Gracelyn the KINDERGARTENER!!!

Well, it's official...Gracie is in Kindergarten!!! She LOVED her first full day of school. Yesterday was the Kindergarten Orientation with parents and we went with her. So today was her real 1st day. She came home, changed clothes and said, "I'm EXHAUSTED!!". Her favorite part of the day was lunch...surprise, surprise. The next on her list was coloring a monsters. Her least favorite..."waiting in the hot sun for Mommy to pick me up". Parent Pick-up was a bit crazy! She is excited to go back tomorrow and we are excited for her!

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days...

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

This past Wednesday night Lance got tickets for us all to go to a Texas Rangers Game. We kept it as a surprise from the girls. Gracie figured it out when we got them ready to head to the game, but since she had never been to a game before she didn't know what to expect. It had been pouring rain all day and the whole drive to the game so Lance and I were worried that the game would get delayed or canceled. But God smiled on us because as soon as we got to the stadium there was not a cloud in sight. The weather was perfect!!! The game was also very exciting for the girls because there were 7 homeruns that night so they got to see a bunch of fireworks too. Everyone had a wonderful time. Gracie let us know that this was the "best day of her life" AND the "most awesomest game of her lifetime". Lance had gotten GREAT seats from work...we made sure to tell Gracie that these seats were special and that we wouldn't always get to sit this close to the players. Here are a few pictures from the girls first major league baseball game...

Gracie Got Her Ears Pierced!!

Sunday night Gracie came down from watching TV with Lance and asked if she could get her ears pierced. I guess she saw someone on American Gladiators with pierced ears and thought that it was neat. She has friends that have their ears pierced, but she hasn't really ever shown interest. With school starting next week we decided to go ahead and let her get it done. We went to Sweet & Sassy to get haircuts and her ears done and she did great! I had told her that getting your ears pierced hurts, but no matter what she had to get both ears done. She was a bit shaken after the first ear, but she let them do the second ear and she LOVES them!!! She is better about remembering to clean them 3 times a day than I am.

All ready...
Marking her ears
Ready, set...go

Yikes, that hurt & now I have to do it again?!?

She thought it was all worth it because she looks so pretty

She LOVES them!!!

Lance's Birthday!!!

Lance's Birthday came just 3 days after I got back from Belize sorry I haven't had a chance to post any of the pictures yet, but here they are...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!

I'm Back From Belize!

I had an amazing time!!! I can't wait to share all the stories from my trip and all the great things God is doing for the people of Belize!

Dawn's is on Her Mission Trip to Belize

I am leaving in just a few minutes to catch our plane to Belize. Thank you to all who supported our team and will praying for us and our families while we are gone. I can't wait to come back and tell you all about it!!!

Matthew 28:18-20

God's Peace,
Dawn :)

Gwynie's Big Girl Bed!!!

On Sunday night Lance put together Gwynie's toddler bed (aka Big Girl Bed). He has been asking me if I wanted him to put it together since we moved into the new house, but I wasn't ready...she is still so tiny. So we fixed it all up and made a HUGE deal about it. She was SO excited to have a bed like sissy's. We kept talking it up all night so when it was time to go to bed we laid her down and usual. Everything was going great for the first 5 minutes or so. Then she started crying. We went up to check on her and her diaper had leaked and she was saying, "I pee pee in my big girl bed". We tried to tell her that it was OK and changed the sheet, but she wanted nothing to do with it after that, poor thing. So we put her mattress back in her crib and decided to try after a few more days. We were a bit unprepared for this outcome because when Gracie transition she went from sleeping in her crib one night and her toddler bed the next and never went back. So we just decided...different child, different situation.

Well, on Monday night Lance asked Gwynie where she wanted to sleep and she said, "My big girl bed". So we laid her down again and this time...SUCCESS! She slept there all night and didn't make a peep. She has since slept there every night and all of her naps! She we are so proud of her and I know that she is proud of herself too! WAY TO GO GWYNIE!!!

Gwynie's Big Girl Bed

Climbing in for the 1st time

Such a big girl!

Grins from ear to ear

Night, night Gwynie...We Love you!!!

Great Week with Brylie!!!

We had such a fun week with Brylie!! We met Grams & Grumps in Wichita Falls on the 3rd to bring Brylie back to our house. We started the week with the trip to the Ranch. Then Sunday Brylie went to church with us. Gracie & Gwynie really thought it was so cool that she was there. The girls did so great together. Each morning (unprompted) Gracie & Brylie would wake up, make their beds and pick-up upstairs before they even came down for breakfast. I don't know what got into them, but it was very nice I must say. The girls spent a few hours Monday thru Thursday at a Gymnastics camp and had a BLAST!! We did a few other fun outings and then on Friday we drove her back to Vernon where we met up with De De & Grams. Here are a few pictures of the week...

Thanks for coming to visit, Brylie! We had a great time and hope that you come again soon!

Celebrating July 4th at the Jumping J Ranch

For the last several years we have all gone out to Aunt Sue & Uncle Jack's land (the "Jumping J Ranch") for an old fashion 4th of July celebration. This year was a special treat because Brylie came with us!! Aunt Sue & Nana had a ton of activities for the kids. We had a huge BBQ lunch right after we got there. Then it was time for homemade ice cream (yum). We played games, rode horses, had tracker rides and the kids put on a karaoke show for us. We winded down the 4th with the guys' annual sporting clay competition (I actually participated this year), making smores and watching Lance's fireworks show. Lance was a bit bummed because there was a burn ban in effect so he couldn't shoot off any of the super fun fireworks, but we all enjoyed it just the same.

Kathy & I (also know as the "Jumping J Paparazzi") both had our camera out taking pictures most of the time. I think together we snapped close to 1,000 pictures! Here are a few highlights from the ones I was able to capture...

We had an absolute BLAST!! Thank you so much Nana, Paw Paw, Aunt Sue & Uncle Jack for having us out and making the weekend so much fun!!

"I Dorfee Amull"

The other night I was drying Gwyneth's hair and it came out so cute. I told her she looked like Dorothy Hamill. She has no idea who that is, but all night she kept saying, "I Dorfee Amull".

This was her silly face!