Hanna Legoland

We postponed Jack's birthday party until after Thanksgiving--that Holiday just gets in the way! :)  We ended up having a fun party with great attendance.  Grandparents, good friends from League City, school and church friends--we are blessed.   Jack chose a Lego theme--he is very into those right now, which is fun.  Until I step on one.  Or find one in a cereal bowl.  Or fish one out of Macie's mouth.  All true stories.  Seems I'll have to find some kind of organizational system! 

Bryan's extended family was graciously invited to spend Thanksgiving morning/lunch in Austin at his cousin, Diane Groggin's house.  She has an absolutely beautiful house in the Hill Country, and served us yummy food.  The kids had such a fun time getting to know some distant cousins as well as play with their closer ones.  Of course we had to leave earlier than anyone else--Aggies played in College Station later that evening against the Longhorns, maybe for the last time, as the Aggies are joining the SEC and will no longer be part of the Big 12.  Yep--when you live with my hubby you know all these things! :)

Little Boy is 6

Well, yet another birthday...Jack turned 6! Time is going so fast! I'm just now used to the idea of him being in Kindergarten, now that the school year is half over. Ahhh, my Jack-Jack. Mommy's have such a special bond with their boys, it's true--so unique, sweet, special. It's true for me and Jack, but it definitely doesn't mean everything is all roses and sunshine! I hear Mom's say all the time, "Boys are so easy"--guess I was skipped on that! While I love him dearly, Jack is BY FAR our most difficult, high-maintenance, frustrating child!! From refusing clothes that have the seam in the wrong place or aren't "a cool color" to insisting on having the VERY LAST WORD in every argument no matter the consequence, he has surely had me at my wits' end on more days than I can count! However--his sweet spirit, laughing eyes, smart wit, and big hugs redeem him on a daily basis. Here are some things I love about Jack:

--runs SO FAST!! All the time, everywhere.

--sweetly thinks of others, comforting classmates and friends when someone is upset

--lets his little sister call him "Jackie"

--is actually almost always right in any argument, whatever the topic

--makes sweet pictures and cards for his teacher, or me, frequently

--loves to play baseball and soccer, and loves it even more when Daddy is his Coach

--his eyes actually sparkle when he laughs

--still scared of the dark and loud noises

--craves a routine, and is so out of sorts when the routine is not followed

--loves Legos, and can follow directions and put together almost anything

--LOVES motorcycles, fast cars, and big trucks (ok, maybe I don't LOVE that he loves motorcycles and fast cars, but his passion is cute!)

--loves to hold and play with babies

--tells me every night after I tuck him in, "have a good nights sleep, Mommy"

--still says "basghetti"

Thank you, God, for my favorite son! What a blessing he is to our family.

Champions Family Retreat

In November we went on a Family Retreat with our church family, Champions Church of Christ. It was sooooo fun!! We stayed in clean dorm-like facilities, we didn't have to cook our meals, and there were lots of fun amenities. Playgrounds, archery, canoing, and...a zip line!!! I'm not sure who was more scared of the zip line, Jack or Bryan!! Probably Bryan. Jack turned around the first time and climbed down, but then changed his mind and went with me later (it was a double line)--and did great! He even turned himself upside down at the end. Callie had fun with her friends, LOVED the zip line and just enjoyed being outside. Macie played hard, napped little, and just turned her personality on. She and Davis Selby are cute together, and she is great friends with little Shannon Harris, who is in her Sunday School classes and MDO class. She and our preacher, Larry Keele, had a "war" of college hand signs--he is a UT fan...It was a fun weekend, and we are blessed to be a part of this church family. And no, grandparents, Jack didn't actually ride that motorcycle, just sat on it for a while!

Church Family Retreat

In November, we went on a family retreat to Huntsville with our Champions church family. It was so fun! The camp had a cool zip line, a lake with canoes, archery, playgrounds, nice dorm-type rooms and a nice cafeteria, where we didn't have to cook! The weather was perfect, not too hot or cold. We were a little concerned about doing something like this with Macie--she is not the easiest kid for sleeping somewhere new, staying close to us in potentially dangerous situations, etc...but she did fine! The kids had so much fun with all their friends, including Macie and her special friends Shannon Harris and Davis Selby. The zip line was AWESOME!! Jack was one of the first ones up to go, and he got scared and came back down the steps, but, after seeing other kids have a blast, he decided to try again and went with Mommy. I actually think Bryan was the most nervous of all! We are so blessed to be a part of this church family, and love getting to know everyone better, and watch our kids make such great friends.