It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

We started our Holiday Season when some of the family came home for Thanksgiving. Jackson was digging around in the dress up box and found the old pirate costume I had made his daddy when he was a little boy.
It has a little wear and tear, but the "aargh" effect is still there.

We visited McKinney for A Dickens of A Christmas where we walked around the square and enjoyed the festivities and the weather. Uncle Morgan and Jackson are special buddies.

Jackson was trying to stand just like this soldier at The Antique Company Mall. He was able to stand perfectly still, but he was too quick for my camera.

The soldier pose came in handy when I wanted him to stand still for this pic. I just wish I had noticed the big red bow behind Mary Beth's head.

I think the boys were watching some drummers performing at the corner.


Now, back at the ranch.

Ryan had a birthday and we have a tradition of decorating a "cookie cake" that we started when we lived in Waco and Ryan was about four or five. He decorated it with an Army Tank. He was a good artist early in life.

We sang Happy birthday.

Ben found the car seat and was chillin'. He is a really easy going kid.
Pretty cute curls too...

We have a new tradition of decorating a Gingerbread House. Last year it was actually a train.

I let Jackson eat the tree so he wouldn't be tempted to chow down on the house.

Morgan contributed his artistic talents.

Papa John even helped. You know, these things are harder than they look!

I have been needing to add some photos of our trip we took to the Concan, Texas area last month and I am feeling really guilty. I have very precious memories from this trip. It is hard to put it all in words and pictures.

My dad with the boys, Ben and Jackson. Dad toured us around the beautiful countryside showing us places where Mother grew up and also where he was a boy. I thought it was neat that during those years they were just about 30 miles apart, but didn't meet until they were in their twenties.

I can't say how many times I have wished I could rewind in my mind to know if I had crossed paths with someone or talked to them in the past.

Hmmm...

Fun with the Boys

Jackson and Ben came to stay with us for a couple of days and we had fun!

Jackson is such a cool cat in his glasses from our trip to Sonic.

Ben is always so sweet and easy going.

The train ride at McKinney's Oktoberfest was the boys favorite thing to do.


My fondest memory of the day is how Jackson picked out six perfect pumpkins for me at Patina Green while Ben was just chillin' in the background.

Brotherly love

I always enjoy visiting the grandsons in Houston and when the weather is nice enough for them to play outside it calls for some backyard time. Jackson is definitely busy and this time I found him over in the corner of the yard playing with a plastic snake in the water.

Ben quickly showed up with a football in hand.

(Which is the norm...)

Jackson decided the football was meant to smash the snake.

I guess Ben didn't think that was the best use of a football because he disappeared. Where did he run off to?

He was playing in the Log Cabin. What a smile!

Just thought I would share a little snippet of my play time with the boys.

" I love them to the moon and back!"

Catch 'em when you can

Taking a photo of a toddler and a preschooler is like trying to hit a moving target. Almost impossible. They never stop moving, except when they are sleeping. I am getting to spend a few days in the Houston area with my perfect grandsons.

Ben is one now and at such a sweet age. He is very easy going, which is a good thing with an older brother who is always accidentally running him over...

Jackson is three and his favorite place to eat in the whole world is at Chick -Fil- A. Maybe his mom should buy a franchise.

Well, I hope I am able to catch a few more pics before I have to head back to Big D. We will see...

Busy Boys

Jackson is a little camera shy these days. I guess he has to be in the right mood.
He was such a good boy when I took him shopping for an early birthday present.


I was able to catch a cute pose while we were at Papa John's office in Dallas.
We were headed from Frisco down to Sugar Land to take Jackson back after visiting us for a few days.

Papa John was in a meeting and we had to find whatever we could for means of entertainment.

Ben was waiting at home to see Jackson.

The weekend before we were at the Farm where Ben was thrilled there was a football, his favorite!

You gotta love those curls...

I found the cutest bird book recently. I took one to Jackson for Valentine's and then gave one to my great-nephew, Nate, for his first birthday.

"Blue bird, bluebird what do you see?"


" I see (one) bird sitting on the tree...."

" One two three four five..."

Nate and Dana.
I thought this little book was very fitting since their great- grandmother's name was Birdie.

I found it at Target for 6.95, and I have seen it at bookstores also.

Our last trip to the Houston area was wet and cold. Jackson and I were waiting in the car while Ryan picked up some hamburgers for our lunch. I felt it was my Nana duty to entertain Jackson and let him make a mess. I reached in my goodie bag and found some Elmo stickers.

It took great concentration to place the "Elmos" just right...

Jackson kept telling me," Look Nana, I didn't tear it!"

He had no idea this was a fine motor skills exercise.

Way to go Jackson!

Back at the house we found Ben chewing on everything.

...because he has two new top teeth!


I can't wait until I see them again!

Do you see it?

I was driving home from the store a couple of days ago and was in my own little thought world. I was having ladies from church over that night. I needed something new to decorate my front door. My mind was bouncing around to what I might already have at home. I thought about a round red berry wreath leftover from the Christmas decorations. As I turned the corner into our neighborhood I looked up and the only clouds in the sky were hearts. Ah ha. I would maneuver the red round wreath into the shape of a heart!

I know this is all very frivolous. The clouds really brought out a deeper feeling and emotion for me. God is awesome. His love is forever. He has the power to remind us in wispy clouds in the big blue sky.

"He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills." Psalm 147:8

You Can't Call us Boring...

We had our family Christmas closer to New Year's than Christmas this year. I think it was more relaxing that way. One of the presents to Morgan and Ryan were 50 yard line tickets to the Dallas Cowboy Game that week. Morgan and Ryan were quite surprised and excited. John bought them Cowboy Jerseys and Jackson a Texas Longhorn Jersey. (Ben had one too, but he was sleeping during this photo shoot.) They had a great time at the game and will always cherish the memory of going. Yes, and Dallas won too!!

On my birthday, John, Morgan and I went to Blue Mesa to eat after Church. I had received a coupon for a free buffet. They have some of the best food in the Dallas area, so forget the diet for a day and indulge! At least on your birthday. Anyway, the waitperson overheard it was my birthday and for some reason he started telling us about a new game called Quelf. Elf with a Qu.

He said something about how crazy it was to play, and one player had to sit under the table the whole game. Hmm, this needed to be investigated thoroughly. After several attempts to find the game, we finally landed our own one. Now, if I were to read the box in the store it would not end up in my shopping cart. It sounds kinda weird. I am not too sure we understood the rules all that well as we sat down to play, but we laughed the whole time!

Ryan picked a card where he was announcing the in flight instructions a flight attendant does at the beginning of every flight and Mary Beth had to do the hand motions. She apparently pays closer attention than the rest of us, because she had it nailed. Except getting tickled. But then, she might have seen that on one of those wacky Southwest flights out of Houston.

We didn't know such a good sport had married into our family. Mary Beth picked a card that required her to move her game piece with her elbows -the entire game.

See the egg in the middle of the game board? That was what I had to find and place there. It stayed in its place the whole time and any player, except me received a penalty if they touched it.

One of my turns I had to pretend I was a photographer on a shoot. I received extra points if I used a real camera. This is Morgan giving his version of a model look.

He picked a card that required him to say "Hear me for I have spoken" after he said anything. We all tried to get him to talk just so we could make him say it. I don't think he missed a single time he spoke.
We only played once, so I am not sure if there is anything inappropriate on any of the cards. I do know the photographer card had a phrase I was supposed to say, but there was no way that was coming out of my mouth. That is my disclaimer.

The next day while John and I were working in the garage this is what was going on upstairs...

I am not too sure what this says about us, but we do know how to have good clean fun!

( We missed Tia Leah! )

Oh, the joys of being a grandmother...