Jackson has a blog...

Hello readers! Just wanted to pop in and let you know Jackson now has a blog. He came home from his time with Mimi and Poppy asking if he could start his own blog. He has lots of ideas in his head...and honestly, I think this would be a great way to get him writing without seeing it as a chore! So...go on, follow his blog too...
http://jacksonthegenius.blogspot.com/2010/01/one-of-my-simple-projects.html

I have some photos and fun stuff to post...I will do this soon...I hope!

I love this...

What a handsome little guy. I love my boy! Look at that blonde hair...those big
"kissy" lips...man am I ever glad he is just 6 yrs. old...for one because he is going to be a heartbreaker...
for two...I just referenced his "kissy lips"...any teenager would be horrified at that statement from his mother!


I took this photo yesterday at lunch...with my new i-phone (thank you most wonderful husband for giving up your nice phone for me)!! I was thankful to be relaxing at lunch with my cuties before my hubby had to head off for another extended trip. I really had not paid much attention to the attire of the kids...they were dressed, hair well "messed" so it looked purposeful instead of raggedy kid style...etc. When we got back for the evening services, my friend/co-worker Becca asked if I had seen Will's shirt. Why, no...he's had a hoodie on all day. Truth is...Will had his shirt buttoned off by 2 buttons...so the collar stuck up on one side and the tail hung down on the other. He wore it that way all day. Even after we told him. He just left it!

I love this kid! He wasn't embarrassed or upset. Just set...this is the kid, just in case you are wondering...this is the kid who starts that strange teenage trend of wearing 2 different colored socks or sticking the collar up on your polo...he's the one. Different and he doesn't care...so other people follow him...mostly because they cannot figure him out! Honestly...we can't either...so we love him...our quirky, beautifully handsome, crazily cuddly William Grant!

Helping Haiti

Through The Austin Stone and through our trip last summer to the Dominican Republic...we've gotten to know some pretty amazing people. People who live their life on mission for God. People who are world changers. Today...I want you to get a glimpse of the story of these people. I am going to link to their blogs so you can keep up with them too.

First up, Jamie and Aaron Ivey. They are being used in a big way by the Lord for His glory! They have adopted 2 children from Haiti. Story, their youngest, came home recently...and WOW...it was a party. They had been waiting almost 2 years for her to come home. However, Amos is not home yet. So he was in Haiti when the earthquake hit. They got word that Amos is ok, but the place he lives is not ok and they are currently sleeping outside. Jamie and Aaron have been interviewed on local news...here are two clips you can watch...
http://www.kvue.com/news/Austin-couple-waits-for-word-on-bringing-son-home-from-Haiti-81573147.html

http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=263885

...and they were on CNN this morning! Crazy!! They did an amazing interview and were able to talk about the need for adopting children from Haiti.
http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/15/familys-adopted-son-in-haiti/

Aren't they precious! We love them so much. So...here's the deal. You have an extra $25 right...I mean, you go to Starbucks or have Saturday dinner out...just make some coffee at home or have a dinner in/rent a movie instead of going out...easy in our world to get an extra $25 fast...

Ok...I'm waiting, waiting, waiting...good...you got your $25 now? Go here... http://dreamingbigdreams.net/?p=3538 and buy one of their shirts. All profits go to Real Hope for Haiti and Heartline...these guys are changing Haiti. Oh, and you won't be disappointed in the shirt either...I bought a beautiful shirt last year from them to help raise money for a mission team they were taking to Haiti...it is my absolute favorite t-shirt. So...seriously...GO buy a t-shirt!

Ok, now that you have an awesome shirt and you ordered some extras to give away for birthdays, Valentine's Day, President's Day, Groundhog Day....you get the idea...

Now I want to tell you about the gang at Makarios. This is where we worked last year when we went to the Dominican Republic. In case you are geographically challenged (like me)...these countries border one another. So, Makarios is reaching out to try to get supplies to the Haitians. However, there are plenty of barriers. Roads are not great in the DR and I am sure they are worse in Haiti now. Pray they will find a way through, pray the government will not stop them, pray they will not have trouble with people looting, pray they will be safe and find a way to the people who need them most. Specifically pray for Robin, Cara, Sharla, Chris and Erica. I may have missed one...but God remembers...so please pray. Here is a link to Cara's blog
http://carajanewelch.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/haiti-update/

Finally, we just heard the Haitian government is holding a meeting this morning about pending adoptions...the one like the Ivey family has with Amos. Maybe, just maybe they will decide the country is in chaos...there are more orphans now than there were...and maybe, just maybe they will let these children come home...to the families who have adopted them and want to love on them! Please pray!

OK, I know I said finally...but...while you are praying...give thanks to the Lord. Not just for your safety and comfort...the fact that you were born in America and have what you have. NO...praise Him that HIS name is being lifted high through a disaster in Haiti. Praise Him for the glory that is shining for Him around this entire story and pray His name will continue to be lifted high!

Princess Party!

Last Saturday, Brooklyn got to go to her first "drop-off" birthday party. Everyone was supposed to dress in princess attire. I wasn't sure what she would think, but she was more than eager to dress-up...and did not even blink about me walking right back out the door. Here is how she looked when she left home...
Thank you Mimi and Poppy for the princess dress...it was perfect timing to get this at Christmas and have a party to wear it to so soon! I love the hoop skirt...it looked so cute on her!

And then a picture my friend Julie (mom to the birthday girl) took of her at the party...

Julie always takes the BEST pictures and is a genius with accenting them...thanks so much Julie. Brooklyn had a wonderful time at the party...a visit from Snow White, face paint, balloon crowns, body glitter, cake and ice cream...WOW. She was a very happy girl when we picked her up!

What were we doing while the princess partied at the castle? Well, my knight in shining armor was changing the flat tire on my "trust steed" (err...mini van). Oh well...we can't always live in the fairy tale!

Took an adorable picture of all the kids today. Everyone was looking at the camera, smiling, etc...but it is for Valentine's Day...guess you will just have to wait!

A Tribute to Abbie!

The picture is so true! WE LOVE ABBIE!!!

Five years ago today, I became an aunt! Abigail Grace is my first niece...and she will always have a special place in my heart. Her uncle and cousins are crazy about her too! Here are some favorite memories with Abbie...

Jackson was totally a pro when Abbie came along...but Will was sort of amazed by her!

...again, Jackson plays the "mature" one while Will relives his childhood!

A rare moment of stillness for the 3 cousins!

...and now Abbie is the big cousin!

This is one of my favorite stories. Abbie loves ice cream. We were all having dessert and Abbie was going around asking everyone at the table for a taste. Robbie had to leave the table to talk with one of our boys. When he came back, Abbie was standing next to his chair smiling! She was waiting so patiently to get him to share his dessert with her...he was the only one at the table with anything left in his bowl!!

twinkie cousins!

cousins Christmas

cosmetologist in training?? maybe...

...she certainly is stylish!

a super fun day of kite flying with Pepaw and the boy cousins...B was a bit young to be trusted with a kite!

Gorgeous Girl!

Yes, as a matter of fact they DO get that from their Nana! (never their mommies)

just the girls...pj fun from Christmas '08

more pajama princesses!

...before you chastise me for child labor...understand...Abbie has an amazing imagination! They are playing Cinderella!

Abbie and Jackson playing firefighters!


Abbie's turn to be the big sister!! She makes an amazing big sis for Megan.

beautiful dancer...Abbie got lots of flowers after her recital last summer.

Abbie and B playing ponies at Christmas.

Abbie Grace, we hope you have an amazing birthday. We are blessed to have you in our lives and love you very much!

Bicycle Baby, Blonde No More, and B goes Missing?

Check it out...posting again! We'll be to 100 before you know it!

Lately Brooklyn has been shocking us with all kinds of stuff. A few weeks ago it was knowing all her colors. As she finished answering each one correctly, I noticed Jackson grinning confidently. You bet he did...that genius taught his little sister all her colors. This was nice and all, but I really did not expect the pattern to continue. Then, last weekend, we see this scene on the patio...

...and then this...

I love how his hands are giving her one last push. And yes...she learned to ride her bicycle that day...completely...totally because of Jackson! When I told him how proud we were of him... he said, "Yeah, I think next week I will teach her numbers because she is a little young to learn to read"! So far, they are up to 7!

I decided I was tired of my blonde streak...which, if you do not know...is half natural and half just me bleaching my hair to make it took more like I did it on purpose instead of just having random colorless (i.e. appears grey) hairs. Here's what I looked like before the blonde dying of the streak...

yeah, that just makes a girl feel old...eventhough it has been there since i was very young!

and then there was the blonde dye...making it look like i did it on purpose...

yikes...a little fuzzy curly! but...this is how i kept it for awhile...alas, i was tired of this...

So now... I like it. Robbie likes it too, but kept getting afraid in the morning that someone else was walking around in our bedroom! It was funny! Don't know if I will keep it straight...the streak will surely be back in about a week...but for now I am enjoying the new look.


And yes, as the title would suggest, we lost Brooklyn. We knew it was only a matter of time since she is always wandering and isn't very reserved. It was just before Robbie was leaving for Toronto...lots of packing and so forth...and she just disappeared...

Fortunately the ski patrol found her and returned her safely to her father for snuggles...

December update...in January!

So...just a month behind now. I guess I can deal with that! As promised, here is the December update. I am going to attempt to keep January blogging confined to January! I am close to 100 posts (less than 20 away)...so my goal is to blog. And hopefully, sometime soon I will reach 100 and give something fun away that day. Who knows. I like to do things like that! The biggest change for December was that I went to work! December 1, 2009 I became the Preschool Coordinator for the Austin Stone Community Church. I LOVE it! I work in the office 2 days a week. We worked it out where a friend, Maris, keeps the kids. I give them a checklist of school work to get done on those 2 days. Then I school them the rest of the time. So far, it is working! Maris is awesome. She has a little one year old guy, August, and Brooklyn really loves playing with him. Very cute. August is learning to carry around baby dolls...I'm sure his daddy loves that as well! I will get photos of Maris and the kids soon to post on here.

I work on a VERY fun team with the Children's Minister, John, the Grade School Minister, Becca (remember her from our summer trip to the Dominican Republic), the Curriculum Coordinator, Erin, and interns...Ritz, Hanna, and Stephen. I love these people. I know them on various levels...I mean, I went out of the country with Becca...Ritz lived with us for the fall semester...and John loves to watch Friday Night Lights with my hubby and other friends. I look forward to all the awesome memories I will build with this team. And I love my job too...working with preschool kiddos and their parents...making sure they get the best environment to learn...coming up with new ways for them to connect as a family and with our church...finding new solutions to safety and fun for kiddos in a mobile church environment...never a shortage of work...but work isn't "WORK" when it is something you love!

all the ladies! (except Hanna...she starts in a few weeks. also missing Kelly, the awesomest intern who helped train me...Kelly left at the end of Dec. to do her student teaching)...taken while shopping for the office Christmas tree.

So, I settled in to work and Robbie came home for several weeks! It was awesome to get some much needed family time! December started this year, like last, with a trip to the Christmas tree farm...yeah!

Yes, I fully realize this is a pig!

And, yes...she is running. Because, yes...something is chasing her....Of course, my sweet little children are causing this piggie to run in terror! While Will is not pictured...he is chief among the instigators of this situation. Did you know I was raised on a pig farm? Well...I was...and so this was super fun for me to see. And yes Daddy...I could still remember how to pin a pig if necessary!but alas, we did get a tree!

(the pig was happy to see us go)

December had lots of Christmas parties...and I took NO photos. Got to get better about that! We hosted 2 of them (one for our Kidstuff volunteers and one for friends...not that our volunteers are not our friends...but you get the point)...and went to several more. I really love the parties! Hosting, attending...all just so festive and fun!

Next came family time. My brother, sis-in-law, nieces, mom and dad all came here for Christmas Eve (and eve eve). It was wonderful!Nana is such a great storyteller that even Frosty becomes a nail biter!

i am, of course, in love with this cutie patootie!

and Megan is in love with B...bedhead and all!

B&W photo totally necessary...B in purple with messy bedhead, Megs in red dots, Nana in blue, couch in brown...so busy that you miss the the totally sweetness. love this picture!

reality follows sweetness!

but still a little room for cousin sweetness...

squeezie!...can you stand the cuteness?

Nana and Pepaw with the kiddos.

And then there are the bear pajamas...all 3 kids...one pair of pjs.

Can we just stop for a moment and be in awe of the fact that I kept up with a pair of kiddie pajamas for 6 years and a change of housing? I mean really people...that is impressive! And now they go in the memories box...with absolutely shot elastic (B lost the pants a few times on Christmas morning)!

On to Christmas with Robbie's family in Fort Worth. When I first came into the family, I learned about kolaches. No, I do not mean those nasty sausage things...that is NOT a kolache to me...it is a pig in a blanket at best...no I mean warm, homemade, fruit filled, will burn the roof of your mouth if you are not careful, gooey goodness. Awesome tradition. LOVE it....and I am not the only one...It was a white Christmas...almost did not make it driving in on Christmas eve. Took years off my life...have more grey hairs...lucky husband, he is already bald and does not have to worry about such things!

The snow had started melting when I got around to taking pictures. I was too busy eating kolaches and enjoying family!

the kids were mildy cooperative with a photo...then went to play. B quickly found leopard shoes are not proper snow attire!so Miss Sassy Pants came back on the porch for some posing.

Ever wonder why there are so many photos of the girlie on the blog and not so many of the boys...wonder no more... seriously...these are the photos i get without serious bribery or threat of discomfort!

He would be mad at me for months if he knew I posted that. Seriously...do you know him? Furious I tell you...but he DID choose that look for the photo!

So there it is...December in 10,000 words or less! (yes, my husband says i'm wordy...and i know it is true...i don't blame you if you skim). On to January...so far, a toddler missing in a snow jacket, a new hair color, and a bicycle miracle...stay tuned...