The McClendons

Photo Shoot

2009-11-14T14:40:00.000-08:00

The day before I chopped my hair I decided to dress everyone up and head out for our first family photo shoot. My dear friend Nikki of Nikki B Photography came out and took some great shots of the boys. I was nervous...three boys looking in the same direction is quite a challenge! Here are some shots...she's so talented!

Halloween Fun!

2009-10-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun Trick or Treating this year. Creed and I were both under the weather, so we took a quick family pic (below) and headed to the first few houses. I then headed home with my tired, stuffed-up little Superman and let him sleep in his fun little costume. The boys had a blast!

Family Photo

We T or T with our neighbors each year. Emily prepared Mummy Hotdogs while I made Kitty Litter Cake and a Witch's Brew. Fun!

Boys annual photo by the carved pumpkins! ;)

Here's Creed's attempt at Trick or Treating. I don't know if you can tell, but that's his little red cape. I persuaded him to finally walk up to the first house (the boys were already ringing the doorbell), and he just plowed right through the boys and kept on walking - right into the lady's house! Down the hall into the living room...made himself right at home!

Here he is being retrieved by Jonah (hand with the blue sleeve). Poor guy, he had no idea what was going on!

Fun with Mycah and Cali

2009-10-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

We were able to visit the McClendons (Cory and Michelle) and their two little ones Mycah (11 days younger than Jonah) and Cali (a year younger than Creed). Rusty and Cory were at work, and Carson was at school, so it was just Michelle and I and the little ones. I wish I could report to you that Cali is the sweetest thing to hold - but I wouldn't know! Creed was in high gear the entire time we were there. I never got my hands on sweet Cali! I will next time though...

Here's a pic of Mycah and Jonah together. They played so well - it didn't matter if they were playing with princesses or pirates, they were happy to be together! Two peas in a pod!

Surprise!

2009-10-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

I surprised the boys this evening by turning down the wrong street when we left Jonah's practice. We typically rush to AWANA at church straight from practice. Instead, I turned back towards our house. They were so confused! Our friends Brian and Tammy Smith invited us to FBCAllen's Fall Festival. It was a special treat for the boys as our church's fall festival is always on Halloween night, and we like to Trick or Treat in lieu of going to it. Here are some pics from the fun filled night!

Here's our attempt to get a pic of all 3 boys as we arrived. It was like pulling teeth to get Carson and Jonah to stand still for a pic. They were so ready to hit the bounce houses!

Jonah, Caden G., Carson, Laken, Ian, Caden S. and Landon Too cute!

Batman had a blast!

Inside the church they had toddler games set up. I finally let Creed out of his stroller. He's going to be a little athlete as well I think! Here he is at 14 months dribbling the soccer ball down to the goal and scoring!

If only he were 3 feet taller...

Creed-O on the go!

2009-10-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

As soon as the back door opens, Creed puts it into high gear. Usually he heads straight for the playset where he climbs up into the club house and slides down the slide (feet first) on his tummy. It keeps him entertained for hours, but it's dangerous (and very scary for Mom), so you have to follow him around as he climbs and slides, climbs and slides, etc.

Yesterday when the door opened he tried to take off the opposite direction of the playset. I was busy in the kitchen and couldn't stay outside, so I grabbed him and brought him in with me. After dinner, I let him go outside and took the camera to document what he's been up to. Let's just say we should have named him Monkey. What 14 month old does this?!?!

Hi Mom!

Follow me...

We'll just give this the 'ole college try...

almost there...

try again...

Yes! Now if I could just get my leg out from between the springs!

Yea!

Wanna jump Mom?

The best part? The finale - the famous crooked grin. Sometimes he slides it to the right, sometimes the left. Depends on what mood he's in. We love him! Thank you God for our sweet baby boy.

Note the puke on his shirt. I guess all of that pressure from the trampoline was hard on his little tummy. :(

Dad's Home!

2009-10-25T18:38:00.001-07:00

Rusty flew in Sunday afternoon from Vancouver. Poor guy, he worked 85 hours last week alone! I sent him with the camera and when he came home and I looked through the camera, there were only pics from his office window. :( The view wasn't bad, but I know he would have enjoyed sight seeing a bit while he was there.

When he got in Sunday we enjoyed a few minutes with Granny and Aunt Debbie before they left (a big THANK YOU to Granny and Deb for helping Saturday and Sunday!) and then we had a fun game of soccer in the backyard, swing time on the playground and a walk around the neighborhood. We returned to find our pumpkins ready to be carved...so the boys got right to work!

Rusty heads back to Vancouver Tuesday morning. He's going to try and be home for Halloween though!

View from the E&Y office in Vancouver, BC, Canada

Pumpkin Carving with Dad!

Slumber Parties!

2009-10-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our dear friends JD and Christy Smitherman, Carson and Jonah were able to play at their home Friday afternoon so that I could spend some time with Creed and conquer the weekly grocery shopping. Rusty found out that he will fly home Sunday, and return to Vancouver Tuesday morning.

As night grew near on Friday, Christy suggested we let Carson spend the night over there, and Eli at our house (Eli is 3). What a treat! I know this may sound funny, but it was sooooo much easier being able to mix things up a bit! Eli and Jonah are good buddies and no one was scared or in need of Mommy late at night, so all was well! Here are some pics...

Eli and Jonah enjoying some Arthur before bed time.

Eli S. at the game Saturday morning - just taking it all in.

Carson dressing up in his buddy Cade Smitherman's football gear!

Full Speed Ahead

2009-10-22T05:34:00.000-07:00

I've learned not to bother taking a chair to the boys' practices and games. It's just not worth it! As soon as Creed's feet hit the ground he takes off running. I have to face him in the direction that I want to travel, because wherever he is facing is the direction he goes! He uses his belly button as a sort of headlight, leading the way infront of him. He sticks his belly so far out when he walks - it's gotta hurt his back! He's getting a little more hair - which is fun. He loves to bark like a dog and roar like a lion.

Everyone that sees him comments on his big blue eyes. They are strangely large! He gets that from his Aunt T.

Crazy Hat Day

2009-10-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today was Crazy Hat Day at school. Carson said, "Since Jonah's head is bigger, can he wear this hat?" He switched, only to find that the other hat was too big for him also. The first of many realizations that Carson will have that his "little" brother is actually going to be a lot "bigger" than him! My dad always jokes that Carson is going to threaten bullies in school that he will sick his Big Little Brother on them! ;) Funny thing is, at the rate that Creed is growing, he may be bigger than both of them!

Weekend Chaos!

2009-10-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

Our Weekend - Just the 4 of Us!

Well, it was a weekend full of fun activities! I had a lot of people asking me what I had going on this weekend with Rusty out of town. Well, let me recap:

Sat
9:00 AM Carson's Game (for some odd reason, it was "rained out". I found this out after I had everyone dressed ON TIME and at the field. So instead...)
9:45 AM Haircuts and Grocery Store (see pics, we desperately needed these!)
10:30 AM Birthday party - ELLA!
3:00 PM Pictures - Jonah
3:00 PM Game - Carson
4:00 PM Game - Jonah
6:00 PM Fall Party

Well, we survived. T came in to help with the 3PM overlap and I was able to watch some of Carson's game and some of Jonah's. I was driving all over Allen/Plano. Jonah and Creed were able to take a nap, although a little short. I was also able to catch a little of the OU/Texas game. Great game!

We didn't make it to the Fall Party. Carson had a meltdown at Jonah's game, so we skipped the party and went on a walk to the movie store where we rented...drumroll please...HANNAH MONTANA! I loved this movie! Dare I say the boys did too? We snuggled up on the couch and watched it together. It was the perfect end to a busy Saturday.

I'm proud of the boys - they did very well this weekend. I'm happy to say that Jonah scored 2 goals and Carson scored 2 touchdowns. They both LOVE sports! It's so fun to go and support them.

Sunday
9:30 Church (I teach Carson's class, bring breakfast for my class)
1:00 Meet T (She left her things at our house the day before, so we drove to Dallas to return them)
4:00 Birthday Party @ Chuck E Cheese
5:00 Special Family Night Worship at Church
6:00 Bible Study
7:00 HOME!

OK, so I know this was tedious, it's just humorous for me to see what we were able to accomplish in 2 short days! ;) I loved having time with the boys, but for the record, I MISS MY HUSBAND! I didn't realize how much he does to help out, until he's gone! So Rusty - hurry home! We are surviving, but we really miss you. The Family Night Worship was amazing - but not the same without the leader of OUR family there.

I love my family and my friends. Thanks so much for your support while Rusty is away!

Before haircut - and false start on the soccer game!

Post Haircut

Carson going in for a Touchdown!

Jonah after a goal - notice his hands, what can I say, we're working on it!

Red faced Jonah. Both of the older boys inherited this trait from the Grider side of the family. We'll see if Creed gets it too!

Happy Friday!

2009-10-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a pic of the boys for Daddy (still in Vancouver). A cold front blew through last night, so we were finally able to break out some of the long sleeved shirts. Jonah had school today so Carson, Creed and I did a little shopping and then went up to Ford Middle School where I used to teach in Allen. It was so good to see some of my old friends. Everyone seemed happy and hard at work! It reminded me how much I miss teaching!

Closer

Closest

Side note: As cute as Creed looked, he did not wear this outfit all day. After we dropped Jonah off at school, we stopped back by the house where Creed decided to turn the water on in my bathtub and just jump right in! Turning the water on is his favorite thing to do. Jumping in is new...he is a monkey just like Carson. Thankfully he doesn't know how to use the stopper.

Camping with Paw

2009-10-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

After many failed attempts at the "perfect" Christmas gift for my Dad, Trisha and I decided to take him camping with the boys as his gift this year. He had a blast! We headed to Broken Bow, OK and stayed right next to Beaver's Bend state park. It was cold all weekend - which made it perfect weather for a campfire! This was probably the favorite part of the trip for the boys. Wait, actually the favorite part was the product of those campfires - the SMORES! Duh. I should have said that in the first place. ;)

Here we are, just arrived, about to head out for a scavenger hunt!

How blessed am I to have such a wonderful Dad?!?! He loves my children more than life itself. I worry about him because he lives alone in the middle of nowhere, but he's happy and he loves it. So, I let him be. His home is a shrine to his grandsons! Poor me, poor Trisha and poor Lance. We are definitley overshadowed by these 4 handsome little boys. It's funny, he bought a color picture printer the middle of this year. When it was too hot for him to work outside, he went to work printing out 8x10 of the boys, and hanging them all over his house! I'll have to take a pic next time I'm over there. It's hilarious - but sooooo sweet.

I'm so thankful that we've started this family tradition with Dad. Trisha and I decided that only Dad, his kids and grandkids are allowed. NO husbands! Rhonda can come, but no smelly men trying to tell Daddy how to stir the fire! ;) Nothing like special time with my Daddy...

Creed after a hike, I think we wore him out!

Daddy's Out of Town

2009-10-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Rusty left for Vancouver, Canada 2 days ago, and we have been busy ever since! He will be gone for 2 1/2 weeks, so I've been trying to do as much as I can to keep the boys busy and keep their mind off of missing Daddy.

Today was our visit to the doctor for Carson's 5 year check up and Jonah's 4 year check up. What an adventure it was! Carson is in the 25% for height and weight, where as Jonah is in the 95% for height and weight. Crazy how two kids can come from the same parents, yet be built completely different. Jonah was extremely upset about the finger prick and four shots he received. It took me and two nurses holding down the 47 pounder to get it done. We all survived and two books and stickers later, we were out the door. Creed was whining a bit through the appointment, but when Jonah started crying, Creed got very quiet. I think he was worried about his big brother! Such a sweet boy.

Here's a recent family pic.

Night Night

2009-02-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

Creed loves Oatmeal!

This time of day is always chaotic. No matter how early we begin the process or how much I prepare things ahead of time, we are lucky to have everyone asleep by 8:30. Here's the routine:

5:30/6:00 Dinner

6:30 Play

7:00 Creed Bath

7:30 Creed Bed, Boys Bath

8:00 Read bible and 2 add'l books

8:30 Pray, bed

The boys are usually asleep by 9, give or take. I must say that after I leave their room I usually sigh...both out of relief (I'm pooped!) but out of thanks that God blessed us with such sweet little boys! I LOVE to hear their prayers at night. They are the best!

Night Night Creed-O!

With Dad Before Bed

Valentine's Day 2009

2009-02-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

The boys really enjoyed Valentine's Day this year. Somehow, all 3 parties fell on the same day...talk about sugar overload! Carson had one at his school, Jonah at his and then we headed to the playgroup party at our friends Evan and Brady's house. Fun times!

Valentine's Day was spent at home. Dad picked up some steaks and salmon and grilled them out for us. We also enjoyed spinach and cookies. Yum! The boys each got a new DVD (Carson - Popeye, Jonah - Scooby Doo, Rusty - Short Circuit). Mom received a pretty spring colored necklace (from one of her favorite shops - Francesca's) from all of her boys. Fun was had by all!

Brace Yourself...

2009-02-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

I'm a blogging crazy woman today! I've dedicated the majority of the day to updating our blog. For those that have been bugging me (Mom) I'm sorry it has taken me so long. I'll try to be better! So, stay tuned for a back log of blogging. I've got my handy helper (Mr. Creed) sitting by me as I type on one computer and upload pictures (a beating) on the other! Here we go!

Creed's First Meal

2009-01-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

OK, so the doctor suggested that we try feeding Creed cereal to "hold him over" throughout the night, and keep him from waking up to eat so many times. Well, it didn't go over so well (see pics below). I don't know what to say, he just HATES food! We tried over a course of 5 days, and nothing worked. We are going to try again on his 6 month birthday...we'll see!
Here goes nothing!

Ummm...I don't think so!

Are you kidding me?!?!

Enough already Mom!

Creed 5 Months

2009-01-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me apologize for not taking a Creed - 4 month picture. Needless to say, his 4 month birthday fell on Christmas, and, well, we were a little busy.

This month Creed has enjoyed finding his feet. Ever since he's found them, he has not let them go. It is quite an obsession. As you can see, it was difficult trying to take a picture with Elmo as he was much more interested in his toes. Also, he does not miss a meal. Even through the night! Our sweet little boy still gets up twice a night. UUUGGGHHH....sorry, that was from Mom. Anyway, we are going to meet with the doctor at his 6 month appointment and see when he can start crying it out...no fun!

Creed - 5 Months

Happy Creed in the front yard.

Yipppeee...I found my feet!

He also endured a double ear infection this month. We have him on a strong antibiotic as he "kicks" the infection. Poor baby!

Cotton Bowl 2009

2009-01-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

Aunt T was a saving grace. She came over to our house and watched ALL 3 BOYS while Rusty and I joined friends at the Cotton Bowl. It was a terrible game, but we had a blast! We actually got SUNBURNED, on January 2nd no less. It was HOT! Eventhough Tech didn't pull through, we enjoyed spending time with friends.

Erin and Ginger before the game

Kappa Sigs Rusty, Sky and Steve

DHS to TTU, Kyle Craig, Kent Craig, me, Michael Rinehart, and Mitzi Clark

TTU Sweethearts!

BFF - Rusty and Sky

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T08:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Card 2008

What a wonderful Christmas! We celebrated with a trip to Bowie, trip to Mimi's (Bedford) and a trip to Arkansas. We were all over the place! The boys really enjoyed every aspect of Christmas and loved saying "Happy Birthday Jesus!" Jonah asked for super heroes, in particular, a "big Batman". Carson asked for a big boy bike and Creed, well Creed didn't ask for much! We enjoyed all of the festivities, and even set out yummy cookies for Santa and reindeer food for his reindeer. Fun!

Carson's Christmas Party at School

Christmas Morning

Carson and his Big Boy Bike

Jonah and his Big Batman

T and Alan at Mimi's House

Mr. Creed

Mom and Creed

Giggly Creed

At the Grider Christmas, Uncle Jay, Aunt Nola, Uncle Ronnie, Daddy, Aunt Judy

Jonah and Carson with cousins Aaron and Luke

Carson on the John Deere

Jonah's turn!

Jonah and Carson with "Little Paul"

T and Creed at Mimi's

Mimi with the boys on Christmas morning

Creed's Baby Dedication

2008-12-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

We have dedicated each of our boys to the Lord. By "dedicating" we mean proclaiming before the church congregation that we will raise your children in the eyes of the Lord. We are asking the congregation as well as the Lord to grant us grace and wisdom as we raise our children in a Christian home, with hopes that they may one day proclaim Jesus Christ as their Savior. Talk about a big job! It's one that Rusty and I don't take lightly...

Deuteronemy 6:4-7 The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. 6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7 and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.

I'm always nervous about the older boys' behavior, and asking them to walk on stage in front of hundreds of people and "stand still" and "be quiet" and "stop hitting each other", it was quite a hoot. At one point I just stopped caring what we looked like and really tried to soak in what the pastor was saying as he prayed over our family. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of comfort and joy. What a blessing it is to be a mother!

As the ceremony progressed, Creed was getting a little squirmy. He didn't cry though - good boy! We ended everything and walked off of the stage to find that Creed had "christened" his nice, Saks Fifth Avenue outfit. And, me being the crazy Mom trying to get everyone put together and looking nice, didn't pack another outfit for him. So, he spent the rest of church wrapped up in a blanket with nothing but a diaper and socks on. :) Memories...

Pops and Mimi with Creed

Happy Birthday Mimi!

2008-12-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

We headed to Mimi's house to celebrate her birthday. The boys enjoyed creating their annual gingerbread house with Mimi. She loves making it but always sends it home with us...some of the gum drops mysteriously disappeared over the next few days...weird...

Creed and Dad

Mimi opening her Christmas plate for us.

Mimi and the boys...this year they made a gingerbread train instead of a gingerbread house.

Mom watching the "masterpiece" unfold...(Carson took this picture)

Fun with Friends

2008-12-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed some Christmas festivities with friends this year. We visited Santa at a tree lighting ceremony in Murphy, attended playgroup at the Barretto's, many parks etc. Here are some pics that we wanted to share...

One funny story. When we attended the Murphy Tree Lighting Ceremony we arrived just before Santa did. It was exciting - the boys could hear the fire engine's sirens (Santa arrived hanging on to the side of the engine) and were sooooo excited. Jonah looked at me and said, "MOM - It's SANTA!!!!" With all of the commotion (Creed crying due to the sirens, Carson and Madeline running to see Santa on the fire truck, Jonah jumping up and down and me fumbling for my camera), I lost sight of Jonah. Santa was making his way to the Christmas tree where there was a long line waiting already to sit in his lap. I'm looking through the sea of people, shouting Jonah's name. After a few attempts I started to panic. I asked the other moms to keep an eye on Creed and Carson and I set out to find Jonah. I wound through the line looking at all of the little kids frozen faces, none of which belonged to my sweet curly-headed boy! As I reached the front of the line, I see Jonah walking towards me from Santa. I said, "Jonah sweetie where did you go? Mommy couldn't find you and I was scared." He said, "Mom, but it's SANTA!" And there you have it, a little boy's mystical view of the man in a red suit at Christmas time. Oh to be young again! A reporter followed Jonah up to me and said, "Is this your little boy? What's his name? He just followed Santa straight to his seat and plopped right down in his lap, bypassing the line of people. We'd like to put his picture in the paper." Needless to say, we never saw his picture in the paper, but this story is one I will never forget! :)

Jonah looking frantically for Santa

Carson and Madeline excited about seeing Santa

Playgroup friends at the Murphy Christmas Tree Lighting

Jonah with Hannah at the Playgroup Christmas Party

Buddies: Evan, Creed and Graham

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was celebrated many places. First, Paw, T and Alan came over Wednesday night for dinner. This was Mom's first day back at work, so T did all of the cooking, and it was delicious! The next morning Mom met Alissa at the Turkey Trot and ran 8 miles. What a way to start the day! We were able to talk and enjoy the nice weather together. It was so good to catch up with her. From there, we headed to Bedford to Mimi's house for Thanksgiving dinner with Mimi, Pops, T and Alan. We loved all of the yummy food! Next we were off to Bowie for the weekend. We enjoyed MORE FOOD, and some fun shopping too. Mom and Dad always enjoy shopping together the Saturday after Thanksgiving together while Carson and Jonah play with cousins, aunts and uncles in Bowie. This year Creed joined Mom and Dad and was a very good shopping partner!

Mimi and Pops - Christmas Card 2008

T and Mom

T, Jonah and Alan

Paw and Creed

Paw, Carson, Creed and Jonah...Creed looks a little overwhelmed...

Mimi and the boys enjoying a game of Candyland...

Creed 3 Months

2008-11-25T08:30:00.000-08:00

My baby boy is 3 months old! Oh I can't believe it...

He is smiling and laughing outloud now. Dad has a special tickle spot that gets Creed giggling like crazy. Carson and Jonah are spending more and more time with him. The more animated Creed becomes the more they want to be with him. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas this year with our added blessing.

At his 3 month appointment Creed was in the 75 percentile for both height and weight. It seems as though he will be a big guy...like his brother Jonah! We love you big boy!

All bundled up...

Pooped!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-11-23T08:19:00.000-08:00

Rusty celebrated his 32nd birthday at home with us on a FUN Sunday afternoon. We baked him a cake, blew out his candles and played baseball and football in the backyard with him. The boys really enjoyed having him home and I know that he enjoyed it as well. We took one of my favorite pictures right before the sun went down...my 4 favorite guys! I love you Big R.

Family Photo

2008-11-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

So Carson came home from school telling me that he needed a picture of his family to take to school the next morning. I realized the only family picture we had was of Rusty in a mullet wig, so I didn't think that was a good idea. Rusty got home after the kids were in bed that night, so I jumped out of bed the next morning, got everyone dressed and set the camera up. I don't know why, but this picture makes me laugh. Rusty looks so important, rushed for work (typical). The boys look all "gelled up", ready for a day of preschool (typical). Creed looks like "what the heck are you people doing to me now" (typical), and I'm ready for a jog (only typical 3 days a week...should be more). Anyway, it's just funny to me that we had to schedule a photo op at 7:30 in the morning. Fun times!

Some of the kids brought professional pictures where everyone is wearing matching shirts at a park...not the McClendons!

Trip to Houston

2008-11-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Jonah, Aunt Mimi, Carson, Creed and Uncle Ian

We traveled to Houston (Mom and 3 boys...first trip with all 3). It was quite an adventure! We had to pull over once on the way there and once on the way home to feed Creed and let the boys run around and play. Overall, it was an awesome trip. I couldn't do it without all of the help we receive as soon as we get there. Uncle Ian and Aunt Mimi are like surrogate parents to my kids. They love them like their own. It's so nice to go somewhere and feel like you are surrounded by family - all the help and patience, I can't say enough wonderful things about them.

Uncle Ian with Rylee and Creed - all 3 are snoozing!

Rylee and Creed seem to be getting along just fine!

Sydnee said, "Oh well, I'll just snuggle up by MYSELF and go to sleep!" Poor Sydnee...

Mimi had a doctor's appointment so while waiting on her, we had some "fun on the hill".

Uncle Ian and Creed at Bill's, pre burger!

Jonah racing down the hill Uncle Ian found for us!

Carson was on a mission - we were trying to make him tired so that he would take a good nap. I bet we had him ride that bike for over 2 miles...didn't help, he still wouldn't go down for a nap!

Creed lounging...love the foot propped up, he looks like his Daddy!

We fed the ducks...

Mimi and Mom took a break while Creed slept in Mommy's lap. The boys were busy racing!

We visited Mat and Kelli to watch the Tech OSU game and it was more of the same! I think Kelli is ready for #3, she helped out by holding Creed most of the night - I don't think she minded one bit! And Kendal and Ava were busy tutoring Carson and Jonah. At one point I heard Kendal reading a book to the boys - so sweet! You share that brain power all that you like Ms. Kendal!

Pumpkin Patch 2008

2008-11-04T15:41:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed the pumpkin patch in Celina this year. Fun times were had by all! Here are some photos...

Mom and Her Little Ones...where are Creed's shoes???

My Three Boys

Silly Brothers

Mom and Carson

The Youngest Member of the McClendon Clan

I got my pumpkin Mom!

I got mine too Mom!

Isaac's 3rd Birthday

2008-11-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

We traveled to Louisiana and helped my nephew Isaac celebrate his 3rd birthday. Now this wasn't just any birthday party, this was a FIREMAN birthday party and boy did Isaac have fun! Firetrucks, ladders, sirens, firemen...what little boy wouldn't be happy? Here are some pics...

Birthday Boy Isaac

Fireman Jonah

All of the Little Firemen

Cake Time!

We thank God for bringing us sweet little Isaac. He has brought us such joy over the past 3 years! We love you little buddy!

Halloween Night 2008

2008-10-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Neighborhood Gang: Batman (aka Nate), Spiderman (aka Jonah), "Alive Dead Woman" (aka Brooke), Clone Trooper (aka Hayden), and Spiderman (aka Carson)

So after multiple parties dressed up with our Thanksgiving theme, I allowed the boys to wear whatever costume from the closet that they wanted to trick-or-treat in. They both opted for Spiderman. We see a lot of him in our house. :)

The women (my neighbor Emily, her mom and sister, and myself and baby Creed) stayed behind to hand out candy while the men took all of the trick-or-treaters around the neighborhood. Fun times!

Gotta test the candy!

This picture cracks me up. As the night progressed, we were desparate to get rid of our candy, so we told the kids to get rid of it. They would chase the trick-or-treaters down the street with our bowls of candy. So cute!

Halloween Parties 2008

2008-10-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a few Halloween parties this year. We had a blast! Carson went as a pilgrim, Jonah as an Indian, and Creed as a turkey. Rusty warned me that this is the last year that I get to tell them what they are dressing up as...too bad.

We attended a Family Halloween Party at our friends the Cooks. Rusty went as a Hillbilly and I as a Cowgirl. Fun times!

Here is our playgroup party. I love looking at this picture every year. There is always someone crying, someone being goofy, etc. This year there is someone flirting (see Avery pulling Jonah's hair?). Cute.

Creed's costume is homemade, if you can't tell. It all started with a chic sleeper that Rusty and I converted into a turkey. Oh the looks he got! Poor kid...

Creed - 2 Months

2008-10-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Creed - 2 Month Photo Op

It's hard to believe that my baby boy is already two months old! Pretty soon he will be rolling over, sitting up, sleeping through the night (hopefully)...where does the time go? He is such a joy and has been such a blessing to our family. We LOVE seeing him smile - there's nothing like it. The boys want to see him first thing when I pick them up from preschool. They both have different tricks that they do to get him to smile, it's so sweet to watch.

I find myself coveting every moment with him - mostly because I know that he's my last baby. I hold him A LOT, I spoil him too. It's great! Everyone says he looks like Carson, and he does, but I'm here to tell you he's got Jonah's big eyes. They both get them from their Aunt T.

Today is a prayer for patience:

Lord:

Help me to enjoy every moment with Creed. Help me to not focus so much on what the next step will be in his development, but to enjoy the one that he's currently in. Help me to be patient with C & J when the want to hold him while he's crying, so that they learn to soothe their brother also. They are such good little helpers and I'm so blessed to have them! We love you Lord.

Amen

Creed with Jonah

Creed snuggled up with Carson

Momma's Little Pumpkin

Fair Day 2008

2008-10-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

FAIR DAY!!!!

Mimi and T offered to take the boys to the FUN State Fair of Texas again this year. Because Creed is so young (and let's face it, the fair is not the cleanest place in town) I decided not to go this year. :( I'm so thankful that I have such an AWESOME Mom and Sister. I love that the boys get to go to the fair each year (DON'T mess with tradition) and thanks to my wonderful support system, they didn't have to miss this year!

All Strapped in and Ready to GO!

Mimi and the boys taking their annual picture at the fountain.

Mimi helping Jonah see the cool guy that rides a motorcylce ride around in big caged in circles. This is how Jonah explained it to me. And he kept saying "the lady had to be careful with the chairs". Apparently this is something you had to be there to appreciate.

HOWDY FOLKS!

Carson with the puppet. Jonah was invited to sit also, but he REALLY didn't care for the puppet.

Two of our favorite people...thanks Mimi and T!

Jonah's ?: "Mom I want to ride the big ferris wheel."

Ginger's response: "No sweetie - it's way too expensive."

Jonah's Second Attempt: "Mimi I want to ride the big ferris wheel."

Mimi's response: "OK honey, whatever you want."

$24 later, all 4 took a ride on the ferris wheel. What can I say, I guess that's what Mimis are for!

Carson hitching a ride from T.

The petting zoo...the boys LOVE this part of the fair!

Dinosaurs!

2008-10-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

Mimi came for a visit while Dad was out of town (what a blessing she is to us). We had a blast with her. The highlight of the visit was a trip to the Dinosaur exhibit at the Heard Museum. It was awesome! Carson (who's usually VERY timid around animals) was not phased by the robotic dinosaurs. Jonah on the other hand preferred to be carried every time we would get close to one that moved (they also made life like sounds...very cool!).

Robber's Cave 2008

2008-10-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

The McClendons (Can someone show me how to rotate a picture once it's attached???)

We hooked up with the Clossers and headed to Oklahoma for some campin' fun! OK, we really weren't "roughing it" (we had cabins with fresh linens and hot showers), but we did enjoy the scenery outside! It was beautiful, perfect weather. The campers next to us said they've been trying to reserve the spot years in the past but couldn't get one - so they reserve a year in advance now! We need to get on board for next year - we definitely want to go again. The boys had a blast. And as for Avery, well, she's the daughter I never had. Hope to make her a McClendon one day! She would LOVE her in-laws...great idea, don't you think Stace? And that would be one heck of a wedding reception! OK, sorry, getting ahead of myself here...

Back to camping. We had a blast watching movies on the way down (5 kids in the rear with me driving and Stacey riding shotgun...FUN!). We tried to get Jack, Carson and Jonah to sleep together in a tent in the living room, but that didn't work (Jonah was WAY too feisty). Anyway, we hiked a 3 mile trail Saturday, cooked smores over a campfire at night, made homemade "hillbilly fishing poles" with which Carson and Jack each caught 2 fish! So, as you can tell, we had a BLAST! And little Creed was such a trooper. He had a tough time sleeping the first night (I think he got up like 7 times), but did much better the second night. He spent the majority of the weekend in the baby carrier, close to Mommy.
CLOSSERS+MCCLENDONS+CAMPING=FUN!

Mom, Carson and Creed on our hike.

The future Mrs. and Mr. McClendon

Fun cave entrance...

Rusty, Ginger and Creed

Can we please make a silly picture Mom?

Closser and McClendon kids (minus Creed).

Rusty Returning

2008-10-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

We anxiously await the arrival of Dad. He has been gone for 10 long days, we can't wait for him to arrive. He should be here Sunday sometime (returning from Malaysia).

Today is a prayer for safety:

Dear Lord:

Please protect Rusty as he travels home today and tomorrow. Protect him on his 20+ hours in the air so that he may reach us safely. Thank You for watching over us (we know You were there!) while he's been gone. We couldn't do it alone, Lord. You provided us with laughter and tears, trials and tribulations, all the while teaching us to become a stronger family in order to effectively praise Your name. Thank You for revealing to me that I CAN DO IT and I can't be perfect at every aspect of motherhood...and that's OK! We love you Lord...

Amen

Rusty's trip to Asia

2008-10-01T03:07:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!! As I write this post, I am in Hong Kong enjoying the scenery and culture that is very much different than what I am used to. I have traveled to Seoul, Korea and Hong Kong thus far and am on my way to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia tomorrow. This place is amazing!! I have attached a couple of photos below of my journey.

Carson's Soccer Game

2008-09-30T05:08:00.000-07:00

Carson played well last Saturday. He scored 3 goals (really 2 and 1 assist, but we don't understand the concept of an "assist" just yet, so he will tell you he scored 3). He is doing better each game. As a Mom, I'm proud of his sportsmanship on the field (no fighting). :) But I know Dad (who is in Asia) would be proud to know that he's doing MUCH better at defense and is starting to get a little more aggressive at retrieving the ball. Go Red Hots!

The big kick

Can you tell he just scored a goal? Classic. This is his expression every time he scores.

Too much sun...need more Gatorade...soccer is tough...

Creed - 1 Month

2008-09-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

Oh I'm so torn! I'm both happy and sad to celebrate my baby's one month birthday with him today. Happy because God blessed me with this beautiful little boy that has learned (just within the past 3 days) to sleep for a 5 hour stretch when we lay him down at night! Woo hoo! Atta boy! We lay him down around 9 and he doesn't wake me up until 2. What a blessing! I'm still getting up with him twice - again around 5 AM, but we're working on stretching out the second half of the night as well. Way to go big boy!

The part of me that's sad is realizing that one day, not long from now, he won't need me anymore. He'll become more and more independent. And unlike with the other two boys, I know that this is my last rodeo. My last time to be a mom to a baby. So, I'm cherishing every moment. I stare at him often...just to make a mental note of how sweet he looks each day.

Today is a prayer of Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for sweet Creed. Thank You for the quiet times at night that he and I get to spend together, rocking in his yellow chair. I feel so close to You when I hold one of Your precious gifts. Thank You for blessing Rusty and I with a spirited, handsome little boy one month ago today! We are humbled by your faith in us to raise Creed in today's world. May we do you proud! :) Amen.

Creed's Official One Month Picture - I'll use Elmo to help us track Creed's growth each month. The smirk on his face cracks me up - is that a smile I'm detecting?

Sweet Creed

Creed and Mom

Jonah consoling Creed...sweet brothers

Jonah's 3rd Birthday Celebration(s)

2008-09-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't believe it - our little boy is THREE! My heart just breaks at how fast he is growing up. Pretty soon he's going to lose his cute little way of saying Creed (Tweed), his need for Mommy or Daddy to kiss each boo-boo, his excitement over the little things (like using the potty by himself), his willingness to shout, not sing, the words to all of his favorite songs in Sunday School without caring who is watching him. Lord - thank you for my sweet, sweet Jonah. He is a blessing to our family.

Here's celebration #1 - Birthday Breakfast (consisting of cinamon roll and banana)

Here's celebration #2 - Birthday Party at School (we brought the spiderman cupcakes that we made the night before)

Here is our birthday celebration with all of our little friends. Jonah had a blast feeding the ducks with friends and riding his bike all over the place. Special treat: Dad got to leave work a little early and join us at the party!

Here is our celebration at Mimi's house with family. Can you tell that Jonah loves Spiderman? His favorite gifts were anything Spiderman related (he got two costumes - one for him, one for Carson). He also received Iceman and Firestar action figures...this provides entertainment in the car. :)

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

What do you do when it rains all day? Go outside and play in it of course! The boys (minus Creed) enjoyed this - they even got to ride their bikes through the puddles AND Dad brought the soap and hose to the backyard so that they could take a shower OUTSIDE. The boys were speechless. They had a blast and have been talking about it ever since.

Carson and Jonah

Carson saying "cheese"

Jonah making a big splash

Creed - not so crazy about being outside

I did it!

2008-09-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well, after a lot of nervousness/anticipation, I got Carson and Jonah off to preschool ON TIME this morning and Creed and I went to make a few returns. I'm not sure why, but I was really nervous last night. I even told Rusty it felt like I had a big exam the next morning and I hadn't studied at all (nightmares from my first Audit class at Tech). Anyway, Rusty has been amazing the last two weeks while on paternity leave and it ended yesterday. So...a lot of pressure went into me getting it all "right" today.

There is a 15 minute window to get both boys walked into two different schools and safely delivered to their classrooms (with Creed in tow) - success! I sighed as I dropped Jonah off and Creed and I headed to Wal Mart and the mall. While at Nordstroms I dropped my wallet, didn't realize it until I had left (did I mention that it was pouring down rain and I didn't have an umbrella?) and was subsequently late for a lunch date (sorry Gina). BUT, everyone was safe, we all survived the day and I picked the boys up on time. Woohoo! Day one - check!

I just have to take a moment here to talk about how much I love my husband. Minus the early morning hours (Rusty is a far cry from being a "bright eyed-bushy tailed fella" when he wakes), he has been an AMAZING dad over the last two weeks. I honestly don't know how I would have survived without his help. The best part was that we just made a really good team. It was awesome - God knew just what we needed from one another - He always does! We got to share the little funny stories that the boys would come up with (Carson came home from school one day and said "Mom and Dad what starts with A and don't say apple because I already know that one!"...and Jonah loves Creed to death - almost literally! Many times over the past two weeks we've looked over to see Jonah smothering him with a hug. The poor guy doesn't know how to gently love Creed. Anyway, I'm going to miss having Rusty here. Props to Ernst & Young for offering paid paternity leave to it's employees. I encourage all new super dads to take advantage!

Jonah's First Day of School

2008-09-09T14:57:00.001-07:00

Jonah enjoyed his first day of preschool today. He got to take his lunch and he felt very much like a "big boy". I was a little nervous - when we attended meet the teacher Jonah didn't say a word to anyone. However, when I walked him into his classroom they had playdough set out and he went right to the play area. He didn't even turn around and wave! :(

Isaac's Visit!

2008-09-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

Uncle Bubba, Aunt Rha Rha and Isaac all came down for a visit and to meet Mr. Creed. We had sooooooo much fun playing with Isaac - as we always do! It's just boys, boys and more boys! :) Here are some pics from our funfilled-Saturday...

Carson's First Soccer Game

2008-09-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Well...it was quite a game. Needless to say, we need a little work. Tigers - 10 Red Hots - 1 That's alright - there's always next week! Coach Rusty has his work cut out for him. I showed up with T, Jonah and Creed in tow. It was nice to go on a walk (the park that Carson plays at is right up the street from our house). Here are a few pics of my soccer star and the rest of the team.
Man on the Run!

Team Huddle with Coach Rusty (and snacks)

Jonah - Carson's #1 Fan (sitting in his Mickey chair)

"That's 'otay' Carson - you're still #1 in my eyes!"

Time with Creed

2008-09-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Aunt Debbie, Granny and Ken offered to let the boys (Carson and Jonah) come and visit them in Bowie for the weekend. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my boys, but the thought of getting to spend some quality time with Creed and Rusty sounded very appealing. Plus, I knew the boys needed some attention that we weren't able to give them at home. So, off to Bowie they went! We've received many phone calls giving us updates. Apparently, this is what we missed:

1. Granny fell and broke her wrist at the lake. :(

2. Jonah put make-up on (WHAT!)

3. Jonah went #2 in the potty. (Hallelujah!)

4. Carson had a blast driving the John Deer tractor out at the lake.

While all of this excitement was going on in Bowie, Rusty, Creed and I slept A LOT! We caught up on some much needed sleep. Here are some pictures of our sweet baby boy.

Aunt Mimi and Uncle Ian Come to Visit

2008-08-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

Aunt Mimi and Uncle Ian came to meet Mr. Creed this weekend and spend some time with the boys. The boys LOVE having them here - no one can quite match Uncle Ian's energy. The boys love this about him. Here are some pics...

Creed's First Bath

2008-08-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Mimi was here to give the traditional first bath to baby #3. Creed wasn't too keen on bathing - but once he was cuddled up in Mimi's arms he was as happy as a lamb. :)

Days in the Hospital

2008-08-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Boy what a blur! After a scary surgery and a blurry recovery (according to Rusty I was telling some pretty funny stories while under anesthesia) we are headed home. Here are some pics of visitors in the hospital. They included Mimi, Paw, Granny, Ken, Aunt T and, of course, Creed's big brothers. They love him already.

Carson is all business. He came to visit first (without Jonah) and held Creed, looking down at him with a pretty serious face. After a while Creed started to cry. Carson said "Mom is he hungry?" I responded yes. He said, "OK, here you go Mom make some milk" God bless his little sweet heart. He is my serious one.

Jonah on the other hand is very gentle with Creed and constantly tells him "It's 'Otay' Creed, Jonah's here, it's 'Otay'". It just melts my heart. God has blessed us with a gentle-hearted Jonah. He wants to hold Creed all of the time.

Creed Ryder McClendon

2008-08-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

What a day!! Creed was born at 4:16 on 8/25/08 and weighed in at 7 lbs 12 ozs. He was 19.25" long. Mom and baby are doing good and are in full recovery (dad is ok too).

The details: Our delivery got pushed back to 3:30, and in the end, this ended up being a good thing. The doctor told me that from first incision to the time Creed is born typically takes about 7 mins. So the doctors came and got me and off I went, dressed in scrubs, cameras in tow. About 30 mins into the delivery, there was still no baby. There were some minor complications with the c-section at first and then our beautiful baby boy was born. Creed had some lung issues in that he couldnt get all the junk out of his chest, so Creed and I went to the nursery so the nurses could monitor him. About 25 mins later, a nurse came in and said, "Dad, you need to come back to the O.R." OK, now I am starting to freak a little. Ginger was having some other complications and almost had to have a hysterectomy, but luckily it all worked out in the end, and Mom is now doing awesome. She is still being watched very closely by the docs and she's not out of the woods yet, but doing much better. Its almost noon on Tuesday and mom and baby are both doing well.

Thank you for all of the support and prayers.

Carson's First Day of Preschool

2008-08-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Before we left for the hospital today, we dropped Carson off at his first day of preschool. He was so excited...couldn't wait to play on the playground (go figure). Here he is in front of the school. Yes, I was "that Mom" that made him pose for a picture on the way in to school. We wondered how he would handle the goodbye portion of the morning - but he was fine!

He headed straight to the lego table and started playing with some other boys. What a big boy!

Like Father Like Son

2008-08-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

Jonah and I ran errands this afternoon while Rusty and Carson mowed the grass. We set up a playlist for Carson and Jonah my ipod with songs from Radio Disney (he loves "No Air", "Shake It", anything Jonas Brothers from Radio Disney, and dance songs like "Tutti Frutti"). Anyway, I couldn't resist taking a picture...

Welcome William Barrett Thornhill

2008-08-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that Rusty's cousin (Thor) and his wife Alissa were due on the same day as Creed. Well...baby William beat us to the punch! William Barrett Thornhill was born August 21, 2008 and weighed in at 7 lb. 2 oz. - 19 inches long. Oh I can already see the fun times ahead. Watch out at next year's annual easter egg hunt Thornhills! :) We love you guys...

Not My Body

2008-08-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well the good news is that the Orthopedic doctor allowed me to remove my Magic Boot and replaced it with a brace that I get to wear for the next 6 weeks. I am so thankful that it fits inside a tennis shoe, so I can start walking again!

The not-so-good news: I know that this baby is Heaven sent, I just feel like his vessel (i.e. my body) belongs to someone else at this point. I'm at that not so glamorous stage of pregnancy...one week and counting! :) I plan on taking the boys on a walk this afternoon (weather permitting).

BFF

2008-08-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

While driving home from the doctor's office (Jonah has yet another unidentified rash), we heard the phrase BFF on Radio Disney. Carson asked what BFF meant. I explained it to him and asked the boys who their BFF was. Here are their responses:

Carson: My brudder (my brother)
Jonah: Brian Jessie (that would be my Cabbage Patch doll that he's attached to)

Funny boys!

This Morning

2008-08-13T09:49:00.001-07:00

I woke up to find Carson on the bottom bunk with his arm around Jonah. They looked so sweet sleeping together. Carson has gotten so big lately...for example, he woke up in the middle of the night last night because he had an accident in his bed. He managed to climb down from the top bunk, put his wet pj bottoms and undies in the dirty clothes, get clean undies and pjs to put on and transfer his pillow to the bottom bunk all by himself. I'm torn here, part of me is thankful that he's such an independent little boy (which will help when the baby comes) and part of me is outright sad over him not needing his Mommy anymore. :(

AARRRGGGHHH

2008-08-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Carson spent the night with his friend Lane tonight. While I was busy folding clothes, Jonah was having a blast in the dress up clothes. Here's pirate Jonah, in all his glory...

Getting Ready for Baby

2008-08-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

The boys have handled the news differently. Carson is very gentle around me and always kisses my belly. Jonah, on the other hand, is tough, but he has taken a liking to Brian Jessie, my Cabage Patch Kid from 1984ish. He rocks him, puts him in the swing, etc. Carson asks all the time if baby Creed is hurting me in my tummy and I assure him that he's not! Such sweet little boys...

Mycah McClendon Comes to Visit!

2008-08-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed having Rusty's cousin (Cory) and his wife Michelle and daughter Mycah over for a visit. Jonah is just 11 days older than Mycah, so they had a blast together. We played outside on the slip and slide and on the swingset. She is just the sweetest little girl and boy can she keep up with my boys...which makes me love her even more! Next time she comes over I want to paint her toenails or do something "girly". I have to get my girl time in when I can now... :)

Awaiting the Big Day!

2008-08-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

As we await the arrival of baby Creed, we are reminded by God to be p-a-t-i-e-n-t. This is a difficult lesson for Ginger. She is so anxious to complete the McClendon Clan!

Circus!

2008-08-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

The boys enjoyed their first visit to the circus (compliments of Rusty and Mimi). We got the suite at the American Airlines center and enjoyed watching the boys as they reacted to the sites. We were accompanied by Mimi (my mom) and Pops (my stepdad Brian).

Carson's favorite part of the circus: acrobats and the man and woman shooting out of the canon. Jonah's favorite: the zebras (and I would say he loved the cotton candy also). Rusty and I love making memories like these...

Shower with Family and Friends

2008-07-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

My family and friends threw me a shower in anticipation of Creed's arrival. I can't believe that he will be here in under a month! Crazy! Now that I have the walking cast on and I feel VERY pregnant, I'm totally OK with him coming early if he decides to (although I would love to have him 8/25, Rusty's Grandmother's birthday). We'll see what God wants...

Anyway, the shower was at my dear friend Tracy Franco's home. Her house is amazing and she is always opening it up to me. She and Trisha hosted the shower for me and I can't express to them just how thankful I am! Everything was perfect...even the cake! Bless Trisha's heart...a friend of her made the most adorable cake for the shower but due to the heat (I believe it got up to 107 that day), the icing melted and the cake collapsed. It was hilarious. We just smiled, at the DELICIOUS cake, and moved on. No harm done and who are we to let yummy carrot cake with chocoalate icing go to waste?

Diaper Shower with Sunday School Friends

2008-07-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

My dear friends from Sunday School threw myself and two other girls a Diaper Shower. I couldn't believe how blessed we were with the amount of diapers and wipes that we received! Here's a pic of all of the pregos (including Ashley - who isn't due until November) in order of due dates. Me - August 29th, Sarah Mason (wife to Paul Mason for those of you reading from DeSoto) - September 15th, Jessica Webster - September 15th, and Ashley Haden - November 6th.

Clutsy AND 8 months pregnant...

2008-07-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

While taking a lunch break with my friend Kim from work, I stepped up on a curb and my foot went the opposite direction. Needless to say, I fell down on my left side and couldn't move my foot. After a trip to the ER, it was determined that I tore a ligament in my ankle. FUN! Now I get to wear a "magic boot", as Carson calls it, for the next 3 1/2 weeks. It didn't take my ankle long to swell...everytime I look at it I think that my leg belongs to someone else. Weird.

Big Brother on the Lookout

2008-07-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

We had a long heart to heart with Jonah last night to discuss how he is a big boy and doesn't need to come into Mommy and Daddy's room in the middle of the night. I think when Carson wakes up in the middle of the night to potty it wakes Jonah up also. We talked to Carson about being a big brother and how he needed to try and keep Jonah in his bed and assure him that he was safe there.

Well at about 2AM I wake up to two little boys running into my room (Carson is chasing Jonah). Carson says, "Mom I told him not to be scared but he had to come to your room! I told him to be a big boy and stay!" Miraculously Rusty slept through this entire fiasco (or so he claims). So here I am, 8 months pregnant with a newly sprained ankle (read yesterday's blog) and I'm hobbling down the hall to escort them back to their room. Jonah's upset so I'm trying to calm him on the bottom bunk and Carson asks, "Mom - how can God be in your heart and in Heaven to?" As much as I wanted to marvel at this sweet, innocent question, I was exhausted. I said, "Sweety God is everywhere. He's watching you right now try to be a good big brother to Jonah by keeping him in his big boy bed. Let's talk more in the morning." I could tell his little mind was spinning. I got Jonah to bed and made a stop in their restroom. The door opens and there is Carson. "Mom-isn't it weird that God made you go to the bathroom right when I have to go to the bathroom?!" I smiled at him with sleepy, closed eyes. It's pushing 2:45 now. "Yes sweety, God works in mysterious ways."

Needless to say Carson was exhausted the next morning due to all of the activity throughout the night. I love his sweet questions and his effort in becoming the BEST big brother!

Carson's Date Night

2008-07-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

Jonah took his first trip to Bowie this weekend. That left Rusty and I to spend some quality time with Carson. We had so much fun! He mowed the grass with Rusty, helped both of us put Creed's crib together, he even go to go up in the attic with Daddy (something he's been begging to do since the age of 2). The best part for Mom though was the date night. We headed to Firewheel mall in north Garland and enjoyed watching Disney's Wall-E, eating at The Flying Fish and doing a little shopping. All three of us really enjoyed it...

4th of July with Friends

2008-07-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to have Trisha, Alan and Paw offer to take the boys to Arkansas for our family reunion over 4th of July weekend. Rusty and I headed to a lake nearby with friends. We had a blast! Here are some pics from the weekend with Mitzi, Jason, Erin, Michael, Ian and Michelle. We look forward to it being an annual trip!

Getting Ready for 4th of July

2008-06-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

We celebrated 4th of July a little early at the Allen Celebration USA festival. This all takes place within walking distance to our house - which is really nice! Granny and Paw both came in town to take the boys to the festival. We had a blast!

A Visit with Paw

2008-06-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Paw came over for a visit today "just because". Those are our favorite types of visits! Here he is with Jonah just before bedtime...

Carson's First Baseball Game

2008-06-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

One of the MANY cool things about being four is that Daddy thinks you are old enough to take to your first major league baseball game! Watch out Rangers, here we come! Carson even got an autographed baseball from a player on the other team...courtesy of Dad yelling down to the guy as he was in the bullpen warming up and begging for a ball for Carson! Way to go Dad!

Family Vacation

2008-06-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

We headed to Houston/Galveston for our summer vacation this year. We stayed at Uncle Ian and Aunt Mimi (Michelle)'s house in Humble and visited Schliterbahn (where Jonah "petered out" by about 3PM),

the beach in Galveston (where we met Uncle Thor, Aunt Debbie and Lawson) and lots of other fun places. It was a great trip and we can't wait to go back! The boys would live on the beach if we would let them...

Photo Shoot

2008-05-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

We traveled to the Arboretum in Dallas for our first outdoor photo shoot. I wanted some good shots of the boys to give Rusty as part of his Father's Day gift. I quickly learned that getting two boys to sit still long enough to take "posed" shots is quite a challenge. The photographer did a great job and was reasonably priced (http://www.natalieannphotography.com/)

Carson and Jonah certainly have their "cheese" smiles down pat...

We tried to take a picture of the boys touching my stomach. Carson kept touching my boob instead. He seems to be confused as to where exactly God put Creed inside of Mommy.