The Jackson Family

Beach Pictures

2011-09-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

When we went to Florida this summer, I tracked down a photographer who would meet us at the hotel our first night in town. I am so glad I decided to do it. I didn't have to hunt down someone to take our family picture and then worry about whether or not they could work my camera or get a good picture.

This is one of my faves...

And this one...

Swimming Lessons

2011-08-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

We had swimming lessons with Ms. Suzy again this year and the kids did so well. Brock and Madi have been swimming for a few years now, but they really seemed to get comfortable this year.

I tried posting a video, but couldn't get it to work, so here are a few things they were doing this year that I want to remember...

Swimming across the pool (brock without taking a breath ha!)

Jumping off the diving board

Treading water

Diving for rings

Working on several different strokes

Floating on their backs

Madi started diving and doing flips and handstands in the water - that's when you know you can swim!

Mom's 60th Birthday & Austin trip

2011-08-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

Our first fun thing for the summer was a little family trip to Austin to celebrate my mom's 60th bday.

Ofcourse the hotel had a pool...

The kids had such a great time playing in the pool and were so excited to have grandma and poppa join us later in the day.

We had grandma's party as soon as they got to the hotel.

(Knox was napping)

Dad made a special book with pictures from all throughout mom's childhood and adulthood. We each wrote something to her and the kid's contributed some great artwork. She cried just seeing the cover, so I think she liked it.

Cake time!

I was so sad because my camera died and I had forgotten my charger, so I missed out on pictures of the Roundrock baseball game and the lake water park we went to :(. Oh well, we had a great time and I think mom had a memorable birthday!

Catchin' Up - End of School

2011-08-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

Madi just before her end of the year program...

Mad was making me laugh so hard during her performances. She was so animated and smiled the whole time, and she watched everyone like a hawk to make sure they were doing their parts correctly!

I'm so sad this wasn't a better picture with Madi's teacher, Mrs. Luningham and the principal, Mrs. Shephard. We loved Mrs. L!

Brock had an end of the year performance/open house. It was just a few minutes followed by snacks outside. He did a great job on stage too.

They were all so cute!

I had to get a good picture of Madi with her teacher since the grad night picture was so bad. This was at the last day of school party.

I am so glad we decided to send Madi to a half day kinder program. Primer is such a great school, and Madi's first year could not have been better. I'm sad she has to move on this year...but we are looking forward to trying something new and meeting new people!

Easter 2011

2011-05-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy

2011-04-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

Brock ready for the party to start!

Getting the cake ready after Brock knocked half the track down right before the party started!

My sweet birthday boy loved his cake

Brock's big surprise!

Coming out to see the surprise

Ready for a Ride!

Brock rode the train for the whole hour- only getting off for a quick potty break! (I let him go around on the side of the house because he was so afraid the train was going to leave without him-gotta love boys!)

After the train left it was cake time...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Watching the train make its way through the cake

Oh, I love this sweet face!

Present time!

Gammy & Grands

Grandma & Poppa

Nana & Poppi

Celebrating the big "4" with sissy

My little man had such a great day celebrating with friends and family. He is still talking about his special surprise and calling himself "lucky" and thanking Jesus at night for his special day. I love that...

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Another great soccer season!

2011-04-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

Madi played indoor soccer for the sharks this winter. Our end of the season party was at Chuck E. Cheese, and I volunteered to make the cake. I have zero pictures of her playing indoor because my camera just wasn't having it. Bad lighting + quick movement = really bad pictures. I atleast got a few at the party

The cake - shark with a deflated soccer ball in its mouth

Each player had a shiny star with their name on it

My little soccer star...

The sharks - only two girls! During one of Mad's practices, one of the boys was pestering her (not really being mean- just bugging her) and I look over and she was just letting him have it. Her arms were flying all over and I could see her lecturing him. I don't normally condone that type of behavior, but I was proud that she stood up for herself and wasn't afraid- and it was really funny.

Madi's coach, Coach Jennifer, was the sweetest lady. It was obvious how much she truly liked all of the players. Gotta love volunteers like that!

Before and After Faux Stained Glass Window

2011-04-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love anything cathedral shaped, so when I saw this I had to have it.

I couldn't decide between backing it with mirror or making a mosaic window out of it. I finally decided to go with making it a mosaic since my mom has a ton of glass in all of my favorite colors.

A few years ago when my mom started to make stained glass pieces I started doing mosaics. I used her leftovers to make pieces like this. This is just an old picture frame with the original glass glued to the frame. Then I just glued the pieces directly to the glass and grouted. So easy!

Ok, back to my new frame...
After painting the front of the frame black, I cut glass panels to size and glued them to the back of the frame so I would have something to glue the mosaic pieces to when you turn it over. I borrowed my mom's glass cutters for this job, but you can always get it cut to size at the hardware store.

I cut long strips of glass and then cut those down into small rectangles. You don't necessarily have to have glass cutters to do this project. I could have just used a hammer to break the glass into random sized pieces. (that would have saved me a lot of time too!)

I used E6000 that you can find at any craft store (or even Walmart) to glue down the pieces. This stuff is super strong and dried perfectly clear- unlike most of the mosaic glue that I have tried out.

After gluing, and gluing, and gluing.... now I'm ready to grout

I used a black grout to give the illusion of solder lines like a real stained glass window. Wiping the black grout off is not super easy, but it is so worth it. The black grout really makes the glass pieces pop!

Once I got it hung up, I didn't like the black at all. I usually love to use black while decorating, but this room has very little black and it just kind of stuck out to me.

I dry brushed a bit of my rust colored ceiling paint over the black and that did the trick. I like it so much better.

Done.

Before and After Blog Party

2011-02-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

Love looking at Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Blog Party, so I decided to link up!

We were snowed in this week, so I completed some projects I had wanted to do for a long time.

This cabinet is cute in black, but I have been wanting to paint it a bright color for a long time. I am using a lot of aqua these days, so I went with that.

I painted then sanded and scraped all of the edges and rubbed on a little black stain to give it an aged appearance.

I also decided to touch up my diamond wall pattern in the kitchen. The light color paint I used dried out a long time ago, so I haven't been able to touch up any scuffs or dings, and it was really starting to show. I just picked out a color I had in the garage. It was a little darker than the original color, but I think it worked out okay.

The finished products...

Fun in the Snow

2011-02-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

2011-01-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

My birthday girl. To celebrate her 6th birthday, Madi chose 101 Dalmatians as her birthday theme. From a planning standpoint, it was a super easy theme to execute.

The invitation

Madi's cake- she wanted lots of little puppies...

Craft table for making dog collars and puppy chow

Ingredients for puppy chow

Making collars

Scooping up puppy chow

We played pin the tail on the puppy

Musical Bone

Dancing

Each kid had a bone with their name on it that was hidden somewhere in the living room. They had to find their bone and redeem it for a prize

Time for presents...

Make a Wish!

Party People

Grandma and Mad

Nana and Madi

Gammy and Madi

Poppi and Mad

Poppa and Mad

Doggie bags for the kids to take home

Cookies for everyone to take home

Madi had such a great day celebrating with her friends and family. She was so sweet and thankful to her guests...and to me for getting everything ready. I can't believe she is six!

Six years old...

2011-01-29T14:18:00.000-08:00

One year old

Two years old

Three years old

Four years old

Five years old

Six years old!!

My sweet girl turned 6 on the 15th. I love looking back at her pictures from birthdays past. She has grown and changed so much. Happy birthday to my sweet, precious girl!

Christmas Fun

2011-01-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas isn't Christmas around here without...

A trip to see Santa

Baking and decorating Christmas cookies

A lot of them

Going to see Christmas lights

If we were ever out after dark in December we had to drive by this crazy house. They had their lights programmed to music, so cute!

Making something out of gingerbread

We opted for a gingerbread and chocolate nativity scene

Making more cookies because we ate them or gave them away

Playing with friends

Making ornaments and reindeer food

Taking jammy pictures in front of the tree

Taking more pictures in front of the tree

and enjoying every minute!

New Storage Piece

2011-01-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

I needed a furniture piece that could do double duty as a tv stand and storage unit...like major storage.

So, I came home with this beauty - cheapo entertainment center from the Salvation Army...with a shiny plastic feeling finish. Yuck!

Lots of sanding, priming, and 8,000 coats of black paint later I had this...

I chose this wallpaper to cover the back wall of the cabinet rather than paint or replace it. I used mod podge to glue it and then sponge painted over it for an antiqued finish.

I dry brushed an antique gold acrylic paint all over and then sanded the edges to give it a distressed look. It would eventually looked distressed since it is in the playroom, so I thought I would save my kids the trouble :).

Now we have so much storage space, and a little extra display space. Not bad for $100.00!

Fun with Santa

2010-12-21T21:36:00.000-08:00

Brock and I were invited by my firend Megan to join her and her son Will in watching Santa land in a helicopter at Hurricane Harbor. Brock was so excited to go see Santa, and even moreso because he was going to be flying! The event was hosted by Mission Arlington and sponsored by Six Flags (which is why we got to go- Megan is a director at HH). They bus in children who might not otherwise get to see Santa for a fun day of hanging out with characters, elves, and the Mission Arlington staff. When I got there, I saw so many volunteers playing football, playing games, and just goofing off with all of these kids. I was so impressed with everything, they were all so happy and having such a great time. MA is such an incredible organization.

Santa ready to touchdown in the parking lot

Brock was very serious during the landing...

Six Flags had their characters out to greet the guests, so we got take a special picture

My friend Megan and Will

Waving at Santa- it took him a while to get out once he landed

There were a lot of people watching, so Santa just high-fived everyone as he came down the line.

Ready for take-off. Most of the buses left when Santa was heading back to the helicopter, so Brock and Will had about a five minute personal waving session with Santa as he sat in the helicopter waiting to leave. They were so cute!

Pictures

2010-12-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

There is a cute little shopping area in Malakoff that I have always thought would make a great backdrop for pictures. A few weeks ago I took Madox and Brock with me to the lake to start packing up, and we headed downtown to take a few pictures.

This was one of my favorites. I have driven by this wall a hundred times and I finally got a picture of it.

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

We went on our annual trip to the pumpkin patch yesterday. We played with cousins, took pictures, picked out pumpkins, and had a great time.

2010-10-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Field Trip

Madi's class took a field trip to Lowe's Farm this week, so Brock and I tagged along to chaperone. I think Brock is the Kindergarten mascot because Madi's little friends tote him around and make sure he included and taken care of- it's so sweet.
The farm had all sort of animals that they paraded in front of the kids as they sat on benches. It was a really neat set up.

This baby bunny was everyone's favorite...

All of the kids got to help stuff this scare scrow, pump water, play horseshoes, and even wash towels and feed them through and old fashioned press to ring the water out.

We got to go on a fun hayride to complete the trip

2010-10-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Fall Soccer

Madi and Brock are both playing soccer this year for the first time. We have had a couple of games so far and they are having a great time. Madi was shy at first, but after one game she has gotten really aggressive when she is going after the ball, which is pretty funny to watch. Brock is pretty mellow and gets caught up in watching the game rather than playing in it. We just have to yell and remind him to play!

Ready for Practice!

Warming up for his first game

Brock's favorite part of the game- snack time!

Madi's 1st game was HOT! She was worn out, but she kept going after the ball.

Go red devils and team Chelsea!

2010-09-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

First Day of School

I decided early last year that Madi would not be attending our "all day" neighborhood school for kindergarten. I searched for a few weeks and finally settled on a little private pre-k/kindergarten school that worked perfectly for us since it was a half day program and Brock could also attend pre-school there as well. Madi has been so excited to get started and couldn't wait to go see her room and meet her teachers.

Ready to meet the teachers...

Brock is one of Ms. Shepherd's little pumpkins

Ready for the first day of school!

Madi doing an excited for school pose

Can't believe this girl is headed to kindergarten

My favorite pic of the day

Brock started playing immediately...that boy never has cared if I stuck around!

Waiting on the door to open

Mad was super excited about having her own locker

Big smile at the end of Mad's first day!

Vacation

2010-08-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

We spent our vacation at the lake again this year. We had a really relaxing and fun week, and the kids just love being there.

My cousin's family joined us for a day out on the boat. I wish I had taken more pictures, we were too busy playing...

We spent the rest of the week going out on the boat, going to the movies, and checking out Athens.

Brock and Madi got some money from grandma to spend on vacation. Brock got his talking Rex that he's been eyeing and Madi chose a Barbie and a Polly Pockets set.

Madi and I have made it our vacation tradition to go get our nails painted. Madi chose HOT pink with little flowers...so cute!

We also finally got Mad to try out skiing with Aunt Muddy. She was able to get up on the boom for a little while, but it wasn't too long before her poor arms gave out. I was really impressed with her effort, she was scared, but she did it anyway, and had a great time.

Two years ago we visited the Athens Freshwater Fishery. Charlie and I were impressed, but the kids were still too little to really understand. We went back this year and they really enjoyed checking everything out.

The kids got to sit up front and check out a scuba diver feed all kinds of fish.

These two kiddos loved their week at the lake... They never seem to get tired of being out in the sun, on the boat, or swimming in the lake.

Swimming Lessons with Suzy

2010-07-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

We took swimming lessons with Suzy again this year. I was so impressed with everything they are able to teach my kiddos in such a short time.

Brock loved going to swimming lessons...

Madi waiting for her turn to jump off the side

This year Mad was able to float and swim on her back

learn the freestyle (Ms Suzy said that she was impressed with her freestyle skills)

tread water

and jump off the diving board and swim to the side

Brock really started moving through the water this year according to Ms Suzy

He was kicking and moving his arms so well

and loving every minute...

Here is Brock pretending to shoot his laser...

Ms Suzy got a kick out of his Buzz Lightyear obsession, he would yell "To infinity and beyond" before every jump

I'm so proud of you Mad and Brock! Great job!

2010-07-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th at the lake again this year

There were a few storms, but mostly it was beautiful weather

Nana and Poppi joined us Friday evening for dinner and a boat ride on Saturday morning

It was a little chilly for swimming, so we just took a nice tour...

On Saturday afternoon, a few cousins joined us for swimming and fishing

It was so fun watching the little ones catch their very first fish...

Brock caught his first fish, and told us, "I want to play again!"

Brock was fascinated by the worms...

We had to head in when the sky got dark, it happened so fast, but it was beautiful to see

We woke up to beautiful weather on the morning of the 4th, so we headed out for more

swimming and fishing

Mom and dad joined us Sunday afternoon after church

Lexi and a few friends from the lake were brave enough to jump off the top deck of the dock...it was high!

When it got dark we all headed outside to watch fireworks. One of the best things about the lake is that every house on the cove is usually setting off fireworks, so there are always some to watch. Charlie and Gage were in charge of ours and we had a great time watching the show

Madi was wiped out...

Sparklers were a big hit this year too!

The june bugs swarmed when the sparklers were going, Brock had them stuck to his shorts!

What a great weekend!

Summer

2010-06-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

I love summer...

Memorial Day Fun

2010-06-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

This memorial day holiday was a little shorter than most due to a friend's wedding. We made it out there late Saturday evening to meet some cousins for dinner.

Madi posing with her cousins

The next day we hit the lake to meet up with some other extended family members that have a spot close to ours

Poppa and Grandma joined us Sunday afternoon, so we took them out for a boat ride and swimming at the island

This pouty face is almost cute enough to make me give in...

it works on grandma though...

I'm so excited that summer is here and we can get back out on the boat!

2010-05-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

This last Friday, Madi officially graduated from pre-school. She will be going to a private half day kindergarten next year, so it really won't be all that different than preschool was this year, but it is a milestone nonetheless.

The preschool graduation is included in an end of the year program that the whole preschool performs in , so this little boy(sporting a new summer cut) participated too...

Madi singing with her classmates

Brock with his class

Madi was an excellent performer...

Love that they "walk" the stage to get a diploma

My little graduate

Madi with Ms. Marsha

and Ms. Gayle

Grandma, Nana, and Poppi were able to make it to the show

A few pics after the end of the program

We had such a fun day, I can't believe my girl will be in kindergarten next year.

Brock's 3rd Birthday

2010-04-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Brock woke up to a few presents on Friday morning. He got so excited as soon as he saw them.

Ready to open presents!

Madi was just as excited as Brock...

Madi got Brock a new Lightning Mcqueen play set that included a few new cars

Sweet hugs to say thanks

On the day of the party, Brock got to help get the balloons and set out decorations. He was so cute because he knew exactly what was happening, and couldn't wait for his friends and family to come over.

Time to show Brock the cake. He didn't see the finished product until a few minutes before the party

That's the response I was looking for...

He was so proud

He specifically asked for a pinata this year, so we had to have one filled with cars, bouncy balls, candy, and lightning mcqueen fruit snacks for the boys. The girls got lip gloss, hair clips, and my little pony snacks.

Cookie favors decorated to look like a road

Brock got a new bike and helmet from Grandma and Poppa

Time to open presents...

He had already peaked at most of them. I couldn't turn my back on him for a second because he would be poking his nose down in the sacks.

Pinata Time - ready for a turn to hit Lightning

Ready for cake

Brock is crazy about his Lightning Mcqueen slippers. He wore them the entire day.

After the party, a few cousins stayed late to ride bikes and play with the new toys

We let the kids release a few of the birthday balloons and I think that was the hit of the entire party. The giggled for the longest time watching those balloons float away.

I can't believe my sweet boy is three years old! Happy Birthday Brock! You are such a fun, silly, sweet, and affectionate boy. I am so blessed to be your mom.

Cinderella

2010-04-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Madi got a special treat last week when we went to see Cinderella Live. We bought the tickets a few months ago, so she was so excited to go after waiting patiently for what seemed like forever. We got her all dolled up in her Cinderella gear and headed to the Casa Manana in Fort Worth. It was a sea of princess dresses. Madi cracked us up because she was getting so frustrated at the stepsisters. She has seen the movie a hundred times, but still get upset about the way Cinderella is treated. Brock was his usual self- he liked the show, but he really just wanted to find a way to drive his car on the stage.

So excited!

Brock got a sword and Madi got a wand when we got there. Brock proceeded to try to cut down everyone in the theater.

Right before Brock got his sword taken away...

Ready for the show to start...

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

Besides Charlie being sick in bed on Easter Sunday, we had a great time celebrating Easter this year. Both kids are old enough to enjoy and appreciate all of the festivities. The Easter bunny came a little early because I hate that the kids get two seconds to play and then have to get ready for church.

The kid's Easter goodies- The note says to have fun with the toys, but remember that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Easter. For some reason, Santa doesn't bother me too much, but I have real guilt issues about the Easter bunny.

Madi checking out her goodies...

Brock got some new stuff for his train.

We had lunch at my aunt Linda's house. There are always lots of cousins to play with on family holidays, so we always have a great time.

I love this picture! It cracks me up that Brock is airborne.

Grandma helping out with the eggs

Cousins and second cousins

We celebrated with Charlie's mom and sister later in the evening.

Crazy cousins...

Brock was very thorough

Getting down to business...

Happy Easter!

Why we are never moving...

2010-03-17T14:32:00.001-07:00

I have worked on Madi's room makeover for a few weeks now. I put it off for months because I knew how much work it was going to be. I'm so glad I finally did it, but I am exhausted!

Brock is moving upstairs to a big boy room so I could move Madi back downstairs to what I consider a girly room- it has tall ceilings and a big chandelier.

Before: (Brock's room- sad to see his nursery gone for good)

Did I say this room was a lot of work?

There was more painting...

(these stripes nearly did me in)

and sewing...

than I have ever done before.

But I have a really cute room to show for it. I love how it came out, and so does Mad, so I guess climbing up and down the ladder 10,000 times was worth it.

After:

The headboard is two daybed end pushed together to make a chaise kind of look. They were only $24.00 for the pair at the Room to Go outlet.

I saw this idea on Design Dazzle and loved it. It's just a body pillow with a pillow case that I made, but I love the illusion of a fluffy comforter at the foot of the bed.

We found this little kidney shaped desk in Canton on our last visit. It was already a pale pink, but I painted a little brighter shade and added a little brown glaze and some scuff marks. I sewed a little skirt to hide lamp chords and added a little chair I found at an antique store. The ladder is an older find, just updated with some white paint, sandpaper, and some keepsake blankets.

I stole this little cabinet from my bathroom, and it works so much better in Madi's room. The shelves aren't very far apart, but they are perfect for all of Mad's little girly accessories.

Done. Done. Done.

Snow Fun

2010-02-17T20:20:00.001-08:00

I was so excited that my kids finally got to see real snow. They had such a great time making snowballs, building a snowman, and just trudging around in it.

The kids with our demented snow man. I underestimated the creepiness of using ketchup for a mouth.

On Friday, a few cousins came over to play. Snowballs were flying!

Before and After

2010-01-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

I recently found an old gumball machine at a thrift store. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it for a fish tank. I had seen one done before at www.thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com. I especially loved my find because it had the coolest iron stand that made it look even more vintage. I followed Sarah's directions for turning it into a fishtank and now it's one of my favorite pieces.

My other project was my the back door of my laundry room that leads out to the garage. It is always so filthy, and it drives me crazy. I was thinking about painting it black, and then decided to paint it with chalkboard paint so it could be functional too. I really like how it turned out and the kids are excited about having something else to write on.

Big Girl Bike

2010-01-31T09:22:00.000-08:00

Madi got a big girl bike for her birthday from her grandma and poppa. She loves it and has had so much fun learning to ride it. On a rare day, when the weather was nice, we went outside and tried it out. I think she could have stayed out forever.

Brock trying out Mad's bike

Birthday Extravaganza

2010-01-17T20:43:00.000-08:00

Madox's real birthday was on Friday, and we started off the day with a present from mom and dad (Leapster games and a new stroller to replace a broken one), cookies for school, and dinner at On The Border (Mad's choice). She was so excited about everything this year and especially for her party the next day.

Dinner at OTB

Loving the dessert

Getting the crafts ready for her party - foam wands and crowns to decorate

Table decor for Madi's princess party

Castle cake

The birthday girl!

Cookie wand favors, princess crowns and 5's

Mad just had to have a pinata- we picked out candy, jewelry for the girls, cars and aimals for the boys

Craft table

Mad working on her wand and crown

The finished product

Foam swords for the boys

Brock hitting the pinata ~ Mad went first so I missed getting her picture :(

Mad with Gammy (Charlie's mom)

Mad opening her gifts
- a special blanket made by Nana

Time for Cake!

Madi showing me how to light the candles...

"Happy Birthday to You"

Make a Wish

The dads playing baggo out in the garage

Mad jammin on her new guitar from the Terrells - she loves it!

Me and mom

Mad had such a great party with a few friends and lots of family. We had a full house and loved every minute! Happy Birthday Madi Bear, you are so pretty inside and out. I love you sweet girl!

2010-01-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

We went down to the lake to celebrate the new year. It was too cold to do much outside, but we hadn't been in forever, so it was just fun to look outside and see the lake again
Nana, Poppi, Uncle Garner and Aunt Kim joined us for NYE

Nana and Poppi's 1st time playing Jenga...

The kids making Unlce Garner play "horsey"

Time for a few fireworks...it was too cold to stay out very long!

Brock was so excited about the sparklers and had everyone running to keep from getting burned. Madi didn't care too much about it this year, I think she just wanted to go back inside.

Grandma and Poppa came out on New Years Day

We tried out the Beattles rock band and a new shooting game

Grandma, Mad, and Brock watching fireworks through the window. It was raining on NYE, so a lot of people saved theirs for the next night

I hope you all have a happy and blessed 2010!

Christmas morning

2009-12-30T07:04:00.000-08:00

What we woke up to Christmas morning...couldn't believe we had a white Christmas!

Mad and Brock's gifts from Santa

Mad's stage complete with toy storage behind the curtains and rope lighting around the bottom. Brock's santa gift was all about transporation. He loves Cars, his matchbox garage, and train set.

Madi coming down the stairs to check out her presents...she giggled the whole way

Checking things out...

One of Brock's fave gifts...Lightning McQueen slippers

Santa was nice enough to say thank you for his snacks

Christmas Fun

2009-12-27T21:52:00.000-08:00

The day before Christmas Eve we celebrated with my family.

Madi and Brock waiting for everyone to come over

Brock opening his Lightning McQueen cars- he wouldn't open anymore presents after this one.

Madi with her Moxie girl head- she can put glitter and extensions in her hair

Mad and Brock trying to wait patiently for the presents to be handed out

Brock and Mad playing American Idol on Madi's new microphone from Grandma

After opening presents with my parents and brother's family, my dad's brothers and niece came over for dinner

Baby Knox

Christmas Eve

Cousins

Charlie's mom and step dad scratching off their lottery tickets. Gammy gets a stack of lottery tickets for everyone each year, and I was the big winner this year!

We had a little bit of time to go outside and play in the snow before dark. Gammy made snow ice cream for everyone when we got back inside

Madi was ready to go back inside after her pants got wet

Throwing reindeer food out on the front porch for Rudolph and the boys

Brock and Madi picked out snacks for Santa

Before bed we read the Christmas story, one of my favorite things we did when I was a kid

2009-12-18T20:35:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas I wish that I had taken pictures of my decorations from the year before. I can't ever remember what I did with what the year before, so I thought a little Christmas photo journaling was in order.

Our tree

Our Christmas card tree- I found this dead tree laying on the side of the road. I threw it in the car, painted it silver, set it permanently in plaster, and now it holds all of our cards.

reindeer food to sprinkle outside on Christmas eve

One of my Christmas crafts this year was making photo ornaments. I used my fave pics from year's past, and I love them on the tree. I'm thinking of doing a photo only tree next year.

Brock and Madi got their first Christmas gift on Thanksgiving night - Christmas pj's and a special ornament reflecting one of their interests or favorite things for the year. Brock is into cars, and Madi has loved taking tap and ballet this year.

Parade of Lights

2009-12-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, we headed down to see the Arlington Parade of Lights. It's small, but fun to see. The Man's shop downtown was open so we perched ourselves outside their front doors for a great view of the floats. Brock loved the Elvis impersonators on motorcycles, and Madi liked watching the young kids from local schools walk by. I wish I would have taken some better pictures, but I was too cold to worry about it at the time.

What a difference a year makes...

2009-12-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

Mad has been deathly afraid of Santa for the last few years. Her Santa pictures consist of her standing in the doorway of Santaland crying. This year she and Brock both went right to Santa and talked to him. Madi sat in his lap for a long time and talked about all kinds of stuff(we were the only ones there). Brock only got down because he got bored and because he was obsessed with the train they had going. After two years, I finally got my picture of them together with Santa!

Brock watched the train for most of the visit

Madi checking out Santa's magic key that opens any door - specifically those homes without chimneys. Madi said, "That's cool!".

All smiles, no tears!

Longest Post Ever.... Wedding in Albuquerque

2009-12-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

Charlie's sister Chrisma got married this weekend in Albuquerque. We hopped on a plane on Wednesday to go enjoy all of the wedding festivities...

Brock enjoying the plane ride

Funny Farm (Chrisma's friend Carrie's aptly named farm)

The kids loved causing a goat stampede

Visit to the Albuquerque Aquarium

Rehearsal Dinner on Thursday Evening

On Friday evening, Chrisma and Tim hosted a dinner at their house. They catered with New Mexican cuisine and Tim's famous homemade meatballs.
Chrisma and Tim's beautiful house in the mountains

Madi and Brock played in the snow for 5 seconds before they started crying because it was too cold. It was in the teens and windy, so I was pretty happy that they wanted to go inside.

The ladies getting the programs ready...

The men braving the cold to enjoy cigars...

Chrisma and cousin Chris at her bridal luncheon on Friday afternoon

The mountains of Albuquerque

Chrisma and Tim's Big Day

Cousins waiting for the ceremony

The ringbearer

Junior Bridesmaid

Amanda (Charlie's other sister) and I at the reception

Dancing with daddy

Chuck and I at the reception

The beautiful wedding cake (nope- not one of my creations)

Wedding cookie favors (yep, these are mine)

Dancing Kiddos

Charlie and Chrisma

The happy couple

2009-11-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

The kid's and I had a little photo shoot at the park today after school. It was picture day at school, so they were all dressed up and looking so cute, I just couldn't resist. I think I have the right idea from now on...take pictures while they play. I actually got a few smiles!

Halloween

2009-11-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

On halloween we had my brother's family and my parents over for trick or treating. Madi was Hannah Montana ofcourse, and Brock chose to be Elmo. We had a great time running around the neighborhood getting candy and checking out the costumes.

Rock star pose

The kiddos posing for a group picture- they are hard to see because Charlie and Brock got a little crazy with our smoke machine

Elmo got lazy after a block or two...

Poor Brock. I made him try on Mad's itchy wig and I thought he looked so cute

Checking out candy after hitting all the houses

2009-10-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, Madi's class went on a field trip to Gnismer Farm in Pantego. It was a really cool place where kids are allowed to pick pumpkins straight off the vine. We walked along through the vines while everyone found their favorite pumpkin, checked out the tractors, and had a quick snack. I really enjoyed getting to see Madi interact with her classmates and teachers. Brock got to go too and he of course loves to watch and hang out with the big kids.

Me and my pumpkins

Mad and Brock searching the vines for pumpkins

Brock distracted by airplanes

Mad and Brock with their prize picks

Vin's Bday

2009-10-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, we had a little get together to celebrate Charlie's mom's 60th birthday. We had a few of her friends over for a few snacks, drinks, and cake. Her cake incorporated her love of travel, bingo, Vegas, her greyhounds, and her home state of Virginia. We had a great time and were so glad to be able celebrate this special birthday with Gammy.

Neighborhood Party

2009-10-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood had a little get together Sunday afternoon that started with a River Legacy naturologist walking with us to a nearby park and pointing out all of the native plants and flowers. We had snacks at the nearby park and got to know some of the neighborhood kids.

Lake Fun

2009-10-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

We made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch yesterday, and what an awful day to choose. Hot! Mad and Brock got cranky fast and I was totally unprepared for just how hot it was going to be. We didn't stay as long as we usually do as they had no desire to carry pumpkins around after about 5 minutes. I got some cute pictures though, and that is all that matters!

New Camera

2009-10-11T18:25:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting a new camera for a really long time. I finally got one, and it just so happened we had a lot going on this weekend, so it was a great time to test it out.

Saturday morning we went to a friend's birthday at the park. It was cold, but the kids had a great time in the bounce house.

Later in the evening, we went to After Dark in the Park at River Legacy. The kids loved going on a hay ride and walking the star light trail.

Sunday afternoon we went to another birthday at a pumpkin patch in Grapevine. The kids went on a hayride, fed cows and donkeys, and walked through a corn maze. It was such a cute place!

2009-10-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

A few things I missed in my two month hiatus:

BAPTISM:
My dad baptized Madi,Brock, and my new nephew Knox at the same time. It was a really special day made all the more special by the fact that my dad was able to do it and say something fun about each of the kids.

I made a cake for our family luncheon that had a girly bear for Mad,a middle boy bear with a mohawk for Brock, and a tiny bear with a pacifier for Knox.

LABOR DAY:
On Labor Day, my parents brought Lexi and Calvin up to the lake for the weekend.

I love this pic of the kids (in birth order) running back up to the house

Sunset Canoe Ride

BALLET:
Mad started taking ballet and tap lessons at the Dottie Lynn Rec center. She loves it! She is so attentive in class and loves to learn the new steps. I get to watch the last few minutes of class each week and it cracks me up because most of the girls look around, sit down, or stare at themselves in the mirror, but Mad is always following right along with the teacher.

COWBOYS!:
We went to our first Cowboy game as a family. Mad and Brock were completely zoned out. Brock stared at the big screen without moving for a whole quarter. He was mesmerized. I thought they looked so cute in their cowboy gear!

Finally

2009-10-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

After two months of no posts, I am finally posting. Whitney twisted my arm!:) I have been feeling crafty again after a good long dry spell. I just haven't felt like doing any projects, taking any pictures, or blogging. Well, I am back at it, and my new found love is sewing. Well, I wouldn't call it love. I don't LOVE sewing, but I do love staring at my finished pieces and giving myself a firm pat on the back...

Check out Madi modeling my latest projects:

I used a pair of overalls that Mad had outgrown to make this one.

My mom made me a dress once when I was little and I can remember that dress and the anticipation of its creation so clearly. I wore mine with pride and thought the white fabric with colorful balloons was the cutest print I had ever seen. I hope Mad feels that way too about her dresses too. She told me, "I was the best maker ever", so I guess that is a thumbs up.

Swimming with Suzy

2009-08-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

My kiddos have been going to swimming lessons over the past two weeks, for 4 days a week, 30 minutes a day. I was amazed by the results. Miss Suzy was awesome! She got Brock swimming when I was really shooting for just a little more familiarity and less fear of the water. Parents were not allowed to stay and watch the lessons except for the last 15 minutes of the last class. They were so proud to show off their new skills, and it was so fun to see their progress.

Show us Where You Live: Children's Parties

2009-07-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

Mad's 4th birthday
My little mermaid Madi dolled up in her mermaid costume and posing in front of her Ariel cake

I bought an edible image off of Ebay and backed it with fondant for the Ariel cake topper.

Now that my kids are a little older, I try to do a craft at their parties. For Madi's party this year, I made royal icing sugar cookies that the kiddos decorated with edible markers. Messy but fun!

I could not find any Ariel invites that I liked for Madi, so I made these with Ariel stickers that I backed with card stock, cut out, and attached to my plain printed invites with foam pieces for a 3-D look.

I try to always tie the thank you notes back to the invites somehow, so I just used a pic of Mad from the party and the same dot pattern from the invites.

Brock's 2nd Bday
Brock loves Diego, so I ordered an edible image and then made fondant critters to peek out of the tall grass around the cake. He was so proud of his cake, it was so cute!

Brock's party craft was decorating foam photo frames with foam animal stickers.

I'll spare you every party we have had around here, but here a few pics of some neat things we have had at other parties:

I always do cookie favors (usually in the number of years) and display them in a flower pot or bowl.

My friend, Cinnamon, made this adorable time capsule out of paint bucket. She used Mad's 1st birthday invite on the front. I loved this idea, and I am so excited about opening it in on one of her birthdays in a few years when she can appreciate it.

Brock's time capsule with special notes from the party guests, but I also threw in a tiny sock, his first picture taken in NICU, and his birth announcement.

What have we been doing?

2009-07-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

I have not been very motived to post lately, but I have some cute pics(most taken by my friend Whit)from the 4th, so here goes...

We started our holiday by celebrating a little early at the lake with cousins.

Reese, Mad, Logan, and Brock

The Terrells and my friend Paula joined us later in the week for fun at the beach and fireworks

-Love this pic my friend Whitney took, I love the lake at sunset

Madi and Eli had a great time playing together

Mad and Brock's favorite spot

Having fun at the beach

Sweet girls

Mad and Eli shooting their magic wand fireworks

Madox loved the fireworks

Brock did not...

Poor little guy had to go to bed and skip the fireworks this year. We had another great holiday at the lake and I am loving making the lake a family tradition every year.

Show us Where You Live Friday

2009-06-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

I have missed out on so many Friday posts because I keep leaving my stupid camera at the lake. Bummer! I'll do a catch up post one of these days. This Friday at Kelly's Blog is showcasing master bedrooms, so I am almost positive I will be staying up half the night checking all of them out.

View as you walk in the room

Hate the window treatments, but I haven't been inspired to do anything else

I can't tell you how much I love this armoire- I wish I could take a picture that would do it justice

Inherited family piece- but I like throwing it in to keep everything from matching completely

My bedside table- love this too!

View of the ceiling and our ugly fan that I will replace one of these days

Another great family piece that goes with the dresser

Show Us Where You Live Friday: Living Rooms

2009-05-06T23:59:00.000-07:00

I am once again participating in Kelly's Korner(www.kellyskorner.blogspot.com) blog event, " Show Us Where You Live Friday". I love, love, love this idea! I spent hours checking out other gal's kitchens. What a great way to get ideas. I can't wait to check out everyone's living rooms.

Our main living area off of the kitchen

Our Family Room/Play Room

Cake Blog

2009-05-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

I started a new cake blog the other day at www.aarisjacksoncakes.blogspot.com. Right now I just have a few pics and descriptions, but eventually I will post recipes and a few simple directions for a few people that have asked. I also have a link below - it's My Cakes.

Really???

2009-05-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

Is it really possible that my one year old is now two? What? We celebrated on his actual birthday with a song from Mad and a trip to play at McDonald's. Not exactly the way I would choose to spend my bday, but I was trying to think like a two year old...and McDonalds is a fave for sure.

Later in the week, we celebrated Brock's birthday with a few friends and family. It was so much fun to watch him actually enjoy "his" day and know that everything was done for him.

Brock's Diego Cake - He was so proud of his cake and took several guests to go see it.

Me and the birthday boy!

Party crafts and favors - jungle themed foam stickers to attach to magnet frames & door hangers

Opening gifts with Brock

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy!

My kitchen

2009-05-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs (kellyskornerblog.com) is hosting something called "Show me where you live Friday". Her readers post pics of their kitchen on their own blogs then link back so everyone can see them, get ideas etc. So fun!! I love looking at other people's homes. I frequently check out the home galleries on real estate websites so I can wonder around people's homes without being rude. Anyway, I'm adding mine to the mix...

One of the things that sold me on this house - the barrel ceiling

Easter 2009

2009-04-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

Good Friday with cousins

Celebration #2 - More cousins, 2nd cousins

Saturday evening- setting out treats for the Easter bunny

Easter morning- checking out baskets from the easter bunny

Celebration #3 at Nana/Poppy's