Happy Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was Jalyns birthday. We had a Pirate/Snake party (try finding invitations for that) at our house. Here's lots of pictures of the party....you know me, I'd love to be a perfectionist with this whole blog thing but to keep from becoming that I didn't put the pictures in order, just check out the captions.

How old are you? 5!

Samson getting some love.

Mr. Dobson, Jalyn's taekwondo instructor, showing him how to use his gift. We think Mr. Dobson should do his own tkd birthday parties!

Genelle and Baby G enjoying the cupcakes!

Showing off his gift.

Mr. Dobson showing off...oh sorry, giving a demonstration! It was very cool to watch.

Opening Mr. Dobsons gift....can you tell from all the gift pictures which was his favorite gift?

Blowing out the candle. We had chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with pirate treasure (gold choc. coins) to top them off.

So calm and collected...with a python on his neck!!

Easton showing off!

Genelle not to sure of the whole snake thing.

Comparing the snakes length to Jalyns height.

One of many snakes.

Mr. Dobson checking out a snake.

The first snake....he loves this stuff!!!

Checking out Mr. Clints snake bite....YES, I said snake bite!!!! Great! Just as we're about to show and handle snakes!!!!

This was late last night, I looked over and Jalyn was hanging out, watching tv, eating some birthday candy. The relaxing end to a great day!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for his birthday or sent cards and gifts. We are so very thankful for the friends and family that God has brought into our lives. Thank you for being a part of great memories with our family.

Look, Look!!!

After the hurricane people were putting all kinds of things out on the curb. Sometimes they had just a very little amount of water damage. We "picked up" 3 dressers, 2 headboards, and a footboard. We took the dresser drawers off for me to use in a craft I've got planned for later. Today we got around to the headboard and footboard craft I've had in my mind for months.

I love working with Jonathan on this kind of stuff!

Jalyn cleaning off sheetrock dust on a board.

Our makeshift sawhorse! A lawn chair and car jack!

Here's the backside of the headboard. The boys always love to "help" in anyway they can.

LOOK a bench!

It's a full size headboard and we thought about making it into a daybed but we thought we'd practice with a bench first.

Staining the night away!

Ta Da!!!!!!

I LOVE IT!!!!

I've always wanted a pew (I know kinda strange) and this thing is as heavy and almost as long as one. We're already planning our next project when we come across another headboard.

Fantastic 4th!

We had a great 4th of July. It all started July 1st, we had a church picnic and celebration at our church office/house. (It is a house that's been converted to office space across the street from our actual building.) The boys had so much fun. There were right at 90 people there, a great turn out. Jonathan worked on the 4th but when he got home we went for a walk and then did a few fireworks. You could only buy the little ones b/c our area is so dry right now but it was still lots of fun for the boys.

Jon Michael and Matthew playing volleyball.

Kids water balloon toss.

Adult water balloon toss. Pastor Mike and his son won...think that was rigged?

Since we couldn't do fireworks, the kids popped packing bubbles. It was crazy how much it sounded like black cats being set off.

Tammi getting in on the "firework" action!

Jon Michael loves smoke bombs, especially since Daddy lets him light them himself now.

A tank face off.

Getting ready to do battle with the tanks.

A firefight!

About 11pm, we could hear big fireworks going off in some of the neighborhoods, so Jonathan took the boys outside to sit on top of the expedition and watch them....such a good daddy.

We hope your 4th was great, I was reminded over the holiday how amazingly blessed we are to live in the United States and thanked God for that.

Family Frenzy

A few weekends ago, Bob and his family came down for the weekend. It was a busy weekend with lots of things going on...car show, duck pond, birthday party, etc...

Here's a few pictures, enjoy!

Bethen and her birthday gift from the boys, twirling in her ballerina costume.

Her birthday cake.
We did a tropical pool party and Court did this awesome cake in a sand pail, so cute!!!!


All the kiddos.

Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Court "raining" the kids with water.

Ha, Ha, Carlos!!!!! Court got a duck!!!

Oh wait! She got TWO ducks!!!!

Zeke fixin' to feed the ducks.

The girls keeping their distance from the ducks.

So cute! The boys have another boy to play with in the family!

Court doing her "wifely duty"....helping load up the precious motorcycle!!!

The kids had a great time. After church on Sunday they were loading up to go and Emma Leigh lost it! She was shaking she was crying so hard! It was good to know she had a good time though. Court said when they got home she was already asking to come back.

Ok, I'll try to get back into the habit of posting. Stay tuned!

Just Foolin' Around...

Just a few random pictures of the boys I've been meaning to post...enjoy!

Jonathan grilled some t-bone steaks a couple of weeks ago.

This is Jon Michael enjoying his steak!

Yes, this is steak night...and Jalyn eatting strawberries instead...each of the boys have a touch of my "food issues"...Jalyn doesn't like meat very much and Jon Michael enjoys the same kind of spicy food and NO RANCH, like me.

Jon Michael was just hanging out on the back porch by himself, when we checked on him Samson had decided to join him....super cute, I think Samson was wondering just like we were what Jon Michael was out there thinking about!

This is Jalyn climbing his doorway like Spider Man...yes, his older brother showed him how...AND he told Daddy he needed help to get down.

He's grown so much he can now touch the bottom of the spa and the shallow end of the pool and keep his nose above the water.

Its all about Grayson!

Our wonderful friends Brad and Haley got to come and spend a night with us over Memorial Day Weekend. It was such a sweet time of hanging out....we were able to just pick up where we'd left off.

Now on to the really important part...GRAYSON!!!! Of course, he's the only one we got pictures of...b/c once you have kids nothing is about you anymore...sorry Haley!

Brad and Haley are such good parents, it was fun to see them interacting with Gray and how they let him be the little boy that he is. Speaking of being a little boy, I didn't get any pictures of him snacking on Samson's dog food!

Jalyn entertaining Grayson with a paper plate puppet.

Grayson amazed with Jon Michael.

Grayson feeding Jonathan cheerios.

I love this one...

Thank you Brad and Haley for driving the extra way to visit us, it was the best visit we've had in such a long time.

Baking the Day Away...

Last Wednesday was our last womens bible study in the series we've been doing. To have a fun ending we all brought dessert to share. I had found a new cupcake recipe a few weeks ago and Jonathan wanted to try them so this was the perfect opportunity to give them a try.

Jalyn and I spent most of the day baking and then letting them cool so that we could ice them.

I can't remember their official name but they were white cupcakes with choc. truffles baked in the middle. Then we made homemade lemon honey icing.

THEY WERE YUMMY!!!

Jalyn putting the truffles into the middle b/f we baked them.

The final product....the recipe called for coconut to top them but since so many people don't like it we did half and half.

They were so good Jonathan had me make another round on Sunday!