Serious....

Sweet Jane!

Fun with Cousins!

Today we got to visit with cousins who we do not see very often!

My Mom has always been the best of friends with her cousin, Camelia (Mia).

We grew up going to the park together and spending time at each other's house eating tuna fish sandwiches.

So today Mia's children were all home visiting! James and his family were here from Arizona! And Jill and her girls were here from Austin!

Here is Mom with Granny and Mia!

There were 9 children total!

This picture is missing a sleeping Linus!

9 kids... it is hard to get everyone looking at the camera!

Click on this picture and notice my sweet little son!

I'm pretty sure he was saying, "Stop It!"

Popsicles!
Fun!
Jane doesn't look happy though!

Little Isaac!
Loved Alli!
Informed me that he was a boy!
I could have brought him home with me!

Julia and Isaac!
Julia is so sweet!
Is getting so big!
Will start to Kindergarten in the fall!

I asked Isaac to stand by Griffin for a picture!
Instead he found Alli!
And posed happily with her!

And again, here is Isaac following the girls around! He was so stinkin cute!!!

Sleeping double in a single bed...

Tonight my boys are sleeping together!

For the first time EVER!

Griffin was so excited!

So was Walker!

Tomorrow night will be Alli's turn....
we might be starting something! ;)

Last night...

I had the TV on while I was preparing dinner. I new they were talking about Michael J. but I did not know that he had passed. So I ask Walker what did they just say? And Walker replied that Michael J. had died. I was shocked! Then Alli said, "What happened?" "Michael J. just died!" Alli responded..."Who is Michael J?" It's crazy that my children did not know who he was! Right?

Summer time fun...

This old house...

Our old house is up for sale again...
apparently the old owners didn't love it as much as we did...
I couldn't get over how much our trees had grown!
I bet they have never been trimmed since I trimmed them 3 1/2 yrs ago...
I loved this little house!
It was perfect for our little family then!
I hope to have one like this one day that will be perfect for our larger family!
Bless it's little heart...

Fun with the best!

Jason had business to take care of one day this week over in a neighboring city so we loaded up and went with him!
And while we were there we ate at our favorite mexican food place, passed by our old house (sniff, sniff) and visited friends who just moved into a new house!

My kids LOVE seeing these kids!
All 5 of them!

8 kids makes picture taking a little difficult! But finally after bruised knees and a bloody lip...
oh and lots of sweat...
we got it!

Trevor and Walker playing!

While Griffin and Thatcher work hard pushing Tate!
FYI: Megan had these 2 boys the day I found out I was expecting Griffin!

Ho Ho Ho G Giant!

I've always heard if you measure your child when they turn 2 you can double what you get and that will be their heighth as an adult! So this morning Mom and I measured Little Man....drum roll please...he measured 37 inches! That will make him 6 ft 2 in! It will be interesting to see how close he gets!

Saturday at Mom and Dad's...

We spent Saturday afternoon/evening at my parents house for our Father's Day. My little brother Will was home from Dallas. And we enjoyed dinner with our parents, Granny and Grandmother and Ralph (step grandfather).

It was the perfect day to ride "4 leaders" as Walker still calls them and I don't have the heart to correct him! He'll out grow it soon enough!

Uncle Will came bearing gifts for Griffin's 2nd birthday.
He loves his boats and big blue ball! Loves them!

Saturday at Mom and Dad's...

The kids always enjoy their time out in the "crunchy" as Alli used to call it!

Alli loves on her horse, Ginger! And loves to just sit on her and ride her bare back all over the pasture!

The boys run wild and always romps on Pop's garden!

Griffin rides his scooter all over the place!

They love to jump on their trampoline!

And they always look like this when we leave to come home!

Does this look like the face of someone who had a good time!

FYI, he slept great that night!

We killed a copperhead snake, saw a huge rat and on the way home saw the biggest wild hog on the side of the road.

Snakes, rats and hogs OH MY!

We had fun, even though the snake gave me the hibbie jibbies!

And now I can never let my children play outside in the "crunchy" again! NEVER!

Whoo Hoo!

After just a minute or two of fussing tonight, we walked into his room to find this...

a freshly turned 2 year old snuggled up in his new big boy bed!!!!

What a precious site!

Welcome to my crib...

I'm 2 now!
Pacifier free now!
And out of the crib now!

Welcome to my new crib...don't you like it?

This is what was behind door #1...

Sawing logs...


snoring and drooling...

On the hardwood floor!
Bless his heart!

Tough Love Round 2

Normally, putting him to bed at night goes much easier/smoother.
But not tonight. He decided to crawl out of bed over and over.
So I did the only thing I knew to do and that was just hold his door knob (the robe started slipping during naptime today so we took it off!).
He screamed and cried for about 15 minutes or more.
And then got quiet.
He is snoring right now with his hand sticking out under the door!
Whoo-hoo!
I won this time!

I'm letting him get good asleep before I move him to his bed!
I sure don't want to wake him, like I did at naptime today!
Wish us luck!

This is what they call tough love...

I type this as my new 2 yr old screams and beats on his walls in his bedroom which is located right off the living room!
He refuses to stay in his bed at nighttime and bedtime!
We've spent hours and hours putting him back in his crib. So today, we brought out the big guns...
yep, we tied his door knob to the bathroom door knob.
And he doesn't like it one bit!
But if it keeps him in his bed...then so be it!