Phone Dump Friday.

This is going to be a big one, friends, seeing as how I nearly never get the chance to blog these days! Thank goodness for cell phone cameras, or Jack's daily life would be nearly undocumented :)

Lots of fun things happening around here these days, including Ava's return to school after winter break, her switch from enrichment at school on Fridays back into ballet and tap and a program called Lunch at the Theatre (so fun!), and Jack growing and changing everyday!

Wordless Wednesday: How Jack Feels About Teething ALREADY.

Jack's Baptism!

Between the holidays, Ava's birthday and party, and a flurry of doctor's visits I'll discuss in another post, Jack's baptism honestly snuck up on me. Thankfully, since it was going to take place during the church service rather than privately like with Ava, there was little preparation I needed to do, and - aside from the fact that my husband was up all night with food poisoning and was sick as a dog - got to sit back and relax. I like throwing a party and all, but I think I might like delegating it to someone else a little better these days…

Anyhow, here are a few choice shots from Jack's baptism at our church this morning. Being the first Sunday after Epiphany, today was baptismal Sunday in the church, with Jesus's baptism being the focal point of the service. This made it the perfect day for Jackson to become an official member of the church and to be baptized into my faith. My heart feels so light and happy today, and was made even more so by getting to see my sweet, sweet family together in the presence of my congregation and God himself. To think the first time I stood in this church, I was pregnant with Ava and so very, very lost, and now, somehow between then and arriving there this morning, I have become found. In fact, I was baptized in the exact same spot Jack was. There are no words.

Welcome, precious little child
So divine from God above
Christened today in Jesus' name,
Held in His arms of love.
May angels guide your tiny feet
And bring you smiles to wear,
And may our Heavenly Father
Always keep you in His care.

Ava's 4th Birthday!

Ava is four!!!! Holy cow. I've been her mother for four years, and they have been the single most wonderful years of my life!

This year, we were fortunate in that her birthday fell on a Saturday, and so we were able to have her party on her actual birthday! We also had both my in-laws in town (my MIL has never come to her party before, so it was a big deal for Ava!), and I had some friends in town from Houston/LA/etc that came as well, making it extra special!

Our theme this year was Lion King, since she'd been requesting a Lion King party for the past several months and I ordered all her supplies before I had Jack to ensure it was done in time and not forgotten (side note: this sounds crazy, but was essential to me not scrambling last minute and I would highly recommend it!). We also took the party from our house, where it has been the past several years, to a park, and the weather held up beautifully! It wasn't exactly balmy, but it was in the low 60's, and the rain held off until the very end, when it sprinkled briefly!

Here's some shots of the party set-up:

The worst part of not being able to eat dairy was missing out on cookie cake!!

Happy Birthday, Ava! 

I always adore celebrating Ava's life and the coming year with her, and this year was no exception with all the special people who made the effort to come out and be with us - we love you all so much!

And, of course, one of the birthday girl and her baby brother in matching outfits!

Jack's First Visit to Campus: A Christmas Break Tradition!

One of the best things about our jobs is that both my husband and myself are off for a week to a week and a half over the Christmas/New Year's holidays. Seeing as how campus is also closed during that time, we have made it a tradition to go and explore campus with Ava in years past, and this year took both of our kids (that plural will never fail to amaze me!) to visit! Hopefully we're raising two future Longhorns!