They're Exploding!

...Anna's language skills, I mean!

This past week has seen her putting together micro sentences much more adeptly than before! I love this stage where we are communicating better and better. She's even singing to herself. I've yet to understand most of those songs, but it's fun to listen! She's such a sweetheart!

First Ups

It seems I'm developing the habit of doing mass posts on the weekends. I'll try to remedy that for the future, but make sure you catch all five of the posts I wrote for this weekend! Pictures galore...

We also managed to catch a first on video this weekend!

Anna actually got some air!

First Sleepover

Some friends in our lifegroup had the chance to attend a marriage conference right here in the area, so we agreed to help them by keeping their youngest son, who is Caleb's age, for two nights. They get along pretty well. These pictures were taken yesterday afternoon as they played at my parents' house, had a picnic, and rode on a tractor. It was also before they got tired of each other last night. :) Overall, it was an exhausting (for me) and good weekend. I was glad to help... but now I need sleep.

B is for Brownies, Birthdays, and Blowing out pretend candles?

Caleb gets to have a day off from school for his birthday! Well, sort of. Caleb was born on Memorial Day, and his birthday falls during that holiday again! He got to have his school celebration on Friday, and though he didn't act crazy or prideful, you could tell he loved his moment in the spotlight. We love Mrs. James. She's done a great job of meeting the varied needs of the students in her class this year!

Birthday Party (sort of)

We had a planned Saturday night dinner for some of the other staff at our house. That keeps us from all wanting to go out to eat after the Saturday night service ($$) and since we rotate houses each week, it's less pressure and we still get to fellowship. What we didn't expect was that it would turn into an impromptu birthday party for Anna. I did get her a cake, but everyone else was instructed NOT to bring gifts. Oh well, we have generous friends!

Cute mini cake, but every attempt to blow out the candle just blew her bangs! :)

Gingerly sampling the icing, then begging for "keen hands"

Gifts! Stacey said that was the only bag she had, but we still teased her. Anna loved the clothes from the Windovers, the tea set from the Lewters...

...and the cool chalk and chalk-holders from the Haiglers.

Slick hair and rolled shirt sleeves

Caleb's class and the Kindergarten classes at his school let the good times roll with a "fifties" musical montage last week. We practiced ahead of time the whole concept of actually singing and doing the motions while on stage. Caleb is much more content just watching everyone instead. Here are some photos captured from way-back in the sanctuary. Sorry if they're blurry!

Looking for Mama and Daddy at the beginning

Just after yelling, "Hey, Mama! Take a picture of me!"
All smiles after the first song

Actually singing AND doing motions... Both were firsts!

The last song involved a few in front doing example-motions for the crowd to follow. Caleb was blocked from seeing us, and this was what he did right after the song ended: Tada!

Multimedia message

Heard at the McDonaldspot...Mobile Edition

We were in the car headed home from Mom and Dad's, when Anna started saying "Mama!" (She only knows how to do this in a demanding way; we've practiced a nice way, but it won't stick)
We explained that we were picking up pizza for supper. For the remaining 15 minutes of the drive, it was "Cheetah, Cheetah, Cheetah!" followed by a pause, then "Mama! Mama!! Eat." More explanation followed, then more "Cheetah".

When Scott went in to get it, we worked on pronunciation:

Anna: Where Cheetah?

Mama: Daddy's getting the pizza.

Anna: Cheetah! Cheetah!

Mama: Yes! Puh-puh-PEE-tza

Anna: Chuh-chuh-CHEE-tah (repeat exchange twice)

Mama:(laughing) Anna, you're funny!

Anna: Anna punny!

Mama: punny! puh-puh-punny.

Anna: puh-puh-punny

Mama: puh-puh-Pizza

Anna: puh-puh-CHEETAH!!!

Birthday Girl

Sharks, Puffers, and Rays... Oh my!

(This is the 4th in a marathon of posts...don't miss the three previous ones!)

We had a fun and relaxing trip for the first weekend of May to the Texas State Aquarium.

Easter Antics

Easter Sunday afternoon meant egg hunts at Mimi and Pawpaw's, dinner with them, the Lewters, and the Harts, and cascarones! If you haven't had the fun of cracking a confetti egg on a lucky person's head, you don't know fun. ;)

Caleb liked cracking them on the sidewalk...

...thus the strange follow-through pose.

Anna had to figure out more about the mess...

We only sprinkled it in her hair...
maybe she'll be tough-headed enough next year.

Cheese-ball pose. :)

Fourth Time's a Charm...I guess

Hope your Easter was a great one!

Spring Break at Snoopy's with the Family

We're really not that violent...

I found some awesome swords made of swimming-pool-noodle foam and gave them to Caleb for Christmas. They were a big hit, (pun intended) , with Caleb and Scott, as we witness regular fencing matches in our house now. Caleb is actually really good with his sword. Anna was content to watch for a while.

Then, one day when Caleb and I were out and about, Anna snuck up on Scott as he was using his laptop and stabbed him in the shoulder with a loud "Tee Yah!" We can only assume that she was mimicking the "hi-yahs" we usually hear from Caleb.

I hope you enjoy these clips! The first is an attempt to recreate what happens with the swords. The second was unplanned!

Friday Caleb Funnies

One afternoon recently, Caleb and Scott were shooting baskets in the driveway. We have the goal set at 8 ft. for Caleb, and he prefers to use his mini Aggie basketball for now. Scott got the ball and attempted to shoot it instead of the NCAA size one we have. As it left his hands on a mistaken trajectory toward the side of the backboard, Scott said, "Oh, that's bad." Here's the dialogue that immediately followed:

Caleb: Yeah, Dad, you were bad at that.

Me: Caleb! You should be encouraging to others even when they say something negative about themselves.

Caleb: (Immediately) Well, Daddy, you were only a little good at that.

Wind and Waves

We took an afternoon/evening trip to the beach around Spring Break. Once we found a non-party section, the kids got to play for a little bit until the cool evening wind became too much. Anna LOVED her first trip to the beach, and Caleb had fun playing, teaching, and protecting!

Bubbos!

Baff!

The kids' favorite time of the evening is often Baff-time. We use our garden tub in the master bathroom for this event, and it is also often known as a "boaf baff" (translation: both-bath) since, for now, they can still share a tub without conflict or modesty issues. They love bubbles, and our squeaky shark toy, amongst others. The highlight, however, is being wrapped up like a papoose when we dry them off...

Define "settled in"...

People ask us frequently if we're settled in to our new home. That depends...

If you're able to have people over, provided that they avoid the master bedroom and office due to the boxes and chaos,
...you might be settled in.

If your chest of drawers is still empty and you're wearing the same 6 or 7 outfits over and over, (but somehow your husband's wardrobe is unpacked)
...you might be settled in.

If your two car garage is full, but your cars are parked in the driveway,
...you might wish you were settled in.

If you're so busy that time at home is for quality family time with no time to spare for unpacking,
...you might not really be settled in,

unless settled in means you're loving where you are, loving the time with your sweet kiddos and wonderful husband, and you don't mind having people over because a home is more about a place to be together than a place that has to be spotless at all times (or completely unpacked). Maybe we are. :)

by the way, isn't that a cute cookie bouquet that my parents gave us when we moved in?

Still Here!

I've taken a break of sorts from posting, partly due to our crazy schedules, the disappearance (again!) of our camera-to-computer cord, and because I've spent a lot of time soaking up info and reading entries on other blogs.

What have I been perusing, you ask?

Here's a taste if you want to check it out:

Friends galore: The Hoover Household, The Bryces, Goose & Peanut, Watts Life, A Fool of Myself, True Story, Mayah Meili, and more!

Ministry Stuff: Rockin' Childrens Ministry, Exploring College Ministry, etc.

But mostly... A great conference was held in Louisville recently, and though we didn't get to attend Together For the Gospel, the clips are up in a variety of places, namely on Tim Challies' blog. I also spend a good amount of time on GirlTalk, CJ Mahaney's, and Justin Taylor's Between Two Worlds.

Thanks for the chance to take a break! Now prepare yourself for the onslaught of pictures! We've been busy snapping away!