This one's for Uncle Jo-do

I have some pictures and stories to tell about family retreat this weekend, but that is going to take too much time and energy right now... and I am pooped! It was a great weekend... a few minor injuries, but great overall... So more on that to come, but for now, I started this post a while back and never did finish it...

People are always telling me how much Coby reminds then of Jordan (my youngest brother), so I thought it would be fun to post some pictures of them side by side... and I discovered that Bryson really favors him, too... take a look...

Jordan as a little guy

Coby - 18 months old




Bryson - 15 months old

Jordan

Coby

We really wanted some glasses like this, but they were out of stock! :o) I just really posted this one of Jordan bc is was too cute not to! He was 2 years old here!

Wordless Wednesday

I love this little guy!!!

Jedus Wudd U

He asks to sing this every night before bedtime... he used to just chime in on the last word of each line, but I thought it was so cute to hear him try to keep up with the other words in between....

unique

Every evening before bed time, I have the boys lay out their clothes for school the next morning. They wear school uniforms, so the choice is pretty easy, but it is just nice to have it all right there in a little pile rather than having to dig thru closets and drawers when they are half-asleep at 6:30AM getting dressed.....

Below is Micah's pile. He likes to stack it neatly on the coffee table so it doesnt get sat or stepped on. His shoes are always laid left-right, his clothes neatly folded, and his belt rolled.... a boy after his mommy's own little OCD heart...

And now for Coby's pile.... :o) And just FYI, he will snuggle up and waller around on this couch all over these clothes for a good 10 minutes in the morning before he even attempts to put anything on. But I am so proud of him that he now gets every piece to the uniform here to the "pile!" He even thought up his own idea of keeping up with his glasses by putting them inside his shoe! Sweet boy!! And you cant see it, but there is a little bit of dried toothpaste on his belt from last monday when they had to wear belts for chapel...

This just made me laugh as I walked thru the living room last night, so I decided to take a picture... I love that my boys are all 4 so different in so many ways. It helps them to be more flexible and it is interesting that they have so many diverse friends I think because they are able to embrace eachother's differences... Yes, it is the cause for lots of squabbles, too!! But I wouldnt have it any other way!!

The casualty

We went camping again last weekend just as a family this time.... we had a blast! However, we did have one casualty on our trip.......

It was really windy and we left our camping chairs all around the fire pit. The fire was basically going out, and we went for a bike ride, not thinking about the possibility of a gust of wind blowing them over into the fire.... Here is what we found when we returned... and the other 5 chairs were very safely placed several feet away from the fire!!

Thank goodness we were camping right beside a group of responsible little Boy Scouts... Always Prepared (isnt that their motto??) The "rescue mission" may have been the highlight of their trip!! :o)

More camping pics coming soon.... I need to take some time to weed thru and crop them...

New Look....

Thanks again to Shelley at Simply Shelley Designs for my blog makeover!! If you want a makeover of your own, go check her out!!

Vote for me!!!

I admit to being a blog-stalker... I love to have the little glimpse into the lives of other people and I am encouraged and learn so much from other moms that way. One of the blogs I frequent is a mom with quad baby boys... I love to read her stories and see her precious little boys! She recently did a photo contest where you had to go "dump" the pictures off your digital camera and choose only from those and email her your favorite. She had over 110 applicants and one of my pictures made it to the final 10! :o) I dont think I have ever won a contest! So now, everyone who reads her blog has to vote for the winner! So go check out Jen's blog - "4tunate" and vote for #9!!

And I bet most of you will browse her blog and you might just become hooked like me... I have been reading since she was pregnant with her 4 little babies!!

Bluebonnets, revisited

Here was round 2 with the bluebonnets.... we ditched the ties and went around sunset instead of noon... but this time the ground was wet and muddy and my type-A child (I dont know where he gets it...ha!) did not want to get his pants wet or dirty!! :o) I didnt get a great group shot, but the individuals were cute....

I take one of these every year... I wonder if the boys will still humor their crazy momma and do this picture someday when they are 14, 16, 17, &18! :o)

Happy Birthday to my BFF

Happy 29th Birthday to my hubby, my companion, my counselor, my lawn-guy, my assistant chauffeur, my joke-teller, my boy bather, my family leader, my Best Friend...

I think it is really funny how young and in love we were 11 years ago and how it seemed like we couldnt ever love eachother more... but I love Clint more and more with each year... with each child.... with each trial... with each joy.... I am so honored that he chose me to love and so thankful that I have him as a companion to experience this crazy-fun life together! I love you, Best!

Then... 1997

Now... 2008
This picture was taken right before the Casting Crowns concert. Clint said it was his favorite birthday present ever! :o) We left kids with my parents and headed out for some "adult only" time! It was so great to have the break and enjoy each others conversation and the concert was INCREDIBLE!! It was so uplifting, touching, powerful, fun, awesome. They are such a talented group, and their songs are so powerful. I cried (more than once) as I sang along to several of them. Each member of the band prayed for part of the audience and it was so heartfelt and so uplifting to be in the middle of the loonies in downtown austin.... in a packed Frank Erwin Center.... singing such incredible praise songs! We cant wait for them to come back to Austin!

Easter 2008, take 2....

I am working on birthday posts for Clint and Coby (plus a post on our awesome experience at the Casting Crowns concert!!!!), so look for those coming soon... maybe after my open house in my classroom tomorrow! :o) But for now, here are some pics for the grandmas!

Since I spent the entire Easter Sunday in bed, and Clint spent the entire day in bed last Sunday, (and the boys in between), this was our first sunday together as a family, so we busted back out the ties and wore our easter duds once more... And my bluebonnet photo session was not great.... the bluebonnets are not as pretty this year and we tried it after church this sunday morning, and the sun was just too bright... so we are going to try it again some evening.... but here are a few pics anyways... Micah would not cooperate with the sun in his eyes... stinker!

My FAVORITE!! How sweet is he?

The pics with daddy didnt work out too well, either... they were hot, tired and done!

Here we are back home with my boys!

Coby's 6th Birthday

No way is Coby 6 years old!! What happened to that little pudgy stinker with the strawberry-blonde curls who made us laugh every day with his antics??

Well, the stinker is still here... his curls have been cut off per his request, and he still keeps us all smiling! My sweet Coby has a heart of gold. He says prayers that bring tears to my eyes almost daily. He has a love for people, for babies, for the elderly. He is still a toot from time to time... and we are still figuring things out when it comes to Coby, but I wouldnt trade any of his traits for anything. I love the spunk and the joy that he brings to this family each and every day! I love my Coby!!

Showing off his new bike...

We had a bowling party this year and it was more like a zoo that a bowling alley... about 25 kids... crazy!! But loads of fun!!

Coby, Mommy, & Michaelangelo




A close-up of Mikey... he was a fun cake! Coby got to help me, too!

Brentwood Oaks Children's Ministry

Take a look at this precious video from our Childrens Ministry at BOCC. Our church just designed a new room for our Sonshine Hour, and the kids were so excited. Clint and I helped with some of the painting and prep for the room, so it was so fun to see the fruits of our labor... Watch for my sweet Cason (and my nephew Quentin) amongst the interviewees... My favorite line is cason's closing comment at the end (and maybe Quentin's comment about his brain)! This was recently played for the entire congregation at church and it is also on the BOCC website.... Cason loves the attention, but he gets really embarrassed when someone asks him about it. We have watched it several times as a family, and the other day I heard the boys out jumping on the trampoline singing (at the top of their lungs) "Lets sing praises to God {clap, clap} Praises to God {clap, clap} Clap your hands together and sing praises to God...."

Time to share the news.....

We decided it was time to share our news with our blogger friends..... that's right folks, our BIG news!!!!

APRIL FOOLS! :o)

(and happy birthday, Devan!!)