It's here, it's here!

O.K. I know I usually have a picture of David in his Gamecock gear at the beginning of football season, but I just haven't had the time to take a picture today... no fear though, he is wearing his jersey! This is my favorite time of year, COLLEGE FOOTBALL! I love autumn (even though it is still steaming here) and everything to do with the season. Trey and I are so excited to be close enough to go to ALL the home games for South Caroline this year. It's been 5 years, folks. That's WAY too long for us! I am exhausted from working in my classroom all week (being the "new girl" means I have a lot to learn and do, even if it is just part-time), but we will be hitting the road soon and driving to Williams-Brice Stadium. I'll post pictures of the boys in their gear later this weekend. I sure hope Spurrier and the rest of the team can pull off a victory tonight! Go Gamecocks!

So Big!

Here is our big boy! Jon is growing so quickly, turning 9 months on the 26th. He is a joy to be with and is really a great baby. Here is a picture of his newest trick... sticking out his tongue, constantly! It most often occurs when he is concentrating. Oh, I could just squeeze him!

I won't know until September exactly how big Jon has gotten, but when we are out in public and people ask how old he is, most often the response is "Wow, what a big boy!" In addition to all the physical growing Jon has been doing, he is developing just as much with his "talking". He can clearly say Mama, Dada, bye-bye, and I think he screams David (sounds more like "day") some too. He doesn't always respond and say what you want him to, but he "talks" a lot on his own. This picture was taken when we were staying a Papa Dock's... both of my boys have enjoyed playing in this back hallway.


Jon is quite the wild man lately and while I'm completely happy for him (he LOVES exploring this wonderful, crazy world!) it makes me a little sad that it is happening so quickly. David was much slower when it came to getting around. Jon literally went from sitting to speed crawling/cruising within a week! He is incredibly strong and can let go and balance for a few seconds before he sits. The best way to describe his personality when it comes to physical challenges... he attacks it! He falls ALL the time, cries, and then does it again until he gets it. Jon loves that he can attempt to keep up with David now. David is still patient with him MOST of the time and Jon simply ADORES David. They are precious little men!
And for every wild bone in his body, Jon is also completely loving and cuddly! He gives the tightest hugs and big, open mouth kisses. He also plays "shy" (hides his head on our shoulder) when you first say hello. He is such a love bug... and we are so blessed!

What my kids do while I unpack boxes...

I stick them both in "baby jail"! Actually, David crawls in himself and entertains Jon for me. Jon is a maniac lately and only wants to speed crawl or pull up and cruise on furniture. Although I am very happy he waited until we left Papa Dock's house (with 4 different stairways to explore!) it makes unpacking a little challenging. I just do as much as possible during the day and then work like crazy at night (between olympic events, of course). I love the last expression from Jon-Jon. He completely looks like he is thinking "help me!", which he very well maybe! Now, back to more unpacking...

Cross Country Numbers

4- times David threw-up the morning we were to leave Texas.
102- degree of Jon's fever that same morning.
1- pediatrician we saw before we left Texas, we miss Dr. Deitchman!
3- hours we were behind when we finally left, armed with anti-nausea medicine and motrin.
2- side of the road stops for Jon, poor guy was burning up and MAD about being in his seat.
1- AWESOME God moment in Longview, TX. We actually heard Myrtle Beach Days playing over the loud speaker in a random KFC/TACO BELL restaurant. We had a smile on our faces the rest of the day.
1- stop in Jackson, Mississippi for an overnight stay .
Thousands- of beautiful magnolia trees between LA and SC... it was a welcoming sight.
2-stops made on the second day of travel from Mississippi to Georgia. That's right, 9 hours of driving and only 2 stops!
2- shoes that came flying into the front seat at end of said 9 hours on day two. David was yelling "stop driving mom!" from the back seat.
5- grateful people to have survived the trip. We are excited about the start of Wellspring Church in Myrtle Beach, SC!

*The picture above was taken over 2 months ago when we started day 2 of driving and my kiddos have grown so much... that is another post in the works.

3 years ago today...

our sweet David was born at 4:33 pm. I can't believe our baby is 3! I will never forget the first time I looked into his eyes, just seconds after he was born. It was the most amazing feeling... like I'd always known him, loved him, and adored him even though he had just joined the world. David is such a great kid. He is smart, entertaining, extremely talkative, and funny. He never meets a stranger and is the best big brother! He LOVES "his baby" and other than the few times (a day) he tackles Jon, he is really loving to him and covers him with kisses and hugs. David is also a little hard-headed and dramatic. He knows what he wants and he doesn't back down easily. We work on this daily :)! He has handled our topsy-turvy summer pretty well, even though he certainly works better on a schedule. We are excited to start school so our days have more structure to them! David's current favorites are playing baseball (of course!) and playing "Rock Band". He does a really awesome rock and roll face (see pictures below) and can recognize music (instruments, singers, and where he has heard it before) with ease. I am amazed how he remembers things... he can tell you the scene from the movie he heard a song (sometimes just from a pre-view) and will also say "they're playing the piano (or drums, or guitar)". He still calls himself "the great Bambino" and lately he walks around singing "Wanted! Dead or Alive" and "Sississpy Queen", which he learned from playing Rock Band on the Wii. We are thankful for each day that we get to spend with our little man. It is a joy to watch him grow and learn and we praise the Lord for one of our most precious blessings! We love you David... Yummy, ice cream! David is having several celebrations (Trey says we should just start calling him Anne :)!!!) so I am going to wait until they are all complete and do a recap. This is from lunch today at Hard Rock Cafe.

What a sweet little man!

Oh, he has the best laugh!

Rock and Roll!

We love you so much!!!

Status

-We are in our house... sort of. We haven't closed but all the stuff is here and we are sorting through and unpacking. Jeez, we have a ton of stuff!
-I found a part time teaching position at a preschool and the boys will be with me. Much like the set up in Texas (hello to all my wonderful New Creations friends, we miss you!). We are excited and I can't believe David will be in 3 year kindergarten!!!
-I miss blogging, downloading pictures, and generally having time on the computer, but I can't operate with my house in it's current state so I plan to post more next week. My posts will include...

Numbers from the drive across country.
Jon's growth since we moved... goodness he is getting big fast!
Our house and pictures.
Pictures, pictures, and more pictures of the boys summer fun!


Again, Trey's blog is usually updated and I think he is a pretty cool guy so if you are just dying to read something a Kelly has written, visit his site! Sorry grandparents, he doesn't post many pictures of the kiddos!