The Hays Family

Ropin' and Ridin'

2012-02-05T13:46:00.002-06:00

We had another rare Saturday yesterday, with absolutely no plans. It was awesome. So we decided to go to the ranch and spend some good time outdoors.

Inspired by the rodeo trick riders, this Cowboy tried his hand at some trick-horse-swing-riding. Maddie got in on the fun, too. Her main trick was holding on with only one hand--daring, I know! By the end of the day, both were riding this swing at the same time, with Jackson pretty much upside down.
They were quite the pair, with smiles as big as Texas.

After they were finished with the swing, it was time to see if the horses were hungry.

Turns out they love cookies. And really, who doesn't? All the kids fed the horses at least once. I think they were a little weirded out by the size of the horsey teeth!

After making friends with all the horses, we headed down to the barn.
Every good Cowboy needs his hat and canteen.

It came in handy when this little guy got thirsty.

Boom has been on a mission to find a saddle and bridle small enough to fit Mr. Dub. So it was with great pleasure when Mr. Dub was finally all saddled up and ready to ride! Jackson was first up.

We're not sure if Mr. Dub has ever had a human on his back in his 15 years of life, so they walked around the small pen first, just to make sure he wasn't going to wig out.

While Lila took her turn, these two played on the haybales. They get so happy when they are around hay!

Lila kept telling my dad, "Ready! Me ride Mr. Dub!"

And she did! She did great. Made a circle and that was good enough.

Madison was next and did good until something spooked Mr. Dub.

He kind of went haywire for a second. All of a sudden he jerked, spun around and tried to run away. Thank goodness Boom was right there! And thank goodness that Maddie didn't fall off!

After the mini-horse calmed down, Cowboy Jack wanted to take him for a ride in the big pen. After walking almost the entire way around it with Boom leading him, he got to try it himself. They did great!

While the boys were getting the other horses ready for their ride, the girls and I went over to visit the new baby calf. He's only 3 weeks old. His mama is only 21 months old herself, so my dad was concerned that she might be too young to nurture him well, but we were very glad to see that they were doing just fine:)

The boys all went for a ride and the girls and I found them down in the second pasture with the llamas. Isn't God's creation so beautiful?

Jared and J wanted me to get them on Doc while he was galloping. Right as I went to snap the pic, though, Jackson's hat blew off. While Jared was trying to catch it, I guess he maybe pulled on Doc's reigns, which didn't exactly thrill the horse. Jared finally had to let the hat fall and get the horse back under control! Oh well, better luck next time!

Happy Hour...

2012-02-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

kiddie style! The kids and I hit up Sonic for happy hour today. A little bit different than your standard happy hour, but just as much fun!

The two big kids had what Jackson refers to as "summer drinks," which are also known as slushes at Sonic. J went for the blue coconut and M went for the cherry. I didn't want Lila to be left out, but I wasn't too sure about getting her a flavored drink, so I went with some Sprite. She loved it.

After enjoying their 50 cent drinks, they got an even bigger treat. Our neighbor turned on his sprinklers for 15 minutes and it was just as good as if the circus had come to town. No joke! The kids rode their bikes through the sprinklers, then just ran through them on foot. About 53 times. And got soaking wet. They laughed so hard and just had the best afternoon. Thanks, neighbor, for needing to soak in your lawn fertilizer at 4:30 this afternoon. It was the perfect way to spend our afternoon.

Silly Sidewalks

2012-02-01T18:48:00.002-06:00

What a difference a year makes! This time last year I'm pretty sure there was snow on the ground. If not, it was really, really cold. Today could not have been any nicer outside. After the kids got home from school we decided to hang outdoors.

After they were done riding bikes, I brought out the sidewalk chalk. And they loved it!

Madison even wrote her name on the driveway--a newfound skill of hers:)

A little while later, Lila ventured off towards the front door. Unbeknownst to me, she was not simply sitting down on the sidewalk. No, she was in fact playing in the soil. Packing it in her shoes and all over her legs. And she was so happy with herself it was just impossible to get mad.

We all enjoyed the afternoon, and I was even able to get in a little shapes lesson with Maddie as well. It's always nice when they are having so much fun learning that they don't even realize it.

Go Jack, Go!

2012-01-31T22:28:00.000-06:00

I'm not gonna lie, I've had a tough day with the kids. Parenting is mentally and physically exhausting. More than I ever anticipated. But then there are times where they really surprise me. Like this afternoon. Jackson asked me to read him a book. He chose Go Dog, Go! Instead of reading it like I always do, I thought I'd see what words he could read. Little did I know how much progress he's been making in school. As far as I knew, he could only read a handful of sight words, as well as the names of his family members.

So imagine my surprise when he sat down and read 19 pages of Go Dog, Go! to me. I was in awe at first, then just felt my heart swelling with pride for my big guy. He's not even 5 and he is reading!!!

This evening we sat down with the same book and he read 23 pages of it. Seeing his face whenever he figures out a hard word is just priceless. You really can almost see the lightbulb go off in his head right before he says the correct word. His world is about to open up tremendously and I am so excited for him. And proud. Is that obvious yet?!

Bowling Bebes

2012-01-28T16:31:00.000-06:00

It's Saturday and we have no plans...a rare occasion, indeed! Since this almost never happens, we decided to take the kids for a little indoor fun. We hit up the Main Event this afternoon to try our luck at bowling.

Aside from bowling on the Wii, this was the first time for the kids. They were so excited!

Main Event was perfect for us. The girl at the counter set up our screen and programmed in who needed bumpers and who didn't. That way they automatically popped up whenever the kids came up to bowl. I know I probably sound like I was born in the 1950s for being so impressed with this, but it really was cool...and quite helpful! Jackson was up first. I think the ball was heavier than he anticipated, but he stuck with it.

Next it was Maddie's turn. She took a big running start and plopped that ball down the lane!

Lila was next and she got to use this cool aparatus that our friend, James Brooks told me about. (Shout out to James for this little tidbit of info!) It was neat--she got to push the ball down the ramp and see what pins it would knock down.

Believe it or not, Lila got a strike! She was so excited that she ran back to me, Maddie and Jackson with a huge grin on her face. She kept high-fiving everyone and was saying "Me! Knock down!"

About halfway through our game, it was time to break it down in the bowling alley. The lights went down, lasers came on and rap music started playing. In one word, it was awesome. Jackson and Maddie both got much better and J even bowled a few times without even needing the bumpers. Lila loved the jams and danced on her daddy's lap with this big smile. I think her daddy was even doing a little jig of his own. He was feeling pretty good about himself because he bowled 7 strikes. In one game! Thank goodness I didn't start talking smack to him in the 4th frame when I was winning for a brief time.

It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Both girls fell asleep right before we got home, so the rest of us are getting to enjoy some quiet time right now. Peace and quiet, oh how I love thee...

FW Stock Show and Rodeo

2012-01-22T09:55:00.001-06:00

A few months ago my dad called and asked if we wanted to go to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. I had never been, but thought it sounded like a good way to spend a Saturday.

Fast forward to yesterday, and the day had finally come. We were a man down because Maddie didn't feel good, but the rest of us piled in the minivan and went to Cowtown. We parked right by the midway, and the guy talked Boom into winning a stuffed animal for J.
By the way, are carnies not some of the strangest people ever?!

Our next stop was at the petting zoo, where Jackson fed a few llamas and then petted some goats...

and even a few really large rabbits! There was also a Scottish Highlander Cow in there that acted exactly like a dog. We rubbed his soft neck and head just like we were petting Sadie. Now if we ever run into one of those while touring Scotland, we'll know exactly what to do!

After we finished with the animals, we headed inside to the exhibits. The tractor one was definitely one of the most intriguing to Jackson. Something about the wheels being taller than him just makes him smile:)

After all that walking, it was time for some lunch. We heard the BBQ was good, so we went for that. Let me just say, there is no need for anyone to ever be scared of going hungry at the FWSSR.
There was an insane amount of food available at this event. In every building. Outside. Inside. Restaurants. Fast food. Snacks. Big meals.
Ok, I'm starting to remind myself of a Dr. Seuss book, but you get the point.

My mom's cousin, J.D., has been in charge of all the animals for the rodeo for the past 15 years or so. We were lucky enough to hook up with him before the next rodeo began. He and his daughter gave us a behind the scenes tour and it was really cool. Here we are on the rodeo arena floor.

We also got to see lots of the rodeo horses and even the bulls, who looked meaner than the dickens! This was the closest that we could get to them--it was a little dark back there, but they are all behind Jackson just giving us the stink eye!

We had a few more minutes to kill before we sat down to watch the rodeo, so we went over to see the cows. We were looking for the cow milking station, but they were on break, so we just hung out with these guys who were having a mid-afternoon hay snack.

By the time we got to our seats and got situated it was time for the Grand Entry. JD's daughter has grown up around the rodeo, so she got to ride in it! Very cool.

There were 12 events, but the calf scramble was one of the most entertaining ones. There were high schoolers running around and trying to catch these calves, who were making them look so scrawny and uncoordinated. It took a while for about half of them to catch their calf and get it to walk back into the that white square.

Another really cool event were these trick horse riders. A family tradition...their dad and granddad were both trick riders in the rodeo in years past. Now it's the sister (15 years old) and her three brothers, the youngest of which is only 8! And they were good! They did flips on and around the horses and hung upside down and all kind of crazy things.

Cowboy Jack enjoyed the show very much and even wore his new hat for some of the last event--bull riding! He was very entertained by the clowns and loved watching those ornery bulls. And JD was right. Those bulls were particularly mean. One of them refused to leave the arena and had to get roped and led out. Hmmm...maybe I should keep a lasso around the house.
I know a few kids who get a little ornery every now and then, too. It could come in quite handy!

January Birthdays

2012-01-18T12:16:00.001-06:00

Christmas is over, but our celebrations haven't ended! Gigi's birthday was last week, and since the kids and I enjoyed our birthday breakfast so much with Memaw, we decided to do it for Gigi, too. We brought over lots of good food from Whataburger this time and had a little party, complete with hats and presents. Too bad I got banned from putting any of those pics on our blog! Gigi was not feeling the need to be make-up free for the world to see:)

Later that night we met the whole fam at Olive Garden for dinner. This is a good summary of how our night went. Madison was not in a good humor and wouldn't even think of looking at the camera. Why? I have no idea. She did perk up once we got her some food, so maybe it was just a case of severe hunger.

Last night we went to Matt's Rancho Martinez to celebrate Aunt Keen's birthday. She requested a homemade pudding dessert instead of cake, and so Jackson and I happily obliged.

Happy Birthday, Mom and Colleen!

Beauty and the Beast

2012-01-18T12:08:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we took the big kids on a fun outing to the movies. Beauty and the Beast was playing and since it is one of Maddie's favorite flicks, we thought it would be a great one to go see.

From the time we told them about our idea to go see a movie, these two were so pumped! Jackson has been twice before, but this was Madison's very first time.

They were both very excited about the movie, but the unending popcorn really sealed the deal. These two can put down some popcorn like nobody's business!
They both did great and we can't wait to go back in March to see Dr. Seuss' next movie, The Lorax.

Rainbow Brite

2012-01-11T09:22:00.002-06:00

The only person I know who can wear Rainbow Brite leggings and pull it off with no problem!

Splish, splash I was taking a bath

2012-01-11T09:21:00.001-06:00

on a little Saturday morn!

Rub a dub, got three monkeys in the tub...

Gotta get 'em clean, so scrub, scrub, scrub!

Hoppy Returns

2012-01-10T11:53:00.001-06:00

When I picked the kids up from school last Friday, Madison had a big surprise. Hoppy was in her bag! Hoppy is her class mascot and he spent a weekend with us last semester as well. It's important to document Hoppy's doings the whole time we have him...

so we started by taking a pic of the kids enjoying a really nutritious after-school snack of Cheetos.
They were feeling generous and gave Hoppy a few to try.

That afternoon we went to the park to feed the ducks. Hoppy loved it!

After the ducks had eaten every last cracker we brought, it was time to go hang out at the playground. Hoppy was a little scared being up this high, but I'm happy to report Maddie did not drop him once.

Friday night, Jared had the idea for us to all go to Cici's. Now, I haven't darkened the doors of a Cici's in at least 15 years. Let me just tell you, I have not missed much! It was crazy--tons of people, kids, total mayhem. We ate our pizza, got marinara sauce on pretty much everything, grabbed a few cinnamon rolls (by far Cici's best product!) and got out of there.
Whew! Makes me tense just thinking about it again.

The next day Hoppy was in luck because we had a birthday party to attend. This party was way cool--not only did it have the standard cake and ice cream, but it also had a bounce house...

and pinata for all of the kids to try and break!

Hoppy gave Madison some good tips and she walupped that Nemo Pinata really well!

The next morning, Hoppy got to watch cartoons with all the kids.
After the cartoons, we ate some donuts and then headed to church. We accidentally left Hoppy behind, but he said it was ok b/c he needed a nap anyway.
I think he had a pretty sweet gig at our house this weekend, but he was pooped!

Christmas Break

2012-01-10T11:38:00.001-06:00

We have had so many new toys to play with since Christmas it's been hard to keep up!

Madison was a chef one afternoon and served everyone their choice of fine pastries.

All three kids have loved this castle that they got from Uncle Scott and Aunt Lyndsie. It came with markers and they get to decorate it whenever I am feeling adventurous!

We got to spend a fun afternoon with Amanda and her boys, Cason and Chase. The kids played their hearts out in our back and frontyards and then came in for a bit of downtime. Here they are jammin' to Lady Antebellum that was playing on Maddie's new CD player.

The kids haven't been the only ones who have been having a good time.
Us big kids went out for NYE and had a blast.

Happy New Year! I think 2012 is going to be great.

Christmas Bonanza

2011-12-31T09:13:00.000-06:00

Christmas morning preparations began the night before. When we got home from looking at Christmas lights, all three kids were asleep in the car. The older two never even opened their eyes when we put them in bed. I can't say the same for the little one. She hates her crib like crazy and that night was no exception. So, with great angst, I brought her downstairs and laid her in our bed. Scary, since that was going to be our workshop, but I had no other option! Thank goodness none of them woke up while Santa's elves were hard at work.

Before we fell asleep for the night, I made sure to document all the fun things Santa had waiting for the kids. He ate 4 1/2 chocolate chip cookies and drank most of his milk. Then he even remembered to write the kids a nice thank you note! So thoughtful, that Mr. Claus fellow.

Santa's elves had already assembled the two bicyles and the four wheeler, but he had to put together the doll house and kitchen. He was very thankful they didn't require too much assembly.

Madison was our early riser on Christmas morning and ran over to the toys to see if Santa had brought her an American Doll. When she saw this doll she got the biggest grin on her face and said, "He did! He brought me an American Girl doll!" Well--sort of! Let's just say that there is no need to tell this little girl that it's a Target doll:) She loves it just the same--and she's only 3.

Lila was the next one awake and stumbled out of our bedroom with very sleepy eyes. Those eyes immediately opened wide, though, when she saw this cool princess four wheeler, baby doll and kitchen that Santa brought for her!

J was the last one up, much to my amazement--he's usually our early bird and I just knew that with the excitement of Christmas morning he'd be waking us up at 5 am! Not so--guess he figured it was going to be a really long day, so he'd better rest up. He was really pumped to see the cool new bike that Santa brought. Both Jackson and Maddie were ready to take their bikes outside by 7:30 that morning:)

Jackson decided he could wait for the outdoors and instead opted to check out his new Bat Cave toy. Everyone thought it was super cool.

"Ho Ho Ho!" Mrs. Claus and two sweet little elves. Doesn't Lila look like she just got here from the North Pole?! That hat pushing down on her ears is too funny!

Jackson was really excited to get a Nintendo Wii, too. He looked at us and said, "Johnny did good!" Thanks, Johnny the Elf, for coming through so well and telling Santa exactly what the kiddos wanted.

Even though the magic of Santa is priceless, we still wanted the kids to pick out presents for everyone else. Jackson went shopping with his daddy and then made sure that he got to write the name tag for my present. Love this. He got me the new Brad Paisely CD, some new socks and a pretty shirt. Every time I wear the socks he asks me how they feel. Sweet kid:)

Since Lila loves playing dress-up in my shoes, we got her some of her very own high heels. She was trying so hard to be a good mommy to her brand new baby and still be fashionable in her heels!

Maddie gave Jackson this cool spiderman car and he gave her this barber shop chair so that she can do her doll's hair. They both really contemplated what they should get for the other one and I think they did great.

After we opened all of our presents, it was time to sample the much anticipated Monkey Bread!! And it did not disappoint. All five of us just devoured it.

Then we got dressed and headed over to Gigi and Boom's for more Christmas fun. The first thing they noticed there were these fun bean bags--a princess one for Maddie and a baseball one for Jackson.

All of us girls. Meme was there, too, we just didn't get her in this pic for some reason.
It was a little chaotic!

We had about an hour before lunch, so we decided to let the kids go ahead and open some presents. Jackson got these awesome golf clubs from his grandparents. He loves them. In fact, he had a friend over the other day and I heard him say, "I got some new golf clubs for Christmas, but you can't play with them because they are real. You might mess them up." He's serious about his equipment!
We just gotta work on his tact.

Madison loved her new Rapunzel doll...

and Jackson thought his very own shaving kit was too cool.

Lila was in heaven with her new triplets--although we all agreed that they were a lot of work!
These babies cry, giggle, talk, etc. Can we say high maintenance?! Pretty appropriate if you ask me. Payback is harsh sometimes.

Jackson couldn't even open anymore presents until he tried out his new clubs. Boom took him to practice at the PGA store a month or so ago and said he did really well.

Both his dad and granddad are secretly hoping he's the next golf prodigy.

After lunch we got to open more fun presents--these princess Barbie dolls
were another of Maddie's favorites.

By 2:30 this little girl was running on fumes, so we had to go home for a good nap.

After a few hours of recharging, this girl was ready to go! She was so excited to get this double stroller when we got over to Memaw and Poppi's house.

We were so glad to be able to see Pa and Roxie Hays.

Memaw had been busy making everyone a feast. She even took time to bake these Santa cupcakes for Jackson because he had pointed them out in a magazine.

After dinner it was time for more gifts. Here's a pic of the scene before the craziness began--I so wish I would have taken one after. You couldn't even see the floor--it was amazing!

One of the kids' favorite gifts was this 5 ft fall castle from Uncle Scott and Aunt Lyndsie. It has been residing in our study and they love to color it and then play in it with their dolls.

After present time was over, Lila made her a new BFF. Aunt Lyndsie helped her bounce on the furniture for at least half an hour, which brought this big smile and lots of laughter.

Whew! It was a very big day, but so good. We love having our familes here.
Being able to celebrate with all of them on Christmas is a blessing.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-29T09:15:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve is such a special night for our family. It's sort of the calm before the storm!

This year we took advantage of an earlier church time and went at 4:00. That way we had plenty of time for everything else that night and weren't so rushed.

Meme, Gigi and Boom met us at church--no pics with them, though, b/c they were already inside saving our seats. All afternoon I had been so apprehensive about having Maddie and Jackson in "big church." They did so good, though! Really and truly--they both got As!! It was a wonderful service and we all enjoyed it. My favorite part, by far, had to have been when we were singing Silent Night. I looked over to my right and Maddie was sweetly singing along. Then I looked to my left and J was doing the same. Right then they both looked like angels. And I guess in a way, they are.

After church, we came home to get ready for dinner with the Hays Fam.

We all enjoyed the lasagna and salads from Sali's and then it was time for some birthday cake! Earlier that day the kids and I had made a birthday cake for Jesus.
They were so excited to finally get to celebrate.

And even though Miss Lila doesn't get that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because it's Jesus' birthday, she still loves her some good chocolate cake. All in due time.

Before everyone left for the night, the kids got in their Chrismas pj's and got ready to go look at some Christmas lights. They lasted about 10 minutes before falling asleep in the car. Thank goodness.
Santa's helpers had lots to do!

Christmas Eve Surprises

2011-12-28T10:08:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve brought many fun things--but it started out with an email for Jackson...

from SANTA!! He was so pumped!

Santa told him that he'd been a good boy this year and always used good manners like his parents asked of him. He also told him that he knew he really wanted a Nintendo Wii. When he said that, Jackson looked at me and said, "Johnny told him!"
(Thank you, Johnny the Elf, for relaying this very important message)

Madison was equally as happy when she opened her letter from Santa. It came with a very official looking certificate saying that she was on his Nice List. Pretty impressive! She was most impressed by the fact that it also mentioned her good friend, Bryn. When we read that part of the letter, her eyes lit up, and she said, "He knows Bryn!" I couldn't help but break out in a huge smile, as I remembered getting my own letter from Santa many years ago. It talked about how he knew Amanda was my best friend and that just sealed the deal for me that Santa was indeed very real.
I love the magic of Christmas. So very much.

Twas two nights before Christmas...

2011-12-27T11:48:00.001-06:00

and all through the house, there were three munchkins stirring, but thank goodness, no mouse!

Sweet Lila Lou was all dressed up and ready to mingle...

and all three elves were ready to play Kris Kringle.

So we packed up our sleigh and headed over to Cantera, and the girls gave their Boom a great big reception.

Gigi's favorite guy met her at the tree

and very soon there was unwrapping of gifts by all three.

We enjoyed our visit with Papaw and Granny and were anxiously awaiting the big visit from Santy!

Power Rangers and Cookies

2011-12-22T17:58:00.001-06:00

Day four of Christmas break and we are doing well! Thank goodness for the nice weather.

The Power Rangers really needed to get outside and run...

and fight big monsters that might be lurking in our backyard.

With Casey, Emily and Mia in our house, I doubt any monsters will stick around for long!

"Mia" was not a fan of her hood and quickly hollered at "Emily" to take it off.

After we fought off the bad guys and played a lot of football and soccer while the girls ran around on the trampoline, it was time to bake some Christmas sugar cookies. All three kids got to choose between a bell, snowman or gingerbread man and then ice and decorate them after they were ready.

Let's just say that there's a reason I didn't get any pics of the actual decorating. Lila and Maddie both went just a tad bit overboard with the sprinkles! It's hard to watch them all at once! And all three tried to eat the icing right out of the container. Betty Crocker, we love you.

Birthday Breakfast with Memaw

2011-12-21T08:20:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was Memaw's birthday, so the kids and I decided to throw her a little party. We picked up Starbucks and donuts and showed up bright and early.

It was so fun! Memaw made bacon in anticipation of our arrival and there was a certain little boy who was very thankful. He claims to have eaten 7 slices. The kid loves bacon.
I know, mom of the year here, for letting him do that!

Perhaps it was a good move on Memaw's part. Jackson was feeling so grateful, that he asked where her vacuum cleaner was--the kid was all about getting her carpet as clean as possible. It brought back memories of a few Christmas's ago when all he wanted from Santa was a "keening cart with keening supplies!"

When I told the kids to get their shoes on before we left the house, Lila shimmied upstairs and came out wearing her pink cowboy boots. She is crazy about these boots! Sometimes she puts them on for story time before bed.

After our yummy breakfast and J's carpet cleaning session, it was time for some Christmas carols on the piano. Who knew Memaw could play the piano so well? Not me!

Memaw played the whole book, with some help from the little ones, and Jackson sang along with most of the songs. It was one of the most enjoyable mornings we have had in a long time.

Happy Birthday, Shelley! We love you.

Thank you!

2011-12-20T19:26:00.002-06:00

We asked our guests to bring either a toy and/or a coat to donate to kids who may not otherwise get any presents for Christmas this year. It's one of my favorite traditions about the Santa party and I really think it hits home with our kids about how others may not be so fortunate.

This year we donated them to the Garland Fire Department and they were so excited when we opened our trunk. This picture doesn't really do it justice since all the toys are in the minivan with the never ending trunk space, but I assure you there were a lot!

Thank you so much to all of our friends and family who donated.
You helped make Christmas for lots of little kids this year.

Santa Came to Town!

2011-12-18T17:26:00.003-06:00

Santa came to town a week early last night and stopped at our house! We had our annual Santa Claus party and I really feel like I enjoy it more and more each year.

This year we had some new kids attend the party--Maria brought her nephew and neice and we were so glad. Jackson and Shane had a blast together and wrestled each other all night!

Big thanks to this crew for all of their help before the party started. The four grandparents also were a big help--I think at this point they were probably wrangling the kids:)

This year we set up some crafts in the Reindeer Gameroom (aka our study). The kids enjoyed coloring a Santa pic, writing letters to Santa and making cute Christmas tree crafts. I wasn't sure how this idea would go over, but the craft room filled up very quickly!

We were very thankful that our cousins from Houston were able to come in for the party. Madison loved playing with the Michetti girls so much.

After most of the families had arrived and it was dark outside, it was time to go find Santa Claus. Maddie eagerly led the way!

I gave the kids jingle bell necklaces...

and they wore them around their necks while singing "Jingle Bells" as we walked down the street.

Just as we had finished singing look who appeared down the street! It really was like a scene straight out of a movie. All the kids stopped dead in their tracks and just took in the moment. Then they gained their composure and ran up to meet him.

"Hi Santa!!"

After Santa had greeted everyone, we headed inside for story time. Just as he had sat down to read Twas the Night Before Christmas, he asked "where's Jackson?" My shy guy reluctantly raised his hand and Santa asked him to come over to him. Then Santa told him that he knew Johnny the Elf (our Elf on the Shelf)! He said that Johnny had been reporting good things to him about Jackson and the girls just the night before. His eyes were as big as saucers!

While Jackson was trying to wrap his head around the fact that Johnny was in tight with Santa, the kids all enjoyed the story. After it was over, Santa talked to the kids for a few minutes and reminded them that he loves chocolate chip cookies and milk. You could just see all of them making a mental note of that little fact.

Then it was time for the kids to hop on Santa's lap and tell him what they would like for Christmas. This sweet girl asked for an American Doll (her cousins brought theirs so that's where she got it, I guess!)

I'm pretty sure this was the biggest hug Santa got all night:)

Love this so much--too bad sweet Lila was seriously scared of Santa this year.

Thank goodness she agreed to at least let me hold her near Santa! It was a big step considering that the minute we encountered him outside she began saying "No! No!"
She did make sure to be on the far side, though.

I'm so glad my family could all be at the party this year...

...and Jackson is thankful for the animal crackers that he got from Mrs. Claus.

Uncle Andrew declared it a "christmas miracle!" whenever Lila ran all the way across the dining room and into his arms:)

Daddy and I mingled separately most of the night, but we did get one sweet picture together with our youngest.

When it was time for our family pic with all of the Hays's, Lila reverted back to her "no!" phase. He asked if she wanted to touch his hat. Her answer? "No!" He asked if she wanted to feel his beard. Her answer? "No!" Oh well, can't say he didn't try!

I'm so glad all 11 of us were able to come--we had the newlyweds on the left and one of the cutest couples I've seen in a long time on the right:)

After everyone had a chance to visit with Santa, it was time for him to get on back to the North Pole.

With Santa gone we were able to visit with our friends a little bit more. Many of our high school friends were here, which I think is so fun.

Lila got to hang out with her buddy Sawyer...

and I got to hang out with my sister and cousins.

By the end of the night Lila had really attached herself to Hannah's American Doll. Oh my.
Thank goodness a doll from Target will suffice for her right now.

Thanks so much to all of our friends and family who came last night! We loved getting to see all of you and hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas Carols

2011-12-16T16:58:00.003-06:00

Today was a very big day in the life of J and M. It was their much anticipated Christmas program!

They both got to perform in it this year and were so excited all week about it.

Jackson's class went first, followed by Maddie's. Both of them did great--too bad the music director was completely blocking Madison the entire time! I finally moved to the aisle and got some video footage. C'mon, music lady, can't you direct while standing on your knees?!

All four of the grandparents were in attendance today. These are seriously lucky kids:) After their performance, they had class parties. Boom Pa visited with Maddie...

while Memaw made crafts with Jackson. I floated back and forth.

They both came home with lots of candy and treats, including this cute little Marshmallow Man!
He's almost too cute to eat.

Manicures with Maddie

2011-12-15T17:09:00.003-06:00

Last weekend the hubby and I had two Christmas parties to attend. I haven't had my nails painted in forever and Maddie has never been to a nail salon, so I thought, "why not?"

When I told her that we were going to get our nails painted she was so excited!

She paid very close attention to the nail tech and loved, loved, loved her light pink polish with silver glitter. Gotta love a fun girls afternoon:)

Getting up there!

2011-12-08T13:53:00.001-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated Jared's birthday with the fam. Yesterday was his actual birthday, so he is now officially 32 years of age. Wow. That is starting to sound old!

Good thing we had lots of family there to keep the old man smiling!

Last night, the kids and I made lasagna and chocolate cake...there were smiles all around! Lila literally had marinara sauce from ear to ear. The girl loves her some meatsauce!

Happy Birthday, Dad! Hope your day was great--we sure love you.

Lila told her daddy "Happy!" about 22 times last night. (Sometimes she would make an attempt at "birthday") After that cake was served, though, she was the happy one! She would say, "cake!," take a bite and say, "mmmm!" She is loving her daddy these days--just don't ask her to choose between him and some cake:)

Smores and more

2011-12-02T21:36:00.001-06:00

Tonight we went over to our friends house, The Brooks, for some good old family fun. The kids loved playing on the swingset...

all three loved this swing...

but only Maddie took me up on trying a smore. She loved it! And really, what's not to love? Chocolate, graham crackers and a toasty, warm marshmallow holding it all together. Yum!

After we enjoyed the smores and the kids ran around like rascals, it was time to head over to this awesome neighborhood train.

J and I went last year and loved it, so we were excited to take the girls this year. Maddie grinned from ear to ear the whole time and Lila just had a look of pure awe on her face. Too cute.

We are taking family pictures tomorrow. You think they're going to smile this nicely for them? I sure hope so:)

Lila, on the other hand, is a total wild card. If the mood does not strike her right, there's no hope for a sweet smile. In this case, she could not be bothered to smile or even look at me. Let's hope tomorrow morning she is feeling a little more generous!

Murphy Christmas Festival

2011-12-02T09:14:00.001-06:00

Last night was the Murphy Christmas Festival. Since it was nice weather and we love any fun community get together, we decided to go.

The first attraction was the reindeer. Two really cool reindeer.

I'm pretty sure that this was Prancer.

Then we thought we'd see what we look like as snowmen.

Then we wrote a letter to Santa Claus. It was the very last one they had, though, so Jackson and Maddie had to share. We're pretty sure that Santa won't mind! They both asked for new bicycles this year--Maddie wants a Princess one and Jackson wants a Batman one. Let's hope that Santa can come through!

We asked Gigi to come along with us and she agreed, even though it was last minute. We're so glad she did, though.

After we wrote our letter to Santa, it was almost time for the fireworks show to begin. We found us a good spot on the lawn and got ready.

While we were talking about the fireworks, Maddie told Jackson that she might be scared. He put his arm around her and said, "I'll take care of you, Maddie." He's still sweet when he wants to be.

Afew seconds later the show began with a bang! Since this tree was in our way, though, we quickly found another spot.

The show was great! And very loud! It was the closest that I have ever been to a fireworks show and I was afraid that Lila was going to be scared. She loved watching it, though, and so did the rest of us. What a fun way to kick off the holiday season!

Turkey Day

2011-11-28T20:50:00.001-06:00

Turkey Day 2011

In preparation for Thanksgiving Day this year, the kids and I made some desserts. Our first one was a pumpkin pecan cheesecake and oh my, was it good! Chippy helped make the second one, a bananas foster upside down cake...

and the kids even let him lick the batter off the beaters. Guess they were really in the giving spirit!

After we finished all of our desserts, we packed up the car and drove over to Gigi and Boom's for Thanksgiving lunch. This scene makes me smile. The love that these kids have for their grandparents if just precious.

Maddie inspecting the turkey--she said, "Boom, that's a big bird you got there!" Think she's got a little country in her?

After we had a delicious lunch, complete with Meme's sweet potato casserole (my fave!), the girls sang and played the piano for us.

Jackson challenged Aunt Colleen to a game of Checkers...

and then the big kids did the "Turkey Tango," along with two other songs.

They were too cute.

After their performance, it was time to play Wii with Daddo. Jackson was the pitcher, while Daddy tried to hit the ball. J was trying so hard to strike him out that he started sweating!

Then they called dear old mom upstairs and much to my surprise it was because my husband, yes, you read that right, was challenging me to a dance off! Thank goodness I won, but not my much!

After our dance off, it was time to go to Fort Worth to see all of the Hays Fam. When we got there the girls immediately went to see Jerry Lewis, Aunt Carolyn's pet bird.

Jackson set up another game of Checkers, with Pa Hays as his opponent this time. Daddo said that Pa Hays used to beat him at Checkers when he was little. Guess he's softened in his old age because Jackson won all three games. Either that, or J is a genius child:)

The kids loved hanging out with Memaw and Poppi...

and also loved playing football outside with Uncle Scott and Daddo.

Daddy was on double-duty--he would toss the ball to Jackson and then have to toss Lila Lou in the air. Whew! Guess he worked off a few more calories before we ate dinner.

Cousin Amy came in her police officer uniform because she had to go straight to work after dinner. The kids thought her uniform was super cool--the big kids (aka Jared, Andrew and Scott thought her taser gun was especially intriguing!).

Before she left, she played Twister with Jackson. After that, he got Daddy and Aunt Lyndsie to play with him, too. It was a bit of a challenge because little sister would decide to forward roll sometimes in the middle of the game...

but he was all smiles most of the time...

that is, until he ended up like this! The kids is mighty flexible, but he could only hold out so long!

We had a wonderful day with all of our family. We are thankful for all of them and especially for these three little turkeys.

Thankful Turkeys

2011-11-23T09:35:00.001-06:00

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. That being said, I totally stole two craft ideas from my mommy friends, Hayley and Monica. I hope that you girls don't mind, I just thought these turkey crafts were too cute to pass up!

First we made the Thankful Turkey. Jackson's class mascot, Chippy, is getting to spend the week with us, so he got in on the fun, too. We cute out all the feathers first, and then the kids came up with things that they are thankful for. I love this idea. Having a grateful heart is so important and this really drives home that point. It's also a fabulous reminder of how lucky we all are--just look at how many feathers there are and we could have gone on for much longer!

After doing our turkey, we went outside and J chose a pumpkin to make our next craft with (Thanks, Monica!). This is now our kitchen table centerpiece and we love it!

Poppi's Birthday Celebration

2011-11-23T09:24:00.001-06:00

This year Poppi's birthday falls exactly on Thanksgiving Day. So in order for him to feel like it was his own special day, we went out to celebrate at Scalini's.

Our whole crew was there--all 11 of us--and we enjoyed good food and good company even more. On a side note, for all my mommy friends, I would not recommened Scalini's on a Sunday evening. Apparantly they only have one cook or that one cook only has one arm, not sure, but something made it take FOREVER to get our food. As in, two hours!! Which really feels more like five when you are trying to corral and entertain a 19 month old busy body, 3 year old tired girl and 4 year old boy!! Thank goodness for iphone games (that phone is worth it's weight in gold some times!) and a partly empty restaurant that Lila Lou could explore a bit.

In all fairness, they did great! The girls played so well together--they really are starting to become friends, I think, and love being together, which makes my heart smile. And makes a two hour wait much more bearable. Happy early Birthday, Poppi! We will see you tomorrow and celebrate some more:)

Gig 'em Owls!

2011-11-19T10:01:00.001-06:00

The Owls were in the second round of the playoffs last night and the game was at Cowboys Stadium. Since we had so much fun last Friday night, we decided to go again last night to try and cheer on GHS to another victory.

We got there just in time to see the Owls run out onto the field.

Gigi and Boom had never been to Cowboys Stadium, so they were in awe of it. It is really nice!

We were so excited that they had the jumbo big screen on for the game, complete with instant replay and everything! It really made it feel like we were at a college or pro game.

The game was so close--we scored a touchdown with 2 seconds left and that tied it up at 21. But it was not the Owls night, and even though we hollered as loud as we could, they lost in OT. Oh well, it was still a great way to spend a Friday night and now when we watch the Cowboys play tomorrow, Jackson will know exactly what it's like in person. The kid has had a big year!

Turkey Time

2011-11-19T09:46:00.001-06:00

Oh so thankful are we for the wonderful school that the kids go to. Yesterday we went to a Thanksgiving Feast with Jackson's class.

Here's our little indian with his blue feather on his head. He's holding the placemat that he made all by himself.

We are also thankful that Daddo got to come home early from work in time to make the feast.
What a treat!

We are a little less thankful that there were no tables on which to eat lunch--floor sitting is not Daddo's forte! The teachers thought it was important to show the kids how the first Thanksgiving meal was eaten, so we all took one for the team and ate on the floor:)

After lunch was over, we got a real treat and watched the kids perform all of their Thanksgiving songs.
I love this little Indian so very much.

I especially loved watching him do the "Turkey Tango." It was too cute!

When the show was over, it was time to head over to Maddie's class for her party. When we got there she was just finishing off not one, but two cupcakes, and had a huge grin on her face.
Maddie is very thankful for cupcakes!

It won't be long before this little turkey goes to school. And that's hard to believe!

For now she is content to help the big kids with their projects and sit at the table just like them. And that's just fine with me. I'm so not ready to even think about her going to school!

Three precious little turkeys--what I am most thankful for!

Friday Night Lights

2011-11-13T17:16:00.001-06:00

This past Friday night, we went to cheer on our Alma Mater at Williams Stadium. It was the Owls first playoff game this season and was the perfect night for some football.

We began the night with a little tailgaiting. Jackson played lots of bean bag toss and even beat his Uncle Scott, I do believe!

Lila Lou ran around for a bit before Memaw took her home. She did good at the tailgate, but she's not quite football watching material just yet! All in good time...

The rest of us enjoyed some good BBQ and then headed on into the game.

Thank goodness Poppi and Boom went in ahead of time and saved us some seats. It was packed!

Our group had three former GHS football players, two former cheerleaders and one very enthusiastic little boy. How could the Owls lose with that kind of support? We cheered them on to victory, sang the Alma Mater while pointing at Ollie the Owl and then headed home. The Owls play this next Friday night at Cowboys Stadium, and you can bet that we will all be there again. Gig 'em Owls!!

Dallas Zoo

2011-11-07T09:24:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday we were finally baseball free, so we decided to take a trip to the Dallas Zoo. We went with our good friends, the Rachavongs, and everyone had a really good time. When we first walked in, the kids found these cute little kangaroo statues and ran over to them.

They were so excited to be there and ready to go see some crazy animals.

Lila was stylin' in her shades--too bad it never got warm enough for her to take off her jean jacket. She still rocked her pink ruffles, though:)

The first animal we saw was this monkey. He put on a show for us by swinging all around his little house-

Which got lots of laughs and big smiles from our whole crew. Little girl just kept hollering, "Monk! Monk!"

After watching the monkeys, we walked over to see the cute little sea otters. We could see them swim under water, too, which was cool, although they did look like rats from that angle. Eeek!!

Our crew--not fans of being still for a picture. Just look at their discomfort!

They were much happier when we let them just run!

Probably the most exciting thing the kids got to do was ride a camel for the first time. For that matter, it was Daddo's first time, too. He said the whole time that they were riding, Madison just kept telling him how he didn't need to be on there with her and Jackson. She is so brave. Notice Jackson hanging on for dear life!

After the camel ride, we went to see the rhino. Jackson rightly pointed out, "It's a boy!" and said it loud enough for about 50 other people to hear. Oh, dear. Yes, Jackson, it is.

Then we went to see the reptiles and encountered this enormous, very scary snake.
Seriously, it could eat Lila for lunch.

And we got to see this albino aligator. Such weird creatures, I think. I look at them and can't help but think that there is no doubt that their cousins are the dinosaurs.

After lunch, we got these four to somehow sit still for two seconds!

And even got a whole shot of both our families, too!

On our way out we got to ride the merry-go-round. Lila and I were on the tricertops, J was on the elephant and Maddie was on the pony. It was the perfect way to end the afternoon.

$21 for zoo admission, $3 for a dr. pepper, 3 kids who slept the whole way home - Priceless!

Tis the Teason...

2011-11-04T09:41:00.002-05:00

for hot chocolate and bundling up!

It was our first chilly day yesterday, so the girls and I celebrated by making hot chocolate.

Lila settled on cold milk, but Maddie tried the hot chocolate deliciousness with me.
J was our cameraman. I think he did a really good job!

Love this look--stripes and all--and I especially love her hands in her pockets. She kept them in there for a while, too, while she bebopped around the yard. It was cold for this little Southern Belle!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-03T08:42:00.001-05:00

Halloween finally arrived on Monday and the kids had a spectacularly spooky day. They began by getting dressed up as Batman and Tinkerbell and heading off for a fun filled day at school.

When we arrived, The Red Crayon was reading a Halloween Tale to all the kids.

After the story was over, it was time for the kids to enjoy some yummy snacks. Jackson passed on the pumpkin shaped rice crispy treat that had candy corns in it--way too crazy for him! No worries, I happily ate it for him:)

The whole kooky class. One of the dad's came dressed as Mr. Incredible. How cool is that?!

Maddie's class party began thirty minutes after J's, so I was able to scoot over there just in time to snap this fun class pic. Maddie and her sweet friend, Bryn, were both Tinkerbell this year.

Their class got to ice and decorate big sugar cookies. Maddie decorated hers, took a small bite, but then decided that she would really rather just eat the icing straight off the knife. Oh dear!

We love Madison's teacher!

A few short hours later it was time for the real deal. Trick-or-treat!!

I was so excited that Baby Tinkerbell decided to wear her costume!

"Enough with the pictures, let's get this show on the road!"

The grandparents walked around the cul-de-sac with us and got to see the kids run up to their first few houses. They were a bit timid at first, but very soon got the hang of it. By the time we got out into our neighborhood Maddie and Jackson were running up to the houses, ringing the doorbells, hollering "trick or treat!" and most of the time even remembering to say "thank you" after receiving their candy.

Forty-five minutes later their candy baskets were full and they were exhausted!

About half-way through trick-or-treating Lila decided she had observed enough and told us that she wanted out of the red wagon. She walked the rest of the way, carrying baby in her right arm and her candy basket in the other. Such a big girl!

The three musketeers with all of their loot. They got an extreme amount of candy this year and the smiles on their faces say it all. Best day of the year.

Lake Pointe FF

2011-11-02T09:51:00.003-05:00

Sunday afternoon we decided to check out our church fall extravaganza.

The kids had been waiting for the bounce house ever since the night before. They ran right for it once we got out of the car. Before we left that evening, Maddie had run through it five times and J had done it three. A toe injury derailed J man from making it thru a few more times.

After the bounce houe, they were ready to play a few games--Little Feliz practiced throwing a football and won a little candy...

and then they found the firetruck and had to go check it out.

The whole time that J & M were having fun, little girl was very content to hang out with her daddy.

We must have been temporarily insane, b/c we let both of them get their faces painted! J got a Ranger "T" on one cheek and #32 and #25 on the other, for Hamilton and Kinsler. Maddie went with a purple heart. Both were touching their faces and the wet paint about a minute after getting it painted.

After face painting, it was time to go check out the Duck Pond game, where Gigi and Boom were working. J caught every duck in the water...

and then Maddie did, too.

After that it was time to let Lila do a fun thing--train ride, here we come! J went to play with Daddo, while the girls and I rode the train. We all enjoyed our fun afternoon outdoors and the kids came home with even more candy. The candy stash was beginning to grow!

Fall Fest #1

2011-11-01T09:08:00.003-05:00

Saturday night we began official Halloween festivities. The kids got all dressed up, except for Lila, who was so not feeling her Tinkerbell costume! After many tears and literally pulling it off of her shoulders, daddo took pity on her and changed her clothes.

Then we set off for the Mall where Memaw and Poppi's church was hosting a Fall Festival.

While the big kids stood in line for the first game, Lila was content to hang with her daddy. I'm pretty sure she was still a little put out with me for trying to get her to dress up:)

We did the fishing game first because that's where M & P were working. Memaw was working behind the curtain and made sure the kids both got really cool huge balloons. It's nice to have connections!

Then we were off to many other games, like Noah's Ark...

where all of the kids did so good. Lila even took a turn and threw those animals in the boat. By that time she had figured out the program--play the game, get some candy. The girl loves candy.

"Mom, I need some more candy!"

"Really guys, this is just not going to do!"

Dallas Arboretum

2011-10-30T09:03:00.000-05:00

Fall at the Dallas Arboretum. It doesn't get much prettier. Last Friday the gang and I headed out to see all of the pumpkins and enjoy a really beautiful day outdoors.

Right after we arrived, Daddy Long Legs hopped up on this huge pumpkin.

On our way to the pumpkin patch, I snapped this pretty picture.

After the little one refusing to wear the tutu at first, we finally convinced her it was not that bad! There were many factors to contend with, such as babies and birds.

If Lila saw either one of those, she was off and running towards it! By the way, there are many babies and many birds at the Arbo.

Another hurdle was Madison's alter ego, Batgirl, who decided to come out during our pictures. So random! Months ago when Jackson decided to be Batman for Halloween, he tried very hard to convince Maddie to be Batgirl. She declined, rather adamantly at times, and I didn't blame her. For some reason, though, she decided last Friday was the time to channel her inner superhero! Here she and J are both showing off their superhuman strength...

...and here again with a really mean face!

One of the main reasons we went this year was to see Cinderella's Pumpkin House. I thought Maddie would be in heaven. When I saw this carriage, I thought her head might pop off with excitement. Needless to say, she was not all that excited about the carriage, but I thought it was really cool!

After a picnic lunch it was time to go pet the animals. Lila's favorite was this horse. He was in his own stall and she could reach over and pet him. The horse was very laid-back.

Unlike this baby goat who pursued Lila quite a bit! We guessed it was her fancy tutu that caught his eye. She was not amused, though, and we had to leave pretty quickly!

J, on the other hand, told me that he could stay in there and brush this goat for "a week."

As soon as Lila escaped from that silly billy goat, she found her some more black birds and was off and running. That's pretty much how we spent the last hour at the Arboretum--chasing laughing children. Their smiles were infectious, but we just did our best to keep up!

World Series!!

2011-10-24T09:48:00.002-05:00

Right before we left for church yesterday Jared got a very important call. Two tickets to Game 4 of the World Series had just become available! I didn't even have to hear him say anything because the look on his face said it all. When he hung up I had tears in my eyes and told him to tell J the good news.

A few hours later, dad and son were at the ballpark ready to cheer on the Rangers! No one else deserves to go see the Rangers more than Jackson. He is such a loyal fan!!

Right after the national anthem was sung, these two cool choppers flew over the stadium. The night was off to a fantastic start for our little guy.

When you sit up at the very top of the stadium, you can get some awesome shots of the field:)

They had such a great time. They ate jumbo dogs, although Jackson waited until the 2nd inning to eat his (b/c that's what he had done at the last game--our Mr. Creature of Habit!), drank lemonade and then flagged down the Cotton Candy guy when it was time for dessert. They swung their rally towels and hollered loudly the whole time, even chanting "Na-po-li! Na-po-li!" as Mike Napoli stepped up to the plate. Seconds later the stadium erupted as Napoli hit a three run homer. Awesome. So very awesome.

The Rangers pulled off a huge win and the boys stayed until the very end. I am certain that J will remember this for the rest of his life. World Series at age 4. Pretty darn amazing.

Let's go Rangers!!

Pumpkin Carvers

2011-10-23T15:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we went to a pumpkin carving party with Jared's coworkers. We brought our own tools and stencils and Jackson worked long and hard with Daddo to carve a really cool pumpkin. By the time they were done it was time to enjoy burgers from the Hamburger Man, so we just brought home Maddie's pumpkin to do later this weekend.

That time came after we got home from church today and all three kids were set and ready to help out. No time to even change out of their church clothes! Madison chose a scary witch to carve.

After Daddo cut a hole in the pumpkin, Maddie helped clean all the goop out of it.

And tada! Two really cool pumpkins. It's a little hard to tell without them being lit up, but there are two ghosts on the left and a witch on the right. We are all set now for Halloween night:)

Owens Country Farm

2011-10-21T17:35:00.001-05:00

Fall is here and it's that time of year again when we get to visit Owens Country Farm! It was a really pretty, although slightly warmer than I would have liked, day and we enjoyed it to the fullest at one of our favorite fall places.

Since Lila seems to always be frowning in all of our pictures, Maddie decided to do a little bit from her stand-up routine. She imitates Froggy from the Little Rascals really well and Lila just cracks up every time. It worked like a charm and got Lila to smile...but then we had Maddie making a goofy face. Jackson didn't seem to think any of it was funny:) Can't please 'em all, I guess.

Aunt Colleen came with us today, too. The kids were way too intrigued with all of the elementary school children in matching blue shirts to be bothered with looking at the camera anymore.

The only way we got their attention was telling them to make a scary face!

Sweet smiles from Lila Lou!

This girl is a pumpkin fan!

J doing a little pumpkin surfing...

and all three just being their silly selves.

After playing in the pumpkin patch, we walked over to feed the goats.

You'd think that the goats would be pretty full after eating all day, but they were hungry! Lila was a big fan--here she is saying "Hi!" and waving to this big white goat.

The kids were looking for the barrel ride that they have riden in years past, but this year it was replaced with a fun train. They hopped on up, but didn't go anywhere because the driver was no where to be found.

No prob! They hopped on off and went over to take a silly pic as a big pumpkin and two flowers.

After that it was time to go for a fun hayride. Lila loved the "truck" that pulled us around and all the kids enjoyed the ride.

After the hayride we sat down for a picnic lunch and then moved on to see some animals. These horses were too busy eating hay to come say hi, so they just waved to them through the fence. I'm pretty sure Lila would have climbed over if not for Gigi hanging on to her!

On our way out we checked the train station and found a driver this time. Even though the ride only consisted of going in a big circle three times, the kids loved it.

We ended the day letting J and M play on this big bale of hay. The boy got some air!

What a great afternoon.

The New Mr. and Mrs. Hays!

2011-10-17T13:39:00.001-05:00

Our whirlwind weekend continued on Saturday and by 4:20 that afternoon we had cheered on Jackson at his tee ball game, went by my parent's house to finish up the decorations, bathed all three kids and gotten ourselves dressed and ready for the wedding! Phew! Just thinking about it again makes me tired. Anyways, after we got to the church, it was time to get the little girls dressed.

Miss Maddie in her first appearance as a flower girl. Love the tulle!

Jackson standing with all the big boys during pre-ceremony pictures.

While we were waiting for Lyndsie to get ready, our family snapped a few quick pics on the altar. I was so excited to get a good one!

Memaw and Poppi with the three musketeers.

Uncle Andrew got in on the fun, too, and when the kids wouldn't stand up, he just laid down on the steps with them!

I really have no words for how adorable I think this is--simply makes my heart melt.

While we were waiting for the ceremony to begin, the girls had fun doing puzzles. It was a nice change of pace from Lila's sprinting the night before!

Mrs. Jared Hays, the almost Mrs. Scott Hays and Mrs. Warren Hays. Lyndsie made a beautiful bride!
The wedding went really well. Lila got stage fright and opted not to walk down the aisle. Oh well, maybe next time! I did the reading from 1 Corinthians and didn't flub up any lines, so that was a plus. And then I spent the rest of the time trying to make sure that Miss M didn't get too crazy up on stage! She wiggled a lot, got down on the floor a time or two, whispered to Jackson about how excited she was that they were going to get to pick out a new DVD after it was all over, but overall did pretty good for a 3 year old! It was really cute watching them onstage and I was very relieved when it was over:)

After the ceremony was over, we headed to my parents for the reception. Here's the happy couple before they made their grand entrance. Their get-away car was this awesome 1955 Thunderbird!

After we all ate dinner, it was time for the fun stuff. Bring on the cake!

Then Lyndsie's maid of honor gave a sweet toast...

followed by Jared's funny one. Cheers!

After the toasts, we had the three first dances. This is one of my favorite pics of the night. Scott and his mama. So sweet. I tear up even thinking about how that will be me and Jackson one day.

We could not have pulled this off without all of the help from these three awesome ladies. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mom, Dale and Louann!

When the dances were done, the party moved outside to really get going. DJ Maria did an awesome job:)

Everyone had a great time gettin' down.

And Jared even got his mama out on the dance floor, I heard!

Right before we wished them well with sparklers galore, we got one last pic of us three couples.

We had a fantastic night celebrating with everyone.

Congrats, Lyndsie and Scott Hays!

Uncle Scott's Rehearsal Dinner

2011-10-16T21:22:00.000-05:00

Wedding, wedding, wedding! Lots of wedding activities this weekend! Uncle Scott got married and the kids now have a new Aunt. We began the festivities by going to rehearse at the church on Friday night. These three goofballs were the flower girls and ring bearer and all very excited about their roles--well, I guess the older two were really excited. Lila was way more interested in running around the church.

This picture really sums up the kids that night:)

J man was really good throughout the entire rehearsal--I was very proud of my little stud muffin.

After about five attempts and a few different poses, we finally got all three kids to at least look towards the camera. Too bad I had to hold two of them in order for this to happen. It's no wonder I've developed a new pain in my lower back!

The big kids did pretty good standing on their names and listening to instructions about the big day.

Meanwhile, wild woman Lila was on the run for at least a solid hour!

It is truly shocking that she slowed down long enough to walk down the aisle. Although she totally dismissed big brother's attempt to hold her hand. Miss Independent.

After that, she was on to roam the halls some more, so the big kids were on their own for round 2.

They both did great and we were able to go have some good Italian food at the rehearsal dinner. Gigi and Boom met us there and we all had a really enjoyable night.

After Lila had finished her meal, she was set free to visit all the tables. She made several stops at Uncle Scott's just to give him some sweet kisses on the cheek. It was so cute.

Stay tuned for wedding pics!

Long game, Longhorns

2011-10-08T15:17:00.001-05:00

October 8th, Gameday!

Jackson's ball game was at 9:00 this morning. Happy to say that the Cubs won! The girls got ready to cheer on the Longhorns and put on their uniforms to wear to the game.

Even Hoppy, the class mascot who is spending the weekend with us, helped root for the Horns today. Maddie taught him how to get his horns up:) But alas, it was not enough!

Oh well, we had fun wearing our orange and white, and there's always next year.

Now we are ready to cheer on the Rangers tonight. Let's go Rangers!!

Pumpkin Time!

2011-10-07T16:40:00.001-05:00

Fall has arrived! And we are oh so thankful! This week the kids and I stopped by a pumpkin patch on our way home from school. I let them all pick out a few small pumpkins and they loved it.

While there will definitely be more pumpkin pictures to come, I just had to document their pumpkin love.

They all picked out a spot to pose with their cool new pumpkins.

Yay for Fall! Now bring on some cool temps!

Rowdy Ranger Fans

2011-10-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

A few Sundays ago, Boom took Jackson to the Rangers last home game of the regular season.

Jackson was more than excited after experiencing the awesomeness of a Ranger game a few weeks before. He counted down every day during the two weeks leading up to it.

After all, he knew that he'd get to go early and do all the fun hitting games beforehand. He'd get to eat hot dogs, cotton candy and ice cream. What he didn't fully grasp was how great his seat was going to be.

They were literally 12 rows behind Nolan Ryan! What a view! Both my dad and Jackson brought their gloves to try and catch a foul ball. While they didn't catch one, a really nice lady who worked for the ballpark saw them trying to and ended up giving them an official Rangers baseball. How cool is that?!

They had a few professional pictures taken at the ballpark. Here's one of the best. Thanks, Dad for taking J to the game. Thank you also for staying after the game was over and letting him run the bases. He will remember it for many years to come. And I love that.

Go Rangers!!

Baby Luau

2011-10-03T11:32:00.001-05:00

Our real address is on Swan Ct., but you can really just remember it by this short phrase: Party Central!

This past weekend we hosted a couple's baby shower for our good friends, Price and Taylor.

Since we already had lots of luau decor, we decided to stick with the same theme. Who doesn't love a luau?! The guys really enjoyed hanging out, drinking some beer and watching the Ranger game.

Us girls hung out indoors and really enjoyed getting to catch up with each other, without kids!

After Jared got the sliders ready, it was time to feast. And what a feast it was--everything was so good! Thanks, girls for all helping out with the yummy food:)

It's been quite a while, but it feels like not that much time has passed since us 5 were cheering for GHS. Go Owls!

After dinner we all started making our way out back. I had to get one pic with my hawaiian honey.

Then it was time for some fun gift time. Here are the happy parents holding up the present we got them. I love this little winter outfit and had Temple's name embroidered on the back.

Perfect patio evening and the Rangers won! It was a great night with awesome friends. Congrats, Price & Taylor! We can't wait meet Pointer Sister #3!!

Carrie Underwood

2011-10-02T21:24:00.001-05:00

Trying to get these three to sit still is similar to catching three birds and asking them to do the same thing. Good luck.

But put on a video of Carrie Underwood, and they will be instantly mesmerized!

After breaking the spell that she had over them, Jackson jumped up and began rocking out on his air guitar with her duet partner, Brad Paisley.

The kid may have a future on the big stage!

This little goose danced so hard that she spun around and fell down. Thanks, CMT for a few good laughs!

Luau Wedding Shower

2011-09-25T14:01:00.004-05:00

Like I said, we have been really busy this weekend. Yesterday we had Jackson's baseball game in the morning--he did great and got two doubles off of the coach pitch! He didn't need the tee at all! After that Daddo left with Poppi to go help Uncle Scott move into his new apartment. While they were gone doing the heavy lifting, the kids and I went to have lunch with Meme and wish her a happy birthday. When we got home from that, it was time to start getting ready for Lyndsie and Scott's wedding shower at our house.

Thank goodness I had some help! Maria offered to come over early and was a big help getting all of the food ready. She's also a fan favorite with Maddie:)

Memaw and Poppi came early too to lend a few more hands. Love this pic--Maddie's doing her best "cheese" face and Lila is saying cheese while eating a goldfish.

While the girls were getting everything ready inside, Jared, Andrew and Poppi were working on the patio. The guys hung lights and then Jared started grilling the chicken.

Even Jackson was trying his best to help and really liked assisting me with lighting the tiki torches:)

Right after we got it all under control, the happy couple arrived. Aren't they so darn cute?

Thank goodness everyone came hungry because we had plenty of food.

We found this child grass skirt at Meme's house. She brought it back from Hawaii when they went sometime in the 1970s! Jackson thought it was so funny and wanted to wear it for a little while at the party. Love this kid.

J also got the best seat in the house and had his dinner outside, sitting in his daddy's favorite chair, so that he could watch college football on TV!

While he and Maddie ate dinner outside, Lila was busy holding court inside. She loved climbing up in Uncle Scott's chair...

and thought wearing his big hat was really funny.

When it was time for presents, the kids all got a front row seat! They were so excited to be able to come to the adult party, and for the most part they did pretty good. The last thing J asked me before going to bed last night was, "Mom, was I good enough to be invited to another party?" The kid loved him some luau fun.

The kids got Uncle Scott this very cool tool box and they got other really fun gifts, too.

All in all it was a very good night. Jared convinced Maria to hang loose and it turned out to be my favorite picture of all of us!

Happy Birthday, Meme!

2011-09-25T13:37:00.003-05:00

Meme's birthday was yesterday, but since we had such a jam-packed weekend we celebrated on Thursday night.

We met Meme, Gigi and Boom at a fun mexican restaurant after dance and ball practice. We don't know how to take it easy around here!

The reason we picked this one is because Marti the Magician is there on Thursday nights. He is so good and the kids were totally amazed! Maddie's jaw actually dropped after he did a really cool trick.

After he showed us a few tricks, he made all the kids balloon animals. Lila got this cute little puppy dog...

Madison got this fun purple caterpillar...

Jackson got a super cool light sabre gun and Meme got an awesome birthday hat!

So glad we got to celebrate with the fam and enjoy all of the entertainment. I really need to look into taking Marty to every restaurant we go to!

Opposite Day!

2011-09-23T12:13:00.002-05:00

Today was opposite day at school for all of the four year olds.

Jackson and I got some good laughs this morning picking out his wacky outfit. Mismatched socks and shoes, a toboggan with shorts...how fun!

As soon as I started taking Jackson's picture to commemorate this goofy day, the girls ran right over and said, "cheese!" Aren't they the cutest stairsteps you ever did see?

Duck, Duck, Goose!

2011-09-23T09:26:00.003-05:00

Every Tuesday and Thursday Jackson has ball practice. Near that field is a park with the cutest little pond and tons of ducks. The girls are not all that interested in watching practice, so we have started going to feed the ducks.

Right after we got there they all started flocking towards us! Duck...

more ducks...

and a goose!

Since the geese were bigger than Lila (and much more aggressive), she prefered to sit on this bench and watch them!

But after those crazy geese had flown away, Lila Lou was all about chasing some ducks.

She loved it! Needless to say, it was a tough task getting both of the girls back in the car. They would have stayed there all night, I think, and cannot wait to go back on Tuesday.

We are Fam-i-ly!

2011-09-19T18:58:00.001-05:00

I got all my sisters (and cousins, and aunts, and uncles) and me! This past weekend my parents hosted the Jackson/Kendrick Family Reunion at their house.

Meme (aka Lois Jackson) is one of 9 kids. Her parents had 5 kids and then her daddy passed away. Her mom remarried Mr. Kendrick and they had 4 more kids. This reunion was for all of those people! Lila, Maddie and I arrived a little early so we were there to greet all of the matriarchs and patriarchs:)

Seven of the nine are still living and six of them made it to the reunion.

We started out the day meeting Benjamin. He and Maddie had fun on the see-saw.

Lila was a little nervous meeting all kinds of new people, but she found her smile again in the toy closet!

One of the first big families to arrive were these folks from Oklahoma. Brittany is my mom's cousin's child--here she is with her husband and 6 kids. Yes, you read that right! Four boys and two girls. And I thought my life was hectic!

These two knew just where to find some toys to play with...

and it wasn't long before Jackson convinced a cousin to play football with him.

While brother was busy outside, Miss Lila was busy having fun with her cousin Evie. This was her first time to meet sweet Evie and they just loved each other. So sweet.

We tried to get all of the families together for family photos. Here is ours. Two of my cousins didn't get to make it, but my cousin Jenny did, along with her husband, son and parents.

After the adults had chatted a while and the kids had had lots of fun in the pool, it was time to eat. One thing about family reunions--there will be plenty of good food!

I don't know how she did it, but amidst the chaos of 80 people in the house, Lila fell asleep. Meeting new people is such hard work!

We enjoyed our lunch poolside and Lila was even asleep out there, that is, until a kid shot her in the face with a water gun. In his defense, it was an accident, but Mama was still a little bit upset.

Thank goodness she woke up with a smile on her face and was ready to play with her cousin Calen. They are two months apart and really enjoyed hanging out.

After lunch it was time for my favorite part of the reunion; the cake walk!! When I was little we used to have reunions every year. I would always come home with at least three cakes! These kids loved it so much...

just look at the J man's smile after he won the sprinkle cake. We baked two cakes for the event and this was one of them. I was so happy for him!

Lila won, too, and she picked out this delicious banana nut bread. Good pick, Lila!

Since the festivities lasted all day, Jackson had to take a rest at some point. I found him in the media room watching Austin Powers (oh dear!) and grinning like the cheshire cat.

In addition to us having the reunion, we also celebrated Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan's 57th wedding anniversary. We had pictures of them that dated all the way back to their Junior/Senior Prom. Love it!

After cake time I snapped a pic of the Lilley Family--many of them were unable to make it, but it was so good seeing the ones who did.

At the end of the party, we somehow got all of these kids off the playground long enough to stand still for a big family picture!

And when I say big, I mean super-sized big! There were 26 in this crew! Yes, 21 from Oklahoma and 5 from Texas.

We all had a great time and hope that our next reunion is sooner rather than later.

Thanks, mom and dad for hosting!

Dancin' Darlin'

2011-09-16T13:00:00.002-05:00

Madison has officially begun her dance career and is starting out with ballet and tap. I'm pretty sure that the main draw to dance class is getting to wear a pretty pink leotard, pink tights and the dance shoes (especially the cool tap shoes), but she is super excited, nonetheless!

We weren't able to watch the dance class because the director told us it was too distracting for the girls. Boo. Guess the recital will be a big surprise for everyone!

Ballpark Bonanza

2011-09-15T13:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon the day had finally arrived. There had been a five week countdown leading up to Jackson's first trip to the Ballpark in Arlington. Seriously, he asked me every single day how many days it was until we got to go see the Rangers play!

Boom, Gigi, Poppi, Jackson and I all arrived early so that we would have plenty of time to see the ballpark. It was awesome--hardly any traffic, Boom valeted the car and we were not rushed in the least. I'm pretty sure the stars were all aligned.

It was so fun getting to see Jackson in the ballpark for the first time. He was in hog heaven! My favorite quote of the night was when he leaned over to me and said, "Mom, it's bigger than I thought it would be!" That right there was worth the price of admission.

Boom had told us that there was a fun kid area out in center field, so went to check i tout. Sure enough, there were all kinds of cool things for little boys to do. First up, was hitting off the tee--J got a triple!

Next was fielding--he got to play right, center and then left field.

Then he got to play some real ball and try to hit it from a pitcher. He did great and even got a few hits!

After playing the games, we went in search of a new Josh Hamilton shirt. Apparantly Josh is super popular with the kiddos, so they didn't have any in his size. No worries, J is now the proud owner of an Ian Kinsler shirt instead. After getting his new shirt, we went to find our seats. While we were watching the players warm up, Maria and Shane got there. Maria is Uncle Andrew's girlfriend and since he had to fly out of town last night, she brought her nephew with her. Shane and J sat next to each other for at least half of the game and had their gloves on the whole time. They were ready to catch those foul balls!

In addition to this being Jackson's first Ranger game, it was also Dollar Dog Night. Bonus! The kid said he was going to eat two hot dogs and he made good on that promise. Not sure where he puts it, but the kid can eat.

After getting stuck in a little traffic and then having to park really far away, Uncle Scott, Aunt-to-be Lyndsie and Daddo arrived in the third inning.

Thank goodness Daddo made it in time to see Josh hit a grand slam! It was one of three times there were fireworks last night. The Rangers did awesome and it just added to J's excitement.

Towards the end of the game Kinsler hit the last home run. While we were all up celebratingwe spotted Santa Claus up above us! Jackson had told me way earlier in the game that he saw someone who looked like Santa. I had dismissed him thinking that he just meant he saw an old man with a white beard. Ha! Who knew Santa was really there?!

We all had a fantastic time. The Rangers won 9 - 1 and it was a great night.
Hello Win Column!
Little guy lasted about 10 minutes in the car before he just gave out. Game over!

Who needs Bluebell?

2011-09-13T14:04:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday the kids and I made some homemade ice cream. Well, maybe I should say that we tried! We were having all of the Hays family over for dinner and thought this would be a nice treat.

Things started out well and I had two very eager helpers.

"Oh no! Jackson is going to add the whipping cream?!"

As it turned out, the two helpers did their part. They added all of the right ingredients. It was the mama that missed the very last step. You must add a lot of milk in order for it to actually be ice cream. Who knew?! Not me. So, as it turns out, who needs Bluebell? We do! We got out our back-up tub of BB added sprinkles and Hershey's syrup and enjoyed our ice cream anyway:)

Memaw and Maddie

2011-09-13T13:58:00.003-05:00

For the past two years, Jackson has gone to Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) with Memaw every Tuesday morning. This year, he decided to pass, but Madison was all about it! BSF gets the summer off, so today was the first day.

Much to my surprise, Madison was up and at 'em at 7:15! Since she is not a morning person, this was great news. She was in a good mood and very excited about getting to pick out her dress for the day. We had her dressed and on the field before Memaw arrived at 7:55. Hooray!

Even though Jackson didn't want to go to BSF, he still insisted he get a picture with Memaw, too. I hope Maddie had a really fun day--I'm sure I'll hear all about it when I go pick her up in a bit:)

Fan Club

2011-09-11T15:43:00.005-05:00

Yesterday morning we went to cheer on Jackson in his third tee ball game. Madison can be quite the tomboy some days, with her love for bugs and creepy creatures, but not yesterday.

T-shirt and shorts? Nope. Hot pink tutu? Why not?!

J always has a good fan base, but today there were a few new faces in the crowd. Like Maria, Uncle Andrew's girlfriend. So very sweet of her to come!

And Papaw, who drove himself all the way from Greenville. So glad he made it!

Even Daddo and I got into the spirit a little more this game by sporting our new Cubs shirts.

The Cubs won again: 16 to 15. It was a close one! Jackson got a really great double and had so much fun playing second, short and third base. Go Cubs!

Little "Big" Girl

2011-09-09T12:53:00.007-05:00

Lila has been growing up so fast, it's all I can do to keep up with her. One day she's wearing my heels and purse...

and looking so cute...

then the next day she's "feeding" herself some yogurt while I finished cooking dinner.
Two steps forward, one step back!

Today when it was time for lunch she told me she wanted to sit in Maddie's booster seat.

I agreed and this little girl did so good! Look at her--using a spoon eating the big kid yogurt. Thank goodness she didn't decide to exfoliate with some strawberry yogurt today.

Just sat right there and fed herself so well. She ate most of her turkey, all of her cheetos and drank her milk. No spills! That's more than I can say most days for the other two rascals that live in this house!