The Allen 5

Happy birthday baby Hads...

2008-09-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

I wish I could've gotten a good pic of her with her face down in her little cake....she loved it so!!!! We are having a little party tomorrow night, but we had to have our first cake on the actual day of her birth. My, oh my, how I thank our Heavenly Father for this dear gift he gave our family last September 18th. She fills our days with joy - really should've named her Happy Kate instead...

One year ago today!!!

2008-09-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet, sweet Hadley Kate is one today!!! I can hardly believe that it's been a year now that we have had this precious one in our lives....

Mil's first soccer practice!

2008-08-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Mil did t-ball practice for about 6 weeks last spring, but never had any real games or anything...so this is our first official organized sport for him! We are all so excited - Laney even coached him from the sidelines at practice. Jay is helping coach Mil's team, which is lots of fun for both boys. I thought Had would probably be fussy just because it was almost her bedtime at the time of the practice, but I think she had as much fun as Mil! She was just chilling in the stroller with her leg propped up and the breeze blowing her few hairs into a mohawk-like shape... I think soccer is going to be a blast for the whole family!!

Turning Texan??

2008-08-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the rodeo with our ABF from church - it was lots of fun, and that is something I thought I'd never say. When we moved here and first went to the rodeo over 3 years ago, I was horrified at the idea of a rodeo. To make matters worse, the night we went a bull rider was thrown and half trampled to death. His ear was cut off and he was convulsing on the dirt floor... life flight had to carry him away, and it was on the news that night. Laney, then just 4, was completely traumatized and we said we'd probably not be going back. Rough start with rodeos, but this last time was great - still a bit nerve-racking to watch, but fun. There's one pic of Jay and Miller in the middle of a crowd. That's when all the kids that want to come down and chase a calf with a ribbon on its tail. A night full of BBQ and the rodeo - now what could be more texan?? :)

Hadley LOVES Chef boyardee pizza!!!

2008-08-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

Lane's 1st Day!

2008-08-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

Laney started school today at Wylie Prep and was beyond excited to get there!!!! She was not only excited about every aspect of school, but was super pumped about the uniforms!! She also got bangs yesterday as part of her "new look"... she had a definite idea of what she wanted her hair to look like... It was a super first day, and she can't wait to go back. (This is Lane with her language arts teacher.)

Fireworks at the Harbor

2008-07-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

We went down to the Harbor in Rockwall for fireworks last night, and it just couldn't have been a prettier sight...the lake was full of boats and the breeze from the water was perfect. We laid on blankets and enjoyed the atmosphere. Had's new trick is to climb over Miller and Laney's backs like she's climbing a mountain. The big kids think it's hilarious. The fireworks were pretty, but the real fireworks show happened when we got home. The street behind our house shot TONS of fireworks (until 2:00 am actually....), and after we put Had to bed, we went out in the backyard and the kids watched more fireworks while they jumped on the trampoline!

Scooter

2008-07-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hads is doing more of a belly-slide to get places than really crawling - she scoots herself by her arms. She must have really strong arms to pull herself, I figure! She loves to pull down our salad bowls and the kids' tv trays from the shelf on the island. She tried deviled eggs today, and it was love at first taste. Actually, I haven't given her anything that she didn't like. She's got another ear infection right now after only being off antibiotics for 4 or 5 days, so hopefully we'll get those ears cleared up before the beach. She's waving "hey" and "bye-bye" a little, but they are different styles - she looks like she's washing a window when she waves "hey", and her fingers go in and out for "bye-bye"... SO fun!!

Spa Night

2008-07-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Miller wanted to watch Underdog with Jay and have a boy's night...so Lane came up with the idea for us to have a girl's spa night while the guys did their thing and after we put Had to bed. Laney (now those of you who know her well know that this girl is a busy one - always creating) came up with an "order of events" for the evening that we followed step by step. We started with soaking our feet in the tub after using her foot scrub, painting toenails, and then painting fingernails. She had also seen an idea in an American Girl party idea book about old-fashioned curls. So we cut up one of Jay's old t-shirts and twisted her hair around the strips for her to sleep on. She thought that was the coolest thing ever, and woke up earlier than usual the next morning to take the strips out of her hair to see the results. We had lots of fun just doing girly stuff together and hanging out. She's awesome.

Backyard Fun!!

2008-07-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we weren't able to join a pool for the summer, but that doesn't mean we haven't had lots of chances for fun in the pool!! We have sweet friends that have had us over swimming at their pools, and we made our version of The Great Wolf Lodge in our backyard!! Miller loved the water slides when we went there, and Lane loved the water basketball, so...this is what we came up with. They even had their afternoon snack in the pool one day - you just can't beat that. We most certainly have a big circle of dead grass under the pool, but it will surely grow back - it's so worth it to have somewhere to cool off in the backyard!

Ole Blue Eyes

2008-06-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hadley adores Laney and Miller. She thinks Lane is hilarious, and - something we think is so funny - she cannot stand to hear Miller cry. She cries immediately if Mil cries. Sweet Baby Hads....

Track 101

2008-06-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

I'm just learning about this whole world of track and field...we went to Laney's first official track meet a couple of Saturdays ago, and it is amazing all that goes on there! A few things I did not know before we got into all of this: track meets take ALL day and they also take place just about every single Saturday, you are kind of like your child's agent b/c you have to have them at the right event at the right time and it's all very confusing to me, you have to have a plethora of snacks (the healthy kind to give them fuel - not the slim jims and little debbies I threw in the bag in a panic to get out the door) and water to last you all that time in the Texas heat, and it's very challenging with little tiny ones who need naps!!!! But, Laney had a great time and managed to get a few ribbons. She actually, since this meet, has decided that she really enjoys longer races much more - like the 300 and 400, as opposed to the 50 and 100 yard ones. Maybe we'll try those at the next meet. And she loves relays. Miller thought the whole thing was "not fair" because he didn't get a trophy. I might also add that Miller doesn't care how he gets a trophy (pie eating contest??), he just knows he wants a trophy...

Baby Hads can sit up!!

2008-06-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

Miller's big day...

2008-06-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

Precious Miller has been asking Jay and I for weeks and weeks if he could ask Jesus into his heart. He has said over and over that he loves God and he knows that Jesus died for our sins. This morning he came to me and said that he really wanted to pray to accept Jesus, so we called Jay at work and Jay and Miller prayed over the phone. It was sweet, sweet. You know, I wondered and wondered if he was too young to grasp it all, and if we should just wait until he was a little older so that he would really be able to get it. But Miller will eventually learn more about what sin is and why we need a Savior, and about the work and the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He will eventually be baptized. But for now, he loves God and believes that Jesus died to save us and rose again from the dead. The Gospel really is meant to be simple - we so complicate things. And after all, it's not about necessarily understanding so much as it is about faith in what God has done for us.

So...we had a big steak and shrimp dinner at Memaw and Peep's house to celebrate, and Grandma is still here, so it was great to have her here for this big day!! I am so thankful...

Old McMiller had a farm...

2008-06-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Yep!!! These are our first ever home grown veggies!!!!!!!!! All out of MoMo's garden in an old sandbox!!!!!!!! He is so proud, and loves to eat things he's actually grown!! I have become totally addicted to gardening. It's such a great destresser, and it's so rewarding...Jay laughs at me for that, but it's true. I'll post more pics of Laney's garden just as soon as her squash are ready to harvest!

Big buddies

2008-06-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

Grandma is in town, and she and Hadley Kate have become best buddies!!! Joyce kept the kiddos for me all week last week while I was in class with Jay. I am so thankful to her for that - it was an amazing class, and I'm so grateful to have had that opportunity. I got to soak up some of Dr. Bingham's wisdom and spend all day everyday with my husband - which is a pretty great combo. While I was in class, Hadley started sitting herself up (from laying on her belly on the floor) and her first tooth came through with another close behind. You can see from the photo where Had got her blue eyes!!!

We LOVE Jason Castro!!

2008-06-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late with this one, but better late than never. You know I could not miss seeing Dreds when he was here a week or so ago. We knew it was going to be CRAZY, so we got down to the harbor about 3 hours before the concert. We went with our friends the Tisons, and our kiddos all wore their swimsuits so they could get wet in the sprinklers while we waited. It was SO hot!!!! Laney, Miller, and Boone decided to make a sign with some of Jason's (Castro) name on each sign. They all worked out whose sign would have which letters and then lined themselves up to make his name - so cute. By the time the singing finally started, tons of people had crowded in front of us and held up signs so it was hard to see, so Laney was on Jay's shoulders and Mil was on mine. The kids were falling apart tired and HOT, but still loved hearing the concert - not nearly as much as their mother enjoyed it, though!!

Lemonade anyone?

2008-06-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

Laney LOVES her a lemonade stand. We were out on a scooter ride when she started asking about setting up one on this particular morning. Well, across the street, a neighbor was having a yard sale - right next door to Memaw and Peeps. So, we set up a table as close to his yard as possible in order to catch the business he was attracting. Laney was all about service, while Mil only cared about the money. That boy loves quarters - he saves them specifically for Joe Willy's game machines. We only had about ten customers, but everyone gave way more than 5 cents per cup, and the kids ended up with $4.60 each. They had a blast!

Soph

2008-06-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Aunt Libby, this is for you so you can see Sophie's new do. This is Memaw and Peep's baby for those of you who haven't seen Sophie, but Miller is certain she's his dog.

Rainy Day camp out

2008-05-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

My kids LOVE to build forts - you know, the kind with every single pillow and blanket from all over the entire house??? I think even Had got excited about the tent!!! I think I took this one a little while back when we were getting so much rain and just forgot to blog it... thankfully it's sunny now so we can go out!!!

My precious baby boy is 4!!!!!!

2008-05-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my sweet love is 4 years old. Time flies. He had the best, best birthday. His most favorite things is presents - of course. He showed great restraint and waited until tonight to open them, except for "Nane's" which he opened early this morning. We got so tickled thinking back on how enormous he was as an infant. Hadley is 8 months and is still in her infant carrier. Miller seriously could only fit into his for a maximum of 2 months. Really. He was massive. He continues to be my big, big boy. He got a slip-n-slide from Memaw and Peeps, blocks from Had, a dolphin (he picked out months ago) from Nane, and a marble run from Mommy and Daddy, but his reaction to the check he got from Grandma was priceless. He started screaming and waving the check around saying, "It's a BANK ACCOUNT!!!!!!". We got that on tape, thankfully. He will so laugh at that later. He requested a castle cake, I think b/c we learned about castles and medieval times this year and he LOVED it. Mil had a great day - we all did. I am so thankful for him and for the joy he brings each of us. He is my precious gift from the Lord.

2008-05-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Mil had t-ball practice tonight on his birthday, and we had the best hot dog picnic afterward at the little playground...such a sweet time. The picnic was full of Mil's faves, including: celery w/ ranch, strawberries, and chips. He inhaled 2 hot dogs also. Did I mention he weighs 50 pounds and Laney weighs 52??? One of the hits of the evening was the little pond beside our picnic table that was loaded with ducks, one of which had three little duckings swimming behind her...the kids fed them all some leftover buns and just enjoyed being by the water. I love picnics...

Great Fun at the Great Wolf!!!

2008-05-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to go to the Great Wolf Lodge since it opened, and we went for Miller's birthday!!! It was a total blast. Really, if you haven't been, you've got to go. Everything was top notch, and the kids, needless to say, did not want to leave!!! Miller discovered he LOVES water slides, Laney fell in love with shooting hoops in the pool, and Hadley went under for the first time! Memaw sunbathed and Peeps even went down some huge water slides!!! Jay and I are huge water slide people, so after the kids went to sleep, Memaw and Peeps stayed in our room so we could go play. SO fun. Mil woke me up the morning after we got home at 6:45 saying, "I wanna go back to da Gwate Wodge, Mom."

Dred head

2008-05-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

Okay...I may be smiling now, but it has taken me a good week to recover from sweet Jason Castro's departure from American Idol. As you can see I am sporting arguably the best looking shirt I've ever seen to show my true devotion to Dreds. I will not watch American Idol next year as I have poured all I have into this season....but I did watch the results show tonight. Go Archuwadda (if someone else must win), as Miller calls him.

More fun at the BBQ...

2008-05-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

Our sweet friends, the Selfs, were in town this weekend, and it was such fun getting to catch up with them. Jeremy graduated this weekend!!! Yay!!! Somehow, the only pictures I ended up with of our time with them was this one of Blake, Miller, and Laney - which is blurry and Laney's eyes are closed. My kids LOVE the Self boys, and I'm so sad I don't have more pics of our time together!!!! I was too busy talking to Ash to take photos!!! The top one is of Mil rolling out of control down the grassy hill...

Hads makes her rounds...

2008-05-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Graduation at the seminary was this weekend, and the kids and I crashed the BBQ for the graduates Friday night where Daddy was hard at work. Somehow, I ended up with all these pictures of Hadley sitting with so many different non-family members!! First, Glenn (Jay's boss) held her while I ate, and she totally slobbed all over his shades...he was such a great sport!!! Then, Hadley took her bottle from Jay's dear friend Kevin's mom and Had fell asleep on her. And lastly, Had visited with our friend Ben's mom during the festivities.

Garden night!

2008-05-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

School's almost out around our house, but for the past - well - month and a half we've been learning about gardening, and it's been a blast!! We (with much help from Peeps) have planted lots of veggies and some fruit in some mini-gardens in our back yard. The kids have LOVED it and so have I. They got to pick what they wanted in their own gardens, and we also have a little family garden. To kind of wrap up the whole garden theme, we had "Garden Night" last week with Daddy, Memaw, and Peeps. We sang "Inch by Inch" (I'd like to give a little shout-out to my Idlewood homey Amy Watson) by Peter, Paul, and Mommy, we did presentations, took a garden tour, and enjoyed a "rainbow vegetable"dinner. It was so great, and I was so shocked by how serious the kids were about it!! Mil even took it upon himself to change clothes right before we started so as to look his best for the big night. One other funny about Miller - while giving the tour of his garden, he accidentally plucked off his bell pepper that was not much bigger than a fat strawberry, and insisted we eat it for dinner. That boy loves him some bell peppers.

Sweet baby Hads

2008-05-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

A red letter day!!

2008-04-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today, Laney accepted Jesus as her savior!!!!! Happy "spiritual birthday" Laneybird!!!!! We all had cupcakes tonight as part of our big celebration...it was a sweet, sweet day. Laney wrote this poem today, and I couldn't resist sharing it:
He is good!!!
By Laney Allen

Jesus Christ is good.
Jesus Christ is good.
His hands are filled with love.
Jesus Christ is good.
He is my savior.
He is my savior.
I love him forever.
He is my savior.
God is great.
God is great.
The ones who believe in him are safe with a gate.
God is great.

I think that pretty much sums it up...

Laney and Kit

2008-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Okay...I didn't ever think we would climb aboard the American Girl train, but it appears we have jumped on board!! Let me start by saying that Laney was invited to an American Girl birthday party - to which you were to bring your doll (you could bring another doll if you didn't have one). Well, Jay and I could hardly stand the thought of our baby not having a doll at the party, so we let Laney use some of the money she's been saving in her account to purchase Kit (which was a small fortune). Memaw and Peeps went with us to make the big purchase, and they insisted on buying Laney a matching outfit for her doll. Laney is totally smitten and has been permagrinned since yesterday with her look-a-like. It's been so fun to see the joy it's given her!!! So, the big party day is tomorrow, and I'm so glad she'll have a doll to take with her...

Runnin the Rock

2008-04-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

We did the Rockwall Family Fun Run/ 5K Saturday...it was such a blast!!! Well, we started off just planning on doing the mile fun run together - I should also say that Laney is our runner (she is a member of the Rockwall Mustangs Track Club)- and Laney and Miller both got ribbons for completing the race. Well, then Laney and I decided to do the 5K as well, and I really didn't know what to expect as far as Laney being able to do it. Can I just say that she smoked me?? :) I was trying to keep up just so I could see her and make sure she knew where to run. Turns out that she actually won first place for her age group!!! We were so proud of her!!! And of Mil on the mile!! Oh...and Hadley and Jay were first place in the stroller division!

2008-04-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is hands down one of my most favorite photos of Hadley Kate...aka Elton John. I bought these sunglasses for Laney when she was an infant, and Laney still carries them in her purse!!! We couldn't resist trying them on Had, and I'm so glad we did.

We love the Arboretum!!

2008-04-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

One of our most favorite things in Dallas is the Arboretum...today was our first visit this spring, and we had such a great time on this beautiful sunny day!! Laney and Miller love to get their faces painted, and today was no exception! We took a picnic lunch and enjoyed all the gorgeous flowers. It was a great school fieldtrip for our garden unit we're doing right now!

Happy 75th Memaw!!

2008-04-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Memaw turned 75 last weekend, and we celebrated big! We went to McCormick and Shmick's, which was so, so yummy, and Memaw got her lobster she wanted for her big day. We told her she had just "rolled the triple quarter"... you'd have to know the story behind that to know why it's so funny to us. Jay and I, when we were first married and living near Atlanta, for some crazy reason used to frequent Ryan's. If you don't know what kind of restaurant that is, it's kind of like Golden Corral - you know, with the cheap buffet... Anyhoo, we were there one night when we overheard the birthday song being sung to a lady at a neighboring table. When a little boy at that table asked his granny how old she was, she responded with, "Son, this year Granny rolled the double nickel"... She was 55. Jay and I thought that was a hoot and have laughed about it since. So, it's not quite as funny as the double nickel, but we "coined" (no pun intended) the phrase "triple quarter" for Memaw's milestone. I'm on a "roll" here....ha, ha....okay I'll stop...

Just a swingin'

2008-04-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe our sweet Hadley Kate is big enough to swing!! The kids had the best time ever all being together on the swings - with Had in the middle. Lane and Mil thought that was the best. That was all before our swingset couldn't take the weight of all three, and Miller's side snapped.... So, now we have two swings instead of three, but it was fun while it lasted!!!

Singin' in the rain

2008-03-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

It was such a rainy, yucky day here on Monday, and the kids jumped at the chance to wear their rain gear...We probably wouldn't have gotten out at all that morning, but we had our music class downtown. I never really encourage them to go hog wild in rain puddles, but that morning I couldn't resist as we came out of the class and saw a long row of huge puddles that were just begging to be splashed in. So, they took off, proceding to get totally soaked in spite of all the rain garb! I just happened to have my camera on me, and I'm so glad I did. This was a precious moment.

Fun in Austin!!!

2008-03-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

We visited our precious friends, the Selfs, in Austin this past weekend. It was just the best time. I thought Miller would surely bust before we made it there, and Laney too!! We had the greatest time just catching up and hanging out at their home. We went to a fun parade on Saturday celebrating the independence of Texas from Mexico, which the kids loved. Saw some proud, proud Texans!!! The pics above were taken at a restaurant that we ate at - it had these two metal statues of a dino and a hippo. You seriously would've thought the things were alive by the way our kids acted!!! I think it was a combo of excitement over being together and the statues... We got all of them (except the babies - Gray and Hadley) on the hippo. (Check out all of their hands in the pictures - we've got "peace", "number one", and "go longhorns"!! ) We love you Self family!!!!!!!!!

Who says American Idol can't be educational?!

2008-02-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

Okay - I'll be the first to admit that we are totally addicted to American Idol. The guy with dreds (Jason Castro) goes to our church, and we think he is AWESOME!!!! We don't know him, we've just heard him sing at church a few times, but you would seriously think we're related by how excited we all get. Miller was wondering lastnight how to spell his name, so today at school we made this sign. We got letter recognition, math (the jewels), fine motor, art - all at once!!! Now what's more educational than that?? :)

Father/Daughter Date Night

2008-02-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late with this one, but here's a pic of Jay and Laney before their date. LakePointe (our church) does a father/daughter date night once a year, and Laney so looks forward to it! Jay brought her a flower home from work that day, then they left for the church where they ate dinner, had entertainment, and had their picture made together. Sweet, sweet time.

Don't it make my brown eyes blue??

2008-02-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

Did this baby come from my body?? I just think it's so funny how different your children can look - Hadley looks like her sister, for sure!!!

Happy Kate Allen

2008-02-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

We used to call Hadley "Spitty Kate Allen" when she was nursing because she was so, so spitty. She hadn't put on any weight or height in almost 2 months because she just couldn't keep anything down. Now, she is on soy formula and we have officially changed her name from "Spitty Kate" to "Happy Kate"! She has always been an easy, happy baby, but now that she keeps so much more food on her tummy she feels SO good!! What a love she is. I told her just tonight that I can't imagine all the joy I would've missed if I had not been blessed with her! She is our precious gift...well, one of them...

Happy 7th birthday, Laney!!!

2008-02-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

We had the best surprise yesterday for Laney's birthday!! Laney's best friend in the world, Payton, and Payton's mom Stacy flew in yesterday. They are so precious!! Laney was absolutely stunned when we pulled up at the airport and Payton climbed in our car!!!! She has been perma-grinned since then. As soon as they got here, we headed for the mall and went to Build-a-Bear. It was too fun. They have played non-stop and put on more shows for us... We went out to eat last night and then came back for cake and ice cream, then the kids stayed up and played until like 10:00 or so. Payton, Laney, and Miller all slept on the bunk beds. SUCH an awesome birthday for our sweet girl!!!!! We love you Stac and Pay-Pay!!!!

Aunt Lib visits!

2008-02-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

Aunt Lib came for a business trip and got to stay for a few days, and it was so great to see her!!! She styling in this photo with her new do. The kids had the best time with her - they LOVE Aunt Lib!!!!!

Reading Buddies!

2008-01-25T13:26:00.000-08:00

Laney is such a great big sister. Really. I am so blessed by her help every day around the house. She's just taken up reading to Hadley in the last couple of days, and she always reads to Mil. Just a few shots of reading time!!

Oh, that smile...

2008-01-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this smile!!!! My crazy camera takes so long, that by the time it actually snaps the picture the smile has faded away!! But, I got one today and had to share it.

Memaw and Peeps' new baby - Sophie

2008-01-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hadley Kate loves her exersaucer!!

2008-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

2008-01-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was so much fun this year...Miller really got into it!!! We all had such fun together. Memaw and Laney are laughing together, Aunt Lib is loving on Had, Miller shows off his favorite favorite gift to Dad - his epet, and Peeps sports his new black hat!!! It was a wonderful, wonderful day.

We LOVE Santa!!!

2007-12-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, I don't know how many of you know about the Santa at Northpark Mall in Dallas, but he really is the best!!! Just to give you an idea, we got our number to see him yesterday at 11:30 in the morning, and we actually got to see him last night at about 7:00. Now, I know that sounds crazy - well, it is, I guess - but we've seen this Santa every year since we've been in Texas, so it's totally tradition. Plus, Laney is really into spotting "fakes", and she knows if there really is a Santa, this has to be him. I mean, he does story time with the kids (I mean great stories), he looks JUST right, he's so great with the kids... Anyway, yesterday after we got our number, we actually ate lunch at the mall, did a little shopping, drove home (abt. 30 or 40 min.) to Rockwall, rested, drove back to the mall, shopped a little, saw Santa, ate dinner at the mall, and drove home. It was crazy - but totally worth it to see Laney and Miller's faces as they climbed onto Santa's lap. They both had their lists written out for him. Laney wrote hers and Miller dictated his to Laney for her to take down for him. We gave Hadley to Santa to hold after Lane and Mil were situated and they got their picture made. Then he handed Had back to us and visited with Lane and Mil. Laney went first reading her list very carefully to Santa as she wrapped her arm around his neck. So darling. And then big man was up. As you'll see in the last photo, he took his finger and guided it along the page slowly as he "read" his list, too. He stumbled a bit and mixed a few things up, but Santa chimed in to help him read. All the while, Laney is cracking up at how cute her brother is trying to read his list like she did. For a moment, there was brother/sister bliss - no arguing or yelling at one another, no aggravating or patronizing, no pushing or tripping... just peace, there on Santa's lap!

2007-12-22T19:21:00.000-08:00

Sweet baby Hadley is 3 months old!!! You can't tell from this photo, but she is the smiliest, happiest baby ever. We are all in love with her. She is such a precious gift from the Lord. She went for a 3 month (really late 2 month) appmt. last week, and she weighs 13.8 pounds now and is 23 1/2 inches long. Now the funny thing about that length is that it is the same length Miller was when he was BORN!!! He was actually 23 1/2 inches when he came into the world. Anyhoo, Hadley Kate is cooing and almost chuckling out loud now. She tries to talk back to you when you talk to her...so precious. Her most favorite songs right now are "Away in a Manger", which Miller LOVES to sing her, and "Santa Baby", which I LOVE to sing her. Both get major giggles and coos and big, big smiles with that crinkled-up nose!!

Our little Picasso

2007-12-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

Laney had her first art show last Saturday! It was so cute. The art show actually took place at The Donut Palace here in Rockwall....all of the students' artwork covered the walls, and there were, of course, donuts to munch as you admired the art!! So fun. The first photo is of Laney with her painting "Mountain Sunset", and the one below is her magazine mosaic "Down on the Farm". She was so proud for us all to see her work. She LOVES art. Miller is actually following in her footsteps and is hoping Santa will bring him art lessons like "Naney" has... It was a fun time, and we are so proud of our "Bird"!!

Home sweet home

2007-12-10T20:07:00.000-08:00

We just rolled in from the big G tonight, and everyone is asleep except for me! It was a great trip home, and we got to spend some time with lots of loved ones. It was definitely a super long drive, but totally worth the effort to see all those we love so dearly!! I wish that I had pictures of everyone we got to see - I guess I was just enjoying visiting so much that I forgot to get my camera out... I do have pics of our kiddos with some of their favorite friends back home (Reeves, Charlie, Hayden, and Lilly) and some pics of Hadley meeting her great grandmother for the first time (Jay's grandma). Thank you Aunt Libby for letting us stay with you while we were in town and for all you did for the kiddos while we were there!! We are so thankful for a wonderful trip and safe travel back to Rockvegas...

Sweet babies

2007-12-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

Laney's new do!!

2007-12-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

So long Selfs...

2007-12-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

Our precious, precious friends, the Selfs, are moving on... I cannot imagine what seminary life for us would have looked like without their family. They are finishing up here in Dallas this semester (Jeremy has a few more classes that he will fly back for or do online next semester), and moving to Austin where they will plant Free Chapel. We are so excited for them, and so sad for us!!!!!!! I am absolutely certain that our families will always be close, but I will miss them living close by more than words can say. Ashley has been such a part of my life for these past few years - my dear, dear friend. Our kids love each other so much, and I know will miss each other so much. They really are kind of like brothers and sisters. So, Selfs, we love you more than we can express and will miss you like CRAZY!!!!! Guess we'
ll have to drive to Austin the next time one of our kids has a birthday, because the Self boys make up the majority of the guests!!!!

Happy Birthday Prom King!!

2007-11-21T06:51:00.000-08:00

Jay's 33rd birthday was yesterday!! He had a great day. I'm not sure if you can read his cake in this photo, but it says, "Happy Birthday Prom King." When he was in highschool, he was crowned Prom King and Homecoming King...and we LOVE to tease him about it - especially Laney and I... So, when we got his cake (I would've made him one, but his all time fave is grocery store white cake with all that white icing) I asked Lane what we should say on it. She immediately said, "Happy Birthday Prom King!!!". I said, "Perfect." So, Jay is 33 now, but he'll always be our Prom King...

Wild turkeys

2007-11-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

We made these turkey hats at school, and Laney and Mil act like crazy people when they wear them!! We are ready for turkey day!!

Whole lotta love

2007-11-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

Ducky Love

2007-11-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

Our sweet friends brought Hadley this duck when they visited this past weekend. It's so cool -I've never seen one like it. It has a hot water bottle in it's tummy, and you can microwave it to warm it. Hadley had a little tummy ache yesterday afternoon, so we warmed it and put it in between her and my chest - she was out cold it about 5 seconds, so I layed her in her bed with it still under her tummy. We just had to show you how cute it was.

Lovin' from home

2007-11-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends came to visit for the weekend from home sweet home, and boy were we all sad to see them go this morning. Heather, Amy, and Laura Beth got here Friday, and we spent the weekend shopping, eating, laughing, and catching up. It was so wonderful to have them here. Laney said just a little while ago, "You know, they really are like our family even though they're just our friends..." - that pretty much sums up how we feel about them.
I love you, girls and will see you in a few weeks!!!!! Kisses!!!

Queen (and King) for a day!!

2007-11-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

We took a field trip to Medieval Times last week because we've been learning about kings, queens, knights, castles....so it was a perfect spot to actually see all we've learned about over the past 11 weeks!! It was a blast. Memaw and Peeps went with us, and Mom even kept her crown on for the entirety of the trip!! We saw live jousting and sword fighting, ate with our fingers, had our picture made with the lord and lady of the castle - SO much fun, and such a memorable experience for the kids.

First smile on camera!!

2007-11-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

David Chicken

2007-11-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

Our sweet friends, The Selfs, went with us to the Arboretum a couple of weeks ago (well, some of the Selfs - Ashley, Blake, Sam, and Gray)...and I'm just now getting around to posting these pics! I misplaced my camera for a few days along the way. Anyhoo, most of these photos are of our kiddos grooving to the sweet tunes of David Chicken - he put on a concert, and it was absolutely hilarious. His momma, Momma Chicken, was the backup singer and stage manager (probably in her 70's) - and it was SO cute. My friend Ashley and I got so tickled watching her. Everyone loved the music, but Blake and Miller (who are best friends, by the way) especially loved it. They actually got on stage and danced to the tune "Robot Dog" - so funny. It was a fun, fun day!!

Trick or treat

2007-10-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

Laney and Miller were SOOOO excited about trick-or-treating tonight!! They had a blast. Our neighborhood was packed with kids going from door to door, and it really was a fun time for all of us. We were proud to be Bulldogs after that great win over the Gators last weekend!!!

You can take the kids out of Georgia, but you can't take Georgia out of the kids!!

2007-10-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

Our church had it's annual Fall Festival last night, and it was a blast! Laney and Miller were decked out in their Georgia attire, and Hadley was a sweet little pumpkin. Miller has been telling us for weeks that he was not going to be a Georgia football player for Halloween - he was planning on being a lion (just like he was last year). But, we had an unexpected change of heart on Thursday night when he put on his Georgia pajamas...he was just overcome with Bulldog pride, and he decided then that he would be a Georgia football player afterall. Needless to say, it was a proud moment for Jay. So, in the middle of Longhorn country, we bravely sported our red and black!! Go Dawgs!!!!

2007-10-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Hadley is not a big fan of baths - she looks so scared, even when we take her out of the water! She is doing so great...such a good baby and such a JOY! We are all in love and can't imagine life without Hadley Kate.

Pumpkin time

2007-10-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! We are loving some pumpkins around here! This was at our little pumpkin patch in Rockwall - the kids are crazy about it. Happy fall everybody!

Home Sweet Home

2007-09-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

We're home from the hospital...Hadley is doing great. Hadley had a good first night with minimal fussing and crying. Joanie is doing pretty good. She has a bad, bad headache that the anesthesiologist said afflicts 1 in 5000 (it's from some new drug they're using) but overall she's doing so much better than she did with the recovery after Laney and Miller.

She's Here!!!

2007-09-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

She's here!!! Hadley Kate Allen was introduced to us at 1:00 p.m. c.s.t. She was 8 lb. 15.9 oz. and 20'1/4''. She's beautiful and beautiful. The C-Section went well and Joanie is still in recovery as of 8:30 p.m. Here are some pix - more to follow. Love, Jason

Hadley's on her way

2007-09-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

ETA for Hadley Kate Allen is 10:00 a.m. 9/18/07. Nobody is more anxious to see her face than Joanie. This has been another tough pregnancy, however, Joanie received some comforting words from her Dr. today. She said the delivery should be like none other as there will be no laboring and they are going to give her some good meds.

Please pray for Joanie that the C-Section will go well and that mom and Hadley are healthy.

I will post pix here as soon as possible.