Whirlwind

So, it has been a good long while since I have posted. Things have been really busy around here, some good busy, some bad busy, and some sad busy. All kinds of busy to make the world spin around!


My grandma passed away on May 7th, so that was some sad busy. Her funeral was on Friday, the 11th and it was very nice. I read Psalm 67 at the service, and I am glad I did...I say that because when my cousin Brent asked me to read, I was hesitant. But, I did it...and Psalm 67 was my grandma's favorite, so I am really pleased that I could do that for her.


School is winding down which means that summer is coming...and that means super busy for me! I have over 90 kids enrolled in my summer camp so far, and more calls coming in each day! It's going to be a great summer, a busy summer, a crazy summer, and an absolutely fun summer!


We house sat last weekend for Brian and Erika so they could visit a friend in Colorado. It turned out to be a nice and relatively un-busy time that we got to spend with friends who live in their neck of the woods.


I'm still training for the 3 Day and working on my weight loss, so keep the encouragement and donations coming! Check out my 3 Day blog for more updates...


Trying to slow down,
Church Lady

Riley!!!!

Well, since the Stars made it to game 6, I got to hang out with Riley for a few hours on Saturday. She was in a great mood and had lots of laughs, smiles, and snuggles for Aunt Traci and Uncle Cory. It was a fun time!

We started the evening out with some play time on the floor...Riley has the infamous Fisher Price stacking rings, and she was very excited to remove all the rings and play with the post. Fun times.

Apparently this is Riley telling her Aunt Traci to ask permission before taking photographs. Oops!!!

Yummy!!! I love my home-made acorn squash...it's my favorite!

Know what else is my favorite??? Uncle Cory letting me suck my thumb AND have my blankie that I'm pretty sure is supposed to stay in my bed!

I think Riley likes it when Aunt Traci and Uncle Cory come over!!!! We really had a great evening with Riley...I can't wait until the next time we get to kick the parents out and have some fun!

Aunt Traci

Just saying "hi"

Not a lot to report...but a lot going on at the same time. What a paradox!

I am super excited about two events in my world:

1. Relay for Life is only 10 days away and my team is doing AMAZING!! We have exceeded my expectations and continue to adjust our goals, so that is wonderful. Check out the link at the top of the page to see our site.
2. The 3 Day is coming!!! I am all signed up and ready to go. Training is coming along and I am recruiting members for my team! I went to a Focus Meeting last weekend and am so inspired and charged up about this event....please visit my site and keep tabs on my team and donate to the cause because I am SICK OF CANCER!

Cory has been doing more 5k walks and he absolutely loves it, so be sure to check out his blog for progress updates and stuff. We are still working on weight loss and eating healthy, and these events are definitely helping us with that adventure.

Aside from some car trouble and minor events in the daily grind, life is great and we are great. I sure hope you are experiencing the same good fortune that we are...and if not, let me know so I can send a few prayers up on your behalf!!

Here's to the good times,
Church Lady

Let's Go Rangers!!!

Ahhh....isn't that sign refreshing!!!?? Finally, the Ballpark name has been restored...bye bye Ameriquest, hello Ballpark!!! How great is it that the signs are posted for Opening Weekend? Well, in my opinion, it's absolute greatness. The boys of summer are back, and we were there to welcome them! The Rangers home opener was this weekend, and I couldn't have been more excited to go. Oh there are many reasons: baseball is back and that is beautiful, the opener was the Rangers and the BoSox...my two favorite teams, and well...its just baseball time which equals a lot of fun for me and my crew. Ahhhhh...life is good.

Me and Lindz froze our butts off for Opening Night! As you can see below, the high temperature for our evening of baseball was a balmy 37 degrees...brrrrrrr!


Our boy Hank had a good night...a few nice plays, a few decent hits, and as always, a very nice physique!!! Glad to see you Hanky!

The Rangers picked Sammy Sosa up this season, which is pretty cool...I mean it's good for building a fan base, but me, I'm loyal to my Rangers without the big names. As a cool side note, I snapped this picture to capture Sosa as a Ranger and to catch a nice shot of Jason Varitek, the BoSox catcher, who is also a Crew Favorite (there are more pictures of Varitek waiting for you Fuzzer!!!)!! Lucky for me, Sosa smashed it out of the park on this pitch!

It was a beautiful series of baseball moments on Saturday night. We had some ballpark fare and savored the sights and sounds of the game...and eagerly looked at the schedule to plan for our next series of games to attend.

Let's go Rangers!!! Your loyal fans are back.
Church Lady

Few Words Required...

All I really need to say is: ADORABLE!!!!

Fluff Post....

Your True Birth Month Is December

Logical Patriotic Ambitious Not egoistic Loves praise Loves to joke Fun to be with Not pretending Loves attention Short tempered Hates restrictions Loves to socialize Loves to be loved Loyal and generous Impatient and hasty Changing personality Good sense of humor Honest and trustworthy Influential in organizations Takes high pride in oneself Active in games and interactions

So my friend Monica had this on her blog and I thought I would check it out to see if my birth month according to this little quiz and my actual birth month lined up...and what do you know? I was actually born in the right month!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday!!! Yay!!!

It's nice that we live so close and that I got to go by her office today and deliver some birthday cheer...it was fun to share her day. Tomorrow Erika and Riley are coming over and we are taking Grandma Dawn out for a girls birthday lunch, so I will try and snap a few pictures and post those.

Happy day,
Church Lady

Taking It Up A Notch

So for the past few months we have been working on eating better and exercising more in a quest to shed the pounds and just have a healthier approach to life. And, I am pleased to report that we have been quite successful. Yesterday Cory and I decided to kick it up a notch....so we joined a gym!!! Yup, you heard it...the Church family joined Express Fitness in Euless, and if you have any interest at all in hitting the gym, this is the place to go!!!

We got a great deal and are looking forward to this new adventure.

Hitting the gym,
Church Lady

SQUAT Time....Times 2!

Finally I have a Riley post!!! Super Quality Aunt Traci Time has returned! I had the tough job of hanging out with my little Riley two Saturdays in a row, and yesterday I even got to keep her overnight while her Mom and Dad celebrated their anniversary. It was a lot of fun for me and Uncle Cory to have some special time with Riley. Here are pics from our adventures....

Riley is a very busy girl these days and she loves her Jumparoo...but you can see below that too much time in the Jumparoo followed by a nice stroll around the neigborhood is just the right combination for a sacked out little baby! These are from a week ago Saturday...

Since it was St. Patty's Day, Riley was sporting her green "Daddy's Lucky Charm" shirt...very cute. She had some really sassy little jeans on too, but after Mom and Dad hit the road Aunt Traci and Uncle Cory let the fun begin with some t-shirt and diaper time!

Bath time was really fun, and a first for me so that was cool! Riley loves her tub and loves to splash the water everywhere!!! After a nice fun and refreshing bath, Uncle Cory and I decided that since it was a beautiful night we would take a leisurely stroll before it was Riley's bed time. She ate like a champ and dozed off right at 8 o'clock as planned...such a great baby!

The morning was a blast!!! This kid is DEFINITELY a morning girl!! She was laughing and talking very loud and it was cracking me up. We played a little peek-a-boo and then Riley decided to be a genius and read her book on puppies and kitties...and of course, I encouraged her genius and let her read away!!!

After a wonderful evening and a super fun morning, we picked out some super cute clothes for little Riley to wear for the day and had a little more play time before it was morning nap and then welcome home for mommy and daddy time. All in all it was a great time for Cory and I and we are looking forward to the next over-night escape so we can get some more quality time with this little bundle.

Proud as can be,
Aunt Churchie

I Did It!!

Well, I officially competed in my first race today, and I am happy to report that I successfully finished the Hope River 8K in 1 hour and 40 minutes. I was really apprehensive about doing the event because this one is much more for runners than walkers, but with the encouragement of friends I stayed in the game and finished. I even managed to finish a few people before last place!!!

Cory did the race too and absolutely loved it...plus he rocked out with his 15 minute miles!! It looks like the Church family has a new hobby, so watch out folks...here we come!! Our best friends Kristy and Scott successfully completed the race today too!! Hooray for all of us!

Here's to a great walk,
Church Lady

Spring Break = Field Trip!!!

Since it's Spring Break around here, I decided to take the Vaughn Fellas out for a little adventure at the Fort Worth Zoo. We had a blast checking out all the animals, wandering around, splurging on a few little treats, and riding the Carousel.

There were a few funny moments too...just ask Colby! He'll tell you all about the elephant going potty!! Eeeew! Tyler told me that his favorite animals to see were the monkeys, and Colby liked the lions best. Little Brady was super excited about the zebra and a turtle.

Some fun photos of the big kids (me and Lindz) and the little guys!

Having a blast...
Church Lady

What's Up with the Church Lady?

Hello all...just thought I would post a little update since my last posting was complete fluff!

I have been feeling very under the weather lately with a sinus infection, double ear infections, and tonsillitis. It's taking longer than I would like for me to feel better, and anyone who knows me knows that laying low and "resting" is not my forte!

I am walking away some pounds lately and also training for the 3 Day as well as recruiting for both the 3 Day and for Relay for Life. You can check out my walking progress at my 3 Day site...there will be updates and info posted at least weekly I hope!

In other news...things are good. Cory is working a ton of overtime and doing GREAT in his new job and I am gearing up for Summer Camp, so we are insanely busy as usual. Look for new Riley pics to be posted this weekend since I get to hang out with her Saturday night!

Take care,
Church Lady

My Power Color....

Your Power Color Is Magenta

At Your Highest: You energize yourself and push others to suceed. At Your Lowest: You feel frustrated and totally overwhelmed. In Love: You are suprised by who you attract. You're a love magnet. How You're Attractive: Open and free spirited, people want to explore the world with you. Your Eternal Question: "What is my next source of inspiration?"

What's Your Power Color?

It's Official!

I am doing it!!! My prayers have been answered and God has provided me with a solid answer. I am taking on the 3 Day this year! Woo hoo!

I began training for the race this week, but was still uncertain whether I was going to participate, but today I am making the commitment. My long time friend (and almost daughter!!) Loren is going to join me in the adventure...so look out everyone...we are hittin' the pavement and gearing up for the race!

I will be posting my information soon about where you can go to check our progress and donate to the wonderful cause...a cure for breast cancer.

Yay! I love it when prayers are answered just out of the blue and when the answer is totally not exactly what you were expecting or even thinking....God is great!

Walking on,
Church Lady

IMPORTANT POST!!

Hello all...and thank you for stopping by my blog today. I am embarking on a few new adventures and want to inform you all and ask for your support.

On April 27 I will be leading a team in the Relay for Life, an all-night walking relay to help raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society. I participated on a team last year and am putting my own team together this year, so any prayers, donations, and encouragement are much appreciated. We are the Hikers for Healing, Health, and Hope and you can visit my web-page and link to our team page by clicking HERE. If you are interested in having a luminary lit to honor someone fighting and/or winning the race with cancer, or if you would like to remember someone who's battle is finished, please let me know and I will help you light our path for the relay.

I am also prayerfully considering taking part in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. So, look for updates on that progress to come.

Please take a moment to visit my site and help us as we hike for healing, health, and hope.

God bless,
Traci

Baby Time!

HA! I fooled you with the title, didn't I??!! No, Cory and I are not expecting...I just wanted to share some fun pictures of my wonderful Tuesday. Not only did I get to spend my usual fun time with Brady-boo, but I also managed to squeeze in some SQUAT time since Brian and Erika went to see BB King in concert.

It was a really fun day full of coos, giggles, drool, spit up, and diaper changes! Ahhh...the fun stuff in life! Actually, I am so blessed that I get to spend my days playing with kids...especially these little ones. Enjoy.

Brady and I are having a chat about his lunch...

After lunch play time....fun stuff!

Riley has just been told that she gets to spend the evening with me!!! Yikes!

Fun times playing on the floor and in the bouncy seat. So cute!

SQUAT Time!

I got to hang out with Riley for a few hours on Wednesday night while Brian and Erika enjoyed the NHL All Star game. We had a lot of fun playing and snuggling...and I get to have another date with Riley on Tuesday!!! She's really fun these days, lots of smiles and laughs and she's grabbing at things now, so it's fun to see this little one develop. I love my Riley!!

Dominic Scott Ferguson

Our good friends Rachel and Greg had a handsome little guy on December 21st, and I must share with everyone the cuteness that is Baby Ferguson. Enjoy the pictures!!!

Isn't he just precious???!!! Mom, Dad, and Dominic are all doing well and adjusting to the fun of being a new family. Cory and I are hoping that we can head down to Houston soon to see this little bundle in person, but if not, Rachel is coming here in mid-February!!!

Until next time,
Aunt Churchie

Mixed Emotions

Yesterday I went to visit my Grandma, and I must admit to having a hard time with how things are going. About a month ago she had two falls at her Assisted Living Home and had to go to the hospital and then move to a Rehab Center. Thank God, there were no broken bones, just a lot of sore bruises. The bummer is that she can't go back to Fairhaven, she has to stay at the Nursing Center/Rehab place. And, her health has really failed in the past month or so. It's just so hard to see my sweet gramma so small and frail...

I know that she has had a wonderfully long and full 92 years, but selfishly I am not ready for her to go. And seriously, I am so mixed because going to Heaven will be so wonderful and for her especially...she will see our Savior and her baby boy...my dad. So it's a tearful and tough one for me to wrestle with, and so in the mean time, please pray for comfort and peace for my sweet Grandma and for my whole family as we walk through this time.

You can click back to November and see her at her 92nd birthday....

Thanks for listening,
Church Lady

Riley Update!

SQUAT Time Returns!!!

Well, I had the pleasure of spending some time with Riley last Saturday, and thought I would share the pictures of her cuteness. My mom and I went out to hang with Erika and Riley, so there was Grammy-time and SQUAT (Super Quality Aunt Traci) time! It was most excellent!!

She is really fun these days...smiling lots and very active, but still nice and snuggly! Mom and I both got some snuggle time in since Erika let Riley have a nap on us instead of in her crib! Yay!

Have a great day,
Aunt Churchie