It's Friday, FINALLY!
Being back at school has actually been extremely relieving! It's great to get back into the sync of things, even if I am tired. All of my grades look really good right now and I've had a fantastic week (besides being completely annoyed by the unfair enforcement of our school dress code, but that's a story for another day). We've been reviewing all week and I am remembering everything really well, so I feel extremely positive for my semester finals next week!
The Estacado Bulldogs A Team is undefeated, but the B Team lost to Westover Thursday. I'm pretty sure our girl are undefeated, too, but I haven't payed as much attention to that.

I got my new retainers this week! I am really working hard on this, and hopefully I will be able to have Cosmetic Gum Surgery and get my teeth bleached so that my smile will be at its best!

Aspen is doing fantastic! We recieved a package in the mail today addressed to her. It was a get well package my Great Aunt Mary. It had four toys (two for Aspen and two for Coco), Milk Bones, Beef Jerky Treats, and Snausages. They're definitely enjoying it and Aspen is doing so well!! (:

This week has been relatively uneventful, and I feel so boring. I guess an event for this weekend is momma's shower, but nothing else, really!
I hope everyone has a super safe and fun weekend and RELAXING weekend with their family!!
God Bless!!
-Nate

Aspen is doing so well. She's been resting a whole lot, but she is also energetic when she's not lying down. She has bursts of energy and is doing really well. She's breathing a whole lot better and she is improving little by little each and every day. Thank you to those who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers and keep it up because it's really helping!! I'm gonna post some pics of Aspen now.

Getting ready to go outside! "Let me out!!"

She acts like SHE owns US. Spoiled rotten!!

Today was the first day back to school. Man, was I not ready, but we had to. I actually had a fairly good day and it feels good to get back into the sync of things. I have semester finals next week and than a three day weekend - something to definitely look forward to!! I was very proud to find out I only missed six questions on my math benchmark and most were just silly mistakes. It was one of the easiest math tests I've taken and my math teacher told me it was a Release TAKS test, which made me feel sooooo great and positive!!
I had a very awesome day today and am looking forward to an awesome week!

Hope everyone else has a great week!! God Bless!!

Most all of you know that this week we lost a very important person in our family. We lost my baby Haley Nicole on Wednesday night. The wind was very strong and blew open one of our gates. All of our dogs (except KoKo) got out and roamed. Jasmine and Fluffy came back almost as soon as I started looking and I got them put up in the fence.
Daddy called me when I was halfway down the street and told me not to go where he was. I looked up and saw his truck and something lying in front of it and I knew one of our girls had gotten hit. I instantly called one of my friends and I just needed someone to talk to.
It wasn't until Daddy pulled up that I knew who it was. As he walked closer, the light from the porch showed Aspen in his arms. I lost it. I started screaming and I really didn't know what I was going to do. I had to calm down, though, because I had to take Aspen in. After getting her in I called Maranda again and she prayed with me and I was on the phone when Momma got home and Daddy told her. We had to calm her down.
Jacob brought Aspen down from upstairs and she was not in good condition. She was limp and there was blood on her beard and around her eye. At first we thought it was just shock and her licking Haley, but once my Nana got to the house, she wouldn't even stand up on her own. I called my youth minister and he prayed with me and mom and dad headed off to Lubbock.
My Nana and Aunt Debbie found a vet and they got Aspen to the vet.
In the meantime, my Nana randomly started working on a decipher puzzle in the paper. This was something she rarely did, but for some reason she kept on doing it.
After an hour, she decoded the phrase "The world is round, and the place which may seem like the may also be only the beginning" - Ivy Baker Priest. She explained to Jacob what it meant, and it really hit home.
Mom called not long after and told us Aspen was being given oxygen and that she was bleeding near her lungs. We all had a talk that night and mom and dad didn't get much sleep before they picked up Aspen and took her to Dr. Long. My Papa took my baby to Dr. Long for him to do whatever with her. Dr. Long told us Aspen had an air pocket in her chest and it needed to be tapped and he would put a catheter in it to drain the air.

Aspen is home now and is laying right here next to me, dozing. It has been and is going to be very hard to move on from Haley's death. She was my baby. She was pretty much attached to me and now she's gone. I didn't even get a very good look at her before she left us - the last thing I said to her was "go eat." I didn't even say her name.
Momma says I have to let go and move on but I really don't want to. I know it's time that I do but it's sooo hard. She was my dog and I will always remember her.

Having Aspen home, though, is making it better. She was happy to be home and everyone is happy she is home. She was running around but now she needs her rest.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers because we are still having a rough time.

This summer has just been GO GO GO GO GO!
Man. It's nice to be able to finally rest!

Expo was a GREAT experience! It was a busy and tiring week, but it was also very fun and enjoyable. I did a lot, and my mom and I made some really good friends. I didn't get any call backs, but Jami Ferrar Agency said that they couldn't really sign me here in Texas and if I was ever out in Los Angeles to look them up. I also got first runner up in Monologue Auditions and got a trophy! :)

It felt SO good to be home after that week, and in that week we all got a BIG surprise! Mom told us she's pregnant! It took a little while for us to warm up to the idea of having another little one in the family, but of course we're VERY excited! We're all, with the exception of my dad, hoping for a girl, and I think mom and dad have agreed on a girl name, but we'll keep that quiet for now! ;)

Pretty soon, it was time to head off to South Padre Island!! Everyone was very excited to get on the road and get away from Plainview for a week! We stopped off the first night in San Antonio and went to The River Walk. It was very cool, and I had a lot of fun! We stayed in San Antonio over night than headed out to South Padre the next day. The first day and second day's weather was not wonderful, but the rest of the weekend was beautiful, and I think my mom and dad along with everyone else had a really good time!

Edited picture of mom & dad out in the water

Front, left, and right views of the beach from our condo

Dad, Jacob, and I on the beach the first day

Debbie and Brandon relaxing on the beach

Roxanne posing on the beach

Mom and Jacob in the Gulf of Mexico

Mom and Danielle going into the water

Rosie putting her feet in the Gulf of Mexico

Rosie and Danielle on the beach

Roxanne and Chris easing their way into the water

Nana enjoying the refreshing water

Debbie and Brandon before going out for their anniversary! A year already!!

Nana and Dad joking around outside of the condo

We're finally home and it's relaxation time! Mom's been taking it easy due to the pregnancy, and we're all trying to help her get along. She's been getting sick so we're just praying that she stays healthy and feeling good for the rest of the pregnancy! I'm taking it slow, chilling out all day and just enjoying the remainder of the summer!

With Brandi, Shay, Addie, and Emerson leaving Plainview, we're going to miss them GREATLY but we'll visit lots with them, and it will all be good!!

Everyone enjoy their summer while they can - it's almost over (:

Heyy!!

WHOO.
I am finally finished with the seventh grade! (:
The Summer of Oh Eight is, a.k.a the best summer of my life!, is in the making!! This summer is going to be extremely eventful!
There's going to be a Nascar Tour and Baseball game I'm going to with my dad and the church, which sounds like it will be super fun!
Following that is my MB Expo in Dallas! That's going to be extremely fun, and who knows what will come out of it!
Then my parents go to Coaches Outreach.
And them, PADRE!!
That's going to be extremely fun. Sitting in the sand with a good Stephen King novel at my side, and of course swimming (: I'm pumped. I cannot wait!!
I'm also helping out with VBS at church!!

Also, we're all settled in the new house. It's amazing!! The dogs and cat LOVE the staircase. I love the backyard(s). I'm so happy.

I'm so glad to be moved in and at the new house!! The house looks really good, and it's SO BIG!! I've had some really cool stuff happen since I last posted.

First, I went to my photo shoot, and it went GREAT. My pictures turned out really good && I'm really excited to see how good they turned out.

Secondly, I went to Caprock Canyon State Park last Friday with my school for out school field trip! It was REAL fun, but, as usual, some people had to ruin it. A bunch of kids signed up for the rest area with Ms. Greer and some kids tagged the benches with "CKG"(crip killing gangster). It really made me mad. Why do kids have to ruin things like that?! I find it so ridiculous and immature. Honestly, what's the fascination with being in a gang?? I don't know. Some people...

Anyways, tomorrow is the big awards assembly, team cookout, annual signing AND the last dance!! I'm really excited!! :]

What a relief! I'm done with TAKS!! School's not quite over, but getting those tests that seem to sit on your chest towards the end of the year over with feels nice! Testing, unfortunately, is not over for me! I've got Algebra Placement tests in a few weeks, and I'm pretty nervous about that. I don't have much confidence in myself, and I don't think I'll make it into algebra classes, but I'm still gonna give it 100%!
Speaking of tests, word came in that myself and two of my other classmates' ACT scores were in the top 15% in the state of Texas! I'm so excited about this! I'm definitely hoping I'll be able to go to the awards cememony in Dallas! If not, I'll totally understand, but going to the ceremony would be SUPERAWESOME.

Sheesh. Only two more days left in this week! I'm exhausted! For some reason, TAKS tests always wear me out! We're starting spring football in athletics, but we're all having to play offense, and I want to change to defense! Other than that, everything is going smoothly. News on the house is POSITIVE, and the only thing is that my dad broke a bone in his foot, so he won't be doing much packing! Hopefully we'll be closing on the house next week.

Well, I think that's it!
Night everyone!!

P.S. 4 MORE WEEKS UNTIL SCHOOL ENDS!!