FAMILY TIES

Land of Lights

2008-12-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

Dwayne and I took the boys to go see "Land of Lights" in Athens.
The boys were very excited about seeing the lights but also very excited about Nana going on the trip with us.

I highly recommend this place. It was awesome!!! We were amazed! We all had a really good time. We ate popcorn and cookies while we enjoyed the lights. The pictures just do not do justice, but I tried.

Grapeland Safari

2008-11-14T18:20:00.001-08:00

We made a spontaneous run to Grapeland, which is about a 30 miles south of Palestine. They had very interesting animals, some very strange. The kids had a blast feeding the animals, except when the camel stuck his head into the truck window, that frightened them just a little. Jake and Luke also rode the " Texas Train", which was pulled by a 4 wheeler.

Another Day of with Thomas

2008-10-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

We decided to take Jake to see Thomas again this year. Although, he was not near as fascinated as last year. By next year, I definitely think Thomas will be a hero of the past. But he still loves trains very much. Still plays with them all the time!!

Chase and Julie met us in Rusk to see Thomas as well, which made it a lot more fun for Jake and I. Of course, Dwayne had fun, too. It was a fun- filled day of riding on Thomas, boys scaring us to death by hanging out the train window, getting pictures, balloons, playing with trains, Thomas tattoos, digging for gold, etc..

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

We loaded up and went to the Pumpkin Patch in Bullard. Lots of fun. Corn and hay mazes, hay rides, picking pumkins, pulling wagons. So much fun!!!

Jake made Halloween cookies,too!! Although, he did not get them quite 2" apart. Ha, ha.

Pre-school

2008-10-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

Last night Jake slept with me and while he was lying in bed, he started singing this bumble bee song. It was so adorable. Also to my amazement, he started citing the "Pledge of Allegiance". He said," Mommy put your hand right here." He pointed to his heart. I was so excited about how much he was learning in preschool,I decided the next day to go and video him at school.

Mrs. Julie is such a wonderful teacher, however in my previous blog, I failed to mention, she is also my very best friend. I am very blessed to have her in my life. We have always had a lot of fun together, ever since we were 11 yrs old. Just a little reminiscing,we did some crazy things when we were young. Sneaking out, parties, football games, boyfriends, Mazzios and movies(LOL!!),always laughing and acting silly, prom (eating quesadillas at Charlotte's house), and on and on. We have had so much fun and now our kids love playing together. Now it's Chuck E. Cheese, Pump It Up, birthday parties, and play dates. Julie is definitely a true friend. She has always been there for me. It's amazing how much we are alike. Especially with cleaning house and stressing out!!Ha, Ha. Although, my house is not near as clean as it used to be. Julie is a very special person in my life. I love you girl!!

It's a brick house!!

2008-09-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Finally, we have a brick house. I didn't think they would ever get through bricking. However, looking at our house, we plan on staining the posts and door to match and are painting the trim and dormers a creme color.

Today we went to the big " Montalba Fest". The boys enjoyed the parade and Jake enjoyed the jump house. I did not have camera so no pictures.

Here is a picture of Luke eating spaghetti for the first time. Oh my!! What a mess!!

Shots

2008-09-12T20:33:00.001-07:00

Little Luke had his one year check-up yesterday. His height is in the 75th percentile and his weight is in the 25th. So he is long and lean. Bless his heart, I had to hold on to him while Dr.Klein checked him or I should say, he was holding on the me. He had his arms wrapped around my neck so tight. When I had to lay him on the table he starting screaming before he even felt the shots. And... OH my goodness, you wouldn't believe how many he had do get. He got one, two, three, four, 5 shots!!! That is just too many for my little precious. Here he is on the way home.

Marlin

2008-09-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon, we took a trip to Wal-mart. Well, we never leave without looking at the fish. This time I decided to adopt a goldfish. So now we have a new member of the family. I asked Jake what he would like to name his new fish. First it was George, then it was Rudy, and the final name......Marlin!!! Oh my goodness, does he ever love Marlin. He adores Marlin. He has to hug and kiss the fish bowl before he goes to bed at night. We love our new addition to the family.

Tyler Combat Challenge

2008-09-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to Tyler to watch the Firefighters Combat Challenge. I know some of you may not know what that is so here is a video of the Combat Challenge.

We went because several of Dwayne's co-workers were competing. We had a really good time. Jake had a blast. He was cheering and screaming for the competitors. His little heart was racing. Well,guess what guys? They had a kids combat challenge set up. It was so neat. When Jake noticed this....we were there!!!! He had to do it!! He was so excited. The line was so long. So long!!! Dwayne carried Jake on his shoulders for about an hour while I had Luke on my hips. That's OK it was well worth it. But you will never believe it, I DID NOT HAVE MY CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable! I was so upset. I never dreamed it would need it. But I was wrong. Never go anywhere without your camera. Jake got to put on his little gear and everything. It was awesome, He was probably the youngest one that did it. He was so adorable. Cannot believe I did not have my camera,ugh!!!! Here is a video of the kids combat challenge.

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Jake started school!!! Well preschool. I am very excited about this year because his teacher is someone I know very well. Her name is Julie and we have been friends since we were 11 yrs old. So that makes 19 yrs, wow!! I know Jake will learn a lot, but hopefully he will behave. The first day of school, he got sent to time out twice for hitting and poking someone in the eye. Oh my!!! Indeed we had a talk when we got home. He will be at school Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-11:30 but can stay for extended care until 3:00. He asked me to pick him up early today so I did. This is what he made today.

And he only got in time out once for not listening. He is such a strong-willed little boy, but I know God is working in him everyday giving him a sweet and obedient spirit. By the way the school is at First United Methodist. He also went last year. He absolutely loves it.

I also thought since the last few posts have been about Jake. I would show a few pictures of Luke. He is looking at a book pointing to the pictures. He loves his books and magazines too. He loves his big brother Jake. He is watching him play playstation.

Fishing Trip

2008-09-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day, Papa , decided to take his "little buddy", on a fishing trip. We actually all went. It was so exciting to see Jake catch a fish. He was absolutley thrilled when he got to reel in his fish. He would say, " Oh my goodness, this is a big one!". You know, as much as I wanted a girl, boys can be a lot of fun. There is nothing more exhilarating than to see your children doing something they enjoy!

Sea World

2008-09-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

This was a very exciting and eventful trip. However, we left Luke here with Me Maw and Papa where he was much happier. I felt a 5 hour trip was just too long for him. However, he had a blast with his grandparents. But, I missed him greatly!! He is my little sunshine

OK. we left at about 10:30am and arrived in San Antonio at about 4: 30 pm. We had plans to spend the night with David, Chantel, and Avery. This includes stopping at McDonald's for lunch so Jake could play, and Target. Jake was very eager to see Avery. When we arrived, Chantel took us on a tour of her new home which was absolutely beautiful. Then we decided to go to the fire station where David was working. The kids played and ran around the firetruck. It was neat to see how different the fire stations are in San Antonio compared to Palestine. I believe David is at Station #41 and Dwayne is at Station#2 but there are only four stations total. Wow !!

Well we decided it was time to get some grub!!! So Chantel suggested "Macaroni Grill". All I can say is BREAD !!!!!!!!! YUMMY!!!! It is so scrumptious.

Let's skip to the Park. Woke up and had a big breakfast and headed off to SEAWORLD!!! How exciting. My first family vacation except without my little precious! We had so much fun. Roller coaster, mini Ferris wheel, Shamu, 3-D shows, wave pool, slides. We had a BLAST!! However, it was extremely hot, wheel broke off of stroller, dropped camera in water- and yes it broke!!! But the memory card was safe. And poor Chantel, 5 mths pregnant, trying to keep up with two 3yr olds. Her poor feet!! But besides all that, it was a lot of fun. Avery and Jake had a great time. They play very well together. They have known each other since they were born. They also loved holding hands. Ahh, they are so sweet.

However, the ending to the vacation was not so great, Jake woke up crying hysterically at 1:00am. He would not stop. He was so scared! I think it was the pirate movie we watched at Sea World. It was pretty scary for a 3 yr old. Avery actually started crying during the movie so maybe, that was my sign to leave. Anyways, Dwayne decided that we would just drive home so he could sleep in the car and that is just what he did all the way home. But we still had a great time and hope to visit David, Chantel, and Avery again, hopefully when that baby girl is born.

Luke's Birthday

2008-08-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Luke turned ONE!!! I cannot believe it. My little angel turned one. We had an E-I-E-I-O party. Had snacks, cake , and icecream. However, Luke did not open his presents, guess who did? Jake decided to help Luke with all his presents, althought Luke really did not seem to care. Luke's favorite part of his party was eating chocolate cake. Yummy!!! He played in it for awhile before he decided to take a bite, but once he did, he was in chocolate heaven. It was hilarious watching him devour the cake.

Fun at the Zoo!

2008-07-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

It was a very nice visit to the zoo. We arrived at 9am and the zoo was pretty bare. I felt like we had the whole zoo to ourselves. Jake had a fantastic time. His favorite event was feeding the birds and loved watching the turtles swim. Luke just peacefully rode in the stroller but also loved viewing the fish swimming in the large aquariums. He enjoyed feeding the birds as well, but wanted to taste the bird seed himself.

David's B-day

2008-06-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was David Ellis's 30th birthday which we celebrated at his mothers house in Bullard. It was a very nice visit. Avery and Jake had not seen each other in quite some time. Well actually, we all haven't been together in a while. David and Chantel are very good friends of ours and they moved to San Antonio about a year ago. We miss them very much. Jake had a great time with Avery. All the way home he cried, " I miss Avery. I love her." It was so sad. Here are a few pictures of them.Some are from a few years ago.

2008-06-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I bet you guys thought that I had completely given up on my blog. Well here I am motivated once again. Thank you, Chantel. Ok, I guess I better not back track. So let me just talk about my precious boys.

Jake, Oh Jake, he is such a challenge. But without a doubt, so much fun. There is never a dull moment with him around. He makes me laugh all the time. It is so hard to believe he is 3 yrs old. He just starting getting into playing "PlayStation" and he actually does it very well.

Luke is growing so fast. He is about to be 1 yr old. Are you kidding me? That is crazy!!! He is so sweet. He loves to cuddle. He has been crawling since he was 8mths old and now he is trying to take a few steps. He says," DaDa, MaMa, bye, bye, Uh OH, and has just started shaking his head "no". He also eats like a big boy. He has fruit, cheese, waffles, crackers, turkey lunchmeat, and tried mashed potatoes the other day and did not like them at all. They are both so wonderful!

I cannot imagine my life without them.

Ear infections have been continuous since Luke was about 6 mths old. So today we had an appt. with the ear, nose, and throat Dr. in Tyler. After looking at Luke's ears she recommended tubes. So he will have surgery on July 3rd. He is such a good baby, the only way I knew he had an ear infection is because he would pull on his ears and run fever, otherwise, he never cried. Honey, you knew when Jake had an ear infection. Whoa!!! WHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All night long, walking and rocking. Poor Jake!!

Well, I am really excited about our house. It seems to be really moving quickly now that we have finally started. Today the roofers finished putting up the shingles. Here are a few photos. Jake has already picked out his room. He loves his new house.

Bonfire at Nana's

2007-11-24T19:42:00.001-08:00

Well, I am extremely behind on my blog, I know. But I have every intention on catching up.

Ok, the bonfire at Nana's was the day after Thanksgiving. We roasted weenies for hotdogs and marshmallows for Smores. It was a lot of fun. Jake really had a blast. Luke, on the other hand, was awfully sleepy, therefore, Nana was trying to get him to sleep. Bless his little heart.

During our visit with Nana and Pa, yes, you read it right. Jake calls my father in law, Pa. It's like " Little House on the Prairie". It began with Pepaw and now has ended up as Pa. We met my father in laws family. They were so sweet and pleasant. They had children and Jake had a very good time with them. It was a very nice visit. Oh and I almost forgot, brother in law could juggle very well. Jake had a blast watching him juggle apples. He thought it was amazing!!

Shopping

2007-11-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

Well, Audra and I were very brave or crazy, one of the two, but we decided to go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. The biggest shopping day of the year!!!! Ok we are definitely crazy!!

We left at 6am and our first stop was Kohls, then Target, Linens N' Things, then it was time to hit Starbucks for a yummy "Peppermint Mocha". After we were all nice and rejuvenated, since we had plenty of time to sip on our mochas while trying to find a parking place, we went to the mall. That was one wild place. I think we were both about to go totally insane from all the people. What were we thinking? But we did get a lot of Christmas shopping done. Here is Audra trying on her new Christmas outfit. But she locked herself out of the dressing room, and we were so tired and did not want to wait on lady to come and unlock door, so here is Audra climbing under door. HA,HA. LOL!!!! She is so funny, I just love her!!!! We always have a blast together. She is definitely my true friend for a lifetime. I met Audra through hygiene school. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful friend. She is the best. I love you Audra Skinner!!

Anyways, after our trip to the mall, we were sooooooo exhausted and HUNGRY!!! So we went to Cheddars, then Toys R' Us and then home.

Oh and I did not mention, I ran into another really good friend while shopping at Kohls, Chantel Ellis. She just recently moved to San Antonio and was in Tyler for Thanksgiving. When she left San Antonio it was 85 degrees, but when she got out of her car in Tyler wearing flip flops, she discovered she had to buy her another pair of shoes. She was wearing flip flops with socks. She is hilarious!! I miss her a lot!! And of course, little Avery. We always have a lot of fun together too.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

Well, today was a hectic, but wonderful day. This was Luke's first Thanksiving. We went to Granddaddy's and then to Memaw and Papa's ( my mom and dad). It was a very nice day. And of course, Jake was being his crazy self. I cannot imagine a day without my precious family.

Mother's Day Out

2007-11-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

This morning I decided to make Jake a peanut butter and banana smoothie. He loved it!!! He kept saying," Mommy, this is delicious." Which I did taste it and it was really good. There is a great website for smoothie recipes, it is www.smoothieweb.com

Every Thursday, Jake goes to First Methodist Church for school/mother's day out. He really enjoys it. It is also my cleaning house day. This is Jake before we left this morning. By the way, he fell down and busted his nose and mouth the other day. So that is why he has a bo bo.

Luke and I played and I cleaned house. He had on my favorite pajamas this morning. They have little horses on the toes. He is also sitting in his new bebe pod chair. He loves it. He likes to watch Baby Mozart while he is sitting in his chair.I think he feels like a big boy. Ha, Ha.However , Jake likes it too.

When I picked Jake up today, he had made a picture of a turkey with his hand prints as the feathers and he is wearing the hat he made also.

We went to visit MeMaw and Papa today and my Aunt and Uncle were there. It was really great seeing them. I have not seen them in several years. It was nice that they were able to see the kids.

Herbie and church

2007-11-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Well, today Jake discovered his all time favorite movie. Herbie:Fully Loaded. We have watched this movie almost three times today. He loves it!!!! He sings "Oh, Oh it's magic...." He is so funny!!! Today at church, he did not want to go to his sunday school class for some reason. He told me he did not want to play with the kids. So he went with Dwayne,Luke and I into the big church. He loved it for awhile, he sang songs, well tried, didn't quite know all the words, danced, and last but not least he lifted his hands in the air and waved them back and forth. He of course noticed several people in front of us lifting their hands during worship and decided that was something he was supposed to do. He did pretty well for a little while, but then when Bro. Barry began preaching and he had pulled all the cards out of the pew in front of us, he told me he wanted to go play with all the kids. And he made a turkey, here is a picture.

Luke did really well, he just coos really loud. He likes to talk. That sweet baby boy!!!

Parade of Homes

2007-11-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

Well,today Dwayne and I decided to go to the "Parade of Homes" in Tyler. Since we are about to get started on our home, I wanted a few more ideas. There are so many choices!!!! But I know it will be a lot of fun. Hopefully!!!! We left about 12:30pm and took Jake and Luke to see their Nana ( mother-in-law). While we were in Tyler we of course, had to eat at Mercado's, which was not until 3:00 so I stuffed myself. Oh , but it was so good! We had a lot of fun and I did get several ideas. We started heading home about 5:30pm. I started missing my sweet baby boys and wanted to get back to them. Jake was so sleepy, He went to bed at 8pm. Poor Nana, I know she was exhausted, too.Here are some pictures of Jake and Luke I took a couple of mornings ago.