Move over Aunt CC

John David has a new woman in his life! Grandma has come into town! When she first arrived on Friday, it took John David about 30 minutes to talk to her but he hasn't stopped since then. Every meal involves her, every minute of playing involves her. He even went grocery shopping with us today so he could be with Grandma! We went to Walmart today to get something for lunch & John David has been dying to spend his money (coin change) collected from his grandfather over the past few months. I suggested buying a small (cheap) Hot Wheels car but that is not what he found. He found a pirate ship and wouldn't stop thinking about it. She made sure he got it. ;) Grandma was with him so John David "paid" for it with her help. They have had a blast playing with it all day!

Drew hasn't been left out. She has spent many minutes keeping up with the toddler who is constantly talking and on-the-go!

Grandpa hasn't been forgotten either. Drew is fascinated with his beard and constantly touching it. Grandpa has been adding to the pirates treasure of coins. Everyone has been playing the Wii, too.

Monsters?

"Mommy, why does God make bad people?", asked John David yesterday. I answered, "God doesn't create bad people but people make bad choices. You and I make choices everyday - some are good and some are bad." He then asks, "Why does God make monsters?"

What do you say?

Dallas Cowboys

David called me Wednesday very excited because he had gotton two tickets to the preseason Cowboys game against the Texans. I was OK with it. The Cowboys aren't my favorite - I prefer hockey but I thought I would go anyway. It is the last season of Texas Stadium. David called me about an hour later to assure me I didn't have to go. I wanted to go because it was Parent's Night Out at our church and I was looking forward to a date night with my husband! David told me Kristin and Adrian were also going. I was in after he mentioned those two names. I enjoy hanging out with his co-workers.

We met at OTB for apps before heading to the game (all 4 of us). We were on the goal line about 38 rows up. It was very hot & sticky but we had a great time. We arrived towards the end of the first quarter and stayed until the end of the third quarter. We went back to OTB for more food. David and Adrian sat next to each other because they like to watch football and not talk to each other during a play. Kristin and I enjoyed talking during a play and it didn't bother us. We all had a wonderful time.

I am looking forward to hockey starting up in October. Go Avalanche & Stars!

Playdate

Last Wednesday we had a playdate at the Gilbert's. We had a great time playing outside-painting, driving cars, snacking, getting sandy, sliding, and hitting the ball with a bat. Oh, I forgot coloring! The boys prefered playing with cars while the girls finger painted! It was cute to see the differences. ;) Drew showed everyone how loud he could be by yelling at me most of the time. He wanted me to see him climb and hit the ball repeatedly. He is very loud! John David had fun to playing with toys but wanted to go inside most of the time. Thanks for hosting, Lisa!

Bruiser

"Bruiser" is a nickname we have affectionately given Drew. It seems that he is very active & tough and almost always has a bruise. I think he is still learning how to be gentle with others. He and John David love running in the house or rough housing and Drew always seems to bump his head. If he could talk he would probably admit that the floor comes out of nowhere to hit his head! Poor guy!

Last Thursday, the boys and I were getting ready to go to the pool when Drew fell and hit his head. It was a good sized goose egg above his left eye. By the beginning of the week, it was turning a beautiful yellow-brown. Guess what he did Monday afternoon? Drew was getting out of his window seat when he hit head on the wall in the same exact spot! The bruise is now returning. Oh well, good thing we don't have formal pictures coming up! :)

Drew always has to have shorts or pants on because he is always trying to take off his diaper!

New ticker...

Some of you have noticed that I have a new countdown. My sister-in-law (& brother) are expecting their first child! YEA! We are so excited and have been waiting for them to announce something. We have been patient and know that they had to be ready as well as God's planning. Joel & Christy are thrilled, too! I am so excited to share in their experience. It is my first opportunity to be an aunt! I want them to have a boy so I can pass down lots of clothes and maybe some toys one day. Although if it is a girl, I am afraid I am going to spend a ton of money on her! Christy's mom & mom-in-law will also keep her in tons of clothes, too. Christy is an only child like David and if it is a girl, it will be the first granddaughter on my side.

John David considers "Aunt CC" to be his girlfriend. Anytime he is around her, he has to sit by her, talk to her, play only with her, etc. While camping, Aunt CC had to ride with us in the car even though her husband was in the other car. She is a great sport to bathe him, dress him, and sit by him anytime he calls on her which is often. Of course, he loves his Uncle Joel. John David's first comment anytime his name is mentioned is "Uncle Joel is silly."

Uncle Joel & Aunt CC live in New Jersey for now but will move to Enid, Oklahoma next year. Uncle Joel will be an instructor in Air Force Pilot Training. He reports next May but has to be in San Antonio, Texas from January until May for his own school. That means the baby will not have an official nursery at first because they will be living in temporary housing. Please pray for them as they enter the unknown of a having their first child, moving closer to home, and having a baby somewhere else. Joel & Christy have a great attitude about all of it because they will be much closer to both of their families in Oklahoma as well as be able to take off for the holidays.

John David doesn't know what to think about having a cousin. He wants "Aunt CC" to be his cousin. Oh well! I am having fun passing down all of my books and clothes to Aunt CC! Their dog, Pistol, doesn't know what is about to come. Their cat, Bullet, isn't going to be happy either. Can you tell which school they went to in Oklahoma? They have an orange bathroom, too! ;)

We are also excited about our other friends who are expecting - Leigh Anne & Matt, Mandi & Cody, Laura & Aaron, and Mark & Amanda! We are praying for all of you!

*I forgot to add my cousin Aaron & Caroline, too! Sorry!

Gold!

What American doesn't like to watch the Olympics? I loved all of the Opening Ceremony. The outfits were great because they were designed by Ralph Lauren. The gymnastics are one of my favorite things to watch durings these two weeks. Swimming is always cool especially the divers but I am enjoying watching the swimmers this time, too. It was exciting to watch the women gymnists win individual gold & silver this evening. I really don't want anyone to fall but I am glad Nastia won. She trains not to far from here. How cool is that?

David and I have both enjoyed watching the swimmers. We always cheer on Michael. He seems pretty clean cut - loves his mom & sisters, no (visible) tattoos, and no unusual piercings. I know it doesn't make a person perfect but it has been cool to learn more about him. I have also enjoyed learning about the women swimmers.

Does anyone know why the water polo caps are tied on instead of velcro or a different strap? Does anyone know why their caps have certain ear coverings? I have only caught a little of those games on TV but it is a sport I know nothing about.

The women beach volleyball has also been fun to cheer on.

More Pics

Wii

Last night we entertained Jordan, Lesley Anne, Ben, & Aunt Leah. Most of us are cousins who happened to be in town for various reasons. We missed Joel & Christy who are in New Jersey and Aaron & Caroline who had other plans. After dinner, most of took turns playing the Wii. It was a great time!

This morning, John David asked every 5 minutes if we could play a different Wii game. David and I played some games, too. I couldn't beat David but I had fun trying. John David liked switching games frequently. I know Grandma will have fun playing when she gets here. If you play golf against John David, you'll win. He thinks it is more fun to shoot the ball into the water and sand instead of getting it into the hole. I guess we don't have a Tiger on our hands! Oh well.

We haven't been able to play the Wii for too long because the Olympics are on.

Paradise Pond

John David had his 5th birthday party with his best friend, Will, at Paradise Pond! Everyone had a great time! There were a few girls upset because they had to leave early for a soccer game. John David played soccer the hour before his party but was a little distracted throughout the game. Will came back for the weekend so that he could celebrate his birthday with all of his friends. After the party, John David said his favorite part was playing with Will. (Will also came to our house Friday afternoon for a playdate while his mom ran errands.) In one of the pictures you can see the two boys playing together. We enjoyed pizza and cupcakes. I think everyone had a fabulous time. Athough getting home, John David wanted to open everything. We opened some presents & I put some in the closet for later. Does any other mom hide their childs' toys to open a month after their party? In one of the pictures you can see John David helping Drew up the play feature. John David helped him all the way up (about 2-3 stories tall) & slide down. Both John David & Will loved licking their icing with their fingers.

Wii had a great day

Thursday was a great day! The boys and I walked down to the corner for donuts before running errands to get some last minute things for the party. I thought John David would enjoy riding his bike but he tired very easily. So he walked along the stoller most of the time. The lady at the donut shop was nice to serve us on a plate while we ate there. Since it was John David's birthday & he was well behaved during errands I couldn't help but buy him a truck. David met us at church for soccer practice before we headed to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner & games. Leah & Popaw came into town to move Leah to Ft. Worth so they got to join for dinner. We all had fun playing games except Popaw.

John David opened a few presents in the morning and then the rest after CEC. John David received a bible & a Cars blimp from us. Grandma & Grandpa had David buy him a Wii! He wasn't too sure what to think at first but then got excited!

We have had a great time playing all weekend long!

John David Weston

Five years ago to date I was checking into Las Colinas Medica Center on Wednesday, August 6 hoping to have a baby soon. I was nervous about bringing my first child into this world. I had an appointment that morning where I learned that our planned due date hadn't been scheduled for August 8th. (August 8th would have been John Miller's birthday-John David's namesake.) I was 39 weeks along and the only induction was that night or waiting for 3 weeks. After many hours in labor and an epidural, John David still didn't want to come out so I had a c-section. God blessed us with a perfect little boy.

I can't believe my first son is turning 5 years old. It is even scarier that he is old enough for Kindergarten. School seems so big for my young son. John David is a precious boy who is very well behaved (most of the time). He can be quiet and hard to warm up to others. He loves cars, dinosaurs, super heroes, and being a boy. Questions are continually turning around in his head. He dreams one day of growing up to be a pirate. (I don't know what he thinks pirates do.) I know he is sick because he wants to snuggle with me otherwise he is up running around. He has gotten good at antagonizing his little brother.

John David is headed to church preschool this year. I don't know if he understands his usual friends are headed to school in a few weeks. I hope this next year is successful for him with a new set of friends. I know holding him back will help him be more successful academically, socially, and the rest of his life.

Camping-Wednesday

Dad rented a ski boat for us. Grammy & Drew stayed behind and so did Aunt CC because she wasn't feeling well. The rest of us headed off ready for a great day or so we thought...

Dad, Joel, David, John David, Leah, and I headed off with less stuff than the first day to the boat rental. After we got skis, tube, & life jackets we headed out on the lake about 9:15ish. We stopped in front of the cabins so the others could watch. Joel was excited and wanted to go first so he put the skis on and I got my camera ready to begin. Dad couldn't start the engine and after multiple tries, he called the rental place. One of the workers came out in a pontoon boat a few minutes later with a new battery. Meanwhile everyone but dad got in the lake. He worked for a while but couldn't get the battery out. After something broke, he called for another worker to bring some pliers on a jet ski. We still continued to play in the water and started jumping off the pontoon boat. The gentleman had to return to the dock on the jet ski to get a drill and something else. He came back and worked for a while. Needless to say, we played for 1 1/2 hours while the boat was being fixed. The workers couldn't have been any nicer while trying to fix the boat and allowed us to stay out extra time without any penalty. Of course, Dad talked their ears off while we swam.

When we finally got started Joel put us all to shame. He got up and had a great time skiing. David got up and did very well, too. They each got out there several times having fun. I, on the other hand, drank lots of dirty lake water. I tried for a while to ski but didn't have much luck. I was patient but got very tired. The tube was a blast! I was very successful and enjoyed it. John David sat with David but didn't really enjoy it. Leah had a great time on the tube, too! She even lifted her hands to give a "Sic 'em Bears!" We stopped many times for John David to swim. He got very bored just sitting on the boat. Even though we lathered up with sunscreen the whole time, we all came home "kissed" by the powerful sun!

What mom has ever tried to pass off a dirty diaper?

As a mom of two boys I have changed many dirty diapers. On Monday afternoon Drew had a stinky diaper. Christy, David, Leah, and I were down at our cabin as I gave Christy all of my maternity clothes. Drew was also with us when I smelled a stinky diaper! I thought it would be fun to send Drew up the hill with a diaper & a clean smelling disposable bag for the stinky diaper. We told him to go find Popaw who was playing a card game at the top of the hill. It was hilarious to watch him waddle up the hill and watch the others react to what he was carrying! Popaw changed the diaper without complaining and sent Drew back down the hill. As we saw Drew come down the hill one arm carried the bag with a stinky diaper inside. In the other hand he had a pretzel rod dipped in white chocolate decorated with sprinkles. He was thrilled and following his directions of going to find "Mommy." I hadn't let him have a whole pretzel rod because it was too much. Popaw thought since Drew had followed directions, he should be rewarded! :) We all laughed at this incident all week long! I am sure we will retell this story many times.

Camping-Tuesday

We toured the Blue Bell creamery Tuesday morning. The funniest thing was a Braum's was on the same block as the creamery. The tour was fun especially since it ended with a scoop of ice cream. I didn't think it as wise for Drew to get his own cup so he went around to Grammy & Popaw sharing their ice cream. He probably ended up having more than a cup of his own. Oh well, it was vacation! ;)

That night we had the Stuart's out for dinner. We knew the Stuart's when they lived here but went back to Oklahoma last summer. They recently moved to Tulsa. It was so good to visit with all of them. They have two boys like us! Although they are now expecting their third child and we are not!! After fajitas & fixings from OTB (of course), we enjoyed more smores! The boys had a great time running around hardly wanting to sit for a picture. Thank you Laura & Aaron for coming out to have dinner with our family! We hope you had as good of a time as the rest of us!

Camping-Monday

Dad rented a pontoon boat for all of us enjoy Monday morning. We were quite a site getting in the boat! There were 9 of us with towels, ice chest full of sandwiches/snacks, a second chest of drinks, sunscreen, hats, floaties, and more floaties. It was a windy day when we first stopped so we found a cove to swim in before heading to a different location. John David loved jumping off the boat, swimming, and throwing the football to everyone. At our last location, Drew fell asleep in his floatie. It was adorable! John David learned that it was OK to pee in his swimsuit while in a lake. The boys enjoyed driving the boat with Popaw and honking the horn.

That night cousin Andy, Emily, and their girls Kayla & Caroline joined us for dinner. It was a night of laughs, stories, more smores, and a good time by all. Check out Emily's blog for more pictures of our evening.

Camping-Sunday

This past week we went camping with the Gorham's. It was a Christmas present for us. We decided to board Boulder while we were gone. We left Sunday to meet up with Anna's parents, sister, brother & sis-in-law to head to Keystone State Park just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. We had a fabulous time of good food, fellowship, Wii, and swimming.

This is a picture of John David playing the Wii. My parent's friends were insistent that we take their Wii camping. It was a hit! We all took turns golfing, bowling, playing tennis, and playing baseball. John David thinks he should get one now! We'll see what happens this week.

On Sunday, we went swimming before dinner. David and I enjoyed swimming without having two little boys pulling on us. John David was too busy playing with Aunt CC while Drew was occupied with Grammy & Leah. Afterwards, we enjoyed smores every night we were there. We had three cabins with a hill in between our cabin & mom/dad's cabin. The boys loved walking up and down the hill everyday all day long. We all received flash lights which worked out great at night to go home. John David fell asleep with his flashlight in his hand.

The first night turned out to be a very interesting night for animals. We heard some rustling & I was hoping it wasn't a snake. The animal turned out to be a racoon. He kept trying to get closer so Joel tried to scare him by approaching him. Instead of it running off, he hissed and tried to get closer to Joel. Joel immediately backed off. I took John David to bed while David and Joel scared the animal with rocks.