The McAdams' Family

Estes Park, Colorado

2010-07-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Jackson and his great grandfather fishing at Lake Estes
The McAdams and Cassidy about to go on a boat ride

My favorite part about CO, the Christmas trees are everywhere you look! I had to take my picture by one:)

Gavin and Kate have the best seat in the house when it comes to hiking!

One of many picnics

Is this heaven?

Kate feeding the birds on our picnic with peanuts

1st hike. so cold and SUPER windy!

Love some pigtails!

It was so cold and windy, Jackson wouldn't look at the camera.

A little trailmix at the cabin.

Jackson's favorite part about the airport, the shuttle train that takes you from terminal to terminal. I think he would have loved the airport for his vacation!

Kate's first airplane ride! She did great!

Yes, that's Santa in the summer at a Christmas store. He fished with the kids and they ate cookies from Mrs. Claus.

Jackson's horse. Out of 144 horses, they gave Justin and Jackson the biggest horse. He was huge and sleepy;)

My little horseback rider.

Jackson loves to fish!

So finally I got my pics from vacation posted! Our computer has not allowed me to post for some reason, but better late than never as I usually say in most of my posts;)

Anyway, one of my most favorite vacations by far! I've grown up going on family vacations to Estes, but now that I have kids, it was even better! We had 23 people with us and loved every minute being with all of them!

June

2010-06-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ready for a day of VBS!

This is a pic of all the 2nd cousins, and about 6 of them are not there. Yes, I'm the oldest, and I'm holding the youngest.This is most of the Dunkins. Some of them had already left, so we didn't get everybody.

Burgers Lake Reunion

Kate doing what she does best. Snacking and making sure Gavin gets some too!

So this was our attempt at making red, white and blue rice "christmas trees" (as Jackson calls them), but when you mix those colors together...............you get purple rice "christmas trees":)

Jackson ready to cook. Kate is more interested in a snack;)

Hanging out at Watters Creek. We love to get ice cream and listen to the bands play while we sit on the green.

Justin running through the sprinklers with Kate and Jackson

Wow! It's summertime and things are busy! I have a lot to post, so get ready!

Besides, swimming, swimming lessons, and more swimming, the McAdams have hit the ground running in June. Aside from 1st trimester "yuckies", we haven't stopped. We started the month off with a Dunkin (my mom's side of the family) family reunion at Burgers Lake in Ft. Worth. I believe we had around 46 people there, all family. It was such a fun place to do something like this and the kids LOVED it! They had diving boards scattered throughout this little lake, with slides and a trapeze with sandy beaches! Which is as close to a beach as we're going to get this year;)

This week has been super busy with Vacation bible school and swimming lessons! VBS is going really well. Jackson and Kate are loving it and can't wait to go back everyday! I am helping out with Kindergarteners and it has turned out to be a great class with some awesome help! We come home and crash, and then off to swim lessons for Jackson. In just 2 days, Jackson is swimming underwater to us in the pool! He is so proud of himself and I can't wait to post some pics! It's unbelieveable to me for some reason that he can do this. It was definitley beneficial for us to have someone else teach him this. His "show off" day is Friday, so we will have video and camera in hand.

Finally, Saturday, @ 2:00am:/ we will head down to Houston to fly out to Estes Park Colorado, and could not be more excited!!! I know, 2:00 am, but we just couldn't pass up an awesome deal on plane tickets and we're meeting my parents there as well. 40 degrees in the morning and 70's in the day time, here we come! I can't stop thinking about it, as we suffer in this 100+ heat index! Estes Park is a traditional vacation spot for our family, at least every 5 years or so! There will be 23 of us going! Aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents!! We've never been with our kiddos, so we're super excited about taking them to see the Rocky Mountains, and if I say so myself, one of God's most incredible creations! Yes, shopping malls, wall to wall houses, and busy interstates are great too, but there's something about 14,000 ft peaks with snow in the summertime, and the most incredible sights ever! Pics to post very soon!

From 4 to 5

2010-06-08T11:07:00.001-07:00

Yep! Our family is now expanding from 4 to 5 and we are so excited! Jackson and Kate, if you haven't talked to them yet, will be the first to let you know;) They are very excited about the baby "growing in mommy's tummy"! Jackson knows that the baby will be here around Christmas time and keeps reminding us of when he/she will be born! I hope to have all my Christmas shopping done early, because who knows how up to shopping I'll be in Nov and Dec;) Although J & K keep me on my toes and I'm sure they'll continue to do so until I reach that hospital bed;)

People often ask what we prefer, boy or girl? Since we have 1 of each (and because we don't really have a say), we think either will be great! We have reasons for having either; a girl because it would be fun for Kate to have a sister so close, but then a boy sounds great too, because it might help with "middle child syndrome", as they call it, having Kate as the only girl! Whatever we're supposed to have is what we'll be excited about!

Are we having more?????...................This will be 3rd and final, unless the Lord has other plans!

Mother's Day Teas

2010-05-23T16:41:00.001-07:00

Kate's clc BFF, Mary Kate

Kate's precious teachers and very dear friends!

Making our craft together

Jackson and his buddy Cooper

Getting ready to serve the mommies some fruit salad he helped make!

A little late, as usual, but better late than never;)

Both Jackson and Kate had Mother's day teas in their classes at clc! They were both so sweet and it was so much fun to spend time with them in their classes. They both love clc and their precious teachers!

In Jackson's class, they recited Psalm 139 with hand motions and sang a couple of songs. They wore aprons and served all the mommies "tea food" and gave us sweet homemade gifts that we will keep forever!

Kate's class had a craft for us to make together along with the sweetest little scrapbook of pictures of them throughout the year that will be treasured forever as well! We ate some snacks together and I loved watching her with her little friends she talks about daily. "Mar Kate" (Mary Kate), "Emme", "Hailey", "Audee" (Audrey).........to name a few!

In other news, we're enjoying some time in the freezing pool and windy days at the park! It's almost summertime and we couldn't be more excited to get outside after a very wintry winter!

I'm 2!

2010-04-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Aunt B and Kate

Kate checking out her new chair with cousin "Gadi" (aka Gavin)
Jackson brought his chair down to sit with Kate;)

Kate opening her card from Nanna and Poppa while we are skyping with them!

New clips from Aunt B

Totally mesmorized by her candles!

I love how Kate is eyeing her cake and not the camera! Gotta love it!

Having a little chick fil a and cupcakes at the mall

Jackson and Kate checking out the money in the fountain

Kate Elizabeth turned 2 on April 20th! We celebrated by having a few friends meet us at the mall for lunch and play, we had a family party at home and then she and Jackson went to Lufkin with the Grandparents for a long weekend and celebrated once again with them! We like to drag out our celebrations as long as possible;) We love birthdays!!

And as I say every year, I can't believe she's growing so fast! Has it really been 2 years since she was born!? She is so much fun and we absolutely are in love with this sweet girl!

Kate is talking so much and having conversations with us! Sometimes we don't understand everything she's saying, but we go right along with it;) Kate loves to play and be silly with her big brother Jackson, but occassionally (well maybe "often") is very vocal about getting her way when he's involved. But she loves to learn from him and they truly are best buds at this stage in life! I pray that only deepens as they get older.

She loves to sing and requests specific songs when in the car. I love that I have a child who loves to sing. I love to sing too, although she often asks me not to sing with her;) Justin and Jackson do not have this same love, so at least she does!

We can't wait to see the things she learns and discovers this year! We pray that she will learn to love the Lord her God with all her heart, soul, strength and mind and that she will only seek the desires of Him and obedience to Him throughout her life. We love you Kay Kay!

Soccer Parties!

2010-04-17T19:05:00.001-07:00

Coach Scott and Jackson shooting some nerf guns
The boys

A couple of cheerleaders!

The Wolverine team does it right! We partied at Chuck E Cheese and then another trophy party at the Rogers' house to end the season! The boys were so excited to get their first soccer trophies! Jackson carries his around the house and is sleeping with it;) He's already looking forward to another soccer season! Good times!

Great Wolf Lodge

2010-04-17T18:53:00.001-07:00

Mason, Brinley and Jackson
Eating some dinner at Rainforest cafe

The hotel has a fun story time at night with this wolf.

Jackson and Brinley on their bunk beds!

Jackson overlooking the waterpark from the hotel lobby! He was SO excited!

Jackson and I spent a night with some sweet friends at Great Wolf Lodge! It was fun to be with our oldest kiddos and spend some one on one time with them. The hotel and waterpark were a lot of fun and very entertaining for our kiddos!

Happy Easter (a little late)

2010-04-17T18:10:00.001-07:00

i just like this picture:)

Cousin Gavin

Attempting to get a cousin picture, but Gavin was ready to hunt some eggs;)

My sweet babies!

Going to church

Having some Easter fun at Pawpaw Mac's house!

We spent Easter in Lufkin this year! A trip complete with egg dying, egg hunting, family time and church! Jackson made Resurrection eggs at CLC and made sure that he told the story of Easter to everyone in the family! It kind of surprised me a bit, because he's usually not one to have all eyes on him. So cute to listen to!

Every time we turned around, Kate had chocolate drooling out of her mouth! I tried to hide the candy after the initial Easter morning candy gorge, but that didn't stop her!

Spring Break

2010-03-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Yeah, this didn't last long! As soon as we said goodnight, all we could hear was, "Kate stop, lay down, go to sleep"....giggle giggle..............needless to say, Kate ended up in her bed:)

This was funny, because I had just gotten them a snack and next thing I knew the two of them were outside sitting in the jogging stroller enjoying their snack. So cute!

This year we decided to "do spring break" close to home because we didn't plan on going out of town. So we started the week off with some lunch playdates with sweet friends. We headed out to the arboretum to enjoy this awesome weather we've been having with friends and a picnic. We BRAVED the Ft. Worth zoo with the rest of DFW! It took us 45 min just to park if that gives you any idea of how packed out it was:/ I overheard someone say that the zoo people told them they had 26,000 people there the day before! That's a whole small city of people! Next time, we'll go to the zoo during a different week of the year;) Then on our last day, we changed our plans to just hang out at home! We loved our week off from clc, but are always glad to be back into our routine of things! Most of all, I think we just enjoyed the weather the most! My kids are happy to be playing outside again!

Disney On Ice

2010-03-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

We had a great opprotunity to go to Disney on Ice with some sweet friends today! The kids loved it! Although I've realized how much my kids don't know a whole lot about the characters. I need to pull out the classics and show them. They know Mickey and Minnie and that's about it.

We were able to sit on the 4th row, which was pretty close to the ice. Kate sat through the whole thing, with popcorn of course and her first experience with cotton candy;)

Matthew 19:14 ..."Let the children come unto me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."

2010-03-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Have I said lately how much I LOVE having a 4 year old?!!! We are loving this age Jackson is in for so many reasons, but especially for the conversations we have with him and his inquisitive thoughts.

So the other day, we were driving home from running our morning errands and it had been kind of a quiet drive. I could tell Jackson was in deep thought. Anyway, Jackson spoke up and asked, "Mommy, how can we get to Jesus"? I was taken back for a second because I felt like telling him about death would be so scary for such a young child to understand, so I told him the honest answer that we would have to die and go to be with him in heaven or He may come back to get us before then. But I said, if we want to be with Jesus we have to ask him to be in our hearts and believe that God sent him to die on a cross for our sins because he loved us so much and that he is alive now. I went on to say that He promises us that if we believe, we will be saved and we will live forever with Him in heaven! He went on to ask what it will be like when Jesus comes to get us. I told him that it would be so great and that there will be so many angels and he'll come riding on a horse. He asked if it would be loud, and I said it probably will be loud, but it won't be scary. (You can tell what his fears are, loud noises ie thunder). We're working on how God doesn't give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power!

The car got quiet for a few seconds, maybe because he was processing all of this, and then with this big smile on his face, he said, "So when's he coming, because I believe!!!"

I wish I could have recorded this conversation because hearing that sweet boy's voice, say , "so when's he coming, because I believe, was incredible! So joyful! So innocent!

I went on to tell him that we don't know when he's coming. It will be a surprise!!! Jackson loves surprises!

13.1

2010-03-03T13:12:00.001-08:00

13.1 is the amount of miles I have committed to run with Justin and our friends the Russes on May 2nd! Wow! I never in my life thought I would run more than maybe 3 miles at a time. I've done a couple of 5k's in my life, but always thought that was "enough". Well, another friend of mine has been training for a half marathon and has motivated me to do this. We're in week 2 of training and I'm totally pumped and can't wait for the actual race. Now I'm not into getting across the finish line in record time or anything, but I am going to cross the finish line!!

Our Newest Project

2010-03-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

Jackson had a great idea one day after digging in the flower beds and planting weeds that we should make a garden. So today we ventured into Lowes and this is what we came out with. Both Jackson and Kate picked out the seeds. We got tomatoes, squash, peas, green beans, broccolli, corn, pumpkins (J's favorite), onions, rosemary, bell pepper, cantelope, strawberries, watermelon, and the list goes on. I don't really totally know what I'm getting into, but it's worth the try if that's what my little man would like to do and we can all do it together. Kate's on board as well. Just point her to the dirt with a shovel and you've got a mess;) But she definitley wants to help in anyway she can.

I figure I won't have to make as many trips to the produce aisle if this works! We're very excited to see what comes of this garden and we'll keep you posted!

Best Buds

2010-02-20T17:47:00.001-08:00

The Wolverines

2010-02-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Action shot
Jackson and his friend Ryan Rogers

Having a little bible study with the other team before the game starts

A few practice shots before the game starts.

I love how he's getting his head start.

Today was Jackson's first soccer game day! He had so much fun and really went after the ball in whatever direction;) He even scored the first goal.................................for the other team! Hey, a goal is a goal when you're 4, right?

When asked what his favorite part of the game was, he said when all the parents made a tunnel at the end of the game and they ran through it. Ha! So fun!

Uncle Stephen, Aunt B and cousin Gavin came to watch! Thanks for coming to cheer our little man on!

Snow Day

2010-02-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

Kate wasn't crazy about the snow at first, but eventually she "warmed" up to it. This picture is of me trying to take a picture while she is trying to get me to pick her back up.

These are pictures from our "record snowfall" in North Texas! We had so much fun building multiple snowmen, one of which took a week to melt because it was so big!

Gettin Messy

2010-02-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

The kids got a new craft table from my long hours at pottery barn kids. They love it! They are

always painting, coloring, etc. When we're actually at home during the week, we find ourselves working on fun crafts especially since it's been so cold outside!

Soccer

2010-01-27T12:57:00.000-08:00

Getting ready to cheer her brother onCheerleaders for the wolverines, McKenzie and Kate, but a little more interested in their snacks than the game;)

Jackson has officially started his first soccer season and we couldn't be more excited! Justin especially;) He was so excited to take Jackson to Academy to get him his first shin guards, shoes, socks and soccer ball! Our first game is February 6th! Pictures to come, of course;)

4 years

2010-01-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

Cousin Gavin
Cousins

Katelyn, Caroline, and Cooper

Getting ready to make pizza!!

Jackson requested a dinosaur cake;)

Opening a few birthday gifts

My baby boy is such a big boy now! On January 20th, Jackson turned 4 and I'm in disbelief! I can't believe we've raised a child for 4 years now. We are so blessed to have this sweet boy as our son!

Friday morning, we had a few friends over for a pizza party! The kids made their own pizzas and decorated pizza boxes! It was so much fun and they enjoyed eating their own pizzas. I ordered Little Ceasars just in case;)

Then Saturday night, we had family over for dinner! Jackson loves playing with his cousins, Gavin, Sydney, Carson and Maddox! We spread the celebration out as long as we could. But as they say, "all good things, must come to an end".

Happy Birthday Jackson! We love you soooooooo much!

Snow!!!

2009-12-30T07:16:00.000-08:00

yes, that's my husband in the snow in shorts:/
snowball fight!

This is the 3rd time this season that it has snowed at our house. The 1st time it wasn't really enough to play in and the 2nd time we weren't here. But yesterday we finally got to enjoy it! After the kids woke up from their naps and we had some dinner, we went out and built snowmen and threw some snowballs! Jackson loved it so much as well as Justin, but Kate didn't last long. She wanted to go out, but once her hands started freezing (she wouldn't let me put gloves on her), we were ready to go back in. I got a few pics of the fun!

Happy New Year!

Christmas!!!

2009-12-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

She finally has her baby doll and stroller. Wherever we go, church, someone's house, etc, Kate always heads for the babies and strollers. She's a little momma;)

taking the new bike for a spin;)

Jackson showing Kate what she got.

We had Christmas at our house on the 23rd, because we were going to Lufkin for Christmas eve and day to celebrate with the grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins! I must say, Christmas is so much fun with kids! They get so excited! Jackson kept reminding us that we were celebrating Jesus' birthday! I love that he knows the real meaning of why we do what we do. It reaffirms us as parents we are doing something right;)

I would have had more pictures from the grandparents, but we left the batteries to our camera at home, so I'm counting on other family members' pictures to recapture those sweet moments.

Making Christmas Cookies

2009-12-29T15:02:00.000-08:00

Santa's plate
Kate cleaning her mess;)

Every year, I look forward to making Christmas goodies and especially now with my kids! They love it. My plan was for us to decorate cookies for Santa, make a happy birthday Jesus cake, and then yummy peanut butter balls. I only got as far as the cookies, so we'll be celebrating Jesus' birthday again with cake for new years! Maybe this can be a lesson to the kids that we celebrate Jesus everyday of the year:)

Ice

2009-12-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

The end of our tour and watching The Grinch movie at the hotel.

Poor Jackson got stuck on the ice slide. We couldn't get him to come down. He just sat there and cried. We finally coaxed him down.

The kids helping me open my birthday presents after church.

So for my birthday, the kids and Justin and I went to see Ice at the Gaylord! So much fun and amazing! We waited a long time in line, but it was well worth it. It was 9 degrees inside, so they gave us all parkas to wear even the kids, which was not the most fun part for the kids. Jackson was hesitant, but he was a good sport and understood he had to wear it to go inside because it was so cold and he would have to wear it to go down the ice slide. Kate on the other hand, did not like the parka. Justin had to hold her down while she was screaming and fighting to take it off just so he could get it on her. Once we got inside, she was okay with it. It was hilarious to see her walk in it because all you could see was this big blue parka, as big as she was, with no legs moving across the floor. She kind of looked like a penguin. Too cute to watch!

The theme was the Grinch and most everything was made out of ice. At the end, they had a nativity scene and an angel that was really incredible.

We ended the evening at one of my favorites, Bucca di beppo! Love it:)

Christmas in Waco

2009-12-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Justin and Jackson watching Lady and Joy
Looking at the Brazos while at the park.

Grandma and the kids.

This past weekend we went to visit my grandmother and have a little Christmas with her. This lady is amazing! She's 79 and seems like she's 30;) I just hope I age as well as she does! She is so sweet to have as many grandchildren and great grandchildren as she does and still have something for all of them for Christmas. After opening presents, we went to Cracker Barrel for lunch (yum!) and then off to Cameron park to play with the kids. We went by Baylor to see the bears and finally made a stop by my aunt and uncle's house to see them and my cousins.

Quick trip, but lots of fun!

Fun Run

2009-12-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

Kate had had enough of the cold and was running for the car by the end of the race.
The kids loved seeing the cfa cow, frosty and Santa.

Our warm-up with frosty, the cfa cow and santa's elves.

Freezing and waiting for the race to start.

I'm playing catch up for the month of December, so there will be many more blog entries to follow;)

Every year, since we've been married, Justin and I have always gone to the Neimans Adolphus Parade downtown with and without kids. It's so fun, but this year, for some reason, we decided to run in the Rudolph run in Allen. (They are always the same weekend every year.) Anyway, we decided since we were pushing the kids in the jogging stroller, we should just do the "fun run" which is only a mile. Justin kept taking this "fun run" a little serious. He said he was going to time us and he was determined that we were going to be the first stroller to cross the finish line:/ Keep in mind, it's 28 degrees and the kids are not the most excited about this. Okay, so I keep reminding him it's a fun run and that time doesn't really matter. Lets just finish. Once we got started, I was trailing behind him trying to keep up as he weaved in and out of people for what seemed like forever. If they were in his way, he had no problem going off-road to pass them. Despite my constant reminder that this was supposed to be "fun", Justin thought otherwise. He has quite the "quiet, sneaky competitive spirit" in him.

Once we crossed the finish line, they announced, "our first stroller to cross the finish line". You would have thought Justin had just won a million dollars. He was so excited..................Good times;)

Peek A Boo!

2009-12-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

One of Kate and Jackson's favorite games to play in the car with each other and us is "peek a boo" in various ways. Here are some pics on our Thanksgiving trip! You get a little creative in the car after a few hours of being stuck in a carseat:) It's funny when they start giggling under whatever it is they're under and they think they are totally hidden from us. So cute!

Our Fall Festivities!

2009-11-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

We painted pumpkins

Romo and a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader giving hugs;)

The cutest skunk I've ever seen (my sweet nephew Gavin)

trying to get a cousin picture at the Height's fall festival

Our neighbors on Hazelwood joined us at our fall festival at Prestonwood!

carving pumpkins

getting ready to go the the festival after a nap. Kate wanted to sleep a little longer:(

Hugs from Poppa and Nanna

riding the train with Nanna

Jackson, aka Tony Romo, riding a bull.

getting hooked up to rock climb

Finally, a cousin pic where everyone's looking and no one's crying!

And of course, a little trick or treating around our cul de sac.

We also enjoyed having my grandparents in for the weekend! We went to Legacy center for lunch and walked around the shops in the great weather we have been enjoying. We had such a fun and busy Halloween weekend!

The Muddy Patch

2009-10-25T12:34:00.001-07:00

So the pumpkin patch was more like a "muddy patch" this year. This was our tracks through the mud on the hayride. We slid through it rather than rode through it! The kids didn't care and we managed to get some cute pics in the pumpkins:) showing off his muscles

"Where did Jackson go? oh yeah, he's on the big, green tractor" I think a career as a farmer is in his future;) He just can't get enough!

Fall Family Fun! And more to come:)

2009-10-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

If you know Jackson at all, you know he's in heaven when he's on his big green tractor:)

This is at the state fair. They have an area that teaches kids what it's like to farm, including feeding the animals, collecting the eggs from the chickens, picking fruit off the trees, planting seeds in a garden and pulling the vegetables, driving the tractor to feed the cows, milking a cow, and finishing it all off by taking the "fruits of their labor" to the market. Then they receive pretend money to take to a store to buy a snack. Super cute! And the kids loved it!
Mr. Big Tex, as Jackson calls him.

On the farm.

Feeding the chickens and collecting their eggs.

Petting Farm

Yes, that's a buffalo. It's not everyday you feed one of these;)

Riding the Dart to Fair Park. I said I would never do this again from a previous experience, but I did.

Jackson dancing at the Balloon Festival

The next 4 pics are of us attempting to take a picture of me and the kids. As you can see, it's not easy trying to get all of us to smile or at least look at the camera at the same time.

Jackson studying very intently on the evenings events.

This picture of Kate makes me laugh out loud. When you tell her to "say cheese", she (usually) makes this face. Hilarious!

Just a cute pic of Kate eating dinner.
And another pic I love.

Where to begin.....?

2009-10-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

Kate being silly!

Don't worry, there is not any electricity going to this outlet. They were helping Justin and he was overseeing this project:/

Jackson helping Mommy paint his room

The first box to be moved. All smiles and little did we know the massive project ahead of us.

The new house!

Jackson's room! The only room complete in the whole house except for that white spot in the corner I still need to paint.

I know, it's been forever since we posted last! We have been a busy little family, to say the least. And by busy, I mean, moving. It's a long process, crazy process, but we are so excited to be in the new house. As Jackson put it, "Mommy, I love our new house". "It's amazing!" Can't get enough of that boy;)

We sold the house on Hazelwood in no time and quickly had to find a house to move into! Talk about pressure! When you're looking for a house that is going to accomodate your family for hopefully a looooong time, or as Justin says, "the next place we're moving is the nursing home", it takes a lot of thinking and praying! We had some time in between closing on the old house and moving into our new one because it needed a little work before moving in, so Stephen and Brooke were ever so gracious to allow us to move in with them for a few weeks. We can't thank them enough for opening up their home to us!

When I first saw our new house, not knowing it was going to be our new house, it wasn't love at first sight. My first thoughts were, "No way, am I going to live here". "Next house please." It was sooooo dirty, weeds in the beds (but if you know me, I'm not a huge yard person, so I dont' know why the weeds bothered me so bad), and apparently a HUGE dog lived in this house that had free reign over wherever he decided to use the restroom and his chew toys were every blind and corner of the house you could think of. Justin fell in love with the backyard and wanted to make an offer immediately. What!? Oh and you need to make your decision now, because there's another offer on this house. It was a short-sale. Long story short, we made an offer after A LOT of discussion, and a second showing with some friends to give me some vision, because I was totally blind on the first showing. I couldn't see beyond the dirt and pee. Can you blame me?

Now we looooooove it! It's feeling like home everyday that we're here! Boxes are unpacked, but things are going to take awhile to be put in its place. And of course, we'd love a new this and a new that, but in time it will all come together!

A HUGE thank you to my parents for helping us move and to my mom, who basically organized my whole kitchen and cleaned a refrigerator that I was going to throw away, that now looks brand new and amazing;) Thank you Matt for helping us with the heavy stuff on both moves into and out of storage:) Thank you Jenn for giving me some decor vision and helping us get settled! Tara, the housewarming cake was INCREDIBLE! If you've never had Sopapilla Cheesecake, you're missing out. Let me know and I'll make you one. You must try this cake! And a huge thank you to Jennifer for watching my kiddos while we went looking for houses. Huge help! We would probably still be looking for houses if my kids went with us. I had to be able to think without chasing one and redirecting the other;) And last, but certainly not least, we wouldn't be in this house without her, our awesome realtor, Lindsay Craig! She is the realtor of all realtors!! Thank you Lindsay!

We'd love for any and everyone to come by! Can't wait to share our home with friends and family!

Moving is hard..................but we're so thankful we did! We are blessed.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

TOMS

2009-08-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of these? Very cute and comfy shoes made by a company that makes a pair of shoes for a child in need (from various countries) when you buy a pair. My brother Ben and sisterinlaw Sarah, gave us all a pair to wear in their wedding and they were such a great alternative to the traditional heel;) Long story short, Sarah's sister works for Neimans and ran into Blake (owner of TOMS) and told him about Sarah and Ben's wedding. He wanted to see their pictures and they ended up using some of them for their marketing. Check it out........http://www.tomsshoes.com/content.asp?tid=514&aid=1226&LinkID=1226 The 1st pic of the white shoes are from their wedding and the last pic is of them during their "exchanging of the rings". Anyway, Ben and Sarah are making their way across this world at the moment to move to Cairo Egypt. We'll see them next May and we're already praying for them and counting the days when they come back. Skype is going to be put to great use now that they are so far!

Hazelwood

2009-07-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's official! We've put the house up for sale. I can't believe it's actually happening. Our sweet realtor, Lindsay Craig, came by today with the sign.

We only have plans to stay in the Allen area. We're not moving away anywhere, just ready to grow into something else.

5 years ago we moved into this house with just the two of us. Now we've added two more to our family and with toys, beds and relatives visiting here and there, we need more room;) It's bittersweet, especially for me, bringing 2 of our babies into this house. (Now I'm getting all emotional) I guess I can't hang onto it forever.

Another trip to Lufkin

2009-07-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Swingin at Nanna and Poppa's house

Kate likes to take the toys out of the box and get in it.

At the pond.

Kate testing out the tricycle at Pawpaw Mac's house. Her legs are quite long enough to touch the pedals yet.

Jackson's great grandfather, Pawpaw, helped him build a log cabin with Lincoln Logs.

Jackson is pointing at the catfish that are coming up to eat food we threw out for them. Justin's dad has a catfish pond and Jackson loves to go out and watch them at feeding time.

Jackson helping Kate down the steps. Such a big brother:)

This is Kate throwing a fit because she doesn't want to get back in the car and drive anymore. We always stop at Braums in Athens to take a break and this was in the parking lot.

This weekend was yet another fun weekend in Lufkin visiting the grandparents! Jackson is at an age that he aboslutely loves seeing all of them and doesn't want to leave. We were back and forth between Justin's dad and sister's house and my parents house. It's nice that both of our parents live in the same town. Wherever we were at, it's all about the kids, which I love.

It's not just a plain white cake

2009-07-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

It's the beginning of a new, fun hobby and hopefully an investment in many birthday cakes to come;) I started a cake decorating class with my sister in law, Brooke and her friend Kelly last week. It's so much fun! I will say, a lot went into making this simple looking cake. I'm supposed to take this cake to class tomorrow and we will learn how to start decorating our cakes. What you see is what we learned to do last week.

Jackson can't wait to eat everything I'm making. He's already asking me if I can make dinosaur cakes and other crazy, advanced ideas that will take me some time to actually learn. Yes, I have to make a cake every week for 4 weeks. Anyone is welcome to my practice cakes. We don't need cake hanging around here, because I WILL eat it if it's there. They may look funky, but they should taste pretty good;)

Yummy Goodness

2009-07-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

These are two of my new favorite recipes that must be shared!

I would show pictures, but I forgot to take some. I'll try and remember next time, because these will be a repeat meal in our house:)

Upside-Down Pizza
2 lbs ground chuck or ground turkey
1 cups chopped onion (optional)
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (1 ¼ oz) envelope spaghetti sauce mix
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

Brown ground meat and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles; drain and return to skillet. Stir in tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce mix; cook over low heat 10 min, stirring often.
Spoon meat mixture into a lightly greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish; top with sour cream, sprinkle with cheese. Unroll crescent rolls, and place over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

*Servings are easy to measure for this pizza casserole; just follow the natural perforations in the crescent rolls.

I love this one especially because it’s made in the crock pot. Don’t forget your crock pot liner so clean up is super easy!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese with peppers
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilis
½ cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 (8 oz) bottle green taco sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers

Toppings: chopped tomato, chopped avocado, sliced green onions, sliced black olives, chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spoon chicken mixture evenly down center of tortillas, and roll up. Arrange, seam sides down, in a lightly greased 6-quart slow cooker, stacking tortillas, if needed.
Stir together sour cream and taco sauce; spoon over enchiladas. Cover and cook on LOW 4 ½ hours. Remove lid, and sprinkle enchiladas with 1 cup cheese.

ENJOY!!!

Just some of my latest favorite pics!

2009-07-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

Giving hugs!
Yes, my 14 month old is wearing pigtails and ponytails. She looks like she's 4 when she has them.

Jackson is ready to go camping. We keep telling him when it gets cooler:)

Jackson trying to teach Kate how to down hill ski on the Wii.

Fun in the Tub

2009-06-18T19:40:00.001-07:00

My little Picasso

Bathtime was a little messy this evening, but so much fun! A friend of ours was telling me that when her kids were little, she used to let them paint with shaving cream in the bathtub. So I thought my kids would love it and they did. They painted the walls, themselves, and each other. It was everywhere! But the best part was that it was easy clean up. Even though it was in their hair and everywhere, it came off so easily. Thanks Therese! So much fun!

Just the two of us

2009-06-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Jackson and his glowstick. They had glowsticks for when they left the reception. So cute!

Me and my sweet cousins, Kayla and Leslie (the bride)

Jackson ready with his boarding pass. We had to take Shamu on board!

Jackson and I took a trip to North Carolina this past weekend to see my cousin Leslie get married, and it was so much fun to have him to myself for a little while. I decided to take Jackson with me because I didn't know how manageable it would be for me to take Kate in the stage that she is in at the moment. She wants down and to walk around everywhere, and on a plane for 2 1/2 hours, I don't think that's feasible. We also had some trouble getting there because of bad weather in Dallas, which made it an extra long day that I'm glad I didn't put Kate through. Jackson was a trouper!

It was so much fun to see my family that we don't get to see that often and the wedding was beautiful and so much fun! Jackson actually slept (snored) through the wedding, so he was very still;)

Jackson's highlights for the trip were:

*meeting soldiers on their way to Afghanistan (sp?) at the airport

One actually gave Jackson his patch that was velcroed to his uniform.

*Experiencing turbulence on the plane that he thought was so fun. His mommy thought otherwise:/

*renting a car. For some reason, he loved the thought of being in a different car and riding in a different carseat. He kept saying, "mommy, I love this car". "It's so funny".

*swimming in the hotel pool.

*eating wedding cake at the reception! (Who doesn't love wedding cake?)

Summer Vacation!!!

2009-06-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

Humor me:) I know it's a lot of pictures, but we did so much and I tried to cram in a little of everything!

Oh yes, it's 1:00am and someone is excited about Sea World! We got to the hotel late Thursday night and we were all wired and ready to play!

Kate was just excited at 1:00am because we all were! She had no idea what was going on, but she was ready to play too!

My favorite reason to stay in a hotel............breakfast in my room!!

Feeding the dolphins! So much fun!

I love this picture of Jackson and the shark! He's such a boy and very much into animals that growl and have sharp teeth;) (Not that a shark growls, but you know what I mean)

Feeding and petting the dolphins.

Our favorite part: Shamu!!! The show was amazing! We went to their first show that day and apparently the whales were not wanting to perform, so the trainers asked us to come back later that day, hoping for a better show. Sure enough, the whales just needed a little warming up to do that day, and they put on an amazing show!

The ultimate souvenir when you go to SeaWorld!!

Kate getting in a little pool time at the hotel.

Jackson being silly as we enjoy our smores we made during one evening of our stay. The hotel had several fire pits out by the pools and offered smores to roast. So much fun!

Swimming at the Lost Lagoon at SeaWorld

Kate all suited up!

A little river walkin while Kate's nappin.

We went to the children's museum in downtown San Antonio. They had a little mini HEB to do some pretend grocery shopping. The kids loved it, and so did we! It was so much fun. After you shopped for your groceries, you can check out at registers. Too cute!

Justin checked Jackson out at the register.

Jackson checking my baggage at the "airport" for my "departure"!

My little Pilot!

And conductor too!

This picture makes me laugh out loud:) Yes, he's milking a cow!

Kate at Schlitterbahn. This was our last stop before heading back to the big "D"!

Schlitterbahn!

Congratulations Ben and Sarah!!!!

2009-05-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

I realize this is almost the same picture, but he was just so cute, I couldn't help myself.

The cutest ringbearer

Jackson giving little Gavin a few kisses before the wedding

The ringbearer

My baby brother

Jackson and Sarah

Ready to get married!!

Jackson and Kate playing in the bridal suite before the wedding.

Poppa and Jackson sneaking a peek at the cakes before the wedding

Ben and Sarah getting instructions from Pawpaw (the pastor) at the rehearsal

Nanna and Kate

The sisters! Getting ready.

Jackson and Sarah

Ben and Sarah were finally married this weekend and it was such a beautiful and fun wedding! I can't believe my baby brother is married. Much to my surprise, I was quite emotional. I guess that's because I'm his big sister and I still see him as my little brother to take care of, but now he has a wife to do just that. We love Sarah so much and we pray the best for their marriage. We had family from all over in that we spent some time with over the whole weekend! It's so much fun to see everybody.

I took pictures, but I wasn't the best photographer. I guess that's why you hire one;) I got some of the rehearsal, pre-wedding and from there, I didn't get any. I guess I was busy as a bridesmaid and mommy at the same time. I'll post more as I get them. I do have to brag on my little boy, the ringbearer. I wish everyone could have seen how precious he was and how well he did in the ceremony. He walked all the way down the isle while staring at his pillow and no one else. He never looked up until he got to Justin. Pre-cious!

..................At the moment, Ben and Sarah are out in the middle of the carribbean soaking up some sun! Ahhhh! (I'm a little jealous;)

Mother's Day Teas

2009-05-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Kate

walking!!

Jackson and his buddies, Drew and Cooper

Mommy and Jackson

Getting ready to sing for the Mommies!

Jackson and Kate both had mother's day teas in their classes at clc. I felt so honored to be a part. In Jackson's class, they sang Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E, and recited the Lord's prayer. Precious! I wish I had video of it. (Next year;)

In other news in our family, Kate is walking!!! We are so proud;)

Our Sweet Girl is 1

2009-04-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

getting a taste of birthday cake
Yum!

Shaking her Easter eggs at her birthday party!

Lovin on Cousin Sydney

Trying to walk

Lovin on Nanna

Our little birthday flower

A year ago (April 19th), we had dinner with the Olson's and kept joking I was going to laugh my way to labor because Erik had us rolling. (I can't even remember why, but it was funny). So, as we left Scotty P's, I noticed a full moon and joked that women go into labor when there is a full moon. Well, that night after we put Jackson to bed, I was feeling a little different. I just ignored it until the feeling started coming and going. I still wanted to ignore it, because my "planned" c-section was not scheduled for another week. Justin started timing it and I called my mom. Both decided we should go to the hospital. So, at 2:00am in the morning, my sweet sister-in-law, came over to stay with Jackson and we were off to labor and delivery!! So excited! Still in disbelief, but better in the hospital than giving birth at home;)

Once we got to the hospital, they determined I was in labor. So, we started an epidural and everything else that comes along with having a c-section and our little Kate was born at 7:00am. Can't put into words how amazing it is to have a baby. Even though I had already had Jackson, it still never ceases to amaze me that a human came out of me. God is truly AMAZING and THE creator of all things.

Over the last year, we have fallen in love with this little girl God has entrusted us with. She has developed several names from us, friends, and family: baby Kate, Kay-Kay, Katie-Kate, sweet girl, lovey, or just Kate. She is quite a cuddler and loves everyone. She loves to get in the sandbox with her big brother or whatever he is into. When she stands by herself, she claps for herself with a big toothy smile;) She loves to be held and loves to hold things she can love on as well. We are so thankful for her! Happy Birthday baby girl!

Spaghetti Faces

2009-03-24T16:10:00.001-07:00

Arboretum

2009-03-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

Playing in the ship playhouse
Kate tiptoeing in the tulips

Bear crawl

Playing in a wagon

Jackson playing in the old settlers village

Crawling on the grass. So soft!

We took this picture a million times. Getting both the kids to look at the camera is almost impossible.

We love the springtime! It's so fun to get outdoors after we feel like we've been cooped up in our house or some mall playplace all winter. With kids, the outdoors is a must;) We went to the Dallas arboretum for Dallas Blooms and we got a membership, so we will be going a lot this year! The flowers are amazing right now and the grass is my favorite! Kate is in a stage where she's wanting a little more freedom to crawl around, so the grass was perfect for her as long as she wasn't trying to eat it;) Although, she wasn't too sure about crawling like normal. She kept bear crawling and wouldn't put her knees on the ground. I guess it feels different than carpet. Jackson just wanted to run around and really likes to pose for the camera.

Baby Gavin

2009-03-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

Precious!

His hearing test. So cute. Looks like he's listening to music:)

Brooke in labor. Not feeling much;) Epidurals are a wonderful thing!

Jackson looooves his new cousin!

Proud aunts! Minutes after he was born.

Gavin Nicholas has entered the world at 7lbs. 3oz. on March 5th at 12:51am. And, yes, we stayed until he got here. I couldn't bear to leave the hospital until I was able to meet that sweet nephew of mine. He is the cutest! Already decked out in his Tech gear; I don't think he stands a chance;)

Congratulations to my brother Stephen and sister in law, Brooke! You will make awesome parents!

Cuteness

2009-02-16T12:57:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I couldn't pass up posting these pics. Just some cute blog filler;)

Three

2009-02-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Ryan

Kate and Nanna getting a few jumps in

Cooper jumping on the trampoline

Caroline, Jackson and Brinley enjoying some food

Mason

The Birthday Boys

Jackson on the balance beam with his daddy and his 9 months pregnant, Aunt B

Best Buds!

Jackson turned 3 on January 20th (and yes, I'm just now posting...so behind). We celebrated with a birthday party with our friend Mason who turned 4 in February. They had a blast and loved celebrating together at a gym where the kids (and adults) played freely on the trampolines, bounce house, foam pit, rings, etc.

I say it every year, but I can't believe he's 3. As a mom, I become so sad when I think he was that little newborn in my arms just 3 years ago. He is such a boy and loves his boy toys; tractors, trains, sandboxes, tools, etc. Now he is such a great big brother to Kate, who already looks up to him and laughs at the drop of a hat for him. I love when he asks her, "Kate, you want to come play with me?" And she usually responds by crawling to wherever it is he wants her to come crawl to. I love when he talks about friends he plays with at school and what he learned at clc or sunday school. I love when he quotes the Lords prayer ( I have got to get this one on video) and the fruits of the spirit or any scripture for that matter. I pray that the older he gets, the more he falls in love with the Lord and His will for his life.

Happy 3rd Birthday Jackson!

Never say Never!

2009-01-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Yes, I was one of those who said, "I will never have a minivan no matter how many kids I have". Well, I was wrong. Up until about 3 months ago, I was totally against ever owning something "so culturally unacceptable" especially at my age. Well, making trips to Lufkin and wherever else with diaper bags, carseats, luggage, gifts, strollers, pack n play, etc........I was about to go crazy not having enough space in the equinox. The more I joked about having the mv, the more I started wanting one. I hated that I even "wanted" one. Then it really grew on me and we started seriously looking at them. Then I rolled Justin's truck and now Justin jokes that it was a conspiracy to buy the mv. Well, I must admit, I absolutely LOVE it! Everytime we go somewhere in it, Jackson says, "I love this minivan". He's been telling random people about how much he loves this minivan like the cashiers at Target, people in ChickfilA, you know, the places us Mom's go during the week. So, I've decided that it's time to "bring the minivan back". My husband says, I should say, "it's time to make the minivan cool, because the minivan was never here". My friend Julie said they are coming back and her husband responded with, "no, we're just getting older." I like to think I'm still cool in the mv;) ...........Kouba's, you're going to love it!!!

Christmas this year

2009-01-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Mommy's Christmas present!

What a blast! I think we had the best Christmas ever this year! Jackson was so much fun and really anticipated everything that was going to happen. We put reindeer food out for the reindeer, cookies and milk for santa and then put the kids to bed. Just as Jackson was "tucked in" for the night, we heard loud stomping on the roof. Jackson's face was priceless. And his dramatic response was "Santa's here"! "Lets go see him"!!! I just told him if we went to see him, then he might go away. (What else do you say). Anyway, Santa left Jackson a note thanking him for his yummy cookies, and the biggest tractor a 2 year old ever wanted. He was excited about every moment and then excited about going to the grandparents as well for more Christmas fun! Kate enjoyed her first Christmas chewing as much wrapping paper as she could army crawl her way to. Everytime I turned away, she was gagging on a piece stuck in her mouth. Jackson is enjoying her toys as well;)

God is Good

2008-12-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

As most of you have heard, I was involved in a car accident last night that I walked away with by the grace of God. First of all, I am so blessed by how much love and prayer I have received. It means more to me than you will ever know and I have truly felt the comfort of your prayers. Many of you have asked for details, so I will do my best to explain what happened.........I was driving Justin's truck because my car didn't have any gas, and I was already late to a girl's night at a dear friends house. So, getting gas, was the last thing I wanted to do. The weather was better than the night before, but still a little icy on bridges. I was going southbound on hwy 121 when I started to cross a bridge between Alma and Custer that I started to "fishtail". I tried to remember what they teach you to do in that situation, but things got out of control and everything I was trying to do to prevent a wreck, wasn't happening. So once I really got out of control, the truck slid and hit the side of the road, and I proceeded to roll down a muddy embankment where they are currently building the 121 toll. I know I rolled more than once because I felt that one time was too many and I remember praying for the car to stop rolling and it felt like an eternity before it came to a stop upside down. I did not black out and I remember thinking I want my family and I am going to live through this. I released myself from the seatbelt and while panicking, I tried to get out of the truck door. It only opened a few inches and I heard voices running down the hill to come and help. One of the voices was the pastor of Fellowship and I am so thankful to him and his graciousness. He and another girl called 911 and he then called Justin to tell him where I was at. By the grace of God, I walked away from that accident, WALKED, with a small scratch on my ankle that I cannot even really see anymore and a little soreness in my neck and shoulders. I went to Medical Center of Plano for precautionary reasons/x-rays, etc.
I have never felt so uplifted by my friends and family who have been praying and know that God had His hand in the whole thing. I pray that those people who kept looking at me and saying "you're so lucky", realize that it was not luck, but grace. I am so blessed to be at home and so thankful for every second of this day to be able to do laundry and wash bottles, pick up toys, talk to my friends and family on the phone, eat food........I could go on and on.

Side note: (kind of funny, you can laugh) The party I was going to required pajamas and house shoes, in which I felt compelled to explain to the firemen, EMS, police, chief battalion, highway patrolmen, etc that I do not normally wear these kinds of clothes when I drive and I think they all thought I was crazy, but it was a fun idea that I hope to do some other day under different circumstances;)

The Stockings are hung.....

2008-11-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

(a little blurry) Jackson's reaction when he noticed Santa was around.

Jackson's reaction to Santa when he got up close. Not so sure;)

Kate with her new stocking.

Jackson when he got his stocking in the mail just in time for Christmas.

.........by the chimney with care!!! The lights are up and the tree is decorated! We are ready for Christmas before Thanksgiving! I can't help it. It just all goes together for us! We love Thanksgiving and normally, we would put the tree up the weekend after, ............well, who am I kidding? I usually have everything up before, I guess. Justin likes to tell everyone how one year when he was gone on a business trip (before I had kiddos), the weekend before Halloween, he came home and the tree was up. I got a little bored and decided to go ahead. We were trying to sell the house we were in at the time and the next weekend we had a showing and Justin happened to be at the house and he overheard the realtor say, "maybe they keep it up year-round". Well, actually, Justin wanted to say, "my wife is actually a little Christmas crazy"! It's just too much fun!!!

It's November 25th and we've been to a Christmas tree lighting, seen Santa and his reindeer, which by the way, if you haven't been to the new shopping center in Allen, you've got to go. They have the greatest Santa set-up with real reindeer and a little village for the kids to play in. They let us take 2 of our own pics with Santa and the kids and we didn't have to buy their picture. I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of purchasing the $14.95 blurry picture of Santa and the kids.

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for each of our family and friends, our church, my husband, Jackson and Kate, and most of all, God, who is so good to us!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

Halloween Fun!

2008-11-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

The cousins
Our ladybug

Brooke dressed up like she's living in the '80s.

Having some pre-Halloween fun at another fall festival

Jackson, the T-Rex

Carving our pumpkins!

Campout

2008-11-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

The Set-up
Justin, Jackson, Sydney and Carson

The next morning

The City of Allen had a campout for whoever wanted to do so at a nearby park. They showed a movie, played games, bounced in bounce houses and slept in their tents! Justin and Jackson participated in this with their cousins and Uncle Joe. They had so much fun! I went to "help" set up. I took a lot of blankets and made Justin bundle Jackson up because we had just had a cold front come through and it got down into the 40's at night. Kate and I stayed at home in our warm house with Nanna that weekend. Justin said he had been preparing Jackson all evening that they were eventually going to go to sleep in the tent, hoping it would be easy to do so. When Justin went to zip them into their tent, Jackson wasn't so sure, but once they got into their sleeping bags, he was ready to go to sleep. They had a blast!

6 Months

2008-11-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

We've moved out of the carrier and into a "big girl" car seat.

I'm reading ; )

Yes, it's already been 6 months since our little Kate has entered the world! She is learning so much everyday. I had to throw in a picture of her trying some peas. She's quite the messy little eater. She's almost sitting up independently. A boppy helps;) She loves being held (A LOT), loves toys she can put in her mouth, a warm bottle, her mommy and daddy, and especially Jackson. If Jackson is anywhere in sight, she notices and immediatley starts smiling. It doesn't take much, and Jackson will have her laughing hysterically. She gives mommy and daddy "a run for our money" when it comes to getting her to laugh. But, I'm glad she sees her big brother as someone she looks up to and loves so much!

My Little Punkins

2008-10-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

The Hayride

Jackson and his friend Lily Glenn
Amy, Nick and Lily Glenn

It was another fun, fun trip to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm this year! Jackson loves to feed the farm animals. I love getting pictures in the pumpkins of my little 'punkins'. Although, getting two kids to smile at the same time and making eye contact with the camera is almost impossible. Jackson was only interested in feeding the animals, while Kate was distracted by anything that moves. We had a blast with the Glenn family!

Happy Fall Everyone!

Baby Long

2008-10-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce I am going to be an Aunt for the first time and it's a boy!!! My brother Stephen and my sister-in-law Brooke found out today that they are having a boy! His name is Gavin Nicholas and he is supposed to make his debut around the first of March. We can't wait to meet him and I cannot wait to be an aunt and for Jackson and Kate to meet their first cousin! Congratulations Stephen and Brooke!!!!!

Kate's Dedication

2008-10-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we had the priveledge of dedicating Kate to our Lord and Saviour at our church in the presence of our family and church family. In doing this, we have made a commitment to God to teach her throughout her life, with His guidance, about His love and saving grace. And to model our lives in a Christ-like manner that is pleasing to Him and glorifies His name in everything that we do and say, so that we may further His Kingdom. 3 John 1:4 says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." Our prayer is that Kate will one day soon choose to accept Jesus as Lord of her life and will walk in the truth, so that He will have no greater joy.

Festivals and More Festivals

2008-10-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

State Fair
Jackson and this camel are having a staring contest.

Plano Balloon Festival

Kate enjoying the festival!

It always seems like once Fall hits, it's Festival time. Balloon festivals, State Fair, Fall festivals, etc. Lots of fun family time! We do like to try and make it to all of them on our free weekends. Jackson is at such a fun age and really enjoys the ones we go to and we love to hear the word "festi-bal" as part of his vocabulary. We have also decided if you want to know our family on a personal level, just ask Jackson. He tells it all just like it is at our house. Today, when Justin picked him up from his Sunday school class, the teacher proceeds to tell Justin that Jackson was "ironing" in the home center and the teacher asked him if he was ironing like Mommy does. Jackson replied, "No, I'm ironing like Daddy." It's so true. I wish I was better at that job, but as Jackson has observed, apparently, Justin is the one who does the ironing in our house.

Yum, Yum!

2008-10-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

5 months old and we're trying cereal. Most of it ends up on Kate, myself or the bumbo, but she's trying. Kate started sleeping through the night pretty early on, but randomly started waking again recently, so our pediatrician said to try some cereal and it actually worked, or it was definitely coincidental! It's a wonderful thing when your baby sleeps through the night.

Congratulations Ben and Sarah!!!

2008-09-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Waiting among "the question"!
Here comes Ben!
Running to get the ring before Sarah landed.
"Is that for me?"

We're adding another member to our family and we couldn't be more excited! My brother Ben finally proposed to Sarah! We were so honored to be invited to the engagement which was the most exciting engagement I have ever seen! Ben and Sarah recently went skydiving as Ben's birthday present from Sarah, and they loved it so much that Ben decided to propose this way. It started out with Ben and Sarah getting on a plane while we (Justin, me, Jackson, Kate, Brooke, and some of Ben and Sarah's friends) waited in a holding room to run out to the area where they land to lay out the words "will you marry me" made by Ben in his living room with 100 pieces of hot pink poster board. Very creative! Ben jumped first, landed, ran to get the ring from his friend and was waiting for Sarah as she came down saying, "Is that for me"? Her tandem partner replied, "Well it isn't for me"! So much fun and we can't wait to hear all of their plans and for the actual wedding!!! Congratulations Ben and Sarah! We are so excited for the both of you and to have Sarah a part of our family!

Time is flying

2008-08-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Kate is now 4 months old and so much fun! I love this stage! She's so squishy and lovey and smiles all the time even at strangers. She's rolling over both ways and loves tummy time. Everything you hand her or is in her reach goes straight to her mouth. Slobber, slobber everywhere! She has that look in her eyes that she wants our food so bad and really studies Jackson playing. You can almost read her face trying to get to things or wanting to play with Jackson. We love her funny faces!

Did I mention I loooooooove my kids?

2008-08-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Every night we have a bedtime routine of bathing, pajamas and then Jackson picks out a book for us to read and a Bible story. It's one of my most favorite times of the day! Kate lays in bed with us and she listens too! Anyway, this particular night, we were done reading and Justin and I were talking about stuff aside of what the kids were doing and when weren't paying attention, we looked over and Jackson and Kate were cuddling. It was the most adorable thing I have ever seen as their Mommy. Kate didn't even look like she was all that comfortable, but Jackson just held her and didn't let go for several minutes and she let him without fussing. He would just look at her and pat her back and stroke her hair. Sooooooooo sweet! It was definitley a moment for me that I was wishing would have lasted forever. Justin ran to get the camera and just kept snapping away. I love my kids so much! We are so blessed to have so much love in our family! I just hope they stay that close forever. (sidenote: we finally got rid of the paci. we "left it" at home when we went to Nanna and Poppa's. It worked! We're pottytrained and paci-less. The baby days are left to Kate)

The Wiggles

2008-08-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Caroline trying to get a sip of Karen's drink.

Lots of dancing!
Karen and I turned around at one point during the drive home and this is what we saw. So cute!

Karen and Caroline Davis asked Jackson and I to go see the Wiggles in concert! It was a date! Jackson had a blast dancing with Caroline in the isle and singing along to the songs while snacking on one of Jackson's favorite snacks, popcorn. It was our first experience with a live concert for Jackson and he did rather well. There was a lot to see and it was very entertaining, although a little chaotic with kids and their parents everywhere. Funny to watch;)

Like Brother Like Sister

2008-07-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Kate at 3 months
Jackson at 3 months. Any resemblance? Maybe a "roll or two";)
The surprised look, which we get a lot. She's my sensitive child.

Kate is now 3 months old already! She is learning new things so fast and changing all the time. She loves to lay on her stomach and push her head up where she can see everything. She loves Jackson and everytime he talks to her, she gives him the biggest smile and coos. She's learning to blow bubbles as we mimick her, which she gets a kick out of. People keep telling me she has red hair. I'm not sure what gene that came from. We know no one in our families that have red hair. I think it's just a transition from her darker hair to lighter hair. Who knows.

My Little Missionary in Training

2008-07-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

So Justin is getting ready for a medical mission trip to Guatemala next week with the young marrieds in our church. I know what you're thinking and no, Justin will not be performing any medical procedures on any Guatemalans, only a video camera. He will be, however, building stoves for people who live there and need them as their way of living and working. Anyway, Justin had to leave this afternoon to go video and help with packing tubs of medical supplies with the Serving Him group to prepare for their trip. Jackson asked where Daddy was going and I proceeded to explain that Justin was going to a place called Guatemala where he was going to tell people about Jesus and he needed to go and help get ready for his trip. Jackson replied, "I want to go with Daddy and see Jesus." My heart melted.

Be praying for Justin and the Prestonwood young marrieds as they leave Sunday for their trip. Jackson, Kate and I will be going to Lufkin to stay with my parents while taking a little mini vacation to Galveston. I'm sad Justin won't be there, but we look forward to seeing him when he gets home and hearing what he accomplished!

National Cow Day!

2008-07-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

My little Moo Cows.

July 11 was National Cow Day at ChickfilA. They were celebrating CFA's birthday, so in honor of the greatest fast food restaurant, Jackson and Kate dressed like cows for free food! We met the Russ crew and Amy and Lily Glenn to celebrate. All of the kiddos were dressed so cute in their black and white spots. There was birthday cake too! Jackson loved the cow mascots walking around to the tables as everyone was eating. He kept giving high fives and hugs to them. Although he kept calling one of them a 'goat'. I guess we're saving the goats too along with cows with all of the chicken we eat from there;)

Such a fun day! Happy Birthday ChickfilA!

Happy 4th!

2008-07-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Having some fun pool time at the Pedersons!

Cousin Savannah doing her acrobatics.

Sydney and Carson
So Independent.

Maddox swimming with his broken arm all wrapped up.
Kate cuddling with Sarah.

Uncle Stephen taking Jackson fishing.
"Look Daddy".

Uncle Ben and Jackson playing some soccer with the beach ball.
Our cousins, Joel, Jennifer and Baby Ayden.

Daddy and Kate watching the fireworks in the sprinkles.
Jackson narrated the fireworks show for us and everyone around us. "Oh, did you see that", "Woah, that was a big one", and "So colorful."
Kate in her "4th" outfit. (We're missing some red.)
Jackson all suited up and ready to swim.
Mommy and Kate

Fun at Celebrate Freedom

Sarah and Kate in their red, white and blue.
Ben and Jackson in their red and blue.

Our July 4th has been quite the celebration with lots of family. We were invited to the Pizza Hut park Verizon Club for Celebrate Freedom for a dinner buffet, which we enjoyed while under a severe thunderstorm warning. They canceled the concerts and fireworks, while packing the whole stadium in this room that exceeded the fire code. We still enjoyed the dinner with Ben and Sarah and the comedian from the middle east (pretty funny). The comedian did his show about life in America as himself post 911.

On July 4th, we spent the day at the Pedersons for BBQ and swimming. We had so much fun! The kids were so exhausted when we got home, they went straight to bed for the night.

Jackson spent an evening with Uncle Stephen fishing at the ponds by our house. He loved being with Stephen and watching and helping him catch a lot of fish with worms. He's such a boy!

Finally, on Saturday night, Ben, Sarah, Stephen and our cousins Joel, Jennifer and Baby Ayden came over for some dinner and to hang out.

All smiles!

2008-06-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

I did it! I finally got some pictures with smiles. She was smiling like crazy at Justin saying "boo" and I got several. We had her 2 month check up today and she's doing great! She was all smiles at the doctor too until we had to have FOUR SHOTS and a drink of rota virus medicine. I've never seen her cry so much. I cried too. I couldn't help it. Seeing your baby in so much pain is not fun. Praise the Lord she's healthy! I don't know what I would do if I had to take her to the doctor more than I have to already. I'm sure she'll be up to smiling more later, so until then, she's sleeping with a good dose of tylenol.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-23T07:31:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to Daddy! We love you so much!

Justin is one of the greatest dad's ever. He's always playing with one of the kids whenever he's home and always volunteers to watch them while I go run an errand or two. He works all day and then comes home to the three of us and doesn't stop. I couldn't ask for a better father to my babies than Justin.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad and Justin's Dad too!

Swimming at the neighorhood pool

2008-06-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Justin getting an arm workout.

Kate getting her feet wet.
Thanks to floaties and life jackets, Jackson is becoming a little more independent in the pool!

Justin and our cousin Sydney playing tea party under water. Jackson preferred an aerial view.
Cousin Brian shading little Kate from the sun.

We've been to the pool a lot this summer, but only when Justin can go with us. I'm not ready to take a 2 year old and a 2 month old to the pool by myself yet. Usually it's Justin in the pool with Jackson, and Kate and me in the shade taking a little nap. We get Kate in just to get wet, but right back in the shade where she likes it.

I'm 2 months old!

2008-06-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

Kate is now 2 months old and growing so fast. We can't get enough of her! She's really responding to us now with lots of smiles and shrills. She tries so hard to make all kinds of sounds. This picture is the only picture I've gotten with a little smile. It's so hard to catch because they're so quick. We go to the doctor this week for our 2 month check up. I love seeing how she's growing, but I hate that she has to have all those shots. At least we won't ever be sick with polio;)

Summertime!!!

2008-06-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Jackson loves swimming! Now that Kate is here, we are spending a lot of time in the backyard! Getting two kids out and about is something we're all getting used to.

I'm 6 weeks old!

2008-06-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

6 weeks seems like such a milestone in an infant's life. We're already moving up in diaper sizes (as you can see from her healthy little arms), trying to push up during tummy time, giving us smiles here and there in response to us rather than randomly, and best of all, sleeping longer stretches at night!!! For the last few nights, Kate has been waking up once for a feeding and right back to sleep. I couldn't ask for more right now. She tries really hard to coo at us and we're loving every minute of it! Jackson is doing well with her and still wants to love and cuddle her, although for very short intervels. I do wish I could freeze time though. She and Jackson are, as they say, "growing WAY TOO FAST". I wish they were the way the are now forever, although I know there is more to enjoy as they do get older. So bittersweet.

Grandparents and Great Grandparents

2008-05-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

Kate meeting her Grandfather, Pawpaw Mac (Justin's Dad).

Kate meeting her Great Grandmother, Memaw Dunkin, at a family reunion. Also, a picture of 4 generations.
Poppa and Jackson
Nanna and Kate
Kate's Great Grandfather, Pawpaw Dunkin
Kate meeting her Great Grandmother, "Granny", Justin's Grandmother.

Kate has met most of her family, including 3 great grandparents, and another one to meet very soon. We are so thankful for family!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

I realize I'm a bit late in posting this, but I love being a Mommy! It's something I've always wanted to be. For Mother's Day, Justin took me, Jackson and Kate to Cheesecake Factory for brunch. It was a great way to celebrate and couldn't have been more perfect than with my babies. Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, my Grandmothers and all who are Mommies!

More pics

2008-05-08T10:17:00.001-07:00

Enjoying a yummy ice cream cone!
All clean.

Jackson helping Mommy make a birthday cake. He had to test it for us.

At Home

2008-04-25T06:37:00.001-07:00

Sweet Big Brother
We're home!
I have to keep a blanket on her swing to weigh it down so it doesn't go crazy.
Peeking at Kate taking a nap.
Going back to the doctor to make sure our jaundice is going away.
One of the few moments I'm awake.

She's Here!!!!

2008-04-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

7:00a.m.
Proud Grandparents
The Big Brother meeting his new baby sister.
Our new family.
Going Home

Kate Elizabeth McAdams made her appearance Sunday, April 20th early in the morning at 7:00am. My c-sect wasn't scheduled until this Friday, 25th, but we are so excited she came sooner. She weighed 8lb. 10oz. and was 20 3/4 in long. She's a healthy little girl! We are so in love as well as her big brother. He loves on her all the time and can't wait to hold her and put (shove) a paci in her mouth. I know he's going to be a big helper and sweet big brother. He loves to show her off. We came home today (April 23rd) around 1:00. Her favorite activities are eating and sleeping as I'm sure she will continue to do for a little while. Can't wait for everyone to see her!

McAdams' Family Pics

2008-04-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

These are a few pictures taken by our sweet friend Matt Davis. We wanted some family pictures while I was still pregnant and some 2 year pictures of Jackson. We can't wait to take some with our new family of 4 when baby Kate arrives! She will be here very soon!!!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Brinley Russ

Weekend at the Grandparents

2008-03-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

Justin, Jackson and Poppa
Helping Poppa

Such a big boy.
Watching his Poppa real a fish in.

Jackson's first dyed Easter egg experience!
Playing t-ball with his Poppa.
So tired from all of the Easter fun!

This post, I know, is long overdue. I missed posting pics of Valentine's day, the snow days, etc., so here goes our weekend with the grandparents in our hometown of Lufkin.

It was a pre-Easter weekend with Justin's dad, my parents and my grandparents, since we'll be in Dallas this year for Easter. Jackson dyed his first Easter eggs with his Nanna and we had a practice run with finding them. He is so into hunting for the Easter eggs and that makes it so much more fun! He even had his first fishing experience at Pawpaw Mac's house (Justin's dad). He was so excited to see the fish and his Mommy caught her first fish ever on accident. Maybe I'm just a natural at this new sport. Anyway, it was a great weekend and we always love a visit with the grandparents!

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2008-01-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

Our Big 2 year old!

Jackson's reaction to putting out his candle with his fingers. I guess we forgot to practice this part before the party.

Jackson freezing with his friends during a fun song.

I can't believe 2 years has passed since you were born! I feel like life has flashed before my eyes and is only getting faster. You teach us so much everyday and we love watching you grow and learn knew things. You love trucks, tractors, cars, snacks, playing outside, friends to play with, and being silly. Your daddy and I want to enjoy every moment we have with you and watch you grow into the precious man that you will be. We look forward to you being a big brother soon and know you will love your little sister. God has blessed us beyond what we could have imagined having you in our life. We love you so much! Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

Christmas

2007-12-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

Jackson playing with a few of his Christmas toys.

Playing a little football
Uncle Stephen and Jackson
More football

Nanna and Mommy
Train ride at the Lufkin zoo.
Sarah, Aunt B and Jackson
Christmas was a blast this year! Being with family is the best and that's just what we did. Jackson was very interested in his presents this year, which made it a lot of fun for us. He loved opening and then actually playing with his toys instead of just the paper and the boxes like last year. We spent our time in our hometown of Lufkin with my brothers Stephen and Ben, sister-in-law Brooke, our sweet friend Sarah, my Mom and Dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We are so blessed to have such an incredible, fun family.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cookies for Santa

2007-12-20T20:15:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year!

2007-12-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

Justin and Jackson at the Neiman Marcus Parade. Only Jackson could see the action. It was crowded.
The Lighting of the Christmas Tree at Prestonwood!
Jackson and his buddy Mason, sharing cookies at Dinner at Bethlehem.
Dinner at Bethlehem

It's my most favorite time of the year! I'm so thankful for Jesus' birth. How amazing is it that He came to this earth as a human to live life and die to save us. Wow! I look forward to many Christmas' to share with my family and what an honor and privelege it is to share Jesus and this wonderful time of year with friends and family. Merry Christmas!

Baby Girl McAdams!!!

2007-12-13T18:38:00.001-08:00

Here she is! Cute as ever! We still can't believe we're having a girl. We're trying to get used to saying 'she', 'her', etc. I went shopping as soon as we found out and bought a dress to hang in "her" closet. Now all I need is some tights, shoes, a cute bow, and............. I'm sure I'm missing some other accessory. We can't wait to welcome her home!

Awaiting Blogger

2007-12-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are keeping me accountable to blogging, I have figured out there is something wrong with my computer and blogger. It will not allow me to post new postings from my personal computer, so until I figure out the problem, new postings are soon to follow, I promise. There's so much to post during this time of year! Hope everyone is having a blessed Christmas season! It's my most favorite time of the year!

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Cousins Carson, Maddox, and Sydney

All suited up!

Jackson getting used to the whole trick or treat idea.
Didn't let go of that popcorn!

We had a full night last night with Jackson. We began the night trick or treating with our cousins, the Pedersons. They showed Jackson the ropes because they're pros at this. At first Jackson would walk up to the door with the kids and as soon as the person would answer, he would take off running the other way. He didn't know who they were and what they were doing. Once he got used to the idea that these strangers put candy in your bucket, he liked trick or treating. He would say "ticker teat". After a few houses, we took off to the annual Prestonwood Fall Festival. There were a lot of people and a lot of fun activities to do! When Jackson saw many of the booths, he would say "ooh". Jackson's favorite activity was the bounce houses. He could bounce forever! Unfortunately, my camera did not take good pictures at the festival and we took many cute ones with our friends. So, friends, if you have some you would like to send our way, we would love to see them.

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm this morning with the Russ family. We had so much fun feeding the farm animals, taking countless pictures in the pumpkins and riding the hay ride. Jackson loved every minute of it!

Cowboy Fan

2007-10-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the bank just to meet Terence Newman, the cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys. He was signing autographs as marketing for this branch. Before he came to the table to sign, we were waiting in line with Jackson. The only way we could keep him in line with us was with a tootsie roll pop they had at the bank. He had it all over him, but we didn't care as long as he stayed with us. Bribery is okay when you're trying to keep your kid safe, right? Anyway, as we were waiting, Jackson broke out into a dance from the music playing in which Terence joined in when he came back to the table to sign. Very cute. Once we reached the table for an autograph, we asked to take a picture with Jackson and Terence. I warned Terence that Jackson was sticky from the candy. He then asked, "Did you say stinky or sticky"? Embarrassingly, I answered sticky. I hope he would not think that I would put my stinky baby up next to him.

Our Little Peanut

2007-10-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

Friday was our first doctor's appointment and we finally got to see our little peanut. I was 9 weeks and the baby is an inch long. I find myself comparing objects to its size, like grapes, coins, etc. Whatever I come across that is an inch long. It's so crazy to think that little blob with a heartbeat we were seeing is going to be a baby at home with us in no time. We could see little nubs where its arms and legs are growing and a little bit of squirming around. That made me laugh a little. The due date is May 3, but he/she will be here around the last week of April because of having a c-section.

When we ask Jackson where the baby is, he proceeds to lift up Mommy's shirt and point to her belly. A little awkward when someone asks in public;)

First Day of School

2007-09-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

At home sick on the first day of school
Feeling better for the "next" first day of school

Jackson started his first day of CLC at Prestonwood this week. His real first day was supposed to be last week, but unfortunatley he got sick. For his first day picture, he chose not to wear his backpack. Instead he preferred to pose next to it and his napmat, in which Mommy had to later carry. I think that goes against the purpose in a backpack. Oh well, maybe he'll get used to it.

Happy Birthday Justin!!!

2007-09-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late in posting this, but Justin celebrated the big 3-0 on September 8th! He is now in his 30's ;) No longer twenty something, as I usually remind him. I think we all think we're always going to be "20 something", but somehow we surpass that and 30 doesn't seem as old as we once used to think. Although, I still have a few more years to enjoy the "prime" of life in my twenties, right? We celebrated at Babe's for dinner, our favorite and then topped it all off with some chocolate birthday cake at home with family. Fun times!

(This is the only picture I took and I took it at the very end of the day, right before Jackson went to bed, because I had forgotten to take one all day.)

Happy Birthday Justin! I love you! Love, Melissa

Jackson Has An Announcement

2007-08-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right! Jackson is going to be a big brother! As you can tell from Jackson's face, he just can't contain himself. (Actually, he has no idea what we're talking about, but it's fun to try and explain there's a baby coming, to a 19 month old.) We are all so excited. It's still pretty early, but we just couldn't wait to share the news. The due date is somewhere around the first of May.

Party Time

2007-08-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

CHEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZE!

Maddox and Jackson bounce, bounce, and bounce some more!

Happy Birthday Carson!!!

We celebrated our cousin Carson's 6th birthday at ASI Gymnastics today! It was so much fun! Jackson was everywhere. He was the youngest attendee and tried to keep up with the games and rules as much as an 18 month old can keep up. He loved the trampolines. I think we need one for our backyard. Who doesn't love a trampoline?

My favorite picture of all is the "cheese picture". Jackson knows how to smile for the camera now. It sounds more like "teeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzze".

Summertime Fun

2007-08-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

If it involves play, mostly outdoors, count Jackson in. He is everywhere these days! Little Gym, swimming, or playing in the sandbox are all new loves in Jackson's life. He definitely keeps us on our toes!

Birth to 18 mo.

2007-07-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Okay............I have finally decided I am going to do this. I am going to document our lives (mostly Jackson's life) to the world. I do love showing pictures of our Jackson, so I guess this is the way to do it! I have started with a few of my favorite pics (so hard to choose from the 1000's) from birth until now. Our sweet little man, Jackson Bryce was born on January 20th, 2006 and is now 18 months old. Wow, how time really does go by so fast! We can hardly believe we have a toddler now and not a baby anymore. I am still in awe of this incredible blessing God has given us.