Just Another Day In Paradise...

Jaden Turns 4!

2011-07-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Jaden's 4th birthday. Hard to believe he's already this old! He's a great kid! He loves to count, play on his computer and he's definitely a water baby (even if he's not much of a baby anymore!) We went to the beach for 4th of July! And then last weekend we bought him a pool. He is REALLY enjoying it and is getting more and more comfortable in it all the time. Last night we went to Applebee's (his pick.) You'll see from the smile on his face that he was SO happy to get that brownie and be sung to!He sure did have a great day! We plan to have some family over this weekend and we'll give him the rest of his gifts. Can't wait to see how he reacts, because we got him some stuff that I know he REALLY wants!

Busy Bee...

2011-06-04T15:39:00.001-07:00

...or as my friend called me, "Suzy Homemaker." I've been really busy sewing the past few days!

I have been on the hunt for new pajamas for Jaden. Everything he had was getting really small. As hot as he gets at night, I didn't want to get any pants, but that seemed to be all I could find. SO, I decided I would just make them. Here's the final results: (BTW, he's a ham)
And since I had my sewing machine out, I decided to finally finish a quilt that I had started making for Jaden back at the beginning of the year. This is no big deal, actually, since I have a quilt that has been unfinished for YEARS! LOL Anyway, I just finished it and thought I'd share pix of it, too. My boy loves puppies so that what I did! I had a little extra, so Cooper (our dog) may even end up with his very own mini quilt, but not today! Please pardon the bad pictures, these were taken with my phone.

I tied this quilt, which was a first, but it was so easy that I anticipate having at least 1 more soon!

So that's what I've been doing! Getting ready to have to start lots of work on flags for next year's marching show. Eventually I will add pictures from our trip to Disney World with the band, but not today. I think I'll spend the rest of the day relaxing with a glass of sweet tea!

The long awaited house photos....

2011-05-18T16:30:00.001-07:00

I have had some requests for pictures of the new house. These were posted on Facebook sometime ago. Sadly, I'm much better at keeping up with that than this! LOL I have pictures from various stages of the move in process. We still have a long way to go to get the house just exactly how we want it, but we'll get there!

This is the picture of the front of the house that you've all already seen. We've seen lots of blooming flowers since then. If only Jaden would just leave them alone so they can just be pretty!
Here's Jaden's swingset in the back yard. He LOVES it! Favorite spot? The slide, of course!

This is our enclosed patio. It's great when we're grilling. Keeps the bugs away! Cooper is also very happy to have his very own door to go back and forth! If only he would stop dragging his bed outside!

looking around the side of the house, we have a nice big shed for all the lawn stuff! So it doesn't take up space in the garage, YAY!

I just realized that I haven't taken any pictures of my bedroom. We're planning to do some painting, etc. in there, just not sure what we want yet. Anyway, this is the wall between the bedroom and bathroom in the master. I wanted you all to see the skylight. It's really cool during a storm, not as cool when it gets really sunny in the morning when you want to just sleep in! LOL

Here's the awesome BATHTUB!

And the beautiful tilework! I can't believe this is MY bathroom! I have replaced this curtain with another curtain since this picture was taken

This is the window in Jaden's playroom. He has a train table set up right there so he can see what's going on outside while he plays with his trains!

I wanted to share a picture of Jaden's bedroom before it was painted. It was very cute, but this boy LOVES blue!

Some pictures since we settled in. Nothing on the walls at this point (there is some now.) This is looking towards the dining area from the hallway that leads to "Jaden's wing"

Living room from the back door

We have a very unique fireplace between the living room and kitchen area. I understand that it keeps both rooms warm in the winter. Can't wait to test it out!

The dining area. That door leads into the master suite

My little kitchen! The door leads to the garage. The washer and dryer are also in the garage at this house. The mantle from the living room. (this got a little mixed up.) We have some plans for updating the fireplace. Not too much because I do like it!

Jaden's room since it has been painted! I LOVE this blue!

So that's what we have for now! Still a lot of plans for the house. We'll see what the future holds!

Packing, packing, packing....

2011-03-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I do have some huge news.....WE GOT A HOUSE! The apartment was definitely a temporary thing for the first year. It has served us well, but I wont miss going up and down stairs every day and smelling my neighbors cigarette smoke in my apartment. Our new house is still here in town. It's close to the hospital and a little further from the school I work at, but still in a great place. It's a 3 bedroom and has been well taken care of. Tonight is our last night in the apartment and I feel like we may never get everything ready to move! Thank God for in-town moves! I promise to post some pictures once we get settled in. I will say that this is definitely a house that I can see us in for MANY years! I'm SO excited!!!!!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all! I hope you all had an amazing holiday season! We stayed here for the holidays this year. We did have one exciting addition to our family. Jaden got a puppy!

His name is Cooper and he's a daschund. He was 7 weeks old when we brought him home on Christmas Eve. Jaden stayed at my sister's house while we went to pick Cooper up. I got a great video of it, but have had a hard time uploading it, so I'll try again later.

Jaden was REALLY excited for Santa to come. We got some great Christmas Eve pictures of Jaden and Cooper....

Jaden was Mommy's big helper and put out cookies for Santa....

And then Daddy read him "The Night Before Christmas"

Christmas morning was great he got lots toys, including what he had been asking for for months, a kitchen! (Yeah, I don't know about the face, I think he may be shootin' a Jaden's Kitchen gang sign.)

The kitchen was fun for Daddy to put together....

But he LOVES it! (even though that's not entirely evident in this picture. I'm pretty sure he was just to the "STOP TAKING PICTURES AND LET ME PLAY" point...)

We're pretty much back to business as usual. Jeremy is work, work, working at the hospital and I'm gearing up for the first Winterguard competition this Saturday in Gulfport, MS. Jaden is saying funnier and funnier things, but he's smart as a whip and loves going to work with Mommy. He likes trying to tell the girls what to do and he also loves to count for them! Cooper is just growing like crazy! Looking at these pictures from Christmas makes me think "WOW, where did that tiny puppy go?!" I hope you are all well! We'll talk to you next time!!!!

He's a Big Kid Now!

2010-10-19T19:30:00.001-07:00

Look! 2 posts in one night! What are the odds?!

So Jaden has been going through lots of changes. He's no baby anymore, which makes for a sad mommy! A little over a week ago we lucked into a free full sized bed for him (which worked out really well since his crib converts to a toddler bed then to a full sized bed!) I managed to find some great bedding on sale, which is always a plus! Jaden is in HEAVEN in his new bed!

He also FINALLY decided to potty train, so this weekend, as promised, I have to buy him a fish tank. What was I thinking.....

Punkin Patchin' It

2010-10-19T19:18:00.001-07:00

Hello all! I've been in purple madness while writing and sewing for our 2010 marching show "Amethyst Dreams." We just went to our first contest and have a little over 2 more weeks left of marching season, then we start WINTERGUARD!

Last week I took a break and we hit the pumpkin patch at a local church. Here are some pictures of that:

We ended up with three pumpkins, which promptly went on our front door step. We are waiting until a little closer to Halloween to carve them. Every time he walks by them he tells me how much he loves his pumpkins!

Celebrations, Birthday, and Band Camp

2010-08-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well, our summer is about over! Where did the time go???

For the 4th of July we stayed in town and went downtown (which is approximately 2 minutes from my house) to watch the fireworks over Heritage Park. They close down a portion of the street that runs along the park and we were able to just walk over and plop chairs down on the sidewalk. It was great! Jaden enjoyed it, even though he was a little freaked out by the big booms and pops.
We celebrated Jaden's 3rd birthday on the 13th. Because his birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, we just did a small thing at home on his birthday (a few small gifts, hot dogs, and cupcakes.) Then on the weekend we celebrated with the Kosutics. He got his first real bike, which made him a VERY happy boy! Everything went really well -- except the birthday cake that cracked while we were in the car on the way to his "party."

The weekend before his birthday we drove to Gulfport, MS to check out the beach and do some shopping. I was actually shocked at how nice the beach looked in spite of all the oil floating around in the gulf. I fully expected to see tar balls all over the beach, but we didn't see any of that! It was a relief.

We just finished band camp and the kids go back to school on Monday. Fortunately we were able to get the first 2 songs on the field before the end of camp, even though we had a few reminants of TS Bonnie messing up part of the first week a little. Now I just need to finish teaching the girls the flags work and clean it up before we start on the final 2 songs. Our show will be great this year and I will share the finished product when I have it.

I hope you all enjoy what's left of summer! We will be relaxing and gearing up for MARCHING/football season around here! GEAUX SAINTS -- and NHS Panthers....

Not So Lazy Days

2010-06-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

Who ever said summer is time to relax and be lazy? That certainly hasn't been the case here. We've been on the go a lot!

Jeremy has really started settling in to his new job and is making some great changes in his department at the hospital. They're very pleased with him so far. Way to go Jeremy!!!! One thing we did learn, though, is that having a work cell isn't the greatest, because they really do just call you at any hour of the day! HA! Anyway, he had been playing raquetball on the weekends with our brother-in-law, but that got put on the backburner for a bit due to a leg injury. I'm sure they'll be back at it as soon as Rob is 100% again!

I have been working with the colorguard at Northshore High School. I have 26 girls that I've spent the past few weeks whipping into shape and prepping for the fall. We're going to have an outstanding show that I can't wait to see! I've been working on designing their flags and will be making 2 sets, which comes out to about 80 flags, so I will be one busy bee! I'm also working on my inventory of jewelry. I've set up a store on etsy.com and am working on getting more than the 3 things that I currently have in my shop! I've also thinking about getting involved with the Camelia City Market on Saturdays here in town. We'll see where this goes! I've also been taking Zumba classes at the gym with my nieces. That has been a lot of fun, too!

Jaden is growing like a weed! The last time I measured him he was right at 3 feet tall and weighs 37 pounds. He's talking up a storm, singing, dancing, and just acting like a goofy boy! His 3rd birthday is in just a few weeks and he's dying for a new bike. I think we'll make that one happen! We've been spending a lot of free time swimming, either at my sister's house or at our gym. That's probably his favorite thing to do. He really is like a fish! We've been working on potty training and have had a few setbacks, but he's doing alright. I'm adding a few pictures of him so you can see how he's grown!

So that's our summer! We won't be doing any traveling this year because of the move and because we're just too busy, but we're enjoying our new home! I hope I didn't bore you too much!

The Gym

2010-05-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

We joined the local gym this week. It has been much needed for both of us and the place is absolutely amazing! The have a deal with the hospital Jeremy works at that his membership is covered as long as he makes so many visits a month. Therefore, we have resolved to go every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from now on (we decided this on Wednesday.)

When we got there on Wednesday, we took Jaden to the daycare, which was exciting for him because he got to play with new toys! The gym was VERY busy, but we managed to make our way to a few elliptical machines. I quickly remembered why they are not my favorite machines...or maybe it was just this one. In any case, as soon as a treadmill opened up, I was on it and Jeremy came with me. I ran/walked a little over a mile and was BEAT (NOTE TO SELF: YOU'RE IN BAD SHAPE, LYNETTE!)

So here I am a few days later and still kinda sore. Oh, and we didn't go to the gym today. Maybe I'll just call it a holiday. I do plan to make it to Zoomba on Wednesday. I will hold my niece accountable for getting me there, she just doesn't know it yet.

The name of our gym is Crossgates Family Fitness, check out their website! We really got a fabulous deal!

Mother's Day

2010-05-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

I had a great Mother's day this year! My mom was here for my niece's high school graduation, so we spent the afternoon in the French Quarter.

We enjoyed shopping...

...sightseeing... ...and eating beignets.

You never can tell what you'll see in the French Quarter!

In the evening, we went back to my sister's house and the guys grilled steaks and sausage. Jeremy and the kids got into the pool...

and Jaden conquered his fear of water by jumping into the pool! WOW!

It was a great day for sure! Jeremy got me a gift certificate for Woodhouse Day Spa. I'll let you know all about that after I get to go!

New Blog

2010-05-05T14:07:00.001-07:00

I was asked to start a blog for my beading, so I did that today. I have posted most of the stuff that I have made on there: the good and bad, from the beginning. I think I did about 30 blog posts today, so I'm a little tired of blogging, but if you're interested, please check it out!

The Beaded Lady

Rug Update

2010-05-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't gotten a lot more done, but have been asked for an update, so here we are! It went fast at first, but I haven't spent a lot of time on it and it seems to be moving slower even when I have been working on it! Here ya go!

as promised...

2010-05-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

So I KNEW I wanted to hang something scrolly and pretty over our bed, but wasn't sure exactly what. I started shopping online and wasn't finding what I wanted for a decent price. One day, we were heading towards Bed Bath and Beyond here in town, but we hit traffic. So, while we were in front of Big Lots, we decided to check it out. I found exactly what I wanted in the CLEARANCE section for $15! Well, almost exact. I knew it couldn't be this color! LOL

So we got some rusty looking spray paint and painted it with a few coats...

...and this is the finished product! We love it!!!

...and now the upstairs!!!

2010-05-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

Just in time for my mom to come in for my niece, Lindsay's, high school graduation this weekend, we have pretty much finished the house. Well, as much as we can for now. Everything is hung downstairs and we've worked tirelessly to get the rest of the upstairs done today. Enjoy your little tour of the upstairs...

This is the top of the stairs. If you turn left you go to our room or right to Jaden's room (see pictures below)

from landing looking left at our room. Yes, we had to gate off our room from a rambunctious 2 year old boy.

this is looking right from the landing, into crazy man's room

So we'll start with Jaden. Here is his reading area, window and closet.

Here's his bed.

This is the sign on the front door to his room.

This is his dresser and entrance to the bathroom, which we share.

Door on left = bathroom. Door on right = closet

Water Closet view from inside Jaden's door (yes still needs touching up)

shower

view toward our room from WC area

view toward Jaden's room from our room

The laundry room in our bedroom. Odd-shaped room, yes. I fight to keep the cat out from behind the washer on a daily basis.

Finally got our TV mounted...as close to center as we could!

We have a tiny closet...BUT - I HAD to put my Vera Bradley purse display on here (for those who know of my love of all things Vera)

looking in from the bathroom area

coming into the room (that door goes to our balcony) -- feelin love for my Texas roots!

our project (see next blog enrty)

other wall. Door on left is bathroom door on right is landry room

One last look into the bathroom from our room

and that's our house! Now to finish getting it ready for Thursday...

Our New Home...

2010-04-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

...well, at least the first floor! The second floor is nowhere near ready for pictures! Please note, we're not done! Not a lot on the walls yet, but here's your general idea! Enjoy your tour of my first floor! LOL

From the sidewalk in front of my house.

Here's our place!
My front door.

The stairs, right inside the door.

View of the kitchen from the front door.

kitchen (obviously)

Looking back at the front door...and Jaden.

Looking into the downstairs bathroom. Isn't this corner cabinet awesome?!

Sorry...this is the cat's bathroom and dining room, too!

Bathroom sink.

So glad that I can use my butterflies again!

Looking into the living room from the bathroom.

Our living room...standing in front of the sofa.

The other side of the living room. This is where all of Jaden's toys for downstairs will go when we get the house finished! Right now we're storing wall decor back there until we get it hung!

That's it! As you can see, Jaden loves our new place!

Neverending Rug....

2010-04-16T11:52:00.001-07:00

This rug is beginning to wear on me! LOL I spent 2 days shredding sheets and prepping them to start putting it together. That created a very moody Lynette! LOL I haven't worked on it a whole lot since, but I had done the first few rows of stitches. Below is part of what I have so far. It's 10 feet long and will be about 8 feet wide. Here's where we are!

I took a bunch of pictures of my downstairs, which is very close to being finished. Those pictures will be in my next post...

New Determination...

2010-04-11T22:44:00.001-07:00

I am inspired....determined actually, to make a toothbrush rug. I need a rug for my living room, which is an odd shape (very long) and I am unwilling to pay an arm and a leg for a rug (can't afford the really pretty ones that I want, anyway!) So I have decided that I will make my own rug! I watched a number of "how to" videos tonight and think I have a good plan of attack. I went out to the store and bought a bunch of twin sized flat bed sheets that are the colors I want to use in my living room. I'm wondering if I will wipe them out on those...lol! Tomorrow I plan to start pulling the sheets into strips then I will start making my giant rug! Wish me luck! I will keep you posted on the progress. I'm sure we will have a tangled mess, but I already can't wait to see the finished product! I figure if this doesn't work, I'll have a good idea early enough and then I'll only be out the $20 I spent on the sheets, right?!

Fun on the lake

2010-04-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

The food here is just unbelievable! We went to a crawfish boil yesterday with my sister and her family. It took place at Fountainbleau State Park, which is absolutely beautiful! We had great food and LOTS of fun. I think we may have to go on another weekend and spend a night in one of the cabins out there that is literally ON the lake!

Heading towards the lake

Staci and Jaden on the bridge heading to the pavilion

Beautiful view of the city across the lake

Jaden and Mommy

Cabins on the lake

fountain in front of the lake

Jaden playing at the fountain

the kids enjoyed playing on this fallen tree

tons of spanish moss in the trees!

Ryan, Jaden and Hailey

We're HERE!!!

2010-04-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

We've made it to our new home and are getting settled in! I'll post some pictures when it's not a ton of boxes anymore! We got here late last Wednesday and have worked on the house a lot, but we took a little bit of time off on Thursday to enjoy the French Quarter with our friend who helped with the move. Yesterday we spent time with the Kosutics. Jeremy started his new job today and that's going well so far!

I'm enjoying the quiet, the trees, green grass! My cat enjoys watching the birds outside! Anyway, all is well and we're here! We're finally here!

Big News..

2010-03-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

We're off to the Big Easy....

Ok, really just north of there..to a little town called Slidell.

Just across Lake Ponchartrain from New Orleans lies our next home.

Jeremy has been offered the position of Supervisor for Respiratory Therapy at Slidell Memorial Hospital!

We look forward to eating beignets...

...enjoying the French Quarter...

...DEANIE'S...

...and, of course, being in the same town as the Kosutics!

We're very excited for this adventure! I'll post pictures of our new home once we get there (at the end of the month!!)

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Wow! Christmas snuck up on me this year! This year has just really flown by! I can't believe it's been 5 months since my last post!

Update: we're fine, still in San Antonio. The move didn't happen quite like we had hoped, but we're okay with that for now! Jeremy is still at BAMC and I am still at Trinity, but I have moved "up" to work for the Vice President of Student Affairs. It's a little more $, which is really nice!

Not much more to tell. Jaden is talking up a storm and getting really good with numbers, colors, and the alphabet. He has even started potty training! Where did my baby go?!

Anyway, I will share a few pictures so you can see us now!

Jaden at a birthday party - August 2009 (He really did like the carousel, even though he doesn't look like it. He kept asking to go back on it!)

Pumpkin Patch at Bracken United Methodist Church - October 2009

Halloween night, Trick or Treating with cousins - October 2009

The Lewis clan, Thanksgiving -- November 2009

Kenyon Family on Thanksgiving -- November 2009
I can't believe he actually stood there like that by himself! SO CUTE!
Sitting with Santa -- December 2009

4th of July weekend and other things in our lives

2009-07-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

So I realize I am REALLY bad at keeping this updated. I'm really much better with Facebook. BUT, I will try to remember to keep posting!

Well, our big news is that we went to visit my sister in the New Orleans area for my 30th birthday last month and we FELL IN LOVE. SO, right now we're working on finding jobs and a place to live in Slidell, LA. Jeremy is working closely with a placement agency and we have both put out resumes out to a bunch of different places. Jeremy has already applied and paid for his license to practice in Louisiana, so we'll see when this happens! It's been a long and exhausting month, but we figure that it'll be so worth it to be in a new place that we both really love! Jeremy will get his pine trees and I get to keep my heat, what more can we ask for?! I have a ton of pictures from that trip, so I'll try to ad a slideshow on here again (just need to remember how to do that!)

Last weekend was the 4th of July and we met up with our friends, the Medders, and their kids to enjoy the fireworks show at Pickerell Park in Schertz. We just camped out for a few hours before enjoying the spectacular show! It was really great and not so crowded like it would've been in the city. (Below are some pictures from that evening)

Now we're just gearing up for Jaden's 2nd birthday on Monday, complete with happy face birthday cake made by Mommy! This could be interesting! Stay tuned for pictures (and I promise I will share them!)

Our family at Pickerell Park, July 4, 2009

Jaden with Andrea and Aaron Medders

Jaden and Aaron (Jaden had just thrown his ball in the air)
Jaden and Jeremy
Jaden couldn't take his eyes off the fireworks to look at me!

Amanda and me

Boosted

2009-05-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

I just ran across this picture in my cell phone. See, I've had some serious issues with cell phones in the past few months. I can't seem to keep one working, and it's not like I'm ever careless with them, dropping them or anything. I'm just having BAD luck! Anyway, that's not what this is about. A few months ago (pre-haircut), Jaden had a booster seat with a tray on it that he couldn't leave alone. The back of it popped into a slot, but he would constantly pop it out and try to hand it to me. Also, I know this comes as a great shock to you, he's kinda chunky, so the tray would hardly fit into it's slot with my boy's big panza, so we got him a new booster that could just be put right up to the table. He was SO proud of it from the very first moment. I ran across this picture of him in my old phone (which I am about to get rid of, again) right after we bought it and felt it was certainly worthy of sharing! Enjoy my chunky monkey!

Crazy Jaden

2009-05-12T14:49:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share some pictures of my little man in the car. Jeremy got off work early and was able to pick him up from daycare. Recieving these pictures was how I found out they were both on their way home -- a pleasant surprise!

My Sorority Formal

2009-05-11T14:46:00.001-07:00

Jeremy and I went to my sorority's 25th anniversary formal on Friday. It was great!

Our view of Old Main, the oldest classroom building on campus

Jeremy and me -- Old Main as our backdrop

My friends who I hadn't seen in about 10 years! (Donna Lynn and Lynn) -- it was windy!

The "seal" family -- I was the oldest one there!

Giving love to our family!

Tau Beta Sigme Alumni

Tau Beta Sigma Alumni - giving love to our fams, GO SEALS!

Tau Beta Sigma Active and Alumni members

This picture is at the end of the night and is horrible of both of us,

but it's proof that I CAN get my husband to wear pink!

Hello Again!

2009-05-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hello! I have been MIA for a while, it's been crazy at work and my computer at home DIED. Anyway, I'm sharing a few more recent pictures. Jaden is really starting to come up with some silly sentences. He's a great kid! We're starting to potty train. There is a little bit of interest there, which I will take! He's REALLY into the show "Yo Gabba Gabba" and anything with cars. We took him to see his first movie, "Monsters vs. Aliens" -- he slept through half the movie! Anyway, here's what I have for now...

From our trip to the Texas State Aquarium on Easter Weekend.
Most of the pictures are on ym dead computer :-(

We DID have a first haircut! He did GREAT!

More to come!!!

HAPPY EASTER!

2009-04-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! It's been a while, but I just wanted to drop by (if anyone is even reading this anymore) and say that I hope you all have a Happy Easter! We're hitting the beach in the morning...time for bed! Anyway, HAPPY EASTER!

Jaden is Rockin' OUT!

2009-01-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know that I REALLY need to update and get beyond Christmas! I will! BUT, I wanted to make sure I shared this video of Jaden from this past weekend. SOOOOO funny!

Trinity Christmas Party

2008-12-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

One thing I have learned about Trinity is that people here really like to eat and they love to have parties, especially at Christmas! This month I have had breakfasts, lunches, and Jeremy and I have been to two dinners, one of which gave us our first taste of ostrich meat. It's actually VERY good! This picture was taken at last Saturday's party. Yes, that's Jeremy in a suit! WHOA!
Anyway, I really have had a great December so far! I hope you are all enjoying the festivities of the holidays!

Merry Christmas From the Texas Kenyons!

2008-12-11T06:13:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's Christmas already?! WOW! And we've even gotten some snow in this area already this year. `Can't wait to see what happens in January and February!

Last Friday we took Jaden to get his picture taken with Santa. Unfortunately, we decided to go right after he had been to the doctor, so he was not as smiley as usual, BUT he didn't cry!

By the way, in case anyone is wondering...Jaden is 50th percentile on height and 95th percentile on weight! WOW! That's the first time he's been 95th percentile on anything! Nobody can say this boy isn't an eater! LOL

Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone! We've been having camera issues, but we'll try to get more picturs up soon!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-11T06:08:00.001-08:00

This was the first time in I don't know how long that my whole family (at least my side of the family) has been together on Thanksgiving. We had a great time!

Right before we took the pictures, Jaden got hold of a red stamp pad in my mom's office. We were able to get it off his face, but not so much on his hands, so (as you can see) he was caught red handed...literally! BTW, this is all the boys. Corin, Mel's youngest, is 2 months older.

One more pictuse of me with my mom and sisters (Staci and Melani)

Beach Weekend!

2008-11-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

We went to Corpus Christi this past weekend to just get away from life for a day and have some fun. We took Jaden to the Texas State Aquarium (where we discovered that he LOVES otters) and headed to North Padre Island to play on the beach and spend the night. It was a lot of fun and just what we needed! Here are some pictures:

A sailboat - looking at the water from the aquarium

Great view of the bay

Sea Turtles, Mate! (I HAD to take this one for all my Tau Beta Sigma sisters!)

Jaden and me at the sea turtles

Jeremy and Jaden at the sea turtles

USS Lexington

"pick me up!!!"

Leaving the aquarium -- we had to get a picture of the otter statue for Jaden

AHH, the beach!!!

Jaden and Jeremy took a stroll into the water while I watched

Jaden LOVED the beach!

Sunset over the dunes

The beach on a clear morning -- BEAUTIFUL!

Jaden and Jeremy

Jaden and me -- I looked SO bad!

He was one tired boy after that fun filled trip!

Halloween

2008-11-04T09:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I didn't get many pictures on Halloween night because my camera DIED, but I got a few. We took Jaden to the zoo for the 22nd Annual Zoo Boo. He had a lot of fun! We'll definitely be back!

Pumpkin Patch / Dress Rehearsal

2008-10-19T20:16:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the pumpkin patch. Jaden had a blast -- he tried to pick up just about every pumpkin they had!

Tonight I decided that I should probably put his Halloween costume on him to make sure it fits. He enjoyed it. This is a dragon costume -- we've been practicing the "roar" for a few weeks now -- he was doing that when he had the costume on. SO FUNNY!

Hello Again!

2008-10-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that I am WAY behind on posts. I'm going to share a few pictures from the past month.

These are from our trip to the zoo at the end of September:

We went up and walked on Comanche Hill the next weekend...

My TU Baby

2008-09-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

I got Jaden some Trinity gear. Of course, my crazy boy who normally loves wearing hats had to be difficult for the camera...

By the way, that second picture makes me laugh SO hard!

New Addition

2008-09-12T11:49:00.001-07:00

We got a new puppy yesterday. We had decided that Mustang needed a buddy (he doesn't seem to like being an only dog.) Her name is Pepper and she is a border collie mix, about 8 1/2 weeks old...VERY sweet! Here are a few pictures of her:

Danny Lewis 3/4/1947-9/11/1999

2008-09-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

Today is the 9 year anniversary of my dad's death. I know that we all miss him very much and this time of year makes me really think about everything...all the good times, all the crazy times and the bad times, too. I just wanted to share a few pictures as kind of a memorial to him.

My dad is my hero and my angel!

I love and miss you so much, Dad!!!

Have you had your V-8 Today?

2008-09-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

Apparently Jaden hasn't had his V-8! I just thought this was too funny not to share!

Finger Painting/Art Project #1

2008-09-09T19:06:00.001-07:00

So, they did finger painting at daycare yesterday. Jaden LOVED it. Laura actually told me this morning that when she took it from him to let it dry, he got mad at her!

When I got home from work last night, Jeremy gave Jaden the picture to bring to me to show me what he did. He is SOOOO proud of that thing! So, we have our first official fridge art right now! Here's a picture of little man's art:

Fun at the Park

2008-08-24T15:36:00.001-07:00

We took Jaden to the park this afternoon (between the rainstorms). It was nice for him to get out and run around a little bit since the weather has been kinda crummy this weekend.

We leanered that he loves the swing...

...but that he's not a big fan of the slide -- YET!

We went at just the right time, though! The rain started up again right as we got home!

Funny Stuff

2008-08-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

I can't deny that Jaden is my son! I was going through some pictures the other day, and found some where you could see the resemblance. That makes me feel better because I always hear about how much he looks like his dad! Here are a few of my pictures. One of these days, I'll get around to finding pictures of Jeremy! `Hope you enjoy!!!!

MESSY MAN!

2008-08-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Jaden had ravioli for dinner last night. After his first helping, he started licking his plate. Of course, I couldn't get pictures of that! This is his messy face at the beginning of the second helping. Goofy boy! By the way, please note that I rarely put him in his high chair with clothes on anymore!

My Entertaining Boy - IN A FEW POSTS

2008-08-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

Please watch the next few videos (everything is in 5 posts from today.) There are things from all of them that are funny. This kid is REALLY entertaining. I wish I could capture it all on video, but he's just to interested in the camera and LOVES to ham it up and just keep saying "hi." This all strarted when I came home and found him like this:

2008-08-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

By the way, please disregard the room -- Hurricane Jaden hit his bedroom. It's clean again, we'll see what it looks like when I get home from work tomorrow! LOL

The beginning of it all....

2008-08-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

This was the first of Jaden's funny boy videos from today, I just need to get a few more to cooperate...

Frustrated

2008-08-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

Jaden was being so charming and entertaining this evening and I got a bunch of videos, but I can't get most of them to load. I'm going to keep trying to get them on here, but here are some pictures for you to enjoy in the meantime.

2008-08-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Wow

2008-08-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

It's amazing when you realize that your baby is no longer a baby! This morning I dropped Jaden off at daycare. I put him on the floor and let him run around with the boys. I was talking to Laura for a few minutes before heading off to work and I guess he was done with me because he stopped what he was doing, looked across the room at me, waved and said "BYE!" It was like "Okay Mom! I'm ready for you to go now!"

`Guess it's about time to starting thinking about a baby #2....LOL

Growing Up So Fast!

2008-07-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

Jaden is really just doing it all at once! He just started to walk all over (although he looks like he just got off a horse!) Here's a video of that.

He's been saying "hi" a lot, but now it seems like he's starting the whole copycat thing. Today, we were sitting on the floor playing with his blocks and the cat came over. I said "Hi Patches!" and Jaden said "Hi PaPa!" Then at bathtime he handed me one of his toys. I said "thank you!", Jaden said "tay-doo!" over and over again! It was cute! This kid is such a sponge!

Big Boy Is Getting Bigger!

2008-07-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Can you belive that our little munchkin started walking this weekend?! He's been taking a few steps here and there, but this weekend Jeremy and I were actually able to get him to go back and forth between us. Before you know it, he's going to be running everywhere!

Geez!

2008-07-24T16:24:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry that all of my posts lately have been of a sleeping Jaden! It appears as though he is cutting teeth!

Don't you wish you could get as comfortable at he looks! I'm jealous!

By the way, he took about 8 steps towards me today. he's standing really well, very steady. He can walk, it's just a matter of confidence, but he'll get there soon

Man in the Making

2008-07-23T21:03:00.001-07:00

He must be learning early! Last night he was watching Happy Feet. Notice that he has the remote in his hand. They start so young....

That Boy Can Sleep!

2008-07-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

Jaden must be hitting a growth spurt because he has been SLEEPING!

Last night I gave him a bath and he was playing in his room. He likes to make the door stopper "boing" so I could hear him doing that in his room, then it stopped suddenly. I went into his room and found him wedged behind the door like alseep on top of the leopard that Grammi just bought him.

Tonight I put him in his high chair to eat dinner. Shortly after that, Jeremy left for work. I looked in the kitchen and he was passed out in his high chair! LOL! This poor little guy must really just need some sleep!

Jaden's First Birthday

2008-07-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

So Jaden woke up this morning at 7:45, destroyed his room, and I found him like this...

We went over to Aunt Melani's house for the festivities. These are the decorations...

Jeremy fixed burgers and hot dogs, while he did that, the boys played in the swimming pool -- and around the back yard.

We had dinner...
Opened gifts...
Sang Happy Birthday (a few times)...

And ate chocolate cake with Grammi's homemade Butterfinger ice cream...YUM!!!

Corbin liked it, too -- even got some cake up his nose! :-)

We had a great day, but after we got home and Jaden destroyed his room again, I found him like this -- he passed out a few minutes later! I think we'll clean his room tomorrow!

I'm Back!

2008-07-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

I know it's been forever since my last post! We've had a CRAZY few months full of change! We've also just moved into a new house that is MUCH closer to my mom and my sister. We're really still trying to get settled in. It's amazing how much easier it was to settle in to a new house when it was just Jeremy and me! Adding Jaden to the mix has made the process REALLY slow!

Jeremy
He got off active duty in February, but is still in the Reserves. He is currently in a unit of educators. Since he went to the teaching school while he was on active duty, he is certified as an instructor, so that's what he'll be doing. He's really excited about that! He got a job offer at Fort Sill, OK for the sleep lab, but we decided not to take it after we took a trip up there. Shortly after that he was offered a job back at BAMC, so he's doing the same thing, just as a civilian. He's currently working nights, which kind of stinks, but they're in the process of hiring a new RT who will be on nights so that he can move to days.

Jaden
Jaden is getting SO big! He'll be 1 in a week. He's really getting around and is on the verge of walking. He loves to dance, clap and wave at EVERYONE! He has been saying "hi," "bye" and the other night I think he accidentally said "uh, oh" when he dropped something! LOL He's got EIGHT teeth and more on the way. Overall he's just a happy, chunky baby!

Lynette
As for me, I've started a new job at Trinity University. I just started a week ago, but I think it's going to be an awesome job! I'm working as the Senior Secretary for the Dean of Students. He seems like he's going to be a lot of fun to work for, so I'm really excited for this change! My boss from the health clinic moved to Trinity as well, so at least I already have a friend there!

So that's what's going on for our family! I hope you are are doing well! And I'm really going to try to keep this updated!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T06:28:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish you all a great one! I know I am blessed with two wonderful valentines this year! Have a great day, everyone!

Love you all!,
Lynette

MMM, MMM, GOOD!

2008-02-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

That boy loves his sweet potatoes! These were from Saturday evening. I'm attempting to load a video for the first time, so please bear with me! I hope it works!

And here is a picture from that night -- that boy is a mess!!!

Zoo Time!

2008-02-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

We checked out the new Africa exhibit at the San Antonio Zoo this weekend. It's really neat! Not much new to report this week! He still acts like he's ready to crawl, he just needs to figure out going forward instead of backwards! Here are some pictures of little man!

YAY FOR TEETH!

2008-01-25T17:51:00.001-08:00

Jaden's first tooth came in! And it looks like the one next to it will poke through any time now!

YAY FOR JADEN!

6 Month Check Up

2008-01-23T15:52:00.001-08:00

Jaden had his six month check up yesterday. He weighed in at 15.5 lbs and is 25.5" long. For the most part, everything looks great! She did say that he has atopic dermititis, so we just have to figure out what's causing our little guy to rash up, but he should be fine. I'm posting some pictures of him from the past few days. Enjoy!

Family Photo

2008-01-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

My aunt is working on a collage for my grandfather and we realized that there is not a single picture of the three of us together. SO, we dolled ourselves up a little and Mommy set the timer on the camera so we could get a picture -- it only took SIX months!

HALF-BIRTHDAY

2008-01-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Today Jaden is six months old, so we're celebrating his "half-birthday!"

When I was in kindergarten, kids who had birthdays in the summer didn't get to celebrate their birthdays at school, so my teacher let us celebrate our half birthdays!

HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY, JADEN!

Trip to Round Rock

2008-01-12T18:44:00.001-08:00

Hey all! We went to Round Rock today to check out the IKEA store, see some family and check out the outlet mall. We had a great day, but we are all TIRED. Little Man passed out in the car and was only awake long enough to get a diaper change and put on jammies when we got home.

This picture was taken today outside of the IKEA store. By the way, if you haven't been, that's one place you HAVE to check out ! It was really neat!

The Latest...

2008-01-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to give you all an update on Jaden. Although I don't have any pictures to share today, I wanted to tell you all about how well he is beginning to get around! Sunday afternoon I was laying on the floor with him, watching a movie. He was right beside me and the next thing I knew, he was all the way over by the entertainment center -- okay, so those of you who have been in my living room know it's not very big, but I was amazed anyway! So now he is rolling himself around.

He will lay on his stomach and kick and move his arms a lot, so I think we are VERY close to having a crawling boy! I will try to capture that on video to share!

`Hope you're all having a great week!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all! We've been on the go so much for the past few days! Surprisingly, Jaden slept through all the fireworks on Monday night. In fact, the only ones in our house who were freaking out were Mustang and Mia (our dogs).

I thought I'd attach a picture of little man from today. I haven't seen him do much more than sleep today (I was at work, though.) What an angel he is! I can't believe he'll be 6 months old next week!!!

We are blessed! I hope 2008 brings you all wonderful blessings!

Merry Christmas from Our House to Yours!

2007-12-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas a day early this year! Jeremy has duty tomorrow, so Christmas came early. Jaden had a lot of fun opening all his gifts. I will try to get all of our pictures from today in an album on here. I haven't attempted that yet!

Anyway, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Sleeping Prince

2007-12-19T20:07:00.001-08:00

I went into his bedroom this morning and found little man passed out like this. I HAD to share! I can't wait to see how he sleeps once he gets older!

That Crazy Boy!

2007-12-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

Santa and Mrs. Claus came to visit CommuniCare yesterday, so Jaden and I went to visit. This kid is unbelievable! I've never seen an infant who actually seemed to LIKE Santa!

Hello Everyone!

2007-12-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have decided that I really need to get with it and start my very own blog for our family and friends who don't get to see us all the time.

Jaden changes so much all the time! I can't believe he's already 5 months old! I know, I will say the same thing the day he graduates from high school!

We're doing well! Jeremy is almost done with his active duty time, but will continue on in the Reserves, which is something I never thought would happen!

I'm still working at the clinic. We stay busy! It's amazing to see how the place has transformed in the past few years and I'm excited to see what's going to happen in the next few years!