Buncha' Bowers

Jed's perfect day...

2011-05-25T18:33:00.001-05:00

We had Jed's official birthday party a week late this year, so on his actual birthday weekend we took a trek over to Dallas so Jed could do some of his favorite things.

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel

Mall shopping and a cookie (maybe the mall part was more for me!)

Chipotle for lunch

Endless time at Bps (as we call it in our house)

A quick nap on the drive to our final destination

His first Rangers game

It was a great day, just the three of us. I love traveling anywhere with my boys!

Housebound playtime...

2011-05-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

We started the dreaded potty training a few weeks ago. Its gone pretty well, or as well as can be expected! While being housebound, we had to get a little creative with our playtime... We played cars in the bathtub.

I pulled out my "teacher" hat and we played with shaving cream for awhile.

Isn't this the way you eat your strawberries?

2011-05-21T14:35:00.000-05:00

The boys were winding down for a nap one day. Caden and Jed are good buddies!

Where does the time go??? Pt. 3

2011-05-19T18:37:00.002-05:00

We started Jed's third year by moving him many miles away from the only home he had even known. I was apprehensive about how he would take the move, but he didn't even skip a beat. He even "helped" us pack our things! :)

I know other parents will probably agree with me, but the time from 2years to the 3years brings about so many changes in a kiddo. We saw him go from being our baby, to being a little boy. When we left San Antonio, this boy loved all things Elmo/Sesame St. He is now obsessed with all things train, cars(the movie) and TS3.

He had his first day of school. In fact, we just wrapped up school for the summer. He did SO WELL! I know he is like his mama, energized by being with people.

His imagination has grown so much this year. He makes up all sorts of games, like the pillow jail game that we still play all the time. He assigns characters to Joe David and I all the time, constantly pretending.

I just had to include this picture because I think he looks so handsome and serious.

This was also the first year that he fully enjoyed all the holidays. We still have rudolph and thegrinch on our dvr.

We received an awesome visit with our friends from SA, the Lewis'. Can't wait until they come back again!

He has also turned into a water-lover! We are finally getting to enjoy our pool as the weather heats up. If you are looking for us this summer, you will probably find us here!

Just a few pictures of his TS3 obsession. It's not as strong these days!

He loved to re-enact two major scenes from the movie - the train scene at the beginning and when Andy gives up his toys to Bonnie. He made me tear up on multiple ocassions because that ending is really sad, and I couldn't help but reflect on when he would be old enough to leave me and go to college!

He also enjoyed multiple snowfalls - definitely not something we would have seen in SA!

Just making a silly face...

He's loved being around all his new friends.

He's LOVED having a big backyard in which he can run around and play.

We miss our old park in SA, but we have found many suitable alternatives!

I'm trying to get some good 3year photos of him and will write more about "Jed at 3 years" later. There are things I don't want to forget about how sweet he is right now!

Part 2 Where does the time go?

2011-05-16T19:14:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from Jed's 2nd year. Look how much he changed just from June '09 - April '10! Buzzing his hair definitely made him look older, but he started that year out still a baby and was definitely a toddler by the end. Tomorrow pictures from his 3rd year, along with some things I want to remember about this past year - since I didn't really blog much!

Where does the time go??? (part 1)

2011-05-15T21:24:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am going to subject you to multiple posts about the first three years of Jed's life. You have probably even seen most of these pictures on the blog before...but I am feeling very sentimental about my little guy turning 3 today!

We are so thankful to have Jed as our son. He is full of life and personality! He entertains us constantly, showers us with love, and makes us so very proud.

This is a snapshot of his first year, some of my favorite pictures - although it was very hard to pick just these few! I'm too tired to set the other posts up tonight, so I hope I remember/have time to do it tomorrow! Enjoy a blast from the past, Jed style!

Howdy partner!

2011-05-13T20:32:00.000-05:00

Jed was in LOVE with this costume Caden brought to our house one day...I thought the pictures would be enjoyed by all (or at least by the grandparents!). I can't believe this kid is going to be 3 on Sunday!

Bowler extraoridinaire...

2011-05-03T07:58:00.000-05:00

We took Jed bowling last night. He really enjoyed himself. As you can see "momm" is not a great bowler, even with the help of bumpers!

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T22:14:00.001-05:00

We headed to Granna and Pa's house a few days early and enjoyed being out on the acreage. We had a wonderful, relaxing weekend with family!

Of course, we had to dye Easter eggs!

Here are a few pictures of us all dressed and ready for church.

Awaiting the big hunt...

When we lived in San Antonio, we started a tradition of bringing cascarrones up to East tx each yaer. Luckily, I can also find them up here. They are always a hit!

Perfecting his stance

2011-04-20T13:30:00.001-05:00

Jed's loving playing baseball outside these days. He's actually really good at hitting it, if I can pitch it well! Here are some pics of "practice"!

Church egg hunt '11

2011-04-18T11:54:00.000-05:00

Easter '11 got off to a rocky start this weekend with our annual church egg hunt. Jed stepped in his first fireant pile...luckily he recovered quickly enough to put his egg-hunting game face on! The pics tell the basic story!

He was super pumped about getting a train ride. I think he started to get a little nervous and you can see he didn't change his grip on the train the entire ride! He also assumed the serious Bowers face...

To Valentines Day!

2011-02-15T14:03:00.002-06:00

This is Jed - loving life - loving sweets - at his valentines day party!

I'm back...

2011-01-26T15:24:00.003-06:00

So I have been MAJOR MIA from blogging. My computer has been on the fritz and I've always heard that macs are hard to blog on...well, it doesn't seem to be too hard! Anyway, Jed has just been a riot to me lately. The boy is endless entertainment. He did something this morning that was too good not to document.

He was never a "paci" baby. We gave him one until about 5 1/2 months, but only at sleep times and he never really kept it in his mouth. Anyway, we had a bunch of pretty much brand new paci's that I put away for our next child (whenever the Lord blesses us with one). They stay tucked in my tupperware drawer and Jed has never seemed very interested. Well, as you can see below, he became interested this morning.

It is actually pretty ridiculous. He's so old now, he couldn't even really figure out how to suck hard enough to get it to stay in his mouth. We were playing in his room before MDO and if it wasn't in his mouth, he would say "where did my paci go?" Needless to say, I am nipping that one in the bud REALLY fast, even thought it is really funny! He kind of threw a little fit looking for it when he got home from school and saying he "NEEDED IT", but I just ignored him and told him paci's aren't for big boys. Meanwhile thinking to myself, what in the world?????

Rooooaarrrr!

2010-11-05T19:03:00.008-05:00

Were you scared?????? Well, you should be... We had a dinosaur on our hands Halloween night. Jed was Rex from TS. I thought he made a pretty adorable dino (and let's face it, not a very scary one).

Here are the few pictures I took that night. We attended the last few minutes of trunk or treat at our church. Jed was sick last week, so we didn't keep him out long. He did get to see his good friend Caden though. Posing so you all can see his tail! :)

Ride, ride, ride, hitchin' a ride...

2010-11-01T15:10:00.002-05:00

I have some Halloween posts to put up, but I wanted to get this up first.

Let's all start praying now that these three cousins aren't as whacko as they are now in about 10-11 years when the older ones can really drive Jed around...

This was not his halloween costume...

2010-10-30T17:31:00.002-05:00

Check out those gorgeous gams! He might not want to remember this moment someday, but I do! :) If you can't tell, those are high heel, purple dress-up shoes with white flowers on the toes.

waiting for daddy

2010-10-26T14:22:00.006-05:00

Last week was a LONG week at work for Joe David and an especially LONG week for my migraines, so Jed and I headed outside for some exploring during those tenuous last few minutes before daddy got home. (I am sure all the mommies out there know exactly what I am talking about!) I realized I hadn't taken any snapshots of Jed just playing in awhile, so here you go...there are quite a few. Enjoy! :)

Pillow jail

2010-10-15T21:09:00.006-05:00

Jed has a new favorite game and I am not sure how it started. He loves to be put into "pillow jail". It goes a little something like this...

He asks in a very sweet voice..."Can we play pillow jail???" (It is usually accompanied by this face.)I tell him sure, why not! Then I immediately take on a stern voice and say "Lay down sir, it's time to go to PILLOW JAIL!" He then repeats what I just said and lays down.I then cover him with as many pillows as possible and tell him he will never be able to escape, which often causes him to laugh with delight. I love this picture, with his feet hanging out...Finally, he emerges victorious, a pillow jail escapee...
We then repeat this process OVER and OVER until I can't take it anymore - which is usually followed by Jed throwing a fit because he wants to continue playing...oh the joys of a mothering a two-year-old! :)

Taken today...

2010-09-06T19:59:00.002-05:00

We didn't have much of a Labor Day holiday...Joe David had to work today and we all ended up sick this weekend. Oh well...

I took what I thought were two great pictures during lunch today. Jed likes to get into the drawers of my antique buffet during meals (our apartment is VERY small, so it is very close to his chair). We keep our pool arm bands in the drawer and he likes to wear them. Anyway, today he placed one on his head and declared that he looked just like princess pea from super why. So I immediately directed him to place his fists under his chin for a picture. Nice, huh??? As he was placing the band on his head, I noticed that my son has an actual bicep...do you see it? I had him do it again so I could capture it in a picture. I don't know if the picture does it justice.
In other news, we have a contract on a house here and are keeping our fingers crossed that all goes well over the next few weeks. We love the house and will probably share more details as things become more concrete.

First day MDO

2010-08-30T15:45:00.003-05:00

First order of business: Jed - I apologize for making you wear socks with your sports sandals. I didn't want you running around in your crocs at mother's day out. What if you tripped and hurt yourself? I wouldn't be there to comfort you! But you couldn't run around in those shoes all day stinkin' up those shoes...I just couldn't let you do it!!! :) P.S. You don't have any tennis shoes that fit right now, we need to buy you some new ones!

Okay, on to the first day. The teacher gave a great report. Jed seemed to really enjoy it. He didn't nap, I guessed that might happen. I didn't cry when I dropped him off - only at 11:00 when I talked to JD. :) So I guess we will take him back on Wed and see what happens! I sure do love this cutie patootie!

Last pic a day

2010-08-27T21:06:00.002-05:00

Jed had to run to his room and get his guitar so he could be just like his daddy! Too bad he doesn't understand how to hold it right yet! :)

A pic a day #9

2010-08-26T14:55:00.002-05:00

Jed has really been exhibiting his need for order and for things to be "just so" lately. His buzz toy has lots of moving parts and he works very hard to get everything right when he plays with him. He gets frustrated when he can't be a very neat eater. He likes to go around closing doors that are open. He likes his blanket to be placed on his back just before going to bed. And he loves to make rows. Here is a great picture of what I found after he had been playing in his room one day. All his hot wheels, lined up on his track. He was very proud! It kind of made this mom proud too, because she has been known to like things "just so" also! :)

A pic a day #8

2010-08-25T13:15:00.003-05:00

There is nothing like having a child for a boost of confidence...Jed and I were drawing recently. He has an ongoing obsession with the TS3 gang, so he asked me to sketch some of them. You can see that some of the sketches were rather disturbing, but as soon as Jed saw woody, he ran to get his cowboy and said "mom, it matches so well!" Thanks Jed, that's just what I needed to hear!

A pic a day #7

2010-08-24T07:46:00.000-05:00

Hope your Tuesday is laidback and enjoyable!

A pic a day #6

2010-08-23T14:17:00.000-05:00

The quality of this picture is terrible, but it illustrates a new obsession Jed developed earlier this summer. He loves hats...any hat. Luckily, my dad owns a large array of hats (for very large heads!!!). If you don't know, Jed's noggin is rather large. :) I had an ADORABLE picture of Jed running around in a cowboy hat with a bare booty, but didn't know if it would be appropriate to post that at his age...

A pic a day #5

2010-08-22T13:47:00.002-05:00

Just a cute picture of some the cousins slippin' and slidin' back in May at Jed's birthday party. They are such a pair!

A pic a day #4

2010-08-21T20:45:00.001-05:00

Monday, August 2, 2010

Sending JD off to be a real-life neurologist...

A pic a day #3

2010-08-20T21:39:00.001-05:00

Circa early 2003, a wonderful tradition was started down in ole' San Antone...Thursday night dinners. Back then, it was just three couples - the Bowers, the Spencers and the Spencers. We were quickly joined by the Greens and a straggler by the name of Craig. Those were great times filled with lots of yummy food and no kiddos. (No offense to our children - they were just simpler / quieter times!) Fast forward seven years - we have all moved away from San Antonio and now a new group has started the tradition all over again in Longview. This sweet picture was the only picture I took of our inaugural dinner a few weeks ago. I just know these boys will have many mischievious nights together! Looking forward to many more!

A pic a day #2

2010-08-19T14:01:00.001-05:00

This is the best shot I got the day we spent at the Tulsa Zoo with Gigi and Grampa. During July, we spent a week with my parents in Edmond and took a short jaunt to Tulsa (a mini-vacation). I can't say that the Tulsa zoo is a favorite, although we went really early trying to beat the heat. There weren't many animals out and the exhibits seemed very spread out... Jed enjoyed his ride on the giraffe.

A pic a day

2010-08-18T14:50:00.004-05:00

In order to jump start my dive back into blogging, I am going to do a pic a day for 10 days. No particular order...not many words. I just needed to do this so I would remember what we did the summer we moved to East TX!

This picture was taken out at camp on middle Sunday, 4th session. Joe David - Jed - No No - Clint. I am a "NON camp deer runner", but Jed will most definitely be a deer run kid and it was nice to introduce him to Sunday's out at camp. It was toasty that day...and has been ever since...

Super Noodle!

2010-08-02T22:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I've given up on any long posts with lots of pictures. I have resorted to uploading pictures one at a time for now. It may just be our lovely east tx internet...it kicks us off sites all the time!

Here are some pics that are from the weekend that we moved. You might not have realized that a new superhero is on the scene. He is a self-named superhero...Super Noodle!!!!Getting his power from a sippy...
This boy is SUCH a mess, but we sure do love him!

What we've been up to lately...

2010-06-23T21:20:00.002-05:00

Climbing up into Elmo's lap to watch some TV (he did that all on his own).Making messes in our new tiny apartment...can you spot Jed? On a side note, I took this picture from my bedroom door and that is the entrance to the kitchen on the right. Isn't it all so cozy?
There he is - watching more TV. What can I say???? It is extremely hot and daddy has been working in SA for the last three weeks.
I have a bunch of stuff I want to post from the past month or so. You will have to bare with me as I go back in time!

We did it!

2010-06-05T23:11:00.002-05:00

Before I move on to other stuff, here is one of my new favorite pictures of Jed. He just looks SO SWEET!!!!! LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, it's been a while since I have blogged...we have successfully moved to a new town. Boy was it a crazy few weeks. Packing up eight years worth of stuff and moving it 400 miles...don't want to do that anytime soon. We also moved into a much smaller place, so I've been creative with my storage. Luckily it is only temporary.

There are a lot of things I want to blog about, including the fact that my son is now 2! But that will wait for tomorrow. My hubby and I are down in SA for a neurology "graduation" party. My wonderful mother offered to keep Jed for us, so we are kid free until Monday. This may have just been the most relaxing day I've had since my son was born. I know he is in good hands. We've managed to do a ton since leaving Jed yesterday - shopped at the outlet malls in San Marcos, ate at Pei Wei, today Jd got up early (he doesn't really like to sleep in), I slept until 9:30, we shopped/looked at Best Buy, Charming Charlie, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, ate at Cosi, we both got our hair cut, laid around the hotel for two hours, went to the neuro party, and now we are watching a movie in our room....GREAT DAY!

We love our boy, but a weekend off is just what we needed after weeks of packing/unpacking/driving/organizing!! I will get caught up on other stuff tomorrow.

He doesn't like it folks!

2010-05-22T22:06:00.002-05:00

Things you should know before watching this video:

A) Jed woke up from his nap minutes before this took place.

B) I spent about ten minutes trying to comfort him and get him to elaborate...I have no idea what he was talking about...

C) He often wakes up VERY crabby from his nap, so this type of display is not uncommon, but this phrase is new.

D) It's not pretty! But life is full of the good, the bad, and the ugly!

E) Typically, time is the only solution to get Jed back to normal (trying to reason with him makes him more upset). Within a few minutes he was back to his very sweet self!

summer has arrived in sa

2010-05-18T14:08:00.000-05:00

I'm partial, but I think Jed looks pretty cute in sleeveless shirts. In honor of the first sleeveless shirt of the summer, here are some pics. (yes, we have taken a lot of pictures at the kitchen table lately)

Happy Birthday Songs

2010-05-15T20:13:00.004-05:00

I am kind of tired, so I will just commemorate today with two videos (amateur) that I took of us and our friends singing happy birthday to Jed. Stick with the first one, it is dark because I took it when we went into his room this morning. We had a good day and in the words of Joe David, "couldn't imagine having so much fun with a two year old"!

I'm gonna miss this (#2)

2010-05-13T15:14:00.002-05:00

Ever since the Green's and Spencer's moved away, we have looked forward to early May. They always come back to SA for the dental convention. Usually, everyone crashes at our house. But since we are packing/getting closer to our move, AND we know have six children between the three families - they stayed down on the riverwalk this year in a 3 bedroom condo. It was fun to go down there each day and campout with good friends. I give us all a big pat on the back for entertaining all the kiddos and actually having them all down for nap at the same time both days!

Bubble time in the bathtub...Not sure what was going on here, but I am sure they were wanting to go out on the porch.Dinner one night on the riverwalk...On Friday night, we decided to head down to the Rainforest cafe (more for the kids than the adults) once the boys got done with work. It was STEAMY hot, so I spent most of the night sweating and pushing my guy in his stroller.

This is what Eric and Clint did - they were on a mission to find tickets to the spurs/suns game later that night. They were successful, the spurs were not!This is what Easton did...he is such a sweetie!This is what Jed and Nolan did...working off some evergy in the bar area...And this is what the girlies did...I wouldn't recommend the restaurant for its food, or even for toddlers. But now we can say we've been there!

On Saturday, we all headed to seaworld. Jed loved it again and will probably continue to talk about it for awhile.
As you can tell, I wasn't terrific about pictures. Oh well! We had a good weekend with these two families and wish we could see them more often.

More photos by Jed

2010-05-10T14:05:00.003-05:00

Just a few that Jed took of some of his favorite "friends". I would say that he is getting quite a point of view. :)

Jed's beach

2010-05-05T20:07:00.004-05:00

I don't want to bother buying a pool for the summer since we will only be in our house for three more weeks. So, I tried to get creative now that it is toasty here in SA. It started out as what I like to call "the poor man's pool." I filled one of our coolers and various other containers. I also turned the sprinkler on low. Anytime Jed went to go play in the sprinkler, he would tell me that he was going to play at "the beach." Seriously...he came up with all on his own. :) I am not particularly fond of sandy beaches anyway, so maybe I will let him continue thinking that the backyard sprinkler is the beach! I realize there are a lot of pictures here, but I thought they were all cute! Enjoy.

my sweetie

2010-05-04T21:35:00.000-05:00

Thanks Beaulollee!

2010-04-30T13:52:00.000-05:00

First things first, this was the sweet reaction I got on Monday when Jed realized that Beaulollee were gone....that's what he calls the ford triplets. We had a great weekend visiting with our college friend and his wife, plus three (almost) two-year-olds. They brought Jed the cute "white coat" pjs in this picture.The main reason for the visit was so that we could all go to seaworld with the kids. It was also the big fiesta weekend here, so we went downtown to experience the mexican market. Then we all remembered that it wasn't even that great when we would go years ago... All four kids did amazingly well for the visit. We got to see the shamu show and the sealions, but much to Sam's disappointment, we didn't get to the beluga whale show. :)This guy was my buddy for the weekend.
Brown-eyed cuties....The dads and their babies...otherwise I did a dismal job of taking pictures. I guess you can blame that on having a household of toddlers! Thank to the Fords for spending the weekend with us. We hope we get to do that more when we are closer to you!

Rain rain go away

2010-04-26T14:55:00.000-05:00

With all the rain we had last week, I found myself getting creative with indoor time. I know this is "bad luck", but I gave Jed my umbrella to carry around the house. I thought he looked pretty cute. ESPECIALLY those legs in the last picture!

2 under 2

2010-04-23T20:24:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before that I keep a friend's daughter once a week. It always suprises me that having two little ones seems a little easier than just one. Before you start thinking I am crazy, it is just easier because Jed has someone (other than me) to entertain him. They play really well together and even hug each other throughout the day.

Here are some pics from this week - as you can see Eden was not very happy with me for not letting her go outside. Jed tried to console her and she perked back up....then I took a pan shot of my downstairs so you could see the damage they do in the course of a few hours. It was actually better today because they didn't take ALL the books off the shelf! :)

Living dangerously

2010-04-21T14:41:00.000-05:00

Jed has a new favorite game...and it always makes me nervous. He likes to play catch from the landing on the stairs. Since we've lived in a two story house his whole life, he is pretty good climbing up and down...On this same day, Joe David pointed something out to me that was pretty funny. This is a catch all space in our house, the ledge at the top of the stairs. I have been working on slowly getting some stuff packed, but can you see the dangerous mix of items we have here????? Jed can't reach the ledge, by the way! Tape gun with sharp edge, scissors, box cutter/utility knife, permanent black marker, and to top it all off - a rusted alamo ornament I picked up somewhere...NICE! :)

Picture poses

2010-04-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

Jed posing for daddy...I love his "closed eyes" face. He learned to play hide and go seek with Gigi a few weeks ago and he tries to close his eyes so tight.Daddy posing for Jed...

a two cup kind of day

2010-04-17T20:56:00.003-05:00

That is a quote from Gigi, and I totally agree. Jed has been under the weather the past two days. The only symptom I noticed was a fever...no cough, no runny nose...but now you can tell he is real stuffy and has a bunch of stuff draining down his throat.

Anyway, you can probably guess what it is like to entertain a youngin' that is not feeling well (and did I mention it has been raining ALL WEEK!). We have watched a lot of veggie tales and tried to take it easy indoors. If I didn't know better, I would bet that Jed was trying to look extra pitiful in the following picture. Isn't that sad???? Look at those eyes! :(Back to it being a "two cup" day. At one point, he asked for both milk and juice, so I agreed. He carried both cups with him all over the house and just kept pointing at one, then the other saying "nuk, juice". It's the little things that make you happy when you are sick!

Our Easter

2010-04-06T14:02:00.003-05:00

Things I want to remember about Easter 2010:

-Joe David was on call, so we waited until after he rounded to go to church. We only made it to second service and Jed to the nursery. My friend Tracy teaches Jed's class and sent me this comment on fb: "this morning, he was a bit mad when he realized he missed "Bible class". He went to the table where it usually is and he touched the teaching bag and said Bible class? We had to tell him he missed it and he proceeded to cry. But bubbles quickly took his mind off of it. :)

-We went to eat mexican food for lunch, just our family of 3. We were a little bummed that we weren't with family.

-Jed took a long nap and then woke up to his basket. He got golf clubs, veggie tales marshmallows, and sidewalk chalk from us. Plus, a doctor's kit and scrubs with "Dr Jed" written on them from his Gigi and Grampa. He loved it! You can see below what happened to larry and bob! The marshmallows were a really disgusting consistency, but he spotted them at wally world, so I decided to add them to his basket.

-We ended to day at Life group. Even though we weren't with family, we enjoyed a very relaxing day! I didn't get a good picture of Jed dressed up, but he looked really cute with some chambray shorts to match his shirt.

0-2

2010-04-03T13:22:00.001-05:00

Wednesday was our second attempt at an easter egg hunt. Kathryn organized a great day for our playgroup. A kiddie train ride, an amazing spread at lunch, and an egg hunt for about 15 kids!

Unfortunately, when we arrived - Jed realized we were also in the zoo parking lot. He pitched quite the fit because we weren't going to see the animals. It was definitely one of those moments when everyone was staring at us... I took him back to the car to recover and we did end up enjoying SOME of our time there. Jed loved the train ride. His eyes look so beautiful in these pictures.See that little dude waiting for his lunch in his new hat???? He looks so funny with his hands resting on his legs. : )

It all started going downhill from there. I was sick of chasing him around trying to keep him off the train tracks, it was VERY sunny and I was worried about sunburn. So we jetted before the hunt began. I am sure all mothers can identify with my frustrating realization that we have turned a corner and those tantrums are just the beginning!

Here is a video of us going through the tunnel on the train. Jed loves tunnels. I like the way he looks at the camera when he isn't sure about what is happening...

This is what it comes down to after nine years

2010-04-01T15:41:00.001-05:00

Nine years ago today - Joe David and I decided to date "exclusively". Eight years ago today, we got engaged. It's so fun to reminisce about those days!

But now I am the wife that buys my husband some Easter chocolate and "tie hangars" as a present...is that too sad??? He really needs something for all of his ties! ;) Love you bunches Joe David Bowers!

I'm gonna miss this (#1)

2010-03-31T14:14:00.003-05:00

I've said before that Jed loves the Lewis gals. Here are a few pics from this past week when we watched Eden. We will miss so many things about SA when we leave; and this is definitely one of them! They were "napping". :)

They have a way of changing your plans!

2010-03-28T14:03:00.003-05:00

The dream: BEAUTIFUL Sunday morning, a sweet 22 month old in a lavendar shirt, church service and class, tasty hamburger / hot dog lunch, first Easter egg hunt of 2010, lots of pictures to capture memories of day, pure joy on son's face...

The reality: BEAUTIFUL Sunday morning, 22 month old in a lavendar shirt, church service and class without daddy because he had to work, barely eating purchased hamburger / hot dog lunch because child didn't want to sit in chair, unhappiness/defiance on son's face, one picture captured at event, skipped first Easter egg hunt of 2010, made a mad dash for the car, arrived home and got out of Sunday clothes, "lunch take two", and HOPEFULLY a long nap!!!! :)
Good thing he is pretty cute!

ADORABLE

2010-03-23T14:08:00.001-05:00

These pics are from Dec/Jan, but I didn't get them off of Granna's camera until last week. This has to be the sweetest, cutest thing Jed has to wear right now. I would let him wear it everyday, if I could. I will let you look closely...
Yep, that is his Daddy's little league shirt. I LOVE IT! A) Because it is orange. B) Because it was JD's. C) It is so soft! They must make tee's different these days. Joe David wore it when he was five and Jed is not that big a fella. :) Well, don't be suprised if you see Jed in this shirt often.

Another trip Pt. 3

2010-03-20T16:29:00.000-05:00

This post will wrap up our trip. We were so happy to spend an evening with some members of the Spencer and Ford families. These two boys are just going to be TROUBLE! They were having a lot of fun trying to push every single button...no worries - many adults were present and nearby, just in case! We can't wait for Jed to join the boy posse in town - Caden, Spencer boy-to-be-born, Drayton, Kanyon, Quinn, Dane...poor Sydni will be outnumbered!This past Saturday was a day for family time. Miss Laura's birthday is coming up and we decided to celebrate early. The day consisted of a lot of eating, playing on the industrial playground equipment at Granna and Pa's, and general shenanigans.Mary and I were laughing from afar about this next picture. Granna and Pa made sure that Jed was passed immediately from one grandparent to another. It actually is a pretty scary looking slide. It is really tall, as you can tell from the pictures. But you don't actually slide down very quickly, there is a lot of friction. :)Jed was trying to get an early bite of that my little pony cake...Don't they look like a motley crew???? Once again, Sydni was off doing her own thing - evidenced in the next picture.
Thanks to the Bowers for hosting us for a week. We will be seeing you again soon!

State Park Outlaws (Trip Pt. 2)

2010-03-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

Well the post title should actually be State Park and Outlaws, but I will explain more about that soon. While Granna and Pa were at work one day, we headed over to the Daingerfield State Park to play. We had a lot of fun exploring. The weather was perfect and the pine trees make for such a beautiful setting.Jed has just learned the fun of "jumping". He doesn't actually catch much air yet, but enjoys pretending! Here he is jumping off the curb by himself and with Daddy.Little boy was tuckered out when we left.
After the park, we headed to one of our top two BBQ joints. Outlaws barbecue in Dfield has the best Brisket I have ever tasted. We try to never miss out on eating there at least once when we are home for a visit. If you ever come to visit us in Longview and want to partake, we will be glad to drive you (it is about 45 minutes from our new home)! For those of you wanting to know, our other favorite BBQ spot is the Salt Lick ---- SO GOOD!

Another East TX trip (Pt.1)

2010-03-16T14:19:00.004-05:00

We just returned from a long trip to Dfield. We had a great time, as always. It was a trip with a purpose too - we were house hunting! We like to tell people we found a house with a pool, but really we just decided to rent an apartment for six months while we get settled and acclimated to our new town. It feels really good to have that decided, now I just need to get organized - 11 weeks until we move!

The weather was BEAUTIFUL the first day we were there and Jed took full advantage out on the porch. The Fincher cousins were there and that always makes thing more fun. :)The Bowers have found themselves the owners of one too many animals (in our opinion! :)) They have now adopted a stray dog, who gave birth to three puppies. PLUS, one cat is about to have kittens. Well, these two girls are just in heaven playing with the little pups.AHHH, reunited and it feels so good. This cat LOVES Jed. Her name is Elena and she follows Jed around wherever he goes. She is the one about to have kittens, but I don't want Jed getting any ideas about owning one...I wish we had a hot wheels track like this at our house. It is as tall as Jed and keeps him very entertained!
I am trying to keep these posts short, it is just easier that way...stay tuned for more on our trip!

Dora with Daddy

2010-03-04T21:44:00.003-06:00

I was getting some things done upstairs this evening and this is what I found when I came back downstairs. Looks pretty relaxing to me! Notice that Jed doesn't even acknowledge the camera...he is in the "zone" and yes, Joe David was really asleep.

2010-02-28T21:15:00.002-06:00

Need I say more? At least it wasn't on the walls of our rent house... (It should be said that my son has not reached the point of being allowed to have crayons out with his other toys, but that he smuggled the blue one home in his zip up hoodie from a restaurant....)

A typical conversation

2010-02-26T00:06:00.001-06:00

Jed might say one of the following:
A) "Eat! Eat! Eat!"
B) "owside?" (outside)
C) "usstars, downsars???" (upstairs? downstairs?)

I would then say:
A) "Jed would you like something to eat?"
B) "Would you like to go outside?"
C) "Do you want to go upstairs/downstairs?"

Jed's reply: "Okay, dada."

Me: "Well, actually I am your mother."

Jed: "Okay mama dada."

I just love this guy to death! I think it is really funny that he always answers "okay dada"...one because I am NOT dada, two because he makes it sound like these things were my idea in the first place! : )

21 Months - Trucking along

2010-02-23T21:35:00.004-06:00

Life just moves too fast! Next growing post will be about his 2 YEAR BIRTHDAY! AAGHHH! I love this first picture. He looks like a skinny minny, but I know he has gotten taller... He is such a happy boy, most of the time! If there is one thing I can say about Jed, he makes us laugh and enjoys doing it! Doesn't he just look like the kind of guy you could have some fun with?

Just a funny face captured - unfortunately I think he looks like me in this one. :)One of his favorite things right now is veggietales. He asks to watch "tah tahlls" all the time and if he can't be watching them, he wants me to sing the theme song. He sings along with the words he knows - basically the ending of each phrase. I literally sing it 25 times a day. I guess you could say I am an accomodating mother! But it is awfully funny to see him dance and do the same routine each time. He also still holds on to his love for all sesame st characters.Some other cute shots:

So what else is our little man up to and into right now?????

-He is into "singing" right now. We have even caught him singing to himself first thing in the morning.

-He wakes up happy each morning, but is SUCH a cranky boy after his nap - it doesn't matter if he has slept 45 minutes or 2 hours. I actually dread the wake-up process each day...but he comes by it honestly. One of his parents doesn't really like to wake up either!

-LOVES pizza or "pazza", sometimes "pazza pie" as he calls it. He is still really good about his fruits/vegetables and all the healthy stuff mama gives him on a normal basis, but the boy loves some junk food.

-We hear the phrase "dadda play, mama play" ALL DAY LONG! He likes to build things with his blocks, play cars, balls - he is a total boy.

-He loves to request and receive "family hugs" each day! It just lights up his face!

-The boy is FULL OF ENERGY, as most children are... He loves to flop and throw himself on our bed. He will play for HOURS on our bed, if I let him (supervised of course - if you have ever seen our bed - it is very HIGH). He hasn't been in a bouncy house yet, but I can bet that he would love it!

-We can definitely tell he is approaching age 2. He has a lot of strong opinions and loves to raise those cute eyebrows in defiance.

-Every day when the garage door goes up and Daddy gets home, Jed runs to the door and knocks on it until JD opens it. Oh how I remember getting SO EXCITED when my Dad got home from work and I love to see that Jed is the same way.

-We've made progress on Bible class at church, he still has trouble with extended amounts of time, but he doesn't cry when we drop him off and pick him up anymore. We are going to keep pressing forward, if the workers can stand to hear him whine...

-Can't think of other specific things right now...but he is the best thing in our lives!

To be like daddy :)

2010-02-21T23:29:00.001-06:00

My friend Kathryn took this picture while watching Jed this week. I just thought it was too cute...he would just throw his hands up and say "doctor!" I actually don't think he even realizes what his daddy does for a living... I also like this picture because he is getting ready to set his mouth into its "concentration" position. Any time he is concentrating on something, he makes an "o" shape with his mouth. He is totally going to be one of those kids that moves his mouth while he cuts with scissors (or maybe that was just his mama)! Do you know what I am talking about??? If not just ask me to demonstrate next time I see you!

Rodeo - rounds 1 and 2

2010-02-17T14:08:00.000-06:00

We love it when the stock show and rodeo comes to town. Last year, we took our non-crawling/ non-walking little man to see the longhorn judging and here we are a year later! I can't believe how much he has changed. We've been down to the stock show two weekends in a row.

ROUND ONE - Bowers and Kneibs

Bruce and Jed are three weeks apart. They are such little dudes. We love to get together with the Kneibs and we had an extra seat in our wagon. :)
Watching the longhorn judging The boys loved stamping their feet in the dirt.Aren't they cute????We made a stop at the petting zoo. It went really well until Jed got knocked down by a sheep - he wasn't injured!

ROUND TWO - Bowers and Jetters

This past Saturday, we went back down to the rodeo with the Jetters. We love to spend time with this great family too. Gina and Joe David both went to med school here, and then were both accepted into the neuro residency. The Jetters grew up in East TX, so they have that in common with Joe David too. They have a PRECIOUS boy that is a year younger than Jed. I didn't get too many great pics of him. This first one is a picture of me torturing Jed. He acted like he wanted to talk to the cow, until we got a little closer. He wanted nothing to do with it!Once again, Jed loved looking at all the animals.

The heart grows fonder...

2010-02-14T13:52:00.002-06:00

I am so lucky to have 2 special valentine guys in my life! Unfortunately, my hubby valentine is on call today...so as the saying goes "absence makes the heart grow fonder!" I know I don't tell him enough, but Joe David - I love you SO MUCH and you sure make my life fun! Thanks to our friends Neil and Kathryn, we were able to celebrate together on Friday night.

It was just Jed and I this morning, so I decided to take my sweet little valentine for a sprinkle donut before church. He LOVED it and I think I saw the effects of that sugar after church. He was so hyper and was cracking me up! Here are a few pictures from our breakfast. I love you Jed Wyatt and can't imagine life without you!

Lionel and a nap mat

2010-02-04T14:51:00.003-06:00

Jed and I like to listen to music during the day. It is too bad for him that he doesn't have a say in WHAT we listen to...but I think he likes him some easy listening! :) What do you think? The nap mat makes a great dance floor.

I like that in the second video (when "say you, say me" comes on) he adapts his dancing style to a more appropriate twirl! :)

Seeing the spurs in style

2010-02-02T13:42:00.001-06:00

We were fortunate to receive some AWESOME spurs tickets from one of Joe David's attendings. The game was at noon this past Sunday, so we decided it was time for Jed to get a taste of the NBA. We absolutely love NBA basketball and would never miss an opportunity to go to a game.

We went to early service at church and then stopped to have brunch before heading to the arena. I like that both Jed and Joe David have a "wide eyed" expectant look on their faces!As I said before, our seats were awesome - sixth row behind one of the baskets. It was WAY louder than I remember it being, but Jed took it in stride.An action clapping shot...I took the next picture to illustrate where we sat a few years ago...we were actually on the LAST row at the very top, our backs to the concrete! I don't know if I could go back now!Not necessarily the team we would like to see close up, but it was neat to see "freaks of nature" up close. I say that with respect...and maybe T.Lawson isn't a freak of nature - he's pretty tiny, but JD says that he is fast. :)
This is Jed jammin out to the music! He enjoyed himself and we hope to do it again someday!

Fun at dusk

2010-01-29T22:03:00.008-06:00

*So this video looks much better when it is bigger in my picasa...I will upload another one to make up for this one at some point!

The weather has been GREAT here the past few days, so we have spent plenty of time outdoors. After dinner, Joe David and Jed like to "play" baseball in the backyard. This video is dark, but cute - well at least I think it will be appreciated by grandparents and relatives!

Worn Out

2010-01-26T14:11:00.002-06:00

19 out of 28...days gone from home in the past month...

We just returned from spending some time with my family. My grandmother (maternal) passed away last week, after a LONG struggle with a rare form of dementia. We were very sad to say good-bye, but relieved that she is no longer suffering.

I am glad to be home today - catching up on some much needed organizing...or I was until my little guy took a SHORT nap - nice! Gotta go!

Another favorite activiy...

2010-01-22T20:10:00.002-06:00

Lining up his hot wheels in a nice straight line - a boy after my own heart!Pointing to the cars as I name them (he can't do that with all of them and neither can I! but he has the basics : truck, ambulance, van, mustang, grover car, elmo car)Don't know what he is doing here, but he did it over and over.

Words

2010-01-19T20:56:00.003-06:00

No pictures this time. Just wanted to write down some of the stuff Jed says, so I wouldn't forget! :) This is not an exhaustive list, but these are funny to his parents!

Definitely my favorite: the way he says yes...he answers very firmly and draws the e out, but says "yet"

gink = drink

nuk = milk

slide baby = means he wants us to get a blanket, place on our legs and let him slide down

pazza = pizza

I don't even know how to spell the way he says this = snuffleupagus (from sesamestreet)

gog = dog

cack = cat

banket = blanket

puppang = mustang

taw = tower (he loves to build towers out of blocks)

peese = please

dih dih = dip, dip (means he wants to dip his food in some sort of sauce)

Annual NYE partay...

2010-01-16T14:09:00.001-06:00

So I married into this "Deer Run" group. Joe David camped there when he was younger and worked there as a counselor. I knew what they were all about in college, even almost worked there...but didn't. I have made some incredible friendships with people that worked at Deer Run. They are such a fun group and I know we will be friends for life - and our kids will be friends! We live all over the place now, but manage to get together throughout the year. New Years eve has been reserved for Camp Deer Run get togethers. This year, it was hosted by the Shuttlesworths in big D. We ate a lot of food and did a lot of catching up.

The highlight of the night is always the white elephant gift exchange. As is typical, the gifts exchanged are not necessarily good ones...there are some that appear ever year. This game is a highlight because we add our own twist to it (actually this twist is added to many games). If you want to steal a gift, you must "challenge" the current owner. You may physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally (not sure what the last means) challenge them. There is a committee that decides the specifics of each challenge. This year, Sam and Lane were the committee. There are LOTS of laughs and people challenge even when the gift isn't that great. I am a little afraid of participating, but as you will see below my husband is not.

Sam and Lane explaining the rules.
Hollee and Lindsay playing "thumps" as part of a physical challenge.Another physical challenge - holding a headstand for the longest time.Another physical challenge - a classic arm wrestle.You may wonder what all these people wanted...well there were actually two cute monogrammed gifts with CDR themes. The girls loved those. Then, there was this...a darth vader helmet. This one was challenged so many times that it stepped up to being "ultimately challenged", meaning you must complete spiritual, mental and physical for a best 2 out of 3 competition. See if you can figure out what is going on in this physical challenge...
The dog didn't go for the peanut butter, so the committee had to change that challenge, but it was funny either way. Joe David also had to recite the alphabet backwards as fast as he could for a mental challenge - he won that was easily! So proud!

Mary and Lindsay showing off their gifts. Framed pictures are a favorite....Lindsay ended up with the adorable Killi Killi Killi wash cloths wash cloths, which is perfect because she will have a sweet little girl to wash in February!Lastly, a poor attempt at a self portrait. :)
We are supposed to host next year, when we live in East TX!!!!! I love to host a good party, so hopefully we will have a house by then. Can't wait to see you all again to ring in 2011!

Bowers Sickmas

2010-01-14T13:58:00.000-06:00

As I stated in my last post, I was sick before we even left San Antonio. I guess that should have been my clue to postpone our trip to Dfield a few days...but we were so anxious to celebrate Christmas with JD's family. I was feeling better the day we arrived, but then Joe David started going downhill. Here was our attempt at a family photo with the Bowers' new camera. It didn't turn out as well as we hoped. :)We made good use of that great smelling salve...here we are trying to look extra pitiful.A few moments after opening presents, Joe David retreated to sleep for the next few days. Kidding, kind of...Stepping on someone else's presents!Desperate to get Nernie and Elmo out of the package!He loves to play the piano at Granna's house. I took quite a few pictures, but this one shows the action of his hands. On new years eve, Granna graciously offered to watch Jed, Dane and Sydni so we could go to Dallas for a CDR party. Boy, would she regret that! :) We didn't know it, but Jed was getting sick...as was Dane and Sydni! Here they were making crafts.New Years day - Sydni contemplating her next move!Watching TV with daddySpending some of our only chilly moments outside. It was SO COLD while we were in Dfield. We were definitely stir crazy!
So we originally planned to come home on Jan 3 because Joe David had to work, but Jed was sickest that day. We agreed a six hour car ride was probably not the best idea, so JD agreed to come back and take us home the next weekend. In the end, those infected were my dad, me, Joe David, Nancy, Jed, Mary, the Finchers (but only mildly), Dane and Sydni (although their doctor didn't think they had the same bug). We had no idea it would spread so fast and furious...but I guess that just happens during the holiday season. I have one more holiday post and then we will move on to 2010.

catching up...Slack christmas

2010-01-12T13:46:00.007-06:00

We are FINALLY home after working through a family illness for TWO weeks! It feels so great to be getting back into our routine and I think Jed is getting used to the word "no" again! Three weeks with grandparents seems to make him forget what that means! But I truly believe that is what grandparents are for...at least mine always were! :)

I want to make sure and document Christmas, so you will have to pardon my backtracking. The first pics are just a few of my decorations...I love to remember them and this was our last Christmas in this house.My family arrived at our house Dec 22. As you can see below, Aunt Aly (or aunt lala) lured Jed to her by pulling up sesame st videos on the computer.Joe David had to work on and off the whole time my fam was here, but we did manage to make a trip to get some of the BEST BBQ in TX. The-Salt-Lick! Jed enjoyed crackers and lemons before our food arrived.I absolutely LOVE this picture because I know EXACTLY what he was saying..."insert any word here, where are you?" He loves to ask where things are and it kind of comes out quickly, almost as if he saying one word. It almost always includes this hand gesture. I think he was looking for birds in this picture.Christmas morning was celebrated with WAY too many new toys (for Jed and us) and some yummy monkey bread, baked by Aly. You can see Jed had a lot of fun trying out each new thing.Checking out daddy's new tent...
My family headed back home on Dec. 27...I was already sick at that point...and it would just spread from there! :) Stay tuned for more, if you wish.

For the Jed fans...

2009-12-26T15:09:00.003-06:00

You need to check out my friend Kathryn's blog from Christmas day. She was nice enough to watch Jed for a few hours last week so I could run some errands. Looks like Jed had a good time! You can check the video out here: http://nkclewis.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-carols.html Enjoy and we hope your Christmas holiday was filled with joy.

Day trippers.

2009-12-23T21:12:00.004-06:00

Last Sat. we decided to head up 87 to Fredericksburg for the morning. We haven't been since Jed was born, and we love to walk their quaint downtown. I will say it wasn't like the old days of meandering through the stores...Jed wasn't into it. We managed to visit a few stores and spent some time in the square. It was really cool to see the giant German wood, spinny thing (I know it has a proper name, but I don't know it off the top of my head). It had a plaque that said it was actually hand carved! I would love to own a small one for my house some day, but they are NOT cheap. We ended the day by going to eat TX mnthly's #3 burger. You can see by the picture that it was HUGE! It was pretty good and the place was in the middle of nowhere and very quirky. Jed spent most of lunch playing with the Chinese hot sauce (not eating it!). It was a good trip and I must say that I truly enjoy exploring with my family. :)

Items to remember

2009-12-21T20:22:00.002-06:00

No pictures this time, just funny things we want to remember about Jed.

A) First episode of "tattling": Up to this point, sharing has been no issue whatsoever for Jed. BUT, he has recently become very territorial about his blue chair. Sunday night, his friend Claire was over at our house. Claire happened to slip into the chair when Jed wasn't looking. We were both in the kitchen (there were about 24 people at our house for a party), and Jed immediately found his daddy and said with a very sad look on his face "sit, sit". Joe David, being the astute father that he is, knew exactly what Jed was talking about. He took the opportunity to teach Jed that we have to take turns. As he always does when Joe David talks to him sternly, Jed got a serious look on his face and said "kay" (okay). The first of thousands of times Jed won't want to share and Jed will want to tattle. (In complete fairness to Claire - her actions didn't warrant a tattle!)

B) "Sorry Nernie": Jed now knows how to apologize for something. It started when he was riding in the car with Joe David. He was playing with his toy Ernie or "Nernie". He threw Ernie to the car floor and immediately said "dropped Nernie, dropped Nernie, Sorry Nernie". Today, when I asked him to apologize to me for something he did - he said Sorry Nernie, obviously! ;) It shouldn't surprise that all important things in his life revolve around Sesame Street.

Simple, but apparently very fun...

2009-12-20T14:14:00.002-06:00

This entertained Jed for a long time (well a long time in toddler world - 20 minutes). I love the simplicity of his made-up games. I realize this is a lot of pictures of something that is not very interesting...but... my son, my blog! :)

Cute and anxiously waiting!

2009-12-18T20:07:00.000-06:00

We are all ready for the Christmas festivities to begin...but until then, here are some cute pics of Jed from the other day. He has aunt Aly (lala) to thank for this sweater. Jed seems to love all things Christmas, but doesn't quite understand it all yet. I know he is going to have a blast with each of our families next week, he LOVES being around his relatives! On a side note, HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY Aunt Mary and Uncle Lane!

Breakfast with Santa

2009-12-10T14:46:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday, the children's ministry at our church hosted breakfast with Santa. It was the first freeze of the season for us and it was COLD! Here is Jed all bundled up in the carseat on the way there. I finally bought him gloves and a hat, but I didn't try to put those on until we arrived!They served some great breakfast food. Jed got to wear his newest pair of pjs.Scandalous, I know - he is walking on the pew!Waiting our turn to take a pic with Santa.Smelling the poinsettias...Not too sure about this! See his awkward sitting position?Now he just plain wants down! :)Playing in the curtains before we left...Love this expression! It is kind of scary, but he was scaring me after all!

Thanksgiving, so we won't forget

2009-12-06T14:44:00.002-06:00

We stayed in town for Thanksgiving, but my parents and younger sis came down to see us. We had a good time and here is the proof! Jed always loves to see his grampa (ba pa), gigi, and aunt Aly (la la).

Chilling before the big meal at his new table. Yes, I know the onesie looks girly...yes, I know it was too small..no, I didn't care! :) Just another craft project gone a teensy bit wrong! But you can bet I wanted him to wear it anyway!Watching football with daddy The table: I absolutely LOVE this tablecloth. I bought it at anthropologie, on sale since I can't buy anything in that store for full price ($99 originally, I paid $20). The food: SO GOOD!Going to eat some tasty tortilla soup and fideo...We were very brave (and blessed) to get to see the "lighting of the tree" at Alamo plaza. I say brave because we took two cars and didn't head downtown until just about an hour and a half before the river parade and lighting were supposed to happen. I say blessed because just as I decided to turn around and go home due to parking trouble - the Lord provided two spaces right next to each other! We also walked into the plaza about two minutes before the lighting... Jed was so funny. They did a big countdown from 10 and then they turned on the lights. Jed looked at them with his very serious Bowers face, then looked at me, and said "...gain..." (again, please!). I try to do many things for my son, but I couldn't get them to throw the switch all over again! :)

I'm not the polar bear I used to be...

2009-12-04T14:18:00.004-06:00

I have always LOVED cold weather. I fondly recall years of OK winters, especially trudging across the tree-less OC campus with the snow and wind... Not having a true winter has been one of the most disappointing things about living in SA the past eight (WOW) years. But, I think my body has officially adapted. It has been in the low 50's, 40's this week and so I haven't gotten out much with Jed. We tried to solve our cabin fever yesterday by playing on the back porch for a while. It didn't last long because I was COLD and Jed doesn't have any gloves. I did snap the following cuties of our cutie. :)LOVE THIS ONE!AND THIS ONE!

Pray...men

2009-11-25T14:38:00.002-06:00

Here is a SHORT video of Jed saying a prayer. As you can see, he is very serious about it! He usually says "pray.....mumble, mumble, mumble...men!" I personally think Jed does a ton of cute stuff, but this ranks up there as the CUTEST! :) Enjoy!

18 Months

2009-11-20T14:18:00.007-06:00

Where to begin???? I certainly can't believe he is a year and half already. I think Joe David summed this season of Jed's life very well - "He is getting more and more fun everyday, and also more and more opinionated!" It is amazing to watch him grow and expand physically, mentally, emotionally, etc...

Jed had his check-up this week: still a huge head, 26 lbs. 6 oz., 32 inches and doing great!

Best things about Jed right now: his spontaneous kisses and hugs; being dramatic - if you are around Jed for any amount of time - you have seen the gasp and wide open eyes about almost everything, I LOVE IT!; his love of veggies and fruit; his little physique; saying his own prayers!!!! (he doesn't really say words, but he can "pretend" to pray...we will try to capture it on video); the way he says "dadda work" anytime JD is gone; the way he says "bye bye Gigi" anytime I hang up the phone (even if I am not talking to her); his love of other kiddos; his continuing love of books and anything ELMO; the way he can identify all members of our extended family in pictures and person; how much he loves his grandparents (they are all pretty cool cats)

Tough things with Jed right now: the obvious tantrums of a child his age; limiting TV time (he loves it); when he says things we don't understand at all; he is fearless and gets hurt often; but the toughtest thing of all is leaving him in Bible class - HE ABSOLUTELY HATES IT! this is very discouraging, but we try to keep our chins up and take him anyway :)

As pictured below, Jed still likes to put anything and everything in his mouth!Just sweet...Check out those feet! They look huge to me!Another picture that shows off my ruddy complexion - nice. I had to post this one because I tried multiple times to get this photo and in EVERY one, Jed had his eyes closed. :)Contemplating...And then he knocked them off!

Sunny Ft. Lauderdale

2009-11-18T15:04:00.000-06:00

Joe David and I just arrived back from a buddy free weekend in Ft. Lauderdale. The Bowers were gracious enough to watch Jed from Wed to Sun for us and I don't think he minded one bit!

Here is the view as we flew into town.Joe David attended a neuro conference on scholarship, and we got to stay at the Ritz on the beach. It was so BEAUTIFUL and I've never stayed in such a nice hotel. We had a corner room on the 11th floor.We slept each night with the sliding doors open, listening to the ocean...this was my view when my eyes finally opened Fri morning.Some of the views from our wrap around balcony...I spent hours on the beach while Joe David attended his conference. This is the view of our hotel from the beach. Our room is one of those on the far right, above the pool deck.I sat in this chair for FIVE hours, reading and relaxing!We met Nancy on Sunday to pick up Jed...here was his face. I am holding the camera, notice he is not looking at me at all. He only had eyes for his daddy!

help me expand my repertoire

2009-11-15T14:24:00.000-06:00

I am not feeling like a very creative mama right now. So, all of you caretakers - what are some things you serve for snacks? Jed is not that picky of an eater...I'm just in a rut and wanted to pick the minds of my blog readers. THANKS!

what do we have here?

2009-11-11T21:12:00.001-06:00

I got a surprise when I went to unload the dishwasher the other day...Do you see it?I knew the camaro was missing, but I guess Jed just wanted to get it nice and clean! :)

Halloween 09

2009-11-07T20:01:00.008-06:00

Halloween night was a lot of fun. In attendance were: cookie monster, the queen of hearts, wonder woman, woody from toy story, a monkey, and a kitty cat. The kiddos played outside for awhile. They rode on Pa's tractor, Jed wasn't so sure about it. Then we went to small town TX for a festival and some candy! Jed had his first dum dum and in the last picture is reaching up and begging for another (after the first one was confiscated because it dropped into the dirt). :)Mary has an even better version of this next picture, but mine just cracks me up... Those two crazy four year olds on the left are just so funny. There is NO TELLING what they were saying to each other. At one point, Dane plotted with JJ to call Jed "goo goo face". The moment I heard that, I realized that Jed is headed for many years of "picking" from his older cousins! And that is just the way it has to be because he is the baby of the boys. :) I am sure he will quickly learn ways to push their buttons too!

On to Daingerfield

2009-11-05T13:47:00.002-06:00

We spent the second half of our vacation week with Joe David's family. I feel like I need to put a disclaimer that my son does often wear pants...he just doesn't seem to be in many of my recent pictures! Here he is pushing toys...always a favorite!Waiting for Granna to get home from work - how sweet is his face in this picture?Pretending to be stuck...he fell into this position once and liked our reactions, so he kept trying to recreate the incident. :)Mary Nan spending time with Jed, I can't believe she will be 7 this Jan!All of the cousins enjoying some string cheese and refreshing drinks - Sydni was not really into posing for group photos.These cuties are nine weeks apart, here they are sharing a hug.There are four Bowers' birthdays at the end of Oct./Nov., we celebrated with the boys on Friday night. Dane got a new bicycle for his birthday and here are all the older kids riding on the land.Everyone else was down checking out the swing set that Granna and Pa found, so Jed and daddy headed down there too. It is an old school playground set and it is HUGE!Pa has to wait until the ground dries out a little to set it up, the ground is absolutely saturated (just ask the two people who got stuck on Sat)!Sydni played with this headband all weekend, she put it on herself.Trying to capture a pic at the boys' birthday party.On Sat, we surprised Pa with a birthday party. Here was the spread and his banner.Sunday morning before church, Jed was taking Sydni for a ride.Reunited and it feels so good! (you might remember Jed's love for the "meow, meows" this summer)Just pickin' his nose a little before leaving for church.We headed home on Sunday and stopped to eat in Temple. We made the mistake of stopping at Pizza Hut (not my favorite anyway). It was really nasty inside. We were going to tough it out, but the final straw was when JD realized something had bitten him FOUR times since we sat down! We ended up cancelling our order and leaving, but here are some pics with daddy before we jetted out of there.
Halloween pictures coming soon!

On the banks of Lake Palestine

2009-11-03T13:52:00.006-06:00

We recently enjoyed the first full week of vacation for Joe David, PGY4 (the abbreviation for what he is called at work - the important thing: it means he is DONE after this year!). We split the week between our families, spending Fri through Wed with my parents in a time-share on Lake Palestine. Here is the view from our deck the evening we arrived. Jed had PLENTY of stuff to entertain him as soon as we walked in the door: a flashlight that shone "halloween" symbols on the wall...new tonka trucks and a halloween goody basket... beautiful weather...a completely contained outdoor space..a new tent, complete with nap mat and pillow...an activity center with a great playground...new places to run and explore... (in this picture he is trying to get under the fence to see dad on the mini gold course - Joe David spent a lot of time here)his very own bedroom with a view...and of course, quality time with Grampa!Here are some pictures of the area immediately surrounding our condo. The weather was just perfect this day!Before we left for Daingerfield, we took Jed and my parents to the zoo in Tyler. That makes four different zoo visits for Jed. He loved it.He especially enjoyed riding in the wagon we rented and Gigi pulled him all around the zoo.In this picture he is telling Gigi to GOOOOOO!Scary, huh?I don't know why I am even including this picture, we look really run down...but here is the proof we were there as a family!Thanks Grampa and Gigi for a great stay on the banks of Lake Palestine - see you soon!

Next post...a great time in Daingerfield and Halloween with the Bowers cousins.

I miss seeing this!

2009-10-30T13:01:00.001-05:00

Jed's not the kind of kiddo that can fall asleep in the car and seemlessly transfer to his bed, but he always seems to be extra tired on Sunday. He stayed asleep when we got him out of the car a few weekends ago and Joe David took advantage of some cuddle time. It seems like it has been SO LONG since he would just sleep in our arms...but it is still just as sweet!

He's not too old for this, right?

2009-10-27T14:54:00.000-05:00

So we still have our exersaucer set up because I watch a younger child each week and she used it up until now. Last week, Jed rediscovered what fun it can be...well, it's fun when you don't get stuck! :)

Dancing

2009-10-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

These videos are short, sweet, and pretty self-explanatory. I don't think my son has much of a future in dance! We are calling this one "the wipe"!

playgroup halloween celebration

2009-10-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

This will serve as a sneak peak of Jed's costume...COOKIE MONSTER! I think he makes a cute little monster - don't you? We had our annual costume party today - thanks for hosting Jenny! This was the preparation for the "big picture"... we actually accomplished a group photo pretty quickly."Luigi" and "Cookie Monster"The whole group, that's a LOT of kiddos!Jed spent much of his time at their train play table, I think I need to find one of these!We asked Jed to give Eden a kiss and this is what happened...I think he was "hugging" her. :)We painted pumpkins after lunch. Jed was only interested in riding in the cozy coupe. Oh well!

giving his animals some lovin'

2009-10-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

Recently, Jed has been giving us kisses (at random or on command). It is so sweet! But as you will see below, he is very generous with these kisses.

I didn't get a really good picture, but he was kissing each of the animals from his farm.His feelings can turn on a dime, in this picture he was raising his arm to make all the animals "crash" off the windowsill! :)

The quadruple P!

2009-10-16T13:55:00.006-05:00

PROFESSIONAL PUMPKIN PATCH PICTURES!

I have a friend who recently started her own photography business and she took Jed's pictures at a pumpkin patch. You should check out her website: www.synergyphotographysa.com . I had a really hard time picking just a few to show you, but these are some of my favorites!

Today

2009-10-15T15:16:00.002-05:00

October 15 is now set aside as pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day. It has been two and a half years since Joe David and I experienced our miscarriage. While I don't think about it everyday, the pain and grief comes back in an instant.

We are so blessed to have Jed and to have experienced no complications when he was growing and when he arrived in this world. This time of year is special to me because it was two years ago on Oct. 18 that we had our first prenatal appointment for Jed. We thank God for him daily. We try not to ever take him for granted, even when he is teething! :) I am lifting prayers today for all the people I know who have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss; and am also praying for those who struggle to get pregnant at all. This seems so common today and during that horrible time two and half years ago, it was a comfort to know that I was not alone in my pain! Say a prayer today too!

A big thank you to my hubby!

2009-10-14T19:45:00.002-05:00

Teething has hit the Bowers' household HARD for at least two weeks now...and it doesn't look to be ending any time soon. Two have broken through and FOUR others are still working their way in - Jed is getting all of his one year molars and his top two pointy teeth. (sorry clint and eric, don't know what they are called)

Anyway, all that info should give you a clue as to why I was really excited when my husband insisted I get out of the house today. I also received these beautiful flowers from Jed and daddy yesterday!I spent two glorious hours at the mall and wandered in and out of stores. I actually only spent thirty dollars and got these fun things...a turkey and two acorn plates from pottery barn AND a great new sweater for Jed at baby gap.This little doodad was waiting on the truck (JD's car) when I finished at the mall. Apparently they give cars a pass or fail grade based on whether they would make a good target for someone to break in...anyway, I failed because there were "packages or valuables in view". Yeah, I guess if you count three empty powerade bottles, a white coat, and a BUNCH of trash - I failed! :)
I definitely have the most wonderful guy! Thanks Joe David for knowing just what I needed today!

Just because I thought he looked extra special cute!

2009-10-11T13:43:00.004-05:00

Yes, it was still warm enough here last week for shorts. Jed and I had some back porch time one afternoon and he just looked so sweet. I had to get out the camera. The first picture is my new favorite. If you saw our post with the arkansas video, you know Jed has developed quite the laugh...this is his BIG laugh face! I couldn't pick between the other pictures, so enjoy all of them!

And another...

2009-10-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

Another trip that is! I have no idea what is wrong with my blogger...the pictures are just showing up as text when I try to edit posts...but I decided to just post without any picture captions anyway. These are all pictures from our most recent trip to see my family, my best friend from back home got married and Jed had a good time at Gigi and Grampa's. We also got our first taste of much cooler weather! It was wonderful. The first two pictures were taken on the drive to Edmond - I posted them because Jed had some awesome drool. The rest of the pictures are of Jed enjoying the cool air!

Another haircut & a great video

2009-10-03T19:53:00.005-05:00

Joe David here. Jed's last haircut didn't last too long. He was already getting "scragly" on top, so I decided to trim the sides. It wasn't looking so good, so we just decided to give him his first buzz cut. And it looks awesome. How tough does he look!

And, here's a video of Jed laughing uncontrollably as I showed him how to "call the hogs" during the Arkansas/A&M game. I'm really a UT fan, but I do appreciate my Arkansas roots. Evidently, Jed just thinks it's hilarious.

New haircut

2009-09-26T20:19:00.001-05:00

Jed's hair was pretty scraggly. These pictures don't do it justice, but I was tired that day and Jed was not very cooperative with the pictures. Thus, we took the before and after in the car! :)

The before, notice the long "bang" (not bangs).The after...such a sweet forehead. The haircut wasn't major, but I still thinks it makes him look different.And we think he likes it, folks!

Raindrops keep fallin' on our heads!

2009-09-23T21:26:00.001-05:00

What do you do when the Lord sends some MUCH NEEDED rain your way? You play in it! Seriously - Jed can probably count on two hands the number of times he has seen rain in his life...well, if he could count... Notice that droopydiaper???? I wish I could say it was because of the rain!He totally looks like his Daddy here:
Hope you are not sick of seeing all my posts! I decided that I needed to get going again with my blogging, it is one way I am keeping track of all the wonderful things we get to do with Jed boy. So I am trying to post short and sweet...more to come!