Jack's First Trip to Disneyland

What a fantastic day we (Deb, Jack, Meema & Pops) had at the happiest place on earth! This is one of the few shots of Jack actually smiling while we were there. You could tell he was enjoying himself, but he just didn't know what to do with it! He had fun playing in ToonTown and loved flying on Dumbo, fell asleep on Pirates of the Caribbean and got a little nervous on Small World (he wouldn't let go of my wrists when I would try to point at the different things throughout the ride!). The best part of the day was when we put the mouse ears on him - you would have thought we had just given him the keys to paradise! We've already made plans to take a big family trip to Disney World next year for baby Ben's first birthday. Needless to say, I can't wait!!!

About the ears, Jack still loves those silly things and even wore them to Walmart recently! Fortunately, it was the day before Halloween, so no one thought anything of it!!!

Jack's First Camping Trip

Daryl and I had been wanting to go camping with Jack for quite a while and decided to take him on a one-nighter to see how he liked it. Other than the extreme Texas heat (notice the little guy's sweaty face) & the burn ban (we roasted hot dogs over a camp stove) we had a wonderful time, but I think we'll wait until it cools off a bit more before we set up camp again!

Summer Harvest

Wow! My little garden has exploded into a beautiful vegetable machine! I've harvested 2 pounds of radishes, 4 pounds of zucchini, several salads of lettuce and spinach, and plenty of herbs for almost every meal. It's funny how much better my cooking seems to taste when all of my fresh ingredients come from my own backyard.

How does your garden grow?

Once again I let too much time lapse between postings. I must say though, that I have been quite busy tending to our first ever vegetable garden. It's been such a wonderful addition to our home & such fun to watch the transformation from a weedy plot of land to a beautiful little garden. We're growing basil, rosemary, tarragon, cilantro, lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, snap peas, lima beans, and corn. I'm still planning on planting some garlic, onions, and potatoes. We also have a composter and are planning on purchasing a rain barrel to add to the 'green' level of our house. Jack enjoys 'helping' me in the garden, though he mostly likes putting woodchips in the raised beds and playing with the water hose. What a funny little guy!

We're in Mexico, Baby! Woo-Hoo!

Yup. We're relaxing in beautiful Cancun and enjoying the 'high life' at the Ritz. There's definitely nothing I could possibly complain about - the staff is friendly, the room is spacious, the food is delicious, and view is spectacular! We even have a private balcony overlooking the aqua waters of the Caribbean.

While taking in the view this morning, God reminded me of just how glorious He is. How amazing that God not only created the ocean out of nothing, but actually knows every wave that crashes to the shore. The sheer power of the water is intimidating to even the strongest of swimmers. I've observed men getting knocked down by waves that couldn't be any bigger than two feet. Yet, God's Son was given authority to not only walk on the water, but also to calm the waves. Think about that for a moment. Even sea walls and levees can't control the ocean, as we've seen in recent storms. What it must have looked like to the disciples as Jesus stood on that boat and stopped the storm! I pray that God continues to reveal Himself to me in such tangible ways!

A quick note about today's title: While we were on a cruise to Mexico a few years back we overheard an extremely intoxicated couple shout this drunken exclamation. Daryl and I have since used this as an inside joke when visiting Disneyland, San Antonio, and now that we're once again in Mexico we're saying it like it's going out of style (not too loudly though, as we don't want to be one of those tourists.)

Catching Up

Jack's 1st birthday

It's been about a year since our last update, and what a year it has been! It seems like just yesterday Jack was a helpless little baby and now he's a playful little boy, crawling and learning to walk. I feel like a proud mama blubbering at her sons graduation, "My baby's all grown up!" Well, he might not be ready for the 'real world' anytime soon, but I sure can see the milestones being met - like life's giant checklist.
After last week's 'chicken pops' invasion and the massive response I received from friends and family to update with photos, I've decided to commit to updating our blog. It's been sitting here patiently waiting for news to share and now I'm ready. Now then, don't hold your breath as I'm relatively new to blogging, but do expect to see recent photos and news at least monthly (I don't want to over do it!).