My BOY!

My "big shugs" (like sugar) will turn ten in twelve days! Jared is so sweet and smart! I am so proud of the young man he is turning into! He is a wonderful big brother to his two little sisters! He is a great help to mom and dad, too! He has such a tender heart! I could go on and on...but instead I'll just update a little of what he's been up to lately.

<--- 50's/70's day at school










Jared just finished up his second season of Upwards basketball. He has really improved a lot from last season, and was one of the team's top scorers this year! He has a real passion for sports, and I think basketball is one that he could really excel in if he keeps it up! (*A REAL PASSION! He loves all things sports! He has a fantastic memory for sports facts, and loves listening to, watching, and reading about them. I can totally see him in a career that deals with sports in some form or fashion.)
















Jared also continues to do very well in school. He has gotten A's all year long, continues to love reading, and never seems to have any problems with his schoolwork. This year, he decided to enter the Science Fair and Art Fair at school. He tested several different cups to see which kept water the coldest. Although everyone received a ribbon for participating, he got "honorable mention"- which we thought was great!

















Jared has continued working on moving up in the Cub Scout ranks. With Steve as his den leader, he just earned his Webelos badge. After one more year, he will move on to Boy Scouts. He told me on the way back from the Blue & Gold banquet Saturday night, that he has decided to go all the way to Eagle Scout because, "Scouting is just a good thing and it makes you feel good and helps people and the environment." I guess you can't argue with that!

















I especially love how he is so sweet to his sisters, Lauren and Lindsey! Just like he did with Lauren, he lights up whenever he sees Lindsey and is always happy to "babysit" her while I take a quick shower, or help out in whatever way he can with her. He is going to make a great daddy and husband one day!! I have never seen a sweeter brother than Jared. He has NEVER "picked on" Lauren or been purposefully mean to her in any way! He always tries to make peace if they disagree about something, and he just loves having her as a friend to play with!!

















It really amazes me that Jared is about to be 10 years old already! It makes me VERY sad to think that he will be going away to college in 8 more years! I don't understand where the time goes! Thank you, Lord, for giving me such a sweet boy...even if it's only for a little while!!

SNOW DAY!

We have a stander!

It's official! Lindsey can stand all by herself! On Valentine's Day, she used a toy to push herself up, and then just stood there for a few seconds. She has been standing and walking while holding onto our hands or furniture for a long time, but she was always too nervous to let go...until now! Yesterday, she actually got up on all fours from the ground and just stood up! She hasn't taken any steps without holding on yet, but I am sure it won't be long!!






















It's funny to watch her ease herself down when she's ready to sit.

Lindsey's tricks

Her three tricks now are "clap", "wave", and "hug" (she puts her head down on your chest).




I think she says "dog" and "duck", but they sound awfully similar! She can also show you where her ears are, and she can bring you a ball, book, or duck if you just ask for one of those. In the past couple of days, she has been getting braver when it comes to standing up and letting go of whatever she is holding onto. She can balance for a few seconds, but then she gets nervous and sits down. Or, she'll throw herself towards you and fall down. She gets this excited/nervous little look on her face and laughs. I don't know if I am ready to have a walker!! She is turning into a little person before my eyes!

























Standing --->

Below:
A "hug" on my leg.

You've Got the Look!

Lindsey is going to have a complex! I'm just sayin'! Literally every time we go out to a store or restaurant, someone stops me and comments on "those beautiful eyes"! EVERY TIME! I am so amazed that so many people say the SAME THING! Not just "cute baby", but "Oh! Look at those gorgeous big blue eyes!"

Tonight, we went to Rosa's Tortilla Factory for dinner and Steve and I were feeding Lindsey little pieces of our food. Then, this sweet little lady comes out of the kitchen with a plate of cut up chicken and rice for Lindsey! I swear...giving our baby free food! Steve said, "It's just like the guys that will be buying her drinks when she is 21!" Seriously! How often does that happen?

I don't know if it is just Waco that is filled with super nice people, or what! Last week, we went to Whataburger for dinner (hmmm...do you notice a pattern here?), and this elderly couple stopped us on our way out to tell us how wonderfully well behaved our children were and how nice it was to see children acting that way for a change. OUR KIDS??? I guess!? We've actually had a few other people tell us that over the years... It shocks me, though! I mean, we're just eating!! Try telling them to turn off a video game, or take a nap and see how well behaved they are! Ha!

Hello again in 2010!

Happy New Year! It's been awhile since I've had time to post anything! Lindsey is crawling around like a pro and pulling up on everything! She keeps me on my toes these days!! She likes to pull open the kitchen drawer and take out all of the coupons and phone books in there. In addition to being much more mobile, I think she has a couple of "words" now: "Duck" and "Dog" (which sound very similar)! Our neighbors got a new puppy, and we went outside to see her today and Lindsey kept saying "Daw! Daw. Daw? Daw!" It was cute!



We had a great Christmas! Jared and Lauren both got a Nintendo DS from Santa. He also brought a replacement PS2! Then, Mimi and Pa gave them a Wii. Needless to say, they have plenty of technology to keep them entertained! Lindsey was really into the present opening, and she was really excited by some of her toys. It was fun to watch!
























I celebrated another birthday, too. At least it was an excuse to have a mom's night out with my friends at Ninfa's! Fun! Mom, Dad, and Laura came in for the weekend. Leslie came up Monday and we went out to lunch at the new Chuy's here in Waco...yum!


































Jared and Lauren also got rollerblades for Christmas. The weather this past week was gorgeous, so they got outside and try them out. They were really starting to get the hang of it! Jared was invited to a skating party this past Saturday, so he got even more practice in! Maybe there is still hope that they will turn into ice hockey players like their daddy, after all! (Nah!)



Jared has been playing Upwards basketball again, and his little team has been doing so well! It is amazing how far they've come since last year!! He's also still in cub scouts (with Steve as den leader).

Lauren is still dancing her heart out, and is loving Kindergarten. I love it when she comes in the door after school and tells me, "I got on your favorite color today!"- (which is blue, and means she went above and beyond). We had a little incident today, however. She decided to give herself a little haircut for some reason! I guess it could have been worse... You've got to have SOME funny stories to tell when they get older...right???