Give Thanks!

The first grade Pilgrims invite the Indians to a feast!

Indian Games

Lovely Laughing Hyena

So, this is the season of giving thanks. I am thankful for so many things, but I thought I would share some things that I am thankful for!

• A God who loves me despite my many faults and the grace and courage He gives me every day.
• A husband who has loved me for over 15 years now and still finds ways every day to show me his love.
• A daughter who is the greatest joy of my life. She makes me want to be a better person. She is the light in my life that is always there, despite the darkest days.
• A precious little boy who has taken hold of my heart in a way I never thought possible. His hugs and kisses are worth more to me than anything money could ever buy.
• A mom who continues to be my rock and my saving grace every day. Without her, I simply would not be where I am and who I am today.
• A family who loves me and supports me in all that I do. I am thankful to have my family nearby. It is so comforting to know I am surrounded (literally) by my family.
• A church that has already blessed us in many ways in less than a year that we've been there. It has helped us grow our faith beyond just Sunday mornings. I am thankful for its people, its purpose, and its potential to reach so many.
• A home to call our own. In these difficult times there are so many people facing such terrible struggles and having to give up things we take for granted every day.
• Faithful friends who bring me so much joy. Seeing my friends become moms and being able to share the experience with them has been so wonderful and I will cherish my sweet friends forever!
• A job that allows me to work out of my home. Although it's a challenge to work from home, I am so thankful that I have a job, I work with people I truly enjoy and I am able to contribute for my family's needs.
• Regents School of Austin, a school that I believe might just be the greatest school on earth. I have never been in a place so secure and so filled with love. Kylie's teacher is truly annointed with the Spirit and has to be one of the most amazing teachers I have ever met.

So, thank you God for your love, your patience, and your guidance. Thank you for giving me more than I will ever deserve. Thank you for your son Jesus and the ultimate sacrifice He paid. As a parent, the revelation of this sacrifice and how you gave your son for me, has made this gift more precious than I could have ever imagined.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

Sic 'Em Bears!

Rainy Game! No umbrellas so a sac will do!

Brad (my old cheer coach) was there too!

All the girls!

Deanna, Katie, Kylie, Becky, Grandma Mary, Taylor

Kylie and I on the field!

I still can't believe I graduated from Baylor 10 years ago! Really? And, after visiting the campus, it felt like 10 years. I was amazed at how much it has grown and really changed for the better. Everything looks so nice and the grounds are more beautiful than I even remembered.

We headed to Waco on Friday afternoon (Kylie and I) just in time to get there and have some Ninfa's. Oh, how I love you Ninfarita and how I've missed you! We met up with friends and had a super dinner. Then, we headed over to campus for the bonfire. The Baylor bonfire is pretty tragic, but I know they try hard. Once you've seen the old A&M bonfire in all it's massive glory, it's hard to look at any other bonfires the same. Still, it was a fun event! We stayed long enough to see the yell leaders, hear the band, and sing "that Good Ole Baylor Line...." and then we headed out. Living in a town surrounded by Longhorns and working for an Aggie-owned company in Aggieland itself, sometimes this Baylor Bear gets lonely! So, it was nice to be surrounded by my fellow bears for a weekend.

The next morning we were up bright and early to go see the ever-so-famous Homecoming Parade. The floats were great as usual and I'm glad Kylie got to see what the parade is all about. Tri Delts float was super cute, but unfortunately didn't win any awards. The winning KOT float was amazing! It had a miniature ferris wheel and roller coaster that actually worked. I was thoroughly impressed.

Then, we spent some time walking around the campus, taking some pictures, and checking out the floats up-close after they had parked them. The rain was off and on, but we had no idea what was yet to come later that day. We picked up some Cracker Barrel (yum) and headed back to the hotel for a short break before game time. When we got the game as we were walking into the stadium, they were evacuating what soon would be 20,000 people out of the stands and under them. Yikes! Luckily, I found a small ramp to sit on for the next hour or so while we waited to be let back in the stands. When we finally got back in the stands, the temperature dropped drastically! Then, everyone headed to the shop in the stadium in a frenzy to buy every blanket and sweatshirt on the shelf. It was a mad-house! I ended up buying an XL long sleeve tee because it was the smallest size they had left! At this point, I was starting to worry I would never make it down on the field for the spirit squad alumni reunion during the 3rd quarter. I had been so excited to get back on the field for one more time. I loved being down there. I never cared whether we won or loss, it was always a great joy to be out there cheering.

Luckily, Kylie and I made it down to the locker room during half time to get ready to go out on the field during 3rd quarter. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let kids on the field which I thought was strange they didn't mention that after I specifically said I was bringing my daughter. Kind of important information! Luckily my mom, sis, and nieces were there so she went back and sat with them. During the third quarter, Michelle Nall and I did our thing (mainly just clapping and cheering on the bears) while a group of forty-somethings having their 20-year reunion proceeded to kick our booties. They were stunting, jumping and even tumbling. What? They even remembered the fight song. It was hard to believe it was their 20 year reunion the way they were getting after it and cheering like a bunch of youngsters. It was awesome!

What ended up being a very loooooong game, turned out to be well worth the wait as BU beat KSU and is now eligible for a bowl game. Sic 'Em Bears! So proud of my team!

On Sunday we paid a visit to Lady and Joy, the current Baylor bears who have a pretty sweet pad there on campus. They might be the most spoiled bears ever, but they deserve it! Then, we headed back home to be with our guys whom we left behind for the reunion weekend.

I'm so glad I went back and can't wait to go back again. Such great memories of my four years in Waco. Treasured memories for sure! Who knows, maybe Kylie will rootin' for the green and gold some day? I hope so!

10 Years Already...

It is hard to believe in one week I will be on the Baylor campus celebrating my 10 year reunion. I still feel like it was only a few years ago. Since then, I've been married, had two babies, moved a few times, and even managed to work for the same company for ten years. It will be interesting to be back on campus with Kylie in a whole new way, with a whole new outlook on life. Sometimes I miss those days of going to class, cheering at games, and hanging out with friends every, single day. I hope to see some familiar faces that I haven't seen in a long while and to do some of the things I would have considered dorky before. I am really excited about showing Kylie around the campus, standing with her at the parade, introducing her to the Baylor bear, and taking her down on the field with me during the 3rd quarter.

Yep, that's right! I'm going to go down on the field for the yell leader alumni gathering during the third quarter. I have such great memories of being on that field. I didn't care whether we won or loss, I just loved being in front of the crowd. I miss it! I guess here's another chance, so to speak. Watch out Floyd Casey... here I come!

Here are some updates on the kiddos:

Kylie is a busy girl, as usual. She is really loving her piano lessons and got her Christmas piece this week. I love watching her sit at the piano and play and can really imagine her there playing some amazing piece some day. So, I'm anxious to see how she does with "Away in a Manger" for her recital! Her cheer team at Cheer Station is working hard to prepare for their first competition in November. I will be a nervous wreck for that one, and it's not because I'm worried she won't hit her tricks. I mean, the girl does a cartwheel for goodness sake. No, I will be worried that she'll completely forget what she is supposed to do or where she's supposed to go and stand there freaked out. Uggggghhhh. They are just so little and a whole routine is so hard to remember! I am so proud of what a great big sister she is. She is so wonderful to Jackson. I feel so blessed to have such a good big sister in her. Jackson loves her so much and Kylie really takes good care of him. She's always looking out for him and loves to make him laugh. It's nice having a little mommy every once in a while to let me know if he's doing something he shouldn't and I miss it. He's so quick, it's almost like I need four eyes to watch him! She got an abnormal read on her hearing test at school, which I was surprised to hear. I'm sure it's nothing, but I have to take her to the doctor to get it checked again. I'm sure she has perfectly fine hearing, but those calls from the school always freak me out!

And, my little stinker Jackson. Yes, he is such a toot. I swear I have never seen a kid move as fast as he does. He can get into something quicker than you can even imagine. I feel like I'm telling him "no" about a million times a day. He still doesn't quite get it. He usually just looks at me and grins when I scold him- arrrrghhhh. He got a horrible tummy virus this week when I was out of town (of course), but luckily Grandma Mary was with him and got him to the doctor. On top of it all, he had an ear infection too. Poor baby. He's still not really talking which worries me a bit, but I'm sure he'll catch right up when he's ready. He understands so many things, so I know he gets it, he just can't speak it. I can give him a command like "go get the hat" and he knows what I'm saying, so we'll see how much longer he holds out on us. He's enjoying his time with Grandma Mary during the day when they go to Gymboree and Jumpy Gym. I'm so glad he is able to do those things, even if I can't take him. We found his first favorite movie and it happens to be "Alvin and the Chipmunks!" He actually sat on the floor to watch some of it yesterday. I was shocked! And he laughs and claps with the movie. So, we'll be tuning in to that one quite a bit, I'm sure!

Adam is recovering from the same brutal stomach virus Jackson had. He was laid up for about two days and couldn't really eat anything. He was miserable and I am not only glad he is feeling better (although still a little sluggish), but I didn't get it. I think the Lord is protecting me from it, knowing I have no time to be sick and out of commission. Nope, not an option for this lady. He won second place in a golf tournament on Monday which I thought was very impressive! He loves this time of year full of football, football, football. And, the Rangers are in the playoffs...yeah!!!

I have been working crazy hours the past few weeks. From multiple trips to College Station to train and late nights to catch up, I am one tired momma. It has been so exhausting to keep up with everything and it will continue until about mid-December, so Lord help me stay strong! This time of year is always hectic and challenging, but I seem to get through it after all is said and done. I am losing one of my best employees soon and I am sad to see her go, but I know she will be a great full-time mom. My new hire has a lot of potential and I feel blessed to have found her so quickly. Fingers crossed she can pick things up quickly and mesh well with the job and the team.

In an effort to get my body back into shape and just overall healthier, I started a cleanse this week. No sugar, bread, soda, coffee, dairy, red meat, and so on. Ugggghhhhh. I've been hungry for four days now! Only 6 days to go and I'm counting down people. I am hopeful this will jumpstart my get healthy goal to a better me inside and out! If I could just get my booty to the gym, I would be pumped (no pun intended).

Adam and I are a part of the Married Life class at Stone this semester. We enjoyed the class so much last time, we offered to help with this one. We have already gotten to know some neat people and are excited about the friendships we build as a result of the class. Not only that, we get to hear the messages about a godly marriage again. You can't hear those too many times! One thing we always talk about in class is how at our 50 year anniversary we don't want people to just say we "endured" marriage. That's not enough to just endure marriage. My goal for our marriage is to be one of testimony, one that represents God's intention for marriage. It's a lofty goal, but it's one we will work year after year to attain. Then, at our 50 year anniversary it won't be that we just endured... it will be a story of two people who touched many lives by just the example of their love for one another.

I guess I'll close this out now! That's what happens when you only blog once a month! Love to all. Until next time...

The Lord is my Shepard

Kylie can now recite almost the entire 23rd Psalm and has learned the Star Spangled Banner in only 3 weeks of school! Every time I hear her recite the Psalm, it just melts my heart. I ask her to do it for me a few times a day. She's not sick of me asking just yet! I guess I never realized how quickly kids as young as 5 can learn new things, and not simple things! To learn an entire Psalm is amazing. I am so proud of her!

She did ger her "clip moved" in class this week, which is another way of saying she got a warning. Her sweet teacher emailed me and said her eyes filled with tears when it happened. It sounds like she was being a chatty kathy during a math lesson with her classmate. I am hopeful this will be a one-time thing for this year, although I was disappointed that it happened only three weeks into school. But, like I told her teacher, sometimes we all need a little humbling reminder to be respectful and do what is expected.

To make things better, Jackson tried to bite a little girl in his class! They were playing in the indoor play room and he just decided he'd take a bite at a little girl. He just got the back of her shirt, thank goodness. I really hope it doesn't become a consistent thing. Yikes, I will be really worried if it does. I am hopeful for now that he just had a lapse of judgement! He has many of those lately it seems. I am definitely finding it difficult to discipline the little guy. He doesn't respond to "no" very well and almost acts like it's a game. It's the "as long as I'm getting attention, even if it's bad attention" deal. He can be pretty exhausting as we try to keep him in line. I try to remain patient with him, but stern at the same time. Mainly, I know I need to keep praying for wisdom, strength, and patience to lead him in the right direction.

I have a fun, busy week planned this week! Aside from meetings and getting ready to train a new hire, I get to be the parent helper in Kylie's class on Tuesday and assist with their art project. Then, I have taken Friday off to get things done, go to a get-to-know-you coffee for the class moms, and prepare for my best buddies from Baylor coming into town! I can't wait to see them. There are nine of us who have stayed very close. We all became friends through Tri Delt and have continued to remain friends for over 10 years. They are all amazing friends and I cherish each fun weekend we have together!

Here's to a fun, busy week!

Getting into the swing of things

Kylie waiting for Big Pa and Grandma to take her to Keller. We made a sign!

Big Boy Jackson's First Day of School!Back-to-School Festival at Regents

Kylie and Mrs. Crowell

Jackson having a blast at Central Market

It's always hard getting into a new routine once school starts and now Kylie and Jackson are both in school!

Kylie has a pretty busy schedule, even though she gets out of school at noon. On Mondays she is taking voice lessons right after school with her little friend Aubry. Tuesdays and Thursdays she is doing a Fine Arts class after school until 2:35 where they do all kinds of art and nature activities. She seems to really enjoy this so far! She also has cheer practice for her Cheer Station team on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Wednesdays she is taking piano lessons and dance after school! I am so excited to see her learn to play the piano. I still can't believe I don't know how to play when my mom has played nearly all her life. I missed the boat there!

Kylie is loving school and seems to really love her teacher. In fact, when I asked her what her favorite thing about school is, she said her teacher. Not recess, centers, or music... nope, her teacher! Her teacher is absolutely amazing and such a blessing to these kiddos. I am excited to get to joing the class on some fun activities. Throughout the year, there are lots of parent-involvement activities in the classroom and on field trips. I am excited to join in the fun and grateful I can do so. At Back-to-School night, I fell in love with her school even more. I am so grateful to have her in a school where the teachers pray with the children and teach them about Jesus and God's word. It is such a safe and loving environment. Oh, and she's already found herself a "boyfriend." His name is Hondo and he is just adorable. Not sure how I feel about calling him her boyfriend, but she said he has 7 girlfriends, so I think I won't be too worried yet. Geez loueeeeze.

Jackson is loving school too. Phew... what a relief! He has never cried when I drop him off and his teachers say he has a blast while he's there. He's quite a bit younger than Kylie was when she started school, so I was anxious about how he'd do, and he's doing great! He goes on Mondays and Wednesdays and when he comes home he takes a loooooooong nap. I love the little art projects they bring home. I try to envision what it is like to do art with 8 13-15 month old kids. Must be interesting.

It is really fun to see our kids growing up in different stages. Kylie is really maturing as that sweet little baby voice keeps sounding a little older every day. Her taste in clothing is changing and her overall mannerisms are changing. Oh, we still have crybaby fits now and then, she wouldn't want me to miss out on those. But, she is becoming more independent. I am really proud of how self-confident she is. She seems like she can just fit right in anywhere she goes and makes friends with everybody. Her one biggest weakness continues to be sleep. She still, at age 5 1/2 wakes up at night. We've resorted to serious bribing to keep her in her bed or at least not climbing in ours. If she sleeps for 30 nights in her bed she gets a surprise. She decides before hand what it will be. Last time it was a new razor scooter. This time it's a new Build-a-Bear. So far so good. Almost halfway there!

Jackson is still quite the handful! He's a big boy, weighing in at about 27 lbs, he's a stout little guy. He has big feet and hands too! He's very agile and can really walk, climb, and maneuver things well. Oh man, that kiddo keeps us on our toes. I've never seen a kid ransack a house as quickly as he can. It is quite a sight. He might be the busiest kid I have ever known in my life. He has developed some fun new things within the past few months that we are really enjoying...

1. He gives kisses now. At night when he's in his bed if you ask for a kiss, he'll take out his suckie and give you a kiss. He likes to blow kisses too.
2. If he hears the word "GO", he heads straight for the door. He loves to go anywhere! He does not want to be stuck in the house! Sometimes he'll go get our shoes for us and drop them by our feet as if he's telling us to hurry up.
3. He can say "bye bye" and "dog" and "hot" pretty well.
4. At school the teachers said he saw a picture of a lion and roared (wish I had seen it!)
5. He's very interested in using a fork and spoon and demands that you give it to him when you are trying to put food on his tray.
6. If I ask him where my nose is, he can point and touch my nose.
7. He loves to put his diapers in the diaper pail. He is so proud of himself when he puts things in the trash. Do I find things that shouldn't be in there? Absolutely! But, I can't fault him for trying.
8. He is a super swimmer! He is such a good little swimmer and loves to go under water. I think he'll be flying solo by summer next year for sure. He already understands to hold his breath and really tries to move his legs and feet when he's under water. He also loves to jump off the edge. I'm so proud of him!
9. He still uses a newborn soothie pacifier. I could never get him to switch from it, so we've still got it. I tried all kinds of different pacifiers and he would just spit them out. I've given up and we'll just have the soothie for as long as we have the suckies.

Adam and I continue to make every effort to successfully balance home and work life. I think we do a pretty good job of it and make it a team effort. He continues to be very helpful once he gets home from work with cooking, bathing, and picking up. I am grateful to have a husband who does what he can to help me out. Here's to another great school year!!!

Is summer really almost over?

Wow, this summer has flown by so quickly. I can't believe it. In just a few weeks, my baby girl starts Kindergarten and my little buddy starts preschool.

Kylie is going to camp at Regents this week and getting to meet some of her new classmates! She seems to be excited about it and the kids are just adorable. We got her uniforms all picked up. Not the cutest, I have to admit. The whole "one size fits all" doesn't really work well in this family. So, our jumper looks kinda like a box. Oh well. Nothing a little button-moving can't fix. I happen to love the uniform idea. I didn't like it at first, but now that she is so stinkin' picky about what she wears, I am truly grateful! I would not want to have that discussion every day. Uggggh...

Jackson starts a two-day program at Bannockburn soon as well. He will go from 9:00-2:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays. I have no idea how that is going to work with the napping situation, but I guess we'll find out. I'm definitely concerned, but I'm hopeful he will adjust. He is getting to have some fun afternoon playdates with Grandpa Roy which he really loves. He gets out all the toys and spreads them everywhere and just plays and plays to his hearts content! It's great!

Kylie is working on her inner artist this summer! So far, we have created some great masterpieces! She painted a canvas print for her room that I just need to put the final touches on and a stepping stone for outside. I love watching her be creative. It's so amazing to see how her little mind works. Sometimes that little mind gets carried away, like a few weeks ago in church when she and her best bud Lainie decided that "poop" was the fun word for the day. So, she shows me this sweet little book she's made in sunday school that says Kylie's Helping Hands. In the book is all different ways Kylie can have helping hands. But, if you look closely, on every page you will find the word POOP! Geez. Mom and Dad were not nearly as amused as she was. I don't think she'll be doing that again any time soon.

Jackson's big ole molars are finally breaking through, thank goodness. He had both bottom and top ones come in at the same time. That was fun. He was such a grouch for a while there. He has this little shirt I like to put on him that says RUFF DAY with a paw print. Super cute!

My buds from BU and I are planning a trip to Baylor Homecoming this October. I'm excited to go back and see all the changes since we were there. It's been 10 years! Unbelievable! I hope to see some old friends while I'm there. It will surely be a great time!

New shoes that make me run fast! I was running circles in the house

when Mommy put them on me!
Seriously? How cute is this?

Mom and Kylie making memories.

Pretty ballerina

Every summer when it gets so incredibly hot that you just literally feel like you are melting, I feel like there is no way it has ever been this hot! But, yes, every year it sure is! Thank goodness Grandma and Big Pa put in a pool in their backyard that has already provided many hours of "cool" entertainment for the kids. I think Jackson is going to learn how to swim really fast thanks to the new pool. He's already showing some natural ability and doesn't seem to be afraid to be under water at all. In fact, he usually seems annoyed that he can't just swim off on his own!

Kylie has been busy with dance camps and is enjoying her summer, full of activities. We are already planning for fall with voice and piano lessons, as well as her dance and cheer classes. She'll be one busy little girl, but with school being a half day she'll need the activity! Jackson will start a program in the fall as well, going two days a week. I'm excited for him to have some play time and meet new friends.

I am really excited to see what Kylie thinks of her voice and piano lessons. She has such a sweet, little voice. She stood in front of me in her room yesterday singing "Temporary Home" by Carrie Underwood and it always brings tears to my eyes. What a precious moment. She probably won't remember it, but I will. She still has one of us lay with her at night when she is going to sleep, so most nights I am the one laying with her and I like to hold her hand when she's going to sleep. But, she loves it too. Usually she wants to hold both of my hands and it blesses me beyond belief. Then, I usually stay in there for a few minutes after she's drifted off to sleep and just watch her sweet little face as she lies there so peacefully. It's in those moments when I am watching my kids or holding them that I can't imagine loving anything more.

Jackson is soooooooooooooo busy and is really proving the whole "boys are very different from girls" theory. Here are Jackson's favorite things to do that drive Mommy crazy:

Climb on the couch to get onto the side tables to play with the lamps.

Climb on the chairs to get up to the breakfast table and sit on it.

Climb on the toilet to get to the sink. (seeing a pattern here?)

Grab on to the handle and pull himself up like he's doing a pull-up on the oven

Pull all of his books off the shelf (just moved them out of reach last night)

Take his diaper off when he has no clothes on.

Play in the dog's water bowl.

Put things in the litter box.

Pull all of my cookie sheets out of the cabinet.

Eat EVERYTHING!!!!

Did I mention he likes to climb things?

Oh, and his new favorite thing to do when I'm feeding him is shake his head "no" at me before he even tastes the food. Then, when he's had enough, he starts spitting it out all over the place. Awesome.

We went to the beach last weekend in Port Aransas. I thought Jackson would just love the beach and enjoy playing the sand and walking in the water. Well, he just heads straight out to the water and dives in. Then, when Mommy tries to take him out and hold him, he screams in protest! Uggggh... So, he was banned from the beach after that. Maybe next year buddy! But, Kylie, Adam and I had a great time because my sweet Mom took one for the team and kept Jackson at the condo while we played. Kylie had a blast with her new boogie board when Adam took her out in the big waves. She is such a beach girl. We saw a big sting ray only a few feet away. Kinda scary, but still really cool.

I redid the kids' bathroom and am really happy with how it's coming together. I had the hardest time finding a unisex idea that was cute. So, I finally found one and am almost finished with it. It's underwater sea creatures. Cliche' a bit, but still very cute. I wanted to do pirates and mermaids but couldn't find anything with both ideas into one. I'll post pictures when I finish it. I like these house projects, but they are non-stop! I always have something I am working on. It's fun to do, but it can be overwhelming sometimes.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I'll post again soon. Well, maybe not too soon. I seem to be hitting the blog about every month hence the long post!!!

I just took a long walk with Harley and was thinking the whole time how peaceful the neighborhood felt. I love that time of night where everyone is done with dinner, getting ready for bed and settling down. It is such a peaceful feeling. I couldn't help but think how nice it would feel to have that peace, all day every day. I think that's what God wants for us, but too many times we let worry, anger, fear, and a million other things get in the way. Of course, I speak from personal experience with this. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a worrier. I think having kids made this about 100 times worse! So, now I not only worry about myself, I worry about them constantly as well.

God is really working with me on this and I'm sure there are times where he just wants to give me a good pinch or maybe even a punch and tell me to stop worrying.

We found out that our church has a community group right in our neighborhood! I'm excited to meet other people nearby that go to our church. I hope we can make some new friends!

On Wednesday, Adam and I celebrate 9 years of marriage. What? 9 years already? Crazy! I can't believe it. I have a fun dinner planned for us! I'm going to surprise Adam with our plans. It's my turn since he put together the weekend at Lost Pines. I am so thankful to be married to someone that I am confident will be my other half forever. Hey, what is that? Is that peace I'm feeling? I think it is! Yeah! That's one step for today!

I almost forgot to mention my surprise weekend getaway to Lost Pines Resort! Adam planned a wonderful weekend for just the two of us and it was fantastic. We got to lay by the pool, float the lazy river, get a couples massage and eat great food. And... get lots of rest! I even got chocolate covered strawberries delivered to the room one night! It was such a sweet thing for him to do for me and I really appreciated it so much. He put a ton of effort into the weekend and it meant so much! What a great hubby!

Fun Times

It is officially summer!!! I realize how much I love summer every time it gets here. I love spending more time outside and playing with my kids outside. My "to-do" list always seems to be bigger in the summer. Maybe I'm more motivated!
Jackson celebrated his first birthday on May 29th. It is hard to believe it has been a year since he came into our lives. It has been such a joy to have him as part of our family. He didn't dive into his birthday cake like I had hoped, but we still had a fun time celebrating. He got some new fun toys (most of his toys were Kylie's). He loves the little playhouse/slide that Grandma Mary bought him and he figured out how to get up there and go down the slide all by himself. After he slides he always looks to make sure someone's watching and then claps and giggles for himself. He loves being outside more than anything these days. Any time he hears a door open he bolts that direction to try and get outside. He's content just walking around checking things out. He'll pick up some grass or a leaf now and then to try and eat, but other than that, he's just playing and exploring. I think I might have found his birthmark! Kylie's is very easy to spot. Hers is right on her collar bone and it's pretty big, maybe about inch long. I have never seen one on Jackson until now. I think his is actually a hyper-pigment birthmark. So, now that he has just a little color from the sun, I can see it. Here are some more things to know about Jackson and the things he can do now that he is a big boy one year old!
1. Clap his hands
2. Say Bye Bye and Dadda and Mama
3. Blow kisses (sort of... still working on this one)
4. Wave bye bye
5. Say Da for "done" and lift up his arms when he's done eating
6. Loves to eat little apple pieces, bananas, cheerios, green beans, and yogurt.
7. Weighs 24.9 lbs!
8. Has 7 teeth, soon to be 8 we think.
9. Uses his suckies at bedtime (we actually never really gave it to him out of bed)
10. Likes to put things in strange places - my shoes in the litter box or Kylie's shoes in her hamper. I always know it's him when I find things in really random places. He also put one of my books in the toilet today.
11. Take his diaper off - really love this one.
12. Blow bubbles in his bath water.
13. Play a recorder - not actually notes, but he can play it without using his fingers.
14. Loves to feed the dog from the highchair.

Kylie is done with school for now and is really loving being home for summer. I got to go to her Splash Day/End of Year party day and really enjoyed spending the day with her and the sweet kids she has been in class with. She starts VBS at Hyde Park on Tuesday with my mom and will go to another one this summer at Bannockburn. I've signed her up for a dance class on Saturdays to get her started with it and see how she likes it. I think she'll be a great dancer. She's obviously got the tippy-toes for being a ballerina! She's still doing Cheer Station which has shown to be pretty tough for her. The practices are twice a week for an hour and a half and it is hard work. She has a great time while she's there, but she's definitely getting a feel for what it's like to work hard for something. She is reading really well right now, actually beyond my hopes for her by Kindergarten. We are going to continue practicing with her this summer so that she goes to school ready to read like crazy! She's going to the swimming pool almost every day it seems and has already way surpassed what I could ever hope to have for a tan. She continues to be such a blessing in our lives. She makes us laugh every day. She is just amazing.
I'll post pictures from the Birthday Fiesta and more soon!!!

First Big Swim

Hair blowin' in the breeze...

I can't sit up in this thing Mom!

Cheerios anyone?

Jackson has offiically swam for his first time at the pool. I have taken him once before very briefly and noticed in that short time that he has no fear at the pool (much like sister). So, I found it quite necessary to buy him a vest of some sort and this is what I was able to find.

We decided it was his turtle suit because it looks like a turtle shell. It's actually pretty neat. It pretty much forces him to his back if he needs to float. So, I've decided that's what we're going to learn first. We'll see how it goes! I'm glad he's not afraid of the water, but no rest time for mom at the pool!


Luckily, Aunt D and Katie came with us so Katie could play with Kylie while we made sure Jackson didn't jump in somewhere. It was a fun early birthday celebration for my big sis.

Only one more day until Adam and I leave for our surprise getaway weekend. I'm anxious to see where we will be going and am so excited to get away for a bit to relax! I'll miss my babies, but I could use a little R and R.

Here's to a great summer!!!!

May is My Month!

I love May! May 6th was my birthday, May 9th was Mother's Day, May 21st I leave for a romantic getaway weekend to a surprise destination and May 29th my baby boy turns one year old! There are many fun days in May!

My birthday and mother's day week was very special. I got a beautiful hand-made card from Kylie, great food, yummy cake made by Lisa and fun gifts. Adam worked extra hard to make it a special week for me!

Only 15 days of school left and then we are officially into summer vacation. Kinda scary, but fun too. Summer is a little tricky around the Biehler household trying to manage work, kids and schedules. Not an easy task! There will be many trips to the pool, there is no doubt about that.

Today Jackson was feeling very frisky outside. He absolutely loves being outside, just like his big sister. He was having fun playing with the dog bowls as you can see from the pictures. It was really funny. I kept taking them back to the place where they stay and he would go back and get them over and over. Then, when he found out he could put them on the table and crawl up there... watch out!

We had our first new parent breakfast at Regents and every time we go there we are more excited for Kylie for next year. What an amazing place for any kid to go. It's just incredible. We met some really nice people and learned a bit more about the school and how we can get involved. They promote parent involvement very heavily as the parents and school take an active role side-by-side in helping the kids grow.

We are still loving Austin Stone church and feel truly blessed by it every time we go. We dedicated Jackson May 2nd and the church prayed over him and our family. I'm excited to see what God has in store for us to learn through the people we meet and the things we can learn from this amazing church.

On another great note, Debbie is done with chemo now! She had four treatments and now we will find out what the next step is. She has been so brave through this whole process and it's truly been an inspiration. I pray that God will let her get past this and never have to deal with it again. I'm so thankful for smart doctors and all the research that has been done.

My baby boy can walk!

Jackson is officially walking now! It is awesome. He went from about 5 steps to walking just about anywhere he wants in a week. I am super-impressed by this little guy. I was thinking he would walk before his first birthday, but I wasn't sure it would happen so quickly. Yeah for him!!! Mommy is sooooo proud!

He loves taking bubble baths and I got this cute picture of him playing in the bath. He's so happy!

Easter fun, Happy Spring

Easter Egg Hunt @ School!!!
My two handsome men....awwwwww.

My sweet little bunny

Daddy's Girl

Blessed Family

We had a great Easter this year. Pretty low key, but just the way we like it! We had a nice Saturday at Bethany Lutheran's Easter Egg Hunt and picnic. The egg hunt literally lasted maybe 2 minutes. There were so many kids that it was crazy! I found myself getting very competitive as Kylie was trying to get eggs. I was certainly not going to let her walk away empty-handed!

After the egg hunt was face painting, bunny holding, and inflatable jumping! Kylie loves to hold the bunnies and is so good with them. She has the animal love like her mom and dad!

After the picnic, Kylie and I spent some time together and did a little shopping for her at Justice, the big girl store. She loves that store, and secretly I do too. It totally takes me back to when I was a kid. It's so fun to pick things out for her. I know as she gets older we'll have lots of fun shopping excursions together!

Easter Sunday was church, then family time with Adam's family and then mine. Good food and good company with some egg hunting in between. I've never seen so many eggs with money in them. The Easter Bunny must be doing pretty good for himself! Actually, I really prefer money over candy. All of that candy ends up going to waste after a while anyways, or I eat it which is no bueno.

Jackson is really starting to try and walk now. He's taken about 5 steps at one time so far and is really getting to stand up for longer periods of time without holding on. He's getting more teeth and his bite is as fierce as ever! He still has the most precious laugh that we truly enjoy every day. We went to his well-check today and he weighed 22 lbs. 15 oz. and is 27.5 inches long!

Kylie started a new team at Cheer Station this week. I'm a litte nervous about it, but we'll see how it goes. I don't want things to get too intense too quickly. She is still so young and needs to just have fun with it. So, we'll see how she likes it!

Well, better go to bed!!! As usual, a late night post!

Cheese!!!

I got this picture of Jackson in the bath tub tonight and I just love it. Look at those teeth. Let me tell you, they hurt when he bites! I should know. He loves bath time and has started getting on his belly in the tub. He does try and drink the water, but we're working on that one.

I love this pretty weather. It makes me want to go for walks and play outside!

Kylie will be wearing her bathing suit probably every day from here on out.

Happy Spring!!!

Come on Spring!

I love Spring and can't wait until it is in full bloom! Everyone starts getting outside and has an extra "spring" in their step!

We are happy to announce that Kylie will be starting Kindergarten at Regents School of Austin next year. She is super excited! We couldn't be happier. It is only a half day kindergarten program, so there is much planning to be done. I think she will really enjoy some more extra-curricular activities like singing and piano lessons, cheer, and maybe some art or dance. It's going to be a fun year!

Jackson is really getting around these days. Not walking yet, but he can take his walker toy and cruise super fast. He seems very coordinated and strong, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's walking before his first birthday. So hard to believe he'll have been with us a whole year in May! What in the world? I couldn't imagine life without him at this point. What a blessing.

I took the kids to Port Aransas for a few days over Spring Break. My mom, sister, and nieces were there as well. The water was freezing, but my little water baby Kylie didn't care at all. She was determined to get in the ocean. Maybe she'll be an olympic swimmer someday! As much as she loves swimming, I wouldn't put it past her.

Work is crazy as ever. In fact, I leave super early tomorrow for a trip to New Hampshire. Of course I haven't finished packing, but what else is new. I'll be back late Saturday night to enjoy a Sunday with the fam.

Debbie is doing well with her chemo treatments. She's got an amazing attitude and is taking very good care of herself. No nausea at all... yeah!!! We hope she is feeling super by the time Easter rolls around so we can have a few fun activities with the kids. I'll be so glad when she's all done with this and can move on to recovery and feeling like herself again. There are so many people out there praying for her and it's just amazing to see how thoughtful friends and family have been.

Well, more to come later!

Here Kitty, Kitty...

You know who we are XX Cheer Station!
So proud!

Cousin Taylor is a cheerleader too!


Help ever, hurt never! House of Blues onesie from Grandma.

So, if you're wondering about the title of my post it is because Mr. Jackson has starting making this hilarious sound like a cat purring. It is so funny and he does it all the time! I think he likes the way it feels on his tongue. He really does it when he's happy or being mischievous getting into something he shouldn't.

Here are some of the naughty things that Jackson just loves to do:

1. Chew on power cords

2. Eat dog food

3. Play in the dog's water bowl

4. Open the door to Kylie's room and go into her nightstand to pull things out of it.

5. Chew on the dog's hippo toy (are we seeing a trend here?)

6. Roll over while we are trying to change his diaper or get him dressed

7. Open the kitchen cabinets and pull things out

8. Examine the cat litter (disgusting!)

Here are some of the things that Jackson does that I love:

1. Jibber jabber all the time - he's quite talkative!

2. Crawl really fast from me when I say "I'm gonna get you..." It's so cute.

3. Pull up on my leg for me to pick him up.

4. Play with Kylie's kitchen. He plays with it more than she does.

5. Pretend like he's driving really fast with his car toy.

6. Laughs all the time.

7. Chow down on his puffs. He can't get enough of those.

8. Hold his own bottle or play with my hair while he's drinking it.

9. Falls asleep on my shoulder with his blankie.

10. Will hear the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse from across the house and

crawl to the living room to see it.

(takes after Adam's papa Ralph for loving Mickey Mouse).

We are all done with our interviewing process at Regents School of Austin, so now we just wait to see if they accept Kylie. In my opinion, they would be blessed to have her! She just had her first real cheerleading competition on Saturday and she was so great. They are just a show team, so they technically don't compete. She got her first medal and is so proud of it. She's determined to win more medals than mommy and I hope she does! It is extremely surreal to see her doing cheer. Was it really that long ago when it was me out there?

We have a crawler!

We officially have a crawler! Jackson's being doing what we call "the worm" for a few months now, but he's finally got this crawling thing down. When he wants to go somewhere quickly he reverts back to the worm, but he's doing pretty good at getting his knees under him now. He still has only his bottom two teeth (like razors!), but I think those top two teeth will be here soon. I swear he's saying "mamamamama" as if he knows that's who I am. Adam says no, but he knows who his mama is!!!
I love it when he comes over to me and pulls himself up with my pants so he can stand up holding on to me. It's adorable and it melts my heart. He really loves to stand up on anything now. It doesn't always work out so well for him because he doesn't really discriminate by what he uses to stand up. So, when he tries to stand up using one of Kylie's little chairs, it just falls over on top of him!
We are currently looking at schools for Kindergarten next year. It's been such a stressful decision. Her current school has been great for this year, but they have broken off from the parent school and it will be a different deal next year that we aren't comfortable with. So, we looked at an amazing private school today. I was so impressed by it and it is a strong Christ-centered curriculum. Basically, everything they learn goes back to the Glory of God so they are building not only intellect, but character. Pretty amazing. We'll have to pray about it and just see if that's where God wants us next year! I just want what's best for Kylie. She is such an exceptional little girl. I am humbled that God gave me such a bright, charismatic, sincere, and curious child. That's quite a big challenge for me to raise this young lady to the standard that she deserves, but I'll do my best!
Debbie got through her surgery yesterday and the doctor said everything went really well. They are feeling optimistic that maybe the cancerous cells were pretty localized and haven't spread to the lymph nodes. Won't that be a miracle. We'll know more on Friday, but praying for a miracle.
My baby girl turns five on Sunday. I want to be excited about it, I really do, but I can't just yet. I'm just seeing her grow up so quickly and I am overwhelmed with emotion. She's starting to look more like a girl now, losing some of that baby face and her little voice is getting older too. One of the things I treasure more than anything is the inflection in her voice when she says "I love you too." It is the sweetest four words a mother can hear. Gosh, my heart just explodes when I think about my kids and I'm even tearing up as I'm writing this. I guess I'm emotional today. Well, every day lately! For any of you moms out there, you know what I mean.

Here's to a New Year!!!

I said before that I was going to be better about blogging. Hmmmm, I haven't done good so far. There are just too many things to do to fit it in, but I'm trying! It usually means staying up later (like I am tonight).

I guess I should backtrack to Christmas. It was wonderful! We had good times with our families and continue to feel so blessed that we are all in the same neighborhood. It is so nice to have everyone right here. I am always shocked at how quickly Christmas seems to come and go, however, we just packed up the tree today! Yikes.

Kylie got a trampoline for Christmas from Grandma Mary which she loves very much. It really is a great thing. I've even enjoyed jumping on it with her. It's fun and great exercise! I actually have to stop here and there to rest. I'm so out of shape, uggggggghhh - New Year's resolution, right? She is growing up so fast. I can't believe she'll be five this month. I'm just in denial that she is that old!

Jackson is changing before our eyes. He is a mad man! He especially likes to seek out power cords and any other hazardous thing he can find in the house. His "worm" version of crawling is hilarious and it's amazing how efficient he is at getting where he wants to go. He actually just started crawling on his knees today! He has constant red rugburn on both knees. He has his two razor-sharp bottom teeth now and the top two teeth are working their way in too. Teething rocks... or maybe not. He really enjoys watching Baby Einstein while he plays with his toys and likes to pull up and stand on anything he can get his hands on. I told Adam we were going to have to anchor things down soon. He likes to pull kitty's hair and grab Harley whenever possible. The cat will just sit there and take it, but Harley likes to flee the scene! We're pretty sure he's going to be a talker like his big sister. He just blabs and blabs all the time and his laugh is the most precious sound I have ever heard. I love it! He is enjoying the new tastes of things and carrots, sweet potatoes and squash are his favorite. Green beans and peas, not so much. I am looking forward to him getting to eat some more real foods!

Work has been crazy. When I accepted a promotion and took on a new market to handle, I had no idea how that would change my workload. Some days it is overwhelming, but I am trying to take it one day at a time and be confident in my ability to do whatever is needed to get the job done. Some nights that means working until I fall asleep at my computer, but hey, gotta get things done before they pile up on me.

We have been enjoying our visits to a new church - Austin Stone. It's at Austin High School and is a bit more casual than our church. We have really gotten so much out of the services and music and feel as though God is calling us to be open to where He wants us to be. So, we'll see where He takes us!

Lastly, I dedicate my blog layout to my wonderful mom-in-law, Debbie. Many of you know that she is pretty much my 2nd mom. I have known her now for over 15 years and she is the best mother-in-law anyone could pray for. She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and will undergo surgery and treatment starting next week. To all of my Christian friends and family - please pray for her and that God will provide us with a miracle of healing!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed 2010!