New Shutters!!-----November 14, 2009

I had ordered shutters using a portion of my summer camp money, and Jonathan surprised me by hanging them while I was running errands! Isn't it crazy how much it changes our house! I'm so excited!! I've wanted shutters forever! All that work at summer camp was totally worth it!

Playing Outside----November 8, 2009

The weather was so pretty when we got home from church, we decided to play outside together a little bit. Jack is loving the freedom of moving around on his own outside!

Jack is getting pretty good at stairs! Uh-Oh!!
Look at our big boy!!




Jack had never walked in the yard before....and he loved every minute of it!

He's off....again!

First Trip to the Park----November 2, 2009

Jack always loves it when he has his cousins around to play....and lately the Chandlers have been around quite a bit due to visiting Al's family in Mississippi. We have enjoyed every minute that we have had with them...and on this day, we decided to head to the park!

Jack thought he was in HEAVEN! Wide open spaces, colorful equipment, other kids...He yelled and laughed and jabbered as loudly as he could.
Lucy is only 4 months older, but still quite a bit taller! (Which is very impressive since Jack is in the 90th percentile in height!...and weight!!...and head, actually!!) :)



Aunt Jen put Jack on the slide...and he loved it!
Whoo-Hoo! Look at that crazy hair!! :)
What a fun day!!

Happy Halloween!!----October 31, 2009

We went over to the Norment's house again this year to celebrate Halloween with all of our church friends! Jack was a bit more interested in the ceiling fans than in the crazy costumes!
Here is the crazy Walker family (minus Will).....Anne was dressed up as Scott, and Scott is supposed to be Anne! The girls were a bit embarrassed! TeeHee!
The Henson family......Troy and Amy were gypsies!
Here are a bunch of Jack's favorite babysitters!! :)
Lizzie, Anna, and Sara Kate were adorable as always!! Didn't Keri do a GREAT job on their costumes??!! She found them in magazines and recreated them!!

Well, it's time to go get some candy!!

Sonshine Mission Night----October 21, 2009

Our Wednesday night children's ministry, Sonshine, visited a local nursing home to pass out goodies (sugar free!) to the residents there! The kids looked ADORABLE! Thanks to Jen and Al for letting us borrow this cute doggie costume for Jack! He LOVED wearing it!!

One of our little cuties at church!
Two more cuties!

Our little Sara Katie! (Keri does a great job making her kids' costumes!!)
Evie--Batgirl!
Three more cuties! There's our Lizzie on the end.
Passing out the goodies! See Keri and Anna? Anna is an Indian princess!
Jack was the youngest child in attendance....so he got LOTS of attention!! He loved it!!
It was a very, very sweet night!

My Sweet Boy-----October 19, 2009

What a cutie crawling through my house! Even though he can walk, he prefers the "turbo crawl" most of the time!


Peek-a-Boo, Mommy!!
Jack loves to play "Patty-Cake!"
Any time you start clapping, he will clap and immediately go into......
Roll it, Roll it, Roll it, Roll it!
What a true joy!!

Fall Break in KY----October 15, 2009

This about sums it up!
Jack is happy wherever he goes! He loves people! Especially kids!!
This house was full of them! We had a great Fall Break......!!

Beth Moore Weekend---October 10, 2009

Just a quick photo to remind us of the great weekend we had when Beth Moore came to town! Mom, Jen, Joann, Miranda, and Johnna all came in for the weekend! Keri went with us too...and we had a great time! We ate at both Houston's and Amerigo's while they were in town! Mmmm!
And if you can believe it, Beth Moore was EVEN BETTER than the food!! :)

Jack's First Steps---September 26, 2009

When Jack decided to walk....he REALLY decided to walk!! He took 7 steps to go over and play with "the girls"....Lizzie, Anna, and Sara Kate! And miraculously we got it on video!

Sisters Free Weekend!---September 11, 2009

What do you do when you realize you and your sisters have a free weekend with NOTHING planned?!! What do you do when you realize that the sister who lives the farthest is willing to fly in for the weekend with her infant??~~~ You have a SISTERS' WEEKEND!!

This weekend consisted mostly of eating, it seemed, but some of us did bring scrapbook stuff to work on. Others brought computers. Keri insisted on hosting.....she considers these girls her sisters too! :)

Some people just slept. (Yes....she has an excuse! She is pregnant!)
And slept! (We didn't think Jen had an excuse...except that she is Jen...but we found out later that she actually WAS pregnant here...we just didn't know it!)
Karen definitely won the award for getting the most accomplished this time! Yay, Karen!

MMMMMM!---September 9, 2009

It is a sad thing when all the pineapple is gone!!

Labor Day Weekend---September 7, 2009

Here's the whole gang!! All six Davis boys, their wives, and children!! Whew!

Matthew (oldest brother) with Melanie, Will, Alexandra, Sophie, and Abby!

Here we are with our sweet Jack!

Davis boy #3...Adam with Melanie, Grace Ann, and Isaiah.

Davis boy #4....Daniel with Christy, Hannah, and Benjamin.


Davis boys #5/6! Twins!!! Above is Andrew with Ashley.
Below is Aaron who is married to my sister, Johnna with Catherine and Claire.
We sure do love our sweet, sweet family!!!

Good Times in Texas---August 15, 2009

Meet my newest niece! Miranda Skye! Isn't she beautiful??! Her mommy and daddy, brother and sister sure think so! And Aunt Ju Ju couldn't take her eyes off the little cutie!!


Big boy Austin helped make breakfast for his Uncle Jonny and Aunt JuJu. His daddy helped a little bit too!

What a cutie-patootie! Ariana is just a doll! She is quite the swimmer too!
Jack tried swimming...but he was never really comfortable. He also got two HUGE mosquito bites on his head! :)
We are always so thankful to be able to stay at Joann and Scott's house during our trips to SanAntonio! It is starting to really feel like home away from home!! :)

Finalization!!---August 14, 2009

Finally finalizing! What a wonderful, wonderful day as we were together with Jessica as we officially made Jack a Davis! It was a very emotional few minutes up there in front of the judge!! We are so thankful for our Jessica!! We ADORE her!

A very happy day! (Full of exhales!) :)
Big ole bunch of Abrazo babes!!

More August Pictures--August 10, 2009

Mama's trick.....carrots mixed in with ravioli and sauce! He eats it like crazy! :)

Ooooh! Nothing better than riding on Daddy!!

Update on my pretty window boxes....Aren't they lovely? Thanks, Jonathan!!

Mama's Trick----

Happy Birthday, Round#2--August 5, 2009

We couldn't celebrate Jack's Birthday without inviting all of his church friends! The Walkers, Garlands, Hensons, Smiths, and even TaTa came to wish Jack a happy, happy birthday!
He loved all the attention...and all the girls! He and Will will have to stick together! :)


Jack wasn't too impressed with his chocolate-icing-cupcake. He certainly prefers vanilla!
Jack got even more great gifts!!
We are so very thankful for our friends!!

Unexpected Mt. Juliet Visit----August 7, 2009

Jonny and Jack loved the breakfast....especially the biscuits! (Mommy too!!)

It was a fun and unexpected whirlwind trip to Grammy's, but we still found time to enjoy Poppy and Grammy's beautiful yard and deck!!

Jack Turns ONE!---August 2009

Happy Birthday, Jack!! We are sooooooo thankful for our little boy!! What a wonderful, wonderful year it has been!! We never imagined how God would have made our lives so much better than they already were...but He surely did! A year ago, when Jack came into our lives, we gained both a son and a dear friend....Jack's birthmother, Jessica!!

We were so thrilled that she was able to come for his first birthday party! Jessica, Jake, and her mom Maria were all able to come and share our very special day!! Here is Jack with Jessica and her mom, Maria.
Jack LOVES people...and he was so excited that tons of his favorite people could come to his party! Here he is with Maria, Sara Kate, and Anna playing his favorite game: Peek-a- Boo!!


Before we let Jack have his cake, Jonathan said some sweet words and read scripture over our precious Jack! It made me cry.....and everyone else in the room!! Just to think that God knew Jack in Jessica's womb....and has planned all of his life out to the tiniest detail! God has already worked so many miracles out in Jack's life....and we are so grateful to have been able to watch them unfold, and be a special part of the plan!!
Here is Jack with Grammy and Poppy! (Jonathan's parents!)

Here is Jack with CC and Grumpy! (Our neighbors and Keri's parents!)
Here is Jack with the Smiths! (Our neighbors and best friends!!)
Here's Jack with Granddaddy and Grandma Green! (Julie's Parents!)
Here is Jack with Jake...Jessica's brother! Boy, do these guys look alike!!
What a fun, fun day!!

New Shelves!!----July 31, 2009

We have been working hard trying to finish up some summer projects before school starts and before Jack's birthday parties!! Jonathan worked SO HARD on building beautiful shelves in both our master closet and Jack's bedroom closet!! We are thrilled with how they turned out....and even more thrilled to have all the extra storage space!!



We have spent about two weeks solid working on this project....and sleeping less than we should have!! But tonight, now that we are finished (the night before Jack's birthday party), we are catching up on our ZZZZZZs!! :)

Peek-a-Boo, Oven Boy!---July 28 2009

Some kids have imaginary friends.....but Jack has a friend that lives in the oven!! He LOVES the oven boy who plays peek-a-boo with him every time he crawls over there!! Jack will lean down and POP up quickly to catch the little boy off guard...but he is always there saying "BOO!" right back to him!!

Here is Jack bending down....planning his surprise.....


And UP he goes!! Giggling every second!!
Jack always ends the session by crawling away, laughing hysterically!!!!

Another CSI:Memphis Camp---July 2009

I held two Crime Scene Investigation Camps this summer at Westminster! We solved all kinds of cute kid-crimes....and learned lots of science in the process!! Lizzie got to come to several days of camp! She was a great sleuth!


My weeks of camp were featured in both the Commercial Appeal Newspaper and on Fox News TV! We had two very, very fun weeks!!

Missing Daddy---July 24, 2009

Jack really wore out his calf muscles today trying to catch a peek at daddy mowing the yard outside! He would go from window to window trying to see what daddy was up to! He squealed with delight when Jonathan came in for lunch...and was relieved when he came in to stay in at dinner time!! :) (Can you see Jonny in the window above?)

Jack's Marks on his Face---July 2009

Jack first had a break out like this on his face back in April....and then he has had it again in July! We have no idea what is causing it, and we don't know if it is eczema or if it is an allergic reaction to something...but we hope to find out soon! Anyone have any guesses as to what it might be??

Celebrating Brandy's Birthday---July 22, 2009

Another month.....more birthdays!! Our little group of friends can always find something to celebrate!! This time it was Brandy's birthday, and Elizabeth convinced us to try a new Thai restaurant! We were treated royally, as usual when we are with Elizabeth!! It was a very fun night!!

Our Sweet Neighbors----July 2009

Like I said in an earlier post....sometimes we forget to document the every day happenings!! Here are our sweet neighbors, the Daniels family! They are such sweet friends. On this night they had eaten dinner with us, and we made sure we captured the moment! James, Larissa, and Alexandria, we are glad to be your neighbors!! :)

Playing in the Rain---July 21, 2009

It has RAINED all spring and summer.......well....at least a LOT of the time!! We finally just took Jack outside to enjoy it!! He just loved the droplets, the sound, and the huge umbrella!!

Bedtime for Jack----July 15, 2009

It is really, really hard to get Jack down for bed most nights! He loves to lay on us and snuggle and play! So, sometimes, we just keep him up longer than we should because we just cannot get enough of our little man!! Here he is snuggling on his daddy!! But you can see how Jack gets more and more tired the longer he stays up!!

It's time now...when he buries his head and rubs those sweet eyes....the bed is calling! :)
Oh, how we love our little boy!!

WA Summer Camp!!---July 13-17, 2009

For fun and some extra money this summer, I helped Keri run her yearly summer camp at Westminster! It was lots of fun...and very, very messy at times!! Here we are having a shaving cream war! Well...maybe "war" is a strong word for what appears to be happening below! :) These girls love each other too much to have an actual WAR! :)
We used the church gym to go skating one day...here I am trying to help Lizzie!!
And, of course, we tie-dyed t-shirts which is a tradition at this camp! They turned out great!!

35th West Reunion in Kentucky---July 11, 2009

This year we drove to "My Old Kentucky Home" to go to the 35th Annual West Reunion! My sweet grandmother, Amy Lois West Green Evans (!) is one of the two remaining family members of the Elbert West Family....and every year we get together at to celebrate family! We met at Spring Creek Church of Christ (my grandmother's church) to have great food and visit with lots of family....and even some people that weren't family!!


Here is my dad and his triplet brothers! (acting silly as usual!!) My dad, John is #1, Uncle Tom is #2, and Uncle Jim is #3!

I didn't get a good group shot of our one branch of the family (because I was in that picture!)...but here is two shots of us getting ready to have the official pictures made! :)

It was a great day, and we were so glad we got to attend! It was Jack's first West Reunion....and Jonny's too!

Monday Night Dinners with the Smiths---July 2009

Sometimes we forget to take pictures of the every-day things.....because they are sooooo normal and routine! But on this day I remembered to take a picture of our Summer Monday night dinners!! Every other Monday this summer the Smiths came over to have dinner with us or we went over to their house to have dinner with them! It is a tradition we have had ever since we moved out of their house and into ours....and we hope it lasts FOREVER!! :)

Happy 4th of July!----July 4, 2009

Sara Kate and Jack at the Slayden 4th of July picnic! A very fun day!!

Meeting Baby Abby Davis!------July 1, 2009

Here is Jack looking sooo proud to meet his newest cousin...Abby! Jack was a little sick when Abby was born, so we couldn't make it to the hospital to meet her....but waiting a little while was worth it to be able to hold her without worry of passing on germs!!

Here is Catherine giving baby Abby a smooch!!


Uncle Jonny was having fun playing with all his nieces...and Will (!!) on this trip! Here he is holding Abby and teasing Alex! (As you see, Jack is always on the move!!)


Ooooooh! Aunt Ju Ju had to get her fill of sweet baby too!!!



Here's the whole family! Daddy Matthew (Jonny's brother), his wife Melanie, and their four children: Will, Alexandra, Sophie, and Abby! What a sweet, sweet bunch of people!!
Will is REALLY good at this!! :)
Claire and Jack had fun playing in Claire's room. We stayed with Aaron and Johnna (my sister...AND Jonny's brother!) on our trip to meet our sweet new baby cousin!!

Admiring Daddy's Yard---June 29, 2009

We just love sitting outside with Jack! On this night, Jack, Jonathan, and I were sitting out on the back porch after supper watching the sun set! Jack got excited when the sprinklers came on to give Daddy's grass a drink....and he let out a squeal everytime they spun around and almost got him wet!

This is not a great picture, but I thought I should document our first attempt at a garden! Tomatoes, corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and basil were the plants we decided to plant on our maiden voyage!





Happy, happy days!!

Grammy & Poppy Visit----June 28, 2009

Grammy and Poppy had been in Huntsville for a birthday visit, and so they decided to drop by and see us "on the way home!" Jack had wasn't feeling 100%, but a trip to the Bonefish Grill must have been exactly what he needed! He ate and ate and ate and ate!!
In fact, Jack ate sooo much, the he must have hardly looked up at all! When he did finally come up for air and gaze across the table, he got SOOO excited to see his Grammy and Poppy sitting there! He squealed so loudly and clapped his hands......! This really made us all laugh so hard!

The Chandlers Visit---June 26, 2009

Jen, Al, and the kids came to visit~and it had been a much anticipated visit!! :) We went to the sprinkler park, ate at the Smith's, swam in pool, played outside in the Daniels' blow-up water toy, watched movies, and ate popsicles! Here are the older kids staying up late in Ju Ju's bed to watch WALL-E! The boys just love the girls, and the girls just love those boys too!! We always have fun when the Chandlers come to Mississippi!!

Swimming in the Baby Pool--June 21, 2009

How cute is this!? Jack looks so cute in his little swimsuit from the Gibsons! Sara Kate helped Jack take his first plunge into the baby pool we bought last year when Hannah and Benjamin came to visit! Jack didn't wear that cute hat too long, but I snapped a few pictures while I could!

It was really cold water, but Jack didn't mind! He loves water, and he loved making big splashes. He did make a bit of noise outside today, which is a new thing for him too! Usually he is COMPLETELY silent~just taking in everything! Today he let loose and played! It was so fun to watch!

PaPaw & Granny Visit!----June 20, 2009

Granny and PaPaw were traveling through north Misssippi, and they could not imagine not stopping to visit baby Jack! Granny and PaPaw from Birmingham are such important people in our sweet past-life there in Alabama! When Jonathan and I moved there in 1997 for Jonathan to attend seminary, I was the nanny for their then 1 year old grandson, Logan Chambers! Being Logan's nanny was SUCH a joy....and one of the highlights of my life! We shared such good times with Logan and his whole family......which includes Granny and PaPaw!!


Jack thoroughly enjoyed this visit! He loved getting loved on, and he loved trying to confiscate PaPaw's glasses!



It was such fun visit...and we are so thankful that Granny and PaPaw took time out of their day to come meet our sweet Jack! Their grandson, Logan, was the one who made me realize that I could love a child that was not biologically my own with a very, very deep and extraordinary love! It was then that the dream was born......and Jack is that dream realized! God was laying the groundwork all along!

Crawling Everywhere!!--June 2009

Jack is Mr. Speedy when he crawls! He loves it when Daddy or Mommy crawl with him! However, we find that it kills our knees!! :)

Johnny Jump Up & Update---June 19, 2009

Look what Aunt Keri is letting us borrow!! Jack has a ball in that Johnny Jump Up!

I am sad to report, though, that now Jack has outgrown this toy....we should have started it a bit earlier! We didn't know Jack would be dragging the ground so soon! :) He's a big old boy!

We are guessing that Jack weighs about 24 ½ pounds now, and is about 30 inches long…based on mommy’s estimates. Jack was very healthy during the month of May, but he did go to the doctor this month for his 9 month check-up on May 6^th. At that time, Jack weighed 23 pounds and was 29 inches long. He also had an iron check-up and passed with flying colors! He also must be getting used to receiving shots, since he got two this month and hardly cried at all! Jack will turn 10 months old on Friday, June 5^th, and Sunday, June 7^th, will mark ten months since placement!

Jack is crawling!! One night Jack was so determined to reach a forbidden item across the carpet in his room (the mobile that used to hang above his bed) that he gripped the carpet with both fists, and propelled himself across the floor! This was only the beginning!! Jack began propelling himself in every direction…until finally he raised up on all fours and crawled! He even puts his little bottom in the air, standing on his legs…but keeps both hands on the floor. That position looks very, very funny! Jack can also get into a sitting-up position from a lying-down position. We were not sure exactly how he was doing it, but we would come into his room after a nap, and he would be sitting up in his bed…looking very proud of himself!! Then…one evening, when Jonathan was home alone with Jack, I got a phone call. Jonathan was calling to see what should be done. It seemed that Jack had been crying for a bit in his bed…and Jonny told me that had already eaten, had been changed, and had been acting very tired. He was wondering if he should just let him fall asleep, or go in there and get him. Jonny decided to go ahead and get him, but then I got another phone call almost immediately. It seems that Jack had found a way to pull up and stand in his bed, but he couldn’t figure out how to get back down! He was so tired, but he was stuck standing up!! Poor Baby! Since then, Jack has stood several times…and just laughs his head off!! He thinks he is hot stuff!! (And he is!!)

Jack did cut another tooth this month…seemingly without too much pain! YAY!

Jack’s sleeping habits have not changed much this month but his eating habits have! He is still taking four 8-oz bottles daily at 7 a.m., noon, 5 p.m. and 8:30ish, but now he is also eating everything he can get his hands on!! Jack eats the same meals we do…just in smaller pieces! Jack loves butterbeans, green beans, hot dogs, pork chops, barbeque pork, chicken, strawberries, pineapple, and grapes…but he doesn’t care for mashed potatoes! Interesting! Surely that will change! He is completely self-feeding now, and is also starting to use a sippy cup regularly.

This month Jack traveled two times to visit both sets of grandparents in Nashville and Kentucky. At both locations, he got to visit with aunts and uncles and lots of cousins too! During the month of May we also traveled up to school several times for mommy’s yearbook meetings and to see daddy’s students who love Jack so much! Jack also attended graduation…where he was passed around for over two hours being held by so many people….He finally fell asleep on the president of the school board! Precious!! Everyone loves Jack—because he is so loveable!!

June will be an exciting month!! Mommy is teaching a science camp, everyone will be working at VBS, daddy will be planting a yard full of grass (11,000 square feet!!), mommy will be finishing the yearbook, and Uncle Al and Aunt Jen are coming to visit…finally!! Jack might also be attending his first family reunion here in Mississippi! Jack has enjoyed talking to Jessica this month on the phone, and I got a bunch of wonderful Mother’s Day cards…the two most special being a card from Jonathan and one from Jessica’s mom, Maria! We also called Jessica several times, and she called us several times…and finally, the day after Mother’s Day, we finally got to talk to each other!! What a gift you are to us, Jessica!! Jack is such a blessed boy to be loved so much by you! We are so proud of Jessica who is wrapping up her junior year of high school…and is really hoping to take summer school classes to get a head start on her senior year! What a girl! We can’t wait to see her again!

Life is good…and we are so very, very thankful!

VBS--June 2009

I taught the 5th and 6th grade VBS class again this year! Since they are the oldest group (and because our church is always full of kids and need extra space), we get to have our VBS class at the Cunningham's house! And they have a POOL!

Sometimes there is a competition to see who gets to ride out to the Cunningham's house in Jack's van! :)


Jonathan and Jack got to come to Miss Penny's house every day too! Jack took a nap upstairs every morning, and Jonathan helped with being a mentor to the kiddos!

VBS is always a blast!!

(But also exhausting!! And this year was worse for me! When VBS was over at noon, I would head to the Collierville Public Library to work on the yearbook. I stayed every night until the library closed at 8 p.m.!)

Tilling the Front Yard---June 7, 2009

Jonathan worked so hard getting the yard ready for the grass seed! He got outside early everyday and stayed out some nights using flood lights to try to finish the job! Unfortunately during some of the week that Jack was in Kentucky, it rained! So, Jonathan had to finish up the huge task after we went to get our baby back!!

Can you see Jack!?

Jack in Kentucky!!---June 2009

I can't believe this is the only picture I have of the week Jack spent in Kentucky with his Grandma and Granddaddy! Mommy was busy trying to finish the Westminster yearbook, and Daddy was trying to plant his Zoysia seed in the front yard before he missed his chance! So, since both parents were working hard to meet very important deadlines, Jack enjoyed having Grandma and Granddaddy all to himself during this week in June! He had such a good time!

CSI: Memphis---June 2009

This summer in order to make a bit more money, I offered the CSI camp to Westminster students. This was the same camp I had offered up in Northbrook, Illinois when I worked at St. Norbert! It was very, very fun and a great chance for kids to learn to love science!
Everyday when the kids arrive, we find we have been delivered a big bag of evidence that goes along with a crime the police are trying to solve. The police always need help from scientists who analyze the crime scene evidence to uncover who the culprit really is! Everyday we solve a different crime using different scientific techniques such as chromatography.
The students have lots of fun, and the time goes by so quickly! This year I offered two weeks of camp (one in June and one in July). We were featured in the Commercial Appeal and Fox News even came and featured us on the evening news!!

New Mattress!!---May 28, 2009

Goodbye old mattress!! My sweet Grandmother had given us this mattress when we got married back in 1996. At that time, it was HER old one! So no telling how long this mattress has been in circulation! :) But today it was replaced by a new Serta mattress from Sam's.
We love the way our bed feels now! (And our backs are soooo thankful!!) :)

A New Way of Crawling----May 27, 2009

Uh-Oh! Could this be the next step to walking? Jack is now crawling with his knees up off the ground! Kind of a turbo-crawl! He looks like a baby gorilla!! :)

Lizzie's Frog----May 27, 2009

This picture may be one of my favorites!! I was inside the house looking outside through the front door at Lizzie's little frog. While trying to take a picture of Lizzie holding up her most recent capture, Anna popped into the window, and barely made it into the picture. When I reviewed the picture on my camera, I then noticed Sara Kate had peeked through the mail slot! It was hilarious~and the perfect shot taken at a perfect moment!


Oh, how I love my girls!!

Visit to Mt. Juliet----May 24, 2009

Jack's plaque is up on Grammy's wall! Doesn't he look proud??
I decided to go ahead and take a picture of all of the grandchildren's plaques--maybe it will help me remember birthdays!! :)

Lovely! Doesn't Poppy do a great job hanging them so straight!? But hmmmm....wonder if they will run out of wall space with such a big, big family!!??

Westminster Graduation---May 22, 2009

The Westminster Graduation was such a joy to attend! Jack and I were so proud to see Jonathan, Andrew and all our other Westminster teacher friends (as well as the graduates) looking so distinguished in their caps and gowns! Westminster awarded its 100th diploma at this year's commencement excercises, as well as celebrating the first two members of the 13th year society! (Students who have attended WA from K-12th grade!)
Here are three sweet friends~Jocelyn Collins (art), Mary Karen Dixon (science), and Anne Walker (math).

Two more favorite people! :) Andrew and Jonny!

The reception afterwards is always fun too! Here are the Smith girls looking as cute as ever!!
Jonathan made a new friend at this year's reception!! He really hit it off with one of the graduates' great aunt! :) She was so sweet~and a real hoot!

Walking Outside--May 12, 2009

We were having so much fun with our walker inside, Jack and I decided that we should slather on the sunscreen and put on our sun hat for a walking adventure outside! It was very bright out there, though....and there were TONS of sounds that distracted us! (Lawn mowers, birds, cars going by....)
But even more distracting was the GRASS!! Jack kept pushing his walker and then bending down to pick some grass to keep! We didn't do too much walking!! :) (Plus, it was harder to push the walker on the grass rather than the smooth kitchen rug!!)
I decided to get out the bubbles and try to amuse him with his first bubble experience. But, true to form, Jack just sat very quietly...not cracking a smile....and watched each and every bubble as closely as he could with furrowed brow....trying to figure it all out! He is so contemplative!!

Jack really never did smile....but I think he had a lot on his little mind!! :)

Jack Gets a Walker---May 11, 2009

Oooooh! Look what Uncle Andrew and Aunt Keri got for Jack!! He was a bit shaky...but he really loved pushing that walker all over the kitchen rug!
This little picture was taken the same night....we realized this would be the LAST night for these pj's! Jack is surely growing....and we just love it.....but it is sad to say goodbye to such fun little outfits!! (We don't usually wear the hat...but we had to put it on for the picture!)

First Mother's Day---May 10, 2009

What a happy day!! For years this day has been extremely painful, but this year was worth the wait!! Jack was in a great mood and we had a wonderful day together!


I sure do love both my boys!! :)

Eating Breakfast with Daddy---May 10, 2009

Jack really loves his oatmeal....but he loves his daddy even more!! There is nothing Jack loves better than letting Daddy feed him his breakfast! It certainly starts the day off right!! :)

10 Month Update!---May 9, 2009

Somebody is getting sooooo big!!

Happy Spring! We are guessing that Jack weighs about 24 pounds now, and is about 30 inches long…based on mommy’s estimates J. Jack was very healthy during the month of April, so we have not been back to the doctor since his little fever in March! That is so great, considering all the flu going around in our area! Jack will turn 9 months old on Wednesday, May 5^th, and Friday, April 7^th, will mark nine months since placement! (And Saturday, May 8^th will mark one year since we first met our Jessica!! A very happy anniversary indeed!)

Jack has decided to become much more mobile this month. While we still are refusing to crawl, Jack certainly is having more fun rolling, but most of all he loves to hold our hands and pull himself up off the floor to a standing position. That USED to make him content…but then he decided he would like to take a few steps, both backward and forwards. That used to make him completely happy until he realized that could help him get places…and now he prefers to be guided around the room toward objects of his choosing. He tries to pull up on things, but since he is not crawling, he doesn’t find himself ever on his knees in a good position to pull up. So, he has to rely on other people to offer their fingers for him to pull up on! When he accomplishes this, he gets a very proud look on his face, the biggest toothy grin, and several little pants…like he is revving up to do something really great now! He steps and bounces and stretches with all his little might. It is really adorable….and very time consuming. He is not nearly as happy sitting on the floor playing with his toys when mommy could be holding him up and letting him take steps around the room! J

Since I mentioned his toothy grin, I should mention that Jack has FIVE big, white teeth now. He doesn’t love it as much now when mommy brushes them…because she won’t let him bite on her finger anymore…Because it HURTS!! Cutting that 5^th tooth this month was very difficult and resulted in many hard days, nights, and naps for Jack. He was evidently in some pain, and since it took so long to cut that tooth (almost 2 weeks!!), he became a bit sleep deprived! (And so did mommy!!) J

Jack’s eating habits and sleeping habits have not changed much this month. He is still taking four 8-oz bottles daily at 7 a.m., noon, 5 p.m. and 8:30ish. In addition he is eating two servings of cereal, prunes, and Cheerios everyday…along with other favorites along the way! He has become MUCH better at putting little Cheerios and Gold-Fish in his mouth.

Activity-wise, Jack is outgrowing his Baby Einstein Jumper, but he has discovered Aunt Keri’s push toy he can walk behind! He is not too good at it right now since he loses his balance trying to play with the front of the walker while he is trying to push it at the same time, but I predict that by my next report, he will be pushing that little toy all over our hard-wood floors. (I just hope there are not too many bruises!!) We worked on clapping hands, but although Jack LOVES to see someone else clap their hands, he is just not that interested in trying it himself. He has done it a couple of times (probably on accident), but we got a picture of one of those times!!

This month Jack traveled two times. We took a trip to San Antonio to visit Jessica over our Easter Break. Jonathan was not allowed to take any days off from work since he had used all his days up at the beginning of the school year when Jack was born, so we had to drive hard and fast to get down there and back during our four-day weekend!! It worked out well, we got to Dallas on Thursday night and then to San Antonio by Jessica’s lunchtime! We spent the lunch hour or so with her and her friends at her high school. Jessica was so happy as she carried Jack around to her favorite friends and teachers! Jack seemed to be just as pleased! J We went back to our hotel and played with Jack for a while, and then we had an delicious steak dinner at Texas Land and Cattle! Mmmm! The next morning we went out for breakfast and then hung out a while at Jess’s. Jack loved the family cat! He couldn’t stop trying to find her! Jess had to be at work that afternoon, so we took her to the mall, fed Jack, bought some ice cream from her, and then headed back home. A very fun trip indeed! It is always so easy with her…she is so genuine and sincere. Her love for Jack was evident, and I hope our love for her was just as evident! She is surely such an important person in our lives, and we are looking forward to seeing her again!

Jack and I also took a trip to visit family in Kentucky! We had not seen that part of the family since Christmas, and that visit had been messed up with illnesses and Grandma’s back surgery! Then in January and February they had a terrible ice storm, and then a March visit from them was cancelled due to a pesky cold. (They were afraid they would give it to Jack!!) So…finally at the end of April, Grandma was able to hold her baby Jack again! It was fun to spend time with Aunt Jen, Uncle Al, Luke, John David, and Lucy! They were excited to see pictures and hear stories about our Jess—They love her so much too! Oh, and Jessica, Luke wanted me to tell you, “Howdy…like they say in Texas!” and to give you a big squeeze the next time we saw you. So prepare yourself! J

His mommy being from Kentucky, Jack celebrated his first DERBY DAY in style!! He picked the horse that came in third…which was way better than his mommy or his daddy! We had a big lunch complete with Hot Browns and Derby Pie…the girls wore big fancy hats, and Jack rode Sara Kate’s rocky-horse! J Mommy had the den full of toy horses and red roses and carnations for the grand “Run for the Roses!”

May will be an exciting month!! Tomorrow Jack will celebrate his 9 month birthday on Cinco de Mayo, and we have a party planned for that too!! Jack will be going to the doctor on May 6^th for his 9 month check-up, and Daddy only has only three weeks of school left until he is home for the summer! Uncle Al and Aunt Jen are hopefully coming for a visit, and Jack will attend his first Vacation Bible School during the first week or so of June! What a big boy!!

Life is good…and we are so very, very thankful!

Cutie-----May 2009

Okay...just one more picture in the sombrero!! :)

Cinco DeMayo!---May 2009

Since we had lots of sombreros, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo in full costume! Ha! Jack wasn't so sure about all of this, though!


We served up huge, cheesy enchiladas, rice, beans, guacamole, chips, and had a yummy Mexican Dessert! Mmmmmm!

It was my night to cook, so the Smiths got to enjoy the yumminess too!!


Two loco-yocos! :)



This senorita is so blessed to love and cook for her men!

Jack's First Derby Day---May 2009

I have become quite serious about my Derby Day celebrations....! This year, however, we were soooo busy on the Saturday, we had to TAPE the Derby and watch it on Sunday. So, we got out our plastic horses and our fine hats, cooked up the traditional Derby fare, and watched a great race!!
Mmmm! Hot Browns are always a hit! And of course we had Derby Pie for dessert!
Aunt Keri and the girls brought over their rocking horse for Jack to ride during the Derby! He loved the sounds that it made!!
We began the afternoon by singing "My Old Kentucky Home."
Since it was taped, we were able to watch each horse carefully...rewinding if necessary! We each selected a horse and cheered them on!
Jack was not all that interested.........
Sara Kate won the "roses" because her horse came in first among all of the ones we picked!! No one chose the winner this year, but we still had a great time!! :)

Scott Walker's Surprise Party---May 2, 2009

Anne Walker worked soooo hard to pull off a 40th surprise birthday party for her husband, Scott...and boy, did it work!! He was SHOCKED!! It was so fun to see him fooled!!



Elizabeth Garland made the cake, of course...and did a crazy-amazing job, as usual!! Here she is with Brandy...getting ready to slice it up!
So many of our great friends were there!! Here is Troy and Amy Henson!
Jay and Brandy Gibson
Andrew and Keri Smith

Another glimpse of the fabulous cake!!
Margaret and Sally (Anne and Scott's girls)! It was such a great party!! A fabulous night!!

My Yearbook Staff---May 2009

Here are my yearbook helpers~!! Love these kids!!

8th Grade Boys' Sleepover!!---May 1, 2009

My sweet boys (from my 6th grade class two years ago) who are now in 8th grade had their turn to spend the night! We had steaks, played Guitar Hero, and were then visited by a few renegade girls with silly string and toilet paper!! :) It was hilarious!! (A mess....but hilarious!)

Cinnamon rolls in the morning make waking up a bit easier!
It is always over too quickly...but we do all need naps due to lack of sleep!!

Watching Daddy Mow!---April 30, 2009

Jack sure does enjoy springtime outside! He LOVES sitting in the grass....even crawling around in it! He always gets really quiet when we take him outside. He will sit with us forever and just take it all in! He loves to listen to birds, watch bugs, turn his head at every passing car.....and then flash us a big grin! What a sweetie!!

Today's adventure was especially exciting!! Daddy was mowing...and Jack just loved watching his daddy in the yard stirring up lots of dust!! (Not much yard out front right now!!) :)
Our sweet neighbor, James, let us borrow his riding mower! But shhh! Don't tell Jack! He is so proud of that big Cub Cadet!! :)

My Flower Baskets!---April 2009

When I returned home from Kentucky, these beautiful flower baskets were there to greet me! Jonathan had prepared an early Mother's Day gift!! I should really post an update to these...they are so much bigger and fuller now!! :)

Visiting Kentucky! ---April 28, 2009

Jack and I took a break and went to spend several days in Kentucky to visit Grandma and Granddaddy Green! Jack loved spending time with his cousins-- Luke, John David, and Lucy! He loved all the new toys (well, new to him....lots of them were Jack's mommy's toys from the 70s!) :) Oldies but goodies!!
Jack had a ball playing in Grandma's little tug boat.....
.......maybe too much fun! He went straight from squealing and playing to this face!! You never know when the urge will hit you!! Fortunately, this poopy was quick and relatively painless...but the face was priceless!! :)

On Tuesday night we headed down to Grandmother's for her famous "Tuesday Night Supper!" We enjoyed seeing Uncle Tom, Aunt Lois, Karen, Russ, Anna, Billy, Uncle Al, Aunt Jen, and the cousins!! And the food was sooo yummy!!
He doesn't look confused...but do you think he knows he is sitting in Aunt Lois's lap.....not Grandma's?? :)

Jack spent some good quality time with Great Grandmother Amy during "Tuesday Night Supper." She even got on the floor to play rock-a-stack!! Then Jack let her rock him...something he rarely lets us do!


Jack loved seeing himself with Granddaddy in the mirror!! This was causing us all to laugh!!

Jack just loved spending time with Grandma everyday!! I got lots of work done on the yearbook...in fact, I started and finished the first 15 pages while in Kentucky!! Hooray for fast internet!! :)

8th Grade Girl Sleepover---April 24, 3009

Can you believe these beautiful young ladies were my little 6th grade girls two years ago?? It was time for our second annual sleepover with Mrs. Davis. We were sad to not have Caroline and Becky, but they had other obligations...a soccer tournament and a horse show!

This year the girls convinced Jonathan to go and buy them cheap toilet paper so we could go have a little fun. We visited four lucky homes....and got caught at two of them!! :)

Yes...it is a pink hairband.....and no, don't tell Jack! He didn't know! :)

After watching, "To Catch A Thief" we all konked out...actually, Jonathan and I were the only ones that made it through the entire movie!! :) Katherine came very close, though!!
Jack was giving a lecture on being cute early Saturday morning...and all the girls gathered to listen!
The girls had worked hard on their fort the night before, but they had Jonathan come down to get a picture of it before we left!
What a fun time!! It will surely have to keep being an annual event!!

Big Jack!----April 19, 2009

Jack is all smiles lately!! He LOVES LOVES LOVES to stand up and gets very excited when we let him stand between our legs while we sit on the couch!
Sweet, fun times!!

Girls' Night Out!---April 17, 2009

We used Keri's birthday as a great excuse to go out on the town!! It was a very last minute plan, but Brandy, Elizabeth, Amy, Anne, Keri and I had a great time eating out and getting our nails done!

We decided we should do this on everyone's birthday! :) So much fun!!

Field Day at Westminster---April 18, 2009

Westminster's Field Days are always so much fun to attend...and this spring's was no exception!! Here is sweet Sydney holding Will's dog, Millie! Millie is fun to hold...but not as fun as Jack! :)

Jack was not at a loss for people that wanted to hold him!! He got quite a lot of attention from everyone! Here he is with Paula Williams, one of my sweet student's mom!


Here is my sweet man!


All of the students in the Upper School are divided into four "houses," Athanasius, Becket, Boniface, and Columba. All the houses are named for martyrs of the faith who have really incredible stories!

The four houses compete against each other in lots of different field day activities!

Lots of rivalries between the houses...but this picture was posed! :)

House Becket!
House Columba!
House Boniface!
Pretty cool teachers!!
Tug of war....It is a four-way rope!! Pretty cool!
House Athanasius!
The fearless Becket leaders!!
The Dog-Loving Athanasius leaders!
The real winner of the day....! Jocelyn got to hold Jack! Tee Hee!!
Sweet Sally and Millie!
Finally! Air conditioning!! How nice!
Three sweet friends......I think they were trying to catch another glimpse of Jack! :)

Happy Birthday, Keri!---April 16, 2009

We celebrated Keri's birthday at her home with her family...and Lizzie and Anna declared that we were having a hula-hoop contest in the front yard after dinner!! Jonny and Andrew (and Jack were only spectators of our little competition!!)
I decided to hula-hoop on my arms...it seemed much easier! I never knew all of those little exercises in elementary gym class with Ms. Hawkins would pay off!! I made those big circles, and I made little circles! (And I paid for them dearly for the next three days!! I could hardly move my arms!!!!)
Needless to say, I did not win!! Anna and Lizzie certainly outlived all of us! I guess that is why they wanted to have a competition!!

Here is Sam (Keri's brother) with Sara Kate!

Keri and Andrew's beautiful home!
Here is Sara Kate with Charlie (another of Keri's brothers!). We sure did miss her other brother, Kevin and his family who couldn't make it way out to Slayden on this night.
I hate to say it, but Sam was a sore loser! TeeHee!
Mmmmmmm! Finally!! Cake!
There is always plenty of help to blow out the candles whenever the girls are around!!
Just for Keri---Homemade chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting...with sugar crystals on top!! Right out of the Southern Living Cookbook!! Delicious!

Sitting up in the Bathtub!!---April 14, 3009

No more baby bathtub!! Jack is now sitting up like a big boy in the bathtub!
He had a big time playing with all of his toys from the Easter Bunny!! (I wouldn't let him take his Easter grass in the bathtub, though!!)


He loves it when I let the water run! He tries to figure it all out!!
Ooooh! He looks so little in such a big old tub!!!
Our baby is growing up!! :) It is going very fast!!.....

Happy Birthday, Jonny!--April 13, 2009

Since we didn't get to celebrate Jonny's birthday with the Smiths on the actual day...and we certainly didn't get to make a cake in Texas, we had a big steak dinner with yummy stuffed potatoes and a Chocolate Black-Out Cake!! MMMMM!
One of the best chocolate cakes I have ever eaten.......!!
This meal was brought to us by Cook's Country--the PBS cooking show I LOVE!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful, wonderful husband!
I love you so much, Jonny!! What a great year we have had! May this next one be just as good!! (That is almost too much to request!! :)

Thank You, Easter Bunny!!---April 13, 2009

Because we got home so late on Easter night, Jack got to see his Easter Basket the next day! He got some bathtub toys, more Easter grass :), and some Frog eggs!!
He was happiest about the grass!! :)

A Trip to See Jess!!--April 9-12, 2009

We decided to take a quick trip to visit Jessica during our Easter Break. We left after school on Thursday and drove to Plano. TX (8+ hours) and then we left early on Friday morning so we could get to San Antonio (5+ hours) by lunch time! Jessica was so excited for us to be able to bring Jack during a school day so she could show him off to all her friends!!
Jack had so much fun being with Jess...and really loved meeting her friends!! They all thought Jack was a VERY big and cute boy!!




Jessica made sure her favorite teacher got to meet Jack too!! Jack LOVED his beard!!
After lunch, Jess had to go to German class, so we went to check in to our hotel in downtown San Antonio, and then we went back to school at 3:45 to pick her up! We went by her house so she could change, and then we headed to the hotel to play with Jack!!
Jack was in an EXCELLENT mood and giggled at EVERYTHING!! He could not stop laughing and had a ball playing with Jess!!
We ate dinner at Texas Land and Cattle and had some incredible steaks.....and then took Jess back to her house. Back at the hotel, Jack was SO TIRED!! He had missed a couple of his naps and had really worn himself out playing with us! Here he is rubbing his eyes with his plastic barnyard animals!!
But even though he was tired, he was in the BEST mood!!
We fed Jack and rocked him to sleep...but he had a really rough time going to bed! He didn't like his crib at all...and he seemed a bit freaked out! So we held him and comforted him for about 3 hours!! We didn't get to bed that night until midnight!!

The next morning, we picked Jess up for breakfast and headed to Cracker Barrel. Then we came back to her house so Jack could just sit and play with some toys! Although he never really cried about being in his carseat, we assumed he would be glad for the break!!

Jack had fun at Jessica's house...he especially loved her cat...who was too quick for Jack to pet!
Jessica showed us her brand new tattoo! Jack will always be close to her heart!!


It was so obvious the love Jessica has for Jack! And he surely loved being with her too!!

Jess also had some new eyelet gauges in....They were quite impressive!!
We ended our visit with Jessica by taking her to work at the mall! She serves yummy ice cream....and is saving for a car!! We are very proud of her!!
We fed Jack, and then we had some ice cream....and we said goodbye! It is always hard to say goodbye to Jess!! She is such a sweetheart and we love her so!
We drove to Plano that afternoon (to stay at Joann's house....and she is in Kentucky!!)...and Jack slept the WHOLE DRIVE!! 5 hours+!! What a good, good, baby! We are so blessed!!

Today (actually right now....) we are on the road back to Memphis! What a fun Easter and Birthday trip!! (Jonny had a birthday on Saturday!)

We will be home soon!

Science with Aunt Ju Ju----April 8, 2009

Lizzie and Anna come over every Wednesday for Science Class with Aunt Ju Ju! This week we were learning about physical changes and chemical changes...and using our knowledge to do some cooking! But first, we had some fun combining vinegar and baking soda!!

READY...... SET.....

POUR!!
Cool!!

Jack and his Easter Basket--April 8, 2009

Yeah! Jack's first Easter!! He was so mesmerized with the bunny cakes on the countertop, I had to get his picture with them...and his new basket!!
Uh-oh! That was close!!
Jack has started trying to crawl...and colored eggs are certainly worth crawling to. (Although he only crawls backwards now!!)
"I seem to be getting farther away!!"
Ooooh! Easter grass! This could be fun!!
YES! Lots of fun!!
Look, Mommy!!
No more grass???
I look forward to the day that we will be able to teach Jack how wonderful Easter really is! Thank you, Jesus for loving us so much that you would give your life so we could know you!!

Making Bunny Cakes!

Every year for the last 20 years, I have made bunny cakes for Easter! For 9 of those, I have made them with Lizzie and the Smith girls! Since we were leaving town during the Easter weekend, we made our bunny cakes early this year! Here we are cutting out the ears and bows out of coordinating scrapbooking paper!

Anna and Sara Kate were in charge of making the green grass...while Lizzie and I spread the frosting on the bunny cakes!
Sara Kate got to have the distinct honor of placing the marshmallow tail!!
Success!!
The girl bunny cake this year was a lovely yellow cake with chocolate icing...a first for my bunny cakes!! We've never done a chocolate one!
The boy cake was a lovely yellow cake with yummy cream cheese frosting!!
Here is crazy Anna giving the bunny some bunny ears! :)
One more pose with the beautiful dogwood branch Uncle Jonny brought in!!
Happy Easter!!

8 Months!!--April 5, 2009

Jack is getting to be a very big boy!!





We learned cause and effect this month!! Jack knows how to push his button to make the music sing!! :) He has learned to sit up on his own and plays with his toys everyday...and I happened to catch his first clapping of the hands on camera!!
Here is our update to the agency for the 8th month:

Jack is very excited about it being April because that means he gets to be outside even more with all the spring weather! Jack weighs about 22 pounds now, and is about 28 inches long…based on mommy’s estimates . Jack was very healthy most of the month, but he did get a deep cough and a small fever, so we took him to the pediatrician. She gave us some amoxicillin and ear drops for a small ear infection. She also had to clean out a bunch of wax again! Looks like our baby is going to be a waxy boy!! Jack will turn turned 8 months old on Sunday, April 5^th, and Tuesday, April 7^th, will mark eight months since placement!

Jack continues to reach new milestones every time we turn around. He is able to roll over in either direction now without any help. However, we have noticed that he much prefers laying, sitting, or standing to very much movement! I guess he is content to be still! Wonder how long that will last??!! Jack is sitting up all the time now, and has finally learned the important lesson of “OUCH!” when he leans back too far. We had several big “thuds” this month when Jack would decide to look at the ceiling fan while sitting up…or if he tried to look behind him….or if he just decided to lay down. It is interesting to see him flinch any time he starts to rock backwards. He is doing a great job at catching himself now!! Jack still loves to be outside. However, we have had a few bug bites! I guess even the mosquitoes think Jack is very sweet!! Jack has four big, white teeth now. He loves it when mommy brushes them. He thinks it is very funny when he tries to bite her finger off!! We were surely glad when those top teeth finally came through! Those were some hard days for Jack. Now if we could just teach him not to grind those four teeth together…..! Another big milestone for Jack was pulling up! (Sort of!) One day when he was sitting in mommy’s lap on the floor, he reached up with one arm (!), grabbed hold of the changing table shelf, and pulled himself up to a standing position! Now, Jack has always loved to stand…but he has never stood without mommy or daddy holding his hands! This was a big moment…and he knew it! He turned around, grinned, laughed his deep throaty laugh, and fell back in mommy’s lap. But he got right back up again! This time he spent no time reveling in his victory, he began to explore immediately!

Jack’s eating habits and sleeping habits have changed some this month! Jack still loves to eat, but he is starting to drink less formula everyday. We are not sure why, but he is still within a healthy range, so we are not at all worried. Plus, he is still quite a big boy!! He has really began to love finger foods like Cheerios, Rice Chex, and Gerber Puffs. He even begged for a spinach leaf out of mommy’s salad bowl! To our surprise, he ate it!! Jack still prefers oatmeal, prunes, sweet potatoes, and carrots to all other food! Jack is beginning to sleep a bit later every morning, and he is really only taking two good naps during the day. He stays awake in the car more, and is staying awake longer between naps. It is funny how everyday is a little bit different than the one before. We never quite figure this boy out! (And I’m sure he loves that!!)

Activity-wise, Jack still loves his Baby Einstein Jumper! He has learned to press all the buttons, pull on all the hanging toys, and how to make the whole thing jump and turn! We are thinking about getting the Johnny-Jump-Up out for him too this next month! Jack still loves looking at books. He gets really excited about the “Peek-a-Boo” book with all the lifting flaps! Jack still likes the the family picture book I made for him that we started looking at last month. He still smiles big when he sees his mommy and daddy, and he likes to see all the other people he recognizes, but now when we get to Jessica’s page, he grins really big and tries to grab the book! He has done this two different times!! It made us smile to see him enjoy her page so much. We still play peek-a-boo, tickle him constantly, and love to cuddle with Jack everyday! This next month we are going to be working on hand clapping…so stay tuned!

Going to the Zoo!!---March 26, 2009

It was a beautiful day...and Keri wanted me to get out of the house...so we headed to the Memphis Zoo! (Rated the best zoo in America!!) It was a PERFECT day!!

I had never seen the hippos out of the water!! That was a treat!! They look cozy, don't they??

Ready for fun!! What a beautiful baby I have!!
Anna's favorite animal is any monkey!! She even likes to imitate them!!
See the baby giraffe sticking his head out to say hello?? It was fun to see the baby giraffe out and about!!

Here is Keri getting some home-schooling in while we wait for the sea lion show!
The polar bear was about to jump!! What a very, very cool exhibit!!
Wow!! The panda was out of her cage!! We had never seen this before either!! She can sure put away the Bamboo!!!!
The zoo was so fun! We will have to come back soon!!
The zoo wore Jack out!! (Mommy too!) We were there almost 6 hours!!

Meeting Suzanne for Lunch!--March 25, 2009

My dear friend from college, Suzanne Wallis Powell emailed me and asked if I could meet her in Corinth for lunch. She was on her way from her home in Alabama to Jackson to see her sister. It was so fun to see her and her children...who were so sweet!!

Our Trip to Birmingham---March 20, 2009

I just mentioned to Marty and Joe that we might be coming to Birmingham, and they were so excited!! Marty insisted that we stay with them..which was so fun!! It was just like old times...easy as could be!! We couldn't believe how big Lana Scott (now just LANA!) had gotten...and we were meeting Luke for the first time! He is SUCH a little Joe!!

They were so fun to be with....Luke is so full of energy and ideas...and Lana is so very grown up, mature, and full of a WONDERFUL sense of humor!! We had a ball with them!! And they sure did love on Jack too!!

Awwww...Our old apartment at Spring Aire Court! Five wonderful years of marriage spent right here! We thought the $375/mo rent was SOOO expensive here! :) Then they raised it to $425!!

We went by Beeson Divinity School (on Samford's Campus) and it was just as beautiful as ever!!

We drove by Keri and Andrew's old condo....They had painted it cream! Good times!!
Mmmmmm! We split Jim-n-Nick's BBQ, fries, and fried green tomatoes! So Southern!! (and so fattening!) But we still found room to have pie afterwards! Mmmmm!
Oak Mountain Pres--Where I taught at the Classical School and first heard the gospel presented in such a way that it completely changed my entire way of thinking about God! What a blessing this church/school was to me! (us!)
This is where I completely lost it on the trip!! Driving by Logan's old house was my strongest memory attachment! Just seeing that yard, park, house where we played and played for so many days...(5 years!!)...It was just so sweet to be there and to feel all those feelings. Poor Jonny thought I was having a nervous break-down! But it was a good cry! :)
We then drove by Logan's house in Mtn. Brook....they were away at the beach for Spring Break, but we left them a note! Next time we will see them!!
This is the house we lived in with Ms. Faye the first 6 months we lived in Birmingham. It is weird to think that she doesn't live here anymore. She has moved to an assisted living facility.
Here is Jonathan and Jack with Ms. Faye. It was so sad that she didn't remember us....! She has evidently fallen several times lately, and has had memory problems due to the falls. She had just called us a few months back to tell us she had moved.
She was still the very same Faye, though! She reminded us that she has never colored her hair, still has all her own teeth, and has never needed glasses! :) She kept telling us what a treat it was that we came to see her. When we went to hug her goodbye, she wanted us to come in the cafeteria to do it so "everybody can see me!!" I guess she doesn't get many visitors. I cried and cried after we left her. It is so hard to see someone get old and forget so many things that she loved!
Well, we had a VERY full trip and did so many fun things! We hope to get back to Birmingham soon!! (Surely it won't be another 8 years!!) :)

Big Boy Jack!!----March 17, 2009

See my four teeth!!?? I've been working on those!! I am VERY drooly when I am teething!!

And very happy too!!!

St. Patrick's Party--March 14, 2009

Joel and Camille hosted a very fun St. Patrick's Party at their home for our church friends and for some of their Young Life friends! It was such a blast!!

Here are some happy girls!! :)
Here is my green cake (well, the cake wasn't actually green...it was yellow!) that I took to the party! Yes...I made on the same morning as my dad's!!
Camille, Elizabeth, me, and Anne!
Scott and Anne Walker are always fun to hang out with at parties!!

We ended up not having a babysitter as planned, so we brought Jack and let him take a nap upstairs. He slept through the whole party! (We thought we would have to leave early!!)

What a trooper!!

John Green's Birthday Cake--March 14, 2009

My mom and dad were planning on driving down from Kentucky to visit us for the day...and that day happened to be my daddy's birthday!! So, I had to have a yummy cake!! So, I got up really early to have it ready to go when they arrived. But at 8 a.m. mom called to say they couldn't come because she had a terrible cold, and she didn't want to give it to Jack.
So Dad, here is what you missed! It sure was yummy!! :)
Maybe next year!

Visiting Daddy at Work!---March 13, 2009

We get to go to Westminster to visit Jonathan at least once a week....Usually every Friday when I go to meet with my yearbook staff! Obviously, Jonathan enjoys this welcomed interruption!

Jack's 7 month pics!----March 5, 2009

What a cutie!! We are so very blessed to have such a happy, content little boy!!

Here is Jack's 7th month update:

February has been a great month for Jack! Jack went to his 6-month appointment on February 6^th and he weighed 19 pounds 9 ounces, and his length was 27 ½ inches! Dr. Catherine was very pleased with Jack’s progress. She saw him pass a toy from one hand to the next, stand up and hold himself up with support, sit up nice and tall as well as “tri-poding” where Jack will sit up, but lean forward on his hands. She watched him roll over, and felt him kick his powerful kicks—right in her chest while she tried to look down his throat with the tongue depressor!! He wanted that popsicle stick…so she gave him one he could play with. Jack got all of his shots again this month…and was quite angry about it all when it was over. We will be going back for our 9 month check-up sometime in May, but we didn’t get to make our appointment since Jack was screaming so loudly at the time!! J Jack will turn turned 7 months old on Thursday, March 5^th, and Saturday, March 7^th, will mark seven months since placement!

Jack has reached a few milestones this month. He rolled over both ways this month, due to his daddy working with him each evening on this stunt! He does not seem to want to roll over all the time, but he is pretty proud of himself when he does. However, sometimes an arm gets stuck in an awkward position when he finally figures out how to flip himself! Jack has also been sitting up very well on his blankets in the den, his bedroom and even in the yard! Jack loves to be outside! It is very soothing for him to see all the trees, the bright sky, feel the wind, and hear all the birds. It is nice to live way out in the country where it is nice and quiet outside. Sometimes when Jack has had a rough time of it, we will head outside onto our big back porch, and he will instantly quiet himself and stretch his neck to see everything he possibly can. With all the teething going on this month, we were on the porch often! His bottom front teeth have fully emerged, and his top two will be emerging any day now!! He has been working on those top ones for a couple of weeks now! Jack’s gums are big, red, and swollen…and you can actually see both white teeth just parked there under his skin! Lots of drool and Baby Orajel this month! It has made him very fussy at times, but Jack is a trooper!!

Jack loves to eat, and it shows! Jack is a big ‘ole boy! He guzzles down four 8-ounce bottles of formula each day. (However this month he has really slowed down on the speed he takes his bottles due to his new-found love of chewing on the bottle instead of sucking it!!) He has started wanting to pick up items with his hands to try to self-feed, but this usually ends in frustration, because if he does finally pick up a Cheerio or a Goldfish, it is grasped tightly in his fist, and he can’t figure out how to get it into his mouth!! Prunes are still one of Jack’s very favorite foods, and the prunes have proven themselves to be very helpful in keeping constipation away!! (Jack has been much better this month…and has been happier for it!) It’s funny though, he will NOT TOUCH prune juice!! We tried the sippy cup this month, and he loves it some days, and is apathetic toward it other days. He does love apple juice, and his eyes light up when he tastes it when he is not expecting it!! He ate a couple of cheese puffs this month as well as a healthier mashed up banana or two, squash, crackers, Cheerios, biter biscuits (beginning food from Gerber), and we even ate blueberry oatmeal! Jack has begun to catch on to the fact that adults eat too…and he has now started reaching for our food, which typically ends in complete frustration!

Activity-wise, Jack enjoys his Baby Einstein Jumper, his Bumbo seat (where he plays with his blocks), swinging in his swings, and trying to figure out his rock-a-stack! He has learned how to press a few buttons on his Jumper to make the music play, but he always seems a bit surprised when the melody starts to play. Jack reaches for all of his mobile animals above his bed and above his swing. He is getting so long and tall that he can almost reach them while sitting!! Jack has not shown any signs of wanting to crawl or pull-up, and we are okay with that!! We don’t want him to grow up too fast! J Jack and I began reading several books this month. His favorite is the Sandra Boynton book, “Moo, Baa, La La La.” He also loves a peek-a-boo book that he got from his cousin, Anna! He loves it when mama lifts the flaps and he can see the baby! But most of all, Jack LOVES playing peek-a-boo with Daddy and Mommy! He could play it for an hour if we would keep laying the burp-cloth over his face saying, “Where’s baby Jack??!!” He pulls it off himself and just belly laughs. Sometimes Daddy puts the burp-cloth over his face…and Jack thinks he is so big to remove it and peek-a-boo daddy!!! J Jack laughs and plays all day. He is very ticklish under his arms and on the bottoms of his feet. This provides us with endless fun watching him squirm and listening to him squeal loudly in pure delight!! Jack has not been “razzing” or spitting nearly as much this month, but has certainly become very vocal—using his loud voice to make VERY loud noises. Sometimes people think he is unhappy…but he is just having a serious conversation with himself!

This month Jack stayed home all month again—no traveling! Mommy went to an overnight women’s retreat with church, so Jack and Jonathan got to have a boys’ night!! Jonathan went to spend the weekend with his dad and brothers so they could watch “Band of Brothers” together. (This was a Christmas gift they gave to their dad.) So Mama and Jack had a couple of nice long evenings by ourselves too! Jack goes with Mama every week to Daddy’s school so she can meet with her yearbook staff each Friday. Jack is the star of the meeting…and EVERYONE comes by to see what baby Jack is wearing, how big baby Jack is, and to see if they can get one of those HUGE smiles and maybe even a belly laugh!!

Jack has begun to take interest in our family photo album that we made for him. We point out all the people to him and he lights up when he sees one he recognizes! We are always intentional about showing him Jessica’s picture, telling him that she loves him, and talking about adoption. We want him to always know the whole truth and to feel extra loved and accepted because of it! We cannot WAIT to travel to Texas to see Jess again! Every time we talk to her on the phone, we get off with overwhelming feelings of respect, love, and pride! We are so proud of her and of who she is! Jack is being taught now all about her and who she is…but when he finally realizes WHO she is…he too will feel tons of respect and pride that she is his birthmom!! We were very disappointed that finalization could not take place during Jessica’s spring-break this March, but we know that just means we still have something exciting to look forward to in the months ahead!

Jack is a dream! We love him dearly and are so thankful that we have been given the opportunity and the PRIVILEGE of raising him!! He is a complete joy, and brings us unspeakable happiness! Words cannot describe how we feel about him! Jonathan and I just sit and look at him……and we just smile at each other! He is truly our gift. We wish everyone in the world could be as happy as we are!

Playing with Daddy--February 27, 2009

Yep....Jack loves playing with his daddy! And Daddy surely loves playing with his Jack!!

You would not BELIEVE the giggles that can come out of my sweet boys as they roll around and play together on the floor!!


What sweet, sweet days!!

Biter Biscuit Trial--Feb. 26, 2009

Well...they seemed harmless. They seemed like a good idea. They seemed helpful. I mean, they said on the box they were just the thing for helping kids learn how to self-feed! They started off fine....then they got a bit messy!
Then they made us really sleepy......
Then when they were gone, they made us really, really mad!
And Mommy had a crazy mess to clean up!
Well, at least they were free from a friend!!

4th Grade Medieval Feast--Feb 2009

I had to come to school to see my former 3rd graders perform in their Medieval Feast Day at Westminster!! I was surely impressed! Little did I know that my husband had been recruited to play the POPE!! See him in the back of the line?
The Pope said the blessing over the very formal meal.
Our headmaster, Mike Johnson and Mrs. Neal looking lovely in their costumes!!

The Pope, pleased with his good fortune to be involved, is ready to eat!! :)

However, while the Pope's wife took some pictures for the yearbook, he had to perform some priestly duties...like feeding his son! (Scandalous!!)
Here is Dr. Burgess, chair of our school board, holding the music for his daughter, Emma Grace! She played lovely during the entertainment portion of the feast!!
Here's the whole gang!! I think they LOVE 4th grade!! I'm so proud of them!
What a fun, fun day!!

Sippy Cup Experiment---Feb. 21, 2009

We tried the sippy cup today...and he loved it!! He really likes juice (even if it is very watered down!!) He wouldn't let go of it all morning!! :)

Jonny's First Landscape Job--Feb. 19, 2009

Jonny saw an ad on Craig's List for "Lanscaping Wanted..." and Jonny jumped at the chance! He and Keith Cisco (Keri's Dad) went to put a bid on the job, got it, and got started asap! They finished the job in one big day....and Jonathan was so excited!! He has found a new hobby--that pays!! :)


Looks great!! I just wish we had "before" pictures too! If you need landscaping, call Jonathan!! :)

Jack Loves His Daddy!!---February 2009

Jack and Mommy have a very fun day together everyday, but when Daddy gets home from school, Jack is all about DADDY!! (and Daddy is all about JACK!!) Daddy and Jack have a big time together every single day!!

In the Nursery---February 15, 2009

Jack really enjoys going to church and being in the nursery with Mrs. Stephanie!! He is with Stephanie every Sunday and every Wednesday!! Stephanie thinks baby Jack is so special!!
This room is where Jack will graduate to soon! There is Sara Kate...!! Waiting for Jack to "hurry up and come to class with me!!"

Here is Jack with his sweet Ta Ta!! When we come to early service, Jack gets to be in her class! Ta Ta loves her baby Jack!!

Happy Valentine's Day!----February 14, 2009

Nobody is as sweet on Jack as his Sara Kate is!! She LOVES Jack so much and always wants to hold him, kiss him, and talk to him!! So, we came over for lunch and to make Valentine Cookies on this very special "love" day!!
Keri always makes the yummiest sugar cookies for Valentine's Day. The girls take this job very seriously!! First you make yummy dough. Then you cut out your cookie with a special cookie cutter of your choice. Then you bake it and wait for them to cool...then you ice them and EAT them!!



When Jonny got home, I was presented with a lovely bouquet of roses!! What a sweet Valentine I have!!
Later that same week, I got another very cute picture of Sara Kate and Jack. This about sums it up!! ;) What cute friends!!

Jack's 6 month pictures---February 2009

Jack's little outfit says, "On the go!" and the bottom says, "Beep Beep!" This is a very fitting outfit for Jack's life right now...He has started really moving...rolling more and wanting to stand with help from mommy and daddy at any possible chance!!





Too much movement, though.....That makes a tired Jack!! :)


Our 6 month update:

January has been an up and down month for Jack. Due to an ear infection, Jack went to the doctor back on January 9^th, and he weighed 18 pounds!! Dr. Chidester couldn’t believe that Jack had gained two pounds in exactly a month!! She checked his ears and had to remove some wax to see way down in there! Jack did have a little ear infection in his left ear, so Dr. Catherine prescribed amoxicillin. We will be going back for our 6 month check-up on Friday, February 6^th. Jack will turn turned 6 months old on Thursday, February 5^th, and Saturday, February 7^th, will mark six months since placement!

Jack is a happy, happy, happy baby! He wakes up smiling, smiles all day long, and goes to bed in good humor at night! He does get fussy when he is very hungry, when he has trouble pooping, and when he is over-tired, but on the whole is a VERY GOOD baby! Since he can roll over from his tummy to his back whenever he wants to, we have been letting him go to sleep on his tummy, which is the position he really prefers. This month, however, he has been Mr. Roly-Poly! As soon as we put him down on his tummy, he thinks it is really funny to roll over on his back to see us again. We might roll him back over three or four times before he settles into his sleep position…and sometimes he just stays on his back since he is so silly. This has been perfectly fine until he figures out he is on his back at 3 a.m.! (He does not know how to roll onto his tummy yet.) We had a hard time trying to decide whether we should flip him back over, or if we should just let him cry it out and fall back to sleep on his back. We tried both ways…and both ways worked sometimes and didn’t other times. We went through about a 2 week period this month where he would wake up every night around 3 a.m. crying. We are now sleeping through the night again, but now he has another funny habit! Jack will wake up at 6 a.m. and lay on his back and just talk and talk! He never cries, but he does end up sucking his thumb, falling back to sleep around 7 a.m., and then sleep until 8 a.m.. Mommy cannot wait to sneak into his room every morning and catch his eyes and wait for that big, big smile to break out across his face. Precious times!!

Jack has begun eating lots more solid food! Jack has been eating cereal from a spoon early in December, and although it began as a fight, he seems to really like it now. We start our day with rice cereal and formula, and then at lunch Jack eats a vegetable (his favorite one is carrots) and formula. In the afternoon he will eat a bowl of oatmeal and drink some formula, and then before bed he will drink one more bottle. (He is still eating around 26 ounces of Target Brand Formula each day.)

Everyday we have tummy time (time for Jack to learn to roll, crawl, sit up etc..), room time (This is time where Jack is awake and he plays in his room where I am out of sight for twenty minutes or so.), and time in the swing and bouncy seat. Our weeks have begun to follow a good schedule. On Mondays, Jack and I stay home all day. We play a lot together, and I work on cleaning the house, doing laundry, and cooking a big dinner for our little family and our best friends, the Smith family. Keri (Smith) and I have worked out a great little system: I cook for both our families on Monday and both families eat left-overs of that meal on Tuesday. We eat at church on Wednesdays, and then Keri cooks for both families on Thursday with left-overs available on Friday. It is really nice to only have to cook one big meal during the week…and we get to eat with our best friends twice a week!

On Tuesdays, we have a playful morning, and then Jack and I go over to the Smiths’ house next door. Jack plays with his three favorite little people and then takes his long afternoon nap, and I scrapbook with Keri and her two oldest girls, Lizzie and Anna, who are eight and six. We have dinner at home with Daddy and have a long night of playing with Jack! On Wednesdays Lizzie and Anna come over during the day for a science class with their Aunt Ju Ju, who is their home-school science teacher! We then have lunch with the girls, and then we go to the children’s SonShine program at church that evening. Jack goes to the nursery class with Ms. Stephanie, Jonathan works with the 3^rd and 4^th graders, and I teach Pre-K through 4^th grade the Bible Lesson. On Thursdays, we visit Daddy at school, I attend a Bible Study with my old school friends, and we have dinner at the Smiths’ home. Fridays we head to school again so I can meet with my yearbook staff……so Jack gets to have lunch with Daddy. We try to stay home all day on Saturday and just enjoy our time at home together. Sundays, of course, we go to church together and watch football all day. (What will we do now that the season is over!!??) (Jonathan votes for nap-day!)

This month Jack didn’t travel anywhere fun, but Mommy went away on the MLK weekend to scrapbook with her sisters and sisters-in-law in Nashville, and on another weekend, Daddy went to Kentucky to help Uncle Al fix the floor that flooded after some pipes burst in the freezing weather. But Jack just stayed in Mississippi! It was his first month to stay at home the whole month!! Oh, and Carla, our social worker, came for her second quarter visit. It is always fun when she comes to our home to play with Jack. We are sad our time with her is coming to an end.

We had a great phone call from Jessica last night! We usually talk to her twice a month or so….but even when it is longer than that, it is wonderful how we can just pick up talking to her like it has not been anytime at all. What a blessing she is to us! What a blessing she is to Jack!! We are all so proud of her and of who she is. We genuinely love her to pieces….and could not say that any more strongly! We are really counting on seeing her soon for finalization. We can’t wait for her to see her sweet, sweet boy…and for him to lay eyes on her beautiful face—in person again!!

We just adore being parents. Jack is adorable and so fun to be with. Every day is like Christmas Morning….It is really fun to see him every morning! He didn’t seem to change a bunch this month, but his clothes are certainly smaller, and those two cute little teeth that he is cutting right now are surely going to change that sweet smile! How can someone so cute get even cuter!!?? I guess we will find out!

Jack in the Grass---February 9, 2009

It was a beautiful 68 degree day...and so we went outside for a bit. Jack kept trying to leap out of my arms onto the ground, and finally, I just set him down there. Figuring he would react the way I did the first time I was put in the grass (screaming)...Jack just wriggled at first, and then grinned!! He laughed his deep chuckle...and seemed very content!!

The worst part was not that the grass was poking him, but that the sun was so bright!!
He didn't even realize I had moved away!!

Look at how small he looks!!

Uh-oh..he pulled some grass!! And yes, he tried to eat it!! :)
What a fun day outside! Jack is so curious...and such a great sport! Spring and summer will be so fun!!

WA Basketball---February 2009

We went to the WA girls basketball championship game at Macon Road Baptist Church, and had a great time! Jack was a rockstar with everyone, and we had fun seeing so many of our kiddos!! Here are a bunch of my sweet 8th grade girls...I was their "Mrs. Davis" is 6th grade...and now they have Jonathan in 8th grade!
It was a great game...and lots of excitement! If we had 50 upper school students and teachers at the game, we would be rewarded with a half day out of school. There were plenty of us there...and we won! So....day off, here we come!




The Westminster girls won their championship game, and so did the boys. Unfortunately, the boys' game didn't start until almost 10 p.m....so we had to leave before it was over!! But, we had a great night, and are so proud of our students!!

Everyday Happies---January 2009

Being Jack's parents brings us more happiness than we could have imagined!! Everyday is just like Christmas morning!! Jonny and I race to see who can see that smile first! :) Usually I win, because he has to go to work!!

Jack has the best personality!! He goes everywhere with us, and he smiles the whole time!! What a trooper he is. He is everyone's sunshine!!
We started laying in the big tub.....graduating from the baby tub!! He is mesmerized by the running water!!
Bath time is getting to be more and more fun!!
Jack has "tummy time" in his room everyday....it usually ends up being "back time" because he always rolls over onto his back....and then he cannot remember how to get back on his tummy!
Jack learned to eat a cracker!! He spit most of it out, but he loved gnawing on it!!
When we take Jack outside, he gets very calm and very quiet!! I think he is really going to like playing outside in the yard his daddy is preparing for him!!

Jack could swing all day long if I would let him!! He actually has three swings!!
Jack has the cutest toes!! There are not really room for all of them! :) His second toe always sits up on top of the rest like that! Isn't that sweet??

What a cutie sucking his thumb!! It is almost automatic when you give him his little frog lovie!

Jack had discovered his toes and fingers.....He loves to just look and look at them! They make the best toys!!
Jack's smile is my favorite thing to see everyday!!
Jack is been sitting in his highchair lots lately!! He loves to eat food like Mommy and Daddy!
This is Jack as he is looking at his jungle mobile.....and he says, "mamamamama!!" Melts my heart!! :)
We are so thankful to God for our sweet boy...and we are forever grateful to Jessica... She is doing great! We love talking to her and hearing about her life in Texas! During our last phone call she got to hear Jack talk and talk!! He smiles at her picture in our den and in his family album!! We know we are so very, very blessed!!

Scrapfast 2009!--January 2009

Jennifer made a carrot cake for scrapfast...and we used it as a birthday cake for Christy and me!! But here I am hogging all the candles!! Poor Christy! This happens every year!! She is too fun to tease!!

Johnna feebly tries to deter me from getting near the cake again!
I am determined to blow out the candles too!! I learned this from the Smith girls!!
I try to wrestle Johnna to the ground. Some things never change!!
Every year we get together to get lots of scrapbooking done quickly during our three day weekend!! (Thus the name, SCRAPFAST!) This year we all came together in Mt. Juliet and scrapbooked at the Davis home! Jane and Gilbert were such good sports to let us invade with all our food, tables, scrapbook stuff, and children!!

Lucy and Claire! What good babies!!
Johnna!! (The organizer!!)
Christy (the fastest one!!) and Ashley (the non-scrapper)!
Mela! (another quick girl...and the owner of the beloved CRI-CUT!)
Keri (the extremely creative one) and me (the one who takes a long time to get started)!
The digital scrapbookers!! Joann, Karen, and Jennifer! Karen had a much better year this year!! Poor Jen had the tough time this year!!
Isaiah! What a little cutie!!
Mel! (The hilarious one!!)
Here I am being dramatic for the camera....Recording ones memories is so touching!! :)
Mmmmm! Girls love Logan's too!! We ate until we were stuffed while we watched the playoffs on the tvs!!
Our three youngest participants! (They are all being breast-fed, so they were allowed to come!!) ;)
We completely trashed the den!! Look at all the STUFF!!
Here's the whole gang!! Until next year........! Did we ever get a grand total of the pages?? Christy, how many did you end up finishing??? Everyone should reply and tell!! (If you can remember!!)

Jonny's New Hobby---January 2009

Jonny has a new hobby of collecting leaves all around Germantown, Collierville, and Greater Memphis for bags of leaves!! He is growing his compost piles for the flower beds this summer!! He could fit about 26 huge bags in the van with all the seats removed! He made 6 trips on this day! Crazy man!! But you gotta love him and his determination to have a beautiful yard!!

Julie's Birthday!--January 11, 2009

MMM! Keri made me a YUMMY chocolate cake for my 35th birthday!! Lizzie did a great job lighting the candles! They were very excited about the blowing out of the candles!!
Guess what is about to happen!!??
Sara Kate blew them out before I could get to them!!! What a little missy!!
Then Lizzie blew them out before I could do it!! Sara Kate was not happy about this!!
Here I am guarding my candles so that no little ones blow them out again!! Finally!! We can eat the cake!!
Uncle Andrew and Aunt Keri just love baby Jack!! Can you believe that he is already sitting up so well??

Jack's 5-month Pictures--January 2009

A tooth is emerging! Both bottom ones popped into the scene on January 11th!
Cute crooked grin!!
Ooooh! Somebody is sleepy!!
In his favorite place!! His jungle swing!

Here is Jack's 5-month update:

A new year, a new month…and a new Jack!! Jack went to the doctor back on December 8^th (for his four-month check-up), and he weighed 16.4 pounds and was 27 inches long! His weight is in the 75th percentile, and his length is in the 90th percentile! Dr. Chidester was very pleased with Jack’s growth and with his strength in his arms and legs. She was complimentary of his large, small, and fine motor development, as she watched him grasp items and use his legs to balance himself when he was helped to stand on the observation table. She checked for teeth, but didn’t find any, but did comment that all his drool might be indicative that a tooth is not far away! He also received his 4-month immunizations, which he took like a little man!! Jack had a small cough this month with some added congestion at night, so we kept a vaporizer running in his room, and we kept his bed elevated at the head to promote easier breathing! Jack turned 5 months old on Monday, January 5^th, and Wednesday, January 7^th will mark five months since placement!

Jack loves to eat! He began eating cereal from a spoon early in December, and although it began as a fight, he seems to really like it now. He still regularly eats 8 ounces of formula at each feeding. Dr. Chidester said that Jack was plenty big and healthy, so he should begin eating more solid foods. He is eating around 32 ounces of Target Brand Formula (with cereal) each day. We added oatmeal cereal to his diet later in December, and that seemed to go a bit better than the rice cereal. He is definitely getting used to using a spoon, although lots of cereal still does not find its way down his little hatch! Jack still wakes up every morning around 7 a.m., and goes to bed each evening by 9 p.m. However, sometimes Mommy and/or Daddy will snuggle with him until after 10 p.m.!

Being a lover of light, Jack was mesmerized with the addition of the Christmas tree and its 800 twinkle lights to our den. Jack loves music, and he always grinned when his favorite Christmas songs would come on the CD player (especially Jingle Bells!!)! Jack loves being on his tummy and his back when he plays…and now he loves trying to sit up. He still falls over pretty quickly, though! Jack will hold Mommy’s hands and use his muscles to pull himself up to a sitting position, and then with a little encouragement, he will straighten out his legs and come to a full standing position. This always brings a huge smile!! He feels like a really big boy when his is standing on his own two little feet!! Daddy has begun raising Jack over his head and making airplane sounds. This usually brings a hearty belly laugh (and sometimes drool in Daddy’s face!). Jack has begun to notice his reflection in the mirror outside of his bedroom, and he LOVES to smile at the baby that he sees. He also gets excited when he sees Mommy or Daddy in the mirror too! Jack still loves his swing, but his time in the swing is getting short because little Jack is getting bigger!! He still holds his rattles, grabs at his handing toys, and is beginning to put these things in his mouth for further exploration. Overall, he is a very happy, happy easy-going boy!! We are so proud of his accomplishments and so blessed to see his love of life everyday!

Jack had his acting debut on this month when he played the role of Baby Jesus in our church’s Christmas Program. He was such a cutie up there on stage in Mary’s arms!! He didn’t seem a bit nervous. However, he didn’t quite make it through the whole program….he had to be replaced by a Cabbage Patch doll when the applause frightened him! He also got to visit with Santa and do quite a bit of Christmas shopping. We celebrated Christmas at home together on Saturday, December 20…and Jack opened some of his gifts from his Mommy and Daddy which included a play telephone, spoons, new bowls, a sippy cup, and a very special new book that is called Jack’s Story that Mommy made for him. (She also sent one of these very special gifts to Jessica!!) He also got a high chair from Santa!! We all went to visit Grammy and Poppy in Nashville on Monday, December 22. Jack was well-loved by his Daddy’s five brothers and their wives…and the 9 cousins who all wanted to hold and love on Jack! Jack would grin really big every time anyone would stop and talk to him or play with him! He is certainly a very social kiddo! We stayed in Nashville a little longer than planned because Mommy and Daddy, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even Grammy got a nasty stomach bug…but Jack never did!! On December 27th, we headed to Grandma and Granddaddy’s farm in Kentucky. Mommy’s three sisters, their husbands, and Jack’s 7 cousins were waiting on him when he walked in that door! They were amazed at how much he had grown in just the few weeks since Thanksgiving!! Jack got lots of great gifts from his family! He got several books, a Fisher-Price Farm and lots of farm accessories, a ball popper, a musical cube, some clothes and a very special Titans Build-a-Bear! He also gave his grandparents a copy of the very special book Mommy made for him and for his Jessica. They cried when they read it. Jack thinks it is their favorite book ever!!

On January 2^nd we left Grandma’s house in Kentucky and drove to Clarksville, Tennessee to meet someone very special! Jessica’s mom, Maria, was waiting for us, and she could not wait to meet little Jack!! We had planned to meet her on January 26^th, but due to our tummy troubles, we had to postpone this wonderful meeting! We ended up eating at Steak-n-Shake…but Maria never ate because she was so busy holding Jack, kissing Jack, and just loving Jack!! We took lots of pictures, exchanged email addresses and phone numbers, and promised to keep in touch. We were very thankful to arrive back to our house that evening after having been gone for almost two weeks!!

It’s been a very full month…and we are all exhausted!! We are very excited to be home now and get back to our regular schedule…although I think Jack does miss all that non-stop attention! I dare say he got a bit spoiled!!

Jack's Loot---January 3, 2009

Jack got lots of fun stuff for Christmas! Here he is with all of it. We are so blessed everyday by so many!!

Meeting Maria----January 2, 2009

We were SO EXCITED to meet Jessica's mom, Maria, in Clarksville on our way back home to Texas!! Maria was so happy to meet her birth-grandson...and she gave him presents and lots of hugs and kisses!! In the above picture, she is on the phone with Jessica as she sees Jack for the first time! (We woke Jess up!!) We sat in a Steak&Shake for 2-3 hours as we got to know each other and love on Jack!! Jack took to Maria instantly....He stayed in her arms the entire time (except for a quick diaper change!!)




Maria brought pictures of Jessica from her childhood! They were so cute! She let us keep them too! What a treasure to us....and to Jack! Every piece of his birthmom will be priceless to him as he grows up!!
We had a great visit, and we hope to visit with her again!!

New Year's in KY------Jan 1, 2009

We stayed for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in Kentucky this year since we arrived so late for Christmas! (Due to our illnesses!!) This was our first year to be able to attend the annual Chuck-E-Cheese outing in Paducah! I have to admit, my mom and dad were something to see!! Mom was determined to get lots of tickets, and dad was following John David around everywhere!! It was so cute. Unfortunately, due to running ourselves to death over the last two weeks, I was starting to get a cold, so I wasn't feeling so great!!

This was Jack's first trip to Chuck-E-Cheese! He was a little over-stimulated!! :)
Mom was so proud of her tickets! This batch was from one game!! Her grandchildren thought she was some kind of ticket goddess!!
We decided to break a few rules and sit on the stage with old Chuck!
We were supposed to do cheesy smiles here....but, because of my not feeling well, my brain didn't understand the instructions!! :) Don't my sisters look ridiculous!!??
This is completely out of order...but this is our new year's eve party! The boys were busy playing cards!! Even Jack got to play a few rounds!! :)
This was not exactly midnight....We missed it trying to get set up for the picture!! (Typical!!)
This was even earlier in the evening...all the grand-kids! They were not all pleased to participate!
Sweet Jack...all decked out!
As the night wore on, he got more and more tired!