Eat Your Heart Out, Gigi!

Gigi is on vacation and since not a one of us were invited, we decided it was high time we had some big fun without her. We figured the best way to do this was to take the boys out for their first spins on the jet skis! So we grabbed a bucket of chicken and met Grandad down at the docks for a fun-filled afternoon. The boys both hopped on the "ski boat" without hesitation and ended up loving it! Jack's favorite part of the ride was chasing a lazy pelican that was taking a breather on the water. He kept telling him to get to flying! Jason said Hayes was totally relaxed even as they got going 25 miles per hour. See Bear's hair below if you have any doubts about their speed! : ) Thanks for inviting us down to cruise the lake, Grandad, we had a great time!

A Not So Good Anniversary

Today marked the two year anniversary of the passing of Jason's father. It was a tough day. I decided to talk my very private husband into letting me post the speech he read at his dad's funeral. It was not an easy task, but I figured the best way to show the love and admiration he felt for his father was to use his own words. As I copied his speech down, I was a little surrpised by how vividly I can remember the day that he spoke them. I can see him behind the podium looking more like a boy than a man, trying his very best to just get through it. I can see our son sitting on my mom's lap eating cracker after cracker, having absolutely no idea of what he had just lost. And I can remember wondering how do we do this...how do I do this right for him? I'm still not sure either one of us knows the answer to that even now. All I do know is that I love my husband and the man that he is each and every day. And I remain thankful to my father in law for loving him, shaping him, and showing him how to be this man.

"I am here today to honor my father...and my best friend. He was truly a wonderful man. As most of you know...he never met a stranger, he could lighten your mood in an instant with his quick wit, he knew just when to listen and when to give advice, he knew when to be tough and when to be tender.
As I remember my father, I am in awe of his selflessness. His mindset was always us before him. I pray that I can serve my family with this same dedication.
A strong follower of Christ, my father led his family by example. He taught me so many valuable lessons and most of those were based on the scriptures. One of our favorites that continues to give me strength is Hebrews 11:1.

'Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.'

My father fought a courageous battle against cancer for the past two years. Again, he did this not for himself but for his family. Although my son, Jack, will not know his Papa in the physical sense...he will know him through me.
I am going to miss my father dearly, but I also feel lucky to have had him as long as I did. Since his passing on Wednesday, a picture of him keeps flashing in my mind. When he would forget something in the house or need to jump out to close a gate at Robert Lee or was just playing a family game of 'gotcha last'...he would often run and swivel his hips as if he had just won the Heisman Trophy. I can take comfort in the fact that he is with the Lord and can run like that once again."

Big Teddy Goes to School!

Luckily, I am not the only one learning lessons around here. Today, was bring your 'teddy bear for a picnic' day at Jack's school. We gave him the option of bringing a little teddy bear, his brother, or his big teddy bear. Sweetly, he picked his brother but Jason and I persuaded him to settle for taking the big teddy bear instead. And as we predicted, Big Teddy was the star of the picnic and a huge hit with both the kids and adults! Jack's teacher said that Jack took really great care of his guest too...making sure he had a very generous plate of food and plenty to drink. So what are the valuable lessons learned here? 1. Always pick your brother first. 2. Take care of your friends. 3. Go big or go home.

Bear's 1st Trip to the Zoo!

We haven't been to the zoo in ages!! Well, almost a year to be exact. I figured Jack was long overdue and that it was high time Bear saw his relatives up close and personal...so Monday morning, I decided that we not wanted, but needed to go and check this place out once again. And boy I am so glad that we did! We had such a great time...just my little bear, my little monkey, and me. It was great weather, the boys were on their best behavior, and it even felt like we had the place all to ourselves for a little bit. Hayes was perfectly content eating his millions of puffs and checking out the scenery from the comfort of his stroller. He would either strain his neck all the way back or lean all the way forward if he saw something that he found interesting. He muttered a few "wows" and "whoas" along the way but took most of it in just like he does most things nowadays...calm and cool behind a fistful of food. Jack, on the other hand, was excited as can be and wasn't afraid to chat us up about anything and everything even remotely animal related. He exclaimed "oh my goodness" at every exhibit and proceeded to share his big ideas on the animal kingdom as we made our way along. Of course, that was only when he wasn't chanting "we're lost at the zoo, we're lost at the zoo" Hey, I only had to talk to those golf cart guys once! Promise! And I totally meant to go see that goat twice...

My Two Sweet Messes!

Keep 'em Coming!

I figured it was time again to share some more of my hard knock lessons learned...hope you enjoy!

1. If you have been dealing with sick kiddos all day and the first thing your husband asks when he gets home happens to be "is that a booger on your cheek" try your best to not get offended.
2. If a police officer at the Astros game tells you that no one under 21 is allowed in this area, try not to exclaim "oh thanks, but I'm 33" It will be rather embarrassing when he looks at you with quite a bit of pity and says "I meant the kids, mam"
3. If your son has not had a runny nose before or after school, you still shouldn't be surprised if he tells you proudly that he blew a bubble out of his nose during snack time.
4. Don't ever think that you are having the worst day ever because just when you think it can't get any worse, you might end up on the losing end of a very bad case of diarrhea in a freshly potty trained 3 year old.
5. Don't ever try to put your son (who is not exactly cooperating) in "time out" close to the automatic door at the entrance of the store. It is a little embarrassing when it continues to open and close showcasing your own private hell.
6. Don't ever hand your wallet to your son, forget that you handed your wallet to your son, leave the store, search your car frantically, remember that you handed your wallet to your son, and then be surprised when he calmly states that he put it on the counter at the grocery store. Duh.
7. And if you ever do find yourself in situation #6, don't ever lock the doors, put the hazards on, and park in the fire lane because you don't want to get the sick kids out of the car in the pouring rain while you sprint in to grab your wallet from the customer service desk
8. And if you ever find yourself in situation *7, don't be surprised if in those 2.2 seconds you ran into the store to get your wallet three cop cars won't decide to swarm your car and start asking questions. All of the attention might make your boys' day, but it definitely won't make yours.
9. Do not ever serve blueberry applesauce to a toddler next to any piece of furniture, wall, or ceiling.
10. Always take pictures before a breakfast buffet, not after.
11. Don't ever think that you, your 3 year old, and your 1 year old are ever just going to take a little peek at the fish tank because you might find yourself carrying two children (one screaming at the top of his lungs with his pants down) searching frantically for some assistance after a failed poop attempt ends dramatically in a stall door smashing some little fingers.
12. Don't ever leave the dishwasher door down because you will be surprised how quickly an almost 1 year old can climb on to it and begin to wave to you with a steak knife.

Just a Couple of Old Pros!

Jack started preschool today and what a difference a year makes! The tearful toddler and blubbering pregnant lady were just a faint memory as we both walked in like we owned the place this year. Well maybe not exactly owning the place, but there definitely was not one single tear shed as we placed his name tag on his freshly ironed shirt, put his cute little backpack in its very own cubby, and met his brand new teachers for the first time. And although I would say that this drop off was one for the record books (ours at least), pick up time was even better. There he was...in the exact same outfit as he was when I left him with a smile on his face, doing his signature kick ups in the middle of the room. After one of the greatest little hugs we've ever had, he proceeded to tell us all about his great day while pretty much devouring an entire sub sandwich. And a summary of his first day in the big time? Jackie B concluded that it was just really, really awesome.

Right in Our Own Backyard!

A little birdie told me about a great place on the other side of Houston called the Woodlands Resort. Jason and I are always looking for new places do some "resorting" and the fact that it was only 45 minutes away was just the right amount of icing on the cake. It sounded like the perfect place to finish off a great summer so the Fishers, some of our good friends, and the 6 kids between us were Woodlands bound this past weekend! You might be thinking that 6 kids to 6 adults doesn't exactly sound like the most relaxing of ratios, but it actually ended up being just the easy, breezy weekend we had in mind. We all agreed that this "bacation" was just right and we are already looking for an excuse to go back again. Any takers?