Rodeo Day

I love having an excuse to spend one-on-one time with just one kiddo.  My excuse last week was Rodeo Day with Josh!  We had fun playing games at all of the stations, eating a cowboy lunch, talking with friends, and making some memories without the siblings :).  Josh has a very tender heart and is so sweet to all of his friends at school.  Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?!?

cowboy lunch

waiting in line to play some horseshoes

roping a cow

to Rodeo Day, Wrangler jeans and boots, and to an afternoon with my cowboy Josh ...

Wearing o' the Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!  Did you know that Patrick was a slave in Ireland who later came back to Ireland to teach the very people who had enslaved him about Jesus?  At least that is what Josh told me today ... pretty cool, huh?!  We enjoyed Lucky Charm cereal and green eggs, pots of gold (gold wrapped candy), rainbow glow sticks, and new green shirts today.  Here's to my 3 little leprechauns ...

Spring Break

We went down to the Hill Country to relax for a few days over Spring Break.  We stayed in a log cabin built in 1852 (thanks to an update we had over 3000 square feet, modern conveniences, and more).  The kids had fun running, playing in a huge tree house, canoeing, seeing lots of deer, playing basketball, staying up very late to play games, and much more.  It was a beautiful area and a nice way to sit back and relax.

our place

the tree house and some cousins

canoeing the Guadalupe River

the family (minus Uncle Sam taking the picture)

to Spring Break and only nine more weeks of school ... 

He is Just a Little Boy

He stands at the plate

with his heart pounding fast.

The bases are loaded,

the die has been cast.

Mom and Dad cannot help him,

he stands all alone.

A hit at this moment,

would send the team home.

The ball meets the plate,

he swings and he misses.

There's a groan from the crowd,

with some boos and some hisses.

A thoughtless voice cries,

"Strike out the bum."

Tears fill his eyes,

the game's no longer fun.

So open your heart and give him a break,

For it's moments like this,

a man you can make.

Please keep this in mind,

when you hear someone forget,

He is just a little boy ... and not a man yet.

Here's to the start of baseball season, bumping up to the Minors with Caleb and to 5 Pitch with Josh, where did those t-ball days go???

Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue, Come Blow your Horn, the Sheep in the Meadow , the Cow in the Corn ... something like that!

Josh was Little Boy Blue in his first grade play, Little Bo Peep.  He did a great job and had lots of fun performing for our Branches food ministry, an Assisted Living group, the entire school at chapel, and an evening performance for friends and family.  We were blessed to have both sets of grandparents come in to see him.  He never forgot a line!!  I am biased but he was cute!  Josh's final line of the show was so sweet ... "You're right! Jesus really does love us!"  

the Grandparents

the Adams -thanks for coming

Humpty Dumpty

Little Bo Peep and Little Boy Blue

to another fun play and to a wonderful school that continues to teach my boys so much more than just the academics ... and they do a super job at that, too!!

Our Little Photographer

I don't have any new pictures of Josh ... because he has been taking the pictures lately.  The boys love having the freedom to take pictures of anything ... I have over a dozen Star Wars pics.  Each figure was posed and got their picture taken ... EACH figure (Yoda, Luke, Hans Solo, Darth, etc.).  I have over a dozen pictures of Mattie's tail ... she is fast like a bullet and hard to capture!  But, a few were fantastic and will update on how we are right now ...

Mattie - always in pink

Caleb -always moving

Kate - ALWAYS in this dance outfit (thanks, Lauren)

Here's to life right now ... running, smiling, falling and getting back up, and catching it all on film!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day.  This is one of my favorite mornings of the year ... we always have pancakes and chocolate covered strawberries for breakfast and open small gifts from each other ... Caleb made coupons this year offering to wash all of the rooms, clean the dishes, etc.  Josh made cards in Spanish for all of us ... Dios es amor ... so sweet.  Kate ... well, she slept until 8 - quite a gift.  I woke up to an "I Love You" balloon, a dozen beautiful roses, a new piece of luggage that rocks and lots of chocolate.  I am definitely feeling loved and like I need to go run a few miles :). 

Kate's Valentine party at school

Caleb's party at school ... he let Kate share all of his candy and cookies

Valentine morning fun

to all of my sweets - Chris, Caleb, Josh and Kate and to a day dedicated to love (and chocolate and coffee) ...