Well, so much for keeping up with this. I'll keep this short as to keep from promising or exposing too much :) Life is good, but a few things have changed since our last post. We are no longer pursuing our DFWMX endeavor, we are just trying to weather out the economic roller coaster and come out on top on the other side :) I am back at Houston's waiting tables and Derek is still doing consulting for the power sports industry. Ryder will be 2 in February and Presley is nearly half way through his first year of school in Pre-K at Firewheel Christian Acadamy in Garland. He loves it and I honestly think it is one of the best decisions we have made for him yet. Here are a few pics, enjoy!

This week...

Here we go, on another week! We are so busy that I am starting to understand what the term 90-miles per minute feels like... :) I am starting to realize that this site can be quite therapeutic so hopefully there will be more updates!

I have been pretty busy this week trying to tie up loose ends with the website. We actually have our first public event this weekend at one of the largest local races of the year. The purse for this race is $10,000! Needless to say this even should turn out some serious crowds with the increased number of riders. I am very excited (and sometimes slightly petrified) about this event, but I am prayerful that it is not in my hands. I received some very sound advice from a friend and mentor tonight, essentially reminding me that all things are beyond my reach from the beginning, they never were under my control and to worry about them does nothing. God intends for us to experience His peace despite the "storms." I know that I am by no means experiencing the traditional storm but it still seems that I get confused sometimes when life is literally moving so fast and we seem to be so committed to all of these different directions. :) I digress. Most importantly, I mean to explain that God is good. We, I, have been so blessed this week to find myself blessed with not only one child but two healthy children and a husband whom I truly adore and whom amazes me daily. I find myself wondering how he can be so calm at times, but I then find the biggest most amazing blessing, that my husband, is doing what he is supposed to be doing, he is leading us. I could not be happier. :)

Here comes October

Well, here comes another October. This, to me, means that I am in need of some new holiday recipes and should start spreadsheeting christmas gift lists and christmas budgets. :) Seems like as soon as they put the costumes out for sale in the stores, I am hanging stockings from the mantle and watching the dvd special of The Christmas Story on constant re-run.
Whew, well, here is a short update on the Sanders family 101-
Ryder and Presley are officially gunning for the position of cutest kids in the world... :) Ha, I gladly accept all responses defending their children's title, and humbly accept that my perspective is jaded.
Derek is busy with not only the consulting but also the website. Check it out and send any critical or complimentary comments. But, most of all, please PRAY, for it's sucess and the loss of ourselves in it. I find that the most awesome thing about this project tends to be the moments that I am struck dumb and speechless with humility when I realize in the moment, that God has chosen to use someone so unworthy to share the truth about Him. I always tell Derek that, regardless of the sucess of the business, even if it fails tomorrow, we have been privy to the Lord's will in many people's lifes. Not privy in any other way but that we got to see it, and that is an awesome feeling.


This last week we went to the fair and Presley rode the ferris wheel and was entertained by the parade and dog show. Ryder, well, Ryder just survived it :) He got bitten on the tip of his left ear the night before we went and it swelled up so large that I rushed him to the pediatrician and found out that it was a simple mosquito bite in an ugly spot. Poor guy was fine with some benadryl but had a very deformed ear for all of the pics. It most definitley gave us a sense of gratitude so deep, realizing that we have two healthy children, even to the point of physical deformities. His ear healed and life goes on, and for that, once again, we realize we are emmensley blessed.

I hope everyone is well!

Catching our breath.... I think :)

     Well, I am attempting to start over with the blog. The last attempt to keep this site going did not sustain it's self (technology-smechmology, doesn't even auto update based on the time-space continuem of my family) :) 

This last month has been a whirlwind for us! Between the website and becoming more and more involved with our church, it seems we never stop. We launched the website www.dfwmx.com on the 22nd of September. We are praying that it grows to be a success, first for the Lord, and then for our family. 

Let's see... I'll start with Ryder, he is now 19 mos. and showing signs of being a future thrill junkie. ;) He is still often found trying to sneak out to the garage to get on his brother's dirt bike. He has 8 teeth and 2 more right under the gums. He is talking some but still signing quite a bit, as well as making up his own language. I try to work on pronunciation with him as much as possible. He is also the natural social butterfly of the family, winning most people over in less than a minute. :) 

Presley is still our super cross champion, racing in yet another series currently. However, he is learning some hard lessons here at the school of hard knocks, he has had to miss the first two races of the season due to not eating dinner and misbehaving..... (For those of you who are saying this is a bad idea, we are just trying to figure it out as we go and pray for the right direction as parents). Presley is in his first semester of Pre-K at a private christian school in Sachse, which is about 8 miles from door to door. He loves going and is also a big fan of his teacher Mrs. Key. He has told me the names of his friends and is learning spanish and sign language, even coming home and telling me what he learned! He is such an amazing boy, turning into a young man more and more each day. 

        Derek and I are working on the website every day, and Derek is also still doing consulting for the power sports industry. We both were baptized on sunday the 21st of september, and were supported by many of our friends and family. We are so blessed!

I am dileriously tired I can not seem to make too much sense so I will go ahead and end this post :) Here are some recent pics! Take Care

Sanders Family Vacation 2007

We just returned from our first family vacation yesterday... It was awesome! We went to Arkansas to visit friends and enjoy the outdoors. We got to enjoy the lake on monday thanks to a generous friend of our friends who owned a boat. Two years of no wakeboarding and Derek got out there and ripped it up like usual. Presley actually got on the surfboard behind the boat with Derek and myself and surfed between our legs. Crazy! We got home and have been plotting our plan of aqquring a boat of our own because it is just so fulfilling for us. We'll see. :) We did have an amazing time and were sad to leave our friends Amber and Greg and family behind but work and life doesnt stay on hold too long even for vacation.

(Lake pics from top: Derek and Presley on surfboard (2); Presley and I; Mindy trying to carve the wake; the Hyperlite advertisement were going to try to sell to them; the beautiful sunset and glass water from the lake;Presley giving Dad a kiss; )

We also got to enjoy an evening of mexican food with Amber, Greg, and Carolyn without the kids. Thanks again, to another very generous person from their church who watched all 5 of the kids....brave soul dont you think?

Greg is a firefighter in Benton AR so a trip to the firestation was definatley in order. We had to bribe Presley with a sucker to put on the fire gear and pose for a few pics. Eli (Amber & Greg's youngest) was the perfect tour guide for showing Presley around the fire house. They played until it was time to get on the road to head back to Houston. We said our goodbyes and had actually a pretty nice drive, long, but nice. Hope all is well!