Faith, Family, & Friendships

New Blog!

2012-01-12T20:09:00.001-08:00

I am so excited to be blogging again! You can read about our family at our new blog site: http://sullivanwims.blogspot.com

Blessing From Southeast

2011-05-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, at the end of both services, our church family gave us a blessing...wishing us well as we begin this new chapter. It was so comforting to hear Scott's prayer for our family as we embark on this new period in our life. We have been so richly blessed by the amazing church family at Southeast...they have taught me what it truly means to love others as Jesus loves us. I am a better person having been a part of this family for the past ten years.

Good-Bye Party + Zeke's Half-Birthday

2011-05-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon our sweet life group hosted a "Good-Bye" Party for Zeke & Kaelyn. And, because Zeke's half-birthday is quickly approaching, we decided to go ahead and throw in a quick celebration for him while we still shared the same zip code as all his close buddies. The afternoon was filled with water slides, water guns, spriklers and lots of laughs. The kids had a great time, and even after 5 hours of play they insisted they were not ready to go home yet.

Special thanks to the Saldua's for hosting! And thank you Shoup's, Broussard's, Price's, Conrad's, Kathryn, Kornegay's, Fyffe's & Boudra's for throwing us such a fun party. We had a really great time.

So excited...could not wait to break into those gifts!
The sweet friends were just as excited as Zeke was. Their "oohs" and "aahs" at every opening were hysterical.

Bachelorette Party

2011-05-16T05:52:00.000-07:00

My sweet friends threw a Bachelorette party for me this past Friday evening. We gathered at Reecie and Matt's home in the Heights for dinner, drinks and dessert (Crave cupcakes....my absolute favorite!) The girls even hired a masseuse to come and give everyone a massage that night. It was W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!

Reecie ordered cheese balls shaped as "love birds" and...

...a wedding cake topper.

And....somehow I managed to let Noelle and Kathryn get away without being in a picture!

Thank you ladies for planning such a special night of girl time for me. It was so much fun!!!

Vacation Weekend At Galveston

2011-05-12T07:19:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago Brady & I took the kids to Galveston for the weekend. We met up with Angie & Josh and stayed with them in their amazing camper trailer. The kids had a tremendous time swimming and playing at the beach. Ok, Chloe tolerated it...she wasn't really happy about the scratchy seaweed or the dirty sand, but she managed. K & Zeke had a blast playing with Callie and Ansley. It was so much fun!

I would love to know what message Chloe was trying to send across to Brady in this picture. She looks so very pensive.

On Friday night Angie brought out glow sand to decorate pictures with. I have never seen anything like it. Of course the kids went straight from the artwork to rubbing it all over their bodies.

Zeke's Field Day

2011-05-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Zeke had his 1st Grade Field Day last week at the Deer Park 9th Grade football field. While Zeke was not awarded 1st place for his wind sprints, being the biggest child in 1st grade does have its advantages. One of those is you are likely to be chosen as the "extra" on not only
ONE

Or TWO

But THREE different classes for the "Tug-Of-War" contest.

I know that Zeke's daddy would be so proud. Because if it's one thing Brad Wims did well it was using his body size to his advantage. (Right Shoup? Maybe you witnessed that in a couple of pool basketball games?)

Zeke and his fabulously-amazing teacher, Ms. Perry. Don't know how we would have survived 1st grade without this great woman.

Komen Race In San Antonio

2011-05-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

K's Trip to the Dentist

2011-05-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

Kaelyn took her first trip to the dentist this past week....I know, I know...we are quite behind for our "1st" trip...better late than never, right? She was absolutely giddy about going in. I've never seen a child so excited about getting her teeth cleaned. The dentist said her teeth looked perfect...whew! Kaelyn told me as we were leaving that she couldn't wait to go back! HA!

Contagious Laughter

2011-05-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Zeke was making Chloe laugh so hard one day that I had to pull over and stop driving. I was far too distracted by all their cuteness to drive. Watching their sweet interactions have been such a joy to witness.

Easter Weekend At The Lake House

2011-05-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

We drove to Marble Falls for Easter weekend to spend time with Linda, Clive, Matt, Reecie, Mom, Dad & The Domitrovich's. The lake is so peaceful and relaxing...it was such a nice time. Zeke's favorite past time was jumping off the roof of the boat house....he must have jumped 50 times. Kaelyn & Chloe really enjoyed the water and the swings in front of Keith & Lisa's house.

Do you think the girls are done at this point with pictures?

We really enjoyed spending time with Jessica & Chris. Thank you Domitrovich family for coming all the way from North Dakota to see us! You are such a beautiful family and I look forward to spending more time with you in the future!

Chloe's first time to hunt the Easter eggs...

Our House is SOLD!!!

2011-04-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

HOORAY!!! We are so excited to announce that our home in Deer Park was sold last Tuesday. We are THRILLED to have this behind us...including my parents, who have been helping me work on the house EVERY DAY since we first prepared to list. We received 3 contracts on the house in the same weekend after 9 days on the MLS...ended up selling it "by owner" for more than our asking price. We are so thankful for this tremendous blessing.

Thank you so much to Mom, Dad, Nonnie, Granddad, Lisa, Valerie, Larry, Erik, Tim, Tom, & Tom's Deer Park HS Football team who helped us pack, carry, and load our entire house onto a moving truck. Without these wonderful people I feel certain that I would still be in the house packing right now.

Uncle Matty wasn't too pleased with the news because it means we are that much closer to moving away from him.

A Trip to the Duchman Family Winery

2011-04-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend I drove to San Antonio to join Brady for a leadership meeting with some of the other couples from work. I had never been to a winery before so it was very exciting and the grounds were absolutely beautiful. It was also fun to have the opportunity to spend time with all of his friends from his squadron...they are wonderful people.

Sweet Cousins

2011-04-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

I just love this picture. The kids and I stopped by Cypress on the way back from San Antonio to attend Macie's 2nd birthday party. We managed to get a bit lost on the way soooo we missed quite a bit of the celebration. It turned out just fine though because we got a chance to create our own secondary party without the distraction of all the other guests. The kids acted like they hadn't seen each other in years and gave each other BIG hugs before we left. Callie told Zeke as we were leaving, "I just hate it when you have to leave Zeke!" They just love each other so much...it is so very sweet.

Happy Birthday Mr. Brady!

2011-04-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

A sweet treat from Angie & Josh! YUM!

The kids and I went to San Antonio this weekend to celebrate Brady's 30th Birthday. While we were there we also had the opportunity to attend the squadron Easter egg hunt with all the children. The kids had a GREAT time and Chloe was IN LOVE with the Easter bunny. She cried once the bunny had to go home. It was so sweet.

My home is FOR SALE!

2011-03-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

I am selling my home if anyone is in need of a GREAT house in Deer Park! I thought I would share my listing with my blogging community in case you knew of someone in need of a fabulous house.

This is the brand-new park that just opened and is only one block from my home!

Beautiful, traditional style home located in the desirable Deer Park Independent School District. This wonderful home features beautiful pergo & tile flooring, crown molding, and a newly-remodeled kitchen complete with slab granite countertops, stone backsplash, cooking island and new appliances. This home is loaded with character and also features a wonderful layout, wired for sound in living room and master, and gorgeous fireplace. There is also a spacious yard, covered porch, and lovely pool for entertaining.

For more information, call Jenifer Wims
Direct: 832-661-1651

Property Profile
MLS:244424

Living Room: 17 x 17
Den: 17 x 21
Dining Room: 15 x 12
Kitchen: 11x 18
Master Bedroom: 14 x 16
Second Bedroom: 12 x 12
Third Bedroom: 13 x 15
Guest Bathroom: 12 x 7
Square Feet: 2559 per appraisal
Garage, Work Room, & Outdoor Bath: 800 sq ft
Bedrooms/Baths: 3/2 (additional full bath attached to garage)

Schools: DPISD

Exterior: Brick
Garage: 2-Car Detached
Fireplace: Gas
Pool: Salt Water System

Price: $169,000
Financial Information: Cash Sale, Conventional

Memories I Don't Want To Forget...

2011-03-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

1. Several months ago Zeke and I were having a discussion about the plans in our near future. Zeke said, "Mom, if you and Mr. Brady get married then Chloe will be my baby sister."
J: That's right Zeke
Z: Then it will be even 3 to 3
J: What do you mean?
Z: You know, it will be you, Kaelyn and Chloe, then me, Mr. Brady, & Bucky
J: Oh...I see. Well then, we don't need to have any more babies...because it is even 3:3
Z: Oh no...you have to have another boy because there are GIRLS EVERYWHERE!

A few moments later...
Z: When "we" get married then we will get to travel all over the world. We will get to go to Sea World, Disney World and even the North Pole to see Santa! And when we are married, Mr. Brad will be my new daddy and I will call him "Dad."
(so sweet)

2. The next day at dinner. Zeke turns to his sister...
Z: Guess what! Mr. Brady & Mommy are going to get married and he will be our new daddy.
K: YAY...a DADDY!!!
Z: and Chloe will be our new sister!
K: HOORAY...a new "ST-ISTER!"
Z: And after that we will move to San Antonio.
K: I LOVE SAN ANTONIO!!!

3. On the way home from school one afternoon Kaelyn asked me...
K: Mommy, are we getting married this weekend?
J: No, we aren't getting married for a few more months.
K: But I want my new daddy NOW!!!
J: What are you going to do with him once you have him?
K: I will put him to bed, feed him dinner and he will go to sleep...no, first he will brush his teeth and then he will go to sleep.

At first I thought, that is really weird but then I quickly realized that those are the memories she has of her daddy because Brad was already sick when she was born. All of her memory life has him in our room, in bed. It is amazing to see what her little mind is thinking about and to hear about her life from her perspective.

A Visit to SA with Trish & Austin

2011-02-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

The kids and I went to San Antonio last weekend to meet up with my friend Trish and her son Austin. Trish & I became close over the last few years when our husbands were diagnosed with the same rare type of cancer, chondrosarcoma. In September I flew up to Minnosota to visit her and to climb her state high point. It was at that time we planned for her to come and visit me in Texas in February.

We toured many of the typical San Antonio tourist hot spots...we went to the Riverwalk, we stopped by the Alamo, we went to the Ripley's Museum, we had ice cream at Marble Slab, we drove to the Natural Bridge Caverns Nature Reserve, ate some yummy Texas BBQ and we played outdoors so that she and Austin could soak in the the warm Texas weather (a big change from temps in the teens where Trish is from...Burr!)

Kaelyn's Birthday Party

2011-02-26T19:59:00.000-08:00

In order to simplify things this year, instead of hosting another "at-home" party, I decided to host Kaelyn's party at a local gymnastics center. The party turned out to be so easy and so much fun, I don't know if I will ever host another party at home again! ;) The kids seemed to have a great time...even including Uncle Matt who had at much fun on the equipment as all the little kids. And it was neat to see how much Kaelyn enjoyed gymnastics...I may need to enroll her!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T23:56:00.000-08:00

Kaelyn's class had a little Valentine's party at her school today. It was fun to see Kaelyn within that environment amongst all of her peers. She certainly seems to have a wonderful time learning new things with all of her friends.

Two sweet friends

The kids and I decided to email our Valentine message to Chloe & Mr. Brady...

Exciting News...

2011-02-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

Last week Brady & I, along with several of his friends and family members, took a ski trip to Tahoe, California.

We stayed in this beautiful hotel overlooking the lake.

We spent the first day ice skating and watching the Superbowl.

The second day was spent snowboarding at Heavenly.

The third day we drove to Sierra for more snowboarding.

The fourth day we decided to take a snowmobiling adventure into the mountains.

We stopped at a great scenic overlook to take pictures.

We took a group shot.

Then we took some pictures of Jay (Brady's brother) & Therese (sister-in-law).

Then Therese took some of us while Jay took some "panoramic video footage of the view."

At the end of this photo session, Brady asked me to be his wife (yippee!)

We are getting married (yippee!)

We celebrated that night on a riverboat tour of the lake.

The fifth day we skied at Squaw Valley, the home of the 1960 Winter Olympics.

On the sixth day we rested. Every week-long vacation needs a down-day to recover from all the fun!

Words cannot express how excited I am about what lies ahead for our future. God's provision has proved to be so much greater than I would have ever imagined. Brady is such an amazing man and Chloe is such a precious baby. I cannot wait to share my life with him & our 3 children. I am abundantly blessed.

Amidst the excitement, this is the Acapella songs that keeps running through my mind...

More Pictures...

Kaelyn's 4th Birthday!

2011-02-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

My sweet K turned four on Friday. It is impossible to comprehend how she snuck up to that age so quickly, but here we are. She insists, however, that because celebrations were held on her behalf on both Friday and Sunday that she is "actually" 5 years old. She blew out candles twice, so she must have tacked on an extra year both of those times. No matter how much Zeke & I try to explain that those were just celebrations and she is only four....she is unconvinced.

What do I love most about this sweet child?
-she loves to state her mind
-she makes us laugh all the time (even though she says she doesn't want to be funny...completely opposite of her brother who ALWAYS works to make everyone laugh at him)
-she loves to cuddle
-she is a thinker
-she loves animals & is deathly afraid of spiders
-she loves spending time with friends & family
-she loves to be read to
-she is full of expression
-she loves to sing & dance
-she loves to dress up and has a "unique" sense of style
-she loves her mommy and gives the BEST hugs!

My Sweet Neighbor

2011-02-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

My hot water heater has not been working correctly for a week. My sweet neighbor, Mr. BJ came over twice to try to help me fix the problem. We are SO fortunate to have him down the street. He is ALWAYS so willing to help me when I need it.

K decided she would take a look at the problem too so that she could offer some solutions.

Two Incredible Blessings

2011-01-25T05:46:00.000-08:00

Six months after Brad's passing, another family in San Antonio was struck by tragedy in the loss of their wife/mother. For those of you who have closely followed our blog, you may remember a post in September 2009 about the Sullivan family. Sara Sullivan, the wife of Brady, went to be with Jesus on September 22nd, just 2 weeks after giving birth to her first child, Chloe. Their blog information was sent to me through a number of sources asking for prayers and it was at that time I began to follow their story.

In May of last year, God put it on my heart to contact Brady through email. It was at that time that Brady and I began to correspond, offering emotional support to one another. Being that we shared such similar circumstances, it was especially comforting to connect with someone who really understood the challenges, the emotions, and the blessings that come as a result of trials in life. Brady's friendship very quickly became an important source of comfort for me. Being able to speak openly with him about all aspects of loss and knowing that he understood completely was so cathartic and healing.

I believe there is extraordinary strength in first developing a strong friendship that later turns into a relationship. I can truly see God's hand in this. Over the last several months, Brady and I have begun dating. I looked back this week to a personal journal entry from August that read "I am falling for my friend Brady." I had then followed that entry with a list of all the things that I had become so attracted to in him.

Here is that list:
-he is a loving, attentive father
-he has a precious baby
-he is a passionate follower of Christ
-he is stable, predictable, loyal & dependable
-he is very family-oriented
-he is super-handsome :)
-he is patient
-he has order to his life
-he is outgoing, smart, driven, a good provider, & a hard-worker
-he is a strong communicator
-he is an amazing friend
-he has strong integrity & is a man of his word
-he is organized
-he is confident & cute!
-he is others-focused
-he has a kind, warm spirit
-he is a planner
-he is a leader
-he likes me for who I am

Over the last few months, as the kids and I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend lots of time with Brady & Chloe, our connection has grown stronger. God has given me two very special gifts in my life and I am look forward to what the future holds for our two families. His faithfulness is unwavering and He continues to bless me beyond imagination.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass … Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.
Psalm 37:4,7

To read more about The Sullivan Family go to www.bandssullivan.blogspot.com

A Tender Heart

2011-01-25T05:33:00.000-08:00

Zeke has such a tender heart. His thoughtfulness for others and his caring nature continue to amaze me for a child his age. He is especially kind to his sister (most of the time) :)

Sunday morning he woke up and came into my room to tell me, "You know how to make Kaelyn stop crying at night?" My response, "How?" He replied, "You just rub her back for a minute or two and she falls right back asleep." Visualizing him waking up to comfort her in the middle of the night was so sweet.

He then proceeded to take Kaelyn into the kitchen to help get her some breakfast, saying, "Don't worry Mom, I'll make her breakfast." Very often on the weekends Zeke will take care of Kaelyn's needs and allow me to lay in bed for a while in the morning. I love it!

Yesterday evening I was preparing for my weekly Mary Kay Success Meeting and while I was straightening up my office, Zeke decided to organize the rest of the house. He went into his sister's room to clean up all the toys, he picked up clothes out of the bathroom, straightened his own room, my room, and even the den. There may not be a quicker way to a mommy's heart than a child who willingly cleans up! I didn't even ask...he just did it on his own accord. This one is a keeper!

Comments from Kaelyn

2011-01-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

Kaelyn has really matured in the last few weeks. It just seemed that she suddenly woke up one morning and became an entire year older....I'm not sure how it happened. She is forever making me laugh.

On the way to church this morning Kaelyn was sitting next to me in the van. Zeke was in the back drawing pictures with markers on some paper that he had brought with him. As he was drawing, he was asking for ideas of what to draw next. I gave him a few ideas: dogs, rainbows, etc. Then I asked him to draw me a picture of our house and our family. Kaelyn made a side comment to herself that I just barely heard, "oh yes, family...I love family." :)

Last week I ordered a formal gown online to wear for the awards ceremony for my Mary Kay seminar. When the gown arrived on our doorstep I took it out of the box and tried it on to see if it fit correctly. The back of the gown had a corset-type tie so, in an attempt to put the dress on myself, I turned it around backwards so that I could lace the corset part up and then turn it around the correct way once it was laced. Once I had laced the back halfway, there was 6-8 inches of my mid-section still showing through the corset. Kaelyn was watching this entire process carefully. She then spoke up to say, "Mommy, that is a really pretty dress...I R-E-A-L-L-Y like your dress." Then she paused, cocked her head to the side, and with a concerned tone she went on to say, "and by the way...your privacy is showing."

The Break In Blogging....

2011-01-16T17:07:00.000-08:00

Between the busiest selling time of the year coupled with the fact that my computer died in early December and was down for 4 weeks, I have been a "bit behind" on my blogging. I am working to play fast catch-up. I think I am now caught up through October...yay me!

There is more to come...

Scrapbooking Retreat

2011-01-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

Several ladies from Southeast drove to the Southwest side of Houston this weekend to attend a scrapbooking retreat. I have had several friends attend these in the past but I had never joined in until this opportunity. I really wanted to work to complete Kaelyn's baby book. While I didn't quite finish the book, I did get A LOT accomplished. It never ceases to amaze me how long it takes to complete one scrapbooking page (or at least how long it seems to take ME). We had such a terrific time...staying in a bed and breakfast, having all our meals prepared for us, staying up late if we wanted, sleeping in late without being woken by small children, catching up with friends.....it was W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!!

Zeke's Seventh Birthday

2010-12-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

My sweet little boy turned seven today. Kaelyn "helped" Nonnie make the cake and all the family came over to help us sing and celebrate. Fun times.

What do I love about this sweet boy?
-his love for life
-his joy
-his excitement
-the way that he draws people to him...he is a MAGNET!
-his enthusiasm for play
-his kind heart
-his sweet spirit
-his empathy for others
-his hugs and affection for his momma!
-his strong character
-his smile

This face says it all...

Happy Birthday Zekey! I love you to pieces!

Kaelyn Comes Face-To-Face with a Poodle

2010-12-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Both of my children have a love for animals that is beyond my comprehension. With this affection, they also have very little respect for animals they do not know. They assume that every dog, cat, horse, or goat is just as friendly as our pet Bucky. It came as no surprise one afternoon that I spoke with Sheyla (our babysitter) to find out that Kaelyn had gotten bitten in the face by a poodle. At first the bite didn't look too bad, but by the following morning, there was so much swelling that I began to get concerned. Mom and I took K in to see the pediatrician and he gave her a strong round of antibiotics for the growing infection. Fortunately, the antibiotics did the job and she healed up pretty quickly...whew.

'Tiny' Little Lillian

2010-12-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

Oh...I got to snuggle this little sugar lump on Sunday and she is SOOO yummy! I can't believe how big she has gotten over the last couple of months! And she looks HUGE against tiny Reecie.

Kaelyn's Big-Girl Haircut

2010-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

I reached my breaking point this week with Kaelyn's hair. Nothing suited her and she was forever pulling out her clips and bows, thus leaving her hair in a disheveled mess. Today I took her in to see my stylist, Angel, so that he could work a miracle on her. I instructed him that we would be taking drastic measures to put her hair into some kind of short style so that when she insisted on wearing it down all down...that it wouldn't end up looking like a long, stringy mess.

As Angel picked up the scissors to start cutting he paused and asked, "is she going to panic once she see all the hair I am cutting off?" I responded, "I don't think so...she has personally cut it MUCH shorter than this before so I can't imagine why this would bother her."

Angel cut on Kaelyn's hair for an entire hour and Kaelyn sat patiently watching and waiting. It was amazing. He even pulled out the straightener to style it. As we were leaving, K asked me if I could "please use that hot thing on her hair tomorrow before school." So funny...such a girl to enjoy all that beauty attention and pampering. HA!

Making Cookies with Aunt Reecie

2010-11-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

This evening the kids and I went into town to have dinner, hang out, and then spend the night with Uncle Matt and Aunt Reecie. This summer we became very spoiled to share great lengths of time with them and we hadn't had an opportunity to spend the night in the Heights for a while so the kids were super-excited! In preparation for the holidays, Aunt Reecie and Kaelyn decided to practicd their cookie-making skills by creating a practice holiday batch. Kaelyn, being the serious sugar connoisseur that she is, was beside herself with excitement. She waited patiently by the over door for minutes at a time waiting for them to be ready for consumption!

A Visit from the Hanna's

2010-11-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Since the Hannas have moved across town to Spring, we don't get to seem them frequently enough! Tonight they came over for dinner and to hang out with our family for a bit. The kids were SOOOOO excited to see each other. Oh how we miss them!

A great game of hide-and-seek...can you believe all three of them fit in there?

Macie decided that I would look better in her bow. Oh, how I love this child. Her passion and love for life is contagious. I could just eat her up!

Superheros

2010-10-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

I know that you will feel safer knowing that in a town, not that far
from your own, 3 superheros are working to fight the evil forces of
this universe.
Happy Halloween!!

Trick-or-Treating

2010-10-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

The kids and I decided to drive to Brittney Bay this year to trick-or-treat with the Shoups and Broussards. We had a huge group of superheros to guide us through the neighborhood...it was tons of fun!

Sweet Sheyla

2010-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

The kids and I are extremely blessed to have our babysitter, Sheyla in our lives this year. Sheyla helps entertain Kaelyn after school two days a week and she also watches both kids 1-2 nights a week for me while I work & play indoor soccer. As an after-school project she brought over mix and icing to make cupcakes....yum! Of course both kids were super-excited to work in the kitchen on the cupcakes. We love you Sheyla and I can't imagine how I would get anything done during the week without you...you are the BEST!!!

Local Reception in Houston

2010-10-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Our First & Last Trip to Dewberry Farms

2010-10-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, October 24th, following church, the Hanna's, the Shoup's, my parents, and Nonnie drove out to the other side of Houston to Dewberry Farms (approximately an hour and 45 mins from my house). When we arrived that afternoon, just after lunch, we realized that we were not the only families that had decided to drive our children to take part in such activities that day. The line to enter into the farm was 150 persons long and there were 1000's of people entering into the farm....wow. The grandparents suddenly realized that they needed to run errands so they headed back to Houston (while Bryan tried to slip into the car with them....not so fast BRYAN!!) Crowded does not begin to describe this exciting experience. Good thing the kids seemed to have fun. :)

Fabulous 50's Day

2010-10-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Both children celebrated a "50's Day" at their schools this year. All of their outfits were so cute and of course they were both excited to have an excuse to dress up in costume for school.

Donuts with (Grand)Dads

2010-10-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

This week at Kaelyn's school, the children celebrated the men in their lives with a special "Donuts with Dads" breakfast. Kaelyn was honored by having 2 of the most important men in her life there as her "dates." My children are so blessed to have the best grandparents that any child could ever hope for.

Crotts Wedding in Carmel, CA

2010-10-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

The kids decided to go ahead and carve their tiny pumpkins a couple of weeks ago. I have never attempted to carve the small ones before and had no idea if this would work well or not...they carved up nicely but they just didn't last long. The kids set them outside on our porch and an animal must have come by in the night because the next morning K's was missing.

I was so impressed with how well they both turned out. Zeke did his completely on his own and he did a terrific job. He really is very creative!

Grandpa's 12th Bombardment Annual Reunion in Fort Worth

2010-10-25T08:30:00.001-07:00

Right the weekend before Matty's wedding Grandpa Crotts flew to Fort Worth for an army reunion with his WWII buddies. Dad joined Grandpa for the entire event while Mom, Zeke, K and I went for Friday and Saturday. It was a perfect opportunity to see Grandpa at his best. He was so excited to be with his friends and to spend time with family. Even Nonnie and Granddad drove over on Saturday to spend some time with him. We had a great time.

Lunch at the Stock Yards.

The luggage cart at the hotel made for a great set of monkey bars for these two monkeys.

Zeke took this picture of Grandpa and I LOVE IT! I am working to turn my son into an in-house photographer! His rates are great in case anyone needs to borrow him. :)

Zeke also took this picture of himself.

Saturday's Komen Race for The Cure

2010-10-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning Kaelyn & I went into Houston to join Brady, Chloe & the rest of Team SaraStrong in the family walk for Houston's Komen Race for the Cure. With little sleep the night before, Kaelyn was not her typical, workout-loving self and insisted on being carried the entire race. But, we made it!

The sheer numbers of people at the race was unbelievable. Being that it has been a number of years since I had participated, I couldn't believe how much the race had grown in the last few years...35,000 in attendance that day.

Kaelyn's favorite part of the race was the baby cockerspaniel that Kristen brought with her. I think "Lady" was the smallest participant we saw there.

The race came complete with PINK porta-pottys....love it!

The Happy Hippo

2010-10-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Kaelyn mimicking the Hippo's roar...pretty good hippo look I thought.

Play Day at the Park

2010-10-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago Zeke, K & I spent the night with Uncle Matt & Reecie. On Saturday morning we woke to find a special celebration at the park just down the road from their house. The kids and I spent several hours enjoying all the exciting free activities they had to offer. The kids had a great time with the moon walk, obstacle course, game booths, the free ice cream, face/hand painting, sumo wrestling, and rock wall climbing. I was especially surprised at how much Kaelyn enjoyed the rock climbing....she was really good at it.

National Night Out

2010-10-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

We hosted National Night out for our block this year. BJ, my across the street neighbor, came over the night before to tie up a HUGE white tent over my driveway for the event. The police came out and set up barracades in front of our house so that the kids could ride their bikes in the street. The fire department even sent a truck over to our house to let the kids get an up-close look. It was a very fun event....thank you BJ for organizing it again!!!

The Little Momma!

2010-10-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Kaelyn came into my office with her baby doll stuck up under her dress. When I asked her why baby was under her dress her response was...
K: My baby was hungry and so she is drinking her milk from me.
J: That is such a good choice...your baby will certainly reap the benefits of health and advanced brain development because you chose to feed her that way.
K: (very matter-of-fact tone) Yeah, I know.
:)HA!
She is certainly growing up to be a great little momma!

Welcome Baby Lillian!

2010-10-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Alli & Brian Vaughn welcomed their new daughter, Lillian Elizabeth on September 23. New babies are so much fun and an exciting reminder of God's amazing plan for his creation. It was such a treat to share in the joy of this new baby with the Vaughn's...we are so excited for them!

Perfection

2010-10-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Kaelyn and Zeke have just recently discovered a "Perfection" game that we have had in the closet for over a year. They have made up their own rules and prefer to load the game with all the pieces and then push down the tray, set the timer, and then watch it POP up and scare them. It cracks me up how much it makes them jump EVERY time.

Boy of Many Talents

2010-10-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

Zeke has discovered that with the use of my shampoo, he can blow some pretty incredible bubbles through his nose. He is quite amuzed by this new-found skill. He can sit in the tub for quite some time entertaining himself with this activity. :)

Reecie's Bachelorette Weekend

2010-10-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Three weekends ago we went to Spicewood, TX to enjoy a Bachelorette weekend in celebration of Reecie's last month of being single. Christie (Reecie's sister) found a beautiful home to rent for the weekend...right off of lake Travis. The home came complete with a workout room, media room, putting green, pool with waterfall that framed the landscape of the lake just behind it.....it was an amazing place. Great company, fantastic food, fun drinks (thanks to Christie who worked non-stop to make sure that we were never thirsty).

And, yes the party was just as much fun as it looks in the pictures...we had a fantastic time!

Sweet Siblings

2010-09-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this past summer, K and Zeke started to sleep together at night. They are both such social sleepers...they much prefer to be next to a buddy than to sleep alone. I came into the bedroom tonight to check on them and found them like this. They are so kind and loving to each other. I pray that their friendship continues to grown through the years and that they are always able to remain close.

Dear Father,

Please watch over Zeke and Kaelyn as they grow. First and foremost Lord, I pray that they continue to seek out an intimate relationship with you. I pray that they remain close friends and that they are able to support each other at each stage of their life. Help them to show others your unconditional love.

Help me Father to guide their hearts. Help me to lead them by example.

Thank you Father for entrusting them to me. I am blessed beyond measure.

Amen

Texans Kick-Off the Season

2010-09-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the first game of the Texan's season, Erik and Valerie invited our family and the Hanna's over for lunch and to stay and watch the game. At the last minute, our host received actual tickets to the game so Erik was not able to partake in our fun. But, the ladies + 7 kids + Bryan held up well on our own.

It was lots of fun to have the opportunity to sit around, catch up and just enjoy one another's company. Thank you Val for hosting us!

Zeke's Writing

2010-09-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Zeke brought these journals home from Kindergarten last year and put them in my hands. It made my heart swell with pride to read them. I am so grateful to see how well Zeke is able to express himself through pictures and writing. He is such an unbelievably sweet, kind, and loving child. I am so proud that God has entrusted me to be his Mommy.
The Mommy Journal
"I like to swim with my mommy."

"I like to sleep with my mommy."

"I like to snuggle with my mommy." And boy does he! This child will drop anything for snuggling or wrestling. I think one of his primary love languages is touch, just like his mommy and daddy!
The Daddy Journal
"I like to wrestle with my daddy."

"My daddy liked to play the Wii with me."

"I like to play basketball with him."

Zeke also wrote journals about Bucky and Granddad...two other very important figures in his life. So sweet.

Trip to Minnesota

2010-09-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

I went to Minnesota last week to meet a friend, Trish for the first time. Trish found our family through my blog almost 3 years ago, just after her husband Dave was diagnosed with the same rare form of cancer as Brad. God sent Trish to me to be a tremendous emotional support during a very difficult time. It was so comforting to be able to share with someone who truly understood our family's experience.

Dave's one year passing anniversary was just 2 weeks ago. Trish and I spent part of last week hiking in the mountains of Northern Minnesota in addition to seeing the highlights along the west coast of Lake Superior. It was a terrific trip...perfect weather, great company, and magnificent sights.

The weather stayed in the mid-50's and 60's for most of our trip. I basically packed one outfit for that kind of weather...so I just wore it a lot...pretty much every day. :)
An old, historic lighthouse at Split Rock. In 1910 this lighthouse was built on a 130 foot sheer cliff. It was built in response to the loss of ships during the famous Mataafa Storm of 1905, in which 29 ships were lost on Lake Superior.

Trish is the tiny grey speck at the top of the falls.

During the hike to the high point, Trish and I spotted a beaver dam. Just a few yards away we found this tree which clearly fell to a beaver's hand (or paw?)

This is a picture of Devil's Kettle Falls in Minnesota's Judge Magney State Park. The falls are known to be very unusual because the section on the right, lands at the base of the falls and continues downstream while the left section vanishes into a pothole known as the Devil's Kettle and no one knows where it goes. It is believed that the water makes its way out to Lake Superior by means of underground passages, but the exact details are unknown. Dyes have been put into the water and logs and other things into the pothole, but apparently nothing ever comes out. I haven't ever really worried about falling over a waterfall, but I felt certain that I didn't want to slip into this one.

The front of the falls at Devil's Kettle.

My rock sculpture. I know, it is pretty difficult to see amongst all the other rocks around me. Just trust me...it was very impressive.

The beach walk along the shoreline of Great Superior. I loved all the small stones that made up the path.

Trish and I were told that we couldn't leave Grand Marais without stopping by the "World's Best Donut Shop." Pretty yummy, I must say.

The view from Gitchi Gummi Trail near Gooseberry Falls.

Lake Superior in the background. I could not get past how incredibly large this body of water is. We were told that Lake Superior holds 10% of the world's fresh water. Isn't that incredible. I thought it was amazing that I could stand on one edge and be unable to see the land on the opposite side...just like the ocean...incredible.

Bagged #7, Minnesota's state high point: Eagle Mountain

The day we climbed brought 50 degree temps, rain, and 40 mph wind gusts. On the way up, Trish & I could hear the sound of snapping trunks and trees falling around us. There were freshly fallen trees all over the path on our descent. I'm not sure that Trish will let me drag her back up another mountain again...she was almost certain one of those birch trees was going to end up on her head.

This is a sign posting the entry to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Trish wasn't especially fond of that particular area due to all the stories she had been told by friends about adventures they had taken into the wilderness. I think she was afraid I was going to drag her into the area and never bring her back to civilization. :)

The start of the trail....we only saw 1 other person on our way up to the top of the mountain, a 65 year-old-man named Chuck. Eagle Mountain was his 4oth peak to reach and he was on his way to bag 4 others this week. It was an unexpected treat to run into someone with so much high-point experience.

My Fitness Buddy

2010-08-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

Kaelyn is the world's greatest fitness enthusiast. While her brother cannot stand to go with me, Kaelyn LOVES going to the gym. She loves the staff, the friends and all that the kid watch program has to offer. She gets SO excited when I tell her that we are going...it is really cute.

Today when I picked her up from school in my gym clothes she asked me, "Momma, did you run here to pick me up?" I said laughing, "no." (Her school is about 5 miles from the house...that would make for a nice mid-day run..10 miles round trip...sure, why not?) Then she asked, "did you ride the bike to come and get me?" Last year when she went to Methodist Weekday school I would often go through the pickup line on my bicycle or with the baby jogger to come and get her. She loved it. However, her new school is further plus a lot of traffic and a highway to cross to get there so I responded with a "no" yet again. She said with a very discouraged & slightly accusational voice, "you just drove here in the car, didn't you?" :)

However, she quickly rebounded once I told her the next stop was to take lunch to Zeke..then on to the gym.

First Day of School

2010-08-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

I sent both my monkeys off to school today....Zeke to first grade and K to her Pre-K class at the ECC. Zeke rode to school with our next-door neighbors, The LeMaires while I took Kaelyn for her very first day.

I left both children, happy and excited...such a blessing. I was a little concerned after a lengthy discussion last night at bedtime where both children shared how they wanted to be homeschooled this year. But, they were all smiles by the time they had to head to school. YEAH!

A Happy-Happy Day

2010-08-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, the kids and I went into Houston in the morning to run errands and then to go over to see Uncle Matt, who happened to be working from home that day. Midday, we went and picked up Tootsie and took her to Avalon Pharmacy to have lunch with us. That evening we had plans to meet up with the Hannas & Shoups back at our house for a dinner/swim party. Just after lunch Zeke told me, "this is the best day of my life!....even better than my birthday!" I tried to ask him why he thought this particular day was so special...he just told me "it made him happy-happy."

End of Summer Party with Hannas & Shoups

2010-08-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Last week Lisa, Valerie & I decided to get our families together one last time before all the kids started back to school. Being that the temps were still in the 100s, we voted on a swimming gathering. I was fun to get everyone together...we clearly need to do it more frequently because our children acted as though they hadn't seen each other in years....whew, were they a loud & wild bunch!

Blessed Beyond Measure

2010-08-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

My children are in Granbury this week visiting Nonnnie & Granddad. While I usually welcome the time by myself, this time I am really missing my kids. It is unbelievably quiet around here. The time alone has allowed me lots of opportunity to sit, think, and reflect without distraction. As I think over the changes that have taken place for our family in just over a year I recognize the multitude of reasons I have to be grateful.

I am so very thankful for....

-my God who loves me unconditionally, who carries me through my trials, and meets my every need

-my health and the health of my children

-Nonnie & Granddad who love me and take my children to allow me down-time & time to work without distraction

-my dad who handles my "needs to be fixed" list and takes care of my lawn, and does the maintainance on my pool, and helps me with the kids, and is always available to listen to me when I need someone to talk to.

-my mom who helps me with my Mary Kay business (delivering products, helping with records, helping with inventory), and who helps to take care of the kids any time I need it and who is constantly helping to keep me organized. She is incredible.

-Matt & Reecie who are always willing to help with the kids (there is a running theme here....I guess it does take a village to raise a child) and who are always willing to listen to me when I need someone to share with.

-my sweet babysitters who take such great care of my children

-an amazing group of extended family and friends who are always supporting and encouraging me

-my ever-supportive church family

-my wonderful neighbors, especially the LeMaire's who help me EVERY single day of my existence. I do not know what I would do without them. Thank you Mr. Stephen & Ms. Alicia for always being there for me...whether I need an egg, or someone to watch the kids, or just a friend to talk to. And, thank you Gavin & Stevee for being such sweet friends to Zeke & Kaelyn.

-my job...I am so thankful to work my Mary Kay business that allows me to support my family while having the flexibility to be available to my kids when I need to be. And, I am so blessed to work with the most amazing group of women in my unit and to have the most supportive & loyal customers.

-I am blessed to have the most loving, supportive community that anyone could ever imagine having.

Thank you God for placing these tremendous people in my life. I am blessed beyond measure.

Such CUTIES!!

2010-07-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed with photogenic children and with my love of taking pictures....it is just SO much fun to put the camera in front of them! I just want to kiss all over those sweet faces!

I believe Zeke has grown at least 3 inches since the summer started. He looks completely different from his picture from the first day of Kindergarten. He just looks like a BIG boy now...that's all there is to it.

1st Day of Kindergarten; August 2009

July 2010

2010-07-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Fun with New Friends

2010-07-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today Kaelyn & I had a playdate with some new friends, The Shugharts. Sarah, Anna, William, Kaelyn and I went to the Houstonian this morning to go swimming. It was so fun to be outside today...great weather for swimming. Then we had a poolside picnic, and then went back to Sarah's house to chat while the kids played. I love days like today...just spending time with friends....relaxing for an entire day. It was such fun. God continues to bless my family with amazing relationships. He daily blesses me beyond my imagination.

Bathing Beauties

The Living Lantana

2010-07-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

You are probably looking at this picture, asking yourself, why did Jenny post a picture of her mailbox? Well...I am just so excited about the 2 living plants in the planter boxes on both sides of my mailbox. In the 5 years that we have lived in this house we have NEVER had plants that were able to survive in the beds. I don't know if it is because the beds are so shallow, or if they don't drain well, or if the bricks make the beds too hot....I have no idea. But, our record for plant survival in that area has never been more than six weeks. I am proud to announce today. that the Lantana plants have now been living in those beds for almost 2 and a half months (you can reference my May 13th posting for proof).

Yeah for living plants! I love flowers...they make me happy! :)

Cousins Visit

2010-07-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

At the end of last week we were blessed by a visit from Krista, Kendall, Gena, Ryan and Reagan. We had a slumber party at the Hanna's on Wednesday night, then we took a trip to Splashtown on Thursday, Friday we hung out at 3402 Park Dale to swim and spend time together. It was such a fun visit...we really enjoyed seeing them! However, I give myself an F in picture documentation for the visit...I did not take many pictures. I'll have to do a better job next time.

Mmmmm....I LOVE peaches!

2010-07-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

My sweet neighbor Alicia gave me some FABULOUS peaches last week so I decided to try something that I have never done before....I attempted to make my very 1st pie. I was so proud of it I had to take a picture of it...of course. And, I can say it was actually pretty good...yeah!

I took these...

And made one of this...YUM!

And, at the end of last week I was pleasantly surprised to find that my peach tree (which has never fruited before) had created some very yummy peaches for me! YEAH! They are a bit small but quite tasty. I am going to have to read up on peach tree care and maintainence so that I can do a better job with next year's crop. SO EXCITED that it is bearing fruit...YIPPEE!

The Boys

2010-07-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, Zeke saw that Uncle Matt was wearing his Texans shirt so Zeke immediately went to his luggage and pulled out his matching shirt to wear so "they could be twins."

Callie's 7th Birthday Party

2010-07-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon we had the opportunity to attend Callie's 7th birthday party at Callegari Horse Stables in Spring. My kids were so excited to get to ride horses. I was amazed at how much time the staff allowed each child to ride. They taught the kids how to care for the horses, they walked around the ring and showed them how to work with them and they each got a chance to go on a short "trail ride." It was really a lot of fun!

Happy Birthday Cal! We love you sweet girl!

I just love this picture of these two...wow they look SO big!

A picture of the kids "cooling off" in the car at the end...waiting while everyone packed up their vehicles to head home. Whew...it was hot...check out the sweat pouring off Zeke's head!

Weekend Adventures

2010-07-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the kids and I went to Uncle Matt's to spend Friday and Saturday nights. We hung out Friday evening, talking, laughing, having dinner, and watched the boys play video games. On Saturday I got to get up and go for a run (I LOVE running in the Heights because there are so many people out exercising, there is so much to look at and the neighborhood is filled with giant trees so you are covered in shade most of the time...it is WoNDeRfUl!! Later that morning the boys went out to play on their own while the girls went to Allie's baby shower. Kaelyn got to play with a new, sweet friend named Anna. We were there helping Aunt Reecie host for about 4 hours and the girls played beautifully the entire time...it was so nice. :)

Sneaking into Mommy's Bed

2010-07-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

I woke up with a start last night at 3am. I was laying on my side and realized that there was a sleeping 3-year-old firmly planted against my back. I have no idea how she got there or how long she had been sleeping beside me. Either I am becoming a much deeper sleeper or Kaelyn has found some pretty stealthy moves in her ability to get into my bed without waking me up!

Handy Mommy

2010-07-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening I decided to tackle a freezer toleration that had been bugging me for a month. The ice maker had jammed and wasn't dispensing ice any longer (and somehow the water dispenser wasn't working either). So, I spent literally 2 hours working on this project. I removed all the ice and then proceeded to use a hairdryer to try to melt the built up ice that had frozen the "easily-removable" (HA!)ice bucket to the door. I thought I would never get that thing off but I continued despite my mounting frustration. Once the bucket (finally) defrosted enough to release from the door...I then spent another 30 minutes getting all the frozen ice out of the crushing mechanism inside the bucket.

I am proud to say that after those 2 hours I did FINALLY have a working ice AND water dispenser! YeAh for ME!!!! Zeke walked into the kitchen as I was completing the project, looked up at me, and said, "Wow Mommy...you fixed the freezer...I think you are handier than Papa!" While I appreciated the compliment, I quickly told him, "no, no...that certainly isn't true and even if you ever think that...let's keep that idea to yourself....we don't want to look overly self-sufficient around here...Papa might stop coming over to help us!" :)

"Doing what is asked of you....and then some"

2010-07-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

On Sunday evening the kids and I were saying prayers after a very fun-filled evening of 4th festivities and fireworks. Being the exhausted mommy that I was, just before their heads hit the pillows, I gave firm instructions to Kaelyn and Zeke. I told them that it was after 11pm which was VERY LATE and I expected them to stay in bed until at least 7:30 in the morning. I went on to say that anyone who got up earlier than 7:30 would immediately be sent back to their bed.

On Monday morning I woke up suddenly. By the light coming into my room I could tell that I had slept in. I looked over at the clock to realize that it was after 8:30! (my children NEVER sleep past 8....ever....they rarely sleep past 7). At 9:00 I heard them stirring. When I walked into Zeke's room to tell him "Good Morning" he turned to me and said,

Zeke: We did good didn't we Mommy?
Me: Yes, Zeke....I cannot believe that you and sister slept all the way until 9!
Zeke: I know Mommy....we wanted to let you sleep. It is like my teacher talked about in Bible class on Sunday. She said if your parents ask you to do something, you should do it and then some. Like if they ask you to clean your room. You should clean your room and then your sister's. So when you told us to sleep til 7:30, we slept a whole lot longer than that. Was that good?
Me: Yes, Zeke...that is REALLY good!

Happy 4th Everyone!

2010-07-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

Pictures from MeMe Camp

2010-07-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, this first picture really makes me laugh....do you think they are a little tired of smiling for the camera. I've never seen so many fake smiles in one place....ha!

Happy 7th birthday Callie & Happy 6 1/2 Birthday Zeke!

Zeke's Half-Birthday

2010-07-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Saturday following Camp Breakaway ended up being the best time to host Zeke's half-birthday party. The weather turned out to be unbelievably hot, so it was perfect for a swim party. Zeke was so excited this year to have an opportunity to invite friends from his class at school. The night before his party he said a special prayer, telling God that he really hoped his teacher, Ms. Petty would attend. I thought it said so much about his attachment to her that he would want her to come so much. It was so sweet.

Birthdays & parties are always bitter sweet because they remind me so much of Brad. His love for celebration and birthdays were unmatched by anthing I have ever seen. He was always just as excited as Zeke during those times....it was always fun to see.

Thanks to everyone who came and to those who helped! We love you and appreciate you!

Camp Breakaway

2010-07-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Zeke has had a VERY eventful summer so far. The first 3 and a half days were spent at Lake Livingston for church camp, Camp Breakaway. This was a camp designed specifically for the younger, school-aged children and the counselors were the high school kids from our youth group. At first Zeke seemed very anxious about the idea of going to church camp without me, but the on the very first day when Ms. Noelle camp to pick him up...he was VERY excited! He had a great time playing with all of his best-buds from church that week.

They're Back!

2010-06-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

After 11 days without my kiddos (they have been gone to MeMe Camp...then K stayed in Kerrville with Zeke took a trip to Granbury with Non & Granddad), they are back home with me! The time alone was a tremendous blessing, but the sounds of laughter and playing in the house is music to my ears. I have missed those two little monkeys! :)

Thank you MeMe, Dan, Krista, BeBe, Kendall, Ashton, Ryan, Regan, Nonnie, Granddad & anyone else who helped entertain my kids while I worked the past 2 weeks. I love you all!

Cousin Reunion

2010-06-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

Krista and the kids came for a visit last week. It was so much fun having the opportunity to hang out, swim in the pool, and spend time together. We met the Hanna's at the ever-famous China garden on Tuesday evening. The kids took some silly pictures for me but I would have to say that some of the faces classify under the "scary" catagory...Callie, what are you doing?...that face in the 3rd picture is downright frightening!

The Gift for Mrs. Petty

2010-06-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

The night before the last day of school Zeke decided to make a book for Mrs. Petty to give her for her retirement gift. He spent at least two and a half hours composing messages and drawing pictures for her book. It was really touching to see how important creating this gift for her was to him.

Can you see the adoration in this child's eyes....he sure loves his teacher! What a blessing.

Zeke's Graduation

2010-06-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

On Thursday of last week, Zeke had a special graduation ceremony at his school. Nonnie & Granddad were able to drive in to attend the event with us. Lisa, Callie, Jack, & Macie were also present at this momentous event. Zeke was so proud to have so many family members there with him. For lunch, Zeke Granddad told Zeke that he would get to decide where to go. Zeke immediately chose Burger King (oh boy)....but Nonnie threw a little bribery in to convince Zeke that Gringo's would be a better choice (whew). After lunch we had some great swim time in the pool again....we have been putting the pool to good use so far this season.

It was a GREAT day!

Kaelyn Time

2010-06-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

K's Mother's Day Out school ended 2 weeks ago so in the last couple of weeks she & I have had some special time together. On Tuesday she decided that she wanted to first go to the gym (K loves the gym and asks to go all the time..such a blessing!), then take lunch to her brother...another favorite of hers. Later that day we decided to go in to have pedicures together....Kaelyn's very first pedi! She was thrilled to have pink toenails.

Kaelyn Quotes

2010-06-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Kaelyn has been on a roll today so I decided to document a few of her quotes.

This morning as Zeke walked out the door to go jump in the car with Ms. Alicia, Kaelyn called out the front door to him, "Goodbye Bubba...have a wonderful day at school!" Such a sweet girl.

Later in the day, I told her we were going to call Uncle Gene (who lives in North Carolina) to wish him a Happy Birthday. Kaelyn responded with, "Yippee...and then we can help him eat his cake!!" She then proceeded to go into her room to find appropriate party attire....a green Tinkerbell costume. She was far less than amused when I told her the celebration would be taking place too far from our home for us to attend.

At lunch she informed me, "Momma, you know what! When Papa sits down in in his chair, I am BIGGER!"

Eye Staring

2010-05-27T05:53:00.001-07:00

Zeke just came up to me this morning, grabbed my face between both of his hands and stared into my eyes for about a minute, then said, "you have green eyes........Papa & G.G. have green eyes." Then he told me to look up at the light and said, "yep, those are green alright."

Matt's Channel 11 News Debut

2010-05-21T21:15:00.001-07:00

Just finished watching Matt on a the evening Channel 11 news. He was featured in a news segment about changes in social studies curriculum for the state of Texas. The newcaster interviewed Matt while he took the kids to the park in the Heights...so because he had kids with him the news guy thought Matt would know something on this topic? Very funny to listen to Matt share his "insight" on social studies curriculum.

Kaelyn Trying On Her Dress

2010-05-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

K is going to be the flower girl in October for Matt & Reecie's wedding. Reecie borrowed a dress from a friend for K to try on so we decided to take a few pictures outside of her house. Kaelyn was quite impressed with her new princess attire.

The only problem I have with these pictures is that she looks WAY TOO BIG in them...where is my baby?

The Annual Noelle/Kathrin Birthday Bash

2010-05-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

I spent an exciting Friday night out with some of our life group to celebrate Noelle & Kathrin's birthdays. It was a fun evening filled with great company, yummy food and good conversation. The only drawback was the restaurant had the air going at about 50 degrees so we just about froze to death. Other than that...we had a great time!

Valerie & I modeling the jackets we stole from Ross.

My Little Lipstick Lover

2010-05-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Kaelyn snuck into my office the other morning to try on a new lip creme shade. She came into my room looking ever-so-guilty...we can always tell when she is up to something that she knows she shouldn't be doing because she has this face that says it all.

For those MK lovers out there...Kaelyn is modeling the new summer lip shade line in "Raspberry Ice" while I am wearing the new "Malted color". I am so fortunate to have my own little Mary Kay helper living right here with me to give her opinion of the new line. :)

I just can't imagine where she gets this cheesy grin from (look at above photo of Val & me)..ha!

A Visit with Tootsie

2010-05-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the kids, Reecie, Matt and I had the opportunity to have lunch with Brad's great aunt, Tootsie. We picked her up after church and went to a neat little brunch restaurant in the Heights called Lola's. The kids were so excited to see her and in Tootsie-fashion she insisted the kids have a yummy dessert after their meal. They chose to share a root beer float (Brad's favorite too). They were ever-so-slightly keyed up after the sugar boost! HA!

Getting Married!

2010-05-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

My baby brother Matt is getting married! I realized the other day that I never sat down to share this exciting news with everyone, I know..I have been quite a bit behind on the blogging.

Reecie & Matt dated for 7 years through high school/college. Then they took a 7 year break. Mom & I always used to kid Matt about how much we ALWAYS liked Reecie...the other girls he dated in between just weren't up to the "Reecie-standard."

I am super thrilled because now I have a SISTER...yippee! With Brad being an only child once we met....I've never had another (extended) sibling outside of Matty. Yeah...a new sister for me...SO FUN!! :)

Here is the proposal story shared via Reecie.
The last weekend of March Matt really wanted to get out of town at least for the weekend and he suggested Austin. We got to Austin late Friday because I really needed to work late but we were happy to just getaway for the weekend. Saturday we woke up and went jogging around town lake and then had breakfast. It was BEAUTIFUL outside and Matt suggested going to Mount Bonnell for a quick hike. He told me that it was pretty short so I was a little surprised when he brought his camelback with us but didn’t think much about it. Once we were at the top of Mount Bonnell we could see over the lake and city sky line. There were a lot of people around and Matt kept trying to find a more secluded spot. After we sat down he opened his camelback and then told me he brought champagne… he quickly told me that he brought me another present and needed to ask me a question. It was very sweet and the day was amazing and of course my answer was "YES".

Reecie & Matt plan to get married in Carmel, California on October 16th
We are all VERY excited about a fun, destination wedding!

Flowers, Flowers, and More Flowers!

2010-05-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

I LOVE flowers....I love the colors and they just make me happy. Brad used to always work forever in our beds to make them look great. This is the first season that I have worked on them and now I have a little helper who likes to water (half on the plants and half on herself).

These are the sacrificial lantana that I chose to put in the mailbox flower beds. It really never seems to matter what I put in those two boxes....nothing ever lives there. Poor lantana....I wonder how long they will last....I give them 2 weeks...max.

On a tough day last week, Lisel sent me these gerber daisys...my flower of choice! I LOVE gerber daisys! And, I will report they are still alive and well....even a week later!

I also got this BEAUTIFL arrangement sent to the house today and it came with.....

this note.....

SO EXCITING!!!! :)

Kaelyn & The Mango

2010-05-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

I bought a crate of mangos from Costco the other day because mangos are SO yummy! Today for lunch I cut one up and shared it with Kaelyn. While we were eating, I told her...

J: You know Kaelyn, Uncle Matt really LOVES mangos. I bet he wishes were here so he could have some with us.
K: (she paused and gave me a long stare) No Mom, Uncle Matt REALLY loves ME!!!

It's too bad my kids don't have any self-confidence :)

Camp El Tesoro

2010-05-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend, Tammie Shelton invited us to join her & her two boys for a "Mom & Me" camp at El Tesoro this past weekend. My kids, of course, were elated to have the opportunity to go camping...especially with friends. Zeke was so fired up about the adventure that he told me on the way to Fort Worth, "Mom, I'm so glad that you decided to come with me on this great trip." (I'm not sure how else he would have gotten there so I guess it was good I went :)

We spent time swimming in the creek, fishing for minnows, looking for frogs, hunting for butterflies, doing crafts, making smores over the fire, singing camp songs, trying our hand at archery, and going on hikes. It was a blast! Kaelyn rode on my back for ALL of the hikes...her little 3-year-old legs just couldn't quite keep up with everyone else...but with all the other activities she was right in the mix.

The kids and I enjoyed ourselves so much we may have to make this a new Mother's Day tradition. Thanks Tammie for the invite to join in on the fun!
Lunch at the mess hall with our entire group!
The high-point of Camp El Tesoro

Zeke was like a mountain goat climbing up and down the rocks on his own...he is becoming quite the adventurer!

Me carrying the little koala bear

This was Zeke's "most-favorite part"....swimming in the creek with his sister

Another Zeke-ism

2010-05-10T21:05:00.001-07:00

We were driving in the car the other day and Zeke cautiously began this conversation with me from the back seat.

Z: Mom, I need to tell you something, but I need you to promise that you won't be upset.
J: (bracing myself) I don't know Zeke...what are you going to tell me...?
Z: I won't be able to tell you until you promise that you won't be upset.
J: (nervously) ok....I will try to not be upset...go ahead and tell me.
Z: Mom, I have been wanting to tell you that I love Jesus & God more than you....I just didn't want your feelings to be hurt.

Daddy, Daughter, Grandson Outing

2010-05-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

I was having a fairly emotional night last week so my sweet dad took us to Kemah for dinner and to walk along the boardwalk...providing me with a much-needed distraction. Zeke loved having the attention of two adults....all to himself and I really enjoyed watching he and Dad interact. Zeke is so special...the child really amazes me. After dinner he befriended the manager of the Aquarium restaurant and managed to sweet-talk his way into a free "paint-your-own-dolphin" dessert.

Thanks Dad for the evening out...Zeke & I had a great time. You really are the best dad ever. :)

The Gift of Friendship

2010-05-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

God has blessed my life in so many ways but I believe one of the most cherished are the friendships that He has given me. On Friday of this last week I sat around the kitchen table at the home of Jenny Winter and had the opportunity to "catch up" with these three amazing women. Jenny, Martha, and Paige encourage me in so many ways. They are such Godly women, such amazing role models, such women of faith....both beautiful inside and out. I love the friends who you may not see or communicate with all the time, but when you are together it is as if nothing has changed...the relationship is just as easy as the last time you spoke. I love that.

It has been 10 years since we graduated from college and it is amazing to me to look over our lives to see all that we have each experienced in that time....each of us facing various challenges and victories during that period. I did stop to think during our conversation...wondering what the next 10 years would hold for us.

Thank you God for giving me moments such as these to be among such great, women of influence. I am richly blessed to have them in my life.

On a side note ladies...I think the four of us could stand to have a few sun rays hit those legs of ours. Ok, I'm at least speaking for me.... :) Maybe our next meeting should be on the beach.

Zeke's Love of School

2010-04-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Zeke told me the other day that he really enjoys school. When I asked him what his favorite part was (thinking he would tell me math or science) he responded with this...
Me: Zeke, what is your favorite part of school?
Zeke: Recess
Me: What is your second favorite part?
Zeke: Gym
Me: Third?
Zeke: Music
Me: ...fourth? (still searching for a core subject)
Zeke: Lunch (oh boy)

Like Grandmother, Like Grandson

2010-04-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

G.G. followed up with our last blog post to share her new look with Zeke....ha!

This Just Makes Me Laugh

2010-04-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

...and his hair actually stayed up like that even once the blower was turned off. Zeke thought it was the funniest thing ever.

Introducing....Mr. & Ms. Captain Underpants!!

2010-04-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Zeke & K decided to play superheros the other day. It was orginally Zeke's idea and Kaelyn was determined to copy him. He is her hero after all! She sure loves her big brother!