Once upon a time...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-01-28T12:20:00.006-06:00

November 2010

Deacon went with Mommy to CT's Thanksgiving feast at school. Deacon made himself at home by making himself a plate. :)
KG and her K4 Pilgram friends at their feast.
Some of KG's sweet friends.
Mommy and CT enjoying the Thunder Game in OKC. While we were in OKC for Thanksgiving this year, we got there in time to take in a game.
CT thought this was really cool.
All the cousins on Daddy's side. We had a GREAT time with family and a wonderful Thanksgiving!! We have SO many things to be thankful for, but most of all I am thankful for a Savior who loves me and knows me, and gave his life to save me from my sins.

Ear Piercing

2011-01-28T12:06:00.003-06:00

November 2010

KG finally got up the nerve to get her ears pierced. One of her sweet friends had it done, and she decided that if Eden could do it, so could she. So we went right before dance and had it done. She was a brave little girl, but was a little surprised that it hurt more than she thought.

Marking the spots where they will go.

Ready 1,2,3! It's a good thing they did both ears at the same time. She was smiling the whole time, and then once it was over she looked at me with the saddest face and big tears welled up in her eyes.
Proud of her new earrings. She liked them once she was over the initial shock.

Family Photos 2010

2011-01-28T10:10:00.010-06:00

While at Mimi and Poppi's at the end of October, Mimi had a photographer come and take some fun family photos. We had a mini family reunion with GREAT food and wonderful fellowship.

Mimi and Poppi
Uncle Chris
Uncle Chad, Aunt Mandy, and soon to make her appearance sweet baby Eden. :)
Family
Poppi's side of the family.

Halloween 2010

2011-01-28T09:06:00.002-06:00

October 31, 2010

This halloween we spent the weekend at Mimi and Poppi's with all our extended family. We enjoyed getting to see and spend time with our family.

On the way home we stopped by Uncle Chad and Aunt Mandy's church fall festival. Snow White, The Cowboy, and a Jedi.
Deacon's first pony ride. He really liked it.
KG also took a turn.
CT showing off his skills. :)
Deacon takes a turn.

Everyone had a great time, and plenty of candy was collected by all.

KG's 5th Birthday

2011-01-28T08:44:00.003-06:00

October 2010

Well, again I am way behind on blogging. So I'm going to try and get caught up. :)

In October we celebrated KG's 5th birthday at our local dance studio. She asked her friends to come dressed as their favorite princess. They had a great time, and I can't believe she is already 5. :)

Ballerina cake.
Playing with the parachute. They loved this.
Singing happy birthday.
Super surprised by her bunk beds from Nana, Papa, Mimi, and Poppi.

Happy Birthday KG!! What a beautiful young lady you are becoming. :) Mommy and Daddy love you!

Pumpkin Patch and Painting.....

2010-11-19T22:00:00.005-06:00

During fall break we went to the pumpkin patch with some friends.
KG and LE jumping or posing. :)
Hey mom!
Playing in the hay.
Riding the cow train.

This one is my favorite.
I like this one the best!
I think I want to take this one home.
Pumpkins.
Painting their pumpkins.
Creating their master pieces.
All finished. Happy Fall Y'all!

Little Miss P

2010-11-19T21:32:00.002-06:00

KG and Daddy before her little pageant.
KG with some of her best little friends.
Waving to the crowd.
Loving the spotlight.
WAY to go KG! We are so proud of you.

Boomer Sooner!!!

2010-11-19T21:24:00.003-06:00

SEVERAL weeks ago Daddy and CT headed down to Dallas for the OU/Texas game. CT was so excited he could hardly stand it. This was his first OU game, and it was a big one. :)

CT and Daddy getting ready to head into the game.
Boomer Sooner baby!!
We won!

Fall Family Football!

2010-11-19T19:48:00.005-06:00

I am waaaaaay behind on blogging. So I am going to try and get caught up. These pictures are from almost two months ago. We had a fun time hanging out and playing football in the yard. Of course we had to have team gear on. I feel it was a little lopsided in that the Razorback's were not represented at all. :)

Deacon with his CHEESE smile.
Looking pretty even while playing football. :)
Tackle.
My sweet boys!! Love these guys.
Deacon's mean face. He was serious about football.
Let me have it bubba.

Silly Girl!
Love these kiddos!

Disney on Ice

2010-10-22T11:01:00.003-05:00

For Melinda's last year in her 20's we took her to Disney on Ice for her birthday. :) Well, not really it just happened to fall on her birthday. We took KG and Peyton. The girls had a blast! It was a great show. We will definitely go again next year.

Look Mom it's starting!!
They had a lot of the characters. The princesses were her favorite of course. :)
Watching intently.
KG and Mommy after the show.
The girls enjoying the fair after the show. KG loaded up on Cotton Candy. :)

Happy Gotcha Day/ Early 3rd Birthday Celebration Deacon!!!

2010-09-20T17:04:00.005-05:00

This past week and weekend we celebrated Deacon's 1st Gotcha Day and 3rd Birthday (a little early). Deacon's actual birthday is December 26th. We thought it best since CT also has a birthday in December to celebrate his birthday party the same time as Gotcha Day. That way everyone gets their own special party. :) We will do a little party for Deacon on his actual birthday. :)

This is Deacon on his actual Gotcha Day- Sept. 14th. What a blessing he is to our family!! We are so fortunate to call him son.
Poppi and Deacon reading a little Elmo before the party.
The Birthday Cake.
The birthday table.
Ty and Deacon getting into the dress up action.
These two princesses were quick to tell you, "Don't mess with the dress." :)
CT enjoying the bounce house.
We are here to save the day. Sweet friends and family sharing Deacon's special days.
Opening presents.
Yay!! Just what I've always wanted.
We want cake!! We want cake!! :)
Blowing out the candles.
Deacon getting his big gift. A Train Table. He LOVED it!!!
He has played and played and played with this already.
Happy Gotcha Day/Birthday sweet boy!! Mommy and Daddy love you more than you could ever know!!

Too Much!!

2010-08-25T12:50:00.004-05:00

KG has been wearing this flower girl dress non stop. She wore it in my brother and sister in law's wedding two years ago. :) As soon as she gets home, she goes and puts it on. She LOVES it because she thinks it looks like a wedding dress, and it TWIRLS. That is a very important feature. I let her put my vail on, and this is what I got. :) TOO MUCH!!! She was WAY into it. She about threw a fit when I made her put it up. Needless to say I ended up making one she could play with. The sad thing is, her real wedding day will be here before I know it. That is if her daddy lifts the no dating until 35 ban. ha ha!

Look how pretty it twirls Mommy.
Practicing our wedding march.
Kisses from her little brother. CT would not get near her. :) ha ha!!
Oh goodness I love this girl!!

Back to School.

2010-08-12T09:05:00.004-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again. This year did not go as I had planned. I was going to have two still at home, but KG had other ideas. :) We took CT to meet his teacher last night. KG saw that her two little best friends were in a class together. So we arranged it that she too would start school today. They are all in the same class. Whew!! She was SOOOO excited!! We will still be able to go to our Bible Study on Tuesday's since Pre-K is not required. :) So everyone was happy.

KG and CT ready to go!! KG- PreK, CT-1st grade
First day of school. 8-12-2010
Liv and KG. Bless their teacher. :)
CT and his best buddy J. He was SOOO excited to see him, and that they were in the same class.
Ready for 1st grade. I have a feeling this year will go as fast as the last.

Sweet Friends.....

2010-08-01T17:09:00.002-05:00

Deacon had a follow up appointment in Arkansas from his cleft palate surgery we had back in February. We were able to go and see some life long friends on our way. We had a GREAT time with the Owen's. Thanks for letting us hang at your place. :)

Eloise and KG doing their thing!! ;) They dressed up the whole time we were there. They were so cute!
CT, Sam, and Abe doing what boys do best. Who knows where Deacon was, or what he was doing. :)

Great Wolf Lodge

2010-08-01T16:49:00.004-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we took the kids up to The Great Wolf Lodge for a little family get away. We had a great time! The boys LOVED the water slides and anything thrill seeking. KG on the other hand was happy as a lark on the little slides. :)

KG, CT, and Deacon ready for the Water Park.
Snack time. They picked this three foot long gummy snake.
Deacon loves the water.
Water Fun!!
The Fam.
Story time at the clock tower.
We met up with some friends on our way home. Deacon was blessing our food. :)

Sweet Friends.....

2010-07-12T17:52:00.002-05:00

The other day we got to meet up with some sweet friends we hadn't seen in awhile. We met Kate, Rachel and their parents at Chick-Fil-A. We traveled with Kate and her parents to China when we picked up Deacon, and they picked up Rachel. It was great to see them.

All the kiddos playing on the slide.
These two crack me up. I think if we lived closer together they would be into quite the trouble together. :) KG just loved little Rachel, and wanted to mother her.
Kate and Rachel. I just love these two little girls.
The whole clan!! We had a great time. Thanks for meeting us! We will have to do it again soon. :)

Happy 4th of July!!!

2010-07-12T17:11:00.003-05:00

Yes I am a little behind in blogging, but trying to get caught up. :)

We had a GREAT 4th of July this year. We had several nights of getting together with friends, good food, and fabulous fire works.

KG, Deacon, and CT all decked out for church and the 4th.

Sweet Reese and Mo.
KG and her little friend P. Yes Sarah we see you in the background. :)
S and CT getting ready to watch our first round of fireworks.
Deacon was a little scared at first, but then would ask for more. He also kept saying My Fireworks. :) Yes, son those are just for you.
Deacon and KG out at the ranch watching fireworks.
CT enjoying the show and his cookie.

We are blessed and thankful for all those who have fought to keep us free. Thank you for your sacrifice!

Welcome Home Daddy and Bubba!!!

2010-07-08T18:48:00.003-05:00

After 13 looooong days apart, we headed to the airport to meet Daddy and Bubba home from China. They had a FABULOUS trip!! There were a lot of lives changed. I'm so glad that they were able to go and be apart of what the Father is doing!!

Deacon so proud of his Welcome Home Daddy sign.
One of the signs we made for CT.
Stephen, KG, and Deacon super excited to see everyone.
Here they are!! Deacon is crying because he tried to run to them, and he wasn't supposed to go past that red and black line. Someone grabbed him, and it scared him. He got over it pretty quick when Daddy picked him up. :)

We are SO glad to have them home.

Par-tay, Par-tay, Par-tay!!

2010-07-08T18:27:00.004-05:00

We headed on over to Mimi and Poppi's to help Mimi celebrate her birthday!! Yea for Mimi's birthday!! We had a great time swimming and just hanging out.

Deacon and KG in the pool.
Deacon with cousin Graham.
Yummy cookie cake.Happy Birthday Mimi!! Glad we got to come spend some time with you guys!

Fearless Deacon Jumping in the Pool. KG learning to swim w/o floaties.

Summer Time Fun!

2010-07-08T17:58:00.005-05:00

Daddy and Bubba (CT) left for a two week trip to China while we stayed home. Since we were left behind, we thought we would try to have a little fun.

Deacon is a pro in the pool. He has NO fear.
KG loving the pool.
Uncle Chad and Aunt Mandy came over for a quick visit. We took KG to see Toy Story 3. We were so glad that they came, and had a GREAT time!!!!!!
Later on in the week we too Nee Nee out to celebrate her birthday! Mommy and Deacon excited about eating at Texas Roadhouse.
KG and Nee Nee.
Deacon loving the cinnamon buttered rolls. YUMMO!! Yea for Nee Nee having a birthday!
Back at the pool we hung out with our friends, and had a GREAT time!!

Dance, Dance, Dance.......

2010-07-08T17:16:00.004-05:00

This was KG's first year for dance. She started learning ballet and tap. She LOVES it and can't wait for it to start back up. These are pictures of her first recital. She did so good, and loved every minute of being on the stage. :)

KG and her BFF Liv. They are quite the pair together.
Tap dance.
Liv, Emmy, and KG
Striking a pose.
Dancing to Karen Carpenter. :)
Getting ready to show her stuff.
Flowers and Awards!!! So excited to get a dance medal.
KG and Emmy. They are so cute!!

Trip to Nana and Papa's.

2010-07-05T19:06:00.002-05:00

While Daddy was away at camp we took a quick trip to Nana and Papa's. We had a great time just hanging out and having fun!!

Nana and Papa set up the blow up slide in the backyard. This provided for hours of entertainment!
KG, CT, and Deacon enjoying the water.
We took the electric car out to get a snocone. It even has seatbelts. :) The kids thought this was fun.
The kids checking out the Vietnam Memorial at the local park. They took this picture for Poppi.

Monkeying Around

2010-06-24T22:35:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago we headed on over to a birthday party for one of my best friends growing up little boy. It's fun to live close and get our kids together. Although it could be quite scary what these kids could get into if they are anything like their mothers. :)

KG and Deacon enjoying the splash pad.
It was a monkey themed party. So cute!! These monkey cookies were Yummy!!
Deacon and CT enjoying their cookies.
All five of our kids together. Happy Birthday sweet Andrew!!
KG and Lydia. This could be TROUBLE!!
Playing on the slide. Thanks for inviting us. We had a GREAT time!!

Backyard Fun and Swimming

2010-06-24T22:24:00.004-05:00

The kids were begging to get the slip and slide out, so we dug it out, and away they went. They had a great time getting wet, and running a muck.

CT, KG, and Deacon
Deacon figuring out the slip n slide.
CT was a pro.
KG taking a turn.
Deacon ready for the poo and wada. He LOVES it!!
CT and KG hanging out.

Dance Party!!!

2010-06-24T22:15:00.004-05:00

We actually moved houses a couple of weeks ago. We had been packing and packing. The kids had had enough of the packing, and decided to have a little dance party. I went in KG's room to find this. :)

Deacon has quite the moves. ha ha!

End of Year Activities

2010-06-24T21:58:00.004-05:00

I am Waaaaaay behind on blogging, so I'm going to try and get caught up. We had a great year at wee school and kindergarten. :) I can't believe how fast it went by. We had lots of activities during the last couple of weeks of school.

KG and her best little friends hanging out at the park on their last day of wee school. We also had a little picnic.
CT and his buddies got to go to Mazzios and make personal pizzas one day. It was FULL of kindergartners and very loud, but they had a great time!
Deacon's little Wee School class had a water day outside. I had to pull him off this slide when it was time to go. He was none to happy to have to go in. He loves the wada.
CT's class did a barnyard musical for their school. Their class played the part of the chickens. It was really cute.
This is the boy side getting ready for the musical.
CT also had a musical at church that he participated in. He did a great job.

Family Photos

2010-06-20T13:39:00.007-05:00

About a month ago we went out to the ranch and had some family photos taken. Our sweet friend Heather did these for us. She is just starting out, so we said we would be her guinea pigs. :) She did a great job!! These were some of our favorites!

Mother's Day/Baby Dedication

2010-05-10T10:34:00.006-05:00

This Mother's Day at our church was not only Mother's Day, but also a very special day in our family's life. We have had all our children dedicated once they were born. We do not do this so that they can go to heaven. That is not our decision, but a personal decision they will have to make on their own when they are a little older, and understand more what it means to follow Jesus, and have a personal relationship with him. We do this as a family to say, we are going to love, support, and teach you as much as we can about the Jesus we love, serve, and follow. In hopes that one day you will make a decision to follow Him too!!

Today was Deacon's turn to be dedicated to the Lord. What a blessing and an honor it is to be his parents. We are so thankful to the Lord that he allowed us to be his parents!
Deacon receiving his first Bible. He was so excited he kept saying, "Mine, mine, mine." :)
As we celebrated mom's on this day, I can't help but think fondly of Deacon's birth mother, and the huge sacrifice she made for her boy!! There will always be a GREAT love for his birth parents. We may never meet here on this earth, but we pray that one day we will meet in eternity, and spend forever there as a family!!

Look whose riding fancy free.......

2010-05-10T10:20:00.003-05:00

Nanna came this weekend, and decided that it was time for CT to take his training wheels off. Thank goodness she keeps us on our toes every once in awhile. :) We have been so busy, and the weather has been hot then cold, that we haven't even had the bikes out very much.

Daddy went out and took his training wheels off, and away he went. He took off like a pro. Took him about 5 minutes to get the hang of it, and he was thrilled!!!

Daddy giving a push.
CT owning the driveway. ha ha!!

T-Ball Tournament

2010-05-10T09:53:00.003-05:00

CT's t-ball team played in their first tournament before our actual season even started. We played from Thursday night to Tuesday night. It was a lot of ball, but we also had a lot of fun! We ended up getting in the losers bracket halfway through the tournament. We had to fight our way back to get to the championship game. We had to beat the last team twice. We beat them pretty good in the first game. Then they came back to beat us in the second game, and to win the championship.

We are so proud of our Dynamiters!! They did an awesome job, got a medal, and most importantly a trip to the "session" stand. :)

CT's team waiting on their medals. They thought this was pretty cool!!
CT with his medal.
We have a GREAT team, a great set of parents, and an AWESOME set of coaches!! They want to win, but not at the expense of ruining it for the kids. They are so calm and patient with them. We appreciate you guys!!

Zoo Trip- Kindergarten Style!!

2010-05-10T09:09:00.005-05:00

The other day I got the opportunity to go with CT and his class to the zoo. We had a great time. There were a good group of parents that went, so I just had CT and one of his best little buddies. We were able to roam as we pleased, and didn't have to worry about keeping up with a group. It was nice to have that freedom. :)

First stop....the bears.
A couple of monkeys.

This was in the rain forrest. It was a gorgeous day outside, but extremely hot in there.
They couldn't wait to see the lions. Unfortunately, this one was in no mood to perform.
Here are the boys ROARING at the lion, trying to get it to respond. They were pretty funny.
Hanging with the penguins.
Jeriah and CT.
Mommy and CT.

All the kids had a great time!! This is part of CT's kindergarten class.

T-Ball!

2010-04-17T14:41:00.004-05:00

Today was CT's very first t-ball game. We are actually in a tournament this weekend. We had so much fun watching these little guys and girls! They did a great job!

CT in the dug out ready to get the game started. Yes our uniforms are black and orange. He was quite upset at first, but got over it. :) For those of you who don't know CT is a DIE HARD OU fan, and can't stand OSU who happens to be orange and black. :)

Getting ready to play pitcher.
Swing batter batter swing!!! First time at bat.
Run....run....run!!!
First time to score.
Go Dynamiters!!!
KG and Liv cheering on the team.
Ava and Colter.
Deacon running from me. :)
Good game Dynamiters!! We won in overtime. Whew!!!

Jeepin!

2010-04-16T11:17:00.005-05:00

Last weekend we took the kids out to the ranch for some family fun!

CT getting out of the way as a jeep makes it's way up the hill.
Here is one of the jeeps we were watching on the steep trails.
CT, Mommy, and KG riding the 4wheeler.
Big Stuff.
Nee Nee and KG taking a ride.
The kids loved riding the 4wheeler.
Safety first Deacon.
Daddy and Deacon.
The kids taking a ride in the jeep.
Watching the jeepers.
Cool Dude.

Easter Celebration!!

2010-04-16T10:38:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend!! The weather was beautiful, the food and friends were plentiful, and the Lord is risen!!

Matthew 28:6

He is NOT here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
The kids getting ready to dye their Easter eggs. Deacon was not quite sure what was going on.
He did like his egg, and could not figure out why you had to be so careful with it.
CT diligently working on his OU egg.
The easter bunny did not disappoint. KG's basket.
CT's basket.
Deacon's basket.
Ready to head to church and celebrate our RISEN SAVIOR!!!
Easter picnic at the park. Erin and Deacon enjoying the swings.
KG loved the swings too. Kendra was so sweet to push her for a looooong time.
CT was in motion the whole afternoon. I do not have may pictures of him because he did not stay still. Here he is getting in a little soccer.
KG off to find some eggs.
Yea I found some!!
CT and Christopher looking for eggs.
Look at my basket. :)
Sweet KG.
Christopher and CT finding a new use for the table cloth.
KG and Deacon taking a turn! They LOVED this.

Wee School Easter Celebrations!

2010-04-16T10:22:00.004-05:00

The kids had several egg hunts this year. Deacon and KG started off with hunts at Wee School.

Here is Deacon showing off his basket of eggs.
Deacon playing after the hunt.
KG stopping for just a second while looking for eggs.
Liv and KG looking for eggs.
KG playing with friends after her hunt.
KG and friends enjoying a picnic lunch.

Spring Break!!!!

2010-04-16T09:19:00.009-05:00

March 2010

This spring break we packed up and headed to Dallas to see some good friends since Daddy had taken a group of kids on a mission trip to Utah. We had no longer walked in the door when we were greeted with some fabulous chili, Paula Dean's banana pudding, and sweet friends from college.

The incredible banana pudding. I'm sure it was fat and calorie free. :)
Olivia and her sweet little guy.
Deacon putting away the pudding.
The next day we headed out to watch Jack's tball game and spend a day at the park. This is Luke, CT, and KG.
KG intently watching the game.
Jack running to first.
KG feeding the ducks at the park after our picnic.
Doris and I eating left over banana pudding. :) We didn't want to share. ha ha!
Blowing bubbles in the back yard.
All the kids playing a little Wii.
Campo Verde!! YUM YUM!!
Inside Campo Verde. They are very festive. The kids LOVED the trains that constantly went by over your head. During Christmas, everything you see is covered in tinsel.
CT and KG hanging out.
JC and me. Just like old times. :)
CT and Deacon hanging out in front of the Dallas Cowboy's new stadium.
The new stadium.
KG flying her Barbie kite.
Enjoying a candle lit pancakes and chocolate syrup dinner.
JC with Ryan and Deacon.
We also go to visit with Annette and her sweet family. Here is Grace and KG. They are quite the pair.
Deacon, Aiden, and CT playing a little Wii.
Sweet little Adelaide. She is a doll.
Heading home. Deacon loves looking at books.
One last stop at Krispy Kreme to celebrate St. Patty's day. JC and the kids.
Mommy also enjoys a little Krispy Kreme.
Deacon very excited about the donut process!!

Thanks for a FABULOUS time JC. We had a lot of FUN!!!

Baseball and Soccer

2010-04-16T09:04:00.003-05:00

March, 2010
I am WAAAAY behind on blogging. So I am sitting down today to get caught up. We have had quite a bit going on, and have been busy busy!! Once baseball season started up we went out to cheer on our favorite high school team the TIGERS!!!

Deacon cheering on the Tigers!! He likes the concession stand the best. :)
CT and best little buddy Stephen getting ready to run the bases after the game.
KG helping Coach O with the field.
Soccer season has also started up. CT is playing in an older league this year, and loving it. His team is undefeated so far!!
Deacon and KG cheering on Bubba!

Sleep, Donuts, and a little Celebration!

2010-03-08T12:06:00.002-06:00

Our sweet precious little Deacon has adjusted so well...... except for at night time. Since we have been home he has yet to sleep through the night. He does a great job at finding a way to get in bed with us. :) Once there he sleeps great while we get kicked and booted out of our spot. ha!! Last night was momentous! He stayed in his bed ALL NIGHT LONG!! Whooo Hoooo!! So we made a BIG deal out of it. We clapped and cheered and took a trip to the donut shop.

Happy boy with his donut holes. :)
KG got in on the celebration too.

Catching up....

2010-03-06T18:16:00.007-06:00

As I was adding more pictures to my computer, I noticed there were several that never got posted. So I am playing catch up. :) These were taken towards the end of January and first of February.

Here's KG with her favorite cheerleader "Candle". Her real name is Kendall. :)
CT with his BEST buddy Stephen. These two crack me up.
One of several snows we've had this season. Very pretty, but am glad the warm weather is almost here. :)
KG enjoying the snow.
Deacon not quite sure about all this white stuff.
Well, it might be fun.
Help!!
I love this picture of our sweet next door neighbor Janie coming to Deacon's rescue.
KG hard at work.
CT hanging out.
Making a snow angel.
Having dinner and making snow ice cream with some of the best neighbors! Good times.

My parents came over to help celebrate my birthday. We had a fun dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Mimi got to "share" her dinner.

Yay for soft foods and good friends!!

2010-03-06T10:59:00.004-06:00

This past Wednesday we headed back to Little Rock for Deacon's post op appointment. We were very excited to be able to start on some soft foods! His appointment went great. His mouth is healing well, and his ears are all clear. Now to just figure out how to make this kid sleep at night. :)

We headed to Pei Wei for a little celebration. Deacon got fried rice. He was THRILLED!! I couldn't shovel it in fast enough. :) Too bad it didn't agree with his stomach. Three weeks on liquids, and a quick introduction to fried foods doesn't settle so well. He didn't care. He ate the whole bowl.
The best part of going to Little Rock is meeting up with old friends. Misty AKA "Buttsy" met us for dinner. It was so fun to catch up and hang out. Thanks for meeting us Butts.

Happy Valentine's day AND Xin Nian Kuai Le，新年快乐 Happy Chinese New Year!!

2010-02-14T14:38:00.003-06:00

Today is a BIG day in our house!! Not only are we celebrating Valentine's Day, but it is also Chinese New Year! This year is the year of the Tiger.

Deacon is doing so well being at home. Most of the time you would not even know this kid had even had surgery. :) They bounce back quick. The hardest part has been him not being able to eat regular food. Everything has to be pourable. We are getting creative. :)

Here are the kids tearing into their presents from Nana and Mimi.
Two happy campers.
Sweet Boy!
Valentine Breakfast. Heart Pancakes and homemade chocolate syrup. It's tradition! The kids love it.
KG and Deacon this past week before going to a school to teach them about Chinese New Year.
Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Post Surgery

2010-02-12T12:53:00.004-06:00

This is Deacon shortly after recovery. We got settled in our room, and got him some pain meds to settle him down. He was NOT happy at all with us when we went back to recovery.
Bless his heart. He was very swollen, but was breathing very well. These are the no no's that he gets to wear. He can have them off as long as we are right there. :) He will wear them more once we get home, and he gets back to his independent self.
Sitting with Daddy this morning. Looking a lot less swollen, and more like himself.
He's supposed to be trying to drink 6 oz. or fluids so we can go home. He was not having it. This is how we spent most of the morning.
These are the sweet balloons, flowers, and teddy bear my sweet friend Annette sent. Deacon LOVES the balloons. He points to them often and opens his eyes real big. :)
We woke him up, got him dressed, and changed the scenery. He was drinking a little bit before we got out, and is doing much better now. We are on the road to getting to go home. :)
One of the murals in the hallway.
We found some toys to play with. The only bummer was the iv cord that kept getting in the way.

Hopefully we will get to go home today. :) We have been very pleased with Arkansas Children's, and we love our doctor, but we are ready to go. :)

Surgery Day!

2010-02-11T08:40:00.003-06:00

We are in Little Rock for Deacon's Surgery. We had a bit of a rushed morning because Mommy set the alarm for 5:30am instead of 5:00am. We were supposed to be leaving at 5:30am not getting up. Oops!! We hustled and made it just fine. :) Deacon is having his cleft palate repaired, tubes in his ears, and a circumcision. Bless him! We will update as he comes out of surgery.
Deacon checking out the fish in the waiting room.
Deacon checking out what she is putting on his toe. This measures his oxygen levels. He had it off before he went back. :) The nurse let him.
Elmo is his new favorite friend. Deacon thought he needed a little oxygen too. :)
Getting some blood drawn. He did really good, and didn't fuss at all.
Hurry up lady.
Playing with stickers and Daddy.

Ballet

2010-01-15T16:40:00.010-06:00

KG started dance this past week. She is taking ballet and tap. She wasn't quite sure about tap until she was fitted for the shoes, and the sound they made were magical to her. ha!! She has been so funny. She counted down the days until dance started, and is counting down again until she gets to go back. She LOVED it!! She told me, "Mom, that was AWESOME!!".
Reading a ballet book before getting started.
Liv and KG warming up.
Making faces in the mirror.
Following directions while doing the train.
Freestyle dance with scarves.
Waiting their turn to do just what their teacher tells them.
KG finishing off with a cartwheel.
Pretty toes!! Plus a tootsie roll. :)

This is a quick video of the freestyle dance. She was loving it!

Deacon's 1st Day of Wee School!!

2010-01-08T20:40:00.007-06:00

Tuesday was Deacon's first day of Wee School. He did great!! Went right in and took over the place. :) He even took a nap. Mommy got some much needed time to herself. :) Yeah for Wee School!
I'm ready Mommy.
Alright, let's go!

Since everyone was in school, Mommy redeemed herself from CT's birthday snack disaster. We were supposed to take cupcakes on his birthday, but KG brought home a lovely stomach bug the night before, and Mommy and Daddy both got it on CT's birthday. Daddy drug himself out of bed long enough to take in a cookie cake. CT was thrilled, so it wasn't a complete bummer. It was his turn to do snacks again, and we did snowman cupcakes. Yes there is one missing.....I had to make sure they tasted ok. Don't judge me. :)

Christmas- Part 2

2010-01-07T20:19:00.003-06:00

For our second Christmas celebration we headed over to Mimi and Poppi's! We celebrated Christmas there during New Years Eve. I didn't know how I would like it, but I LOVED it!! It made Christmas last so much longer. Plus there were some really good sales the week after Christmas. :)

One night we headed out to a new pizza place in town. They had a buffet and then a game room. They were VERY proud of their pizza, but the kids had a great time in the game room.
Here's Deacon riding on someone else's dime. :) He actually rode this several times.
Deacon and KG on the firetruck.
CT riding the wave runner.
Uncle Chris and Uncle Chad hunting the easy way. ha!
Christmas stockings hung by the chimney with care. Stockings have always been a BIG deal in my family. This is one of my favorite parts. The kids got more excited about their little stocking stuffers than they did their big gifts.
Before the chaos began.
Uncle Chris kind of liked little Deacon. :)
CT excited about his new nerf gun. We shall see how smart a purchase this was. ha! Him being the first child and a rule follower he will probably wear the safety goggles, and play it correctly. It's the other two I'm worried about.
Mom, you've got these bows on a little too tight!
Uncle Chris trying to figure out CT's Bumblebee Transformer.
KG playing with her new make up kit.
Aunt Mandy helping out Deacon with his hammer and bench.
The boys having a sword fight.
Aunt Mandy and Sweet KG hanging out at Marketplace.
Working on our gingerbread house.
I wanna help. Actually, I just want the candy. :)

Mom surprised us with new Coach purses!! So fun!
Merry Christmas Y'all!!

Between Celebrations

2010-01-07T19:55:00.004-06:00

Between our Christmas Celebrations we had a few days at home. So on Monday KG and CT both had a friend over, which helps tremendously!! They play with each other and there is little fighting. We had a great day!

KG and her good friend Liv "helping" to make snow ice cream. YUM!!
The finished product. It was pretty good! Just snow, milk, sugar, and vanilla. :)
KG and Liv rockin' it out!
CT and his best buddy Stephen. These two crack me up. Stephen taught CT how to do the man hug when they see each other. I'll have to get it on film.
Who can go wrong with some cheerleaders, super heros, and a mean game of Disney bingo. :) Deacon was in on most of the fun, but was taking a nap during the ice cream and board games.

Born in a Barn

2009-12-28T13:37:00.006-06:00

Daddy, CT, and KG got to do the special song at church last night. KG was NOT going to sing until Daddy went to get the microphones out. Then she was in. :) She thought it would be way cool to have her own microphone. They did a great job!! Mommy was very proud of them. Enjoy!

If you are reading this on facebook, you will have to click view original post to see the video.

Deacon's Day!!

2009-12-27T15:01:00.004-06:00

Deacon celebrated his 2nd birthday at Nana and Papa's with an Elmo cake and family! Since we already had his party, we just did cake. We also cooked out hamburgers since it was so warm. :) ha ha!! Papa was kind enough to bundle up and grill them for us.

KG and Deacon taking care of the beaters.
Deacon's Elmo Cake.
Happy Birthday Boy!
Yeah I'm 2!!

Deacon we are so blessed to have you as apart of our family. You have already brought us so much joy, and we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you! As your birthday rolled around I couldn't help but think about your birth mother and father. What they must be thinking? Wondering if you are ok? Remembering the day you were born, and the days that followed. Having to make such a hard decision to give you up. I can't help but think that they miss you terribly, and think of you often. We are so thankful for them, and that they chose what they thought was best for you. We have a great love for them. My prayer for them is that they somehow know you are safe and VERY loved! I pray that they would hear of the one true God who loves them, and wants to have a relationship with them. The chances of us finding them in the future are slim to none, but the God we serve knows every detail about them. We will be praying for them as the years pass, for their salvation, and for them to know you are one special boy!! We love you son, and are so proud of you! Happy Birthday!

Merry Christmas!! Round 1

2009-12-25T17:02:00.009-06:00

This year we have been in OKC for the record breaking blizzard. There were 14 inches of snow that fell while we were here. We have had a great time cooking, eating, and just enjoying family and the snow. It was blowing so hard on Christmas Eve that you couldn't even go outside. The kids were dying to get out there, but had to wait until today.

First stop in OKC was a visit to see Santa. CT wanted some DS games, KG wanted a princess blanket and a surprise, and Deacon was just trying to figure out who this guy was. :) He did good sitting on his lap.
Nana had a fix your own trail mix buffet. Deacon was the first to get in on the action. :) This is 6 of the 9 grandkids.
Deacon entertaining Aunt Judi and Aunt Melanie.
Austin loved his new cousin Deacon. There were several wrestling matches that took place.
KG hanging out with Uncle Greg.
Cousin Riggs borrowing CT's DS.
CT excited to see Grandma made it in.
The calm before the madness!
Three Wise Guys!! :)
We read the Christmas Story while the kids reenacted. Deacon was not quite sure he wanted to be a shepherd.
Here he is sure that he didn't want to. We don't know why he started crying.
Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, The Angel, and Shepherds. KG was missing. She fell asleep and did not wake up in a very good mood.
Daddy led us in some Christmas Carols.
All 9 grandkids.
Daddy with his siblings and spouses. Me, T, Melanie, Don, Stephanie, and Greg.
Deacon got to open presents first because he is the youngest. He was super excited with each one. :)
Next was KG's turn. She got a lot of Hannah Montana stuff. :)
CT got to go next. He was ready to tear into those gifts!
Papa was handing out $1 bills for how old you are. Deacon was not going to get left out of this. He weaseled his way up to the front. :) KG came down figuring out what was going on, and asked where the line started. ha!
Here is part of the the Blizzard of 09. Very thankful not to be out in it.
CT's Letter to Santa. "Dear Santa, I know you are always busy and I want a DS Game for Christmas. Dear Colter"
The loot from Santa. We open gifts from family on Christmas Eve, and then Santa comes that night to leave his gifts.
Coming down to see what Santa left.
Whoo Hoo DS games and a game chair. How did Santa know?
KG with her cupcake maker.

Deacon not quite sure what all this early morning fuss is about.
Oh a NEW toy!! I love it!! He has played with it all afternoon.
Deacon digging into his stocking.
Papa was excited about the monkey bread for breakfast. He didn't even have time to find a glass. :)
Finally it was time to get to go out and play in the snow!!
This one stayed in and got into everybody's stuff. He did get to go out for a little bit later.
KG throwing a snowball.
Landry and KG making snow angles.

Birthday Boys!!

2009-12-21T14:56:00.008-06:00

Last weekend we celebrated both boys birthdays. CT's birthday is on the 11th of this month, and Deacon's is on the 26th. :) Since it is such a busy month, we just did it together. Next year we are going to celebrate Deacon's in September on Gotcha Day! Since his is the day after Christmas. We will also do a little family party on his actual birthday.

On Friday we had big plans to take snacks to CT's school, and open some gifts early. Well, KG brought home a stomach bug that Mommy, Daddy, and she all got. So we were in bed all day sick as can be. We did manage to get a cookie cake to CT's school. Daddy felt well enough to let them open a few gifts.
Here KG is helping Deacon open his. :) He was so funny opening gifts. He would get so excited just in the opening part. :) He didn't really care what was inside, just thought it was fun to open them.

CT ripping into his gift.
Yippeeee Star Wars bedding. Deacon's was Spiderman bedding.
Saturday we had their party at the church. Deacon was loving the balloons.
We had a competition to see who could get the most points. Top two highest points won prizes. We had a basketball game, soccer kick, football throw, and golf putt.
Papa helped with the basketball toss.
Nana helped with the putt putt game. :)
Deacon was loving the inflatables. He thought it was cool he got to actually jump on something and wasn't getting in trouble.
Mimi helping Deacon open his gifts.
Whooo Hoooo!! A Transformer helmet. Thanks Nana and Papa.
The cake.
Singing Happy Birthday. Deacon didn't quite know what to think. :)
Loving the cake!
Some of the kids enjoying all the sugar. :)
Poppi and Deacon playing in the balloons.

Colter declared this the BEST birthday EVER!! :) So glad they all had fun!

CT's Choir Special

2009-12-07T20:52:00.004-06:00

CT getting ready to sing.

Sunday night CT's choir got to sing before the service. They did a great job!! They sang two songs, but I only recorded one of them. KG loved the song and had CT teach it to her.

This if for the Grandparents. :)

Christmas Parade

2009-12-07T12:42:00.004-06:00

This past Thursday night was our Christmas parade. Just in time for the cold weather to set in. The children's ministry at our church had a float and the kids really wanted to be in the parade this year. So I bundled them up and headed out. Daddy was still out of town. BUMMER!
This is Deacon waiting on us to get ready for the parade. This is his new "cheese" smile. :)

Happy kids!

Yeah this is fun!! We had to sit outside for about 30 minutes waiting on the parade to actually get started. Deacon wasn't so into sitting. We had to keep him entertained.

The big float.

Ok could we get to moving now?

CT and his buddy Cayden on the big kid float.

Finally here we go!

OK I've had enough of this. My sister left me, and I'm cold!

KG moved to the big kid float!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Happy Birthday Poppi!!

2009-12-07T12:10:00.004-06:00

The same day we celebrated Daddy's birthday, we also had a surprise party for Poppi. This was a big one for him. :) His actual birthday was Dec. 1st. We ended up having to go back to my parents house this weekend, and CT said, "Hey Poppi, your 60 now." My Dad said, "Yeah, I made it." ha!!

He wanted a snuggi so bad. So we granted his request. :) We had Poppi monogrammed on it. It looks rather monkish to me. ha!
Deacon got to know Mr. Mike (Mandy's Dad) pretty well. He followed him around because he kept feeding him. :)
CT took on Mrs. Sheena (Mandy's Mom) in a game of checkers. KG enjoyed hanging out with Mandy most of the time. :)
Happy 60th Birthday Poppi!! We are so thankful for you, and wish you many more Happy Birthdays!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

2009-12-04T11:20:00.004-06:00

Daddy celebrated his birthday the day after Thanksgiving this year. :) Since we were still at Mimi and Poppi's we had his party there. We had a quick lunch before they dove into the German Chocolate Cake. Luckily I don't like nuts or coconut, so there is absolutely no tempation for me. :)

The labor of love cake!! Ha! T loves this cake, but it is time consuming to make, AND it is LOADED with calories. So I usually just make it for his birthday. I cannot take credit for the recipe. Nee Nee was nice to share. :)

Daddy blowing out the candles. KG got a head start on him and helped him out. :)

Daddy opening presents.

Happy Birthday Daddy!! We love you, and are so thankful for you!

Thanksgiving Week!

2009-12-03T23:23:00.007-06:00

This year our Thanksgiving week started out with school plays and picnics. The kids had fun pretending they were eating the first Thanksgiving. The kindergarten classes at CT's school put on a cute little play, and then gathered together for their feast! As soon as CT got home he kept telling me how hungry he was. OH MY WORD!! They just ate a meal right before he got home from school. Seriously! Then the next day Mommy and Daddy got to have a special picnic with KG. She thought that was pretty cool.

On Wednesday we headed over to Arkansas to meet some of Mommy's old friends and play with their kids. Unfortunatly Mommy dropped her camera and broke it, so we do not have any pictures of this event.

We had a great time with Mimi, Poppi, Uncle Chad, and Aunt Mandy. We have SO much to be thankful for this past year!! CT and KG both told me they were thankful for Deacon. :) I am so thankful for a Godly husband who loves his family, thankful for my sweet family, very thankful for our health, and so VERY thankful for a Savior who loves me unconditionally!

KG and Liv waiting on CT's performance to start.
CT the Pilgrim.

Getting ready for his part. Each time it came to the Pilgrims they had to say,"Bang, Bang, Bang". It was a cute little poem.

This is KG at her Wee School Thanksgiving picnic. The parents also got to come and be apart. We had Charlie's Chicken and a fun little picnic.

Aunt Mandy hanging out with the kids.

Good ole family time in the backyard.

CT and Uncle Chad hoopin it up. CT had Uncle Chad worn out before it was all over. :)

KG and Deacon had a blast on the slide.

I just want to go out and play with the big kids. Please........................

KG, Cousin Henry, CT, and Deacon. These guys had a great time playing together. When my cousin Allyce told them it was time for Henry to go home, CT exclaimed, "C'mon can't he stay for just a little while longer?"

Pool Party!!

2009-12-03T23:06:00.004-06:00

KG's little friend Mia had her birthday party a few weeks ago. I took KG and Deacon. CT didn't go b/c he was still in a cast, plus it was mainly girls. Ewwww!! :) I wasn't sure if Deacon would even get in. He LOVED it!! He had a great time splashing in the water, and even mastered the frog slide. He also was digging the cake. Happy Birthday Mia! Thanks for inviting us!

Mia, Liv, and KG. They were all born Sept., Oct., and Nov. What fun friends. Four years has gone by FAST!
Mr. Deacon was enjoying his cake time. :)

Yep, I liked it!

School Carnival

2009-12-03T22:55:00.003-06:00

I am waaaaay behind on blogging, so hopefully I will get caught up in the next couple of days. :) CT had his school carnival 2 weeks ago. He was so pumped about it. Daddy was out of town, so I talked Nee Nee into going and enduring the madness. The kids had a great time, and finally won a cake and a coke after about 15 tries. KG was so disappointed each time she didn't win. I was so glad she finally won one. We spent all of our time at the cake and coke walks. We didn't even make it to the other hall.

Nee Nee keeping Deacon entertained while the other two played games.
KG trying to win her a cake. :) Thank goodness she finally won.

CT and his prized Pepsi. Notice it is fizzy at the top. He dropped it right off. We will not be opening it for awhile. :)

You're allergic to what?

2009-11-20T13:28:00.003-06:00

On Wednesday I took CT to get his cast off. He was so pumped!! He only had to wear it 3 weeks, and it was waterproof. That way he could still take showers. It was very nice. Anyway, while we were in there the nurse asked if he was allergic to anything. I said, " no". CT spoke up and said, "I'm allergic to hot water in my ears."......... Excuse me, what? I could not figure out what he was talking about. The nurse and I had to contain our laughter. Afterwards he reminded me that when we were in China last year, he was swimming at Nana's and got water in his ear. This led to an ear infection. I'm allergic to that too, I don't like water in my ears either. :) ha! ha!

Can you say "Virgin"?

2009-11-13T23:41:00.004-06:00

I wrote about this on my facebook, but wanted to put it on here for my non fb friends, and to remember. :) The other day I picked up KG from Wee School, and she was singing a new song that she had learned. They have been practicing for their Christmas program. We get in the car and she starts singing, "Virgin Mary had a baby boy." over and over all the while going up an octave each time she sings it. Once she gets to a point that she can't go any higher, she turns to Deacon and says, "Deacon, can you say virgin, virgin, virgin?" :) He just looked at her like she was crazy! So she goes back to singing her song. :)

Happy Veteran's Day!!

2009-11-12T21:40:00.004-06:00

On Wednesday we put on our Red, White, and Blue and headed out to the Veteran's Day Parade. The kids were excited about waving their flags, and seeing the parade! We are so thankful and appreciative to all the men and women who have sacrificed to allow us to enjoy the freedoms we have. Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed. I am very proud to say that both my grandfathers, and my father are veterans.

KG and Deacon ready for the parade to start.
Deacon's new thing is to squat when you try to take his picture. :)
Here comes the band. Deacon liked them.
Some of our veterans.
KG thought this little boy was WAY too young to be driving a car. :)

Deacon waving those flags.

We love our veterans!!

KG's First Sleepover

2009-11-06T23:42:00.005-06:00

Since we were gone on KG's 4th birthday, I promised her a sleepover with some of her little friends. They had a GREAT time, and were so good. Here are a few pictures we took.

KG, L, and M. All very close in age. L born in Sept., KG born in Oct., M born in Nov. They love to hang out together.

Deacon also thought he would get in the middle of everything. :)
Just the girls.
KG picked dinner at McD's. They were pretty pumped about their Happy Meals. Here they are deciding on who will get what toy.
Deacon thinks it's pretty fun to have dinner with all these girls. He was pretty funny tonight.
Dancy Party!! Dancing to a little Hannah Montana.
Little table dancers. We teach em' young around here. ha ha!! :)
Cookies and friends. KG requested doo doo cookies. Others probably refer to them as Oatmeal PB Cookies.
Fuzzy Jammies and Socks from Liv. She really liked these.
My Little Pony with changing outfits from Mia. So fun!!
Ready for bed and a movie. :) They are now fast asleep................

JC Comes to Visit!

2009-11-06T22:37:00.005-06:00

My best friend from college, Jennifer, came for a visit this past week. Everytime we are together there is always a lot of laughing and a ton of fun. We shopped, ate, and just hung out.

On Tuesday night I had a jewelry party. KG picked out her necklace, had it made, and was out the door. Good thing Nee Nee was there to take her home.
We also made our traditional pancakes and chocolate syrup. The chocolate syrup is homemade and delicious!! This is Deacon's first taste. He LOVED it!!
On Wednesday JC told the kids we would go and get some ice cream. So at the crack of morning KG is telling me she needs to go and wake up JC so she can buy her some ice cream. We stayed true to our word. We picked CT up from school, headed to Sonic for happy hour, and then went to the park. It was a BEAUTIFUL day!!

Here is Deacon taking a turn on the swing.
CT and Deacon.

CT coping with one arm. :)
Me and JC.
Self Portrait.
KG climbing the jungle gym.

Thanks for coming JC. We had a GREAT time!! We will plan another get together soon!

School Pictures

2009-11-05T22:11:00.006-06:00

While we were gone to China the kids had their school pictures taken. We just got them back the other day. I thought they turned out really good! Way to go Mimi and Nana.

CT Kindergarten- Sept. 09
KG-Wee School Picture- Sept. 09

Happy Halloween!!

2009-11-01T14:31:00.004-06:00

Happy Halloween!! We started our Trick or Treating on Thursday night, and continued through the weekend. :)

Darth Vadar aka CT and Nee Nee. A lot of the businesses in our community handed out candy on Friday afternoon. It was CRAZY!! There were people everywhere. We just went to where Nee Nee works, and hit a few other businesses of people we knew.
When we got home CT got his surprise from Mimi. She sent him a cookie basket since he broke his arm. :) He was nice enough to share with all of us. He thought this was pretty cool. He is playing the broken arm card quite well. Everything is, "But I broke my arm." It's not working as well as he would like. ha ha!

CT broke his arm jumping off the neighbor's trampoline. :) BOYS!!
Brothers. These two were ready to get the candy party started. KG wasn't too into taking pictures.

CT and one of his best buddies Stephen. Every time I took a picture of them, Stephen would ask me if I could email it to him. :)
KG and her little friend Paige. I got her to take this picture by telling her she could eat 3 pieces of candy. :)
CT, Stephen, and two BIG Clone Troopers. The boys thought this was cool.
Deacon playing the games.
Argh Matey!! Hope you had a Happy Halloween!!

Wee School Fall Festival

2009-10-29T21:28:00.004-05:00

Tonight was KG's fall carnival at her school. So we got everyone dressed up and ready for some fun!

These are a little blurry. I had something set wrong on my camera.

Tinkerbell, Capt. Pirate, and Darth Vadar ready for some candy!
The cookie walk. Notice the scary wearwolf. :) He is our cute little neighbor, but he looked scary!
What am I supposed to do with this ring? I'll just take that drink thank you. :)
This is NOT Working!!!
Darth Vadar gettin' it done.
Tinkerbell with her Wee School teacher. She is having a great year.
I'll take a grape snocone please. We thank you wee school for filling them up with sugar and send them on home. :)
Fishing for some candy.
Daddy and his little pirate.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-29T21:01:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we headed out to the local pumpkin patch for a little fun. The best part....it's FREE! A church here in town puts it on each year.

Deacon making his way through the hay maze.
This picture cracks me up. CT is smiling but looking at what is going on somewhere else. KG is giving someone instructions I am sure. :) ha!
Deacon was loving this.
Deacon's Chinese squat.
KG heading through the hay tunnel. She wasn't going to to at first b/c CT told her it was scary. It was all of 10 feet long. She got over it and went.
This was one of our attempts at getting a picture in the pumpkins. Take 1.
Let's try again.....
And we're off. He was done with that. So that was as good as it got. :)
CT on the jupiter jump.

Disney World Day 5- Beach Day!

2009-10-29T20:34:00.005-05:00

On Friday we loaded up and headed to Daytona Beach. We could not go to Daytona without a "pit stop" to the Daytona 500. :) T and CT were SUPER pumped about this. Thankfully, the girls went to eat and shop.

Papa, Daddy, and CT at Victory Lane. So proud. ha ha!
KG at the beach. She LOVED it!! I think our next vacation will have to be at the beach.
Deacon was not quite sure at first. Once he got used to it, we couldn't keep him out of it.
CT running through the waves. He also loved it.
Mimi and Deacon taking in the waves.
CT laughing. :)
Nana and KG breaking the waves.
Mommy and Deacon.
That night we met up with some friends that also happened to be in town. This is Addison and KG. They are 6 days apart. Addison was also celebrating her 4th birthday at Disney World. :)
Addison, Hannah, KG, and CT at Rain Forest Cafe.
Celebrating the girl's birthday with the volcano. YUMMY!!!! We had a GREAT vacation, and would love to go back someday.

Disney World Day 4

2009-10-29T16:29:00.006-05:00

On Day 4 we got to sleep in and hang out around our condo for awhile. We got up and had a lazy morning before heading back to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!!

Here are the guys playing putt putt. CT is trying to take them down. :)
Nana and Mimi took Deacon on a swan boat ride.
KG went with Mommy. I only had one person pedaling compared to 2. Plus KG thought she needed to steer. :)
After everyone had a nap we headed back to the Magic Kingdom. Since it was October they were celebrating Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. This was a parade going on as we got there.
We took advantage of riding some rides before it got dark and ready for the party. Here is Daddy and Deacon riding the space ride. Deacon thought it was cool!
Nana and Papa also got in on the action. This one made us all a little dizzy.
Here is KG waiting on the Hallowishes Fireworks Show. She was dressed as a princess, but she said she was hot and got rid of her dress. So we are going with the chalk look here. ha!

Deacon was dressed as an OU football player.
Here is CT practicing his Jedi moves.
Watching the fireworks behind the castle. Pretty cool!

Poppy acting crazy with Deacon.
CT just couldn't go any further. He fell asleep before the last parade started.

We had a great time riding rides and trick or treating in the park. We all went home with LOTS of candy!

Dinsey World Day 3

2009-10-28T19:09:00.009-05:00

Our third day at WDW took us to Disney's Hollywood Studios. There were tons of things to see there. We really liked this park.
Entering into the park.
Tower of Terror. We took CT with us on this ride. Maybe not so smart. It was a little scary! It took you into an old haunted hotel. It had a twilight theme. Then it shot you up and dropped you really fast several times in the dark. It was fun for us, but frightened him a bit. He survived, but said he DID NOT want to ride that one again. :) Maybe when he's a little older.
Next we went to Toy Story Mania. It was so cool. We rode this one twice. By far one of the best rides we rode. It was 3D and very interactive. You were shooting at things trying to get points while the ride moved. Of course the guys loved it b/c it was competitive. :)
Mr. Potato Head kept us entertained while we waited in line.
Deacon and Poppy.
Papa, Deacon, and Nana. This kid wasn't spoiled at all this week. :) It was a great bonding time for everyone.
This was what KG wanted to see. High School Musical 3. They came out and did some singing and dancing.
Mommy and KG watching HSM3.
Daddy treated these two to one more face painting. This time we were a princess and a Power Ranger.
KG loving on Papa, or maybe she's hanging on him.
Watching Beauty and the Beast.
KG eating her Mickey Mouse ice cream.
Watching Jedi Training. CT was too scared to go up there. Too bad he didn't. It was really cool. He did enjoy watching it.
Little Jedi's in training.
Once they learned all the moves, Darth Vadar came out.
Then he fought each kid individually. It was so cool! CT memorized what you were supposed to do and performed it for us later. :)
Hanging with the Red Power Ranger.
Meeting Lightning McQueen.
At this point KG was not into the characters, but she fell in love with Lightning. Here she is kissing and hugging him. :) After this she was willing to meet some others.
Meeting Mickey Mouse. We went right into this one building and there were characters everywhere. We hardly waited in line to meet any of them. It was a great place to go.
Daddy and CT showing off their muscles with the Incredibles.
Minnie and Pluto.

Disney World Day 2

2009-10-26T19:28:00.006-05:00

This was our Magic Kingdom Day, also known as, KG's birthday! She turned 4. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. Many have asked how we will top birthday #5. We won't. :) She did get into the park for free. We had a great time at Magic Kingdom.

This is Deacon eating his waffle.
KG after opening some of her birthday presents. Ready to go to DISNEY WORLD!!!
We rode the ferry over the first day.
CT and Deacon excited about going to the Magic Kingdom.
Here we go.
Deacon holding on tight to Daddy. He was so cute up there on his shoulders.
Mommy, KG, and Mimi.
Papa and Nana riding the safari boat.
CT, Nana, and Daddy on the magic carpet ride.
Good Bye in Chinese. Leaving It's a Small World ride.
CT with Woody and Jesse. KG was too scared to go and meet them. Usually it is the other way around.
Daddy and CT shooting everything in sight on the Buzz Lightyear ride. KG just wanted to turn round and round.
Deacon has decided that he had had enough.
Daddy let CT drive. VERY dangerous! ha ha! I let KG drive and she was ALL over the place. I had whip lash when we were done, but they loved it.
CT at the Princess lunch. He was a good sport, and even scored a sword.
Mommy and KG on her first roller coaster ride.
Deacon decided he would ride the carousel as long as I was with him. He liked it. :)
Tinkerbell and our Superhero. They thought getting your face painted was so cool!
KG making Mommy sick on the tea cups.

Disney World Travel and Day 1

2009-10-26T18:58:00.006-05:00

Well, I finally have had a minute to sit down and blog about our Disney trip. We had a GREAT time!! Now we are back home getting back in the swing of things.

This was KG's first plane ride. She was very excited!
Nana kept the kids occupied while we waited on our plane.
CT, Deacon, and KG anxiously waiting to board the plane. We got to Orlando pretty late. So we checked in our hotel and headed to bed.

The next morning we got up and went to a time share presentation. THRILL!!! It wasn't that bad. We got out with a no, no, and NO we do not want to buy into your timeshare. :) We did get a free breakfast, warm cookies, and $50. :)
After the presentation we headed to the pool BBQ. It was FREE too. :) So far we are making money. Ha ha! They also held a hoola hoop contest. Guess who won? Mommy!! The competition wasn't too fierce, and the prize was a small beach ball for each kid.
Poppi enjoying the pool.
Nana hanging with the kids while they put their feet in. This little pool was COLD!! The big ones were heated.
While CT and Daddy headed out to play putt putt, KG and Deacon found a little playground.
Deacon heading to the slide.

KG being herself. :)

Deacon enjoying his cheese biscuit at Red Lobster.

Birthday Lunch with Cinderella and other Princesses in her Castle!!!

2009-10-20T23:22:00.005-05:00

Since we were going to be at Disney World during KG's birthday we thought we would treat her to lunch at Cinderella's Castle. It was so much fun!! When we went in we were able to meet Cinderella right away. I don't have any picture of that b/c we got "professional" pictures taken. I will have to scan those in and add them later. KG was really excited to meet her, but scared to death all at the same time. :) After that we headed upstairs for our "royal" dinner. :)

KG all dressed up and ready to go to Cinderella's castle.
KG and CT in their "royal" carriage. :)
Chocolate crown and ice cream dessert.
Since it was KG's birthday she also got a birthday cupcake.
Meeting Snow White.

Princess Aurora and KG. Deacon is not too happy with her. :) ha ha!!
Princess Jasmine and KG.
Belle and KG.
Birthday card signed by all the princesses. This was a great way to see all the princesses and get a little one on one time w/o feeling rushed. She also got a princess wand, while her brothers got swords.

Happy Birthday KG!!!

2009-10-20T22:56:00.005-05:00

For KG's 4th birthday, we headed to Walt Disney World!!! Well, Nana and Papa wanted to take the kids, and it just happened to fall on her birthday. Nana called me over a year ago and asked what we were doing in October of 09. I told her nothing that I could think of. :) Turns out this has been a VERY busy time for us, but we have been looking forward to this trip. So we took advantage of their promotion this year of getting in the park free on your birthday. We got her in free, but spent plenty of money elsewhere. :) We had a GREAT time, and can't believe our sweet little KG is 4. She is growing up into a beautiful, smart, talented, funny girl. We are excited to see what this next year holds. Happy Birthday KG. Mommy and Daddy love you very much!!

KG, CT, and Deacon headed into the Magic Kingdom!
The fam taking a quick pic.
KG riding the teacups. She also rode several roller coasters and LOVED them!! I was so proud of her.
Celebrating back at the condo. Of course we had to have princess cupcakes.
A Tinkerbell outfit. Just what I wanted.
YEAH!!! My princess leapster. Thank you Nana, Papa, Mimi, and Poppi for an unforgettable birthday!!!

Birthday to be continued......

One last trip as a family of 4.

2009-09-09T10:31:00.004-05:00

T thought it would be fun to squeeze in one last trip before we headed to China. I of course was thinking, "We do not have time for this." But am so glad we went. We met up with some old friends, and CT and his best friend got to hang out together. Those two are hilarious together. :) When we met up with them at the hotel, they ran towards each other like they hadn't seen each other in years. In all reality it had been like 2 days. ha ha!

Sarah, Beth, and me "watching" the Royals play some baseball. They choked in the 11th.
The Neely's.
More of the gang. You see KG down there where the snacks are. :) She kept saying, "Can I have just one more?"
Derrick, T, and Coach O. Coach O's future is so bright he's got to wear shades. :) This was a night ball game folks. :)

Stephen with the head cock and CT proudly sporting their FREE Royals aprons. Stephen didn't last too long with this on since he is a die hard Cardinals fan. Mimi would approve. :)
Gettin' some wings before the game.

Fun with long time friends....

2009-09-09T10:24:00.003-05:00

The other day KG and I headed over to one of my friends I've known since birth. We live about 40 minutes from each other, and do a horrible job at seeing each other. So we decided it was time. Our girls are about 2 months apart, and have such a great time playing together. It frightens me a bit to think of all the trouble these two could get into. Given the history with Jessica and me. :)

KG and Lydia hamming it up at Chipotle.
Jessica and sweet Andrew. Looks JUST like her. :)
KG and Lydia strolling their babies.

KG and E showing their moves.

2009-08-27T16:06:00.004-05:00

The other day after the baby shower for little Deacon, KG and her little friend E were showing off some of their amazing dance skills!! :) Get it girls!

Mimi Comes to Visit.

2009-08-25T20:08:00.004-05:00

Mimi came for a quick visit last weekend. She was in to take the kids on a little back to school shopping trip. We picked up some fall school clothes for CT, and KG scored a new Build-a-Bear. Oh the joy that she had. She picked out some tie-dyed looking bear whom she named Pepper. She told us that she was adopting Pepper into our family. :) Of course we were thrilled to welcome Pepper into the family. :) CT also picked up a new Star Wars Transformer. What more could a boy ask for?

KG and Mimi waiting in line to stuff her bear.
Giving Pepper a bath.
Mimi, KG, and Pepper with all her gear.
CT taking a cookie break.
Mimi and CT.

Thanks for coming Mimi. We had a great time!

KG's first day of Wee-School

2009-08-25T19:38:00.003-05:00

KG had her first day of Wee School last week, but I am just now getting to it. :) She is loving her class and is in there with some of her best friends. So all is right with the world. She enjoys going, and Mommy enjoys some free time.

Back to school night with some of her besties.
KG rolling out the playdough. She wore her ballerina outfit, I don't have much say anymore. :) ha! She likes to pick her own clothes.
Liv and KG cheesing for the camera.
Actual first day of school. She was SOOOO excited to wear her tutu and spiderman shirt.
KG with friends and L's mom ready to start the day.

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-13T10:05:00.004-05:00

The day I thought would be a looooong way off is here. It snuck up on us so fast!! CT started kindergarten today. He was very excited and a little bit apprehensive to go. Once we got there, he saw some people he knew, and was a little more sure of himself.

This was open house the night before. We went to find his room, and meet his teacher. We have heard WONDERFUL things about her. They all have a smartboard in their room too. It is pretty cool. These kids will have no idea what a chalkboard is. :)
Hanging out in his kindergarten room.
Dressed and ready for his first day of school. Daddy bought him a Yoda backpack. That is what is hanging on his back. :)

KG is peeking through the window while CT gets his picture taken. When she saw this she said, "Oh you've got to delete that."
CT and his buddy Spencer.
Outside his room. Here we go! Yoda is peeking over his shoulder.
Found our desk and name tag. Quick hug from Mom, and it was time to be an official kindergartner.

Update on Deacon

2009-07-25T21:51:00.003-05:00

We have some news on Deacon. Check it out at www.journeytodeacon.blogspot.com Or click on Journey to Deacon on the right of this blog.

Waterbalooza

2009-07-25T17:10:00.004-05:00

Wednesday night was Waterbalooza at church. We loaded the kids up and went to the park for some water fun. T had the kids playing all kinds of crazy games that ensured they would get wet. :) CT and KG had a great time watching and getting wet themselves.

CT thought it would be funny to throw a water balloon at Daddy.

Daddy gets back at CT.
KG chillin in the pool. It was cold!
Who even knows what she is trying to do? :)

Once upon a time...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Ear Piercing

Family Photos 2010

Halloween 2010

KG's 5th Birthday

Pumpkin Patch and Painting.....

Little Miss P

Boomer Sooner!!!

Fall Family Football!

Disney on Ice

Happy Gotcha Day/ Early 3rd Birthday Celebration Deacon!!!

Too Much!!

Back to School.

Sweet Friends.....

Great Wolf Lodge

Sweet Friends.....

Happy 4th of July!!!

Welcome Home Daddy and Bubba!!!

Par-tay, Par-tay, Par-tay!!

Summer Time Fun!

Dance, Dance, Dance.......

Trip to Nana and Papa's.

Monkeying Around

Backyard Fun and Swimming

Dance Party!!!

End of Year Activities

Family Photos

Mother's Day/Baby Dedication

Look whose riding fancy free.......

T-Ball Tournament

Zoo Trip- Kindergarten Style!!

T-Ball!

Jeepin!

Easter Celebration!!

Wee School Easter Celebrations!

Spring Break!!!!

Baseball and Soccer

Sleep, Donuts, and a little Celebration!

Catching up....

Yay for soft foods and good friends!!

Happy Valentine's day AND Xin Nian Kuai Le， 新年快乐 Happy Chinese New Year!!

Post Surgery

Surgery Day!

Ballet

Deacon's 1st Day of Wee School!!

Christmas- Part 2

Between Celebrations

Born in a Barn

Deacon's Day!!

Merry Christmas!! Round 1

Birthday Boys!!

CT's Choir Special

Christmas Parade

Happy Birthday Poppi!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

Thanksgiving Week!

Pool Party!!

School Carnival

You're allergic to what?

Can you say "Virgin"?

Happy Veteran's Day!!

KG's First Sleepover

JC Comes to Visit!

School Pictures

Happy Halloween!!

Wee School Fall Festival

Pumpkin Patch

Disney World Day 5- Beach Day!

Disney World Day 4

Dinsey World Day 3

Disney World Day 2

Disney World Travel and Day 1

Birthday Lunch with Cinderella and other Princesses in her Castle!!!

Happy Birthday KG!!!

One last trip as a family of 4.

Fun with long time friends....

KG and E showing their moves.

Mimi Comes to Visit.

KG's first day of Wee-School

Happy Valentine's day AND Xin Nian Kuai Le，新年快乐 Happy Chinese New Year!!