Scotty's Angels

Hey Ya'll!

2007-06-11T21:32:00.001-07:00

Did you miss us? We are back and ready to blog!!! Those of you who stopped checking will be suprised to see a new post, huh?

Well let's see, we have played t-ball, taken swimming lessons, built a patio, registered for kindergarten, planted a garden, made new flower beds, fished, worked, played and found out we are going to have a nephew on the Strack side and one or the other on the Akers side. I think that about sums it up.

Here are some pictures of the a few highlights.

A much needed update

2006-10-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long. I guess this is a much needed update.
So much has happened since the last one! Our whole lives have changed!
Since Sauloman turned 4 this summer I started looking for pre-schools to send him to. After talking to many teachers and friends and some teacher friends I decided an institutional Pre-K may be better next year. Scotty and I decided to enroll him in a day school for now.
I thought about working part time since I could take Thatcher to the same school on a day to day basis. I started sending out my resume. And low and behold, before I knew it, I started getting calls for interviews. After a few offers and some lengthy deciding I chose to go back to work full time. Actually its about 34 or so hours a week.
It worked out so well, I know it was ment to be. The day school we take the boys to is small. So small in fact that my boys get to be together the whole time they are there. It is 6 miles from our house and owned by a friend of a friend. I take the boys in the morning and they eat breakfast, play, sing, do worksheets, art, and then eat lunch, take a nap and then Scotty comes to get them about 2:30pm.

They are learning so much! Sauloman can say about 15 things in sign language. He is counting in Spanish and learning the days of the week. Thatcher plays so good with other kids. He is always singing a new song and knows his ABC's. Thatcher is also learning his colors. I always thought I taught my kids alot of things but, I guess they were ready for a new learning environment.

I am so proud of them too! Not one day has Sauloman said he did not want to go or cried for me to stay. Thatcher had 2 days when he wanted me to stay and was easily convinced he would be fine. I have been so blessed with these little angels. I miss them so much in the mornings when I drop them off. I can't wait to see them when I walk in the door every night. They aren't babies anymore!!!

A Day In The Life of Our Family

2006-08-07T23:00:00.000-07:00

We are FINALLY getting back to our normal routine! We haven't been to Arkansas in over a week. All that back and forth was wearing me out ya'll! We stayed home this weekend and had a few couples over for a cookout on Sunday. Scotty killed a hog Saturday morning and of course we had ribs on Sunday! They were not too bad, I had never tasted wild hog meat before. It wasn't really any different from regular pork although, I did eat the ribs I had bought a few days earlier rather than the "fresh" meat.
As you know Scotty is obsessed with hunting. We have a deer feeder in our back yard and it stays full of corn year 'round. He caught a view of this momma deer and her baby today. We have seen them quite often already this year. He was standing on our back porch when he took this picture. The boys love looking for them at the feeder. They stand on my dining room chairs and look out the big windows for them.

Catching Up

2006-07-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry its been so long. We have been really busy.
Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to.
Thatcher is now 2 years old. His birthday was on June 24th.
My Grandmother is very ill in the hospital in Little Rock so his party was shy a few family members. We made the best of it though thanks to a few good friends. We recieved word that she was in a bad way that day so everyone rushed to the CCU at Baptist. She is still there now so if you will please, remember her in your prayers.
Thatcher picked a Curious George theme for his party. I made his cake, for the second year now. He thought he was something special. We had games and favors not to mention we all made our own bannana splits to go with our cake.

Thatcher's Uncle Kevin and Aunt Robin wanted to know what they could get Thatcher for his birthday. We told them if they wanted to to they could get him a sleeping bag. He just loved Sauloman's when we were camping. So, they went to Bass Pro Shop to pick one up and came home with a new ski boat!!! Yeah!!!

We went to Shreveport for the 4th and to go out on the boat. The boys are hooked! Even Scotty. We love going to their house because we miss them alot. We always have a blast there. They are a load of fun. Our boys and Jack run around their house like it is their own. We really wished we lived closer. Check back and I will add a few more pictures in a couple of days. I am Back and forth so much with my Mamo I haven't really had alot of time.

Papo and His Water Slide

2006-06-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Papo bought the boys an inflatable water slide this weekend. They had so much fun! Even Papo himself went down it! Thatcher wasn't too crazy about the shower of water that sprayed from the top of the slide but, he did go down a few times with Landan. Liam came over and brought a big squirt gun. He was the smart one in a swimsuit. Here are a few pics(Thanks Amy). As you can see we did not bring swim trunks with us this weekend. Can you say WEDGIE?

Our First Family Camping Trip

2006-06-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

We got a wild hair and thought we would take the boys camping this weekend. We looked online and tried to find somewhere close in Arkansas we could go and wound up settling on DeQueen Lake. It is an Army Corps of Engineers lake. Neither Scotty or myself had ever been there before so we were pleasantly suprised to find that the lake was very nice. It was no Greers Ferry but it was pretty none the same. The water was simular to Beaverfork but the lake was 5 times as large. It was in the middle of mountains because it was formed when they dammed a river. Not to mention, it was almost deserted. The lake was smooth as glass. Perfect for skiing.(ofcourse we don't have a ski boat.)

The boys were so good all weekend. Scotty brought their bikes and I brought their trucks, flashlight, and binoculars. We swam, fished and played all weekend. They never ran out of things to do. Our friends Marcie and Kaleb came and brought my girl Gracie. I took lots of pictures of the kids.

Jack came along and was quite the little camper. He fished on the boat with us, swam in the lake with us, slept in the tent with us, he was happy just to be there.

We had a hot shower, clean bathroom, and electricity for a fan to blow on us as we slept in our tent. It was a great weekend. If anyone wants to go for the weekend or even longer, we highly suggest it. We would probably go again with you if you let us know!

Visit From Bea & Landan

2006-06-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

Brandi and Landan came down this weekend. It was so pretty out Saturday that Scotty went fishing and left us here to play in the sprinkler and pool. He was suppose to get the big pool out
but he "forgot". The boys were forced to swim in a baby pool and refill it every 20 minutes because they splashed so much water out! I can't complain about him too much because, he kept the boys while my sister and I went to see her favorite band Cross Canadian Ragweed. They were playing in Paris. It was pretty fun. Although, I don't know if it was because I liked the band or because I actually got a night out with no kids or a husband to stress me out. I love them SOOOO much but, a girl needs girl time. I recovered all the next day. I guess I am getting old! Maybe it's just that I am out of practice. That is fine with me. Here are a few photos. As you can see we were really close, 2nd row! We made a few friends too, imagine that!?

Sharp Dressed Man

2006-05-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Sam Strack got married and asked Thatcher to be his ringbearer. We of corse could not help ourselves. The opportunity for pictures in a tux that small is too rare. His tux was black and he had an ivoy vest and long tie, just like the groom! He did a great job. The flower girl is a month younger than he is so, for two babies under 2 years old, they were wonderful. I must say that for one minute they stold the show. Congratulations Sam & Kelli!

A Day of Play

2006-05-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Today Sauloman got to play in the sprinkler that his Aunt Robin bought him. It was so hot out that the day was perfect for it. At first he was a little timid. That wore off fast and he was soon running and doing "jump flips" through it, as he calls them. He had a blast.
Thatcher on the other hand was not about to get into the "rain". He decided to watch from the deck. He thought Sauloman was entertaining. And yes they were running around in their skivvy's, why not.

Cupcakes with a Cutie

2006-05-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

Today our friend Gracie came to stay with us for the day. We always have so much fun when she comes. The boys love having a playmate and I have to say I love having a little girl around the house.
The three of them play very well together. Gracie loves to sing and dance. She is potty training too so it helps me get Thatcher use to going. I don't let him run around necked when she is here though. I don't want to raise an exhibitionist or scar Gracie for the rest of her life.

While she was here we made cupcakes. They had it all over them. Being aware that this might happen, I put aprons on them. They helped pour all the ingriedience in the mixing bowl, place the paper cups in the muffin pan and of course, lick the beaters and spoon. The way it looked on Gracie's face was similar to a puppy dog. Especially with her little dog ears. Then it was time to make a few crafty projects. We colored and and glued and colored some more. Lunch was over before we knew it and nap time was starring us in the face so down they went.

As you can tell she sported a few different hairstyles throughout the day. She would take her hair down and I just HAD to fix it back. You all know how bad I hated that, right? GIRLS! I want one!!! We had a great day. Thanks Gracie for comming to play! We love you.

Potty Training

2006-05-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we are officially working on potty training. I remember trying at this age with Sauloman and waiting a few months after our first attempts to really get him trained. Thatcher on the other hand has been showing an interest for a while. He has been sitting on the potty before we get in the bath for a few months. Then all of the sudden he started telling me he was pee peeing in his diaper. Just Sunday morning after getting out of the tub he ran from the kitchen to my bathroom, nude, climbed up on the toilet and went! That was my cue. What I had been waiting for. So we kept his diaper off and let him go without anything from his waist down, a trick we learned with my nephew and Sauloman. He only had 1 accident in the floor that night. The next morning, after completing job #2, I let him go that way again. From about 11:00 until 2:00 he did great. Then around the 2:00 time he peed in the floor. I guess I need to paper train him! He actually came and told me right afer he did it. I think we may get him trained soon! I hope so, anyway.

Fishin' at the Farm

2006-05-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday we took the kids fishing. We have 3 ponds on the farm in Greenbrier so we decided to take advantage of them. Our friends the Kirschbaums came along with our cousins Jason and Payton. We caught a few but for the most part they weren't really biting. We had a good time trying though.
The Kirschbaums brought a kite that is used mostly for para-surfing. The guys had a time learning to fly them. Doug spent most of the time rescuing Daddy and Scotty's downed kites.
It was a challenge but, they eventually got it. Here are some pictures.

Sauloman's Big Reward

2006-04-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday Sauloman recieved a reward because he had been such a big boy. His daddy and I have been trying to get him to sleep all night in his own bed. He usually wakes up in the middle of the night and crawls into our bed. This has been going on since Thatcher was about 8 months old. We have been telling him for a while that if he could sleep in his bed all night for three nights in a row we would take him to Chuck E. Cheese. Well he finally has decided to try real hard. Now we are promising bunk beds if he keeps it up. He wants to have bunk beds to sleep on the top bunk.(of course) I just want to make sure he sleeps all night so I won't worry about him getting out of bed on the top bunk. Don't let me forget to say how nice the extra room will be in my own bed!!

The boys had so much fun. We had not been since Thatcher was just crawling. Let me tell you.....we won't go again unless I have reinforcements!! Two kids running in all directions, one sreaming and crying if he looses site of you and keeping "Reachie Strack" away from everyone's game of ski ball(he likes to steal the balls) is not an easy task! We had a great time though. We were all worn out when we left.

They have a blue screen for the kids to dance in front of. When they do, they can see themselves on a TV screen. You see who ate that up, don't you?

Easter

2006-04-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken so long to post this. Here are some pics from the Easter egg hunt on Saturday that Mom helped put on at Wooster City Park and a few from Easter morning. We had a great time playing with Isaac, Livvy and Bo. It was good to see Aunt Bev and her clan. These days it is so hard to get extended family together because of other obliagations on holidays. This egg hunt was a wonderful way to get all the little ones together and for us to visit for a while. Congratulations to Bo for winning that big fire engine. I bet you are having fun with that!

The boys were looking pretty sharp for church Sunday morning. For some reason it looks like Thatcher is upset, but if you click on the picture you will see he is simply saying,"Cheese!". Of course Sauloman had on his boots and buckle. He wanted to wear his hat but, I told him, "Only girls wear Easter bonnets!".
They were SO good in church because the Easter Bunny left them all kids of stuff to keep them busy durring mass. That Easter Bunny sure knows what he is doing! After pilfering through their baskets we took a little nap and woke up just in time for lunch. With Scotty having to work the next day, we packed it all up and came back home.

Hope everyone has a

2006-04-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

A Real Cowboy

2006-04-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

You guys, Sauloman realy truely believes that he is a REAL cowboy. He fights me tooth and nail to wear Wranglers and cowboy boots. Thank you Landan and John Wayne! He would just as soon watch a western as a cartoon. He knows how to load, aim & shoot a pistol and a rifle.( Toys of course, although real ones work about the same.) He has worn out about 5 stick horses and twice as many cowboy hats. He thinks because we live in Texas that he is suppose to be a cowboy.
His cousin Landan has stayed with my grandfather, a cattle farmer, durring he day since he was born. Like the old saying " Do what you know", Landan has picked up the western way of life. Now, Landan is Sauloman's best friend and Sauloman is his biggest fan. So, we have a little red neck on our hands and thats okay because we all know what a redneck his daddy is!HAHAHAHA! God bless them both!

I took these pictures in my mom's yard. He loves it when I fallow him around with a camera. He likes to look at himself in these kind of pictures because he thinks he looks tough. I love them bacause I know we will look back at them in the future and remember how many questions he asked, such as
"Do cowboys do this momma?" and "Do cowboys eat that momma?"
Sometimes I encourage him to explore things other than all things western and it works for a while. It's not long however, until his mind goes right back to bad guys and bucking horses......whatever makes him happy.

Carson & Barnes Circus

2006-04-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday the circus was in town so we took the kids to see the show. They were so excited they could hardly wait.
The big, and I do mean big, thing that excited them were the elephants. We actually woke up early in the morning and went down to the park and watched the elephants put up the Bigtop tent. It was so fun. We tried to get pictures of them working but, they were inside the tent and you could not see them on camera because of the lighting.
There were camels, ponies, llamas, a zebra, a hippo, horses and goats. The boys enjoyed petting the goats very much.

After the morning of fun we went to eat at Daddy's Mcdonald's. The playground was a great bribe for the boys to eat their lunch. Then it was back home for a much needed nap!

Later that night at the circus we witnessed lots of amazing feats. There were acrobats, tightrope walkers, hula-hoopers, clowns, elephants, dogs, ponies, and horses all doing tricks. We had a great time being entertained by these talented preformers. Suprisingly alot of them were children. It made me wonder how different their lives must be from my children's. I can't say I wasn't a little concerned about their futures but, I guess without people with those lifestyles my family would not have been able to take pleasure in a night at the circus! It just struck me as a little sad. Even though, we had a great time and got lots pictures to remember this night for a long time. I put a slide show together with a few short videos, the music is a little annoying so, turn it down if it bothers you. It is olaying on a tiny screen right now but they told me it would be fixed next week. If you are having trouble seeing it try again in a few days.

View this clip on Vimeo

Skinny Dippin'

2006-03-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot of three little neck-necks playing in the creek by my Mom & Dad's house weekend before last. I have been wanting to post it and little hands lost my memory card, so I am just getting to.

Sauloman, Payton, & Landan stripped and jumped in after a dam Scotty helped build the day before swelled with water. Their butts were red because the water was cold. Too cute to pass up a picture.

Looking Back

2006-03-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

Looking through some old pictures I ran across this one. I remember what it was like when Sauloman didn't really know for sure but, trusted the fact that there was a new baby comming.
This is not the most flattering picture but, I love it, because it was a sweet moment caught on film.
Who knows, Maybe next time there will be a girl in there!!

WE LOVE BABIES!

2006-03-06T22:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to Arkansas as we do many of our weekends, only this time we had a special treat. My first cousin Jessi had a little girl 4 weeks early on February 23rd. After a week in the hospital getting strong enough to come home she finally did. We were so excited to get to see her. The boys absolutely loved her. I would just like to say to Jessi, "I know we made you a nervous wreck, and you were so sweet to let the boys come around. Sorry Thatcher was such a handful. Hopefully Sunni will be an angel like Sauloman was."

Sunday we went to Lily's 1st birthday party. She is really getting to be a big girl. We had a great time seeing everyone in the family and hearing the good news about Sherry and Michael who are expecting!!! Congratulations guys!

We also got to see Mallory Rose at the party who is now 2 months old and 12 1/2 lbs.! This was our first time to see her other than in the blog or pictures. I would love to take her home with me and keep her for my own. You all know how bad I want a girl! The boys didn't know what to do with all the babies. Thatcher didn't really want me holding them too much when he would catch me doing so. Stephanie and Zack brought the twins and Carson to the party. That's two more babies to hold. They are getting big too. 6 months old now, they were born on 9/11. They are so sweet. I just don't know how you do it Stephanie! Two babies and a 3 year old is hard work!!!

Happy Birthday Scotty!

2006-02-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

Scotty turned 29 today but, we had a little party for him Sunday while we were all together. These are a few pics from that day. As many of you know Sauloman and this hat are inseparable. It was never a big problem but now it's just a tad bit small! Maybe a new one will solve the problem.?. Thank you Robin and Kevin for making our weekend special. We will be back soon.

Happy Mardi Gras!

2006-02-26T16:11:00.000-08:00

This Thursday Busia & JaJa came to New Boston before we all went to Shreeveport on Friday. Kevin & Robin were having a Mardi Gras party before the Krew of Gemini parade on Saturday. We had lots of fun visiting them all. The party was so fun.
Since they live just three houses away from the parade route we were in prime location for fun. Not to mention it was the end of the route so they threw out all their beads, cups,stuffed animals and balls. It rained all day and a little at the begining. Then it quit all together. It was a little wet but, that didn't stop us.
We went down last year for the parade and Sauloman could hardly wait! He remembered the snap pops and the sword that he bought last time and was eager for more. As you can see in this pictur he was not disappointed. This was Scotty's parent's first time and they had a blast. They wanted to make it an annual event for the family. It was nice being together but we missed Christopher and Stephanie. Maybe next year!

Robin and Kevin's Friends were great! Some we had met and others were new. All of them were fun and made us feel part of the gang. We will definately be back to hang out with them. Sauloman made friends with two boys. Kevin's boss' sons Noah and Brayden. They were older by a five years or so but, he thought he was just as big. They liked him so much that they invited him to go to the motorcross races but he didn't want to miss anything. Scotty had a time trying to apease both of our guys by holding them. For the most part Sauloman was on his shoulders and Thatchee was passed around among us. We caught gobs of beads.
Thatcher didn't want to take his off. He kinda got mad when I went to remove them from around his neck and after seeing us take ours off he was okay with it.

OH, Sunni Day!

2006-02-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Jess and Jessi! Sunni Brint Knapp was born on February 23rd weighing a whopping 4lbs. 13oz. Mom and baby are doing good, but Dad is having a hard time keeping his feet on the ground! Momma Toad has been croacking non-stop and Aunt Stacy eagerly awaits her first diaper change! Check their blog in a few days for pics and Information! We can't wait to see you, Sunni. We will be there next week!

Favorite Photos

2006-02-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

Since we did not start blogging until Thatcher was a year old we did not get to post some of our favorite photos. Here are a few that we love. This concept is new to me and for some reason when I posted the pictures it duplicated itself. Please excuse this as I am still learning.

Playin' at the Park

2006-02-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the park to play. We haven't been in a while so the guys were really excited. Thatcher was not big enough last time to really do much. This time however he ran and played with the big kids. He slid and slid down the slide. We have a slide at home but for whatever reason this one was more fun.

Sauloman made friends left and right. He really liked one little girl and played with her most of the time. Come to find out they were only 5 days apart. I will have to watch him because he is already girl crazy!!! We had a great time and we will go alot more now that Thatchee can do so much more there.

Big Monkeys & Little Dog Ears

2006-02-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend we were in Arkansas. One night at Omie & Papo's, Aunt Bea got a little silly and gave all the boys dog ears. Even Uncle Chad. The guys looked so silly we had to snap a few pictures.
Don't think these tuff guys were weary of dog ears because they kept them in the rest of the night as they played cowboys. We tried to convince them that was how the indians wore their hair, but I don't think they bought it. Hmmm.....I can't tell you what made Chad keep his in.

Hanging Around The House

2006-01-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

It hasn't been too cold outside lately and we just can't help but take advantage of the mild temperatures by playing outside all day. The back yard looks like a daycare with all the riding toys, dumptrucks, wagons and etc.

The boys got a new swing for Christmas made from recycled tires. It's suppose to look like a bull or a steer. As soon as Scotty put it up he was pushing Sauloman too fast and made him hit the tree. He is just getting to where he will swing and not just sit on it.

Thatcher learns a lot from his brother. Sauloman is teaching him how to drive the gator. He is so little & it's cute to see him behind the wheel while Sauloman rides. What ever the big one does the little one does. It's monkey see- monkey do.

We haven't been to Arkansas in a few weeks and we are MISSING IT! We will be there at the end of the month so we aren't gonna suffer too badly. It has been kind of nice actually not packing up and driving so much. All I have to do is close my eyes and I am there anyway. We may have lived here for a few years, but Greenbrier is still home to me.

Bye Bye 2005!

2006-01-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

We rang in the New Year with our friends at the Farris family lake house, also called Notting Hill. As you can see we had a great time. Since we don't live in Conway we really don't see them much, so it was fun to catch up with everyone. The group picture is not as good as I know Laura's will be so maybe she can sent it to me and I can replace it.

We ate too much, drank too much(those who were not pregnant) and played a few games. As always Catch Phrase was the most fun. We all had a blast playing it, although the "LOVE SEAT" was almost just as entertaining. :)

View this clip on Vimeo
I hope you guys enjoy the pictures and the short video. Thanks for an enjoyable night! We love you all!

Happy New Year!

2005-12-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last posting. We have been so busy with Christmas and shopping and traveling! Now that things are settling down we have a sick baby boy.
Thatcher has a bacterial infection. It is intestinal so his tummy has not felt very good for a few days now. Fortunately we have been giving him antibiotics so he should start feeling better very soon.
We are still in Arkansas while Daddy is working at home in Texas. He will be coming back to spend New Year's with us. We miss him a lot. The boys especially.
We did have a bit of excitement lately. My dad shot a big 8pt. down in the pasture here in Greenbrier. He was the largest deer ever killed on our farm. He was proud!
Well I hope everyone has a great New Year and I promise it won't be long before our next post.

How 'bout them horns!

2005-11-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

Here is the 1st deer Scotty killed in Illinois. This ten point weighed 175 feild dressed. Needless to say he is getting it mounted. I am just thrilled about that!(not really) I know he had fun harvesting this deer and it is well deserved. He killed two more button bucks and he and my dad shot the same doe on the last morning they hunted, he can fill you in on the details. I just wanted to share the pictures. I know he is proud and rightfully so.

This is a picture of how far apart the two button bucks were when he shot them. They were at different times, but, very close shots.

Johnson's Pumpkin Patch

2005-10-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the pumpkin patch with Omie, Aunt Bea, Landan, Amy and Liam. We had a great time. There were lots of animals to see and pet. We went on a hay ride all over the pumpkin patch, Landan could hardly wait to do that. We took lots of pictures.

There was a tunnel made out of hay bales which kept the boys entertained for a while, Sauloman said that was his favorite part of the trip. We looked all over the patch and finally all the boys found their own pumpkins, with a little help from the moms of course. There were so many. We pulled a wagon around to help us haul kids and what else....PUMPKINS!

All the baby animals were so cute! We wanted to take them all home. The weather was perfect for us. I think Liam was glad he came. Thatcher didn't quite know what to think about all the small pumpkins, he kept trying to eat them.

After about two hours we were all pooped out and headed back to Omie's to play for a while before taking a nap. What a day!

The Boys In The Bubbles

2005-10-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

Oh how these boys love a bubble bath! All I have to do is turn on the water and they come running. Because it is so much easier to bath them together, we always do so. Sauloman enjoys pouring water on Thatchee's head, and Thatch loves to climb on Sauloman. They both act like they are swimming. Neither are very afraid to put their heads under. I loved these pictures and I thought you would too.

Big Pig!

2005-09-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Scotty has a friend that farms. He is always having wild hogs rooting up the soy beans and etc., so he will hunt them or trap them to sell. This video is of a hog they trapped. Scotty took Sauloman over to see it. They usually are smaller than this paticular one. As you will see, Scotty dressed Sauloman all by himself.

View this clip on Vimeo

HELP! Somebody Save Me!!!

2005-09-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

Strack boys by day, Super Heroes by night! We happened upon these pajamas and the boys LOVE them. Batman has a cape and there are spider webs attatched to the pajama top belonging to Spiderman. Sauloman asked if he would be able to fly when he wore his. Anything that gets them excited to put on there P.J.s is a good thing. Not to mention going to bed knowing I have Batman and Spiderman under one roof really makes a girl feel safe! I love these tough guys. Later on the next day I caught them watching a movie on the computer and I thought it was too cute to pass up a picture opportunity.

Rainy Day Play

2005-09-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

A few days ago , after a week of sweltering heat, the sky clouded up and thunder started rolling. Before we knew it rain began pouring from the sky. Scotty had not been home long and the boys were starving for is attention. He took them outside on the porch to watch the rain or so I thought. He saw that there was no lightning and encouraged them to play in the rain. Sauloman and Scotty both stripped down to there underwear and Thatch in his T-shirt and diaper. I caught some of the action on film and wanted to share it with you. I anxiously await your comments!
View this clip on Vimeo

Bye Bye Crib!

2005-08-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

Last night Scotty and I decided to convert Thatcher's crib into a toddler/daybed. This is a picture of his first night in a big boy bed. Even though it has a rail he still is a big boy! I usually just put him down and he goes straight to sleep, but since he could get down if he wanted, I read him a book and laid with him until he fell asleep. When he gets use to sleeping in his bed this way I will phase that out.
He did terrific! I still have a monitor in his room so I listened for him all night and it was like he didn't care if the bed rails were there or not. We are very proud of him!

Mornings On the Couch

2005-08-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

Every morning after breakfast, the boys and I lay on the couch and watch Dora the Explorer. They fight over who can lay more closely to me. Yesterday, I was thinking to myself about how much I hope they will always want to be "the closest one to me" when they grow up. It made me get up and grab my camera and capture the mornings I enjoy so much, because I know it won't be long before the two of them will shutter at the thought of sweetly loving on their Momma the way they do now.

Climbing

2005-08-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Thatcher is very into climbing lately. I got my camera and fallowed him around the dinning room and while I did he was climbing on the table, on the chairs, and on me once he saw I had the camera! Last night after we ate he climed up in a chair and spilled Scotty's drink all over the table and floor. Lucky for me, not really, it was rasberry tea, not so lucky for Scotty either, it douced his new cell phone. Good thing he had insurance on it because he had to get a new one. What am I gonna do with this monkey?
As you can tell I was playing with my camera. The sepia color is a feature I hadn't tried until these pictures.

Party at Playworld

2005-08-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

August 13, 2005, was a big day for Sauloman. He woke up and walked outside to find a John Deere Contruction Gator. He was so excited he jumped right on with his eyes barely open and took off. I could hardly get a picture. He did, however, stop long enough to give his brother a ride.

That day at 11:00 we had a party for him and all his friends and family at Playworld in Conway. They played in the maze and ate pizza and cake and had a visit from Sparky the Dog. All the kids were excited to see Sparky, I think one was so excited he had an accident.

There were Shrek party hats in the shape of Shrek's ears, the cake and the plates were Shrek and Donkey, just like the birthday boy asked for.

We wish we could have that much fun every day. Thanks to Jett & Ledger, Emma Lee, Carson, Landan, Lucas & Lily, Liam, Kevin & Robin, Christopher & Stephanie, Trey, Omie & Papo, Busia & JaJa, and Gangy and PopPop. Thanks, Aunt Linda, for making sure Emmee got to come, and we are sorry Aunt Bea had to miss it. We could not have had as much fun without you guys.

Vacation Bible School

2005-08-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

This week in Greenbrier, Sauloman attended Vacation Bible School at the Church of Christ. We have family who are members there and who helped out all week. Jessi, our cousin, took him most days and brought him home every night afterward. Her little brother and Sauloman are 16 days apart and became good buddies.
Sauloman loved Bible School. In fact when I took him Wednesday night, he could not get out of the car fast enough. All the kids wore sailor hats and name tags. He was so proud of his he wore them all day. They made things and sang and got to eat ice cream at the end of every night. He was such a big boy that I just had to share a few pictures with you.

A Suprise Vist

2005-07-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

Today we were awaiting Busia and JaJa(Linda & David) to come from Shreeveport and visit before they went back to Arkansas. They had told us last night they were having car trouble and were praying they would make it. On their way they called and said that doing some work on the car had made it run better, but to stay by the phone. Then they called about the time that we were expecting them to arrive and said they had broken down near the exit ramp and wanted Scotty to come and get them out of the heat. Just when Scotty had walked out to the truck they drove up in a new Hyundi Tucson!!! They had been playing us like a fiddle! Not only did they have a new car, but they had also talked Kevin and Robin into comming along. We were so glad to see everyone. The boys relly enjoyed having their Busia and JaJa. We had a late lunch and sat around a visited before eveyone had to go. Sauloman wanted Robin to take him home with her. He had fun playing with JaJa. Busia brought the boys some goodies in a care package, and a few things for Scotty and I too. We sure had a good time!

A Day at the Lake

2005-07-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Today we went to a lake in Broken Bow, OK. It was a nice little park with cabins, campsites, boat launch and swimming area. Scotty and I had been there before with a friend skiing, but we did not know it was such a perfect spot to bring the kids to swim and play. The swimming area is kind of secluded and had lots of shade, perfect for a picnic. There was a place to buy refreshments and you could even rent canoes, paddle boats, and kyacks. We brought little inflatable boats and decided after wrestling Thatcher that a paddle boat might be better, so we rented one and we and off we went.

After riding in the paddle boat we had a picnic in the grass on a blanket. The guys were really hungry! Thatcher ate his lunch and strolled over to the next blanket of picnicers and tried to steal a pb&j sandwich. Like father like son!

Taking The Animals To The Zoo

2005-07-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning Mom and I took the kids to the zoo. They were so excited. As soon as we got there you could hear the monkeys going wild! They were so loud it sounded like they were projecting their voices with a speaker. We fed the coy fish, donkeys and goats. Sauloman and Landan even got to ride the camel! We had a picnic lunch and pet baby opossums. Mom was throwing ice cubes down to the gorilla and we watched him eat them. The big boys posed for pictures with the flamingos. They decided standing on one leg is not as easy as it looks. It was hot, but it was fun. Maybe next time we come the weather will be cooler. They are doing alot of work to the zoo so hopefully it will get better. They have already improved alot. Sauloman's favorite was the elephants. I think Thatchee liked the goats. Landan just liked everything.

Thatcher thought that the petting zoo was the best thing. He kept calling all of the goats Jack. Jack is our weenie dog! I don't know if it was the animals or the fact he got to get out of the stroller and walk that struck him as fun.

Landan had fun with the opossum, of course, they are related!

2005-07-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

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Happy Birthday Thatcher!

2005-06-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 26th, we gave thatcher a kiddy pool birthday party at Linda and David's house. A few family and friends came to celebrate his first birthday which was actually on June 24th. We had a wedding in Scotty's family on Saturday so we waited until Sunday to celebrate. It turned out quite nice. We had two pools set up in the yard, one for the babies and one for the bigger kids. Overcast skies helped keep everyone from getting too hot. We took lots of pictures to share with you. Thanks to those who helped make Thatcher's day special.