Back at school...

Man-I feel old and tired this week! :-)
Greg and I are so super busy at the camp this week! Breakfast is at 6:45 and our last meeting, when we make sure all the kids are accounted for is at 11pm. All the kids have been divided into companies and Greg is heading up Company H. We are in 2nd place right now among all the other companies and truly-I have no clue why! :-) Just an example of how the companies compete for points,etc.-This morning our kids had to perform a rap that they had made up about the camp...did I mention that these kids are at an agriculture camp, meaning most grew up on farms....one rap was about John Deere tractors-LOL! Anyway-our group went up there and came away with a win. Greg and I were in disbelief-our group is quite a strange mix of all different kinds of kids-but they have made it fun and interesting to work with them.
I have had a hard time keeping my mouth closed-the teacher in me wants to take over and organize, but this week is about the kids taking leadership roles and doing a lot of the tasks on their own. For all my fellow Kinder friends-I had to almost put my hand over my mouth last night when a few kids were talking while Greg was-it was on the tip of my tongue to ask them to put a bubble in their mouth-no lie-I almost did! :-)
The kids really seem to love Greg and he does a great job with them. I am really proud that he can keep the creative ideas flowing from them and to keep them focused-I only thought 5 year olds had a hard time-geez-these kids need constant redirection. But, Greg is great-as I have all told yall before!
So-I just helped check 2 floors of girl rooms to make sure they all went to their group meetings and that all hair appliances are unplugged. I am suppose to be helping Greg with group discussions-so I better go get back to work!

On a side note-if you read this Jackie-I am so sorry I missed seeing sweet Erin last week-things were just so busy last week. :-(

San Angelo-Here We Come!

Well-I guess by now you have figured out we are not stuck in Virginia anymore! :-) We did finally make it back and landed at about 8:15pm Friday night...but we did not even get out of the airport until 10! It was like we had to fight every step of the way to get home to good ole East Texas.
So, we made it back and as promised I went to meet Mr. Kingston. WOW! I really can't think of a word that best describes him and the happiness I feel for the Kraus family-I think that he is so, so, adorably cute and once you pick him up, it is so hard to put him down-I really could stare at him for hours! :-)
After we made it back home and I had met Kingston and reunited with the families (me and my momma missed each other a lot) it was time to work. Greg put me on a tractor and that it pretty much where I have been until today! We are on the road to San Angelo University and we are about to begin Texas Farm Bureau's 46th annual Youth Leadership Conference! We left at about 7 this mornig from Longview and picked up about 46-48 kids on the way. All the kiddos have been great and I was suprised at how quiet the bus ride was. I am now in my dorm room (new dorms and I am in the Resident Advisor's room-so it is pretty sweet) trying to unpack before dinner. It amazes me that I purposely went to Kilgore College to aquire 60 hours so that I could live off campus when I transfered to SFA...and here I am 27 years old and married-in a stinkin dorm room-what are the odds! Funny how things turn out! Well-off to eat college food-pizza-hope I have great stories to tell later!

Stuck In Virginia

Well-Greg and I left Monday for a Farm Bureau Conference that was to be held in Williamsburg, Virginia. The cheapest route was to fly out of Shreveport to Dallas and then from Dallas to Richmond, and then to drive to Williamsburg, an hour away. So, Monday morning we wake up and head to Longview to drop off some stuff at the Longview Farm Bureau office and we receive a call...the flight from Shreveport had been cancelled and we now had to drive to Dallas and hopefully make our flight. We were seated on the plane and less than 10 minutes later we were actually on the runway about to ascend into the sky! We, along with 4 other FB coworkers happened to be on the same flight, got a rental car and headed on to Williamsburg. During our stay-we have seen a lot of beautiful scenery and historic country. I feel I really did not enjoy the entire trip because Kingston was here and I wanted to meet him!!!! :-) You all understand! So-today when Greg's last meeting ended at 10:30-we all hopped in the car and boogied to Virginia to reach our 1:15 flight. We got to the airport and the flight had been moved to 3:45.....then it got CANCELED!! YUCK! The EARLIEST we can get out is tomorrow night at 6:15-did I mention that I have a baby I want to meet!!! :-) So-we are in a hotel for the moment and hope to get some good food soon~at least I am in good company! Missing East Texas at the moment-Paige and Greg!!!!

Baby News

I know I have not officially met him...since I am in Virginia right now-BUT-Mr. Kingston Hunter Kraus has arrived! If you do not know this great baby that I am speaking of-it is my buddy Amanda and her husband, Beeper's first child. I have seen two pictures of him and I am already in love.
I have been on an emotional roller coaster today! :- ) I had the nervous stomach rumble going on and every time my phone beeped to let me know I had a text-I nearly jumped out of my skin-Thanks YaYa for the updates!!! :-) Greg got out of his meeting at noon today-but he had to wait for lunch-I was not budging from the hotel until I had heard all was well with Amanda and Kingston. Thankfully-Greg, as usual was great and never expected me to leave-he would just pat my arm every 5 to 10 minutes and say-Babe-they are fine. Amanda is in good hands, stop worrying. (if I was this nervous for Amanda, I hate to think how I will be when I am in her shoes)
Amanda is such a dear and true friend and I have treasured our friendship from the very beginning.
Amanda and Beeper-I can't wait to meet him in person! I am so proud of you both for going to that hospital and being the champs that you are! Greg and I are ready to babysit anytime-seriously! I know that probably won't happen with all the family you have that has been anxiously awaiting his arrival, but I just wanted to put the offer on the table! :-)
As for the rest of you-when I get back in town-that is the first place I am going-I can't wait to kiss those cute cheeks and to smell that baby smell-sigh-isn't it the greatest thing on earth!
You two are such a blessing to me and Greg and we love you lots! See you on Friday!

Jordan David

Friday, June 5th was a big day for Jordan-he graduated from high school!!! And-man did I ever feel old!!! I remember the day that mom and dad sat all four of us down and told us that we were going to have one more to join our large family. 9 months later he came and when he joined this world he became unique and special-he had 4 mommas instead of 1. All of us girls thought that he was ours as well. Mom was sceduled to have a C-section on October 3rd, 1991. Parish and I were brought to Longview Regional at an ungodly hour, with my grandmother (it was still dark outside) and April and Hannah arrived shortly after. Let me let you get a good picture of the look us girls was sporting. Hannah was in 2nd grade, I was in 3rd, and April in 4th grade. We were dressed in denim skirts and matching shirts that when you rolled the sleeve up, it was black. Hannah had a pink shirt, mine was purple, and April had blue-the 3 triplets! :-) Anyway-mom had Jordan and after we saw his cute self-it was on to school. I just knew that it had to be lunch time or hey-maybe even after. But, no! I had only missed my first class! This C-section thing did not take as long as I had hoped! :-)
Back to Jordan! Jordan is such a sweet soul.....when he wants to be! Most of the time he might have a little grumpy tone to him, but if you keep at him, his inner sweet self will emerge. Jordan has always been my running buddy. I am 8 years older than him, but he knows me oh so well! Even after I left home and went to college, he and I have always been able to pick up where we left off and enjoy our time together. He knows my true singing voice and my dance (or lack of) moves that I will do in the car listening to my favorite songs. He is such a helper and will do anything for you-granted he will have a moan or graon about it-he will still do it! His heart is so big-the girl who wins his heart will have to be something special or... I just might have to run her off! :-) All the ladies at church are on the lookout for Jordan-they know he has a hug, just for them and they are ready to recieve!
Jordan-you know I love you so much and we are all proud of you-did I mention Jordan got a scholarship to Panola-Whoo-Hoo! Greg and I are here for you if you need us-and yes-you better call me or I will drive down there and embarrass you! You know I will...remember Junior High-my windows rolled down and Celine Dion blaring out of the car...it will be worse, much worse-you MUST call mom and then me! :-) I love you babe!