First Day Jitters....

I have to be honest.....it wasn't the greatest morning. We were not anticipating Jackson's reaction this morning. He was NOT excited for school. He thinks first grade is going to be "boring." I know that he was nervous and didn't know how to put that into words, so it came out as "boring!" I did manage to get this shot of him with a semi-smile :)
When we walked to school, he lightened up a little as we saw all the other kids walking and saw kids that he knew.
I'm so thankful that one of his best buddies, Jack, is in his class this year and they sat right next to each other!! I know he will be fine. Especially since I had to bribe him with a Sonic treat after school---please, I was trying anything this morning to get him up and going and Sonic was what won out! Great parenting, huh?? Oh well, a cherry limeade sounds good to me too :)

This and That.....

I could do another 20 postings about Disney, but I think it would scare you all away!! So, I've just added a few random pictures from the summer.
Jackson has gotten into reading the sports page in the morning. He checks the Rangers scores, looks at the pictures, and lately has been checking out the Olympics coverage. Especially to see what Michael Phelps has been up to. Can he be any more like his dad?
We have had a lot of playdates this summer as well. Here is Jackson and one of his best buddies, Jack. They came downstairs in these get-ups and guess who was the "robber" they were trying to catch? Drew. Poor Drew. They had him running all over and were handcuffing him and taking him to jail. He didn't seem to mind though :)
Speaking of Drew....he loves to volunteer for things. If we are ever anywhere and they ask for a volunteer, his hand goes up in a flash. All summer, we went to these shows at the library and every show, he volunteered but never got picked. He was always bummed and would sometimes hold his hand up starting at the beginning of the show when they hadn't even asked for volunteers yet. Anyways, the last show of the summer and he got picked!! He got to hold a roll of toilet paper and was so excited! I'm so glad his summer can be complete with his volunteering dream coming true :)

Disney, Part 2

The boys were fearless when it came to rides. They rode every roller coaster that they could and loved it! I think I have some wildmen on my hands!
At Epcot, we ate at the German restaurant and here are Auntie A and Drew doing their version of the polka!
We spent a lot of time on the bus going from our hotel to a park to another park, etc.....it was great because the buses take you right to the front of the park and you don't have to worry about car seats!
The boys checking out the Viking hats afrer the Norwegian ride....
We had breakfast with the characters which is definitely the way to go. That way, you knock all the characters out in one shot and don't have to wait in line at the parks. The boys loved this! It was so fun to see how magical everything was to them.

We're back from our Disney Bubble.....

Waiting in line at the Haunted Mansion...they don't look too scared!
Drew with Ben, Amanda's fiancee' hanging out in line

The Triceratops ride--one of the few rides I could ride!! WooHoo!!

Everything is different when you're at Disneyworld.......everyone is so nice and friendly, there is no laundry to do, you eat out almost every meal, and you feel like a kid again!!! We just returned from a fabulous trip to Disney and we all had a great time. Here are a few pitures.....WARNING....I will be doing a couple of posts of pictures :)

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Well, we have had a LONG day!! We were very excited to hear that we were having a girl this morning! As the doctor checked her out, everything looked great but there was a tiny "flap" flapping around in one of the chambers of her heart. He didn't know what it was, so he referred us to a pediatric cardiologist and we headed off to Dallas because they fit us right it (we didn't like the sound of that!) When we got there, he had just been called to the ER, so they told us to walk around the hospital for 45 minutes.....Finally, they called us back in and after all of that.......everything looks fine! We were so relieved. Apparently, when the chambers of the heart form, tendons stretch out and there was this lone tendon flapping around. He said that it will dissapear and the blood flow to and from the heart was perfect. No need to worry.
So.....with all that said, yes, we are having a girl and it is going to be so weird around here. Jackson says he never wants to play teaparty or dolls and Drew says he will play "just once." I have a feeling she will be ruling the roost in a few years! Thanks for all your prayers today....we are so grateful!

A night with the girls....(minus one)

Last night, my infamous brunch group went out for a night on the town!! We were missing one girl (Renee'), but she was with us in spirit!! We ventured down to Dallas and ate at Breadwinners (sooooo yummy) and we didn't have to cut anyone else's food but our own!! Then, we headed out to see Jersey Boys at Fair Park. It was so much fun--we all loved it! We didn't get home until almost midnight--I know....pretty wild and crazy!! For us, it was :)

A BIG week!

A BIIIGGG week for us!! On Thursday, we will find out if baby #3 is a boy or a girl. Stay tuned for the verdict....everyone is leaning towards a girl, but statistically speaking, we have a 75% chance of having another boy. We'll see!! We wouldn't know what to do with a girl!
Next, we are going to Disney for a week! I'm staying busy this week getting ready, doing laundry, and wondering what rides I will even be able to ride! I'm thinking not many. I'm just excited to watch the boys who are SOOO excited. It's one of those fun parenting moments that I plan to enjoy :)

The biggest Scooby Doo compliment!!

The boys love Scooby-Doo, especially Drew. He even had a Scooby-Doo party last year for his birthday and his love for Scoob is still going strong. Tonight, while I was talking with Jackson while he was going to bed he said, "Mom, it's weird because you and dad look like teenagers, but you're adults. You're like Daphne and dad's like Freddy!" Wow!! He compared us to the fashionable Daphne and the handsome Freddy! That was the biggest compliment I've had in a long time :)

When I find something cool, I have to pass it on.......

So, my friend told me about this site called www.blurb.com that will make your blog into a book! A real live hard back book!! So, I tried it. Since I started the blog in Jan. of 2007, I had a whole year under my belt. I went thru the tutorial and I just got my book. It is sooooo cool!! I love it!! I'm thinking that I am going to make a book each year. I gave up scrapbooking because it was becoming more a burden to me than a joy, so this is a great way for me to journal and have pictures along with it. Go check it out and if you start a blog......you better let me know!!

Ammendment to "Drew is the Sweetest"

So, right after I post about the sweet things that Drew has done and said.......This morning after church, we go to pick him up and one of the helpers (who is one of my friends) is cracking up at the door. She tells me that they were talking about families today and Drew raised his hand and said "Have you seen my mom? She's the one that's really fat!" I will say that my friend said....."because she's having a baby, right?" Just to clarify......All the teachers got a good laugh at that one. Oh, Drew.......

Drew is the sweetest....

Two funny and sweet stories from Drew......

1. We dropped Jackson off at a birthday party near the mall, so Drew and I decided to walk around while we were waiting for the party. We got a smoothie and were walking and Drew said, "Mom, hold my arm like a gentleman." Then, he held out his elbow (like you do when you walk down the aisle) and I had to link my arm thru it and walk practically lopsided thru-out the whole mall. If I would try to stand up straignt, he was offended. It was cracking me up.

2. We were in the car and Jackson started asking me about homeless people. What they ate, where they went to the bathroom, where they sleep, etc.......Drew was listening to the whole thing and piped up and said that he didn't ever want to be homeless. I told him that he would not be. He said that he never wanted to move out of our house because then he would be homeless. I tried to tell him that when he moved out, he would be an adult and he would want to move out. He got tears in his eyes and said "But I love you and dad too much" So, with that, I said he could stay as long as he wants. He was happy then......guess he's not ready for the real world!! I hope I don't have to eat my words in about 15 years :) So cute...

Summer Camps

Both the boys had summer camps this week. Drew did a soccer, basketball, and baseball camp which he loved.
He learned a lot of new games, but his highlight of the week was that he "beat a 6 year old 2 times!!" He was very impressed with this!
On the last day, the coach told me that all week, Drew had been asking him if he liked the Jayhawks or Rangers better. He said that he told him that our family all liked the Jayhawks and told him all about it. He thought it was pretty funny.
Jackson had a great week on the golf course. Check out all the kids that they pile in the golf carts.....I tried not to notice the dangers of that too much :)
Jackson played with his buddies, Kyle and Powell. They got to go all over the course playing different holes every day. But, one of his highlights was getting to eat lunch in the clubhouse everyday! Both boys had a great week. In a couple of weeks, they will go to Dr. Suess Art Camp which they are excited about too. That will be totally different than the sports camps and may not provide lunch in the clubhouse, but I'm sure they will have a wonderful time!

Move over Michael Jordan.....

We have a budding basketball player at our house. Ever since the Jayhawks won the championship, Jackson has taken a major interest in basketball. When he was in school, he would hurry and eat his breakfast and then go outside and shoot before school. He's even had a few meltdowns because we wouldn't let him go out and shoot because it was dark outside or raining!
This kid has a passion for basketball which pleases his dad, as you can imagine. I hear Jackson pretending to be a player that is getting his named announced by the announcer and he runs on to the court. I guess this is what boys do......If you're a girl, we stand in front of a mirror and pretend to be the latest and greatest pop star. So, I guess I'm glad he's acting like a boy.
We have a little hoop for Drew, so he goes out there and shoots alongside him. He doesn't seem to have the passion though. Jackson will stay out there in 100 degree heat and shoot. Drew is more like me...we like to be inside when it's too hot. We watch from the window :)

Happy 4th of July!!

We had a busy, hot, and fun 4th of July weekend!!
The boys decorated their bikes so they could be in the Flower Mound parade. We got candy for them to throw to the kids and they were ready to go!
Here is Jackson carefully throwing candy to some kids...trying not to hit anyone.
After the parade, they had jumphouses, music, and free hot dogs!! We left there sweaty and happy :)

This week

This week, the boys have been in Vacation Bible School at our church. The first day we got home, Jackson was excited to show me his new bible. He got it out and looked a little confused and said "Mom, they gave me a holly bible!" After a good laugh, we corrected him and he even laughed about it......so funny :)

Our trip to Branson

The boys and I went to Big Cedar Lodge with my family last weekend. We had a great time. Fishing started off our trip with the boys entering the kids fishing contest at the resort.
Jackson won 2nd place with this catfish--3 lbs., 11 oz.!! We thought he would be the winner, but in the last 5 minutes of the competition, a little girl caught a 4 pounder. He got a medal for 2nd place and was happy about that.
All great vacations include great food and here we are waiting at a restaurant to eat. Drew has found himself a comfy place to wait.
Here are the boys with just one of the many beautiful views that the resort is surrounded by. They are on the "Devil's Pool Bridge" and they were searching everywhere for the devil, but just couldn't find him.
One of the nights, we ate dinner in our cabin and there was a knock on the door. It was a special delivery for the boys. Jackson opened the letter and read it and it was from Mickey Mouse inviting all of us to come visit him in August! I don't think it has sunk in for the boys yet, but they were pretty excited! We all were! Thanks for a great trip mom and dad :)

The sounds of summer......

The boys had the idea of having a lemonade stand this afternoon. I told them about the 800 degree weather, but they didn't care. So, I slathered them with sunscreen and they made a sign, and here they are!
No one was on the street, so Jackson started yelling "Ice Cold Lemonade for .$25!! Come and get it!!" Still, no one....so, we sent Drew to start knocking on neighbors doors (ones that we know) and inviting them out.
We had 1 "stranger" drive by who bought 2 glasses and the rest were people we knew.
All in all, they made $2.25!! They were so excited! They want to do it again tomorrow....they got a taste of success!

So Long Kindergarten.....

Today was Jackson's Kindergarten awards ceremony. Each child got a special certificate from the teacher and then they had their class party, which was the highlight!
Jackson and Alexandra have been in every class together since they were 2 years old! We told them to put their arms around each other, but they both started laughing nervously. It was so funny. We'll see if the streak will continue next year in 1st grade.
This is Jackson's good friend, Jack. They have had lots of playdates together this year and are good buddies. Here they are acting silly....
This was Jackson's teacher, Mrs. Southerland. She was great. We had a great year with her and couldn't have asked for a better teacher.
Here are the boys making crazy faces.......it's been a great year! And where does every 6 year old want to go for dinner to celebrate his graduation??? Chuck E. Cheese?? NO.....Peter Piper Pizza? No.....How about China Palace? Because "they have the best buffet ever!!!" So, I guess we will be dining at China Palace :)

In case you didn't know......

I've been debating about posting this on the blog, but since I will probably be referring to "it" in the coming months, I figured that we should put it out there. If you don't already know, we are expecting!!! I am 13 weeks now and we are all pretty excited! I guess I don't know who all reads the blog, so I'm just putting it out there so everyone knows!! We will find out in July what we are having!! We'll keep you posted :)

Rock Climber

We were at Lifetime Fitness this weekend and saw that the rock wall was open. Well, Jackson was all over it. This is his 3rd time to do this and he loves it.
He was hesitant to go all the way up and he kept looking down about 3/4 of the way up, so Jason told him that we could go to Sonic if he climbed all the way to the top.
Well, that did it and from then on, he climbed almost all the walls that he could.
Drew was too young to climb, but he climbed on the lowest rocks and was pretty proud of himself. Cherry limeades.....here we come!!