say cheese...

PLEASE!!! i begged and bribed both olivia and mark to take a family picture for our christmas card. since i am so behind on my blog i am sure most of you have received the card, but here are a few extra pics from the 20 minute photo shoot.

this was the winner!! i hate that jack is not smiling but it was the best one of all of us.

this was the runner up.

cute one of jack and o.

i love olivia when she is giggling.

jack and his cute self.

oh, and here is olivia our family photographer. don't tell her that her camera doesn't actually work.

a special thanks to aaron for sharing his time and AWESOME camera with us.

it's christmas time in the city...

and i can't get enough of it!!

the first weekend in december we took at trip to NYC with mark's parents and sarah and christman. just the six of us, no kids. the trip was planned to celebrate marsha's birthday, but i think we all appreciated and enjoyed the trip. what a treat to be in the greatest city at christmas time!

marsha (the birthday girl), me, mark

i love NYC. i love the hustle and bustle. i love riding the subway. i love all the people. i love the christmas decorations EVERYWHERE. i love central park. i love the theater. i love the yummy food (yes, even the street food). i just love the feeling you get when you are in the middle of it all. all that said, i was so excited to be back in the city. we had a super fun time, well i did anyway!

we ate some delicious food...

my favorite dessert @ sea grill on the rockefeller ice skating rink

shopped...

macy's. it is the BIGGEST store ever and it was soooo crowded. christman bought a really fun pair of shoes here.

rode the subway and a carriage ...

all over the city.

through central park.

went to see the rockettes...

at radio city.

had fun just being together...

all together at dinner our last night.

and even got to experience the snow...

the last night while we were at dinner in rockefeller center. it was beautiful.

mark and i also had the chance to visit our sweet friends, the sullivans, while we were in town. i loved hearing all about their life in city. it made me want to move there. even though they live an adorable apartment a quarter of the size of our house. it seemed just perfect to me! we also got to see wicked and then go to a fun dinner. the show was AMAZING, the best i have ever seen!! the restruant was recommended by our friends and it was WONDERFUL!

it was a great trip. thanks danny for a FABULOUS trip filled with lots of memories.

sweet kingsley

today is kingsley's birthday. happy 3rd birthday KK! i have been so behind in blogging, but i must take time to post about one of the most precious little girls in my life. kingsley, or KK, as she is more often called, is my adorable niece. i have the priviledge of getting to spend lots of time with KK. she is a special little girl to me. i love her with all my heart and would do anything for her. when i think about kingsley i just smile. i smile when i think about holding her on her "birth" day and admiring every inch of her little tiny face. i smile when i think about the way she has always been able to make anyone smile with her priceless grin. i smile when i think about the precious little sister that she is to her sister abby. i smile when i think about how she can melt her daddy's heart with a single look. i smile when i think about the special bond that she shares with olivia. i smile when i think about how she can make her mommy laugh with her adorable personality. i smile when i think about her jumping on the trampoline at "jump- jump." i smile when i think about how much comfort she can find in holding her "na-na" and sucking her thumb (adorable). i smile when i think about how funny she is while performing her latest "trick" in her living room in front of an adoring audience. i smile when i think about KK!! she has the biggest heart, gives the best hugs, and can make any day better with her smile. she is my wonderfully made niece that is lovable, hungry, artistic, hiliarious, sensitive, super duper baylor fan, musical, and precious.

here are a few (well several) pics of KK and her smile...

kk's visit to the pumpkin patch her first halloween. she loved the straw. it made for a cute pic.

see told you-- she melts her daddy's heart!

this pic is so KK to me. well baby KK. i love the look and how she is sucking her thumb.

kk first birthday party. i thought she was so big, now she is three and turning into a little girl! so sad, yet such a blessing that i get to be apart.

i love this picture because it shows the funny side of KK.

i love this picture too. like the thumb pic, this is soooo KK to me.

kk at "jump-jump." she loves it!!

she also loves her cousins, jack and olivia...

kingsley, i love being your T. i cherish all the special memories that we get to make together and i can't wait for what is still to come. i hope your day is as special as you are. i love you so much. happy birthday sweet girl!

coming soon...

NYC trip, santa claus, christmas traditions, and whatever else i am forgetting. i guess the craziness of the holiday season has gotten the best of me and blogging has moved to the bottom of the list. i promise that i will update soon. hope everyone is having a happy december and enjoying the season with friends and family. check back soon!

our little baby boy...

is 6 months old!!! i can't believe it!! where has the time gone? olivia doesn't remember life without him and i am starting to feel the same way. he is such a blessing to our family. he brings so much joy to our home with his priceless smile that is ALWAYS on his face.


i have not been "on top of things" these last 2 weeks so we haven't been to the doctor for the 6 month stats, but those will be coming soon. i did call and schedule that appointment today!! jack has changed quite a bit since my last post about him. he has 2 teeth! they are on the bottom and super sharp. i can't wait for them to get a little bigger so i can get a pic. he is eating 3 meals a day. he continues to love anything that i put on a spoon and stick in his mouth. he much prefers the apples and pears to the sweet potatoes and pea, but who wouldn't! due to his good eating habits he is growing and gain weight. he is finally developing some rolls on his little legs. i love a "healthy" baby! he is ALMOST sitting up by himself. he could do it if he wasn't so interested in his feet or the floor. as soon as you sit him up he bends over to put his feet in his mouth or tries to taste the floor.

that is the update for now. those are little milestones that we have been celebrating in jack's life. how lucky we are to have him!

turkey day at the lake...

was so much fun!!! tuesday after mark got home from work we loaded up the kids, the stuff, and the casseroles and headed to cedar creek lake to the bowlin lakehouse. this is our first thanksgiving to have the lake house so we were thrilled to spend the long holiday weekend celebrating thanksgiving and just hanging out together as a family.

wednesday we prepared for our thanksgiving feast. sarah and i finished up making some yummy pies and the girls made placemats for everyone.

olivia hard at work gluing feathers to her turkey.

the finished products!!

thursday we had a super day hanging out, making christmas ornaments, eating, and of course watching football.

the girls painting their ornaments. they are SO PRETTY, anyone want one?? olivia's turned out very "mari gras" all purple, yellow, and green.

mark and jack watching football. not sure if that is spit up or pumpkin pie on mark's shirt. :)

we also made a live "jack-in-the-box." how cute is he??

we had some family/church friends from dallas come out on friday afternoon. i played mexican dominos for the first time. it was super fun. i can't wait until i have at least 4 people together that are up for another game really soon.

it was a really great time with family and friends. as i was riding home this morning, i was thinking about how blessed i am to have such a precious family that i love so dearly. i really feel rested and ready for the christmas season. now if i can just get all the decorations up and the gifts wrapped i will really feel ready to enjoy december.

i love the fun memories that we are making as a family. look how happy everyone is!! we love the lake!

thanks bowlin family for a great thanksgiving. can't wait unitl thanksgiving 2010 to do it all over again.

thankful heart...

seems a little cliche, yet totally appropriate to post about what i am thankful for, so here it goes...

i am thankful for...

- trusting, loving, and serving a God that brings peace and joy, teaches how to love, faithfully answers prayers, and demonstrates grace.

- my precious husband. he serves our family so well.

- the opportunity to be a full time mommy! what a joy (well most days) it is to watch my kids grow and change. i love that i get to be there for the tears, the laughter, and all the sweet moments.

- my life being changed by knowing Emily Sha Martin.

- the chance to serve in the children's ministry at my church all because Sweet Hopkins believed in me.

- the unconditional love that i feel from my entire family. how lucky i am to have so many people love me so well.

- my bible study girls.

- my friends, you know the ones that REALLY know me and love me anyway. (you know who you are!)

- a restful holiday weekend at the lake with my bowlin family.

i could go on and on, but those are my thoughts for now. now it is your turn, just think about all that you are thankful for. happy thanksgiving!!