The Webb Family

A first visit to the dentist

2012-01-25T22:14:00.000-06:00

I took the boys to the dentist today for a routine cleaning. It was Luke's official first cleaning. He had been to their old dentist once before but they just looked in his mouth and didn't clean because he wanted no part of that process. Now that he is almost four I felt that it was time. And let me say, he did GREAT! He was so brave and didn't act scared one bit. He did everything he was supposed to do and even had x-rays taken.

We went to a pediatric dentist in Prosper for the first time and had a great experience. They even had little flat screen TV's mounted on the ceiling so the kids have something to watch as they lay there. Luke chose Toy Story and Jacob chose Cars.

Since it was Luke's first cleaning, the dentist himself cleaned Luke's teeth.Dr. John was the one that actually asked me if I wanted to take pictures of Luke's first dentist visit. Way to go Doc!

Jacob also had a cleaning. Both were cavity free. While the dentist said Luke has textbook teeth and everything looks great, Jacob on the other hand apparently has an extra tooth. While the dentist was reading his xrays, I saw him lean in to get a closer look. He looked for a minute and then asked me if any one in our family has or had extra teeth. What? Uh, not that I know of. He said about 20% of kids have extra teeth. He will definitely have to get it pulled later once it makes it's way down. And he said Jacob will most likely have to have braces because of the way his teeth are spaced. Our other dentist in Lewisville told us the same thing. Poor guy! His top two teeth are loose and after seeing on the xrays where his permanent teeth are located, Dr. John said he will probably lose them within four weeks or so. That should be fun!

Waiting patiently

Showing off his pearly whites!

Jacob lately

2012-01-18T12:49:00.002-06:00

Jacob has been a busy boy lately. He started playing basketball for the first time this winter. He has loved every minute of it and puts his little heart in to each and every game and practice.

Since the number six wasn't available, he chose number 5 for his jersey. Go Golden Eagles!

The first game Jacob got to shoot two free throws and he made one of them. He was so excited.

Although these boys seem so big out there playing basketball, they look so little to me in this picture. (sorry for the poor photo quality- iphone pic)

Sarah sat down for a brief moment and clapped for the team. And when I say 'brief moment', I mean BRIEF moment. I honestly don't know that I've seen such a busy little girl. She can't sit still, there is just too much to see, too much to climb on and too much wide open space to run around in. Jim and I take turns ~~walking~~ running with her in the back because we all know climbing on the bleachers can never be a good thing! Oh Miss Sarah!

On another note, Jacob recently received an award at school. Apparently, every nine weeks they have these award ceremonies where certain students are recognized. He got an award for Most Helpful. Upon calling Jacob up to receive his award, Mrs. Naber described Jacob as "responsible, a good example to others and very helpful in the classroom."

Jacob walking across the stage to receive his award.

So proud of our sweet Kindergartener.

I was recently in Jacob's classroom and noticed the bulletin board had been updated. The question was, "What do you want to learn in 2012?" Jacob's response, "how to tell time". Love it! His teacher and I were talking about how different and great all the responses were. She liked Jacob's response but said unfortunately they won't learn how to tell time in Kindergarten. Guess I know what to be working on at home! :)

We are so proud of you Jacob and all that you have accomplished so far in Kindergarten. You have surpassed so many of our expectations in your first year of school. You are an amazing young boy and I look forward to watching you continue to thrive in school and sports. We love you sweet boy!

A special weekend

2012-01-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

In early December we had a special weekend with my high school BFF's, Dana, Lauri and Amanda and their families. We had a grand weekend filled with laughter, long talks, shared memories, good food, and of course a little chaos. After all there were 9 kids under the age of 6. Just look at this sweet bunch. The oldest is Jacob at 6 and the youngest is Andrew at 6 months. Love these sweet kiddos!

We decided to do a book exchange with the kids this year instead of toys.

We did manage to escape and get a few pictures just of us. Love, love, love these girlies. We are going on 20+ years of our amazing friendships.

Where do I start?

2012-01-06T14:00:00.000-06:00

Like most of us, I'm so behind and have so much I want to blog about. There just wasn't enough time after the kids were in bed to get on the computer and play. Ads were being looked through, Christmas lists were being made, coupons were being collected and organized, gifts were being wrapped, toys were being assembled, recipes and menus were being planned. We all know none of this can be done during the day while juggling the kids. So, the blog got neglected for a few weeks. However, all that night time work paid off because we had a wonderful, joyous Christmas.

The week leading up to Christmas, we declared a couple of the nights our "family movie night". Which included watching Rudolph one night and Frosty the next night. We popped popcorn and Jacob and Luke happily gathered some sweet treats for us to snack on.

The Friday before Christmas we headed to Arlington to celebrate with Jim's family. On our way there, we stopped off at the Gaylord Texan hotel and took advantage of their beautifully decorated hotel lobby for some photo ops. Little miss Sarah clearly was not in the mood for pictures so the good ones were limited...but we tried.

We headed over to Papa Jim and G-Lana's house afterwards and had a nice Christmas. Good food, generous gifts and fun family time made the evening just what it should have been.

Uncle Jim and baby Alyssa. Isn't she adorable?

Christmas Eve morning we let the kids open a gift each before we hit the road to Kilgore. Sarah got her chair and the boys got a DVD player. And please note Sarah is wearing my scarf. She cracks me up!

We then made our way to Kilgore and joined in on the fun. We went to Christmas Eve Mass at 4:00 then came home to dinner, bath and an early bedtime for the kiddos so Santa could make his arrival.
Look this way kiddos... impossible!!

Sweet parentals!

The Webb and Paniagua kids.

Santa brought Sarah a kitchen, Jacob a Wii, a Wii game and a remote controlled helicopter and Luke a Lightening McQueen scooter, a Wii remote and a Star Wars gun. (the gun for Luke was the one thing he kept asking Santa for. Not my ideal gift for him but it was his top request).

We told the kids about our upcoming trip to Disney World. We told them inside the box was a clue to a vacation we have planned to take together. When they opened the box and saw their Mickey and Minnie Mouse shirts, they guessed it right away!

New slippers for all.

Sarah took to her kitchen right away!

Kyla and family joined us later Christmas day in Rusk at Grandpa's house.

Sarah loved playing with sweet baby Joseph.

When I asked Grandpa for a smile this is what I got!

Opening his gift from his grandkids.

Framed picture of all the great-grandkids! He was very surprised!

We also gave Mom and Dad a framed picture of us all.

Once again thankful for a wonderfully, blessed Christmas with family and friends. Wishing you all a Happy New Year full of peace, joy, good health, happiness and a heart full of God's love!

Christmas program and parties

2011-12-23T07:24:00.007-06:00

Earlier in the month, Luke's preschool combined Donuts with Dad and the Christmas program all in one day. A good way to maximize the dads time up at school.

After their breakfast they proceeded to the church for the Christmas program. We enjoyed watching Luke in his first program. Although he sat and made faces like this for most of the program, it was still so cute to watch.

Little friend: "Hey Luke, what are we supposed to be doing? I forgot what comes next."
Luke: "I have no idea. I'm just trying to figure out why all these people are here looking at us."

A few weeks later Luke's class celebrated with a Christmas party which included Chick-fil-a for lunch, an edible Santa craft, a Christmas story and a book exchange.

Ready for the book exchange. Notice Sarah giving Luke a hug on the left side up against the wall.

She wasn't going to be left out of the fun!

Wednesday of this week, Jacob finished up at school. He is SO excited to have two weeks off! His class had a little party as well and he got to leave at 10:30 that day so he was a happy guy! They too made an edible snowman craft, made a picture frame, had a snack and listened to a Christmas book.

We LOVE Mrs. Naber

Snack time

Craft time

Great group of kiddos

Of all the things he has gotten for Christmas he remembers the Nerf gun, of all things. Go figure! Boys and their guns! Sigh!

On another note, I just love this picture of Luke playing with his Nativity set. Sweet boy!

And I just love this one of Luke laughing and Sarah being silly as usual.

Santa Picture 2011

2011-12-07T20:43:00.004-06:00

I would say this year's Santa picture was a success!

I still can't get over the fact that Sarah isn't completely frightened of the big guy. At first she didn't want to go up to him but as soon as we brought the rocking horse over, she was all smiles! I think she forgot Santa was behind her. And you know I can't post a picture like this without taking a stroll down memory lane. So here goes...

2010

2009

2008

And yes we skip '07 and '06 due to a scared kiddo...and on to 2005.

Christmas Kickoff

2011-12-03T16:00:00.000-06:00

The weekend after Thanksgiving we spent getting the tree up, the house decorated and the outside lights up. It's officially Christmas time around here!

For some strange reason, I didn't get any pictures of the kids decorating our tree or the tree in their room. I was a little nervous about Sarah's reaction to the tree, ornaments and other decorations around the house. Well, I can say that we've only had one ornament break and the boy's tree has only come down once! Right on top of her, at that! I think she learned real quick not to try to pull the ornaments off again. Thankfully, she really hasn't messed with the tree in the living room.

That Saturday we headed over to the North Pole Express in Grapevine with our good friends, the Ewings. Fun was had by all!

Getting their tickets punched.

Patiently waiting for Santa to make his way.

Sarah was SO brave. She took the bell right from his hand but didn't take her eyes off of him!

What a difference a year can make- 2010

And what a difference two years can make. (I'm about 6 weeks pg with Sarah here)- 2009

This weekend our church had their annual Breakfast with St. Nicholas. Who can pass up chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, ham, potatoes, yogurt, orange juice and hot chocolate? And of course good ole St. Nick. Not us!

Sarah has warmed up to Santa quite nicely when she has seen him recently. I always try to point him out when we see him at the mall, on TV etc. She might not sit in his lap but she will stand close by and likes to give him a high five.

Stay tuned for more Christmas updates!

Thanksgiving in review

2011-11-28T22:30:00.000-06:00

The Thursday before Thanksgiving, Luke had a little feast at his school. Complete with lots of good food and Thanksgiving decorations. What fun!

My little Thanksgiving Indian!

The Friday before Thanksgiving break, Jacob's school had Grandparents/Special Friend day. Thankfully, my mom was able to take the day off and come up to be with Jacob. The morning included breakfast, pictures, the book fair and classroom activities. I was thrilled Jacob had his Grandma there.

Waiting in line for breakfast.

Yummy, yummy!

Picture time.

Classroom activity.

They had a homework assignment a few weeks ago to disguise a turkey. Can you guess which one is Jacob's? That's right- the Texas Rangers turkey is his! :)

I noticed a bulletin board in his classroom where each student said what they were thankful for. Jacob's response...Sarah. So sweet!

The school Christmas tree.

Later that afternoon, the boys got to choose what they wanted to do with Grandma. Chuck E. Cheese it was. Luke loves getting the cotton candy there!

Saturday morning we all went out to cheer Jacob on at his last soccer game. It was a bit chilly so Grandma kept Sarah nice and warm.

After his game we all headed over to Palio's pizza for a end of season soccer party.

Trophy time!

Later that afternoon, Jim took the boys to the last North Texas football game while Mom, Sarah and I went and did a little shopping. We also treated ourselves to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory since we only had one little one with us. We were thrilled to be eating in an actual restaurant and not fast food! Ha! It was a busy couple of days but we enjoyed it all. Thanks again Mom for coming up and spending the weekend with us! It meant a lot to have you here!

Jacob and Luke were both off of school the week of Thanksgiving. It was so nice having them here all week and enjoying our days together. Now that Jacob has started Kindergarten, I so appreciate his days off! We went to the movies one day and saw Happy Feet 2, we went and ate and played at the mall, we ran a few errands, we made Turkey cookies one day...

We hosted Thanksgiving here at our house this year and had a wonderful day. Thanksgiving has become a favorite day for me. I love the slow-paced day, love cooking in the kitchen, love the great food, love being with family and reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for in our life!
Here are the boys prepping the bird!

The feast!

The kid's table.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. I am looking forward to this glorious Advent season and all that comes along with this time of the year!

Full of life at Fifteen months

2011-11-22T21:30:00.004-06:00

When I think of our sweet Sarah here is what comes to mind...energetic, sensitive, curious, engaging, strong-willed, playful, loving, busy, girlie in every way, and as sweet as a cupcake! Ah, our sweet, sweet Sarah.

While I was picking out our fruit, she found a shopping basket and had such a time playing with it. She first put it on her arm and carried it around and then decided it would be fun to climb into and sit for awhile.

Helping Mommy push the cart. She is WAY too busy to sit in the cart these days.

And when she is sitting in the cart, she's in the back with Luke.

She loved riding the carousel at the mall.

Love, love, love all these fun girl clothes!

And speaking of style, baby girl just had to get her first pair of boots.

Nothing says a good nights rest like this bed-head!

We found Sarah and Ryan sitting on the treadmill in the office.

Watching the ducks.

*Sarah has fourteen teeth, with the next two just about to break through.
*She weighs 23 lbs 12 oz (75%) and is 32" long (95%). She grew 1.5 inches in three months. She is one tall girl!
*She uses three words over and over. Mommy, Daddy and doggie. Every animal she sees is "doggieeeeee" to her.
*She continues to be a picky eater. She eats best on the run, out of her highchair. She will come over for a bite and then is off to explore.
*She loves wearing everyone's shoes around the house. In fact, she loves wearing her own shoes. She will randomly get her shoes, bring them to me, sit down and put her foot up in the air for me to put them on. She loves to just wear them around.
*If I'm wearing a necklace or bracelet she tries her hardest to take it off of me so she can put it around her neck or on her arm.
*She enjoys brushing her teeth.
*She is understanding so much of what we say. She can usually follow a two step direction.
*She can point to several body parts when asked...nose, ears, eyes etc.
*She loves giving you a high-five.
*She loves watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
*She loves putting things in the trash. I just have to watch her because she loves putting EVERYTHING in the trash.
*She loves climbing everywhere. She once climbed up onto one of our barstools, stood up and was banging on the computer keyboard! Eek! Can't take my eye off her for a minute!

Playtime

2011-11-20T15:00:00.000-06:00

Jim and I recently upgraded our iphones to the model with the capability of taking videos. And I'm fairly certain the boys have taken more videos than we have. Sarah and I were back in her room organizing her winter clothes one day and the boys decided to take this video. Just made me smile.

A special photo

2011-11-15T13:45:00.000-06:00

A few weekends ago, we met my cousins in Rusk at the Texas State Railroad to take a picture of all 16 great-grandchildren for my Grandpa. We dressed the kids in red, white and blue in honor of Grandpa's love for our great country and his military service. My Grandpa was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago. He has never smoked a day in his life. He is undergoing his third round of chemo and seems to be responding well to the treatments. He has an amazing amount of physical strength and an even more amazing amount of mental strength. At eighty-nine years old he has never given up, never lost sight of what's important and never stopped planning his future. He never ceases to amaze me! Having said this, we felt like this picture would be a special one for him to treasure. Trying to do these special things for him while we can!

It took quite the planning to coordinate a weekend for all of us to meet up but we finally found one. The kids did GREAT and the photographer got quite a few good shots. I was a little concerned about Sarah, but she did really well.
After the pictures we headed out to the deer lease to see the rest of the Eckel family. Most of the family was in town for opening weekend.

A rare picture of my Dad and his siblings with Grandpa.

Gotta treasure these pictures while we can.

And at 89 he still deer hunts. One of the uncles takes him to his stand, gets him settled in and then they wait until they hear him blow his whistle to signal when he is ready to be picked up.

Sarah found a 4-wheeler that she climbed herself onto.

Playing in a wild hog pin. Eek!

Nothing says "country" like riding in the back of a pick-up truck.

Sarah and Joseph admiring each other.

Kisses!

Best buds!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-11-10T22:00:00.000-06:00

Well, we made it out to the pumpkin patch again this year, barely.

Two days before Halloween, but hey we made it. And let's just say it was not easy getting pictures of these three active little kiddos. But we tried!

Luke was so excited to see Scooby.

Hay maze

See what I mean?

Individual pictures seem to be easier.

Taken by our very own Jacob.

Say cheese!

Now on to the comparison growth chart pictures. Since there are so many I decided to compare each one's first trip to the pumpkin patch and this year's picture.

Jacob- 2005- 3 weeks

Jacob- 2011- 6 years

Luke- 2008- 9 months

Luke- 2011- 3 1/2 years

Sarah- 2010- 2 months

Sarah- 2011- 15 months

Halloween

2011-11-09T14:20:00.002-06:00

Better late than never, right? That seems to be a common phrase in our home lately. I know you all understand! :-)

Scooby Doo, little ladybug and Anakin Skywalker had a great time trick-or-treating!

One of the first houses we went to, the neighbor said to the boys, "What do you say?" And Luke happily replied, "CANDY"!

We had great fun this year. The boys loved every minute of it and couldn't get enough candy in their baskets. And of course little Miss Sarah thought she was one of the big kids. If she could have gotten up the sidewalk steps quicker she would have kept up with the boys just fine. We got the biggest kick out of watching Sarah from behind. The back end of her coustume just-a-wiggled when she walked. (thanks cousin Emily for letting us borrow your costume.)

And off they go...

Wait for me...

This is serious business.

She couldn't wait to dig in.

By the end of our street, little Miss was ready to be carried for awhile. Daddy to the rescue.

Here is a picture from last year's Halloween. Look familiar? We also had a ladybug and a Scooby Doo last year! Scooby seems to have the same expression! :)

Next up on the blog list...pumpkin patch pictures!

School Fun

2011-11-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

Luke recently had a parade and party at school to celebrate Halloween. It was his first little party at school and I was happy to be there with him. It was fun seeing him in action, interacting with his classmates and following directions.

He walked proudly in the parade wearing his Scooby Doo costume.

Waving to Sarah.

Surprisingly, Sarah sat in her stroller the entire time for the parade. Lots to see I guess.

Story time

Listening intently to the Halloween story.

Snack time.

Sharing with Sarah.

Miss Sarah made herself at home with an Elmo book.

After the party he wanted to change clothes for the remainder of the day. Playing with his best buddy, Drew. So thankful he has adjusted so well and is loving school these days! Makes my Tuesday/Thursdays much more enjoyable knowing he's happy!

Also last week, Jacob had his first field trip with his class. They went to a local pumpkin patch and then to a new park in Prosper for a picnic lunch and play time. I couldn't officially be a chaperone since I had Sarah with me (Luke was in school) but we were able to meet them at the pumpkin patch and the park for the fun. I didn't want to miss it, being his first one and all. I was a little nervous for him to ride the school bus for the first time. He has always said he never wants to ride a bus. A little intimidated I think. Turns out, he was fine and actually enjoyed the ride. He said it was a big and bumpy ride. Also, knowing that all the Kindergarten classes were going, I was a little nervous about it being a little crazy out there. So Sarah and I happily met them there. I gotta have my eye on my sweet boy when I can. :) This "letting go" thing really is no fun. Lol!

Searching for just the right pumpkin.

Found it!

Jacob and his teacher, Mrs. Naber.

Class picture. Jacob is on the far left in the white shirt.

Being silly.

Picnic at the park.

Legoland

2011-10-30T21:00:00.000-05:00

This past Monday was a teacher work day at Jacob's school so he had the day off. It was a special treat to have him home with us during the week. I wanted to make it a special day for him so we started the day off by going to the donut shop that he and Luke love. We then headed to Grapevine to Legoland Discovery Center. We hadn't been and had heard great things about it. The boys just loved it and are already asking when we can go back. But let me just say how glad I am that we went when it wasn't crowded. I can't imagine what that place is like during the summer or any other peak time. Eek!

Posing in front of The Ballpark made out of Legos.

The Dallas skyline in Legos.

The Great Wolf Lodge in Legos.

Hard at work.

Jacob loved building Lego race cars and spent much time at the racing tracks.

Sarah found some stairs and kept herself busy playing on them.

Luke racing his Lego race car.

More stairs.

They had two rides that the boys enjoyed.

Miss Sarah had to have her turn!

Fall Fun

2011-10-26T10:30:00.001-05:00

Since Kyla, Michael and baby Joseph moved back to Texas a few months ago, my parents have been anxious to have us all together at their house for a weekend. All fifteen of us...eight adults and seven kids! Wow, how our family has grown! My mom had some fun activities planned for us including a trip to the Danville Corn Maze. Here is the corn maze in the distance.

The "jumping pillow". The kids loved it and even some of us adults joined in on the fun.
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Jacob and Gabriel at the duck race.
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Cheese!

Sarah having her turn!

She had a blast walking around and exploring!
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Sisters!
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My sweet Godson-Joseph Michael. He is 6 months already!

Sarah enjoying her time with Grandpa!

Train ride

Corn Pit

Tractor ride

Annie and Luke. Instead of calling each other by name, they refer to each other as "best buddy". They are about 8 months apart and play so well together. We get the biggest kick out of watching them together.

Sarah and Grace. Grace is a little momma herself and loves playing with and looking after Sarah.

Can't seem to get enough pictures of this sweet girl!

More cuddles with Grandpa!

The best buddies entering the corn maze.

Sarah and Daddy watching us in the maze.

After the maze, we headed back to their house and enjoyed the remainder of the day outside watching the kids play. Grandma also had some fun games planned. They started with a pumpkin roll.

Then a sack race.

Enjoying the Halloween cookies with spiders and eyeballs made and decorated by Grandma!

Next, time for S'mores.

Something my mom has always wanted is to have a photographer come out to the house and take a family picture of all 15 of us. So the girls and I arranged just that since we were all together. The photographer arrived at 9:00am Sunday morning with all of us dressed in white shirts and blue jeans. We are hoping they turned out. Here is a little preview of a few that were snapped with my camera. I'll be sure to post the others when we get them.

Thanks Mom and Dad for a great weekend. It was great being all together and the kids loved all the special things you had planned for them. We love you!

Go Rangers!

2011-10-24T19:52:00.004-05:00

Can you believe our Rangers are in the World Series two years in a row? It's been fun watching, supporting and rooting them on. Let's go Rangers!

Just so happened, the day we were carving our pumpkin the boys had on their Rangers shirts so we decided a Rangers 'T' was appropriate! :)

Luke lately

2011-10-19T22:09:00.000-05:00

Luke has been doing and saying so many fun things these days. Age three really is one of my favorites. He talks constantly and because of that I get to hear him say some of the funniest things.

After accidentally spilling the juice from his push-up popsicle on the floor, Luke says "Hey, watch my replay" as he gets ready to pour the remaining juice out.

In order to teach me how to use his art stamps, he says, "Watch and learn, my friend."

After he got to pick out a new toothbrush and toothpaste at the store, he exclaims, "How FUN is this?"

At dinner one night he says "Something on my leg hurts. I think it's a bumblebee. But a bumblebee is just a bee." (for the record, he did not have a bumblebee on his leg) :-)

He often says to me, "Mommy, can we cuddle on the couch and watch Wow Wow Wubbzy?" I mean how can I say no to that? Even if I am in the middle of something.

When eating, he ALWAYS has to have his dips. Not just one, but two. One is ketchup and the other is Italian dressing. Always!

He loves playing with Sarah. And Sarah loves playing with him.

Luke has three stuffed dogs that he refers to as "my pets". One is Scooby Doo, Clifford and Pups. He takes all three to school with him so he can have them for his rest time. The other day when I picked him up, he was sound asleep with the dogs all around his face. Now, Sarah loves these dogs too. She has her own set of stuffed animals that she likes but she prefers his. Go figure! So, Luke puts them in their 'cage' so she won't bother them. The cage is in between his bed and the nightstand with a pillow standing up in front. When he gets frustrated with Sarah for always wanting his dogs, he goes to his room, puts them in their cage and closes his door.

And speaking of school, Luke started off great. But the excitement wore off after a few weeks and he started having a hard time. He would cry in the car and once we got to his classroom. His teachers were so sweet and patient with him. He would always cry when they transitioned to their music special but was ok after that. He had a hard time for probably three weeks but now is fine and loving it. Thankfully! It's really no fun leaving your sad child behind! Sound asleep during nap time. Sweet boy!

When playing with something or eating something, he always has to have three because simply, "I'm three."

His favorite color continues to be green, his favorite TV show is Wow Wow Wubbzy and Scooby Doo, his favorite snack is push-up popsicles and chips, his favorite breakfast food is waffles and orange juice, his favorite toys to play with are cars and puzzles.

I love watching our sweet boy continue to blossom into his own person, unique in every way. Thank you God for our sweet Lukie!

Another birthday boy!

2011-10-08T11:29:00.003-05:00

Happy birthday to my amazing, wonderful husband! The day started out with a pancake breakfast, birthday cupcakes and gifts. Jacob and Luke loved celebrating their daddy. We have a babysitter coming over this afternoon so Jim and I can have some time together to run errands and enjoy a nice dinner together. A date, I guess you could say! :-)

Six years old

2011-10-06T07:30:00.005-05:00

How is it possible that I have a six year old? Please tell me. Seems just like yesterday that I was holding this precious baby.

And today, my sweet six year old!

I am so proud of my sweet boy. Jacob is a happy, well-adjusted, energetic, lovable, enthusiastic, kind hearted, rule following, cautious, sweet precious boy. (if I might say so myself). He made me a mother six years ago and I have never been happier.

Jacob is doing awesome in Kindergarten. I have received some great feedback from his teacher and it's been so fun watching him transition into school. He is always eager to go in the mornings and has made some sweet friends with the other kids in class. I've been able to volunteer in his classroom on Thursdays (when Luke is in school and Sarah tags along). It's been fun seeing him in action in class and interacting with the other kids.

His best buddy Brett

Our school lunch date

He is loving soccer and I love how much exercise he gets while playing. He runs his little heart out and puts forth so much effort. We have signed him up to play basketball this winter. When I asked him if he was interested in playing basketball he immediately said "YES". I'm anxious to see what he thinks about it and I'm sure the games will be very entertaining, to say the least!

He has started Faith Formation (Sunday school) at our church this year. He goes on Thursdays after school and he has really seemed to enjoy it. I love that he is learning more about our faith and the Catholic church.

This morning started off with his request for donuts.

Then onto gifts.

After school today he has Faith Formation, then soccer pictures then a soccer game so we celebrated this morning. Oh and it's "wear your pj's to school" today so a little fun thing to do on his birthday.

Happy Birthday to you my sweet Jacob! You are a joy to our family and I am blessed to be your mother! I love you more than you will ever know! Hugs and kisses to you my angel!

Just for laughs

2011-10-04T13:16:00.001-05:00

A little afternoon fun...

Just for fun

2011-09-25T16:45:00.000-05:00

We decided to head outside for a few pictures before church this morning. I got a tripod for my birthday so I was anxious to try it out. Plus I got a few new picture frames for the house and am in need of more current photos.

Thank you God for my wonderful husband and my three amazing children. Love, love, love this crew more than anything! :-)

Fall activities

2011-09-20T12:00:00.001-05:00

Jacob has recently started playing soccer again and is loving every minute of it. He is playing with the same boys as he did in the spring so it's been fun to watch the team improve as time goes on. They have played one game and get this, the game last weekend got rained out! Shocking, I know. We had a big storm move through Friday night and it left the fields too wet Saturday morning. A good problem to have if you ask me.

Go Pirates!

When I asked him what number he wanted on his jersey, he immediately said "ninety-nine". So, ninety-nine it is!

Jacob was thrilled that Grandma was able to attend his first game of the season.

I look forward to the day when Sarah understands "Stay behind the white line." Baby girl thought she had every right to be on that field. She wanted that ball! I had to chase her off many times!

If she wasn't walking onto the field, she was playing with the stroller (that she wouldn't sit in) ha!

And playing with the team snacks I brought.

On another note, Jacob's school had a pep rally Friday afternoon to boost excitement for Prosper's homecoming game that night. Nothing says Fall like a little Friday night football.

It really was SO loud that Luke and his little friend had to hold their ears.

Watching all the excitement.

We finally made our way over to Jacob and little Miss decided to walk through all the kids and go give Jacob a hug.

Then she backed herself up and sat right in his lap. He was so proud.

We also went out for the homecoming parade. Two words for this shindig...SMALL.TOWN! It was the cutest thing. I think the whole town of Prosper came out for this event. It was packed full of Prosper pride. It made us laugh.

The boys loved it for the simple fact that every float threw out candy. They had a blast filling their bags.

And let me just say, we have candy coming out of our ears. They each filled up a plastic sack full. You better believe we will be recycling this candy to hand out at Halloween. After we pick out our favorites, of course! (:

Mommy A.D.D

2011-09-15T12:00:00.003-05:00

Have you ever read the series of children books, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, If You Give A Pig A Pancake? Very cute, well written books but the first time I read these I thought to myself wow these little animals have a serious case of A.D.D. One thing leads to another which leads to another which leads to another. The domino effect if you will. There are days where I myself feel like the little mouse running around, getting distracted, losing focus. Which begs the question, is there such thing as mommy A.D.D??? After reading below, your answer might just be...YES!!

It all starts with a simple task. Changing out the laundry from the washer to the dryer. While doing this, Luke calls me for help in the bathroom. While I'm walking to the bathroom, Sarah follows me there. While I'm helping Luke, unbeknownst to me, Sarah gets a piece of toilet paper and leaves with it. As we leave the bathroom I see little pieces of toilet paper all over the floor. As I start to clean the toilet paper up I notice how dirty the kitchen floor is. So I decide to get the Shark and clean the floor. As I'm vacuuming the floor, I happen to walk past the computer and notice I have a new email. I check my email and reply. While I'm on the computer I decide to take a quick peek at people.com. Only to be interrupted by two boys who are fighting, one in tears. The fight is broken up, consequences are given. I then finish cleaning the floor. As I'm walking past the laundry room I see the light on and the washer and dryer doors open. Which reminds me I need to finish switching out the laundry. Finally, an hour later, the task is complete. As I walk out of the laundry room, I see Jacob's backpack from the day. It reminds me I need to unpack it. I take his lunch containers to the sink, rinse them out and decide to go ahead and load the dishwasher. Only to find that the dishwasher needs to be unloaded first. Sigh! I begin the process of unloading until I hear Sarah start to cry. I go see what happened which ends with me putting Jacob in time out for playing too rough which led to Sarah getting hurt. As I walk out of Jacob's room the phone rings. I answer the call and end up being on the phone for about five minutes. I finish the call then go get Jacob out of time out. Walking out of Jacob's room, the door bell then rings. A sweet little Boy Scout selling popcorn. I can't say no so I buy two bags. Since the front door has been open, you know little miss Sarah heads straight out to play. The boys then follow which then leads to me also following them out for a little afternoon play time. We end up playing with a few neighborhood kids and staying out for awhile. We then check the mail and see that there is a bill that I need to call on. We head inside and I am quickly reminded that the dishwasher is only halfway unloaded. While calling on the bill, I am able to finish unloading the dishes. And while I am in the kitchen, it reminds me that I need to think about what to have for dinner. But wait I just heard the buzzer on the dryer go off, which reminds me I need to go change the laundry out...

I could keep going but I think you get the point. And I wonder why I feel like I can never get anything done, why it takes me hours to do one simple task. Mommy A.D.D... I think I've just self-diagnosed myself!

*Disclaimer*- While these are all actual events, the order of events may have been altered for purpose of this post.

Luke's first day of Preschool

2011-09-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

We had another big "first" in the Webb household this week. Thursday, our sweet Luke started Pre-K3! After we met the teachers on Tuesday, I was, well let's just say...dreading the drop off on Thursday. When we got to the school on Tuesday he wouldn't get out of the car at first. So I had to carry him into the school. He buried his head into my shoulder and said "I don't want you to leave." I had to remind him this was just so we could meet his teachers. I put him down because I wanted him to walk into his classroom. Except he decided he was just going to sit in the hallway instead. Can you say, stress!! I was sweating at this point! After a few encouraging words, I carried him into his room, he warmed up a little, talked to his teachers and started playing. Whew, what a relief.

His teachers, Mrs. Rosio and Mrs. Irene. We've heard really great things about both of them.

His classroom, the 3's, are known as the "Frogs". Which is perfect for Luke because the froggie has always been one of his favorites. Apparently each morning there will be a question on the white board and they have to put their frog under the answer they choose. The question of the day was "Are you ready to be a frog?" I read the question to Luke and told him the options for his answers. He quickly said, "I'm not sure." So honest and in tune with his feelings! I was glad to see he wasn't the only one that wasn't so sure.

We stayed in the classroom for about 30 minutes hoping he would continue to warm up, which he did. He played and talked to his teachers for awhile. When we were leaving I asked him if he wanted to move his frog to another answer and he "No, I'm still not sure!" Then he said, "On Thursday when we come back, I'm not going to be angry." I was keeping my fingers crossed this was true!

And let me just tell you, it was! He did AWESOME Thursday morning. He was happy, excited and ready to go to school. There were no tears, lots of smiles and lots of hugs! Oh how relieved I was.

My sweet, precious Luke! I can't believe my sweet boy is 3 1/2 and starting school. The heart strings have definitely been pulled a lot these last few weeks!

Getting his belongings put away.

Putting his nap mat up.

The question of the day, "Are you ready to have some fun?" He quickly and happily say "YES". Again, relief!

He was very generous with his hugs.

First activity of the day, Play-Doh

When I was leaving I turned around for one last look and this was what he was doing. Didn't even look up! Sweet boy!

When I picked him up his teachers said he did great. He actually slept during their 45 minute rest time. Which, if you know anything about my kids, this is nothing short of a miracle! Oh and here is a picture of him testing out his new nap mat. He was so excited about it. It has a built in pillow and blanket. And the monkey is another one of his favorites.

His teachers said he followed directions really well and he did get teary when they had to switch rooms for one of their specials but after they talked to him he was fine. Thank you God for helping Luke's first day go so well. It is a definite answer to prayers.

Sarah at 13 months

2011-09-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

Little Miss Sarah Bear is growing like a weed, doing so much and is keeping us very busy. Here are a few things she has been up to these days.

Let's start with the NOT list first...
*She does not like her baths anymore. She likes to sit and play in the bath but it's all over when it's time to get washed. She also likes to stand up in the bath tub which is never a good idea.
*She does not like her changing table. It's immediate tears when I lay her down to change her diaper or get her dressed.
*She does not like milk. I've tried several different types, chocolate, vanilla but she still isn't interested.
*She does not like eating right now. Not only is she picky, but she really seems to have no interest in eating finger foods or baby foods. I have tried all kinds of different things. Most times, she'll take 2-3 bites then is done.
*She does not like when her brothers take something from her or get in her way. She lets them know by a very loud scream.

Here are things she does seem to like...
*She likes walking backwards and also she likes backing up to sit in your lap.
*She loves the stairs. If she sees the boys move the gate to go upstairs, she heads straight for the stairs. She loves climbing up the stairs.
*She loves being outside. If any door opens, she heads straight for it to get outside.

*She loves to sit in the swing. I pushed her in the swing for a good 15-20 minutes the other day.

*She loves putting any type of beads around her neck and wears them all around.

*She has discovered she likes the back of the stroller now instead of the front.

*She loves taking things off/on and in/out. She sat and put crayons in this little container for about 15 minutes one day.

*She loves being "big" like her brothers and sitting up to the table with them.

*She loves Pirate's Booty. If you haven't tried it, you should. A perfect snack for everyone. All natural, gluten and trans fat free, yummy!

*She has been loving her extra one-on-one time with Luke.

*Like Luke, she loves animals. Every animal she sees is a "doggie".

*She likes when her friend Ryan pushes her on her car.

*She loves her babies. I tell her to give her baby a hug and she does and pats the back. Maybe there is hope of her being a girlie-girl despite having two older brothers! Ha!

And most importantly, she loves her Mommy! And her Mommy loves her. She's usually too busy to stop and cuddle but I was able to catch this rare moment! :)

The week in review

2011-08-26T22:00:00.002-05:00

Week 1 of Kindergarten...check! So, so glad that first week is behind us. It was definitely a week of transition for us all. Jacob cried Monday and Tuesday in the car on the way to school and in the class room. Wednesday he just cried in the car and Thursday he didn't cry at all. In fact, he didn't really put up a fuss before we left the house either. I was so relieved. Friday was the same, he was more tired but excited it was his last day before the weekend. Despite the struggles we had in the morning, Jacob was always in a great mood when I picked him up. He was always very eager to show me what was in his folder, had great things to say about the day and overall was happy. Relief. He has said and done some things this week that I thought were worth noting. You know, for the record book and all.

Sunday night, the night before the first day, Jim was talking to Jacob about school. And all Jacob could say was "I'm just gonna miss Mommy." And Jim continued with how much fun he was going to have and on and on and Jacob said again, "I'm just gonna miss Mommy."

Monday night during prayers, I asked Jacob if he had any special intentions he wanted to add after his first day of school. He said, "Thank you God for protecting me at school today and please help me to not cry at school."

After a couple days of school, I asked him who he had been playing with and who he sits by at lunch time. Trying to get a feel for potential friends. He says Caden is his friend. I asked him if Caden sits with him at his classroom table. He said no. I asked him how he became friends with Caden and he said, "I just asked him if he wanted to be friends and he said sure." I would have paid to have heard that conversation.

In preschool, Jacob always had lots of friends that were girls. So I asked him if he was friends with any of the girls. He says, "Eeewwwww. No, not girls." I think we are entering the 'girls are gross' phase. Makes me laugh!

Wednesday morning I was talking with his teacher after drop off. I asked her how he was doing and she said, "He is adjusting really well. He asked me yesterday how much longer until Mommy comes. And I said about three hours. A little while later he asked me again and I said about two hours. And he said, well that's better than three." We both got a kick out of that!

He was the most excited about Thursday, which is probably why he didn't cry that morning. It was the day they got to go to the library. He was very impressed with the library when he saw it at meet the teacher night. He was so excited to go and check out a book. When I picked him up he couldn't wait to show us his book. He chose Clifford, The Small Red Puppy. He said, "Luke, I chose your favorite book. It's something we can all enjoy." Delights my heart!!

When I picked him up from school on Friday, the first thing he says when he gets in the car, "Luke, I've got great news. You can play with me the rest of today, all day tomorrow and all day the next day. I'm off of school."

Tonight after we read a book about going to school, it led into a conversation and I asked him, "If someone is being mean, ugly or a bully to you what do you do?" And he replied, "I say, I'm outta here."!! Not quite what I thought he would say but hey that works.

I look forward to all the fun this year has in store for him. I'm excited for him and for the school year. Now, a week and a half until Luke starts preschool...

Newest addition

2011-08-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

Our newest niece, Alyssa Grace was born on Tuesday to Rhonda and Brian. 7lbs 5oz. Isn't she a doll?

Rhonda and Brian are doing well and adjusting to having a newborn again. They went home from the hospital today and are hopefully settling in nicely.

Jacob overheard me telling someone we were going up to the hospital to see Alyssa the day she was born. His response, "That's not fair. You, Daddy, Luke and Sarah all get to go see her and I have to go to school. You get to see her in real life and I just have to see a picture." He was NOT happy that he would be missing out on the fun. Plus it was only the second day of school and was still not thrilled to be going there anyway. I've always been really careful not to talk about our plans during the day in front of him so he doesn't feel left out but this one slipped. So, Jim ended up taking him up to the hospital after school that day so he could meet his newest cousin. And he was thrilled.

This makes five grandkids for Papa Jim. Two boys and three girls!

I didn't get a picture with Alyssa. No, not because I didn't get to hold her. For the simple fact that as soon as I got Alyssa in my arms, little miss Sarah was not happy. Jim was holding her and she was reaching with all her might to get her hands on that baby. I don't know if she was a little jealous that I was holding someone else or if she was just mad that she couldn't get to what she was wanting. Anyway, my time with Alyssa got cut short and I ended up having to take Sarah back to the waiting area to calm her down. She was not a happy camper. Hopefully when we see them this weekend, it will be better! Fingers crossed! :)

Congratulations Rhonda and Brian. Alyssa is just perfect!

First day of Kindergarten

2011-08-22T23:00:00.002-05:00

After much anticipation, the first day of Kindergarten has come and gone. (this was actually taken at meet the teacher last week with Mrs. Naber. Super sweet teacher and we've heard GREAT things about her.)

Whew! Glad it's behind us. The day started early, early. I can't remember the last time I had to set my alarm. 5:45am. I was able to get myself ready and get breakfast made before anyone else was up. First Jacob at 6:30, then Luke and Sarah around 7:00. The goal was to head out for a few pictures at 7:15 and leave for school by 7:30. And somehow we managed to stay on track.

Yes, this is a Transformers backpack. We went round and round on finding just the right backpack. I really wanted a nice, non-character backpack, monogrammed with his name etc. But he was drawn to the character ones right away. What little boy wouldn't be, right? He has been on a Transformers kick lately. So I gave in.

He said this was his cool pose.

On the drive to school, Jacob was a little sad in the car. He said several times "The day is going to be sooooo long. And I have to go EVERY day." True, this is true. I know this will be the biggest adjustment for him. Eight to three really is a long time to be 'on' and engaged.

He was very apprehensive going in. Just like his momma, he enters new situations with much caution and reservation. He just didn't know what to expect. He asked me several times to ask the teacher what they would be doing all day. He needs to know details.

Getting his backpack and lunch box put away.

He teared up several times in class which broke my heart. I knew he would be fine once they got the day going and he could figure it all out.

After we said good-bye he gave us a little smile and a wave which made me feel better. After I picked him up he said "I did cry after you left. It was like one minute after you left then boom. But then my teacher came over and gave me a hug and I felt better." Boom, I thought that was so funny.

The PTO put on a Boo Hoo/Woo Hoo breakfast for the Kindergarten parents after drop off. Such a cute idea. There were a few moms crying but believe it or not I was not one of them. I don't think it's hit me yet. Ask me how I'm feeling in about two weeks, lol! It will catch up with me sooner rather than later I think!

They had a wonderful breakfast including fruit, muffins, granola, juice and coffee.

I thought the tables and flowers were so nice.

Let me tell you, come 2:30, I was ready to go get my baby. So we got in the car pool line around 2:40 and finally got him around 3:25. There were lines of cars coming from every direction, it was crazy. I knew the first week would be crazy but hopefully the pick-up will become easier soon. Once he got in the car, he plopped down in his seat with a very strong "Ahhh". When I asked him how his day was he replied "We just did everything after everything." Too tired to explain himself, I took that to mean he had a very busy day. He actually shared quite a bit with me about his day which I was glad about. When we got home, he sat right down and was very eager to show me something he made at school. Turns out, he had a great day!

I had asked him if he wanted to go to his favorite self-serve yogurt place, Cherry Berry for a little after school treat and he said he was too tired and just wanted to go home. Bless his little heart. But he suggested we make an Icee, so we did just that.

I put a little note in his lunch box and he kept it. I remember my mom always putting little notes in my lunch and I always loved that. :)

We got home around 3:30 and he literally played until it was dinner time around 6:00. I thought he would crash for awhile but he really was in a great mood and I could tell he had missed being at home. I was thrilled he had such a great day and really seemed excited about school. When I asked him if he was ready for tomorrow, he replied "Kind of". And had a little smile on his face when he said it!

Familiar advice

2011-08-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

Since having kids, I have been amazed at how many complete strangers go out of their way to stop and admire the kids, hold a door open for me as I push the stroller through or stop and reminisce about when their own kids were little like mine. I often hear the advice, "Enjoy every moment, they grow up in a hurry." I recently had some one tell me this and it resonated with me in a much different way.

We had gone to Chili's after church one Sunday. Jim and Luke sitting on one side of the booth, Jacob and I on the other and Sarah at the end in the high chair. I had noticed during lunch there was a mom and teenage daughter sitting at the table across from us. Hoping they weren't annoyed at the typical chaos that comes with eating out...Jacob and Luke loudly carrying on, Sarah dropping everything imaginable on the floor and letting out a yell every now and then, Luke knocking over his drink and making a mess...I glanced over only to find them looking and smiling, as if they understood.

As we got up to leave, the mom stopped me and first complimented our family and the kids. She then said she and her daughter were talking about how much our family reminded them of their own. I asked the daughter if she was the youngest and she said yes and that she has two older brothers. The mom looked at me with tears in her eyes and said "My daughter is going off to college this year. Just enjoy this time with your kids. Before you know it, they will be grown and gone. Enjoy this time with them." She said it with such meaning. And of course I was teary eyed myself at this point. And for some reason this conversation and her advice has stuck with me. It's as if I can see that being Sarah and myself years from now, giving that same advice to a young family.

I think her advice has stuck with me for many reasons. One being the emotions I'm feeling with Jacob starting Kindergarten next week. How can it be that Jacob is almost six years old and time to enter the next phase of his life. I know starting Kindergarten and going off to college isn't an apple to apple comparison. But I have to imagine the emotions a mother feels of somewhat having to "let go" in some small way is the same. It has made me think a lot about Jacob, how much I have enjoyed our time together and how very thankful I am that I chose to spend these first years with him. As hard as some days can be, I really have tried to truly enjoy this special time with him.

With the first day of school being less than a week away, I've been thinking about what this means for Jacob, for me and for our family. It makes me wonder, hope and pray that we've taught him what he needs to know to make it in school...respect for adults, the Golden Rule, doing the right thing...have we instilled in him a strong enough foundation to be the kind of kid I know he can be? I sure hope so. I know the joys, heartaches, friend/social drama, and other struggles that all kids face in school are ahead of him in the years to come. Although he has been in preschool for three years, there is something that feels really different about him starting in the public school system. You better believe I will be showering him with prayers each morning, more so than usual.

It's hard to believe the time has come for our sweet boy to start school. The years really do go by in a hurry. The saying, "the days are long but the years are short" really is so true to me. On particularly hard days, I find myself thinking of that familiar advice I so often hear, "Enjoy every moment with your kids, they grow up in a hurry."

Summer Activites

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

We have been staying busy this summer. Trying to enjoy these last few weeks before school starts, one week from today to be exact. (but that's another post) ha!

The circus was in town and we headed to see the fun with our dear friends Dana and Jackson. Jacob, Luke and Jackson heading in.

Jacob and Luke enjoying the pre-show, up close and personal.

Time for a snack, they all chose sno cones.

Well, except Sarah who enjoyed Daddy's popcorn. She was going at it with both hands...must have Daddy's salt tooth!

With a tummy full of popcorn, Miss Sarah fell fast asleep in Daddy's arms.

My very own clowns...they would fit quite nicely in the circus if you ask me! :)

On another note, I've been trying to do some workbook pages with the boys. They were enthusiastic about it at first but that quickly diminished as the summer went on.

We recently had our friends, the Wards over for dinner. There were eight adults and nine kids. Whew!

Miss Sarah thought it would be fun to crawl her way into the box of snacks in the pantry. She sat in there for a good 10 minutes and played.

A week doesn't go by that we don't visit one of the local malls. The boys took their saved quarters and used them for the rides at Willowbend. This was Sarah's first mall ride and she actually sat still and enjoyed it.

I think sometimes she forgets she's only one. She wanted out of the stroller so she could walk through the mall. The walk from the play area to the restroom was about three times as long with her walking all over the place. Oh boy, our outings are quickly changing. I don't know how I'm ever going to get any errands run with little miss and her busy self! (but that too is another post!!)

Luke decided the laundry basket was the perfect spot to look at one of his library books.

We also have been to the movies several times to see Cars 2, The Smurfs and Cars 2 again. We recently went to an indoor water park outside of Tyler that was a fun time. The kids went strong all day and didn't sit down except to eat lunch. Sadly, I don't have any pictures from these outings. We have had a fun summer and are going to enjoy our last week together.

More birthday pictures

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

We had a fun weekend celebrating Sarah's 1st birthday. She liked opening her gifts and seems to notice and like her new toys.

Thanks for the birthday outfit, Kaitlynn.

Checking out her new baby.

Checking out her new car.

She's gotta have a car like the boys. They have been loving pushing her around on it. Can you imagine when the three of them are all riding around. Yikes!

And just for the record, I am LOVING having all these girlie toys around the house now. It really is so much fun having a girl. Love my baby girl!

Opening gifts at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Showing off her new toys.

Instead of a smash cake, Grandma made little cupcakes. Just the perfect size. As you can tell by her face, she wasn't interested in digging in. At all!

Still not too sure.

Thinkin' about it.

She had more fun giving bites to me. She did end up taking a few bites but never made a mess with the icing.

Ta-da!

After a fun weekend in Kilgore, we headed to Arlington to see Jim's family for another fun party.

Cousin Emily got Sarah a baby stroller. It's too cute!

Time for dessert.

She loves pushing her stroller around.

Although she kept taking the baby out and trying to get in herself. :-)

Happy Birthday Sarah!

2011-08-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday my sweet, sweet Sarah.

It's so hard to believe that your first year has come and gone so quickly! This last year with you has meant so much to me and our entire family. You have been the perfect addition to our family and I can't imagine what life would be like without you in it. Your spunky personality, your drive to reach all your milestones, your enthusiasm as you watch and play with your brothers, your contagious laugh, your precious face and those smiling eyes of yours melt my heart time and time again. You are a true, true joy and I love calling you my daughter.

This is my favorite picture of us together right after you were born. You were so alert and just stared and listened. (excuse the bare shoulder!)

Another favorite.

And another.

And another. Your brothers adored you from the beginning.

And here you are today...such a big girl.

Full of life, full of curiosity, full of fun. You are one busy girl, I must say. You started walking at 11 1/2 months and haven't stopped since. Daddy and I have recently been calling you our little firecracker. We are thinking you are definitely going to keep us on our toes.

You recently got your 9th tooth, your first molar. And I'm certain the next one is not too far behind. You have been drooling like crazy, chewing on your fingers, fussy and not sleeping well. (but that's another story, ha!) I wish I could take the pain away for you, I know you are so uncomfortable.

Another thing worth noting is over the past month you have really become a picky eater. You literally take 2-3 bites of your food at each meal and you are done. You love dropping your food over the side of your high chair when you are done. I'm not sure if you are just too busy focusing on your gross motor skills to eat but mommy is starting to get a little stressed. I'm gonna keep trying though, that's all I know to do. Hopefully this phase will pass soon...and very soon! :)

Here are some other fun facts:
*We have always called you Sarah-bear and a few other nicknames that have stuck are Miss Bear and your brothers like to call you B-Bear!
*You have decided you don't like the pacifier anymore. You want no part of it.
*You have definitely been showing your sensitive side these days. If I have to take something away from you or get something out of your mouth, you immediately start crying. Makes me sad!
*Your first words other than ma-ma and da-da have been your version of Jacob and doggie which really sounds like da-gie. Any furry friend is a doggie to you. And sometimes up.
*You love taking things in and out and you love to open and close things.
*You are wearing size 4 diapers.
*Some of your 12-18 month clothes are getting to small and you are easily fitting into 18-24 month size clothes.
*At your well check today you weighed 22lbs 7oz. (75%) and your length was 30.5 (95%)
*Your girlie side seems to be coming out-you know just what to do with the phone.

And just what to do with mommy's sunglasses. I think we are in trouble. :)

We decided instead of one big party, we would have two smaller ones. One with Mommy's family and one with Daddy's family, this weekend. More pictures to come later. I knew I wanted to get you something special for your 1st birthday. Something you will always have, a keepsake. So I decided on a jewelry box.

I also let Jacob and Luke pick out a little something for you. We decided on a pillow pet. They got to choose just the perfect one for you. It took awhile for them to agree but they finally agreed on the butterfly. You really seem to like it and carry it around with you quite a bit.

Happy birthday my sweet girl! Our family is complete with you and we love you dearly!

Fun with Friends

2011-07-30T21:45:00.001-05:00

Last week, my good friend Lauri came into town from Houston with her two kiddos, Connor and Kaitlynn. We had a great visit and the kiddos had a great time all together. Our friend Dana and her two boys, Jackson and Ryan also joined in on the fun. In total, the kids out numbered the adults...7 to 3. Whew!

During their visit, we went swimming in our community pool, we visited two malls, we went to Pump It Up, ate lots of good food and desserts of course! It seemed like every time we turned around, it was time to eat again.

Sarah, Kaitlynn and Luke raiding the pantry.

My three angels!

Love my girls--just missing Amanda!

Gotta love the double strollers.

And of course, gotta have a comparison picture. Love these stroller shots! This is December '08. Jackson, Connor, Jacob and Luke. Look how little they were!

Getting some loves from Aunt Dana.

One of our nights went a little late at Dana's house, so the kids borrowed pj's from Jackson. It was too funny. Connor and Jacob were wearing size 3T pj's when they normally wear 5/6T. What a sight it was!

One last group shot!

Bathtime Babes and more

2011-07-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

I especially love it when the kids have been bathed, are clean, soft and smell delicious. I love their sweet faces in their hooded towels.

I tried to get a picture of all three together...

but Sarah had her own plan in mind.

There is no denying it, Miss Sarah-bear is walking all over. She is all over the place. Still falling several times along the way, she just gets up and keeps on going. Crawling is a thing of the past.

She loves walking to the pantry and getting what she can reach. This time it was a package of peanut butter crackers that she made a royal mess with! But she loved every minute of it!

Strike a pose.

Can you tell her older brothers love playing with her?

On another note, my mom turned the big 6-0 last week. We had a great weekend of celebrating complete with a girl's day on Saturday. Which included Kristina, Mom, and myself getting a mani/pedi, lunch (and dessert) at Celebrity Cafe, and lots of shopping.

For dinner Saturday night, we ventured out to a Japanese Hibachi grill. We had never taken the kids to a place like this so it was fun to see them experience it all. And of course the food was excellent! Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

A big move

2011-07-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

My sister, Kyla and her husband Michael and baby Joseph will be making the big move back to Texas in August. Michael accepted a job in the Houston area that he will start August 22. We are thrilled they will be moving back to their roots and excited we will be able to see them more often. And we are so excited to be able to get little Joseph together with all the cousins here.

They came down to Houston a few weeks ago and stopped off at our house for a night before they flew back to Minneapolis. While they were here, we had a small gathering so we could all see them. By some miracle we were able to snap this picture...family complete!

And again this one. All 7 cousins together!

Papa with 7 of his 13 great-grandchildren.

Grandma and Grandpa with the youngest two.

Congratulations Kyla and Michael on your relocation back home! We are so excited for you guys to be back!

Summer swims

2011-07-20T06:00:00.003-05:00

Jacob recently had a week of private swimming lessons. There is a 15 year old that lives in our neighborhood that teaches at our community pool. She has a really full schedule of lessons but we were able to take a child's spot that didn't show up. She was great and he learned a lot.

The first day started with Julianne telling Jacob to swim to her. After he declared he didn't know how to swim, he tried to swim to her by doggie paddling and barely holding his head above water. After a few instructions from her, he learned how to do the American Crawl the first day. I think mostly it was him just trying to stay afloat and surviving the water that got him going.

Going back the second day, he was scared. I think he knew what was ahead and was very nervous about having to swim again. After a few tears, he got in and did it. Julianne really pushed him which helped him but I think also scared him. He also practiced floating on his back, diving for rings and jumping in off the side. He did great all week but was VERY glad when Friday rolled around and it was his last day. :-)

While Jacob did his lessons, Luke, Sarah and I swam on the other side of the pool.

But first things first. Baby girl needed a snack!

In order for me to manage all the kids in the water, Luke has to wear his life jacket. And thankfully, he wears it without a fight. And Sarah usually floats in her baby float for awhile which helps. And now that Jacob is on his way to swimming independently, it should make taking them swimming a lot easier.

Daddy was even able to join us for the water fun one day!

Potty time with Luke

2011-07-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

I am happy, thrilled, proud, and so very excited to say that Luke is now potty trained. Wahoo! After many failed attempts, this time we were successful. When he turned three back in January, we tried then. However, he had no interest in using the potty or wearing big boy underwear. So I let some time pass and decided once we got back from our trip to Disneyworld, we would try again. Once again, he wanted NO part of using the potty. He would either hold it or go in his undies and not tell me. Such a mess! I think I tried a few times in between those two but quickly realized it wasn't the right time.

I would often talk to Luke about it. Telling him that he was three now and that means he's a big boy and big boys use the potty and on and on. His response to me was "but I'm ONLY three. I'm little." And he would put his thumb and index finger together to show me how little he was.

However, I was starting to feel a little anxious about it all. I knew he could do it physically, but he was just playing games because he didn't want to do it. I really wanted him to be trained before he starts preschool in September. I decided once we got back into town after the July 4th weekend, we would do it then. And I wasn't going to give up! So last Tuesday we started. He immediately started with his usual antics. Wouldn't sit on the potty, wouldn't wear his undies etc. Not a happy camper. But after about 30 minutes, he got it all out of his system I guess. Because he has done awesome since then. I guess it finally clicked! He had several accidents in the beginning. Several of which were a huge mess! But now, he goes on his own and it feels like he has always been trained. So, so happy to not be buying two sizes of diapers anymore.

He loved being able to put a sticker on his Elmo potty chart after he successfully used the potty.

So proud of our sweet Lukie!

Only at Grandma and Grandpa's house

2011-07-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

There are just some things that the kids can get away with only at Grandma and Grandpa's house. For example, only at Grandma and Grandpa's does baby girl get an Oreo cookie.

Only at Grandma and Grandpa's house do the kids get to ride all over in the motorized cars. Sarah got her first ride and she loved it. She was all smiles and of course all she wanted to do was stand up!

And off they go. Luke was being the protective brother by putting his arm around Sarah. Mainly because I told him to hold on to her, but still it's cute! :)

Only at Grandma and Grandpa's do we play outside when it is 100+ degrees!

But thankfully, they have the very popular water slide that keeps all the kiddos cool! Only at Grandma and Grandpa's! Sarah had her eyes fixed on where she really wanted to be! :)

Only at Grandma and Grandpa's do they get to feed the donkeys.

Only at Grandma and Grandpa's do we all get fresh fruit and veggies from the garden. The cantaloupe and tomatoes were my favorite! Oh and only at Grandma and Grandpa's do the kids get to play with a dog...Abby, who belongs to the neighbor spends a lot of time at my parent's house when we are all there and outside.

Only and ONLY at Grandma and Grandpa's do the kids get to retrieve the frisbees that were accidentally thrown onto the roof of Grandpa's shop. Grandpa's idea of course! :)

Only at Grandma and Grandpa's do we get to do fireworks in celebration of July 4th!

Hmmm, I guess there is a reason Grandma bought the grandkids this shirt. :)

As usual, a good time was had by all! We all leave there exhausted, well fed and ready to go back! Thanks Mom and Dad for a fun 4th of July weekend! (I know this post is a little late...better late than never, right?) :-)

One step closer

2011-07-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

Baby girl is just steps away from taking off and never looking back. She can definitely get where she wants to go. She is taking about 4-5 steps on her own before she falls or purposely falls so she can crawl the rest of the way. It won't be long. Don't know that I am ready for this. After all, Jacob was 15 months and Luke 14 months before they walked on their own. She is definitely on the fast track compared to her brothers! That's a girl for ya!

Summer regional meeting

2011-06-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

Every June, Edward Jones hosts their summer regional meeting for the financial advisors and their families. This year it was at the Lost Pines resort in Bastrop, just outside of Austin. This summer marks our 10th summer regional meeting to attend and it was by far the best location yet. We highly recommend this location if you are in need of a weekend or long weekend getaway. It has a great pool, water slide, lazy river, beach area, large kid's pool and splash pad. While Jim was at some of his meetings, I ventured down to the pool with the kids. This was the first time I took all three swimming by myself. Thank goodness for the kid's pool which was just perfect for me to manage the 3 of them.

Once Jim joined us at the pool we enjoyed the rest of the pool area. In addition to the pool, they have daily activities for the whole family to enjoy. For example, horse drawn wagon rides, petting zoo, volleyball, cookie decorating, branding lessons, worm digging, golf course, horse back riding, bike rentals to name a few. Every night from 8-10, it was s'more making time. And you know the boys were in heaven.

Having a picnic lunch on the balcony.

All in all it was a great weekend. The boys had a blast, they absolutely love staying in a hotel. All the little things they love crack me up. Getting to walk/run down the long hallways, pushing the elevator buttons, opening the room door with the card, it's all the little things they love. We enjoyed a nice weekend away and I have a feeling we will be back here one day!

Summer time fun time

2011-06-24T16:30:00.000-05:00

We recently had our friends Dana, Jackson and Ryan over to play. The big boys had fun swimming while Sarah and Ryan took their morning naps.

They made their own water slide by spraying the slide with their water guns and then taking turns sliding down.

Lukie riding his surf board.

And of course we had to make an Icee for everyone.

After pizza for lunch we headed to Cherry Berry. A self serve yogurt place that is one of my favorites. For many reasons but the main reason--they have the flavor, White Chocolate Mousse for all of you that remember the greatness of this TCBY flavor!!

Luke loves his chocolate. I wonder where he got that liking???

Don't feel too sorry for these guys, they had their fair share of bites from us all!

On another note, Miss Sarah keeps herself busy with all the toys in the bench. Just open it up and she is entertained for hours. Ok, not hours but for a big chunk of time.

Look at that balance.

Looks like she found something pretty cool!

Sweet boy!

Giggles

2011-06-22T13:35:00.001-05:00

Joy, pure joy!

Family Reunion

2011-06-20T22:20:00.001-05:00

Every year the Eckel family has a reunion/campout at the lake. This year it was at Lake Jacksonville and we decided to go out for the day instead of camping like we usually do. Despite the heat and trying to keep up with the kiddos, we had a fun day and enjoyed seeing the fam.

The kids had a blast swimming.

The cousins playing a game of washers.

Jacob and Annie helping Grandpa make homemade ice cream.

Celebrating Annie's 4th birthday!

Relaxing in the stroller.

Annie, Jacob and Gabriel

Grandpa always enjoys the campout!

Sweet Luke was so wiped out at the end of the day that he fell asleep in Grandma's arms around 6:30 without dinner and basically was down for the night.

When I told Jacob we were going to the lake, he immediately said he wanted to make s'mores. He has been on a s'more kick lately. We recently improvised and melted chocolate chips in the microwave, spread them onto graham crackers and added marshmallows. So I was thrilled when he could actually make one the right way, over the campfire.

After burning several marshmallows, he finally got the hang of it. I think he was excited, what do you think? :)

Busy, busy, BUSY!

2011-06-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

There's no question about it, Sarah is one BUSY girl these days! Having some fun in the bathroom.

Down come the cookbooks.

She climbed her way on to the trampoline.

Then pulled herself up. All while she held something in one hand!

She sat and played with the boy's cars for a good 30 minutes one day. Who says cars are for boys? ha!

To say she enjoyed putting her hands in a bowl of baked beans is the least I can say. (don't worry Rhonda-I got the Bumbo all cleaned up! haha!)

Close up!

Always has to be close to her "ya-ya". Which is the sound she makes when she is looking at Jacob and trying to get his attention. So sweet!

She is NOT going to be left out. Watch out boys!

After I got Luke a little snack, this is where I found him eating it. Looks comfy!

Just to show how much Jacob has grown since last summer when he last wore these pajamas. Look at the length of those pants! ha!

I am one blessed momma!!!

Trophy time/ Summer time

2011-06-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday marked the last day of sports for Jacob for this season. He played one last baseball game to end it all. He received three trophies this year and he is so excited about them. We are in need of getting a shelf in his room just for his trophies.

One from the soccer season...

Soccer picture

One from the TOT basketball program he did through his school...

TOT picture

And one from the baseball season...

Baseball picture

After sitting out in the heat at 2:00 on Sunday for his last baseball game, I was happy to see the season end when it did! Now that sports and school are over we are excited to officially be in summer.

What says summer more than a homemade ICEE?

And a pool to cool off in the backyard.

And what says summer time more than a sweet girl dressed in a white summer outfit.

Welcome summer, heat and all!

Hail Storm 2011

2011-06-02T21:17:00.007-05:00

Two days before we left for our trip to Disneyworld, we had a massive hail storm hit Prosper in the middle of the night. The tornado sirens were going off, the Town of Prosper was calling to warn us, the winds were howling, power was out and then it all started. We quickly got all three kids up and with us and waited it out. When the hail started, it sounded like we were under attack. It sounded like the hail would have been baseball size but turns out it was a little smaller than golf ball size. It hailed for about 5-7 straight minutes. I was just waiting for our bedroom windows to come crashing in, it was so loud. And then...it just stopped. Everything, the storm had passed, thankfully.

We were one of the lucky ones. We only lost one window and it was just the outer pane so it didn't break all the way through. Our insurance company estimated our total damages to be around $22,000. We need a new roof, two new garage doors, new side door going into garage, new gutters, shutters power washed and restained, new light fixtures in the front, power wash and restain on the backyard playset, broken window replaced, white beading on almost all windows to be replaced, and repair done to outdoor A/C unit. I'm sure I've left some items off but this is what I can remember for now.

This is the house that is two doors down from us at the end of the street. They face the West which is why they lost every window in the front.

There is a constant sound of roofers being heard. If it's not a close neighbor, it's a house down the street, or one in the neighborhood.

The roofing companies have been so busy but we finally got our roof replaced this week. It took them two full days. Starting at 7:00am both mornings and finishing both nights around 8:30. Let's just say we weren't home much these two days.

Our new roof! Now on to all the other items that need to be replaced and fixed! Fun times!

Now, having said all this, I will say that our situation isn't even worth mentioning when I see on the news all the devastation there is due to tornadoes, flooding and earthquakes. My heart breaks for all the thousands of people that have been affected. I thank God every day for keeping us safe and I will deal with the hassle of all these repairs with a new attitude!

My little Godson

2011-05-31T22:45:00.001-05:00

I am honored to be the Godmother to Joseph Michael, Kyla and Michael's new baby boy. It's such a special role and I look forward to watching Joseph grow up in the Catholic Church and walk in his faith journey with Christ. He is such a blessing to our family. Sarah and I flew up to Minneapolis over the weekend for his baptism. It was such a special and meaningful day.

The new little family.

My parents and Kristina and Annie were also there. Along with Michael's family.

We are excited that Sarah and Joseph are only 8 months apart.

Twins!

We also enjoyed an afternoon at the Minneapolis Arboretum one day. The tulips were in bloom and were just beautiful.

I don't remember the last time we took a picture of just the five of us.

Sarah enjoyed some good one on one time with Grandpa. She loves her Grandpa!

We had a great weekend and enjoyed our time with the new Zajicek family. I can't wait to see them again, already miss that sweet boy!

Our little graduate

2011-05-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

And so it all begins. One chapter of life ends and another begins in Jacob's little life. Jacob's preschool days are officially over. Boo-hoo-hoo! Jacob graduated from Pre-K on Friday and his school had a little ceremony to celebrate this milestone. I can almost see his high school graduation picture being compared to this preschool picture, in just 12 short years!

And I just have to add that I have absolutely loved his school this year. I was a little nervous about switching from the school he went to for two years in Lewisville but we had a great experience at his new school. I'm going to miss it, for sure.

They even had programs printed.

Singing a few songs.

He was so excited to walk on the stage and get his certificate.

Daddy being silly!

Some of his little friends. And Sarah peeking out from behind!

And just had to post this picture of sweet cheeks!

Nine months

2011-05-20T16:00:00.001-05:00

It's time for another set of comparison pictures. :-) This time it's the nine month bath tub pictures. I have these hanging in their bathroom and recently had Sarah's taken. I was thrilled to be adding her photo to the wall...

Jacob

Luke

Sarah

The Ultimate Mommy Mobile

2011-05-15T21:20:00.001-05:00

Words I thought I would never utter...I DRIVE A MINIVAN!!!

Yes, we did it! We recently bought a minivan, a Honda Odyssey. With careful thought and consideration I might add! :-) With Jacob moving up to the booster seat, he was going to have to move back to the third row in the Pilot. It became complicated...a hassle to get him in and out through the back, less room for strollers, groceries etc. Quite frankly, we were quickly running out of room. We seem to be in the car a lot going from here to there and we really wanted something more comfortable to get around in. So after months of weighing our options and convincing ourselves that the minivan was the most practical choice for our family, we purchased the ultimate mommy/family mobile!

Now, let me just add that this car has everything a mommy could ever need in a car, and then some! I could list many cool features it has but I don't want to bore you! :-) They really have thought of it all. Jacob insisted he sit in the back row and Luke was almost in tears when he thought I wasn't going to move his seat back too. It works out great and they love having their own space.

And thankfully Sarah is just along for the ride!

Although Jim refers to our new car as "The Submarine" because of it's size and length, he has admitted that "it really is a nice ride and honestly it doesn't feel like you are driving a minivan!" :-)

Although Jacob cried when we had to leave the Pilot at the dealership, (he is SOOO my child) he loves our new car. When I ask him why, he responds, "Because it's SO clean!" And my response, "And we are going to keep it this way, aren't we?!?!?" :-) I can only wish!

A fun-filled weekend

2011-05-10T20:30:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, my parents and Kristina and family came into town. It all started with the boys (Jim, Oscar and my dad) going to the Mavericks play off game Friday night. They had the best time and literally all three had a hoarse voice the next day from cheering so much. They got to see a great win so it made it all worth it.

Just look at those faces!

Saturday morning we all went out to watch Jacob's 9:00 baseball game and 11:00 soccer game. He had quite the cheering section at both. We also had some special friends come out to watch the soccer game, Dana, Laine and boys. Thanks again for coming guys!

One of Jacob's best buddies from his class, William, was on the team we played. They got a kick out of playing against each other. Here they are after the game.

This was Jacob's last soccer game of the season. So after the game, I took him to the end of season party at Chick-fil-a where they got their trophies.

Later that afternoon, Mom, Kristina and I left all six kiddos with the dads and Grandpa and went and treated ourselves to a Mother's Day pedicure, yogurt and new summer shoes. We had a fun afternoon of girl time and enjoyed being kid free for a few hours...three to be exact! ha! In the meantime, while watching the kids, the boys enjoyed getting out the good ole smoker and smoking a variety of meats for dinner. Ribs, pork tenderloin stuffed with green peppers and garlic, wrapped in bacon and seasoned chicken was on the menu. Along with pinto beans and cole slaw. We had a great feast.

Before we left for Mass Sunday morning we had to do the traditional pictures. Mommies and her babies!

What a difference a year can make. Cancer free and a nine month old baby! :-)

After Mass we headed to The Ballpark in Arlington to see the Rangers play the Yankees. We had a fun day at the ball game...sun, heat and all. :)

The boys...Jacob, Gabriel and Luke

This was Sarah's first Rangers game!

Oh and Friday at Jacob's school they honored the mothers- Muffins with Mom. After breakfast, they presented us with the crafts they made us. So sweet and special!

Whew! I don't know that we could have fit anything else into this weekend. But it was a fun time. Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Nine months and crawling

2011-05-05T14:30:00.004-05:00

Sarah was nine months old on Monday, May 2. Baby girl is getting so close to being a year, it just doesn't seem real! She is one busy girl. However, things are about to get even busier because she has finally figured out how to crawl. She has been in position for over a month now but never would coordinate her arms and legs together. Until a few days ago, nine months and one day, she figured it out.

(I do apologize in advance for my really cheesy voice-haha!)

I have a feeling she is going to be ALL over the place now. Keeping up with her brothers for sure. Now is the time for some major baby proofing. I get so nervous thinking about all the toys that Jacob and Luke might leave out that she can get her hands on. She puts EVERYTHING in her mouth.

I took her for her well check and she is 21 lbs, 3oz(90th%) and is 28.5" long (90th%). One thing about her is she has been in the 90th percentile her entire life. Jacob has always been in the 75th percentile and Luke in the 50th percentile. It's going to be so crazy if she is the tallest one in the bunch. Her well check also turned into a sick visit. Turns out she has a little yeast infection and also has a mild case of croup. She started with a typical cold over the weekend and her cough and cry started sounding hoarse. So the doctor gave her steroid drops which will hopefully help. Oh and she is teething. So let's just say that there have been some restless nights and fussy days lately.

Here are some other things Sarah has been up to:
*She is now wearing size 4 diapers.
*She is wearing size 12 month in clothes. Some 12-18 months depending on where they are from.
*She has 5 teeth and I think she is working on the next 3--all at once.
*She has started pulling herself up to her knees and has made it to her feet a few times.
*She is very verbal. We hear lots of da-da, ma-ma, ba-ba and other sounds. She doesn't use these sounds appropriately yet but she has lots to say.
*When she gets excited she has started wrinkling up her nose and breathes really fast.
*She is eating well. She is still eating some baby foods. But loves to eat finger foods. She usually eats yogurt in the morning, and either a fruit or vegetable for lunch and dinner.
*Finger foods she has tried and likes--avocado, sweet potato, carrot, pinto and black beans, kiwi, cantaloupe, apple, banana, chicken, black olives.
*And of course she likes her snacks--puffs, cheerios and goldfish. She likes goldfish the best. If I give her one of each, she always picks the goldfish first.
*She is starting to show some signs of separation anxiety. (not a fun phase!!)
*She still responds so well to Jacob and Luke and loves it when they interact with her.
*She loves taking her bows off, headband and all. If she does wear it, it's not for long. As soon as she notices it, it's off. It makes me a little sad that she won't keep them on now. A girl has got to wear a bow!! :-) Oh and I will say that apparently her gender is in question when she doesn't have a bow on. The other day she had on a purple shirt, a pink bib, without a bow and some one says to her "How are you sweet boy?" Now I know at this age with the short hair, it's hard to tell sometimes. But really, nothing says GIRL like purple and pink. Makes me laugh!

Magical Memories

2011-05-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Jacob, Luke and Sarah,

Wow, what a wonderful trip we had to Disney World! We had the best time and made the best memories together. The weather was just perfect, lows in the 60's and highs in the mid 80's. We had one little rain shower the first day but other than that, we had beautiful blue skies. We spent two full days at Magic Kingdom, one day at Epcot and 1/2 day at Hollywood Studios.

I want to capture the memories from our trip from each of your perspectives. Hopefully you can look back on this one day and it will help you recall the highlights of our trip that you so loved.

Jacob
When we first told you about our trip, your response was "When are we going?" You routinely and enthusiastically crossed off each day on our count down chart each morning before breakfast.

You and Luke broke out and did a little "Disney dance" after crossing off the last day on our chart the morning we were leaving.

You were so excited that we got to fly on two Southwest airplanes there and back. And you thought it was pretty cool that the pilots invited you and Luke up to take a peek in the cockpit while we were boarding.

While we were at the airport you asked me, "Does Disney World have a really big play set?" Our response "More than you can imagine." Although we showed you lots of pictures online, it was still hard for you to imagine just what to expect. After we got checked into our hotel, we took the monorail from our hotel to Epcot. We were standing in line for our first ride and you said, "Mom, Disney World is SO fun." You were so enthusiastic from the beginning. You loved all the rides. Well, except for the Lilo and Stitch alien show and the Haunted Mansion ride. You cried in both of these because, well honestly they were a bit scary for a 5 year old. But we were sure not to go on any other rides or shows that might be a little scary for you. Your favorite ride was the rocket ride. You loved it and thought the higher you could go, the better.

When we were riding the monorail back to our hotel the first night, we sat next to a high school student on her senior trip. She was so sweet and just talked and talked to you. She was kind enough to give you her button that said "1st visit". You proudly wore that button on your shirt every day we were there.

Us on the "It's a Small World" boat ride. We rode this one by ourselves the first time since Luke and Sarah were asleep.

Then when we all rode it, you and Luke were SO excited that you got to sit in a row all by yourselves.

You rode your very first roller coaster. It was called Thunder Mountain and you loved it. You not only rode it once with me, but you rode it again with Daddy. I was a little nervous to take you on it but you were never scared and laughed and smiled the entire time. So brave!

You loved meeting all the characters. And yes, we took you to see the princesses. You and Luke might have been the only boys in line but we just had to do it. We knew this trip would be our only opportunity since the next time we go you will probably have NO interest in seeing these girls. Your favorite princess was Belle, from Beauty and the Beast.

By the size of this hug, I'm thinking Cinderella was a close second.

And your other favorite character was Minnie Mouse. Just look at that hug.

One of your other favorite things we did was the Disney Jr. show we saw at Hollywood Studios. Since you were little, you have always watched a lot of the shows on the Disney channel. Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Oso, Imagination Movers, Phineas and Ferb for example. This show was so cute and so real to you. You kept looking back at me with the biggest smile and I could tell you felt like you were actually in Mickey's clubhouse. :)Here we are waiting for the show to start.

After the show, in front of Mickey's Clubhouse.

You loved meeting Handy Manny but you kept asking where his tools where. Good question!

Every night when we left the parks and took the monorail back to the hotel, you loved to stretch out and rest. You were pooped by the end of the day.

You proudly wore your Mickey ears while watching the show in front of the castle.

One more thing to note about you...on our last full day there you woke up crying and said you had a bad dream. You said you had a dream that we were back at home and you still wanted to be at Disney World. You have asked many times when we can go back and said how you miss being at Disney World. We call these the "after vacation blues". :-)

Luke
Oh sweet Luke. You are at such a cute and fun age. I just love it. Age three is one of my favorites and seeing Disney through your eyes was so much fun. When we told you about our trip your response was, "I get to meet Pluto." Being the animal lover that you are, meeting Pluto was by far your favorite part of the trip. Just look at those open arms.

You said many times that Pluto was your best dog.

Your favorite ride was the teacup ride. You loved spinning around and around. You asked to ride this one over and over. You loved it!

I rode it with you one time but that was enough for me. You know Mommy is getting old when a spinning ride left me feeling a bit off afterwards! :) You did pretty good with most of the rides. There were a few rides that you didn't care for and you would just hold onto my arm tightly if you didn't like it. But you did great and were such a big boy.

One of your other favorites was to see a real life Tow Mater from your favorite movie Cars. When we asked where Lightening McQueen was they said he was in LA getting ready for the new Cars 2 movie coming out June 24. You better believe we have this date on the calendar!

Luigi's Casa Della Tires

One of your favorite snacks was the chocolate Mickey ear ice cream. Even though this was quite the mess to eat, you loved it and ate almost all of it. (Mommy enjoyed one of these herself. Gotta splurge while on vacation, right!)

Something you told us many times while we were there was, "I have five Mickey friends. Mickey, Pluto, Minnie, Donald and Goofy." You would count them on your fingers as you would say them. You really enjoyed meeting all the characters. And we were SO thankful you weren't scared of any of them.

Cinderella was giving out some good hugs that day.

The first full day we were there you were in need of a little nap. You feel asleep in the stroller like this and slept for an hour and a half. Although you look extremely uncomfortable, you were perfectly content.

The morning we were leaving, you and I were the first ones up. You were sitting on the bathroom counter while I was getting ready and you said, "I'm ready to go home." And I said, "Why is that?" And you exclaimed, "Because they don't have a table here to eat breakfast." I think you started missing the little things from home. We had a few meal credits left over so I took you and Jacob down that morning to get some breakfast. You both chose Mickey Mouse waffles, bacon and orange juice.

Sarah
Oh sweet Sarah. Where do I start? Words can't express what an incredibly GREAT baby you were on this trip. You were so content with what ever it was we were doing. It helped too that you weren't mobile yet so you didn't have the urge to get down and crawl or walk. You flew on an airplane for the first time and had no problems. (again, very thankful you weren't trying to get down and crawl or walk). Flying didn't seem to bother your ears and thankfully the flights weren't too crowded so you were able to sit in your own seat and play.

Mickey's ears greeted us when we got to our hotel room.

I tried to get you to wear your hat to shield the sun but you wanted no part of it. It came off shortly after this picture.

I was worried about you being in your stroller too much. I didn't want you to be sitting there all day. But that wasn't the case at all. Because you rode most of the rides with us, you had a lot of time out of the stroller with one of us holding you. Which you loved! :)Here you are on the Buzz Lightyear ride with Daddy.

And with me on the It's a Small World boat ride. Being at the age you were, 8 months, you just couldn't get enough. You were so observant to everything around you...the sights, the music, the lights, the characters. You just took it all in.

You were watching something very intently!

While we were waiting for the Disney Jr show to start, you were happy to have some floor time to play and stretch out a bit.

And when you were in the stroller, you were just along for the ride.

Now when it came to the characters, you weren't so sure. You would just look at them with much curiousity but never smiled or got excited to see them.

EXCEPT for the princesses that we met. You loved them. And quite honestly they loved you. We heard "Princess Sarah" many, many times while we were there. You are the little princess of the family, you know! :-)

And when it was nap time, we leaned you back in the stroller, pushed you around for awhile and you were out. We are thankful that you are used to napping on the go because it was very convenient for you to nap in the stroller.

I can honestly say I can only remember one time that you were fussy. It was at dinner one night and you were not happy in your highchair or being held. But once we made it through dinner and you got back in the stroller you were fine.

Thank you sweet Sarah for being such a precious angel on this trip.

We have such fond memories from this trip. We love traveling and taking vacations all together and we are so thankful that you three like to as well. You all are great travelers and we look forward to many more trips together. Especially another trip to Disney World! Because we will be back! :-)

Easter Joy

2011-04-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

We went out to Kristina and Oscar's house this year to celebrate Easter since my parents are with Kyla, Michael and baby Joseph in Minneapolis. We had a great weekend together. (despite the fact that I was sick in bed with a stomach bug on Saturday-but I was much better come Sunday). The kids played nonstop and enjoyed coloring and hunting Easter eggs.

The great Easter egg hunt.

Jacob is on a mission.

Look at all those eggs.

Luke was SO proud that he found eight eggs. He counted them many, many times just to make sure! Jacob's response, "I have WAY more than eight."

The gang.

Hope you all had a blessed Easter and enjoyed this glorious day!

Wedded Bliss

2011-04-25T20:42:00.003-05:00

*Quick note--I am SO SO behind on my posts*

April 21, 2011 marked our 10 year wedding anniversary. And April 24 marked 13 years from that blind date that started it all.

It's so hard to believe it's been 10 years already. We had a fun time looking back over the years. Looking at where we started to where we are today. Blessed with so much...a beautiful marriage blessed by God's grace, three healthy, beautiful children, wonderful family and friends and much, much more. A wonderful, wonderful life we share together. Blessed beyond measure is how we feel. We look forward to many, many more years together and are excited to see what God has in store for us.

Joseph Michael

2011-04-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

My sweet sister Kyla and her husband Michael welcomed their first baby boy into this world on Sunday, April 16, 2011. 9lbs 11 oz and 21" long. What a healthy baby boy!

After several days of contractions, they decided to go to the hospital only to get sent home because her contractions weren't regular enough. After another sleepless night and more regular contractions they headed back to the hospital the next day and got admitted. After she received her epidural, her contractions basically stopped. The doctor felt that the baby was just too big and wasn't able to move down and allow her contractions to continue. After much consideration of the doctor's suggestion, they opted for a cesarean. Once they received the news of his weight, they knew they made the right decision. In fact, she said the nurses weighed the baby three times because they thought he looked like he should weigh more than he did!

One last picture before the surgery.

Kyla meets Joseph

Sweet baby boy!

We are so happy for you guys and I can't WAIT to meet my new nephew and Godson!

Bluebonnet Babes

2011-04-15T18:40:00.000-05:00

What would Spring time be without our annual trip to the bluebonnets? Why, we wouldn't want to disappoint now would we? After all, Spring is my favorite season and I love taking advantage of all that it has to offer.

We went to early church on Sunday, as in 8:30 early. Then we headed down to the JCPenney headquarters (Tollway and Legacy) where they had the most amazing bluebonnet fields. You would have thought we were down in the hill country somewhere. It was beautiful!

There were many other families out as well and thankfully someone offered to take our picture for us.

Trying very carefully not to step on the flowers.

Growing up

2011-04-11T21:00:00.004-05:00

As if recently registering Jacob for Kindergarten doesn't make me feel like my baby boy is growing up, the fact that he lost his first tooth over the weekend sure does!

About a month ago, his bottom teeth starting spacing out and he had a little gap in the middle. He asked me daily if his teeth were loose but they never were. Until last Wednesday night. I noticed it when I was brushing his teeth before bed. He was so excited about it all weekend and wiggled it every chance he got. I decided to take one last picture with all his baby teeth!

It fell out on Sunday right after we were leaving the bluebonnnet fields (pictures to come soon). I had told the boys if they gave us some good smiles in the bluebonnets, I would give them a ring pop. You know, the little ring with a sucker on top. They love these. What a perfect incentive to smile, right? So we got into the car and they immediately open their ring pops. For some reason, I turned around and saw something white on Jacob's tounge. When I asked him what was in his mouth, he took it out and it was his tooth! He thought it was part of his sucker and almost swallowed it. Could you imagine? Then, he went to hand it to me and he dropped it. It took all of us a good 5 minutes to find it in the car. Whew- crisis diverted! And I just happened to have my camera handy!

He couldn't wait to safely put his tooth in his tooth fairy pillow.

He laid it in between his bed and the nightstand. He said he wanted to have it close by and he was going to keep his hand on it so he would know when the tooth fairy came. Sweet boy!

The tooth fairy brought him $2. Four quarters and a dollar bill. It seems like more that way, right? :) He was pleased! His other front bottom tooth is already a little loose so I expect now that he has lost the first one, all the other ones are close to follow!

Saturday fun

2011-04-09T21:10:00.000-05:00

Our Saturdays have been busy lately with birthday parties and Jacob's games, it seems. Today was no different and we wouldn't have had it any other way. I took Luke and Sarah to our friend Jackson's birthday party at the park while Jim took Jacob to his baseball game.

Luke and the birthday boy.

Luke still insists he swing in the baby swing.

Sarah loved it too.

Later in the afternoon, Jacob had a soccer game and his Papa Jim, G-Lana, Aunt Rhonda, Uncle Brian and cousin Emily came to cheer him on. The Pirates won 5-4! After the game we headed over to Rudy's BBQ for dinner. Good food and good company made for a fun time!

With all the grand kids. (well almost all...Rhonda and Brian are expecting another girl and due in late August. We can't wait for another girl cousin to add to the bunch.)

G-Lana with the boys.

And Papa Jim with the girls.

Thanks for coming Aunt Rhonda!

Just because

2011-04-08T20:24:00.006-05:00

Just because...I love my Sarah-bear so.

Just because...it's oh so fun to dress her in her new summer clothes.

Just because...her smile and sweet personality melt my heart time and time again.

Just because...I can't imagine my life without her.

Kids say the darndest things

2011-04-05T21:45:00.004-05:00

I get such a kick out of some of the things Jacob and Luke say these days. The way they say it, how they say it, the bold, honest truth. Always gives me a smile. I want to always remember and treasure these sweet little things.

Jacob: "Today at school I learned that rojo means red in spanish."
Mom: "Oh wow, that's great."
J: "Mom, you say rojo."
M: "Rojo."
J: "Mom, I know it's hard but you have to say it like this..." and he continued in his best spanish accent. Apparently I said it all wrong. :)

In church on Sunday, the boys were having a little too much fun together. (and sweet Luke does NOT know how to whisper.) So I separate them and Jacob moves down to the other side of Jim. Luke looks at me with the saddest eyes and says "But Jacob is my best friend." Awwww! He must have said it ten times!

J: "Mom, I'm an expert in hiding."

After feeling pretty good about my recent haircut, Luke says "Mom, your hair is all crazy." Gotta love his honesty.

Before bed one night, I began prayers with Jacob:
M: "Lord, we thank you for such a great day today. We thank you for such a great soccer game, for our friend Avery and her birthday party..."
J: "Mom, and say that we are thankful that I played good on defense and blocked three goals of the other team."
M: "Umm, ok. Thank you God for helping Jacob block three goals from the other team."
J: "And Mom, say that we are thankful that I was a good defense player."
M: "Ok, Jacob. Thank you God for helping Jacob be such a good defense player today."
Brief pause....
J: "Mom, what's defense?"
Oh boy, after all that defense talk...what's defense? After a brief laugh we eventually got back on track with our prayers!

Some of Luke's recent favorite words:
-except
-but
-oopsie daisy
-when getting my attention, he not only says "Mom" once but about four times together real fast. "Mom, mom, mom, mom"

L: "Mom, I have great news. I just burped and I said excuse me." He was so proud and so was I! :)

When we are out and someone acknowledges Sarah, Luke is quick to jump in and say,
"But Sarah is my sister." So protective!

These are the ones that first come to mind. I'm sure there will be a Part 2 to this post before too long!

The Coyotes

2011-03-31T21:15:00.006-05:00

Jacob played his first baseball game this week. And boy was it cute! It has a very different feel from his little Tball games last year. It's like real baseball. Doesn't he look official?

They get three pitches from the coach and if they don't hit any of those balls, they bring the tee out and they get to hit it from there.

Jacob got to bat twice. The first time he had to hit from the tee. The second time he fouled two balls so he hit from the tee again.

Lookin' ready

They rotate each player through all the different positions and Jacob was the catcher during one of the innings. It was the cutest darn thing. He seriously looked so uncomfortable and moved as though he was in some type of body cast due to all the catcher gear he had to wear. He could barely see the balls as they rolled by. After the game I asked him what his favorite part of the game was. His response "Well, what I didn't like was playing catcher." Oh we got a good laugh. They definitely didn't have this position last year in tball. :)

Sweet Sarah stayed content in her stroller during the game. She was taking it all in. Which is a good sign with all the sporting events she will be going to in her lifetime in support of her brothers!! (Something worth noting...I did try to get Luke in the picture but he wanted no part! I did try Lukie, I did try!) :)

Here's to a fun season for the mighty Coyotes!

In position

2011-03-25T15:30:00.000-05:00

Baby girl is finding herself in various positions that makes me think she will be crawling sooner rather than later.

She starts like this.

Then this.

Gotta get that leg out.

All fours!!

But not for long, she always ends up on her tummy. Which then leads to either her turning herself around in a circle on her tummy or scooting backwards on her tummy!

And when she does stay sitting, she LOVES playing with her feet!

Who needs toys when you have feet??

Or when you take a peek to see what's hiding under the rug.

Now that baby girl has 4 teeth, she thinks it's fun to bite and play with her spoon.

Got yogurt?

We've been enjoying the nice weather and playing outside in the afternoons. I thought it would be fun to get a picture of all three kiddos. They sure had fun in the process but no such luck getting one of them all 3 looking with their eyes open! Oy!

Now if only Lukie had his eyes open! So close!

Around here

2011-03-12T13:51:00.004-06:00

We've not been up to too much new around here. Just chugging away with our routine and activities. In addition to soccer, Jacob has started practicing for baseball this week. The two seasons will overlap for about a month so we will just balance and juggle the games and practices as we can. Jacob has been LOVING soccer and he enjoyed playing Tball so much last year so we thought we would give him the opportunity to play both. I figure once Luke and Sarah are involved as well, we will have to limit one activity per child so we'll take advantage while we can now! We signed him up for coach pitch baseball. They get 3 throws from the coach and if they don't hit those balls they then bring out the tee and they can hit it from there. Sounds like the perfect combination to me! His first game is at the end of the month so stay tuned for pictures from the mighty Coyotes.

Luke has been LOVING his gymnastics class. Luckily no more bribing has been involved as he happily joins his class. He is loving his coach and gets so excited to see her. She's not the friendliest of coaches in my opinion but Luke has taken really well to her. He also is talking so much these days. He has started calling Jacob by name in place of Bubba. And he has been calling Sarah by name in place of Baby! His new favorite word is 'except'. It seems he starts every sentence with it. Sweet boy!

Sweet Sarah is doing great. At seven months she has 4 teeth. She just got the top front two and we are praying for a little break before she starts on the next set! Baby girl sure seems to feel the pain from all this teething, poor thing! She is sitting up so well and loves sitting and playing with her toys. She is eating like a champ. Some of her favorites are sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, apples, avocados, bananas, prunes, peaches and her newest food is baby yogurt. So far so good on the eating front.

Sarah loves being able to sit in the front of the shopping carts. She is one busy girl I must add. She loves discarding her toys over the side of the cart when she is done with them. Makes for a lot of up and down for mommy! But hey, as long as she isn't fussing, we are all happy!

Gotta love the double cart at Sam's. Although all she could focus on was getting Luke's DVD player in her hands.

Sweet girl!

Jacob got an ant farm for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa. He has been loving watching them build their tunnels.

Sarah LOVES looking in the mirror. She gets the biggest smile when she sees her reflection.

Always gotta get a picture with Grandpa when I see him. Love him dearly! He was in a car accident back in January and is still recovering from his second hip replacement surgery. He is doing great though and continues to live life to it's fullest!

The countdown begins

2011-03-08T14:12:00.007-06:00

Jim and I have been talking for awhile about what our family vacation should be for this year. After tossing around a few ideas, we were having a hard time coming up with something that was easy and fun to do with our kids being the ages they are. So, after much thought and careful planning, we decided on Disney World. We are going to go in April and also celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We thought this would be good timing...after Spring Break but before summer with what looks like will be pleasant temperatures.

We told the boys last night and they were thrilled. Luke's response "Do I get to meet Pluto?" He would want to meet the dog. :-) And Jacob's response "When are we going?" Which is why I made this little countdown chart...to hopefully give them a visual of how much longer. We all know waiting is not much fun, especially when you are 5 and 3. I can't wait to experience this with them and see it through their sweet eyes!

I can read

2011-03-04T17:08:00.001-06:00

I can read.
by Jacob Webb

I have some exciting news to share...I am learning how to read. Recently, I have been very curious about what certain words spell, trying to sound out familiar sounds and I've even been able to recognize certain words. The last time I was at my Grandma's and Grandpa's I read a few "Dick and Jane" books with my Grandma. I was making such good progress that we brought these books home with us to practice.

A few days later my Mom remembered we had a storybook collection of "Dick and Jane" books. It has a total of 40 short stories and I am about half way through. These have been great first books to read and I have to say I have fun reading new stories every night.

The funny thing now is, instead of my mom reading to me before bed...I am reading to her! Here is a little clip of me reading...

Lessons learned

2011-02-24T16:30:00.002-06:00

Lesson #1:
Always, always take off baby's shirt before giving her an avocado in the self feeder.

Lesson #2:
Never, ever give baby avocado on a school morning. Not much time left for a much needed bath on a morning when we are rushing to get out the door.

Lesson #3:
Only, only give baby avocado just before scheduled bath time!

Isn't avocado supposed to be good for the skin? Well, let's just say sweet girl got a nice spa treatment...an avocado facial and scrub!

The season is here

2011-02-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

The sports season, that is. Jacob started spring soccer this week. And has been loving every minute of it. This is his first time to play and he has been so enthusiastic about it. He had his first game on Saturday. It really was a lot of fun to watch. Some ran the wrong way. Some used their hands. Some sat on the sidelines and wanted no part of the game. It was quite entertaining, as a first game should be I suppose.

His team, the Pirates won 7-5. And I have to brag on Jacob, he scored two of those goals himself. Yea Jacob! He played about 40 minutes of the 55 minute game and ran nonstop, hustled nonstop, and gave it his all! Mommy and Daddy were quite proud of our little guy!

He got to choose his own number. He chose #5 for the obvious reason.

Good game, good game, good game!

We are looking forward to the soccer season. Love, love, love watching our kiddos enjoy their activities so much.

Just a swingin'

2011-02-18T22:02:00.003-06:00

We've been enjoying this nice weather, right in the backyard. Sarah enjoyed the swing for the first time.

But I think she enjoyed watching her brothers play even more.

She was very content, just taking it all in.

I'm still amazed they are all three looking at the camera. Say cheese...

Favorite age

2011-02-17T07:45:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, six months of age is one of my favorite ages. So I thought it was worth some comparison pictures. I love to have this type of stuff documented for the memory books. :-)

Jacob- 6 months
19lbs 4oz
26.8" long

Luke- 6 months
18lbs 8oz
26" long

Sarah- 6 months
18lbs 13 oz
27" long

And a few more of our sweet Sarah-bear! (Mommy had lots of fun buying her a new dress for the photo shoot.) :)