Yes!!!

Of course, Aunt Traci, I would absolutely LOVE to be your ring bearer!!! Mommy says we will start practicing today so that we will be ready for the big wedding. Thanks so much for asking - I promise to do a great job.

Oh, and Mommy says she would love to be a bridesmaid, too.

We can't wait for the big party!!!

Love,
Dayton

Another House Update..

I know you're probably sick of house updates already, but this is what is consuming our lives these days. Next week will be devoted to getting ready for the big B-day blowout, but this week is still devoted to the house. We just got back in town from picking out granite - what a job. Brandon didn't go, so it was me, Date and DeDe. I think I did a pretty good job, but I will never live it down if it doesn't look good...

Here's some new house pics - enjoy :)


The front of the house - we're getting close to being done w/ brick - yeah!




Left side of house w/ brick:




Back of house w/ brick:




Right side of house w/ brick and glass block:




Closet in "Bedroom #2":




Dayton's closet:





The right side of Date's closet - it's built back into the wall in there (hard to explain, sorry):



YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our closet :) Taa-daa!!!




Brandon's part of our closet (not seen in previous pic). The rest is all mine ;)




Only new pic of Date - this is what happens when I'm not around. He ends up in a random Derby Doll t-shirt, wearing sunglasses and nothing else... Apparently he had a blowout at my parents, and this was the only shirt my mom had to put on him. Brandon put him in the sunglasses when he got home and decided to take some pics??? Not sure, just found it on the camera.... Those two worry me sometimes...

There's a first time for everything...

And, yesterday was my first ever time to get pulled over! I was on my way to the studio and not really paying attention to how fast I was going, and boom! there he was - yikes! I always wondered how I'd react when it happened. I was pretty calm, kinda p'd off and okay w/ it. He said he was just going to give me a warning so I was REALLY thankful for that. It happened near the Coke plant, by Esther's and Wheeler's Funeral Home. They are always patroling right there where it turns from 40 to 30, so beware any time you drive that way - you could be next...

Nothing Runs Like a Deere...

Surprise! More John Deere pics! I've been slacking on the camera lately, sorry. Here's what we got over our busy weekend:
















The weekend was quite a busy one. It started on Friday when me and Brandon headed to Houston, yet again, for house stuff. We left early and after 12 stops, we made it home after 5. I finished up w/ ballroom on Friday night. On Saturday, I left to Austin w/ Diane and Samantha to take Sam's senior pictures and find a prom dress. We got home around 9 that night. Yesterday, we went to church, ate at my parents and got a few things done around the house. Glad to have that busy weekend behind us, but looks like there's not going to be much of a break any time soon - full speed ahead until school's out, I think!

Eye Update...

So, I had to go back to the eye doctor again today. This time for a complete vision check and for an update on the infection/abrasions. The infection problem is still slightly lingering and he says "We can't let this get any worse." He threatened to make me go up to six months w/o contacts - ouch! Yes sir, Doc - I will take my contacts out every night from now on. As far as my check up went, it sucked. My left eye has gotten extremely worse - I have astigmatism in both eyes and the left eye is worse than it's ever been - delightful... I feel like I'm getting old. Next thing you know I'll be in bifocals. My eyes are still blurry from the dilation so I'm hoping that gets better soon. I'm so sick of jacking w/ this eye problem. My retina looked good, and w/ my mom's history in that area, I'm very thankful for that. Only good news is I got a new prescription so that I can go get new eye glasses - I've been wanting some forever. Can't wait to go pic out some cool specs! Just thought I'd share....

What better way to spend V-Day???

What better way to spend Valentine's Day than w/ some great friends, great food, wine and karoake???? On Saturday afternoon, we drove into Houston and had dinner w/ Traci and Charlie at Fogo de Chao. If you haven't been there and you're not a vegetarian, then you need to go. It is wonderful - not weight-watcher friendly - but wonderful! We had the greatest dinner and then Charlie navigated us down the road to some little karoake joint. It was a blast. See the pictures below. Brandon wouldn't let me bring my big mama-jama camera in, so Traci was nice enough to send me our best 95, yes 95, pictures. Don't worry, I narrowed them down for you guys!!!


As sad as it is, this is one of the best pics that we have of us from Saturday:




Traci and I attempt some karoake. If you can guess what we sang, you win!!!




Here's a good shot:




Still singing:




Me dancing w/ Mr. Lee...





Me dancing w/ Mr. Zabodyn...





Dayton saw this picture while I was saving it and said "Mommy nite-nite". If he only knew...





Blondes w/ attitudes!!!!




A great group shot:




The happy couple - the future Mr. and Mrs. Cameron:





So maybe we did get one other decent pic. 1 out of 100 isn't bad:




Thanks, Trace, for a fun night!!!

She's a Brick House...

Literally - if our house is a girl - She's a brick house! That's right ladies and gentlemen - we have some brick. We also have drywall. Here's a few pics of our current progress. Enjoy ;)

Here's a pic of our utility room - exciting, I know...




The ceiling in our entryway:




A view from when you first walk thru the door...




Yeah for brick!




Yeah for lots of brick!!!




A close up of the brick:




And, to wrap it up - a pick of Date in his room!!!

Potty Time!!!!

Priceless Pics!!!

Happy Heart Day!!!

Make a Smilebox greeting

11 Years...

Not 20, Traci! I know it feels like twenty years to all of y'all who have put up w/ us for so long, but Saturday marks 11 years that Brandon and I have been together. This is our 12th Valentine's Day. I won't get all mushy for y'all. I just wanted to make a note of it. When we started dating 11 years ago, I never dreamed we'd still be together. The kind of "love" you have for someone when you're 16 is soooo different than the kind of love you have for someone when you're 27. I am just so blessed to have got to experience all of the different kinds of love with the most wonderful man in my life.

Not that I should be anyone to give advice, but if I could offer any advice to anyone about relationships in general, I would say never take your love for granted and never stop giving. When we had Dayton, our lives changed dramatically, but one thing still stays the same 99% of the time in our daily routines - every night, after Dayton is asleep, Brandon and I sit on the couch together watching tv, discussing our day, searching the internet, etc. It doesn't matter what we're doing, but we still have those couple of hours every night to ourselves, for ourselves. Even if it means a little less sleep for us because we're up late talking, it's worth it for the sake of our relationship. We never take our time together or our love for granted. There's a lot of times when giving is hard to do. If I had a dollar for everytime I climbed under a coffee table or couch to find a running choo-choo train to turn it off, I'd be really rich. I get sick of it. I get sick of cleaning the house twenty times a day. I get sick of washing clothes. I get sick of washing dishes, but it's all part of giving. Give to your family. Give to your spouse. Brandon gives so much to me, it's the least I can do. And, after it's all said and done, it does feel good to give.

Wishing everyone an early Happy Valentine's Day! I'll have more pics soon ;)

The Weekend...

Well, it was another busy weekend. I survived ballroom on Friday night w/ a wonderful migraine headache. These glasses are having their way w/ my poor eyes. They aren't the right prescription so I am struggling to see. Hopefully, only two more days of this. I'm so tempted to pop those contacts back in my eyes!!!

On Saturday, some of Brandon's cousins were having a birthday party, so DeDe and PaPa were nice enough to take Dayton while we headed to Houston, yet again, for house stuff. We did have a successful trip - ended up getting our bedroom furniture and some other odds and ends. We headed back in the late afternoon, stopped by the house to pick up some clothes, and met up w/ Date, DeDe, PaPa and Grandpa Vasut down at the bay. We cooked hamburgers and hung out. The crew went fishing while Date and I stayed back and rested. Sunday morning we played a while, fished a little and headed back to EC. I can't wait till the weather gets a little warmer and a little less windy. We will enjoy going down there over the summer. Dayton loves it!

We're still working on potty training. Date has done well. I'm not as hard-core as some parents, but I think we're doing well. Date had underwear on all morning and we had no accidents. He went to the restroom in the potty three times w/ no accidents. I do put him in a diaper for nap time and he does wear a pull-up w/ underwear over them to go to MeMe and DeDe's in the afternoons, but we are still doing well.

Here are some pics:

Here is Dayton waiting to go to work on Friday morning. He was dressed just like PaPa - W&D shirt, jeans, and UT baseball cap...







Here's Dayton and PaPa flippin' burgers on the pit down at the bay on Saturday night.




Here's my big boy in his big boy underwear - too cute!




We went to play on the swingset down at the bay. Dayton's grown quite a bit since the last time he was down there in August or so. He really enjoyed it!




Daddy and Date climb a tree...




More smiles - he has a little fever blister that we are on the verge of getting rid of. This one was nothing compared to the one he had last year at this time - do y'all remember the horrible blisters he had all over his chin, lips, tongue - yuck!!!




Here's three generations of Zabodyns...




Dayton was attempting to skip rocks and doing his best to "accidently" step in the cold water...




That's all for now. Brick was delivered today and they might start on it tomorrow, so if that happens, I'll get out there w/ my camera - yeah!

Have a great week! JZ