Halloween

Our gunslinger, base stealer, and future golfer. What more could we ask for? Here the kids are dressed up for a church Halloween party where they did a trick-or-trunk. Gabe was really impressed by people giving him candy. He took to the holiday immediately.

Superman

Everett the great! He is determined to be as strong as his daddy and he thinks he's almost made it. His favorite thing to do? Go golfing with daddy at Olmos Basin.

Joseph and he Amazing Technicolor Coat

Poor , poor Joseph, What ya gonna do? Things look bad for you.........

Joseph and he Amazing Technicolor Coat

Ally, Madeline, and Lilly got to perform in a play put on by our church. We spent 10 hours a week pracicing for a few months. Then practice time started doubling unil a last we performed 5 times.

Ally was the narrator; Madeline a go-go girl; and Lilly a Primary girl.

Hoola Hoop Mania

Hoola Hooping is not just for girls, although our girls are good at it. Lilly and Hannah can both go on forever. But so can EJ. He doesn't even look like he's trying and he just keeps going and going. GW is trying to learn too but he hasn't got it down quite yet. Maybe next year.

JULY 4th

July 4th with the ward!

We made our way to a park early for breakfast, face painting, pinatas, races, basketball, a patriotic speech and song, and a day of celebrating. GW acted very presidential and didn't get crabby until the very end.

Horse Camp

Madeline and Hannah Jane went
to horse camp for a week. Everyday
for 6 hours they rode, got wet,
mucked stalls, played games on
horseback, and received awards.

Top a Ramen

Hannah Jane has been very influential over her brother lately. Her favorite food (top ramen) is now his personal favorite. Thank goodness, because just like her, he is a very picky eater. If he loves something one day, it doesn't mean he will the next. But noodles are enduring for both of them.

stairs

I have discovered the stairs. Not only does everyone jump up to "save me", but I can go fast and they will all follow me. Little do they know that I can go down them without trouble, but, if I fall, they pay more attention to me. So now I can use it to my advantage. If only they knew.....

PIANO RECITAL
Madeline and Lilly had their first piano recital. They both memorized their pieces and didn't even mess up. Madeline was so relieved to be finished, but Lilly remained calm, cool & collected.

ZOO

MY LITTLE MONKEY

Everett loves to learn, especially his letters and about animals. Here at the zoo in his bathing suit, he is waiting patiently while his friend buys a ticket to get in. He climbs the minkey bars and runs "real fast" and jumps the stairs. And we haven't even been to the monkey exhibit yet.

RIVERBANK at the ZOO

Gabriel had his first experience with he riverbank and loved it. We wen to the zoo and pe the goats and watched a cranky crocodile. Then we went to the river and fell in love with sand!

Adoration

BEST BIG BROTHER EVER
Everett plays for hours with
his younger brother. He has
taught him how to say ball and
how to pass the ball. GW wants
to be just like his brother. He
has even tried to play baseball
(EJ's current favorie sport).

JAM MAKING

After buying flats of raspberries and blackberries, we set to making up freezer jam. Madeline and Lilly waned to learn how it was done. We filled up 25 jars on their first attempt. Daddy is happy because he eats it like candy by the spoonful.

Tax Day Tea Party

A political first for our children: we attended the Tax Day Tea Party at the Alamo. Glenn Beck spoke and we yelled, surrounded by other San Antonians who are tired of being taxed enough already!

GW likes to always have someone in sight, especially mom. Don't even think about leaving the room!

Gabriel is a strong little man. He is following his brother's example in being wild. He can now crawl (17 moves in a row) and practices his pushups to strengthen his chest.
Mom is going nuts!

Life is good with a baby to love.

Dressing up GW

for a safari. He is

quite the adventurer.

Soccer

Soccer season means no free Saturdays, but a lot more ice cream for goals scored! Everett, in his first season of play has scored once in each game and is a great defender! Hannah Jane has been fighting bronchitis and an ear infection but has also earned ice cream.
Go Cheetahs!! Go Pumas!

Everett loves his brother and plays all sorts of games with him and sings and talks to him.

GW rules his land from his throne. He forces his subjects to push him around whenever he feels like it and they all do it adoringly.

Though we try again and again to feed our little 7 month old, he turns his head and refuses just about everything.

March 2009

All the busy bees are out in Springtime and our litle bees are no exception. Madeline has horse jumping lessons on a ranch North of us. We spend 3 hours watching and helping her tack up, ride, jump, and tack down. Soccer season starts in March also and has us bustling between Hannah Jane and Everett's games and practices. EJ scored his first goal and HJ had to miss her first game due to sickness. Lilly is still at the ballet barre and goes twice a week to a conservatory near by. I love to watch her even though she no longer sucks her thumb between movements like she did as a 3 year old ballerina. GW sits and rolls and sneezes and coughs and refuses all good foods except milk. He is a delight when he says dadadadada.
Our days go quite fast around here. School begins at 9 am and goes until we get done. That includes reading time while feeding baby, tantrums from EJ to get him to his favorite games on the computer, flag salute, grammar lessons at the white board, history on the couch (mom's favorite), and all the other in between good stuff.
Favorie school fieldtrips: NASA day in Austin, the LBJ library, and a Math & Science camp.
Mom's favorite school assignment: the older girls wrote to different politicians to discuss their political opinions. Madeline wrote Govenor Rick Perry in the hopes that homeschool families could get a deduction on their taxes.