made him happy! It was a fun day, but next time, we won't try to mix the game and fair time together! Nothing like a funnel cake though and little man loved his pushup!!

One month away from TWO!!!

2010-10-05T06:43:00.000-05:00

Can't believe our little man is almost TWO!! We're gearing up for his 2nd birthday party and so excited! Every day, we're amazed at him and just how smart he is! He picks up on everything and doesn't miss anything that goes on! He's so much fun to have around and we both love to hear him sing and talk. If we ask him to sing, he'll say, "Come on, mommy and daddy!" He wants us to sing with him....SO funny! For some reason, he says No to just about every question we ask him. I understand that's very normal but a bit confusing at times! He loves to lay with us on the couch and watch t.v. He'll get really quiet if he thinks he can stay up longer and both of us give in and let him stay and cuddle! LOL! He's a typical little boy who loves to run, jump, climb and play. He's fascinated by music and LOVES the drums! (A drumset is on our list for Christmas!) I wish I could say he wasn't such a picky eater...but he's VERY picky! His doctor says it's very normal and to feed him everything he'll eat....he could eat his weight in goldfish, seriously! He wakes up in the best mood and there's nothing like seeing that smiling face the first thing in the morning. I'm stalling at updating his room to a "big boy room" but it's coming! Makes me sad to think about him moving out of his crib into a toddler bed! Brandon and I always say that at every stage, this is our favorite, but right now, we are having a blast! Mommy and Daddy are CRAZY about you, Tyler Vaughn! Happy 23rd month!!

Life's a zoo...for a little boy!

2010-10-03T09:48:00.009-05:00

What a CRAZY busy week! I'm exhausted! This week a Nike representative (Mr. Black) came to our high school and saw what Texas high spirit was all about! We had a big rival game on Thursday night and I worked for hours on the pep rally for our debate kids. It ended up awesome, but I had about two hours sleep each night trying to make sure I had everything covered! We went to the game on Thursday night and Tyler got to be on the sidelines! He LOVED it! On Saturday, I had a walk-a-thon for our debate kids and had to leave the house at 7:30 to walk! I crashed when I got home and it was great because PaPi and GiGi took Tyler to the Ft. Worth Zoo! The weather was incredible and our little guy had a blast! After such a busy week, it's nice to be home today with my guys and watching football!

Down by the creekbank....

2010-10-01T21:44:00.003-05:00

Tyler's school had a photographer come by and take pictures outside like they were in the country! LOVED this picture of our little "country boy!"

Closest thing to veggies that we get!!

2010-09-25T10:00:00.004-05:00

Since Tyler was a baby, he's been fascinated with the Veggie Tales videos. He watches "Silly Songs with Bob and Larry" over and over again! He will point to his DVD player and ask for Bob and Larry! When we found out that Veggie Tales Live was coming to Prestonwood, we were all stoked about taking him! We kept telling him we were going to see Bob and Larry, but he didn't quite get it until we got there. Once he got his Bob and Larry toys to hold, I think he thought that was it. He looked at all the kids in their hats, shirts and toys and was so happy! We got there early to get a good seat and FINALLY, Bob and Larry came out on stage. The look on his face was PRICELESS! He clapped, danced and sang to the songs! It was AWESOME! We all knew the songs and of course, our favorite, "Where is My Hairbrush," was the #1 song and the finale! Knowing how much he loves them made is all the more special! Sure wish he loved real veggies as much as Veggie Tales! LOL!

10 year reunion and potty training - I'm a big girl now!

2010-09-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

What a weekend!!! Brandon and I headed down to Waco on Friday afternoon to stay the night and attend my high school reunion. We went to Midway High School's Homecoming game and saw the incredible new stadium. It's AMAZING! I was SO excited to see so many people - some I haven't seen since graduation. The game was packed and we saw tons of old friends. Afterward, we went to George's to hang out and again, saw TONS of people! I wish I could say I took pictures, but just when I'd see a person, another person would walk up and taking pictures just didn't cross my mind. We hung out until about 1:00 in the morning, and this old married couple went back to the hotel. We got up the next morning, picked up Tyler and Brandon dropped me off at the Captured Conference at Trinity Church. I was SO excited to see Angelah Johnson and she's the real deal. I got to spend some time with great friends and enjoyed an awesome conference! I got home yesterday afternoon and hung out with my guys the rest of the evening.Today, we decided it was time to start Tyler with his potty training. Off we went to the store and got him his potty chair. Yes....the training begins! We moved it in the living room today so Tyler could get used to it and at first, he treated it like a drum set. LOL! He calls it the potty, but still isn't sure what he's supposed to do. I know that will come with time, but for now, we're cracking up at Tyler's response to it. Once we got home, he wanted to wear his daddy's t-shirt, so we cracked up to see him hanging out at the potty in just his daddy's shirt. I guess since I'm a big girl and celebrating 10 years out of high school, it's time to teach my son to be a big boy and go potty! Say a prayer for the Shirack's!

Date Night with Dave Matthews Band

2010-09-12T15:09:00.003-05:00

We are resting today after a busy weekend! Mom and I worked at a big event at Park Cities Baptist Church on Friday and Saturday, while the boys stayed home together and played. Brandon said they played outside on Friday night until Tyler was exhausted and little man crashed with his daddy. After the event on Saturday, little man went to PaPi and GiGi's so we could have a date night to see the Dave Matthews Band. Seeing them live is #30 on my Bucket List so Brandon got us tickets. While it was stinking hot, they were AMAZING!! We had a blast but couldn't wait to get in air conditioning once it was over. It's football and couch time in the Shirack house today! Love Sundays with my boys!

LOVE Three Day Weekends!

2010-09-06T15:45:00.005-05:00

We are winding down a busy holiday weekend! We chilled at home on Friday night because we knew we had things planned for every day we were off. We went to Brandon's company party on Saturday night and little man had a blast playing outside. He LOVES fruit and ate tons of it while he was there! On Sunday, we went to a friend's pool party and little man stayed for awhile with us, but then PaPi and GiGi picked him up so he could spend the night with them. We all met up today for Trinity's big football game at the Cowboy's Stadium. It was a GREAT game and we had fun being in the stadium again. We all came home exhausted and are laying low the rest of the day! It was so great being with friends and family this weekend!

22 months old.....2 months 'til 2!!

2010-09-05T20:58:00.000-05:00

Two months until TWO YEARS OLD!! Every month, our little man surprises us with how much he's learning! He's SO much fun to be around and we LOVE his personality. His papers from school always say he's a happy, chatty, little boy! I love walking in to pick him up and see him sitting quietly with the other kids listening to a story, or marching around the room with a puppet on his hand singing happily! I'm thankful for a great learning environment that reinforces what he's learning at home! As we are nearing two, here are his milestones:

He can say (sing) his ABC's
He can count to 10
He is talking in sentences
He has many many songs memorized and loves to sing them
He's advanced to Level 3 of "Your Baby Can Read"
He knows his colors
He LOVES VeggieTales & Sesame Street
He loves fruit and never gets tired of goldfish (gopish)
He usually sleeps 10-12 hours at night and one nap during the day
He LOVES being around people
We love to cuddle him with us until he falls asleep and Brandon carries him to his own room
We NEVER tire of that sweet face and he ALWAYS makes us smile

We love you, Tyler Vaughn!!