The Forbes Clan

Happy 7th Birthday Emerson!

2009-11-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our sweet baby girl...

...today a BIG 7 years old!

Happy Birthday Emerson!

We love you!

~Daddy, Mommy, & Kirby

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Love,

East High School Cheerleader (from High School Musical) and Kitty Cat Princess!

Pretty Pumpkins

2009-10-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

The other Sunday after church we stopped by our favorite local pumpkin patch. We've visited this one each year since we moved to the area. It's at a local church and they do a great job! I usually like to have the girls dressed in cute Fall clothes...but it was an unplanned stop on a perfectly beautiful Fall day...this'll do!

Orange & Purple...

2009-10-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

...never looked so GOOD together!

Emerson is playing her 5th season and is a happy member of the Orange Crush! There are about 6 of the girls that have played every season together and it's been a real blessing keeping them together. They are sweet girls and have always been welcoming to new teammates. This season the girls have moved to playing on a bigger field, having the BIG goals, and are playing for the first time without coaches being allowed on the field...it's getting to be kinda serious and much more competitive! The girls are learning more about postions and defense/offense and their ball handling skills are improving alot.

Kirby is playing her first season and is a proud member of the Purple Sparkles! The girls are really super cute in their uniforms...which are always way too big! It's been an interesting start to say the least. I guess I've forgotten what it was like that first season with Emerson. Kirby has great ball handling skills for her age, but tends to be a bit non-commital about the whole thing during games. She has periods of "getting it" and periods of "picking daisies". Overall, she seems to enjoy it and will definetly be playing again in the Spring.

Oops I TRI'D It Again....

2009-10-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

* UNFLATTERING PICTURES OF KAREN POSTED BELOW!*

HA!

(There's nothing pretty/fashionable about starting a triathlon at 7a.m.!!)

Back in August, I completed the TriGirl Sprint Triathlon (my second tri) with my dear friend Yolanda.

Heading in to the water for my wave start (I'm the one in the middle)...

I suppose I'm pretty happy with my results. I finished in the top part of the bottom half of my age group (did ya follow that?!) and didn't stop through any leg. The race consisted of a 300m swim in Lake Houston (I did really well on that leg), an 11 mile bike ride (pretty decent...though I was convinced my tire was going flat the whole time...it wasn't), and a 5K (good grief! I'm such a slow runner...but I DIDN'T WALK!).

On the bike, waving at Scott and the girls...

Yolanda, in her first tri, did awesome too! It was so fun to have a friend there with me and I'm extremely proud of all her hard work and success. I couldn 't ask for a better training partner...we work really well together and are already training for next season!

Me & Yolanda after the race - TRI BABES ROCK!

Nice booty shot of me heading to the finish...

Me and my future TRI GIRLS! I'm most proud of the fact that my girls saw their Mommy do something so rockin'!

And Speaking of California....

2009-10-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

So not only did we go to San Diego in August...but Scott and I went to Santa Barbara the other weekend to celebrate my brother's 40th birthday! I tell you...we could get really used to frequently travelling to California...wouldn't want to live there...but could definetly stand visiting on a regular basis!!

We had a great time hanging out with Michael and Teresa. Teresa's parents own a condo right across the street from the beach, so it was a PERFECT home base. We ate lots of good food, enjoyed some good weather and some amazing scenery!

Here are Scott and I our first night there eating at Brophy's on the water. EXCELLENT FOOD!

Here's the four of us later that night

Lovebirds on the pier!

Here we are before dinner at Los Arroyos in Montecito (tres chic!)...seriously, THE BEST guacamole I've ever had!! Oh...and it was at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Montecito earlier that day that Teresa and I are pretty darn sure we saw the actor Jake Gyllenhaal (you know, the one dating Reese Witherspoon)!

We took a great little day trip to the Santa Barbara County wine country. The drive there was breathtaking and we even found the tasting room for a wine called Scott Cellars! It was a pretty decent wine and we brought a bottle of their "Cuvee J" home.

The birthday boy and his lovely better half! Love you both!!

California Dreamin'

2009-10-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we took a family vacation to San Diego late this summer. It was a wonderful trip and we had such a great time. Though we had a few episodes of sibling rivarly, some teasing, a little whining, occassional hearing impairment towards parental units, one almost lost child, and a few all out rental car-backseat scream-fests (*sigh*)....the girls were GEMS (insert only a small hint of sarcasm here!) and really enjoyed all we did. In fact, a common comment throughout the trip was "next time when we're here we will...." There's really alot to do in Southern California and though we managed to squeeze in a ton of fun stuff, a return trip could be completely justified!

So below are the highlights of our 5 full days there (you'll obviously need to scroll down a ways). I hope you'll enjoy seeing San Diego through our eyes!

San Diego - Day 1

2009-10-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here are the girls ready to go on an early morning flight

And here's what we landed to....BEAUTIFUL!! Unfortunately, we timed our trip to coincide with a little Southern California heatwave...it reached in to the 80's inland most days and the lows were in the high-60's/low 70's each evening. DARN! :-)

Our hotel was located in an area called Liberty Station. This area used to be a Navy base and all the old buildings have now been converted to restaurants and shops. It had a charming appeal to it and was a great place to stay. Here's the view from outside our hotel. I actually jogged that path next to the water one morning too - meant to do it every morning...but hey, it was vacation.

Another neat thing on the grounds next to the hotel was the USS Recruit - a non-sea-going commissioned vessel made out of concrete used for training purposes. While you couldn't go on it, we could walk around it and take silly pictures.

After checking in, we had lunch at a fun 50's themed diner called the Corvette Cafe. They had great burgers and milkshakes, themed rooms, and a DJ that played all your favorite 50's hits and made the wait staff dance and sing from time to time. After that, we headed over to the harbor for a cruise around the bay.

The cruise around the bay was wonderful, and at times a bit chilly...such a welcome treat! The girls were on constant look-out for seals and other marine life while Scott and I were fascinated with all the military presence in the bay. Here are a few shots of the seals...

From this tour you can see the USS Midway, US Coast Guard, the Maritime Museum, a Submarine Base, the Rosecrans Military Cemetery and Cabrillo National Monument and Lighthouse in/on Point Loma and the Naval Air Station on Coronado Island. At any given moment you can see military helicopters, fighter jets, military ships and such...it's pretty cool!

Scott was most interested in the Submarine Base. Since 9-11, it's been under the extended protection of these big black "sausage" like buoys. As we went by, our guide pointed out that there were three Los Angeles Class nuclear subs being repaired. For those of you not familiar with subs, the LA Class is pretty much the bad boy of them all. We weren't able to get too close, but from the picture below, you can see the sausage buoys and there is a sub in dry dock behind the black curtain on the left.

Here's the USS Midway, the longest-serving air craft carrier in US Navy history. Every time I looked at it, I couldn't help thinking how my Dad would have been all over that thing in a heart beat! (Dad, it would have been awesome to tour it with you!!) It was always on our list to do, but we never got around to it. Shame. Next trip.

The harbor tour pretty much concluded our already long day. We had an early dinner and settled in for the evening, anxious to get started on some more fun the next day!

San Diego - Day 2

2009-10-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

Our first full day in San Diego started early...5:30 a.m. early! No need for an alarm clock, Kirby was up and raring to go before the sun, due in part to the time change I'm sure. It actually worked out pretty well. We were dressed, ate breakfast, and at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Animal Park in Escondido pretty much right at opening.

The Wild Animal Park is an 18,000 acre wildlife preserve that mimics the natural habitats of African and Asian animals. The park notes that it is home to over 3,500 animals representing 429 species. It's a truly fabulous park....beautiful...and HUGE! In fact, we wound up renting a double stroller for the girls...it was a TON of walking!

The first thing we headed to was a special exhibit called Dino Mountain. This exhibit featured animated, large scale dinosaurs in a forest setting. These things were really cool...think Hollywood movie style made. The girls were given little Dino Passports - after reading the info on each dinosaur they were able to stamp their passport for that dino...a great incentive to have them listen to the facts and a cute souvenier!

Dino Mountain was located on the path up to Condor Ridge. Look at these views...

The must-do thing at the Park is the Journey to Africa guided tour. Here you get to sit in a shaded, open-aired bus and get a little closer to the animals. The landscape is incredibly gorgeous and it's pretty incredible to see all the animals roaming around.

Here's a pretty ariel view of where the Journey to Africa takes you. And thanks to Emerson being old enough to handle a camera...Scott and I may finally get some pictures TOGETHER...good job Big Girl!

Feeding the Lorikeets! And please - no comments on my "yes-I'm-a-tourist" sun visor. It was a life saver! :-)

We saw so many animals that day - lions, tigers, elephants, gorillas, meerkats, birds of all kinds...I'll leave you with two more pictures and then move on.

Though we spent most of the day at the Park, we were still ready for some more vacation fun. So on the way back to San Diego, we decided to take a few detours. Our first detour was through Miramar, California...you know, Miramar - Top Gun, Tom Cruise, fighter jets, etc. We thought it would be pretty cool but there really isn't much to see except the entrance to the Air Station. No jets flying at the time. Wasn't even worth a picture.

From Miramar, we headed straight in to La Jolla and over to the coast. Scott scored a fantastic parking spot and we walked down to the tidal pools where the seals hang out. The little guys are so cute and fun to watch wash up and shimmy on to the beach.

Here are our spoiled kids having an Italian dinner on a terrace in La Jolla....life is so rough!

Beautiful La Jolla

San Diego - Day 3 - LegoLand/Del Mar

2009-10-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

Day 3 was spent at LegoLand in Carlsbad which was about a 30 minute drive from our hotel by the bay. I have to tell you...this is a fantastic park! All of the rides and attractions are geared for kids 2-12 years of age and there are incredible Lego creations everywhere. We spent the entire day there and had a blast!

We were having so much fun that we didn't take alot of pictures. Scott did get some cute video of the girls though....but I don't know how to post that...sorry! :-)

After Legoland, we drove the Pacific Coast Highway from Carlsbad back down to San Diego. What a beautiful drive! The little beach towns along the coast are just great. We decided to stop in Del Mar and found a great Mexican restaurant with the most incredible fish tacos ever. It was seriously the best meal we had on the trip....and the cheapest...go figure!

San Diego - Day 4 - Coronado Island

2009-10-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

After a couple of days of too much walking around, we decided to take a day off and relax at the beach. We headed over the bridge to Coronado Island...which held two highlights for me - the Hotel Del Coronado and the Naval Amphibious Base where the US Navy SEALs are trained!

We began our Coronado day with a walk through the Del. It's seriously the most gorgeous hotel I've ever seen and now, having actually stepped foot in it...one of my new goals in life is to actually stay there on a romantic weekend with Scott! If you've never heard of the Hotel Del Coronado, you should google it and read about it's architecture and history.

We ate lunch on the patio deck at the Del.

Here are the girls with the famous Del red roof turrets in the background

I hate to knock my beloved Gulf Coast...but HOLY MOLY!...what a beach they have there! Next to the Caribbean, it's the most beautiful beach I've seen. The water is a bit chilly, but the shallow part of the water is a pretty blue-green shade and there is a gold glitter to the sand that is stunning. The girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the beach. We couldn't keep them out of the water. It was a great day!

Our Baywatch Beauties

If you look closely at this next picture, you'll see a line of young men running to and from the beach...these are Navy SEAL trainees getting "wet and sandy" during Bud/s training. My Navy SEAL obsession started last summer when my old trainer had me do a Navy SEAL inspired workout program...in fact, this program got me swimming (much to my initial protests) which then led to my triathlon training....

Anyway, since that program, I've read several books about Navy SEALs, watched documentaries, and even was able to meet Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell of the book Lone Survivor fame. So actually being able to see them training (though from a mandated distance) was a real treat for me!

We had dinner that evening at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza in the Gas Lamp District in Downtown.
It was a great meal and a fun atmosphere on the sidewalk. Check out the "Messy Sundae" that Scott and I split after dinner! And no...we didn't finish it!

San Diego - Day 5 - Zoo

2009-10-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Zoo really lives up to all the hype...it's a really beautiful zoo! As instructed by family and friends, we took the guided bus tour the minute we walked in to the park. It's a great way to get a feel for the zoo and helps you map out your day. There are lots of neat paths and trails at the zoo and they have some great features to help you get around - express shuttle buses, moving walkways through the tress, a sky tram. Seeing the pandas was a special treat and the coolest thing we did was feed the giraffes!

We finished out our day with a seafood dinner in the SeaPort Village on the Bay. A little ice cream afterwards and a walk around the Village as the sun set...it was a great way to wrap up a fabulous trip!

Don't Hate Us Because We're BEAUTIFUL!

2009-09-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

As we were waiting for Scott to get ready for church on Sunday...yes, I said "waiting for Scott"... I happened to take a glance at the girls waiting by the door and they just took my breath away! I had to grab the camera and take a quick picture. I know I'm a proud momma...but aren't they just beautiful?

Look Out PRE-K...

2009-09-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

...here comes Kirby!

Kirby started PRE-K this morning, at her same school, with the same teachers Emerson had in that class too! They're wonderful teachers and we're so excited they'll get to know Kirby as well. A majority of her friends from her mothers-day-out class last year are in the same class, so there were lots of familiar faces. We know it's going to be great year!!

We Charge for Autographs...

2009-09-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Emerson and I are in the Sports section of the Chronicle today!

Our friend, Jesus Ortiz, is a reporter who covers the Astros and he did a piece on Aaron Boone, the 36 year old Astro who has the same heart defects that Emerson and I have. He called last week and asked if he could interview me (and my cardiologist) for the piece.

For your reading pleasure...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6596031.html

This ADORABLE Little Boy....

2009-08-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

.....grew up to be the LOVE of my life!

HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY, SCOTT!

I love you more today than ever and thank God for bringing us together.

We sure got us a good thing going on! :-)

Happy First Day of School!

2009-08-24T09:46:00.001-07:00

.....from your favorite little FIRST GRADER!!

YEA EMERSON!

Fun with One

2009-08-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

Since Emerson got some good Nana and PaPa time earlier this summer, it was only fair that Kirby got to spend some time at the Little Boots Farm as well. She's having a ball being on her own with Nana and PaPa and we've enjoyed our time alone with Emerson!

Of course, Emerson reminded me of EVERYTHING that Kirby got to do with us...and she wanted to do most of the same stuff. It's only fair, right?! (Isn't it a bit early for me to already be tired of explaining that life isn't always fair....???) Anyway....

After we had lunched with Nana and Kirby and said goodbye, Emerson and I stopped and did a little Back-to-School clothes shopping for her. She picked out some cute stuff at the Children's Place. After a snack, we decided to clean out her closet and drawers and get all her new stuff hung up and organized. She's going to be able to wear alot of her clothes from last Fall....but some how, I've amassed a bunch of new stuff for her as well....OOPS! :-)

That evening we had her meet-the-teacher (forgot the camera!)

The next day we went and had our nails done. I didn't take her to my regular place...but to a salon that has a fun kids pedicure chair with a DVD player! She picked out purple for her toes and a blue/green for her nails...with daisys painted on her big toes and thumb nails!

We then headed in to town to pick Scott up for a trip to the Children's Museum. It's much different being at the museum with Emerson. Kirby was all over the place...with Emerson, we were able to explain things in depth and she was intrested in many of the scientific concepts.

Our budding scientist...

She LOVED the rock-climbing wall and did it several times. She was really good at it!

After the museum, we headed to El Tiempo on Montrose for a great Mexican dinner. While we were there, a big storm hit and it got really dark, the lights flickered and the winds howled and the rain poured. It was actually pretty fun, though Emerson was a bit freaked out. Nothing an order of Sopapillas couldn't cure though!!

Saturday was spent running errands, eating out at lunch, and having a friend over for a playdate.

On Sunday, I woke up with a migraine so we took our time in the morning and then went out to lunch (Emerson's pick - Fuddrucker's) and bowling. I don't know why we don't bowl more often...it's such a good time! Emerson has the funniest "wind-up"...something not necessarily a part of the correct bowling form...and she even got a strike!

Sunday evening we had a round of bean bag toss outside while Scott grilled steaks, got everything ready for school and gave our big girl alot of LOVE! It certainly was special time to have with her these past couple of days.

....but I'm ready to have both my little ducks home!!

All About Kirby...(a long post)

2009-07-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

My parents took Emerson for several days this week (for a little one-on-one bonding time and spoiling!), so it was just the three of us at home. I thought it would be the perfect time to catch you all up on the "baby"....(who's almost 4...can you believe!?)...

Kirby had a great Spring semester of Mother's Day Out and made several new friends over the course of the school year. She also had a wonderful semester at the The Little Gym. Here's a shot on the balance beam at her "show" and another of Kirby and her best friend with their medals. Kirby and "S" are so cute together and we enjoyed eating lunch with them after class each week. "S" will be going to a different preschool this Fall, but we will still see her at church and in gymnastics again!

Kirby's also been taking swim lessons at our club. We've done a combination of group and private lessons and will be continuing with private lessons throughout the Fall with both girls. She's proven to be pretty fearless in the water, has a mean Cannonball jump and likes to take off without much warning! You gotta keep an eye on this one!

She's also a whiz on her tricycle. She even rode it all the way to and from Emerson's school one morning. She'll be on Emerson's old bike in no time.

We even tried our hand at PeeWee Tennis this summer. Isn't her little purple Prince tennis raquet the cutest thing you've ever seen? Ms. Diane is a saint to take on these little ones...they were pretty cute to watch. Kirby enjoyed it, but I think we're going to hold off a few more months and try again.

We've had alot of fun with her this week. It's been nice to be able to focus on her and give her our undivided attention. On Sunday afternoon, we took her to the Houston Galleria (not a special trip down there, we were just in the area and went on a whim) - we watched the ice skaters and were able to see the Zamboni, walked around and checked out some fun stores. Later that evening we went out to dinner - Kirby picked - Mexican!

On Tuesday, we picked up Scott early from the office and headed to the Children's Museum. If you haven't been there since last summer, you really should go...it's been completely changed and in my opinion is AWESOME! There's really alot to do and see for kids of all ages!

The outside Water Works area is a blast....and sure to get you wet!

One of her favorite parts was the new Kidtropolis area. It's set up as a little town with a bank, city hall, police station, diner, vet, etc. Lots of imaginative play for sure! Here she is driving the police car...

After a couple of fun-filled hours there, we headed over to Goode Co. Taqueria for dinner. If you know anything about Goode Co., you know how fabulous their pecan pie is...in fact, it's pretty legendary...so we did what any good customer would do...had a piece for an appetizer!! It's seriously the best pecan pie EVER! So good, I had to take a picture of it...

To top off our special time together, I took Kirby to get her nails done today. I know, I know....I should be waiting until she's older, but I really wanted to get mine done and thought she'd love it. I was right. She was really well behaved - talked to the other ladies and sat so proud in the chair. It was really pretty cute. I'm so happy we have girls!! :-)

Here's our little goof-ball showing off her PURPLE nails and toes. She even got little daisies painted on her thumbs and big toes! Big Sister will be jealous for sure!

While I certainly miss my Big Girl and am looking forward to having her home, I truly enjoyed being able to spend this time with Kirby. She got some good Mommy and Daddy time, and we got yet another reminder of what a true blessing she is! I just couldn't love her any more.

The Ride of My Life (So Far...)

2009-07-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

As I was thinking back over the Spring, trying to decide where to start "catching-up", the one thing that kept coming back to me was the MS150 Bike Ride. Let's face it, I was pretty obsessed about it! And really, weren't alot of you just about tired of listening to my constant bike related chatter? TOO BAD! It was really a bid deal to me, and an amazing thing to attempt and accomplish - even if I got off "easy" by only having to bike 1 day (though let me remind you that it was still 80 miles, with lots of big hills and in to a wicked head-wind!) thanks to the rain.

Over the course of late winter and early Spring, I went to Spin class every Monday and Wednesday night and Scott and I did several training rides in preparation. One training ride was a 25 miler in 38 degree weather on the hills outside beautiful Round Top, Texas. Another took us 40 miles from a start in Baytown, OVER the Fred Hartman Bridge, past the San Jacinto Monument with a little break as we hopped on the ferry (fun!). We enjoyed the sights of our great city on the 70 mile Tour de Houston (where I had my first crash!), and endured an awfully boring 70 miler through Katy and the surrounding area...made even worse by a horrible head wind.

Through it all, Scott was amazing! His encouragement and support kept me hanging in there and we actually had alot of fun out there on those rides. I couldn't have done it without him, and wouldn't have wanted to either! I love you, honey!!

Here's a picture of me at the re-organized start in La Grange

Look at all these riders! It's pretty amazing that an estimated 80% of the 13,000 riders were able to change plans and make it to the new starting point. It's a real testament to the dedication of the riders and the importance of the event.

And here we are having just crossed the finish line in Austin! We were so surprised that Scott's Dad was at the finish line. It was wonderful that he was able to catch this picture for us. As we rounded the UT campus, on our way to ride up Congress Avenue, I had a huge lump in my throat and was fighting back tears....I almost couldn't breath! It was the best feeling in the world!

Just in case you're wondering, I'm ABSOLUTELY on board for next year's ride!

And another big THANK YOU to my parents, Scott's parents, and to everyone who made it possible for us to train and ride...it wouldn't have been possible without you!

Long Time....No Blog!

2009-07-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

I TOLD YOU SO! I knew I didn't need another thing to do, another thing to keep up with. But noooo....I caved to the pressure and just HAD to go ahead a start a blog last summer. Sure it went well for a while...you enjoyed it, right? Then the snow happened, and the holidays were upon us, and school started back up again, and, and ,and...!

So, while I'm sure my last post about the snow (*sigh*) is looking pretty refreshing about now, I'll try to recommitt myself to the blog and get a little caught up.

Here's to second chances!

I'm Dreaming of a White...Wednesday Night...!!

2008-12-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

We had a nice surprise this past week...it snowed in Houston late Wednesday afternoon and in to the evening! The flurries actually started in our area late in the afternoon. If you stood real still and looked in to the bushes with the darker leaves, you could see them in the air. The girls thought it was great...in fact, Emerson proclaimed that it was "the best day of her life!"....miniscule, intermittent, snow flurries that didn't even reach the ground...she cracks me up!

A friend of mine and I went to a spin class that started at 6:00 p.m. that night. I dropped the girls in the kids center around 5:30 and it was misty and cold, but nothing exciting. An hour later, as we walked out of the gym, the area was blanketed with snow and it was coming doing pretty heavy. It was actually pretty fun to drive home in it!

Emerson of course, loved it....Kirby loved it for about 15 minutes and was then ready to go inside. Scott and Emerson switched to the backyard and stayed outside for about an hour!

Snow or no snow...as always...Trapper just wants to play!

Scott and Emerson's...uh, snowman...looks like a duck, huh?!

Look at our house...isn't it pretty?

The snow lasted throughout the night and melted away by mid morning the next day. It would be nice not to have to wait another 4 years for a little snow....

Radio J-O-Y

2008-12-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

The children's choir at our church put on a Christmas program last Sunday evening entitled "Radio J-O-Y" (FM1225 on your radio dial! Get it?!). It was a cute talk-radio style show that told the story of Jesus' birth. The Cherubs (Emerson's age group) did great in the chorus...lots of fidgeting around on the stage, but great vocals!

Emerson has enjoyed being a part of choir this Fall and has asked to do it again in the Spring. Here's hoping she has more musical talent than her parents! :-)

It was also family Christmas craft night. Doesn't the gym look so cute all decorated?

What Turkey?

2008-12-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

Emerson's class had a "disguise-the-turkey" project before Thanksgiving....you know, so the turkey wouldn't get eaten. You could disguise your turkey any way you wanted. At first, Emerson seemed stuck, so we tossed around a bunch of ideas: a pilgrim, a princess, like a Santa, in camo, a UT fan, a flower, etc. Here's what she picked:

Emerson colored the little guy and traced his belly to cut out the "shirt". She cut out shoes and the hat and pasted them on. I helped her make little pom-poms for his hands and Scott, the Longhorn drawing master he is, drew the Bevo for us. Good job, honey! :-) We saluted our turkey with a rousing rendition of "The Eyes of Texas" before sending him off back to the school.

Hook 'em Horns! (Gobble Gobble!)

Happy 6th Birthday Emerson!

2008-12-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

Our little Emerson is now a 6 year old! Yep, that's right...the little sweetie pictured below is now a chatty, sassy little 6 year old!

BEFORE

AFTER

Isn't she beautiful? And if you look closely, you may be able to see that cute little gap in her smile! What more could a little girl want for her birthday than her first-ever visit from the Tooth Fairy! That little tooth was wiggly FOREVER...since early September! It finally decided to fall out on the school cafeteria table at lunch the day before her birthday. Luckily, Nana had made a tooth pillow and given it to us a few weeks before. Isn't it pretty? Thanks Nana...it will be treasured for many years to come by both girls!

On the Town with Nana & PaPa

2008-12-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Both Nana and PaPa Clark have birthdays in November (as do Emerson and Scott!), so we thought it would be fun for them to come in and have a day "out on the town" with them.

We started the day at Emerson's soccer game and then headed home for a quick lunch. We made a Starbucks run and headed Downtown to ride the Metro Rail from one end to the other. They really enjoyed it and were amazed at all the changes from Downtown through the Medical Center and on to Reliant Park. It was fun to point out different points of interest to them and to hear their take on how things have changed. They were both born and raised in Houston and the Sugar Land area, but have been country bumpkins for the last 8 years....and ALOT has changed in Houston over the past 8 years. Hearing their stories and memories was priceless...it was my favorite part of the day!

After the rail, we took them to the Aquarium for dinner. If you've never been to the Downtown Aquarium, you really should go! We go several times a year and the girls always have a ball. The food, though a tad pricey, is wonderful and the whole experience is just an all-around great value. After a great dinner, we treated Nana and PaPa to a night-time ride on the Shark Train...the girls' favorite! We headed home full and happy, and so blessed to have spent such a fun day together!

Whose Child is This??

2008-11-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Kirby doesn't like chocolate. Let me repeat that...Kirby...a child of mine and Scott's...DOES NOT like chocolate. While I understand this is technically a good thing at this age, it just seems a little strange given my and Scott's love of all things dark and delicious!

So, Kirby has decided that almost anything "brown" must be chocolate and said yucky-chocolate apparently shows up in the most unexpected places...

*The other night we had pizza. There were a few spots of burnt cheese and she shrieks, "Yucky Mommy...chocolate!" She refuses to eat the rest of hers until it's removed.

*One of her frozen mini waffles got a little charred in the toaster...."Oooo, Mommy...yucky chocolate on my waff-a!" Mommy gets a knife and scrapes it off. All is well.

*She was eating an apple the other day. The apple had a few teeny, tiny discolored spots..."Mommy, apple is yucky...look chocolate!" Mommy peels the discolored skin. The poor apple didn't stand a chance though. She takes a bite and gets close in to the core, which exposes a few seeds..."Oh no Mommy, apple has ANTS!"

She really cracks us up, the little cutie!

When the Cat's Away....

2008-11-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

The mice...will sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed!

The girls and I have started this little tradition that the first night that Scott is out of town on a multiple night business trip is "Girl's Night". This night usually includes a fun, bad-for-you dinner - McDonald's or Sonic - and the "treat" of getting to sleep with me. The girls love being able to watch cartoons in our bed, and I love that once I get them up there and settled, they stay put. Once I'm done getting the house shut down, I climb in and we all snuggle up.

It's a very sweet, peaceful time...until the heavy sleeping and the tossing and turning begin. There's your usual cover stealing/hogging issues. There are arms tossed about, noses bashed. There are knees to the stomach and Kirby seems to always end up completely inverted on top of the covers near the end of the bed. That situation requires getting completely out of bed to bring her back "in to position", which of course wakes Emerson up...then everyone must go to the bathroom and get resettled. Once resettled and I let out a sigh, thinking we'll all drift off back in to pleasant slumber...someone needs a drink. We all get drinks and resettle again. A few more half-asleep cover renegotiations take place, a few little feet are repositioned and all is well. Before I know it, the alarm is buzzing, and though I should feel exhausted...I bounce out of bed, make a cup of coffee....then lay on the couch in complete, untouched peace, with my very own blanket and savor several minutes before it's time to rally the troops for the day.

I know what you're thinking....why on earth would I subject myself to such an irritating, sleepless night? Well, take a look at the sweeties below....I wouldn't miss Girls Night for anything!

~ But thank goodness it's only for ONE night! :-) ~

Sentimental Sunday

2008-11-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

We weren't able to make it to Dewberry Farm in Brookshire this year. It's a really fun place and if you've never been, you should check out their site and make plans to go some time. Here's the website http://www.dewberryfarm.com/ It's a short drive out of town, but well worth it!

We've been two years with the Jones Family and our kids have always had a blast! Time just seems to have blown by since Hurricane Ike. Everyone's schedule was disrupted, events were cancelled, rescheduled and rearranged (oh, yeah...and the Jones' went to Mexico. JEALOUS!) It was hard to find the time before Halloween to fit it in, and our weekends are full this month as well. We certainly are a busy family!!

So, for your viewing pleasure...here are a few quick photos of our trip last year.

Emerson (with Scott and Kirby close behind!) on the roller slide.

The grilled corn is the BEST!

The Forbes and Jones Kids...E-I-E-I-O!

Can you see us? That's me and Emerson in the middle of the Corn Maze.

A family picture on the Corn Train.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-31T05:19:00.000-07:00

We hope you have a frightfully wonderful day!

Love,

Daphne (from Scooby Doo!) & the Silly Witch

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

We visited the pumpkin patch at the local Episcopal church again this year. I'm not sure if we hit it a little late, or if the pumpkin batch wasn't so great (hey, that rhymed!) this year...they were light on their inventory and the good ones were few and far between. We managed to get a nice sized one for carving though, and will set it out by the front door with our store-bought ones.

This picture of Emerson cracks me up!

Who's your Mummy?

She's Good!

2008-10-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

We heard from our doctor this morning and everything from the echo looks normal and fine. According to Scott, Kirby apparently has the "good Forbes genes"! :-) Obviously, we're thrilled and thankful!

Sentimental Sunday

2008-10-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

This week's Sentimental Sunday post has me looking back on Emerson, and specifically her heart condition and our stay at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) from New Year's Eve Day 2002 in to the new year of 2003.

On Friday, we took Kirby to TCH for an echocardiogram. Given Emerson's heart defects, I had a fetal echo while pregnant with Kirby and we've listened to her closely since her birth. As you all know, she's a healthy, active little one and we've never had reason to worry. When we unexpectedly found my heart valve defects last Fall, our pediatrician thought it would be best to check out Kirby as well, to see if she joins the "Mommy and Emerson Bum Valve Club".

Before we look back, Kirby did great! Scott went back with her and she watched Shrek while the echo was performed. Afterwards, we took the girls to the Avalon Diner on Westheimer for dinner. Every one should experience an Avalon Diner chocolate shake...though I suppose after having her ticker looked at, drenching it in saturated fat may not have been the best idea!

We should hear something about the echo this week and I'll let everyone know.

So, here's our little Emerson at TCH on New Year's Eve 2002....

That's me sleeping in the background. I didn't leave the hospital once in the 7 days we were there. In fact, I think I only left our room and the floor two or three times. Scott and I felt so scared and helpless. She was just so small...our first baby...it wasn't supposed to be like that. God is GOOD though!! After a rough start, she is our smart, active girl...wonderful in every way. In fact, if her heart issues ever do arise in conversation, most people are shocked...I mean, come on...we've all seen her energy, exuberance and can attest to her volume!!

She is due for another echo and clinic visit in early 2010. While we know she's healthy and doing well, we always wonder when and if they will want to repair anything. We'll worry about that later though. We thank God for blessing us with such a wonderful and amazing daughter and trust in His plan for her!

Sentimental Sunday

2008-10-19T14:17:00.001-07:00

I thought it might be a cute idea to revisit old pictures each week. I hope you'll enjoy taking a look back with me. It's fun (and amazing!) to see how the girls have grown. For my first sentimental post, I thought I'd look back and see what it was we were doing around this same time in years past.

This first picture couldn't be more fitting...did anyone happen to catch that AWESOME game between Texas and Mizzou last night? Here's Emerson at around 11 months checking out a Longhorn game at MeMe and PopPop's....HOOK 'EM HORNS!

Here she is painting pumpkins with friend, Ashley Jones in October of 2004. I remember we spent the afternoon at their house, and later, we took pictures in the neighbor's pumpkin patch. Ashley looks so little in this picture too...can you believe she's about to turn 7!?

Look at our sweet girls in October 2005~ Emerson at almost 3 & Kirby at 1 month. They look so cute and innocent, don't they?

From 2006, here's Emerson at almost 4 years old having fun at Bounce City. And look at little Kirby, already a year old, digging in to her dinner! I think everyone has those "messy eating" pics.

Here's our little Clan cutting up at a local pumpkin patch last October. We'll be heading to the same one next week, so watch out for new pics soon!

Leapin' Lizards!

2008-10-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

Super Leapin' Lizards that is! After a few weeks of delay due to Ike, our Fall soccer season is under way. Emerson, 5 of her team mates from last year, and one sweet new girl are all fired up!

We are thrilled to be with our friends from last year...the girls play so well together and get along great. We have a fantastic, friendly group of parents and it's made it all the more enjoyable. I think Scott and I look forward to Saturdays just as much as Emerson. The girls are going to ROCK this season!

Super Leapin' Lizard action shots coming soon...so stay tuned!!

Our Family "Hurrication"

2008-10-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

As I stated, our power went off at 8:00 p.m. on Friday...well before the brunt of the storm. Sunday afternoon, we decided to pack up the truck and head to my parent's house in New Ulm. While air conditioning was the most welcome treat, I think Scott and I were more anxious to get to the TV and see what was going on in the rest of Houston, Galveston, and surrounding areas. We were pretty much glued to the TV for the first several hours after arriving.

So, we knew our house was fine. We were re-energized. The girls were certainly out of school for several days, and Scott was off of work for a few days too. What else to do but make the best of the situation!

First thing....our precious little Kirby turned 3 years old on Monday, September 15th!! Nana made a birthday cake and she was able to open her presents from my parents. Kirby's favorite gift was an old-fashioned red tricycle. She just loves it!

The next day, we decided to take a trip to the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham. The girls and I have been several times, but Scott had never been. Blue Bell proved that day that they don't just have the BEST ICE CREAM IN THE COUNTRY...but also big hearts. The tours were free and they gave us extra free ice cream tokens. It was a pretty busy day for them with all the hurricane evacuees/refugees...and though a small gesture, a pretty stand up thing to do none the less. We had a great time!

We also managed to slip up to Austin to visit with MeMe and PopPop and attend the Texas/Rice football game. It was big stuff, as it was the girls first ever Longhorn game, and they got to sit in a suite! (Sometimes I wonder if they'll start expecting too much....!) They had a fabulous time and were very well behaved. And of course, the Horns won! Emerson has already asked when she can go to another game, and Kirby has perfected her Hook Em Horns sign. Thanks MeMe and PopPop...we had a blast and love you!

While in Austin, we were also able to attend cousin Jade's 5th birthday party at The Hoppin' House. We always have a great time with cousins Jade and Trevin and we were so happy we could be there. Kirby and Trevin loved playing in the ball pit and Emerson's favorite was climbing the rope ladder and jumping into the red foam blocks. Sadly, we didn't get a picture of all 4 cousins together. Bummer!

The rest of our hurrication at Nana and PaPa's was spent playing outside, visiting Katy Mills Mall, helping NaNa in her yard, and relaxing. We had lots of good quality time with them and can't thank them enough for letting us crash for 10 days. We love you both so much!!

Hurricane Ike

2008-10-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

I suppose I would be remiss to not include a post about Ike. Ah, Ike, Ike, Ike....

Emerson was off of school and Scott was off of work the Friday that Ike was to hit. We spent most of the day securing the outside of the house, replacing batteries, monitoring the weather...and eating the "hurricane food" stash. And before Scott can jump in with an objection...FINE!...I was the one eating all the Oreos!

We settled the girls in for the evening, made cups of coffee, and had just settled on the couch to watch the weather reports around 8:00 p.m. when our power went off. 8:00 p.m.!? We were a tad ticked off to say the least. Around 10:00, we hunkered down in our "shelter" (the dining room) and listened to the radio play-by-play of the storm coming in.

The girls did great...slept right through it. Scott snored off and on. Trapper was a tad nervous and glued to my side the entire night. Me...I didn't sleep a wink...AT ALL. For me, that night was the scariest, noisiest night I have ever endured. The sound of the wind whipping around the house, hitting the glass, and the swaying of the trees was incredible. I don't think I'll ever forget it, and I certainly do not need to ever go through it again.

Thankfully, we made it through just fine. We had large limbs and debris in our yard, but no real damage. I figure we lost two trees with Rita...we had our turn! Several neighbors lost large trees and fences. The damage and destruction in Kingwood was substantial. To this day, there are still debris piles, hanging branches, fallen down trees, left over tree trunks, downed fences, and blue tarps on roofs. Still, we feel very blessed that our good friends and loved ones made it through just fine.

TRI-ing IS Living...

2008-09-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled and proud to announce that this past Sunday, I competed in and completed my first ever triathalon!

The event was a mini-sprint (perfect for first-timers) and consisted of a 200yd swim, 6 mile bike ride, and 2 mile run. I placed 21st out of 51 women in my age group (35-39) with a finishing time of 49:23. Can you believe it? While I knew my practice times going in, my real goal was to just not stop at any point, and to at least not finish last. Obviously, I smashed both those goals!

I can't thank Scott enough for all his love and support. He has had faith in me every step of the way and was my wonderful (and loud!) cheerleader through every step of the race. I have also had a wonderful trainer, Shannon, this summer who has helped me so much. He's helped me push myself more than I ever thought I could.

Just a little backgorund:

The event was started last year by Greg and Stephanie Johnson. Stephanie was a healthy, stay at home mother of three when she was diagnosed with stomach cancer at age 35. Given only months to live, Stephanie fought a courageous battle and beat the odds over and over. Her cancer and seemingly limited time made her step outside her box to experience and try many things she had always wanted to. One of those things...a triathalon. So Greg and Stephanie started their own, in their neighborhood, with the support of friends and neighbors. Last year's event was a huge success, allowing Stephanie to achieve a dream, and help raise funds to fight cancer at the same time.

She was preparing for another great event this Fall. But sadly, having beat the odds and fought the fight for 4 years, Stephanie passed away on July 21 at the age of 39. She left behind Greg and three young children. I will admit to breaking down in tears upon reading Greg's email. Though I had never met this woman, I was inspired by her spirit, and moved by her story and the pictures of her and her family.

Greg made sure we knew on Sunday that Stephanie would not want the race to be about crying (though he had many of us in tears!), but about living life to its fullest, trying new things, exploring new places, dreaming new dreams, and going for them. It's not about crying and dying, it's about TRI-ing and living....

I was honored to meet Greg and to be a part of such an amazing and beautiful day. I can't wait to do another one!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Here I am early in the morning setting up my transition area. Check out my rockin' new rode bike...I love that thing! Thanks, honey!

The swim was a "snake" swim in an 8 lane pool. We were aligned by submitted swim times, with half the participants starting in Lane 1, and the other half starting in Lane 8 at 10 second intervals. It was a fun and efficient way to move 400 competitors through the pool.

The bike ride was an up and back 6 miles through the master planned community of Gleanloch Farms in Northwest Houston. Did I mention how much I LOVE my bike? It's beautiful!

The run took us through a small part of the neighborhood, then along the back edge of the community along a drainage canal and then around the little league fields back to the aquatic center. It was a quiet and peaceful 2 mile run. I spotted a few deer back along the drainage fields, and you could see planes take off and land at Hooks Airport. Unfortunatley, the pictures of me running aren't so close up...which may be for the best anyway...I wasn't looking too pretty crossing the finish line! I'm that little blob coming up the middle...

Me and My Man post race!

Mothers Day Out

2008-09-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Kirby started another year of Mother's Day Out on September 2.

She is in now in the Older Three's class and having a wonderful time. Our little Kirby also just happens to be the ONLY girl in the class. I really for sorry for those little boys...they've got two teachers and a little mama hen...or little diva - not sure which personality will prevail! She's also very blessed to be having my good friend, Yolanda, as one of her teachers this year. We couldn't be more thrilled and know it will be a special year for her.

In even MORE EXCTING news....Kirby is potty-trained! It was fabulous to not pack diapers up for school, and it's so nice to not have them on the grocery list anymore. Our baby is growing up so fast and it makes me a little sad, but what a little lady she's turning out to be! LOVE HER!!

Houston, We Have a Kindergartener!

2008-08-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

My how time flies! It feels like only yesterday we were oohing and aahing over our sweet little baby girl. Now, she's almost 6 years old and in Kindergarten!

The morning went smoothly, and though Emerson was excited for school, I could sense she was a bit apprehensive of her new surroundings. We had our orientation last week, and were able to check out her new classroom and meet her teacher. It's a pretty fancy room with lots of "equipment" that none of my classrooms ever had, and her teacher seems very nice. I'm sure she's going to transition nicely and have a fun time. There are only 3 kindergarten classes and we know 4 other little girls and 2 little boys, so she has lots of familiar faces around her. It's also nice that we live close enough to the school to be able to walk with our neighbors.

Believe it or not, I didn't cry when we dropped her off! However, our church had it's annual Back to School Prayer Service this morning and I bawled like a baby during personal prayer time at the altar railing. I'm really not that sad...it's just a life transition, I suppose. I'm eager to go pick her up and hear all about her day. Knowing my Emerson, our walk home will give me an earful and will be filled with a million famous Emerson "Guess What" statements. Man, I love that girl!

Good Eats!

2008-08-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

After the zoo, we took the girls to Kim Son downtown for an early dinner. Cultured kids, huh? They've been before and really enjoy the Vietnamese eggrolls and rice. The waiters are always so friendly and gracious with the kids. Kim Son is one of my favorite Houston restaurants and one of my old haunts. I remember eating in the original building back in college, before this new one was built. It was also a regular stop of mine and Scott's back when we were dating...oh how I never wanted those lunches to end! Being a stay-at-home mom, you really start to miss "lunch"...the ones in a restaurant, with nice clothes on and an adult or two sitting across from you, eating good food...prepared and served by others.

It did me good to have an order of shrimp and pork spring rolls and a big bowl of lemongrass beef vermicelli with fish sauce. Kim Son, Van Loc, Mo Mongs....I MISS YOU!

Greetings from the Houston Zoo!

2008-08-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Who in their right mind would decide on a whim to go to the Houston Zoo on a Saturday in August? Well...the Forbes Clan...that's who! We doused on the sunblock, packed a lunch and plenty of water and headed out. It actually wasn't bad at all. Sure, it was hot, but the zoo wasn't crowded at all and we took our time and made sure to get in some shade every now and then.

What made the day even more special and fun was that this is the FIRST time we have been to the zoo as a family of four. Can you believe that? Scott and I took Emerson several times before Kirby came along. Once I started staying home though, the zoo somehow became something done with other stay at home mom friends during the week. We had such a great time together, that I know Daddy will be making more zoo trips with us more often! Of course, we managed to not get one single picture of Daddy at the zoo, so here's one of Mommy...

One should always save time for a little goat grooming...
And be sure to get behind the ears...

Of course, no trip to the zoo is complete without a ride on the Hermann Park train. That little train has been around as long as Scott and I can both remember and we love that our girls will have memories of it too!

A Day at the Museum

2008-08-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

The girls and I spent the afternoon at the Woodlands Mall one day last week. We ate lunch in the food court, rode the carousel, walked the mall, and went to the Woodlands Children's Museum. It's not your typical, fancy children's museum...but it's really an awesome little place for the girls to run around and play.

You may notice that Kirby is wearing three different outfits in the following pictures....she's *almost* potty-trained and this was our first big test outside the house. Obviously, Mommy was smart enough to pack extra clothes. And obviously, Kirby wasn't too successful...but it's all good...we'll try again another time!

Here the girls are playing in the hospital section. Dr. Kirby taking good care of her little patient, and Dr. Emerson performing brain surgery. Scott couldn't be more proud!

Like Mother, Like Daughter...aka...Daddy's Worst Nightmare

Emerson LOVED drawing on the chalk Cadillac!

This room was a big hit...sand, sand, and more sand!

The girls had a blast in the dinosaur dig area. Digging around in finely diced up rubber tires is so much fun!

Bowling, Anyone?

2008-08-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

We took the girls bowling one recent rainy Saturday afternoon.

Who knew bowling with a toddler and pre-schooler could be so much fun? It was Emerson's second time, Kirby's first time, and the first in a long, long time for me and Scott. Of course, we bowled with the gutter bumpers up (something Mommy took EVERY advantage of!). It was so cute to see how encouraging the girls were of each other. We really had such a great time!

Emerson proved to be quite the little bowler. She has a wicked "wind-up" (which I'm not quite sure is proper bowling technique) and gets the ball down the lane swiftly. She's also got a nice little victory dance going on as well. The amazing (sad?) thing is, she almost beat me!

Kirby did great too. She needed a little help with the roll, but picked up the concept pretty fast. I think she was most excited though about the ball coming up from the ball return! It was like a little surprise bursting out each time!

Emerson and I, of course, rocked the latest in bowling shoe fashion.

Welcome to our Family Blog!

2008-08-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Lisa has finally worn me down...I'm starting a family brag...oops!, I mean a family BLOG! Lisa has had one for a while now, and she's done a great job with it. I suppose I was reluctant for several reasons: does anyone really care that much to look up a blog, do we really do anything that interesting to warrant posting it on a blog, and do I really need yet another thing to do and keep up with? I decided though that with Emerson starting Kindergarten this Fall, it would be a great way to keep you updated on her...and Kirby too, of course! Because really: some of you do care, we have a very blessed (and interesting!) life, and at this point...what's another thing to do anyway, right?

I hope you will enjoy keeping up with our little "clan" and I hope you'll visit often and let me know what you think!

The Forbes Clan

Happy 7th Birthday Emerson!

Happy Halloween!

Pretty Pumpkins

Orange & Purple...

Oops I TRI'D It Again....

And Speaking of California....

California Dreamin'

San Diego - Day 1

San Diego - Day 2

San Diego - Day 3 - LegoLand/Del Mar

San Diego - Day 4 - Coronado Island

San Diego - Day 5 - Zoo

Don't Hate Us Because We're BEAUTIFUL!

Look Out PRE-K...

We Charge for Autographs...

This ADORABLE Little Boy....

Happy First Day of School!

Fun with One

All About Kirby...(a long post)

The Ride of My Life (So Far...)

Long Time....No Blog!

I'm Dreaming of a White...Wednesday Night...!!

Radio J-O-Y

What Turkey?

Happy 6th Birthday Emerson!

On the Town with Nana & PaPa

Whose Child is This??

When the Cat's Away....

Sentimental Sunday

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Pumpkin Patch

She's Good!

Sentimental Sunday

Sentimental Sunday

Leapin' Lizards!

Our Family "Hurrication"

Hurricane Ike

TRI-ing *IS* Living...

Mothers Day Out

Houston, We Have a Kindergartener!

Good Eats!

Greetings from the Houston Zoo!

A Day at the Museum

Bowling, Anyone?

Welcome to our Family Blog!

TRI-ing IS Living...