The Dyal Dish: April 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Way Too Proud of Texas....

I found this on a fellow Texan's blog. I couldn't stop laughing because, if you've ever been to Texas, you'd know how true this really can be down there. I know many, many people just like this. (Although I don't endorse the product, I think the concept is hilarious.)

My husband is included -- He's been wanting to fly a Texas flag in front of our house for years instead of the U.S. flag that we put out each summer. I haven't let him go that far....

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Sleeping Cutie

The weather was amazing on Saturday (sunny, 75 degrees) -- Weather we haven't seen around here for a long time. So, while mom and dad where doing some home maintenance projects, this little guy played outside all day with his brothers and sister, and after a shower, fell asleep on Mom and Dad's bed. I took this right before I woke him up for dinner. I could eat him up... What a cutie! (Look at those rosey-red cheeks.)

Friday, April 17, 2009

Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel

We found a GREAT flight + hotel package deal for our trip to Oahu. I'm thinking it's because of the economy. I guess that's one positive of this economic recession -- cheaper travel. We'll I'm glad to be taking advantage of it. I'm bursting inside, so I had to show off our great hotel!

Dreamy, huh? Check out the aerial view HERE. And what do you think of the pool....

Can't get much better than that! And this is what they give us each morning for breakfast...

We can take our breakfast with us in this complimentary cooler and eat on the beach each morning. Yipee! I can't wait!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Been out of touch....

Sorry that I've been out of touch for awhile. It's been two months since I've blogged! Life has gotten extremely busy since I decided to go back to work. Updating our family blog has been at the bottom of my priority list.

But since this week is our spring break, the kids and I are off school all week! I've been doing a lot of catch-up projects, including this blog. I've also been planning a wedding anniversary trip for Joshua and I. On June 3rd, it will be our 15th wedding anniversary, but school won't be out yet, so we'll leave the week after it's over. I'm so excited! We are going on a two week trip to Hawaii, with a stop in Los Angeles to go to Disneyland. I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 16 years old. I know Disney World in Florida forwards, backwards and blindfolded, but Disneyland will practically be a new experience for me since it's changed so much.

I've never been to the new Disney park, "California Adventure", and Disneyland has a bunch of new things. We've timed it so that we'll be there on my birthday. That means I can get in FREE with the "free admission on your birthday" incentive at all the Disney parks this year.So, after a few days in L.A. then we're off to Hawaii. Neither one of us have ever been to Hawaii, so we are counting down the days to our trip... literally.... See our countdown clock in the sidebar. My mom and dad are coming up from Texas to watch the kids. We are so grateful that they are helping us out, and our kids are excited to see their grandparents.

Look whose got some new glasses....

Isn't Jessica cute?? We think she rocks her new glasses!

HAPPY EASTER 2009

Hope you had a wonderful Easter. We had a very nice, relaxed one. Our Easter weekend was about reconnecting as a family. Our life is soooo busy all the time, so this weekend we decided to slow down and not worry about much except doing family things together. We went out to eat several times, saw movies, played games. It was a mini at-home vacation. It was just what we all needed. Here are some pictures of Easter morning ---

The kids and their Easter baskets

On an Easter egg hunt

Spencer's Birthday -- He's a teenager now!

In our family, whenever a birthday lands on a Saturday, the day pretty much belongs to the birthday person. Spencer's birthday was a Saturday this year and he pretty much had the whole day planned out for us. Spencer loves to play games, so all day we had a game day at home. We played board games and video games (specifically his new game of "Dance Dance Revolution"). Then we had a BBQ for dinner, and he requested Cherry Cheesecake for his birthday cake. Spencer turned 13 years old this year -- We have a teenager now! Yipes! I can't believe it...

Mother/Son Dance

In March, I took Alex and Logan to the Mother/Son dance at the school. We had a fun time dancing, eating and talking to friends. It was a fun night!

Getting ready to go to the dance. We all wore red.

Alex's teacher took this picture of me and the boys, and then he sent it to me through email

Alex and Logan in a dance train

Having a great time!!

There were about a dozen matchbox car raffles throughout the night. Alex won the third raffle. Logan was very sad because he wanted to win one too. After that, whenever the raffles were announced, he would get so anxious, and then so sad when his number wasn't called. On the very LAST raffle of the night, he won!! He was so thrilled!

Great Wolf Lodge

At the end of February, during our mid-winter break, Jessica, Alex, Logan and I went to Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio - An indoor water park. (Joshua and Spencer were in Lubbock, Texas visiting Josh's parents.) It was cold outside, but a comfortable 80's in the waterpark. We stayed for two days and had a blast! Most of the time we stuck around together, going on slides and swimming in the pool, but occassionally Jessica and Alex would run off and do things together and Logan stuck around with me (that's why there seems to be a lot more pics of him below...)