Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to our dear friends and family. We love all of you and count you as some of our greatest blessings of 2005. From our home to yours - we pray that you will know and love Jesus more as he makes Himself clear to you in the coming year.

The First Noel

It was a bittersweet moment watching Jack in his first Christmas program at church. We were so proud as we watched him walk down the aisle with his class and sit on the front row. Being the youngest class, they went to the stage first and began ringing their bells while the 3-year olds sang "Jingle Bells." He was doing great until his eyes met ours. He looked puzzled, then began walking toward us. I was torn between hiding and wanting to watch his every move. Oh well....he did a great job and his Dad and I will never forget the short moment in time when little Jack "sang" his first Noel in public.

Our Dad

Jack and Josie love their Dad. He plays with them, talks and reads to them, and cuddles them too. We think he is the best. He works hard all day (and most nights) to support our family and provide for our needs, and he still has enough energy to play outside with Jack or change another diaper for his Josie-girl. We love you, Dad, aka Will.

Look Who's Three Months Old

Here's our Josie-girl at 3 months. We had a fun photo shoot this morning....she was all smiles but our camera is so slow that we missed a lot of her gummy grins. Big brother Jack insisted on being a part of it all and kept trying to sneak into the pictures. We gave in and he was very pleased. He loves his little "Jo." We think this is what he is calling her at the moment. This month was a fun one with our little girl. She is so content, especially in the morning, and sits in her bouncy seat and coos and talks to all of us. Her first laugh escaped as well! She found her hands, specifically her thumb, which probably helped her as she began sleeping through the night. She is easy to soothe with her thumb or pacifier and still enjoys being confined by her swaddle. She is outgrowing all of her clothes due to her long legs...Will has visions of volleyball stardom. No doctor's appointment this month but estimated stats are:

14 pounds, 24 1/2 inches. She is a blessing and we look forward to our first Christmas as a family of four.

Big Boy Jack

Sometimes I just stop and watch Jack. Every day he grows up a little more. From playing "school" to putting together a whole puzzle, he truly amazes me. Every once in a while he will say a word like "shoes" or "Dutch" and all we can do is do a double take at our little boy. He is no longer a baby, that's for sure. Maybe it's having Josie around that makes him look so big but I think for sure he is growing up. Before I know it he'll be getting married. Yikes.

Cousins

We have had a great week spending time with our cousin and nephew Clayton Jack, as well as his mom and my friend Aunt Kat. After being born in the tropical paradise of Oahu, I am sure that coming to Texas was quite a shock for the little guy but he was a champ. He put on a show for all of us, kicking and "swimming" with his arms and legs. He is a mover....it reminds me of my firstborn. We are calling he and Josie the "twins," but as you can see they are quite unique. We had a blast with several photo shoots, matching clothes, and just holding and cuddling our little miracles. Jack was king of the farm once again and enjoyed the view from Doc's new wagon. (no pictures of this yet) This time together makes us all look forward to Clif's return in January, and a family reunion in February.