New Pics Especially for the Grandparents, Aunt, & Uncle Far Away

We spent part of yesterday trying to get some nice pictures that would look good enough to frame. We came up with a few good ones. Thank goodness for Photoshop because the lighting in our place stinks. Here are some of the cutest. I hope the grandparents and aunt and uncle enjoy.

The color ones are cute, but this one looked adorable in black and white.

Too sweet for words.

One with big brother too.

What a face.

A Little About Me

Oddly enough, the same day I read Cindy's blog about this, a friend sent me the same quiz via email, so I thought I would post it instead of forwarding it via email.

In your entire life, have you ever...
gone on a blind date? No
skipped school? Skipped class a few times in Seminary with Angie of course, :-), does that count.
watched someone die? No
been to Canada? Not even close
been to Mexico? Very close but not quite
been to Florida? Does living there for 5 years count
been on a plane? several times
been lost? not for very long
been on the opposite side of the country? only the east coast, but I live in the middle of the South, so would the opposite be the North? If so, the answer is no.
gone to Washington, DC? not yet, but I want to
swam in the ocean? once or twice
had your booze taken away by the cops? No
lettered in a high school sport? didn't play sports in high school
cried yourself to sleep? Yes
played cops and robbers? a couple of times
played dolls? I'm a girl, what do you think
recently colored with crayons? with my son and at school
sang Karaoke? No
paid for a meal with coins only? Does Taco Bell count as a meal
done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes
cheated on an exam? No
made prank phone calls? Not intentionally
laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Many have tried, but no one has succeeded in making me do that
caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes
danced in the rain? When I was younger
written a letter to Santa Claus? once or twice
been kissed under the mistletoe? Yes
watched the sunrise with someone you care about? The millenial sunrise with my then fiance, now my loving husband. I have the pictures to prove it. Look just inside the door next time you walk in our house.
been arrested? No
blown bubbles? I try to do it as often as possible with my students
gone ice-skating? Yes, I love it
been skinny dipping outdoors? No
had a nickname? not really, my dad's one for me doesn't count, and I'm not telling, so don't ask.
been to Africa? No
eaten cookies for dinner? homemade chocolate chip my senior year at Baylor
been on TV? don't think so
stolen any traffic signs? No
been in a car accident? nope

What is your...
mother's name? Gayle
favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
birthplace? Baytown, Texas
favorite vacation spot? anywhere with my husband and kids, right now, Orlando, FL.
favorite salad dressing? Ranch or honey mustard
favorite pie? Buttermilk, and yes it's delicious
favorite number? 3
favorite movie? of all time...Singin' in the Rain or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
favorite holiday? Christmas
favorite food? Toss up...Italian or Mexican, but not both together
favorite day of the week? Saturday
favorite brand of body wash? Bath and Body Works, either Sweet Pea or Moonlight Path
favorite toothpaste? Crest Multicare with Whitening
favorite smell? My daughter just after a bath. She smells so sweet. There's nothing better.

Do you have any...
tattoos? No
body piercings? not any more.
Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? a 4 door van, a typical mom with 3 kids vehicle
What do you do to relax? Read, color, photography
How do you see yourself in 10 years? Raising my family, watching my son get ready to drive, getting ready for my other son to enter 6th grade, let the craziness begin, and watching my daughter turn into a beautiful young lady. Hopefully all of this will be in Waco, but only God knows for sure.

All very interesting and sometimes though provoking questions. Thanks to Amy for making me think about some of these things.

A Day Off (Sort Of)

Well, VBS is over, Daddy is back from his week long convention in Las Vegas, and Mother's Day Out has started up for the summer. Our lives are starting to get back to some sense of normal, whatever that is. With the warmer, okay, hotter, days going full blast now, we decided to get out our pool again and set it up for the boys. I decided to do it, actually, the week Dennis was gone to Vegas. I needed the boys out of the house for just a few minutes one day and figured the pool was an easy solution. Much to my dismay, there were purple spots on the bottom of our blue pool. There were also some amazing black spots as well. This all adds up to pink algae and black mold, not safe for the children. Needless to say, we had to buy another pool. Luckily Walmart had some that were pretty reasonable.

We waited until Daddy got home to really enjoy it. Logan woke up Saturday morning glad to see Daddy but also excited to go swimming in the pool. So, he and Daddy spent some time out by the pool. As you can see, they were really enjoying themselves. I sent Matthew out too, but he wasn't feeling very well and refused to get in the pool, something he usually loves. This was the only thing he would do, walk around the yard with his cup. Daddy and Logan stayed out for a while, though, and got each other completely soaked. Between the water guns, the beach ball, and the plain old splashing, I guess it was inevitable. At least they had fun. Meagan and I stayed inside pretty much and she took a nap while I cleaned up a little. It was a good way to spend a morning. It was a day off in a way too as Grandpa and Gigi came by later in the afternoon to watch the kids so Mommy and Daddy could go out to eat just the two of us. We love having one set of grandparents so close. We miss our other set and wish we could see them more often too.

Splashing and Rubber Duckies

Meagan has finally discovered how to have fun in the bathtub. Since she hasn't completely mastered sitting up, she still takes her bath in the baby bathtub. She can lean forward now, though, and has discovered that she likes to splash. She also likes to chase after her rubber ducky and other toys. Now, she manages to do it without falling face first into the tub. She was so cute last night doing this that I couldn't resist taking a picture or two. She was splashing so much that my sleeve ended up soaked, but I didn't mind. She was just so cute. She finally managed to catch her ducky and hold onto it. She seemed so proud of herself. Here's the smile to prove it. What a cutie. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. We can't wait to see what God has planned for our fair-haired little girl. Yes, that is blonde hair growing in on top of her head. We may have a towhead on our hands eventually.

Climbing

Matthew has taken to climbing a lot lately. Climbing on the couch to sit with us. Climbing up in his chair at the dining room table. Climbing in and out of the van on his own. He's always been a good climber, but he was never tall enough to really pull himself up completely on these things. When we moved in to the new place, he tried to climb the step ladder we had out while we were trying to hang pictures and other things. Since he mastered that he figured he would move on to the ladder on Bubba's bunk bed. At first, he would just slide through the bottom rung. Then he moved on to standing on the bottom rung and crying to get down. Then he moved up to the next step and did the same thing. Lately he's been getting braver and climbing to the next step and even up to the fourth step. Usually he doesn't get further than that before Logan sounds the alarm or Matthew starts yelling, "I stuck, I stuck." Well, today he changed all that. This is what I found earlier this afternoon when Logan started yelling about Matthew being on his ladder.


The sad thing was he didn't want to get down after this. I guess I will have to start really watching him when he goes into Logan's room.

20 months and 20 pounds

At last, Matthew has broken the 20 pound mark. We have been waiting for months for this to happen. We went for a weight check today, and he weighs 20 lbs. 4 oz. Lately he's been actually eating. We think it's because we finally hit on an allergy medicine that stops the draining and allows his throat not to hurt and his stomach not to fill with yucky stuff. All that means he's actually hungry and eats. Now we just have to find food that he will eat continuously. Unlike most toddlers, he doesn't like to eat the same everything day. He prefers a little change in his diet almost every day. Sometimes we can get away with the same thing two or three times in one week but not usually day after day. I guess he gets bored with food a little too easily.

The nurses all cheered when we said that he had broken the 20 lb. mark. Our doctor is on maternity leave already. She went a week early, so she didn't get to celebrate with us. One of the other doctors in the office took a look at his chart and said that as long as he continues to eat and seems to be doing good, then we don't need to bring him back in for a couple of months. He didn't say anything about the GI specialist although he may not have known anything about it. I think though, we are going to hold off going up to Ft. Worth until August when our doctor is actually due back in the office. Hopefully, by then, he will have gained a lot more weight. We will continue to pray that way anyway.

Celebration

The most wonderful thing happened in our household last night. Logan prayed to accept Jesus into his heart all by himself. There was no prompting on our part, just a childlike belief and acceptance on his part. Every night one of us tucks him in and listens to his prayers and says a prayer over him. He has horrible nightmares we can't explain, but when we pray over him before he sleeps, he tends to sleep better. Lately his prayers have become almost flippant with almost an apathetic attitude. He would start with "God bless and protect..." and go down a long list that started with the dog and himself and ended with his friends and their families. Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad he was praying and including his friends, but I was getting a sense that he was just saying the words and they meant nothing in his heart.

So a few nights ago, I had had enough, and I told him so. I talked to him about talking to God and how important a conversation it was. We talked about how we pray and how we should be respectful when we pray. I talked to him about how Jesus taught the disciples to pray in private and bring their praises and their needs before God. We went over the Lord's prayer one section at a time, and then we talked about how he needed to change the way he prayed and how Daddy and I would help him. Something we talked about must have gotten through because last night he did very well when he said his prayers with Daddy. After Dennis had prayed over him, he asked Daddy if he could have a minute just to talk to Jesus. During that prayer, he asked Jesus to come and live in his heart and help him to do the right thing and not do bad things. As his parents all we could do was cry and thank God for him. We are so proud of him and this decision. He has fulfilled my greatest wish and dream for him. I know God is watching over him and the angels are rejoicing in Heaven. Please pray for this little boy and his future. Whatever God has planned for him is something amazing and wonderful.