Update

Hey everyone, here's just a lot of pictures updating ya'll on what we've been up to the last few weeks around our house.

We got to watch Grayson again a few weeks ago. Grayson is my dear friend Haley's little boy. We met in College Station when I was assigned to be her mentor in the Excellent Wife class at church. We watched her get married, move, and start her family and now they live 3 miles away from us! It has done my heart so much good to have her and her family in Cypress.

I was sweeping the day he was over and he wanted to "sweep". I think it looks like he's dancing with the broom.
Then it became like a game of shuffleboard. I'm sure we've got tons of magnets under all the appliances. The boys bought Gray his own set of letter magnets for his birthday last week. Haley's gonna have a great time with her OCD and lots of little magnets everywhere...ha ha ha!!!

Gray trying to climb the coffee table, for some reason he thought it was hilarious, which of course made us laugh.

Jonathan and Gray building, so cute together, look at that little hand on his knee! We were to busy cleaning up throwup with our boys so we missed this part of enjoying them.

I love it when Jonathan lets the boys "help" when he's being my handyman around the house. This night they were fixing a spring that had come out on the couch.

A rare moment of catching Jon Michael playing with "toys", little skateboards and skateboard park they were designing.

Jalyn was so excited to find a little gecco.

This is the gecco after he got 1/2 his tail pulled off! He was so little and "see thru", very wierd.

Friday b/f spring break was rodeo day at school. Jalyn dressed up, super cute. They tried chili for snack time that day...he was not a fan of it. (I promise I'm not trying to pass on my "meat issues" to my children!)

One of the days during spring break they spent nearly the whole day outside. This is Jon Michael refusing to turn around while they ate lunch outside. Its so great that they are getting old enough to play outside by theirselves.

Another day they loaded water balloons into a laundry basket and let them fly in the back yard.

Another day we walked to the lake/pond and fed ducks. Jalyn and Jon Michael always try to "catch" one.

Samson wanted to catch one also.

What a great final picture, huh?!?! This is Jalyn on the second day of his stomach bug and allergy attack! Pretty miserable spring break for him. Its how we rounded out spring break!

Finally

I've been wanting to post some pictures for the last few weeks but it got really busy so I'm finally just making the time do it tonight. We've had lots going on, below are a few pictures, you know me, I'll just put the caption w/ whats going on, all in no particular order.

Jalyn is my creative one, his "creations" don't usually make much sense to me but he loves it. This day he asked if he could go outside and color. He's getting so big, wanting to do things on his own, getting very independent....well, except for when its time to clean his room and then independance is thrown out the window!
I didn't know that Spider Man was bashful but apparently so.

A rare chance of catching Jon Michael being silly while playing.

Just had to take the picture when I saw Jalyn with his arms around some stuffed animals while sleeping...not sure how much longer I'll be able to see this kind of thing....yes, that's a longhorn that they won at a carnival type game at the aquarium...believe me I've tried to "sneak" it out of the house but they are proud that they "won" it.

Valentines week was busy, 2 different days of deliveries. Which also meant two different days of tracking down flowers and then making them up and then cleaning up the kitchen.

Everytime I do this it reminds me how blessed I am to have a husband that supports me working at home. I have to put off daily chores when I do flowers and I realize how much time it takes away from my family and all that I do for them.

Jalyn made a "heart hat" for Valentines at school. He was giving Samson a kiss.

So one more thing on my list of reasons I HATE TILE FLOORS....they don't get warm!!! Our entire downstairs is tile so its always a battle to keep it warm enough b/c your feet are always cold even with socks on. The boys hate to wear socks and this day I caught Jalyn wearing my gloves on his feet, it was pretty funny.

My dear friend, Haley and her family have finally arrived in Cypress! I got to spend some time with her little boy Grayson while they did the closing and then while they movers were at their house. We had a great time. I "caught" him feeding Samson some of his snack, it was funny, Samson enjoyed it.

So funny...I'm sure its the helmets fault that it won't stay on right...I mean it is a longhorn helmet.

This was the second day, he went to the kitchen got the little chair, put it at the end of the coffee table, and said please...apparently that is the official snack spot.

Uncle Bob called today and said he was in the area at a truck show, so Jonathan took the boys to hang out.

Jalyn got to take home the "class pet" peanut for the weekend and take him to do fun things with him. He went to church this morning also.

Things are crazy busy right now, hopefully we'll be able to soon post more of what's going on but for now, hope you enjoyed the pictures.

How?

How did he get this big?!?!

Big enough to:

- pick out his own hairstyle (thats been going on since he was 2)

- start forming his own sense of style

- ask questions about God that I'll never have an anwer for

- make his own sandwiches

- start the car to let it warm up

- read books on his own

- check out and read chapter books in one day

- think he's old enough to join the adults in their discussions

- almost be a black belt in taekwondo

It goes on and on....all the things he's growing into. I really can't believe that this 8 year old that is almost as tall as me was ever small enough to be in my belly kicking and causing trouble, even then. It's amazing to see him growing, changing, and developing into his own person.

I loved when I walked into the living room and found him just hanging out and reading....such a big kid....we're very proud of him.

Oh My Boys....

Boys...for real boys...sometimes I just can't say anything else....

What would cause those two boys to laugh so hard, jump up and down, roll on the floor trying to catch their breath, point fingers at their mom while enjoying something you know only boys thought up?

THIS!!! This is why they are laughing so hard at me, well technically they are laughing b/c they are enjoying what they did to their mother! I opened our bathroom door and this is what I saw....every kind of slithery creepy crawly thing they could find in the toy box to play a trick on mommy!

Jalyn even asked me later if I was sure I saw the big scorpion..."Yes, Jalyn I saw it"!!!!

Seriously, they thought they had played the best trick ever, it was so fun playing it up for them.

The thing is that we're so used to their toy snakes and bugs it didn't scare me as bad as they think it did.

These are just a few pictures that we took at Christmas. Jalyn was so done with picture taking...totally summed up his attitude that day.

Jon Michael just hanging around....Jonathan hung him up on the beam, it was cute.

That's all for now, post more later!

Happy Birthday Jon Michael!

Today, December 29th, 2009, is Jon Michael's 8th birthday. Since Jonathan was off work we celebrated and had his party at our house yesterday.

Jon Michael helping mix the cupcake batter.

The night b/f his party we told him we needed him to go in the attic and get something out for us. We'd put his present up there weeks ago after we found it on sale.

Impressive gift wrap huh? He's been looking at Tony Hawk skateboards for months now and since he's proven he's actually interested in skateboarding for the past couple of years we got him the one he's had his eye on but he really wasn't expecting to get it. He kept saying, "This is the one I really like, but I'd be happy to get any of them." Needless to say he was happy with this one.

Do you see Jalyn's face in the top of the picture? He's crying so hard b/c he thought Jon Michael was bringing down two boards, one for him also.

This is Jalyn still upset at us! So sad but so funny at the same time! See Samson going down the stairs? He couldn't take the drama anymore either!

The kid's decorated their own cupcakes...it was messy fun.

Icing, candy, and sprinkles EVERYWHERE!

Emma's cupcake covered in pixie stick dust...looked like purple snow.

Colton's "Happy to be at Jon Michael's party" cupcake...in his own words. Such a sweetie....yes, Connie, YOUR Colton!

See the cupcake volcano? His mouth was so full when he took his first bite I thought he was gonna be sick, but no, he set it down and added more icing to the top....yucko!

Jon Michael showing his manly strength by popping the balloon with his bare hands.

Uncle Jonathan hugging/wrestling baby Ariana. She said she saved her ring pop holders for her pacifiers so Uncle Jonathan wanted to hold the baby....of course then she insisted she wasn't the baby.

Setting off the mento pop geyser that was one of his gifts.

We celebrated today by going to the Chipmunks movie with friends.

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!!!!!