In Mourning...

ENOUGH SAID!!!!!!

We love you, SPURS!!

NBA, we'll be back next year...get your refs ready!

Our Little Man

It has been a great couple weeks for our 5 year old son, Jack.  For almost 3 years now, Jack has been receiving speech therapy at the elementary school for help with articulation.  His first preschool teacher was the one who suggested having him tested when she & his friends would have to ask him to repeat himself over & over to find out what he was saying.  Me, being his mama, I was always able to follow his train of thought and know what he was talking about, but when the testing showed that yes, he could use some help, we did what it took to make sure he was getting all that he needed.  I thought to myself, "oh, here we go...middle child therapy is in the works one day FOR SURE!"  We were fortunate enough to be able to go right next door to our elementary school, where Annie attends now, so there were no excuses...how easy was it to go twice a week, & his speech therapy teacher was as sweet and helpful as she could be. We did our best to practice & do his "homework" as much as we could.  Jack would put up a fight at times as some weeks, of course, were better than others, but this year, he really seemed to just get it all down.  And much to ALL of our happiness, was DISMISSED from the Speech program 2 weeks ago!  We are so proud of him & he is very excited too!  Perfect timing with him starting Kindergarten next year...he is able to start his elementary school years on the same footing as everyone else.  Isn't that what we always want for our babies???

A Way Back Wednesday shot of Jack just a couple days old...

What do you do when you need to celebrate???  Go out for lunch of course!  I really wanted to make being done with Speech a big deal for him...trying to help with that middle child syndrome stuff as much as possible...so after preschool, the day of his Speech ARD, I surprised him by taking him to lunch at one of our family's favorite burger places Cheesy Jane's!  Wes had Sam, Annie was at school, so it was a perfect time for JUST US!!  Although, if Jack had his choice, he would have chosen Daddy to take him over me, because he is a Daddy's boy like no other!  It was fun to drive right by our house to head over to the restaurant & hear the questions start immediately.  We definitely did it up!!!  Burgers, fries, sodas & milkshakes!!  Yummy!  What a treat for me too, not to have lunch to fix and clean up.  It was a great time and he didn't gripe a word when I told him I needed to run into HEB for a couple things and EVEN offered to push the cart for me...on a regular day, he would be waaaay too tired!

The other exciting news for Jack was his graduation from preschool.  He has been a student there for 3 years now and Annie was there 2 years before that, so this place is our home away from home.  Being the one who cries at just about everything, I was building myself up for this occasion.  On top of his Speech dismissal, seeing my little man grow & change right before my very eyes over the years, was enough to send me over the edge with boohooing.  But I did very well until....the lights went out, and the music began playing as a DVD slideshow ran of pictures from the year.  The kids hadn't even come in yet, and here I was!  Good thing it was dark and the slideshow ended with a happy, cheerful song...I was able to pull myself together before the classes came in.  

Doesn't he look so handsome & grown up?

Not shy at all of the camera or of performing!  He did super & really got into all his songs.  Mamamia and I got there early so we could be front & center for pictures, and I think we got great shots.

Ready for the picnic outside...

And it's official!!!  He's a big Kindergartener now!  

Proud parents...me with no makeup left anymore!  

Ok, this made me tear up too!  So sweet...

Collecting his friend's signatures...so funny to see how much it takes for 5 year olds to sign their names and how different they all look!

Jack & Elle(Mamamia's oldest)...friends from birth, and even earlier actually!

And where was Sam???  Out getting soaking wet from the outside water faucet & having a ball!  He'll be there next year & the cycle will start all over again!

Making one last trip around the playground...it almost even looks like he's saying goodbye in his own way!  

And one last hug for Miss Margie...

Annie was very disappointed that she couldn't miss school to attend the day's festivities, but was very excited to sign his pillow & take pictures with him when she got home.

Proud sister THEN...

PROUD SISTER NOW!!!

We love you, Jack & can't wait to watch you grow even more in Kindergarten!

By the way...Jack chose the music for his post.  He is our resident rocker dude & has loved this song ever since he heard it last year at Fright Fest at Fiesta Texas...go figure!  So, I really have no idea to the words & such, but just enjoy jammin' out!

Update

I cannot even begin to tell you all how much your sweet messages & prayers have meant to me!  You are all just so great!

My brother and I drove down yesterday for the day to see our grandma.  My parents opted not to have the hip surgery after much consultation with the doctors, because the risks were just too great.  She will be moved to a skilled nursing center on Tuesday, and will be bedridden for the next couple months while her body hopefully can heal some on its own.  Of course, there are many complications that can set in with this as well, so we will definitely continue to ask for your prayers.  She really doesn't feel much pain, thanks to medication, but that also makes her a bit drowsy and under the weather.  It was nice to see her joking with one of the nurses that she was going to sneak out of there without them knowing.  It's just amazing to think about all that she has seen and experienced in her almost 91 years on this Earth, and you just want her to continue having dignity and quality of life as much as she can.

Thank you for being such special friends!!

Need Your Prayers

To all my absolutely AMAZING new friends out in blogland, I know if we were all in the same room together, I would love you as much as I do in your blogs because you seem to be such great Christian women & moms.  I just wanted to ask that if you have a chance in your day today, to say a little prayer for my family.  My (almost 91 year old) grandma, as seen here in this picture with Sam at Easter, has fallen and shattered her hip.  She is actually doing very well & is resting comfortably with medication, but the kink came late yesterday evening, when the doctors heard what they think to be a heart murmur.  The cardiologist & anesthesiologist are not wanting to do the hip surgery, while the other doctor does.  So it is kind of a pinball machine game of back & forth, with my parents in the middle trying to sort it all out.  My dad is my grandma's only child, so this all falls solely on him & my mom, who both are so devoted to caring for her.  Some sort of decision will have to be made this morning as to what to do and where to go from here, so as I asked, if you wouldn't mind adding them to your prayers today, I would truly appreciate it!  

Wishing you all a great Friday & super Memorial Day weekend!

Stay safe!!!

The New American Idol...

Oh yeah, oh yeah David Cook won!  David Cook won!!!  

And by 12 million votes...sheesh!!

I think it was the week he sang Duran Duran that cinched it for him!!

Now on to the Spurs game!!!

GO SPURS GO!!

It's a GOOD DAY!!

I'm wearing my "GOOD DAY!" pendant/charm that my family gave me as one of my Mother's Day gifts in honor of the Spurs big win last night!!  Woohoo!!  A very exciting game from start to finish, and it was actually over before 10:15, so can't beat that!  BRING ON THE LAKERS!!! Isn't this hook on charm too cute??  Wes' mom & sisters are quite creative and design these all the time...I have quite a collection of various holiday ones, as well as special little sayings...I think this one is SO PERFECT for us moms.  Although I do think it would be helpful if our hubbies & children were wearing them as well, so we'd know what kinda day to expect from them!!  I supposedly got the first one made, to represent my Halloween costume from 2 years ago, when our entire family dressed from the Wizard of Oz...of course, I was "Glinda the Good Witch"...I'll have to post that picture later... that was a really fun night, although I do recall being a bit under the weather.

Sorry about the fuzzy pictures...I tried all sorts of ways to photograph it, and ended up getting the best results letting my children model it for me while I shot it.  Even the boys wanted in on the action...too funny!

And if the Spurs had lost, I'd wear it on this side...

And only a mama can celebrate her child's "potty" accomplishments with a poster on the fridge!  Sam has made HUGE progress in his quest(or mine) for him to be potty trained!!  We've gone from one sticker that was all by its lonesome for DAYS...to 8 stickers, all in the last 24 hours!! We're still thinking of a good prize to get, when the poster gets a little fuller...right now, he's happy getting Swedish Fish!!  It's amazing what being at home for a few solid days instead of in meetings can do;) 

See, I told ya it's a GOOD DAY!!

And who wouldn't smile getting to bring home this lovely tomato plant Jack's been "growing" at school the last few weeks...I saw the others lined up outside his classroom too, they were green, a couple feet high, lots of leaves...just made me laugh, because this plant just kinda "screams" Jack!  And I absolutely love it...that's why I took lots of pictures!!  

What kind of day are you having???  Good day....Bad day??

A Day at the Zoo

Wow! If you live in South Texas, then you know this weekend was INCREDIBLE!! The cool weather accompanied by low humidity was quite a treasure to behold in the middle of May. We took advantage by spending a day at the zoo! We're fortunate enough to have an awesome zoo right here in our city and have visited several times, just not many in the last couple years for Sam to know of it and even Jack was having a hard time remembering. The kids were ecstatic, to say the least, and acted like angels and the most loving set of siblings you ever came across on our drive downtown. WHAT A PERFECT MORNING!! So fun to be up and close to wild animals!! Although not so close, that we needed to get any vaccinations! You have to go check out Mamamia's story about their encounter with a bat here...it'll make you think twice before doing anything too crazy this summer!! They definitely learned their lesson the hard way!

Is this little baby monkey too cute??? We stayed and watched the "mama", because I'm sure it is the mama who can only do all that climbing WITH baby in tow, for several minutes 'cuz it was just so sweet!!

Didn't realize how cool a picture this really was until I saw it loaded on the computer...I'm pretty impressed with myself!

No matter how many times you see these animals, it is just awe inspiring how beautifully God made these creatures...their colors, patterns & even their mannerisms are just so wonderful!

A very rare monkey...one of a kind!!

And what zoo trip would be complete without a train ride!!

Hoping your weekend was full of adventures too!
Let's cheer those Spurs on tonight!!
GO SPURS GO!!

Vice Principal for Day

Annie "took over" as Vice Principal for the day at her elementary school Tuesday, after winning the prize at the school's silent auction in the Fall.  She was very excited and had lots of questions on what she would spend her day doing, but afterwards  came home exhausted!  I was invited to stay for a bit and take as many pictures as I wanted...don't think they really knew what they were saying by telling ME that!  

Thank you One Wired Woman for the fun link on displaying pictures...it was too easy!  

Graduation Day

Whew!  What a weekend!  I hope all my friends out in blogland had a great Mother's Day!  And how excited was I to get a buckle & cuff  from Miss Brown Eyed Fox!!!  I guess my hubby pays attention to me afterall, because I was absolutely surprised & shocked when I opened it!  Thank you, Carissa for helping him out...they are just as cute in person as they are on your site!!

The majority of our weekend was spent preparing for & celebrating my baby brother's college graduation!!  Such a great Mother's Day gift for my mom(and dad), to have their last child graduated and moving towards being all on his own, right Brandon???   You remember him when I talked about him here and here and now he's all grown up, graduated and ready for the REAL WORLD!!!  Maybe congratulations isn't the right word to say after all?!?  He looked so handsome all dressed up, and very mature!!  If the professors only knew!!!  

PROUD PARENTS...

PROUD NEPHEW & NIECE...Sam stayed home to nap, while Wes prepared all the yummy, yummy BBQ for the Graduation party!  I think he was more than happy to do it & be able to miss out sitting in those hard gym seats for close to 3 hours!!

Ok, when did my brother get taller than me...I'm 12 years older!!  So excited, he actually hugged me 2 or 3 times that day!!

Look at the happy couple...aren't they so cute?!?  Haley graduates in December, but insists she isn't walking the stage!  

The sea of graduates...

Surprisingly enough, the ceremony actually just took about 2 hours, not counting the hour early we got there to get seats, so Annie occupied her time making her Uncle Brandon a poster for his party.

Jack occupied his time by taking a nap...no joke!  He fell asleep sitting right in this position.

And I played with my camera and the zoom lens to see how close I could get...

pretty darn close, but a little blurry...wonder what Brandon was thinking!?!

And now an even bigger smile, now that he's officially done!

My Family...

And then we rushed home to change, and get ready for the fun party afterwards!  It was a great day, despite the 100 degree heat!  And I really loved the message the keynote speaker gave to the graduates & their guests...something that is so basic, but still so important to carry with you no matter what age you are or what stage in your life you are in, it's just 5 words...

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER!!  

I truly hope we all can remember that!

Next up, Jack's preschool graduation next week...you can bet they'll be a lot of tears shed that day, because as I just saw Saturday with my baby brother, they grow up right before your eyes in an instant!