Christ-mas 2009

The following is lots of pictures of Christmas 2009. Its been busy, but not as crazy as past years. Enjoy....

Jalyn making his christmas cards for his teachers.

Jalyn wanting to "help" make his stocking. I made very quick ones this year but I've gotta make bigger ones b/c that's where I put the boys Christmas cards that they open on Christmas eve and the bigger ones wouldn't fit.

Jalyns "gingerbread house" he made at his class party at school.

This was his dinner that night! He was tearing it up.

The final demolition.

The boys crushing peppermints for the peppermint bark for the guys that work with Jonathan.

This is what the boys were doing yesterday while watching christmas cartoons. They stuffed pillows up their shirts to look like Santa and then were fighting with their bellies.

Jalyn fell asleep on the way to Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.

Its hard to see b/c I didn't want to use my flash in the church but Jalyn is sitting next to his friend Franco at church....so cute in his Santa hat. He was very polite to the man who asked him if he was ready for Santa to come and if he was gonna get a lot of presents from him.

The praise team leading in Christmas songs.

The boys got to open their stockings for christmas eve. They got to open their christmas cards with money and each got a new shirt and mini skateboards...oh, and a popcorn tin to eat while they played.

Playing with their mini skateboards, with the little bitty shoes on their fingers!

Jon Michaels "eyeclops".

Jalyn's diesel with "hotwheels". I think its the last year he's gonna be the "little boy" who enjoys christmas, he's right on the edge of being the grown up boy who wants video games and more "mature" gifts.

This was hilarious....they opened a manual to an air hockey table...do you see Jalyn's face?!?! They didn't know that we'd put it together while they were sleeping and it was up in the office.

Enjoying their new air hockey table. If you want something that keeps your kids occupied get them an air hockey table, they've played all day.....they did ask to play with the box it came in at one point!

Jalyn playing with his "diesel truck"...he keeps calling it that b/c that's what he calls daddy's truck.

Talking to family wishing them a Merry Christmas.

Playing "Topple". We get the boys one big combined gift (air hockey table), then each a gift, and then I like to get them a game each year, so this year it was Topple, its simple and fun.

I'm sad the "season" is almost over. I love how we say Merry Christmas to the people who check us out at Walmart and the drive thru guy at Sonic, the chipmunks music they boys love to sing to in the car, the christmas praise and worship music I get to listen to during the day at home, the messages at church, candlelight services, parties with friends, and so much more!!! It's such a wonderful season while we're celebrating Christ's birth.

We had a good and peaceful Christmas day. Hope ya'll's was the same.

MERRY CHRIST-MAS!!!!!

December Happenings

Its December so of course a lot has to be going on, but we're doing good keeping it all going at a good pace. Here' lots of pictures of some of whats been going on.....enjoy.

The boys working on their gifts for the girls of the family.

We are making almost every single gift we're giving this year...I have loved it, the boys are really putting an effort into what they think everyone would like.

I walked into the living room and found this going on one day after school...Jon Michael reading Jalyn his library book...one of those few peaceful, scene's b/w brothers! I love that Jon Michael enjoys reading, Jalyn would love to, he's always on the look out for his sight words and he's trying to write so he's constantly sounding out things...which of coures doesn't always work in our english language...we're always telling him, "Yes, thats how it sounds but this one breaks the rule." What's the point of rules that are constantly broken when learning?!

Here's pictures of the Houston Blizzard of 2009!! Samson standing on the back porch looking at me thru the door wondering whats going on..see his hair blowing in the wind? I put our christmas party drinks outside to be cool instead of taking up my fridge space!

Snow (sleet) on my hoodie after walking back from the neighbors house.

HERE IT IS!!!!!! YES, THE BLIZZARD!!!!!! THOSE ARE TEXAS SIZED SNOW DRIFTS!!!! Well, not texas sized like bigger than life, texas sized like we don't get snow 'round here!!!!

Really this is as much as we got, we actually got more in our few hours of snow last year, it all stayed down south of us, so the pictures you were all seeing of Houston on the national news were just frustrating my boys!!!!

Pictures of our "non-small group christmas party"! This is a group of friends that were originally in a small group together but we're all in different places and churches now but we're still family! I can't imagine having Christmas w/o these guys. Mr. Jeff is checking out Jalyn's toolbox that holds art supplies.

Jackson and his nerf sword.

Chris and Nathaniel playing with his gift.

The boys checking out Jon Michaels shotgun....Mr Rob knows him well, from all of those nights of bible study at our house when the kids would all come downstairs with some kind of weapon!

The kids all draw names for a gift exchange and here they're ripping into them.

The adults play white elephant gift exchange...this is Rob with his coat they had unwrapped. Sarah had brought it wrapped up as a gift, he had left it at their house. It was so funny.

The boys working on more Christmas gifts.

Jalyn using some of the paint that came in his art toolbox.

This is the picture he's working on...can you tell what it is? Its HURRICANE IKE hitting our house with a lightening bolt!!!!! I'm not kidding, thats exactly what he told me when I asked. Maybe he was working thru some issues he still has left from the storm...I know I am...seriously, I don't sleep when it rains now...that's a whole 'nother story.

And this is Samson during the blizzard and cold weather warning...such a hard life!!!!

Ok, we'll have more later as the business continues!

Holiday Time = Busy But Good Time

Yeah! The holidays are here in full swing! Its a busy time but its also a great time. Below are tons of pictures of all the things we've had going on.

The boys have been wanting roller blades for a long time but I told them I wouldn't buy them new ones b/c they might not like it once they got them and I wanted them to fall and scratch up used ones first. So I found them some at Goodwill for $6.99 and $4.99...within one day they had mastered skating and on this day I found Jalyn asleep with his on!

Up at the school parking lot learning some more.

Jon Michael loves his, I'm constantly picking them up out of the floor. It was so funny watching Samson pulling him like a sled dog.

Jalyn had his Thanksgiving play. (you can't see him behind the little girl)

Doing some motions to a song.

The boys made turkeys and sent them to all the grandparents. They LOVED getting their hands covered in paint.

A rare quiet moment when I wasn't the one with the camera.

We had a craft night at my house with some of my friends from church...it was great! We all worked on different things, getting a headstart on Christmas crafts. Chrisitine brought her sewing machine and some super yummy cupcakes.

You can't have a craft night w/o lots of snacks, so we had cookies, pumpkin bread, homemade salsa, stuffed jalapeno's....so yummy! You have to have something to do while all the paint and glue is drying!

Sarah caught up on her daughters kinder. pictures in her scrapbook.

Look at that skinny girl!!!!!!! Tammi and her super cute fleece blanket.

I couldn't post pictures of the crafts that Connie and I worked on b/c that would give away our Christmas gift ideas!

The boys wrestling with Daddy...they still can't team up on him and win...one day...

This is Thanksgiving Day, on our drive to C.S.....eatting donuts for breakfast.

You would think it was a long haul trip or something!

Its my tradition to decorate for Christmas after Thanksgiving dinner. I really wanted to go with a new Christmas color this year around the house but I didn't think Jesus would to happy with debt just to decorate for his birthday!!!!

The boys always love decorating their mini trees, every morning the ornaments are in a new spot. They can't seem to keep their hands off since they're allowed to actually touch them.

This is the first year I've brined our turkey....SUPER SUPER SUPER YUMMY!!!! Jonathan said the white meat was juicier than the dark meat...it really was the best turkey and leftovers we've ever had...I'll always use a brine now.

Jalyn LOVES his elf hat. It was the first thing he wanted out of the Christmas boxes when I got them out of the attic.

Jon Michael has really been into making paper snowflakes...so everyday we get to vacuum up "snow" pieces...but he's loving it.

This is what the boys were doing while I was decorating the porch the day after Thanksgiving.

The boys and a neighbor took turns doing dangerous but fun things together....I kept the front door open while I was working in the front room and I kept going out to check b/c they were just laughing hysterically from all the fun the were having.

It seems from here until Christmas we have some activity every single week. I love it!

This holiday season has already been so much fun and I loved hearing the boys conversations turning to deeper things this year. At church they are saving their change to help give Christmas to 100 families and they are really into it. Jon Michaels heart is really understanding more this year, its great to see him grow and have loving thoughts of his own, not ones we've just put in his head.

Ok, we'll post more soon, have a great time celebrating OUR SAVIORS birth!!!!!

Smarty Pants!

Jon Michael brought home two awards last week. One for not missing any school and another for the honor roll. We're super proud of him!

He has his daddy's sleepy eyes when its time for a picture!

Showing off his "wavy" tongue and awards.

Good job Jon Michael! Keep up the good work.

Celebrating!

Its midnight and I'm tired BUT I can't sleep, I'm blaming the awful daylight savings time aristocrats for it. Anyways, it provides the perfect time for me to blog (except for trying to not disturb my sleeping husband with my typing!).

I've struggled a lot in the past with the celebration of halloween and being a christian...a few years ago Jonathan had me listen to some ladies who say that since God has tons of celebrations in the bible that we should take advantage of a worldly thing and turn it into another time to thank God and just enjoy celebrating...celebrating what? Anything, everything, God is good.

So we don't celebrate halloween and we don't trick or treat but we CELEBRATE in other ways. The boys have always loved costumes so its the time they get a new dress up outfit and they have so much fun being in character with their costume the rest of the year. One of my favorite things is finding the boys all decked out in super hero or pirate costumes out of the dress up basket, just pretending and playing. Since we don't trick or treat we do lots of treats of our own. We have in the past done trunk or treat, which is what the boys call halloween, and gone by a couple of friends houses to check out costumes, this year the mosquitos were just to bad to be out, the few treats we handed out at our door resulted in huge bites that I got in our own house.

I'm trying to figure out another way to word our celebration but not say happy halloween...This year I said Happy Orange Day....I know stupid but I couldn't think of anything else and I had a whole theme going all day so it works for now. Luckily I have awhile to think this through for next years celebration.

Ok, enough jabbering, enjoy the pictures, like I said, its late, I'm tired, they are not in order, as usual just check out the captions!

Daddy and Samson playing superheros, mixed with castle and dungeon...the boy has an imagination! I love seeing Jonathan spending time with the boys in the ways that mean the most to each of them. He had spent time playing with Jon Michaels checkers treat so this was his time with Jalyn.

Since we don't trick or treat and load up on pounds of candy, I took the boys to the store and they got to pick out a toy and some candy of their choice. They both got color changing cars.

Jon Michael working on the stripes for his car.

You know those sticky hands? (I really want to call it a booger hand, b/c of the texture, but Jonathan thinks I've lost all sense of propriety when it comes to snot and boogers...the boys have been a bad influence on me!!!) Yep, one stuck to my ceiling...I don't have a picture of the marshmallows stuck to the front room ceiling from the marsh. gun last year....life in a house of boys...such fun!

This was Jon Michaels candy choice, candy eyeball checkers!!!

Told you these weren't in order, this is our pumpkin cake to go with our orange day theme.

( I was just looking at the picture and thinking how funny it is that I'm going darker and darker with my hair as most are going lighter and lighter...just a random thought...its pretty funny when I run into people back home (College Station) and they are shocked b/c they still think of me as my natural blonde...)

Kissy Face Black Ninja and Pirate...

Jalyn coveting pumpkin cake!

Jalyn practicing his sword skills with Daddy b/f getting into his pirate costume....this isn't an unusual sight at our house...when we have bible study all the kids, little girls included, have some kind of sword or weapon!

Happy Orange Day breakfast....orange iced cin. rolls, and egg and sausage scramblers with cheese (the cheese made it orange), and of course orange juice to drink later.

Ok, that was our fun weekend with the boys. It just happened that it was Jonathan's weekend off from work so it truly was good family time, all spent together...good times and good memories.

I've been debating for days on whether I was gonna post these pictures or not, but they are a big milestone for Jalyn, and super cute. I promise he's not naked, he'd just gotten home from taekwondo as soon as he'd hung up his clothes I told him to come and read, so he was in his cute little undies.

This is the first book that Jalyn has read by himself! He was so proud. Jon Michael has been reading chapter books for so long and Jalyn has wanted to read but now he really can say that he can do it. We're so proud of him. He was NEVER interested in learning while he was home with me. Jon Michael loved to do workbooks and I can totally see how homeschooling would work with him, but Jalyn, no way, not interested....BUT in school in a classroom setting he has just taken off and is doing so well (a relief to this mommy!).

He was attempting to be modest and cover his "undies" but I think that might have backfired since he looks naked.

And speaking of Jalyn.....we found this lost dog on the way home from school yesterday. Jalyn LOVES animals, he keeps asking,"If we can't find the owner can we keep him?" I said,"I don't know someone else might want him". Oh my goodness, you would have thought we were gonna be sending the dog to a death squad or something! He was so sad and tears started forming...it was cute. So for now we've got two dogs and the boys are LOVING it.

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Happy Fall Everyone! Its been a busy one for us. This post has a lot of pictures, I thought I'd just put it all into one instead of multiple posts.

This is the front porch decorated for the fall. The door banner I've had for a long time, it says, "Give Thanks". God has been showing me so many things that I'm truly grateful for. Don't get me wrong, I'm always thankful but it usually the typical, "I'm thankful my family is healthy, I'm thankful we live in America", etc....But He's really been impressing true thankfulness on me lately and really feeling it not just thinking it.

I had a garage sale a few weeks ago and a neighbor thought these were fake on the porch....I cringed when she asked! That's one of my biggest pet peeves...DON'T PUT FAKE PLANTS IN YOUR YARD!!!! I told her no they weren't fake but took it as a compliment.


I saw Jon Michael on the couch and wondered when I got old enough to have a kid who could just hang out on the computer!!!!

The boys wanted to play in the front yard the other day. I went out later to check on them and this is what I found....them playing with "creatures". (Notice Jalyn's pal, Samson, in the mix?)

YES, creatures meant SLUGS!!! Such little boys! I was gonna say, only little boys, but I know some girls who would think this was cool also.

We went to a tailgate party at a church down the road from us last Sunday. The boys had a great time. Jalyn liked "banging" the frogs with the big hammer.

Jon Michael waited in line for over an hour to do this! He loved it, can you see his smile? I kept asking him if he'd rather go do something else and he said no and then when he was done he said it was worth the wait.

Doing some flips on the bungee thing.

Saturday Jon Michael had his last taekwondo tournament of the year. Jalyn is standing and doing the student oath.

Jalyn keeping busy doing his "art". (Yes, it is a dinosaur! Good job!)

Doing a pattern.

And another pattern.

He had just put his mouth piece in getting ready to spar and I told him to turn around and smile...so funny.

Jon Michael and Christian posing for a picture...I told Christian he should have sparred so he could beat up Jon Michael.

The Winner..(yes, that's Jon Michael).

Again, The Winner.

Final Match.

Final Winner.

He got a bronze in patterns.

Gold in sparring.

He loves tournaments, we've thrown around the idea of traveling next year for him to go to tournaments out of our area. He always leaves meeting a new friend, he says that's one of his favorite parts. I think he likes the sparring just as much though! ( I didn't get a picture but his eye was pretty red after the 3 matches, I asked him if he got punched in the eye, he said, yep...then just walked away like it was all no big deal! I think he even enjoyed that!)

Ok, that's all for now, of course we're busy with school and church and family stuff but this was the biggest stuff at the moment.

Have a great FALL!!!!