"I've Been Here Before....and This Place is WILD!" -SG

Feeding the Camels

Our Red Cow named Mike Lusk

Jackson

Savannah Grace....I don't know where she learned to pose like that!

Or like that!

Sisters

Up Close and Personal at Arbuckle Wilderness

Lilly Claire loving the view from the car seat

Arbuckle Wilderness! I absolutely love going to the drive thru safari of Arbuckle Wilderness. We have been about 5 or 6 times and every single time, I laugh and laugh and laugh. It's just good fun! Grandfather, Nee Nee, and Uncle Wil were visiting on Memorial Day Weekend, and I woke up with a great idea of heading up to my favorite place. Jody and the others had never been there, since the kids and I usually go there during the weekdays of summer while Jody is at work. Ooooh, were they in for a treat! Who wouldn't love longhorns, giraffes and emus eating out of your hand? Well, it turns out that not that many people in my family enjoy it so much. But, all in all, we had a fabulous time and once again, I laughed and laughed and laughed....even after the emu tried to eat my finger and I thru animal food all over the car to get away from it.

School's Out for the Summer!

Balloons on the mailbox for the last day of school!

Yummy Cupcakes for the after school party

Chik-fil-A for lunch!

Party Time!

Bubbles!

The Boys won the Water Balloon Fight!

Looking for Bugs or Clover Leaves during the Scavenger hunt

Lilly Claire loves Parties!

Lucas

Last Friday was Jackson's last day of kindergarten! I can't believe he is a 1st grader...or at least that is what he says. We'll have to get his last report card to make sure he passed. :) It was a good, busy year. This is what our weekly schedule looked like:

Monday: Jackson rode to SG's dance class from school with Mrs. Stickley. After dance, we would often go to Strokes for a baseball lesson with Stuart.

Tuesday: Dad would pick Jackson up from school and take him to Kumon and then we would all meet up at regular baseball practice or a baseball game.

Wednesday: Mom would meet Lucas' mom for breakfast every Wednesday to catch up on our boys. After school, Lucas rode with us to gymnastics and then AWANAs.

Thursday: Kumon, a baseball lesson at Strokes and then on to baseball practice. We usually went out to eat with the Rehmets after baseball practice.

Friday: Piano lessons right after school and then sometimes we would go to the Rehmets to play for a little while. We often went out to eat on Friday nights with the Williams'.

To celebrate summer, I put balloons on the mailbox...a last day of school tradition and we had a big after school party....another tradition. We had a water balloon fight, an outdoor scavenger hunt, the bubble machine was going and we had the big waterslide out. It was a blast!

Jackson's last day of school was definately a day of reflection for me. I was remembering back to last year, on his last day of pre-school. We had gone to IHOP for breakfast before school and I coudn't quit crying. I couldn't even order for myself because I was crying so hard. I didn't want him to grow up! I was also reminded of New Year's Eve 2008. We were at the Cinderella Castle in Disney World on New Years at midnight and Jackson started crying hysterically. When he was finally able to speak, he said, "I don't want it to be 2009...2008 was so great!" I just hugged him and told him, "2009 is going to be great too!" And it has been.

Cardinals Win it All!

Jackson and his "Player of the Game" ball

Lilly Claire, Tate and Jackson

Houston and Savannah Grace

Jackson and Mommy...Jackson thought my shirt was so cool...it said "Jackson's Mom"

Coach Chris all geared up for the game

End of the Season Party at the Gowan's Ranch

Jackson's 5-6 year old baseball team came in 1st place in the league for the season! The team went undefeated, and their record was 10-0-2. Jackson hit 17 homeruns and scored 27 points this year.

The highlight of the year...and their were plenty for a proud mom...had to be the very last game. Our team was losing and it was the last inning. We were down by 3 and Jackson got up to bat. He hit a homerun to tie the game! We ended up tying the game against the other team which used a "Tee" and rolled the ball to 1st base instead of throwing it! Jackson came thru under pressure and allowed his team to go undefeated for the season. I was so proud of him.

Another "Hmmmm" Post

Savannah Grace is wearing just an apron as she does some projects in the craft room. I guess she doesn't want to get paint on her belly button?

My SuperKids

Jackson dressed as "Sal"
Here is the real Sal

My SuperKids

Jackson's kindergarten class has been following a reading curriculum called SuperKids this year. The curriculum includes about 12 different characters. They have learned songs and read books all pertaining to the Superkids. Anyway, as school comes to a close, they decided to let the kids dress up as their favorite superkid. Jackson chose Sal...the guy who loves all things sports. I think he looks just like Sal....all the way down to the green jeans and converse shoes!

A New Do

Lilly Claire sported her first ponytail tonite!

Happy Busdriver Day to Me!

Tommorrow is Mother's Day, and this year is turning out to be pretty special. Jackson and Savannah Grace have been making me cards and presents all week long, and they have inherited a trait from me, that early presents make better presents! The cards have been so precious...lots of "mommy, I love you" stuff going on around our house the past few days. Jody took all three kids shopping this morning and as soon as they left, I climbed back in bed and caught up on my shows. I love Tevo!! And I love double doses of Oprah, Greys Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and Little Miss Perfect. As soon as they returned from shopping, Savannah Grace ran immediately to me and told me what they had bought. Man, I love that little girl!

I feel very, very blessed this year. My babies are healthy, happy, and they are each thriving in their own little ways.

Jackson, being the almost 1st grader that he is, is such a good boy. He is thoughtful of others, a good friend to his buddies, an awesome big brother, and lately he is becoming more of a momma's boy than in the past. The past couple of years, he has been all about dad. I have done my best to encourage that relationship, and not feel too hurt, but it is hard when dad is always first choice. But lately, bubba wants his mom. He asks me before every baseball game if I'm going to be the dugout mom. He constantly wants to be in the same room of the house that I'm in... including the itty bitty potty one. Lovely. He wants me to play basketball with him outside after school...this is probably because I'm really close to his level. He always looks for my eye contact when he's made a good hit...whether its baseball practice or a real game. I know that this momma's boy stuff will come and go, but right now, I'm really savoring it.

Savannah Grace...well, she is something else. I can't even put into words accurately how happy I am that she is who she is. I just absolutely adore her. She is everything that I ever dreamed having a little girl would be. I just want to be the best mommy I can for her! She is so strong willed and emotional. She needs a lot of verbal affirmation. She is definately a middle child, but she is also the squeaky wheel! She loves to make up dances and put on shows, she is always bring me the fingernail polish and wanting a manicure. She wants to practice piano everyday, but always ends her practice by playing with her toes. She lets me dress her in all the ruffles and bows that I can possibly get away with! She is a beautiful, wonderful daughter and I am so happy that God chose me to be her mom.

Lilly Claire...just the thought of her makes me smile. She will always be my baby girl. She is the one that I spend most of the day with, and we are definatly buddies. My favorite part of the day is walking into her room after her nap, she is just so happy to see me. She isn't much of a cuddle bug these days, her feet and legs are moving 90 miles a minute....even though she's not walking yet. When I pick her up, her legs just go back and forth so fast! She's like..."let me down, I've got some exploring to do." Although I doll her up with bows and cute shoes and ruffly socks, she takes it all off the minute I turn my head. I always put the bow back on and tell her it's part of her head.

The past few months, I often refer to myself as the busdriver. That is pretty much what I do...drive the kiddos around to their respective activities. I read an article that my preacher wrote for the church newsletter the other day and it has really stuck with me, while I sit at dance or gymnastics, or baseball practice, or piano, or kumon, or in the pick-up line at school. The article said that real blessings happen in the margins. For example, it's not necessarily the dance performance of Savannah Grace's that is the biggest blessing, it is the hour beforehand that is just mommy daughter time, getting her ready. It's not really about getting to baseball practice on time now, it's about geting there a little early so just Jackson and I can play catch on the field...or making him feel that it's ok that he forgot his glove and we have to drive all the way back home to get it! Those are the moments that count, not all the "stuff" I pack into their lives. I am trying so hard not to waste those "to and from" moments or the "getting ready" moments, because those might be the moments that really count. These 3 children and husband of mine, mean the entire world to me. I just hope that I can be what they need and what they deserve.

Rain, RoughRiders, and a Really Good Time

Ethan W., Katie, Nicklas, Elizabeth, Tate, Jackson, Savannah Grace, Houston, Lucas, Isaac, Ethan S., Isabella, Ellie
Nicklas would not look at Aunt Jen for a pic!

Roxann, MaMaw, Googie, Rosana

Rosana and Jen

Some of the Besties

Ellie, Savannah Grace, Houston

Tate, Isaac, Jackson, Ethan, Lucas, Houston, Savannah Grace sitting on the balcony of the suite

This past weekend, we headed down to Frisco, along with 25 friends and family to celebrate Jackson's 6th birthday...yes, a little late. We had reserved "Leslie's Pool Zone" at the Frisco Roughriders baseball game. It is a heated pool in the outfield, with all you can eat freshly grilled burgers and hotdogs, watermelon, cookies, chips and drinks. We were Soooooo looking forward to this weekend.

However, sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate with my big plans. It POURED down rain all day on Saturday. By the way, it did stop long enough for Jackson's baseball game. They won 5-4 and Jackson made two outs by throwing the ball to the 1st baseman. Yay, Jackson!

Anyway, back to the party...the weather on Saturday was just disastrous for a pool party and baseball game. There was thunder and lighting and tornado warnings, and cold temperatures, and just yuck all the way around. However, all of the friends and family that were coming had planned to stay at the Embassy Suites, and since it was too late to cancel the hotel rooms, everyone just came on. Jody and I called the Roughriders ticket office probably 10 times, asking if they had cancelled the game, and "no" was always the answer. So, right on schedule, in drizzling cold rain, we all met in the lobby, signed our waivers, and walked hand in hand over to the baseball stadium. It was only slightly drizzling and so as soon as we made it to the pool area, we let the kids jump in. They had a blast! Those six year old boys and all of the siblings and cousins really had a great time...for like 20 minutes!

Then, it began lighting again and we had to clear the pool. They said there was an hour rain delay, and then it started pouring again. They herded us to a covered area, next to the bathrooms. Lovely. Jackson opened his gifts and then we just stood there wondering what to do next. The RoughRiders sales team came and offered to let us stay in a suite until the weather cleared up. So, we headed...thru the pouring rain...to a upper deck suite with a balcony. I'm telling you, we had a fabulous time up in that suite. The kids ran around and played, the cameras videoed the adults in our party dancing and put it up on the big screen, they cooked food and brought it to us, we had birthday cake, the men watched the mavericks game, and Lilly Claire tried to take her first steps. It was just fun. They ended up canceling the game, and so we were able to reschedule the pool zone for later in the summer...I'm thinking a back to school bash. We headed back to the hotel and let the kids swim in the heated, INDOOR pool!

I would like to thank our friends the Lira's, Rehmet's, Selz, and all of our family who made the long trek to Frisco and helped to make the evening fun, despite the circumstances. Ya'll are the best!

Lilly Claire trying to walk in the RoughRider's Suite...