One sign that Spring has sprung is the arrival of baseball season. Saturday we watched my nephew, Trace, play several games in a season opening tournament. Z loved being at the ball field and playing with his cousins and buddies. T attended one early morning game, but went home with KK to get a good nap. Hooray for Grandmas who live in town and are willing to take the baby off my hands!:)
March 31, 2008
Spring is here
Tea Time
Z's school hosted a tea party for friends and family on Saturday. The kids were instructed to wear their "best tea party attire" and they looked so PRECIOUS! They took great pride in serving their guests. Z was a busy server with his mom, dad, brother, all three grandmothers, his Granny-Great, 4 cousins and an aunt attending. We were so glad that they could all be apart of this special day.
Z taking KK to her assigned table
Serving Aunt Vicki
Cutest waiter I've ever seen!
Squeezed between two grandmothers
I must add this little sidenote:
I bought this adorable seersucker sportcoat for Z to wear on Easter. He refused to wear it and wore something else. I was more prepared this go round. When we woke up on Saturday morning I showed Z the inside pocket of his coat. I told him that he could take his pocket knife in that special pocket and no one would ever know that it was there. It would be our little secret. It totally worked! He wore his jacket armed with knife proudly. I am not ashamed at my bribing tactics. Nor am I ashamed that my child took an instrument sure to get him kicked out of a public school. He looked super cute in his get-up...goal achieved!
March 30, 2008
Officially a TEENAGER
I don't recall a 3 tiered cake on my 13th! I think my first tiered cake was at my wedding!
Jeni and her big brother, Thomas
Brandon got asked to dance with the birthday girl
Chaperones
Superstar of the night...see point #3 below for more on this little "Eminem"
Macarena performance...this was one of the only line dances that was from our time!
Friday night Brandon and I attended Jeni's 13th birthday bash. I think the kids had a blast dancing and we danced a little, too. It was very entertaining to watch the kids and here are some lessons we took away from our night with the kids.
1. It is okay to dance with a boy, but never your own boyfriend. In fact, you really shouldn't ever interact with your boyfriend. No eye contact, no smiles and definitely NO conversation.
2. Dragging your older cousins, siblings, or parents on to the dance floor is acceptable, but once there, you must be totally embarrassed that the older relative is actually dancing. Laughing at the family member's dancing is necessary so that your friends know just how uncool you view your family.
3. Even if you are an 85-pound-white-boy-with-no-rhythm, grabbing the mike and rapping tunes written out on notebook paper makes you a superstar among 13 year olds. Starting over several times due to mess-ups does not make you any less awesome.
4. While slow dancing with a member of the opposite sex, you must keep your elbows firmly locked so that your bodies never come closer than arms length. Throughout the entire song, you should not ever make eye contact or speak with your dance partner. Your feet must step touch, step touch, step touch. Listening for the song's beat is not necessary, you can pick your own tempo so long as you do not deviate from the step touch choreography.
5. If all the boys are taken, dance with one of your girlfriends. This is much better than sitting out which, by the way, seems to be a thing of the past.
6. NEVER, I repeat, NEVER go to the bathroom alone!
7. Make sure you check your cell phone between every song and, for good measure, a few times during each song. It doesn't matter that everyone you know is on the dance floor with you...you could miss an important text--which is dreadful to even imagine.
8. Singing along word for word to songs that have very inappropriate lyrics is fine--even with your parents watching. When one over protective cousin (BRANDON!) points this out and explains the lyrics to your clueless parents, you can totally deny that you ever did such and act totally innocent and oblivious to any such behavior!
And finally...
9. I never want to relive those akward years!
March 27, 2008
My little love
Today my T is 20 months old. He is beginning to really talk. His vocabulary has really grown in the past month or so, but what he can't say in words, he makes very clear in other ways. T adores is big brother and mimics every thing that he does...good or bad. He thinks he is as big as his older brother and gets very upset when he is not able or allowed to do just as Z does.
He is a fiesty little guy---can't imagine where he gets that! The other day my boys were on the trampoline with their two cousins--ages 7 and 3. Katie, the three year old, came inside and asked her mother to get T off the trampoline because he was playing too rough! We were so cracked up that the smallest one was the one causing the issues!
I cannot remember life without my sweet baby boy. He is absolutely precious and I thank God everyday that I get to be his mom. He has added so much joy to our little family.
Kyla Sue
Today I had lunch with one of my all time favorite people. Kyla and I worked together in Dallas for two different companies and we had so much fun. We are both retired retailers and full time mommies at present.
This was the first time I had seen her precious Isabella and Ava Marie had grown so much since our last visit. Hopefully our visits won't be so far apart now that we live closer.
Kyla with her cute girls
Ava Marie
Isabella
Mr. Potato Head bought us a lot of chatting time!
BTW, Kyla Sue is not her real name. Her name is Kyla Marie, I think, but I have always called her "Kyla Sue." Don't know why...
March 25, 2008
Experienced Rocker
When I got back after running errands the other day in Longview, this is what I found. This little boy knows the lap of an experienced rocker when he sees one. This particular rocker has rocked and sang to 3 daughters, 8 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren (T's the youngest). She is a patter...you've seen them. They rock and pat...sometimes so hard that you wonder if the child fell asleep or passed out from the beating! I have to admit, when I have a fussy child on my hands, I give Granny's philosophy a try and it usually works.
She also sings songs that no one outside our family has ever heard. We all know them. When Brandon hears me singing about the "mustard spilling", he laughs because he knows that I am singing one of our family's made-up songs. It's hilarious that we can all sing them. One day I was singing to T and my nephew overheard, he started singing along with me. Granny says she learned it from her mother, so we know that the tunes have been heard for at least five generations. Even if the song makes no sense at all, I think that's pretty special!
Date with a cutie
Z and I had a picnic lunch date while little brother was sleeping one day last week. It was such a sweet time, sitting in the warm sun, listening to my little guy talk nonstop about all the things that were on his mind. He is just so precious, so smart, so inquisitive and SO DOGGONE CUTE!
March 24, 2008
Easter 2008
Easter lunch was at our house. Our first family gathering to host in Texas. It still felt a bit like we were camping out since most of our things are still in storage (we are waiting until renovations are done to move the remainder of our things in.) Nonetheless, we all had a great time and the egg hunts were a huge hit. The first was for the little guys in the front yard, then the serious hunt was for the teenagers in the backyard. There was money to be found in that hunt so the participants were pretty motivated.
He is risen!
I LOVE Easter. It is probably my favorite holiday all year. I love the reason we are celebrating, I love the decorations, I love that it is not stress filled like Christmas, I love Easter morning service, I love that my kids are not ALL ABOUT the bunny-he's just an added bonus, I love to hear my little Z say, "He's alibe, He's alibe!", I love watching the kids hunt eggs, I love that it is a doorway into Spring, I love all the beautiful flowers, and I love hosting Easter at my house every year. It is just the perfect day.
We had a wonderful Easter morning seeing what all the Bunny had left. We dressed the boys up in their new outfits and headed out for a great service at church.
This is my attempt at using the timer to capture a family picture. I don't think I'll be framing this one!
This is my handsome little guy sporting his very first seersucker sportcoat. I could eat him up!
Ok, so maybe Easter wasn't ALL "perfect." The picture below pretty much captures the whole mood for us while we were putting the finishing touches on getting ready and snapping a few pictures. The face (and the very stronghold of Daddy's hand) says it all.
Easter Eve
The day before Easter was a busy time at our house. There were bunny cakes to be made, eggs to be dyed and a house and yard to be prepped for the big day ahead.
March 22, 2008
Visit with Cousins
My cousins, Jeni and Lexi, came to stay with us for the last 2 nights of their spring break. The boys loved having them here. When Z woke up on Friday morning (at 5:30!!!), the first thing out of his mouth was, "Remember, the cousins are here!"
Mama loved having them here, too, because it doesn't get much better than two live-in babysitters! We are hoping to have them back some more in the summer. (We are working on bribing them with some boat time!)
Lexi and Z jumping away. They spent HOURS on the trampoline during their visit.
I love this pic of Jeni and T
Jeni showing us her majorette routine. Brandon and I took some twirling lessons during their stay. Let me just say that Jeni and Lexi got all the genes for good twirlers because I am so terrible at it! We also had some dance lessons. The girls had to update me on all the new dance moves because we are chaperoning Jeni's 13th birthday, which is a dance, on Friday night. I couldn't dare go without getting a quick tutorial. I will certainly share pictures with you of this much anticipated event when the time comes.
We had a spa night once the boys went to bed one night. These are Jeni's finished toes.
The girls helped me stuff eggs for our Easter Egg hunt.
Jen and Lex, I hope you had fun visiting. We are looking forward to your next stay!
March 21, 2008
Obituary
Jesus Christ, 33, of Nazareth, died Friday on Mount Calvary, also known as Golgotha, the place of the skull. Betrayed by the apostle Judas, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, by order of the Ruler Pontius Pilate. The causes of death were crucifixion, extreme exhaustion, severe torture, and loss of blood.
Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham, was a member of the house of David. He was the Son of the late Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth, and Mary, His devoted mother. Jesus was born in a stable in the city of Bethlehem, Judea. He is survived by His mother Mary, His faithful Apostles, numerous disciples, and many other followers.
Jesus was self educated and spent most of his adult life working as a teacher. Jesus also occasionally worked as a Medical Doctor and it is reported that he healed many patients. Up until the time of His death, Jesus was teaching and sharing the Good News, healing the sick, touching the lonely, feeding the hungry, and helping the poor.
Jesus was most noted for telling parables about His Father's Kingdom and performing miracles, such as feeding over 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, and healing a man who was born blind. On the day before His death, He held a Last Supper celebrating the Passover Feast, at which He foretold His death.
The body was quickly buried in a stone grave, which was donated by Joseph of Arimathea, a loyal friend of the family. By order of Pontius Pilate, a boulder was rolled in front of the tomb. Roman soldiers were put on guard.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that everyone try to live as Jesus did. Donations may be sent to anyone in need.
-Author Unknown
Have a wonderful Easter holiday.
March 19, 2008
My Goodness at the GOATS!
We went to help feed the goats at my Stepdad's brother's house. (Would that be step-uncle??) The boys loved ringing the bell and getting in the pen with animals. 
March 17, 2008
Kick off to Spring Break
We spent the weekend in Dallas and all had a great time. We went to Build a Bear,to watch a Texas Tornado hockey game, swam every time we had a spare minute and went to Six Flags, too. We were all worn out, but the family time was great!
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