This year...Big Willy hasn't changed much
Last year

"Daddy Long Legs" ...she looks so relaxed
Already my craft girl...it looks like she is trying to decide which shirt to hot glue-up
What moms give two boys ice cream cones in the car...that would be Angela and I
We wore him out...just the way I like it when daddy is out of town

Aspiring to be great like his dad
He REALLY wore the goggles...safety first people
Some of the crew...Tan Man is not a baby anymore.
Cheese!!!

This week we had a very special visit from Big Willy and Whitey. I hated that it was 45 degrees because the girls had planned a serious garage sale day...we managed to find a indoor flea market...so don't worry about our morning. Whitey, we will get the pics of you and your first great grand daughter up soon, it's on another camera!!! We have had some serious fun lately. We have been playing super hard hoping to get baby Morgan out of her mommy. We played so hard that Paxton feel asleep eating and that never happens, falling asleep is only done in beds if you are Paxton. Paxton also this week helped his daddy weed the yard. Isn't he precious!!! We are loving watching Mackey become a little being. I have been surprised by her sweet disposition.

She took some criticism at playgroup for the boa...She has such a great personality. Every girl needs a Canton hat.
Paxton a little confused about why someone left toys on his door step.
The best picture I have...and that's not saying a lot.
Rusty drinking his first caffeine/carbonated drink since giving it up for Lent...it has to be from Sonic
Easter...Can you believe it snowed last weekend in parts of Texas??? The cute little outfit I bought Paxton to wear, because I knew this might possibly be the last time to make him cute in the Jack and Janie stuff, had to be returned. I was so sad. His make shift outfit was cute too, although he was thuggin' a little with his pants. Mackey had her adorable Feldman's dress that I had been waiting for her to fit since I found out she was a girl. Our pictures are not so good...mainly because Paxton was so grumpy Easter morning, I even think the Easter bunny thought out coming back for his basket. I felt like explaining how precious they did look since there are no good pics. We go for Mackey's big weigh in tomorrow...fingers crossed!!

Luke you earned this...

Luke prouding displaying his trophy shirt

My good friend Renee came up to visit the other day and it just so happened to be "playgroup" at my house. I tried to prepare Luke (her loving/trusting) husband that there would be a lot of estrogen. Even Rusty has not expericienced playgroup. It happened to be a large one that day 8 moms and 9 children under 21 months...all but two were boys...if that tells you anything. For his birthday Renee made him this shirt because he had commented several times that he had at least earned a shirt for this day. Thanks Luke for toughing it out and letting Renee hang out with me. You can also thank me for the incredible experience which allowed you to realize the joy of birth control.

These of course all went into his basket. He would have got more but this was all he could carry

Our neighborhood had an Easter egg Hunt. I really did not think Paxton would understand what it was about...Boy was I wrong!!! He began immediantely picking up eggs. He put some in his basket and some in other peoples basket. What a good sharer he is. Rusty said that people were talking about what a dare devil he was...that melts every dads heart!! Mackey enjoyed all the kids that she got to watch...she is very into observation right now.

Paxton officially in the BIG BOY bed...he doesn't know he can climb down yet.

SueSue's Garage Sale Bargain...He thinks it is so funny to run into things
Grandpat and Mackey...she is so serious because she just heard Paxton running into the grill with the car.

Handy Man Paxton

This week was yet another exciting ride in motherhood. We are still going to the Pediatrician for weekly weigh-ins. We are up to 9.8 now...we are officially in the 1% now. She is however officially turning over and smiling BIG time at Paxton. She loves him. On another excursion to the pediatrician Paxton got bit by some strange bug and of course it got infected...Lots on ointment and medicine later it has healed nicely. Usually my friend from Dallas Angela and I get together once maybe twice a week but this week we went all out and we got to spend everyday together. She is great. She has Brant who is the same age as Paxton and soon to arrive Morgan who is projected to be the same size as Mackey on her arrival in May. She is the kind of friend who is up for anything and you never have to be dressed up or make-uped. I love it!! Paxton and Brant play so well together...however this week they went from best friends to brothers. They have been at each others throats since Thursday. They actually came over Saturday night and the husbands were able to witness/breakup the pushing. No matter how bad the fighting gets they still hug at the end of every encounter. Another hard situation for mommy occured: Paxton is officially in his big boy bed times 6 days. I however am not ready to get rid of the crib...so the sweet little red Jinny Lend crib will wait in the room until mommy has out grown it:) We are always up for excitment at Brook hollow Circle.

What mother lets their child have a Carmel egg after a bath??
Mackey thinks she is a big kid as Paxton allows her to watch cartoons on his sleeping bag...notice the spit up on the shirt
Our precious Mackey...
Me and my two love bugs
Jessica, Paxton, and I after the devastation

Aggie Upset:

Rusty said last night that he thought he would have to call in sick to work. We had a little get together at our house to watch the BIG game last night...if you have never experienced watching a game with Rusty, you are really missing out. I think Grandpat enjoys watching sports with Rusty just for the entertainment of Rusty. Thankfully Tessa did not have a water bottle embedded in her head last night after 1.1 seconds were removed from the clock. They had a good run, but we believed they were going all the way...so the depression is hard to handle. I spoke to Rusty late morning and he stated that he was still nauseous. I can only imagine Paxton and Mackey's competitive nature, they come by it honestly.

Update: Despite a slow weight gain last week Mackey has begun to lose weight (3 1/2 months and she weighs 9.22)- She is a skinny mini although she comes from a line of fairly small women we are still having to monitor it very closely.I swear this month I have paid for the pediatricians kid's college. We had a series of upper GI test done this week and so far the conclusion is that she has Reflux. I am feeding her about every 2 hours and she spits up most of it. We are on 2 medications that we take each 4 times a day and getting weighed every week. So all this equals a very tired mom. Hopefully we will begin to gain the LBS soon.

She loved her Uncle Randy
Paxton's Favorite..He was amazed at how large the were

Kar-Kar teaching him how to get water everywhere...aren't their tiny bottoms cute.

Paxton "The aggresor"...at least their related. Drew is obviously not that into it.

We successfully have tubes in our ears and we are now speaking a mile a minute. This week was very eventful. From Wed. to Fri. we had the Hagens come to visit and Paxton just loves him some "Kar-Kar" that is his name for Karleigh. We went to the Dallas Zoo and mostly watched some Aggie Basketball...Now in the Sweet 16! Katrina and I we even able to speed away and do the 4 wheel trails out by our house...while the guys watched the children. Cousin Drew, Uncle Randy and Aunt Tonya ventured up here Fri through Sunday. We had a lot of fun just hanging out with them and playing. We recently borrowed the neighbors play scape and Paxton was so funny when he got down there he said" WOW". He had such a cute smile...he has learned to go down the big boy slide head first and backward on his back. He is such a dare devil. Mackey is full of smiles now, I think she is going to take after her brother and flirt with everyone. Hopefully this week we will officially have grass in our backyard...praise the Lord. I am so tired of dirt being tracked in. That is extremely stressful for a clean freak like myself...thanks Whitey. We have been LOVING the weather!!When Rusty gets home we have been staying out till dark playing outside.

At the Park playing with Scooter.
Isn't she sweet?
Right before attack of the Ear
Poor Envoy...how many can I pile in??? Annie looks worried
I could not resist

Breathing Treatments are back.
Mackey and Anabelle

After 5 trips the pediatrician, one trip to the ER(for Paxton), and LOTS of Tylenol...we will officially have tubes placed in Paxton's ears on Thursday. We have had quite the eventful time at our house: I will break it down for you numerically.

1) Kate and precious Anabelle come to visit for a couple days. Mackey and Paxton are both feeling crummy...with drugs Paxton is able to make the trip to the mall playgroup.

2) Paxton is on breathing treatments and is semi OK with them.

3) Trip to the ER at 0400 and then we stay at the hospital for our scheduled 0830 appt with the ENT. Paxton is now on Tylenol with Codeine...but still not asleep...will have tubes on Thursday (keep us in your prayers)

4) We get our $850.00 electricity bill...looks like I am going back to work full time to pay for A/C.

5) Mackey has more junk in her nose than a grown up...I think it is a cold but figured I better go to the Dr.

6) Mackey has an ear infection in both ears..smallest child the pediatrician has ever seen with ear infection.

7) Did I mention that both children now on Augmentin and having LOTS of diarrhea...we spent $45 in diapers this week at the store.

8) Rusty calls from work he is throwing up and thinks he is coming down with something...Like a great wife I tell him not to come home, maybe you can sleep somewhere else...Can you tell weary mom whose sympathy is being beat down. (He came home to dinner and a television night, he did sleep upstairs though)

9) Builder comes out and they find a 3inch screw in the coil to the A/C unit...tells me things I don't understand and then leaves saying he will bring a new unit out tomorrow. No heat or A/C tonight...I don't have to go back to work now.

10) Rusty and I are going to the Maverick Basketball Game tonight...I have never been so I am excited. However we will miss SueSue playing basketball on a DONKEY...I hope this on tape!! It is really true, a donkey.

TAG...I'm IT! So... I got tagged by my friend April McCarty Nelson:) Here are the rules to the game...

1. Grab the book closest to you.

2. Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence

3. Post the text of the following three sentences

.4. Name the author and book title.

5. Tag three other people to do the same

"We know that everything turned out all right. But what did Mary and Martha think at the time? What did the disciples think? What do we do when God doesn't act or move the way we think he should?

Ironically this book has been one of my favorite books ( I don't read very often though) and it has taken me forever to finish. It is called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha world" by Joanna Weaver. It is the perfect book for encouragement the back title reads: An invitation for every woman who's ever felt she isn't godly enough, isn't loving enough, isn't doing enough. Sounds typical of a mom, young or old, right???

I now tag: Kat (who reads a lot so it shoud be interesting), KatieKate (who is so creative- who knows what she is reading), and Kelly Harrell (who is very wise there is no telling what we will learn)

Sweet Girl

Mary Elizabeth and Mackey Elizabeth
Today we officially smiled for the camera..melted my heart. She went for her first play date to Mary Elizabeth Master's house. Mary is just 6 weeks younger. It is so nice that now she officially weighs 9lbs and can wear one more different outfit. Here she is cheesing it up before we headed to church for "Mom Matters".

Bad Hair Day

This is Paxton every morning...he always has crazy hair. I guess it goes along with his crazy fun loving personality. I am thinking that we may have to start hair spraying no matter how hard we try those pieces refuse to be settled.

Need I say More...

Need I say more...could my camera have caught any more than this...

What two best friends do when no one is looking...or at least they think no one.

Lazy Days

Paxton getting a hair-do from Jackson...Brant is supervising!! SCARY
Poor Lainey!! Lots of trouble on the couch..

What was going to be a lazy afternoon turned into a party a Brookhollow circle...7 moms and 8 children!! It was chaotic but also very fun to hang out with such great friends. Here are some snapshots...

Mama Emilia's

Valentine's Night a group of 20 of us from Sunday school went to a really nice restaurant in downtown McKinney. We were all dressed nice and had a great evening! I am not sure that SueSue and GrandPat will ever volunteer to keep Mackey again...lets just say she cried the whole time.

Paxton's Valentine

Notice the hand holding!!! I am sure this will end around jr. high

Rusty and I have been so blessed. We are looking forward to tonight. We are getting all dressed up and going with some friends to dowtown McKinney to eat (no kids). We LOVE our Valentines!!!: Paxton and Mackey!!!! We went to two V-day parties and are worn out.

This one is for you Erika and Jessica!

(Ashley, Jessica, Me, Erika, and Tessa)
(Jason, J.T., Danny, Rusty, and Tab)
Rusty and I are so blessed! We have found a group of friends that is fun to hang out with but also encouraging in our walks with Christ. We started a small group bible study in Octish and have held each other accountable every Sunday night. From Canton trips (where money was spent decorating each others houses), to X Box games, and good food every week together as we fellowship. God has placed these 4 other couples in our lives to build life long friendships. We were all talking the other day and were saying "you know how your parents all had a group of friends they were close too"...the conclusion is that we are making those friendships now. We know that we are blessed also I know that all you girls are checking this and I want you to know that I feel so lucky to have you as friends.

The title is because Jessica and Erika have wanted to make the blog for weeks! You are there girls: you have MADE the blog...

Mackey at 2 months! Yesterday was my first day back to work and her first day to go to Mrs. Shelley's (the day care). She did really well and did not get kicked out from crying so much...and that is exciting. She actually has started to figure things out and is much more relaxed. Here is the latest close up.

Texas Weather

Last week WINTER came to town. Rusty was out of town all week and Thursday evening we had plans to leave the house a head over to our friends the Rackers House....this all changed at 4:30 when it started snowing and did not let up until 7:30. It was so beautiful! Everyone in our neighborhood except for us had beautiful white yards. Ours was brown dirt, yes that's right we still have no GRASS...hopefully this weekend!!