How Sad

I'm STILL here!!!! Please don't leave! I have no idea how I'm getting from one day to the next because it's all a blur! Here's what we need to talk about sometime in the near future when I'm not helping cook lunch at the bakery and just running to the office to "do payroll" (I really am doing it but I'm doing this too. Surely Destiny & Lea don't read this thing anymore right?). Cash is one. With MOLARS. Not walking yet...but I promise we'll get into that soon. Pictures too. I've missed an entire soccer season, an entire volleyball season and football (cheerleading) season. Blake & Ashley are with us full-time now, for a little while at least, and we're loving that. Cash REALLY loves it. Seventh grade is kicking our butts; there's tons of practices, homework, tests. Derrek & Cash have had birthdays. We've finally got lunch going at the bakery now. We've been at it a whole week. We're buying a house. Derrek's work has been a rollercoaster but we're hanging in there. Also, my mom and Steve just bought an awesome new house! No, it's not in Fredericksburg, unfortunately, but I haven't lost hope. Cash and I are headed up there tonight to help pack some things up. I think that about sums it up. So we'll delve into details very soon friends! I know I always say that but I've got pictures that are worth the wait. Promise. Here's a Halloween teaser:

8 months (July 3)

the beach!

the sibs!

all Daddy

big boy

Compromise

So, I blogged my heart out tonight. Okay, that's not completely accurate. I posted as many pictures as I could tonight. My goal is to do the same with July, August and September (so far) by the end of the week. I'm dying to blog witty and even, wordy posts but there are not enough hours in my days these days so I'm reduced to picture-posting until I get caught up. See you soon!

Soccer Camp (Still Blogging June, Friends)

The Sharks (T-ball 2009)

Once again, Blake played teeball this year. This year, however, Derrek was a coach and I think it was a great experience for both of them. It taught Derrek a good lesson in patience and it taught Blake how to be a leader since he was one of the oldest boys on the team this year (only 5 & 6 year-olds play). This year, of course, he was faster, hit the ball more and understood what was going on. Another highlight was that Brooklyn was on our team this year. It was perfect for me because I got to spend a LITTLE bit more time with Rebekah. Ahhh, I miss teeball:)

Aunt Niffer’s Birthday at the Beach (in June)

Cash & I took a very spontaneous trip to Port Aransas to see my very good friend, Jennifer for her 30th birthday. We had a blast with Aunt Niffer and Aunt Jessica (another college friend). Jenn decided to start her weekend with a throwback to our infamous LA trip for the Grammy’s a few years back by camping out at the beach for about 7 hours waiting for me to pick her up. Long story but one highlight is when someone offered to get her something to eat because she looked homeless with her big bag. After I rescued her, we stopped at the grocery store and waited in a ferry line for over an hour (it was Friday afternoon about FIVE o’clock; great planning) to get to Jenn’s sister’s beach house. This place was AWESOME! I want to move in. Cash loved the sand and the waves and I even lucked into a babysitter for Jenn’s birthday night and got to go to Sharkey’s. I’ve heard a lot about that place and had a much needed night of jamming out to classic Michael Jackson and my Britney Spears.

Our beach ride. He loved facing forward with the wind in his hair!
He loves his Aunt Niffer!

All kinds of room to crawl and play at the beach house.

Wake up, girls! I want to play!

That means you, Niffer!

Mama & Cash

What you can't see in this picture is that I'm surrounded by the ladies. They loved me!

Stella & Dot

I really am not sure why in the world I wanted to add anything to my plate but Stella & Dot found me and I couldn't pass it up! I'm selling this fabulous but affordable jewelry (over half the line is under $50) via my website (www.stelladot.com/jordanpenick) and in-home trunk shows. The trunk shows are pretty much just parties with snacks, fun people and pretty jewelry. The jewelry truly sells itself so I don't have to learn any awkward or embarassing speeches. I really got involved because I love the jewelry. Stella & Dot is a modern company that wants its sales team to be who they are and not imprisoned in a pair of panty hose. If you read any magazines or watch the Bachelorette, you've seen Stella & Dot. I have a feeling you're about to see it even more blow up. So when you hear about it, just remember me. Throw a party and invite me over. I'll bring the jewelry, you fix some cocktails. It will be fun.

P.S. I'm having a launch party on Thursday, August 6 at the Fredericksburg Bakery from 7-9 pm. I'd love to have you.

Oh and P.P.S. if you have a husband or boyfriend or partner or friend or dad or brother that's needs a little help in the gifts department, send them my way. I can help them out.

We'll Miss You, Ringo!

Last week we lost a member of the family. It was traumatic for all of us but mostly for me because I was driving the car that killed him. It was just me and Cash in the car so the kids didn't see it. He actually walked away from the accident but the internal damage was too severe so we had to put him down. It was a very hard good-bye for me. Let me say, too, that Derrek was so wonderful that day. I'm a basketcase when it comes to saying any sort of good-bye and, even though Derrek was emotional as well, he walked me through the whole thing. He left work immediately to help get Ringo some help, make the hard decision, say our good-byes, hold him as he took his last breath, hold me after that, dig his grave and put stones on top of it and tell the kids. I really don't know how I would have made it through the day without him. Those are the moments you understand why God matched you with a guy that can't get his socks to the dirty clothes. Ever.

Ringo was such a loving dog. He was completely devoted to every member of this family. He always wanted to be a lap dog but didn't complain or get mad at us that he wasn't. Since we moved out to the Penick's he's smelled like a skunk about 85% of the time. He had a fat butt, a good heart and a penchant for chasing raindrops. I miss the comfort of him sleeping right outside the door to protect us. I miss his smelly snuggles. I miss his incessant licking. I miss the smile on his face. I miss him every morning when he used to greet me after he slept under my car for the night and I'll always wonder why he stayed there that Tuesday morning.

Here's how we said good-bye...

(no idea why this picture is turned!)

Seriously

I'm a broken record and I realize this. Blogging is on the backburner these days. I'm still working at Root and the bakery doing the books. I've finally started taking Cash to a babysitter a couple of days a week. It was hard the first time but OH does it feel good to actually be productive! Not that spending all day with a child can't be productive but trying to give your all to work and your child at the same time feels anti-productive, if that's a word. I know many of my friends have felt this pain. Anyway, Destiny, Lea and I have also jumped (with both feet!) into transitioning the bakery. From the old to the new. From bakery to bakery plus (beer, wine, lunch). From Mike to the three of us. From country blue to turqoise. We have high hopes for revamping the bakery and building the business and we hope to kick off the first phase of our takeover during Octoberfest. Many things have to happen without a hiccup for this to actually take place but we're still hopeful. I had no idea what to expect when we started this but I have to say, it has been a blast so far. I know we have many years to go and lots of hard work ahead of us but spending my days with Lea and Destiny with similar goals in mind, has been fun. The point of this story, is just to convince my readers (if there are any left!) that I've added one more thing to the overflowing "plate". It feels great! Tonight, I've tried to catch up on some posts I started TWO months ago (see Cash's Baptism from May & the Horn Family Reunion from June) and see really how far behind I am. 10 posts behind to be exact. Probably 750 pictures to sort through. But I can do this. One post at a time right?

Cash Hearts Ashley

Cash truly loves both of his siblings. He's completely mesmerized by the both of them. Maybe it's just that Ashley is more capable with him but his awe reaches a higher level with her. Unless he's starving, he reaches for her before me in many cases. Don't worry because I LOVE IT! They're so happy together and she is a fabulous babysitter.