Family Pics 2009

We took some family pics and Dawsen's 18 month pics in early September. It's amazing how fast the boys are growing....I don't know where time goes....makes me a little sad! :( Hope all is well with everyone....enjoy!

Fall 2009

Wow I just can't believe how quickly the time passes! It has been a crazy start to school, and with football season well under way, our family is ALWAYS running in 50 different directions! Here is a little update on what has been going on in our world:

Scott: Football season as a University Trojan has definitely been exciting! We are currently 4-3 (2-2 in district)....we need to win 2 of our next 3 games in order to make it to the playoffs, which should be very doable. We should actually be able to win out....Midlothian, Cleburne, and Ennis. The most exciting part of the whole thing is that we beat Waco High this year for the first time in school history!! It was AWESOME!! Go Trojans!



Deanna: I FINALLY received my superintendent certificate in the mail, so I guess I am now official!! I suppose I better start thinking about what I am going to do with it so it doesn't continue to be a very expensive wall decoration....lol!!

My training is going better than expected too....and I really feel prepared for the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon happening in a few weeks. This Saturday I ran 14 miles....the longest run of my life! And did it on less than 4 hours of sleep! So San Antonio here I come! And before I know it, it will be time for the Austin Marathon.....yikes! That definitely makes me a little nervous!!

This school year is moving fast and furious, and although I constantly have a million things to do every day, I am spending a lot of time working with Lache and helping him get ready for all of his post-secondary options. Being the #2 recruit in the nation can be pretty overwhelming, and I have to commend him for handling it all pretty well! We will be going to San Antonio in January to watch him in the US Army All American game, first athlete in school history to be selected to go....what an honor!!




Jaysen: I can't believe the amazing year that Jaysen is having at school! Thank you Ms. Sandy!! He loves going to school, being the teacher's helper, and learning everything he can. He is such a little sponge....and is SO creative with a wild imagination!! He doesn't forget anything he sees or hears, and his spanish teachers love teaching him because it seems that the sky is the limit. He knows all the colors, shapes, and some animals in Spanish, and can sing a couple of songs and speak some phrases as well. He will point out stores, fast food restaurants, and gas stations by name while we are driving (Taco Bell, HEB, Wal-Mart, Target, Shell gas station, Mobil gas station, Exxon gas station, and 7-eleven gas station) and I am really not sure where he learned any of it from! He knows his home address, and can basically direct someone how to get to his house. I am also more convinced than ever that he is reading. Just the other day, he pointed to my tee shirt and said, "Momma, that says Wildcat Football! Are you going to a football game?" And if that's not enough, we were sitting at a red light, and he said "Momma, there is a new sign, it is a rectangle and it says One Way!" He also pointed to words on the side of the feedstore, and said, "Nana, that first word is BIG!" But the most amazing one is this....He saw a box of Weight Watchers Pizza flavored Pretzels, and said, "Momma, can I have some pizza?" Now there was nothing on the box other than the word PIZZA to even begin to make him think it was pizza, so he definitely must have recognized the word from a Pizza box or something. Anyway, with all that said, I definitely think that it is only a matter of time before he will be reading EVERYTHING!!




Dawsen: Definitely wins the prize for changing the most in such a short period of time! He is finally talking up a storm, repeating everything he hears someone say, or at least attempting to! He is able to label a duck (but often says quack-quack), a frog, and a fish. He also will sometimes say bite and drink, and knows who momma, daddy, bubba, nana, and papa are, and doesn't hesitate to call one of us when he wants something! He still only has 5 teeth, but I have never seen a kindegartener without teeth, so I guess at some point they will decide to come in. It definitely doesn't stop him from eating everything in sight!


We went to the pumpkin patch this past weekend, so I will attach a few pictures....the boys had a blast!! I will also be attaching some family pics that we recently took soon! Enjoy!!

Summer is basically over!

Well, I can't believe how fast this summer flew by....wow! Since last I posted, our family has had LOTS of exciting things happening! Here's an update:

Jaysen: As of June 17, 2009 Jaysen is FINALLY completely potty trained....yay! No more pull-ups (except at night), and he feels like SUCH a big boy! I was determined to get him trained before going back to school, but it basically just had to happen in his terms! I wonder where he gets that stubborness...lol! He is continually learning new things at school as well. His latest is the alphabet in sign language! He sure thinks he is a big dude!

Dawsen: Dawsen keeps growing and changing almost daily! At 17 months, he still only has 4 teeth, but there are several more that are about to break thru. He basically runs everywhere he goes, and is constantly on his bubba's heels! It won't be long and Jaysen is gonna learn that he better leave his brother alone! Although Dawsen continues to babble non-stop, he still only has about 15 words....of course Jaysen talks enough for both of them, so why should Dawsen even bother!

Deanna: I finally finished my capstone project for my superintendent program, and should receive my certificate any day....yay! I started back to work 2 weeks ago, so things have been crazy busy. We FINALLY have a buyer for our house, because of the fabulous realtor that we have.....thanks Scott Rowton.......and we close on August 14th....so that is way exciting! Especially since we have been renting a house in Temple since mid-June....whew....no more double payments! I also started running again, and actually joined the Galloway running group, so training for the San Antonio Rock and Roll half marathon, and maybe the Austin Marathon has begun!! Other than that, I am just busy trying to unpack, and getting ready for football season....Go Wildcats....and Trojans!

Scott: Scott has also been back to work for 2 weeks, and is really enjoying his new Trojan family. We seem to really feel as home, and are so thankful that God opened this door for us. Hopefully it will be a great season! It has also been nice to be in our own home together as a family, and to have daddy back!

This summer, we took Jaysen to Six Flags with some good friends, and he had a blast! I think he would have ridden EVERYTHING if he could have. That boy has NO FEAR!!!








My parents also took us to Great Wolf Lodge, and the boys had a great time. It had just the right kind of fun for everyone! While in the DFW area, my dad and Scott went to a Rangers game, and my mom and I went to see American Idols Live! Everyone had a really nice time.







Until next time.....enjoy the pics!

It's Been FOREVER!

I seriously can't believe it has been almost 2 months since I have posted....where in the world does the time go?!?! Things have been moving pretty fast and furious for us lately, so I thought I would send out an update.

Scott: As you all probably know, Scott has been actively looking for a job in the area. Well after careful consideration, he has finally found a new home....as a University High School Trojan! He will be right up the road in Waco, which is SO much better than 200 miles away! So please keep him in your thoughts as he starts this new endeavor!!



Deanna: All of my hard work and training paid off! I started training on March 1, 2009 for the half-marathon that I completed on May 23, 2009!! I finished 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 34 minutes, 2 minutes under my goal pace of 12 minute miles! It was probably one of the hardest things I have done in my life, but definitely very rewarding! My plan now is to do another one in San Antonio in November.....hopefully the cooler weather will make it easier!





The end of this school year approached quickly, and as always, moved right past me fast and furious! I have to say that I had a GREAT year as a Temple Wildcat, and have been so blessed to finally be in a job that I LOVE! The seniors of 2009 will be greatly missed, but I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to develop such amazing relationships with them, and they will never be forgotten!







Jaysen: For those of you mommies out there, you will definitely appreciate this. For everyone else, if this is TMI, I'm sorry.....just WAY excited! On June 2, 2009, Jaysen finally POO-POOed in the potty! YAY!! He did it at school, and since then has done it a few times at home too. We are still having accidents and having to work on incentives, but at least it's progress! Of course, he is WAY too smart to not have it all figured out by now anyway! A perfect example: Jaysen LOVES candy, and he asks for it several times a day! Well we told him he was not getting anymore candy until he poo-pooed in the potty....so rather than just do it, he stopped asking for candy! We are going on 2 full weeks now, and he still is not asking for candy.....I'm telling you, he is TOO smart for his own good!

Dawsen: Dawsen is growing like a weed, and his little personality is changing more and more every day! He FINALLY has 4 teeth, at 15 months old....lol! He is definitely a big boy, weighing almost 27 pounds, with a 19 inch noggin! He just recently figured out that he can make the shapes go into the right holes on the shape sorter, with a little help sometimes, and he is SO proud himself! As these pictures tell, he and his brother are really starting to enjoy playing together, and they have LOVE spending time outside!






Until next time....have a great summer!

Family Updates!

Its been a couple of weeks since I have posted, so I thought I would give an update regarding our family. Easter came and went, and the boys had lots of fun! Check them out!






Now for a brief update:

Deanna: All the hard work I spent at work has finally paid off! TEA came and went, and after spending a week in our district they had nothing but positive things to say about Temple ISD. In fact, they would like to use us as a model district for other struggling ISDs. After three years under the umbrella of TEA, they are making the recommendation to have the monitor removed! Praise GOD!!

On a different note, my training is definitely paying off. I ran 10 miles today, maintaining an 11.5 pace, with 20mph winds and lots of hills! I don't feel as though I can run another mile, but I'm sure in 4 weeks when it is time to run my half-marathon, I will be able to do it! So say a quick prayer for me!

Scott: He is still actively looking for a job in this area, but we finally have a couple of prospects. He has an interview on Friday and on Monday, so say a little prayer for that as well! He is also working hard on the house, getting it ready to sell. We just lowered the price by $9000, so if you know anyone in the market to buy a house in a good neighborhood, send them our way!

Jaysen: He is developing such a witty personality! He knows a word that starts with every letter of the alphabet, and those words change regularly! I am not sure how he knows that "walking in the woods" starts with a W, but I have learned not to question him!! We are also ACTIVELY potty training him now.....no more pull-ups except at naptime and bedtime. Yes he has accidents, and he doesn't tell us when he needs to go regularly, but as long as we set a timer for every 45 min or so, he will go without any problem. We just started yesterday, and he pee-peed in the potty 10 times yesterday! I just decided he is too old and too smart to still be in diapers....so wish us luck!

Dawsen: He is 14 months old, practically RUNNING everywhere he goes now, and LOVES to eat anything he can get his hands on! He still only has 2 teeth, but his upper front two are about to break the skin. He is also becoming quite the jabbermouth. He says: Mama, Dada, Nana, Papa, Bubba, More, Ball, UhOh, Bye, Book, and Bite. There are probably a few others, but I haven't quite comprehended them yet!

I guess thats it for now......a brief update on our life.....hope all is well with everyone! Talk to you soon!!

RIP Bo....we will miss you! 4-7-09

Yesterday was a very sad day for me. We had to make the decision to put Bo, my puppy of 15 years, to sleep. He was by far the best dog anyone could ask for, and a great friend. He was great with kids, and never jumped on anyone. He even ran with me up until the end. And he definitely had a good life. According to the vet, he had an embolism that lodged itself into his spinal cord and basically paralyzed him. He wasn't able to move for the last 4 days, and was in extreme amounts of pain. The vet said that he rarely sees even younger dogs be able to come out of something like that, and that even if he did survive it, he would never be the same. It was obvious to us what we had to do. So now I have a furry friend looking out for me from up above! On that note....

Kids have such an amazing intuition!! Yesterday morning when we were leaving for school, I told Jaysen to tell Bo bye-bye because he may be gone when we get home. Nothing else was said about him, and then today, when he got home, he said something to my dad about a dog being "up high in the sky". When I asked him where Bo was, he said, "i don't see him.....give me my binoculars (he made circles with his fingers and pretended)........look over there..there he is.....it's Bo....up in the sky!" Now you can not tell me that doesn't give you chills!

Counting with Jaysen....4/2/09~!

I'm not totally sure where Jaysen picks up some of this stuff, but he is such a little sponge! He never ceases to amaze me. He came home from school and decided that he wanted to count.....by 10s! I often forget that he is only 3!! Hope you enjoy!!

Dawsen is FINALLY walking 3.31.09

Well it took 13 months instead of 12, but Dawsen is finally walking! He still sometimes prefers to crawl (when he is in a hurry...lol) but he finally takes pride in standing up and walking on his own. Especially when he has an incentive.....like my phone! Enjoy!!

Sing Along with Jaysen 3.14.09

Well after watching Dawsen behing the camera, Jaysen decided that he needed to be on camera too! We couldn't have gotten him singing on camera if we WANTED to, but I guess as long as it was on his time, it was okay! Check him out!!

Dawsen is TRYING to walk...3.14.09

Well, it took him a couple weeks past his 1st birthday, but Dawsen has decided he can walk WHEN he wants to. It's not very far, and its really wobbly, but check him out!!

Happy Birthday Dawsen!!

People always say that babies grow up before your eyes, and they are so right! I CANNOT believe that my baby is 1....it seems like just yesterday that I brought him home to meet his big brother! WOW!! We had a smal family party, and Dawsen really had a blast. He LOVED diving into his cake too! Enjoy the pics!!













We also discovered this weekend that Dawsen is able to stand up alone for several seconds! Hopefully he will be walking any day now. Its funny how he ALWAYS waits for Daddy to be home before having any milestones....guess he just doesn't want him to miss anything!

FINALLY!!!

I wasn't sure it was gonna ever happen, but.....DAWSEN FINALLY HAS HIS FIRST TOOTH! Yay!! It has just barely broken the skin, but as soon as I can get a picture, I'll get one posted! Jaysen got his first tooth at 11 months, so Dawsen was even a little later than Jaysen was....crazy!

So I finally got a picture.....check out my first TWO teeth!!

Family Updates!

Things with our family are happening fast and furious, so I thought I would sent out a quick update on the kids:

Jaysen is getting to be such a big boy! Since getting his tubes, he is speaking so clearly, and in complete sentences....its crazy some of the things he says! Here are just a few examples:

I CANNOT go to bed yet!
No Dawsen, that's not yours, it's mine!
Why no...I don't want to eat yet!

Also, at school, Jaysen has been learning lots of new things. Because he was acting out some and seemed quite bored in his class, his teacher has decided to try him out during the morning circle / academic time with the Pre-K kiddos, who are all 2 years older than him. I was a little hesitant at first, as I wasn't sure that he was socially ready for this, but they say he sits quietly, intently listens, and actively participates! In fact, he has been telling me words that start with certain letters, and he is so clever about it. When asked what E stands for, he thinks for a minute and says "Peacock!" When I said, "E doesn't stand for Peacock", he says, "Well....let me think...It does NOT stand for elephant!" and he runs off laughing! He is such a mess!! He also came home the other day, looked up at the ceiling, and said: "red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple....its a rainbow!" I asked at school the next day who was studying rainbows, and they told me that they talked about them in the Pre-K class, but not for long at all! I swear, that kid and his memory absolutely amaze me!!

Dawsen is changing daily as well. He has started getting in to everything, and wants whatever his brother has! If he had his way, he would be with Jaysen all the time. He is just about walking....I don't think it will be long at all. And he has started saying a few more words. He now says: bye-bye, more, mama, daddy, and ball. Such a little man!

Anyway, I'll update more later.....talk to you soon~

Birthday Time!

Well, its that time of year again....time to take birthday pics of the boys! Since their birthdays are exactly one month apart, I thought it was best to take their pictures together.....two weeks after Jaysen's birthday, and two weeks before Dawsen's. As you will be able to tell from these pics, Jaysen was being quite the BRAT.....therefore no pictures of the boys together, and only one halfway decent one of him alone....oh well.....I ordered them anyway. Maybe one day he will laugh at the brat he was at 3 years old! Dawsen, of course, is precious as usual!! ENJOY!!



















And this one wins the prize for BRAT OF THE YEAR!!!!