Thanksgiving

Lilly Claire's 1st Thanksgiving

Jackson, Googie and Savannah Grace

Googie helped them make pilgrim hats

Jody was on-call this Thanksgiving, so we had to stay in town. We actually ate steak and baked potatoes on Thanksgiving, because we kind of like that better than turkey! And...it just didn't feel like Thanksgiving without our extended family around. However, Googie came to our rescue! She came to visit for the weekend after Thanksgiving and cooked a full turkey and dressing meal! Soooo Good! Thanks, Googie!

Jackson's Kindergarten Thanksgiving Program

Jackson and classmate Austin

Tate and Jackson

"The Boys"

Thomas, Tate, Ethan, Jackson, Liam, Lucas

Pilgrims and Indians

Jackson dressed up as an indian for his Thanksgiving program at school. They sang songs and said memory verses. Jackson's solo part was "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1" Fabulous!

Santa's Coming To Town!

Savannah Grace

Savannah Grace and Chloe

Savannah Grace, Emma and Brayli

Every year, Savannah Grace's dance studio performs at the mall and then Santa shows up! This year, Savannah Grace's class did a tap dance to "Holly Jolly Christmas". I've told Savannah Grace several times in the past few weeks that it is so much fun for me to get to "doll her up". She is such a precious little "girly-girl." Before the performance, we went and had her nails done...white with green polka-dots...to match her costume. Then, we went and had her hair done. So fun!

No more Bees Please....

Today, Savannah Grace, Lilly Claire and I went to the park for a picnic lunch. Not long after we were eating our sandwiches, a bee started flying around us. We were just ignoring the bee and enjoying ourselves. Then, all of a sudden there was a TERRIBLE taste in my mouth! Then, my tongue started hurting SO BAD! I started spitting my food out as fast as I could and when I looked down...there was a very dead bee. I somehow ate the bee and it stung me on the tongue! It was the kind of pain that I couldn't scream, cry or make a sound. I just sat there and tried to bear it for my girls sake. However, Savannah Grace was very aware of the amount of pain I was in, probably because I was gulping her drink and moaning. She started crying and put her lunch up. She said, "I don't want to play at the park today, let's go." We quickly threw the lunches in the trash and headed to the car. We got in and I looked at my tongue in the mirror and seriously...one side of my tongue was having a seizure! The weirdest thing I've ever seen. I then call Jody at work to tell him about my seizing tongue and I quickly realize I can hardly speak! My words were slurred and my tongue was swelling!!! Jody mumbled something about...did I feel a sense of impending doom? What?!!! Who knew " a sense of impending doom" is a real medical term. In other words, did I feel like I might die or something? Not really, I just felt like my tongue was a little chunky. Anyway, I did survive the ordeal and boy did Savannah Grace and I have a story to tell Jackson when we picked him up....Mommy ate a bee for lunch.

And, just in case you were wondering...bees taste like a very nasty form of nectar. :)

Sarah Palin Dolls

The Sarah Palin dolls arrived...a little late! Not too late, however, for my girls to grow up understanding that they can strive to achieve ANYTHING they want to be when they grow up! As of the last asking, Savannah Grace wants to be a mommy when she grows up. I couldn't be more proud.

Texas Tech....Go Red Raiders!

Savannah Grace and Chloe

Savannah Grace, Lilly Claire and Jackson

After the Raiders beat UT last week, we decided we just had to go and visit Uncle Wil this weekend...and go to the football game against OSU. We sometimes make decisions like this on a whim, not really thinking long and hard about the fact that we have a 3-year-old little girl, who only likes "girl stuff"... as well as a 7-month-old. It really doesn't matter that we don't think long and hard about this kind of stuff, because we would have decided to go anyway, that is just the kind of parents we are. All that said, to say, we did travel to Lubbock on Saturday and we did make it to the game, but we left at half time. Savannah Grace was asleep before the first play of the first quarter. Lilly Claire was fine, it was just cold and crowded, and neither of those go over well with a baby that needs to be nursed! Jackson's buddy, Lucas, and his dad went to the game with us, as did Grandfather and Uncle Bert. We got to visit with Uncle Wil, who is a freshman at Tech this year. We are so proud of him! And...Tech beat OSU!

We also got to visit with Uncle Jim (Hootie's brother) and some of his family. Joan (Jen's 2nd cousin) is always a riot with all of her kids! Savannah Grace and Chloe (Savannah Grace's 4th cousin??) are so precious together! Both times we have been to Lubbock this year, that family is SO welcoming and hospitable. They offer a true sense of family...I haven't seen them is probably 25 years, and it seems that we've known eachother forever.

Jackson's 1st Lost Tooth

Jackson lost his first tooth on Friday morning! He was attempting to get a knot out of his shoestring...and the tooth just about fell out. Hysteria pretty much followed, but after a minute or two, Jackson was able to pull the tooth all the way out..by himself! The toothfairy was generous...5 gold coins and a pack of baseball cards! The tooth traveled to school with Jackson on Friday, he couldn't wait to show it off to his buddies. He also gave one of his gold coins to his buddy, Tate.

Soccer Season

The Cowboys

Jody and Jackson

Jackson and Tate

Jackson's last soccer game was Saturday, and what a great season it was! His best friend, Tate, was on the team this year and that made it a year to remember. Jody coached the team, which consisted of players Brennan, Ethan, Landson S., Landon D., Jackson, and Tate. Jackson scored lots of goals this year, and as always, we simply couldn't be prouder of the effort he puts forth. Even more importantly, he is a great team player! Go Cowboys!

McCain and Able

We are a proud American family, and as parents we hope to instill a sense of pride, patriotism and responsibility in our kids. We hosted an Election Watching Party with some of our closest friends, both democrat and republican. While the election didn't turn out the way we had hoped, the evening was great fun!

I asked Jackson a few weeks ago if they had been discussing the election at school and his answer was "no". However, I pushed a little more and said, "you know, McCain and Obama, running for president?" He said, "You mean McCain and Able?" I guess that Christian education is paying off. Hmmm.

A Halloween to Remember

Our sick little guy.

Savannah Grace and Sarah.

Jason, SG, Sarah, and Jackson. This was the only house Jackson could make it to.

Our Little Zebra

The Witches

Both Jackson and Savannah Grace were sick with strep throat on Halloween! After a good nap and some antibiotics, Savannah Grace was good to go when it came time to go trick or treating. However, Jackson was down for the count. We had invited some families over to chill out in our front yard for the evening, and everyone still came...even though the kiddos weren't feeling good. The Swans, the Williams, and the Coles all came over. We brought Jackson's Dallas Cowboys recliner out into the yard and he basically laid there all evening. All the mommies dressed up as witches and we had wine and cheese around a table in the driveway. The Daddies took the kids trick-or-treating. Jackson's friend, Jason, carried two buckets...one for himself and one for his "sick friend". What a great little guy! Jackson was all better on Saturday morning...he even scored a goal in his soccer game. Must have been the candy.

Our Little Pumpkins

Every year, the night before Halloween, we carve a pumpkin for each member of our family. Mommy can carve a pumpkin in like 5 minutes! Daddy, well, lets put it this way, he carved the Mickey Mouse pumpkin by hand. Jackson doesn't like touching the gooey stuff and Savannah Grace can't get enough of it! Lilly Claire, well, she slept thru the evenings events.

Flag Football

Today was Jackson's last flag football game. He is playing in the Upwards League thru our church. He is in Kindergarten and his team consisted of K-1st graders. What a great season it was! His team mates were Devin, Isaac, Daniel, Dustin, and Nicholas. His coaches were Coach Mark and Coach Cruz. Jackson scored a touchdown on the very first play of the very first game! Must be that lucky #13...that was Jody's number all through school! We are so proud of Jackson and the 100% effort that he always puts forth. Way to go, Jaguars!

2nd Annual Costume Party

Last night, we hosted our 2nd Annual Halloween Costume Party. This year, we held it at the Elves Pumpkin Patch. What a great time we all had! We had about 120 guests and I really enjoyed getting to hang out with Jackson's new friends from school and their parents! What precious families! The party consisted of tons of food, family portraits, a Maze, hayrides to the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin, decorating pumpkins with stick on faces, a costume contest and a great magic show! Several of the parents went all out with their costumes, which made the night even that much more fun. I dressed up as Cruella DeVille and Lilly Claire was a sweet little dalmation. Jody was batman...trying to be supercool for the kindergarten boys. Savannah Grace was a zebra, in the custest tutu costume I think I've ever seen, and Jackson was darth vader.

Ballet Starts!

Wow, we are busy around here! We have packed out the calendar this fall with all sorts of fun stuff...soccer, football, gymnastics, AWANAS, ballet, tap, and competition dance. Life is really fun these days and I get so much joy from watching the kids do something they truly enjoy. The extra-curricular activities are now in full swing, with ballet starting yesterday. This is Savannah Grace's 2nd year of dance at Kristina's and she absoulutely loves it! Savannah Grace's best friend, Sarah, is in her class again and they kind of remind me of the girls in the Gigi books. Two little princesses...for sure! Jackson has a great time in the waiting room for the hour that we wait on Savannah Grace. His buddy, Jason, who is also Sarah's brother, is there, and they simply disappear with their coveted Nintendo DS's. Mondays at ballet are great for mom, too. It is Mommy Central in that small little waiting room, and I love the adult chit chat that goes on! Lilly Claire enjoys being held for an entire hour...and all the attention she gets. It is so funny to think that for the entire year of ballet last year, I was pregnant with her.