I've really been MIA here lately! It's been over a month since my last post. Time just continues to fly by. So let me catch you up:

Leven: He is done with track and pretty much everything else for this school year. He will start working on volleyball for next year. He usually has several volleyball camps this summer and he opens the gym up for the ones that want to lift weights and play volleyball together. His 40th birthday is coming up next month and I'm taking him to Las Vegas! We are so excited for this trip. We have our family and friends going as well.

Trever: Trever is now finished with his junior year of sports! His baseball team won the first round of playoffs but fell short this past Saturday against Waxahatchie for Area. This time next year they should be unstoppable! The whole team is coming back except for 3 seniors. And they will have a new coach!! Next on Trever's agenda...a job! He has his choir pop concert this Friday. He is singing another solo this year. Will post video next week!

Taydem: Taydem has had a lot going on with her this past month. She graduated from Pre-K this past Saturday! I never thought I would be the one to get all teary eyed, but my gosh. How I'm I suppose to make it 18 more years of this stuff?? Her Preschool did such a good job with graduation. I was so proud of her. She starts Kindergarten next year. We went and signed up last week. Another dang milestone!

She loves her Aunt Dain



Her Papa and Nana

We found out a little over a month ago that Taydem will also need hearing aids. I say "also" because her Bubba has them as well. Trever got his hearing aids around the age of 2.  I have always worried about her ears since she first started having ear infections. She had 7 before she turned 1. They finally put her first set of tubes in her ears at the age of 15 months.  Those soon fell out (they were actually stuck in her ear canal, lord knows exactly how long) and she got a second pair of tubes last March (age 3).  Around January, I started noticing her reading my lips more and asking me to repeat everything we said to her. Lots of "huhs", "what did you say," "I didn't hear you Momma." I took her to see her ENT and he found that her left tube had fallen out and was stuck in her ear canal once again. Her ear canals are smaller than most he said.  So the right tube is still in place doing its job. So I took her back to the Audiologist to have her tested. The entire time I sat there watching my poor child repeat after him and not even coming close to what he was really saying just broke my heart. I knew right away that she wasn't hearing clearly. She has moderate hearing loss. This does not mean she's deaf or is even close to being deaf. It simply means that she has a hard time hearing certain sounds and more importantly what is said to her.  Everything she hears is muffled. This is why she doesn't sing songs well. She is always on the right key, but makes up her own words. Words + music doesn't go well with her. With her starting school in August, it's a must to get her wearing the hearing aids. She is super smart and I don't want her to fall behind in school bc she can't hear what the teacher is teaching. I left that day crying all the way home (I had my sun glasses on so Tay wouldn't see me!). You want your children to be perfect in every way. I don't want her to go through life being picked on, and asking herself, "why me?" Right now she is exctied about the hearing aids, bc her Bubba wears them. But 10 years from now she will probably hate them. Trever is a super young man and a class act compared to other 17 year olds. And I know one of the main reasons for this is because of those hearing aids. Leven and Trever's mom have done an outstanding job with Trever. They never felt sorry for him or treated him any different. And Leven will have to help me with all this. Trever told me that at least Taydem has LONG hair. I had to smile at this and agree with him. We got fitted last week for the hearing aids and they should be here next week. I keep telling myself....it could be worse Devin. Taydem is beautiful in every way possible and I'm so lucky she's mine.

He was creating her ear piece with this pink mold!

Devin: I feel like all I've been doing is running around crazy being MOM.  I went to buy Trever new clothes today on my lunch break for his choir concent this Friday. Running Taydem back and forth to different doctor appointments (she got a really bad ear infection this past Friday, go figure...and now I'm sick!) I started boot camp back up again last Monday. I got my new friend, Suzy, to tag along with me. It works out great. I pick up her every morning so it's a must that I get up! We went all 5 days last week. I didn't make it this morning bc I didn't feel good so I will go tonight. Gotta get this body ready for Vegas! I am still loving my job. A couple of weeks ago we went to the Texas Ranger's baseball game. My company has season tickets! We had a blast. Danin and Eric also came along with us.

Blue it is

Last Friday, us four headed up to Dallas to watch the Mavericks play a little basketball. Our good friends, Bo and Courtney had some tickets for us and we jumped on it. We had a BLAST! On the way I begged and begged Leven to pull over on the side of the road so we could take some pictures in the bluebonnets. FINALLY, he pulled over and we got some really good ones.

Always ready to pose!

We got to the game early so we could watch the the athletes shoot around before the game. My brother Dustin and his two boys, Aidan and Ashby were also at the game. They were celebrating Ashby's 6th birthday. We got to sit in the best seats possible, in the fan section! We were right next to the drums and Taydem seriously danced the entire night. By the end of the night we found our way in our friends Brandi and Matt's suite and finished the game hanging with their crew. Loads of fun for the Barker's that night!

In suite!

Suite!

I am in love with the new television show SMASH! Just saying....

Last Friday Paul (one of my co workers) and I headed over to the airport to welcome Cliff's son, Dustin. Cliff use to work with Paul and I and his son is a fighter pilot for the U.S. Navy. Dustin lives in Virginia but had been out in Las Vegas for training. He was going to make a stop in Longview to refuel and see his parents. He hadn't seen them since Christmas! So Paul and I jumped all over this invitation and headed out there. It was so neat watching them come in. Those jets are LOUD! And are much bigger than I imagined. I know his parents are proud of him!

Another pilot flew in with him. He was headed to Florida.

Taydem's Pre-K spring pictures turned out so great! This little girl is a natural with the camera and is just beautiful! Such a blessing in my life!

This past weekend I finished up my club volleyball season. I will miss coaching these girls, but boy I'm I glad it's over. I am getting old I guess! I just have way too much going on these days and this season I was wore out. We ended up winning the bronze bracket and we all felt good ending the season. These girls improved sooooo much since the first practice. I can't wait to watch them play for Pine Tree next year!

It's a ZOO in there!

We took ALL the kids (except Trever!) to the zoo this past weekend. And we all had a good time. The weather was beyond perfect. The Caldwell Zoo is located in Tyler, which is only about 40 miles from us (if that). And I think the last time I went I was around 13! I can't believe it has taken me this long to revisit. It's not too big but not too small either. And the flowers around the property were beautiful! Taydem had a blast! I was so mad at myself for not bringing my nicer camera. But at the time I didn't feel like carrying it around. So, instead I had to use my iphone.

Trever is STILL kicking some butt in baseball! They beat Hallsville last night. It's been since 2008 since Pine Tree beat their rivals in baseball. Proud of those boys and even more proud of Trever! Here's the newspaper article:
http://www.news-journal.com/sports/high_schools/pine-tree-snaps-long-losing-streak-vs-bobcats/article_cf16fe5f-78a0-55d8-b1c7-ed13d0d67b48.html

My blogging is getting worse and worse! SORRY! I just never feel that I'm much in front of a computer anymore and when I am, I am stuck working! So let me catch up...
Leven is still busy with track season. Trever is still doing well with baseball. I believe he's still leading the team with RBI's and batting average! Go TREVER! Taydem is a girlie girl! She wants to wear a dress to school EVERY DAY! It wears me out. I guess I just need to only buy dresses from now on. She's just so grown up and so caring. So dang sweet! How did we ever get so lucky? I am almost finished with club volleyball. My last tournament is next weekend and then I will be able to slow down some. Tomorrow we are going to the ZOO! I will have pics next week to show you.

This picture was on the newspaper's website

Last weekend, Leven and I went to Shreveport with another couple for the night. We started off at Superior Bar & Grill and ended up at the casino. Leven and I did bad...in other words LOST OUR BUTTS! But Paul and Stephanie hit it big...on SLOTS! We never play slots. Even though we came home broke, we still had a good time.

We decided to spend the night in Shreveport that night so Taydem ended up staying with Nikki (she plays on my volleyball club team) and her mom, Babette! Nikki and Babette love Taydem and would probably adopt her if we let them. And Taydem loves them! She's already asking me when Taydem can stay the night again! Such sweet people. Here are some pictures that Babette took of Taydem and Nikki that night and was texting them to me so I wouldn't worry much!

And while we were having fun in Shreveport and Taydem having fun with Nikki, Trever went to Waco to watch Baylor play Texas Tech in baseball! He got to see Bailey and Melissa too!! Bailey and Trever were the bestest of friends while we were in Mexia. And Bailey, her mom Melissa and her sister Kendle were such good friends to Leven and Trever. Kendle played volleyball for Leven before we moved to Longview. We love and miss this sweet family bunches.

And this is how we ended last weekend:

Poor thing and his allergies!!

Working out is about to wear me out! I started bootcamp back in January and I'm pretty much already burned out from it. Vegas is in June, but I need a break.  Next week is my last week so I'm think I'm going to take a break and start back up in May. Ugh....

Leven took off to Mexia yesterday and Trever went to visit his mom. Taydem and I have the house to ourselves for a couple of days! Can you see me smiling??

So last night we headed to Tatum to eat burgers at Dustin and Molly's house and celebrate Darin's birthday. I love these times we spend together. I have said it over and over. We are so blessed to be right around the corner from one another. I love seeing Taydem play with all her cousins. I actually got all of them together for a quick picture.

Later on I took a few pictures of Taydem and Austyn. Austyn loves her big cousin Taydem and does everything she does.

Trever is still doing really well in baseball. As of Tuesday he was leading the team with the highest batting average. His playing first base and has made some incrediable saves. Very proud of him!

Taydem has her Pre-K graduation in May! OMG. I've been getting information about it and I can't believe it. She's so grown. She has to say a couple of sentences for part of the graduation. I guess they are putting together a little program for us. So we've been practicing.  ALOT

My sweet bundle!

Taydem and the Bride!