Who? What? Where?

These words have been used a lot lately around Mason's house. It has been quite hectic since the last blog.

We got this shot after a delicious meal at Mercado's in Tyler. Mason loves his "chips and hot sauce!" Daddy is on the building committee at church as well as other duties, along with a super busy work schedule...I haven't been around as much as I would like. Amber fills me in on things and I'm like, "Now who did that? What exactly did he do? Where were y'all?" She has been super at taking up the slack with all the meetings and stuff, but it is getting harder the more pregnant she gets! I think we are almost back to an abnormal life again here in a few days! Ha!

Here is our big guy getting his hair buzzed off. It is so cute watching him get his hair cut, and he is so well behaved there...all the old men brag on him. The only thing that stinks is it costs me $24 to get my hair cut now vs. $12 before! Ha! He will only go to "Mrs. Charlie" to get his hair cut. I hope nothing ever happens to her, because we would have a long haired hippie boy on our hands!

Mason got to go to a birthday party Saturday for Tyler Vining. He had a lot of fun at a place called The Birthday House in Tyler. I didn't get to go, but Amber said he had a lot of fun. Mason told me that afternoon that, "Mama took me to Chick-fil-a for lunch, but I didn't get to play...it was the one in the mall." Poor kid...his mama already dragging him to the mall!!!

Finally, we took a picture just before church Sunday. He is a pretty handsome guy! He has been a bit stubborn lately, but hopefully it will pass soon. I is like he is trying us to see exactly how far and with what he can actually get away with. His favorite thing to do is when I tell him to eat his chicken at dinner...he'll say "Mama...Mama. Do I have to eat my chicken?" Or whatever item of food or action it is. We have our hands full. I hope our next child might mellow him out a bit.

Congratulations Steven and Trisha! William Henry is a handsome fella! We look forward to meeting him!

Birthday Extravaganza!!!

I think everyone we know is having a birthday over the past month! We had the privilege of going to two more this weekend. Friday after school, Mason and mama go to go to Grayson and Drew Gaddis' birthday party! He had a blast there. It was fire truck themed and he came home with a little fire truck and a fire extinguisher that actually is a squirt gun! He doesn't know that yet, so let's keep it on the down low!!!

Saturday afternoon, we got to go to Lauren Wade's 1st birthday party. She was actually one year and three days, but who's counting! The kids had a blast. As you can tell, this is the best picture my wife could get because they wouldn't stay still. I have several pictures, but most were blurry. I'm going to have to remember to put the camera on "sports" mode with the fast shutter to catch these kids in motion!

Parker T. was in the house also! He is getting really big! He is looking all suave in his big boy clothes. He better get his act together, he's going to be a big brother about the same time Mason will!!! We had lots of fun at Lauren's party...especially eating cake!


That was the bulk of our weekend. Church was good Sunday. Mason asked tonight how Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. He literally wanted to know HOW. We tried to explain that is why Jesus is so special...and he seemed to accept it. He is very technical these days with his line of questions, so I know this one will come up again. He asked Amber about cemeteries the other day, to which she explained that is were we bury bodies after people go to be with Jesus. The next day he wanted to know if there were any little boys or girls there. That is way too big an issue for him to be wrapping his brain around. Amber said, "No...mostly old people." What do you tell your 3yr. old? AND he also asked, "Is Goliath in heaven?" I know the answer, but if you tell him no, he's going to want to know where Goliath is! Amber didn't answer that one, she was just silent, and he said, "He probably is."


I pray for wisdom each day...I think I will start praying for LOTS of wisdom to be able to answer my little "question machine!"

Mama's sick :-(

Look at this guy. This is one of the only times he went down on his bottom. The boy likes to turn around and slide down on his belly! Comical to say the least.




Mama is sick. After having an ultra sound Thursday and seeing our newest addition with ten fingers and ten toes, she decided to catch a cold or something. It is Tuesday night and she is still recovering in the guest bedroom. Although, Mason and I have seen her much more yesterday and today than over the weekend!


Here is ole "cheesy fingers" himself eating some Cheetos at one of the birthday parties he attended over the Christmas holidays. Notice what all the other kids are eating and then see his PB&J sitting on his plate. The boy doesn't like pizza! This querk, along with recent DNA evidence, points in the direction that he is, in fact, my son! Ha! The blond hair is still in question!

Mason HAS been eating what we refer to as "big boy food" this past week. My wonderful wife has prepared two meals at each "feeding," one for she and I, and one for Mason. We decided that this must stop. Mason was informed, conformed, and adorned with dessert due to his success! He has eaten the same meal we have for almost a week now. Mom and Dad: 1 point!

Here is mama and Mason from our trip to the deer lease last week. It is a little hazy from the camp fire smoke...blame the camera guy. Mason and I hung out alot this weekend since mama was sick. Sometimes I have a pitty party because he mostly wants his mama or plays by himself, but he always wants to go with me when i'm going somewhere. And he always wants to ride with daddy in daddy's truck. That makes me happy! As if I don't have anything else to be happy about?! Ha!

Finally, congratulations to Steven and Leslie Remy for having their beautiful baby girl Sydney! We are very excited for you and look forward to seeing her in person.

The Holidays

I know, I'm the worst blogging dad ever! Man have we been busy at Mason's house and have I been tired. Whew. I guess first of all, we should address Chirstmas.

We had a great Christmas. We spent Christmas eve with Amber's parents, sister and her family in Brownsboro. Then drove home in time to put Mason to bed so Santa could come and see him. I think Amber and I were more excited than he was. We recorded Chirstmas morning on video, so I don't have any stills of that. He saw the gifts that Santa brought...surveyed them...seemed to say, "Yup, that's what I asked for..." and proceded to say, "Mama, which presents under the tree are mine." Ha! Little toot! He loved all his prizes and had a blast opening and playing with them all.

I will have to say that one of the biggest hits was a "Lightning McQueen" cd player Gigi got for him. He goes into a daze when he puts those headphones on. Amber says it will be nice for when we travel...I just keep thinking of Warren off the movie "There's Something About Mary." Ha!

I don't know that the stainless steel strainers are a better look, but he at least talks and interacts with you with it on! Ha! These two look like they are trying to keep the aliens from scanning their brains! They would only get a bunch of tractor and "Cars" stuff from Mason...who knows what would come out of Granddad's brain?!

Well, I know I have been brief. We really have done a ton over the past two weeks. I will share the pictures and stories over the next few weeks. We did go on a cook-out at the deer lease Friday night. That's were we got this cute picture. We are so thankful and proud of our little guy...what joy he has brought us. As we go into the new year with great expectation and anticipation, the realism is that along with the good times, there will be tough times and dissapointment. As I was reading in the book of John several weeks ago, chapter 16, vs. 33 changed my perspective on several things. It is a "red" letter verse, and that is exciting 'cause Jesus was talkin'. In the second half of the verse, he says emphatically, "In this world you WILL (future tense) have trouble. But take heart! I have (past tense) overcome the world!" How much more assurance do we need than that?

Mr. Bubbles

Mr. Bubbles here had a big night in the tub last week. We always forget about the bubble bath since we are man-ly and do man things like showers, scratch our bellies, and pee outside. Mama dumped in some bubble bath and Mason had a big time. We are spending a little more time in the bath tub since it is cooler outside. Who wants to take a long shower or bath when it's hot out?


Anyway, this is the only picture I have this week. Thursday we celebrated Amber's birthday and I wasn't far off on my estimate...she had her pizza and was in bed at 8:30, not 8:00. We went to Big D on Saturday with Gigi, Granddad, and Mason. We met up with aunt Jaime and played all day. We went ice skating at the Plaza of the Americas (much less crowded than the Galleria) and ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory...our sole purpose for the trip. I think the birthday girl was pleased with her day as she fell asleep with crumbs and strawberry sauce on her mouth! Just kidding about the crumbs. Gigi used her camera while we were out of town, so I'll have to download her pictures and share.


Amber has been trying to make it to Thursday...the kids last day at school. She has to go Friday, but probably gets an early release. Mason is fired up about Santa and all the presents under the tree. Gigi tells him which ones are his and he points them all out to us each time we are there!


This is a funny story from tonight. It is long, so forgive me. Mason was playing in the living room with us and pretending he was a puppy. We went along for a while, but then decided it had gone on long enough. We asked where was our little boy, etc. Nothing. Well, I told Amber, "Guess we'll have to take back his Christmas gifts and call Santa and tell him not to bring Mason anything." This brought forth an argument, but from the puppy, not Mason. So I preceded to open my cell phone and talk to Santa (I have him on speed dial) and inform him of our loss of our little boy and the addition of a puppy. That's when it hit the fan. Mason started climbing in my lap, yelling at the phone that, "I'm pretending to be a puppy...PRETENDING!" So I cleared everything up with Santa and we got our little boy back. After a few minutes...the thinker that he is replied, "Even if I was a puppy, Santa brings the good puppies bones." Outsmarted again!

Daddy, let's drive our barges...

This is Mason's newest thing to do this past week or two. Ever since we went on a barge ride with Uncle Ray and Aunt Monica, we have been building barges and jet ski's with our Lego's and driving them all around on the hardwood floor. Daddy's knees are killing him. Ha!

It doesn't look a whole lot like a barge, but Mason will tell you exactly where the motor is, the grill is, the driver's seat, bathroom, etc. He has a decked out barge. The blue ladder looking piece is the fishing pole, by the way. He says he is fishing for "red guewy fish," for all you Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fans.

At any rate, this is what he is into this week. He has been sick since Saturday with a viral infection in his mouth. It was a sore on his tongue. We thought he bit it at first, but after three days of not getting any better, we went to the doctor and got the diagnosis. He is better now. Back to school tomorrow!


Speaking of tomorrow, that is Amber's birthday! She is going to be one old bird! Ha ha! She was just whining to me that in only seven years she will be 40. Yup, if we're lucky! Anyhow, were going to party tomorrow...I'm sure a slice of pizza and asleep on the couch at 7:30 will be just her speed! Love you sweetie, Happy Birthday!!!!


All you faithful blog readers pray that these "barges" start to run on the carpet because daddy doesn't know how much more of the hardwood he can take! Ha!

Turkeylicious!

We had a fun Thanksgiving day at Gigi and Granddad's house. We had 23 family members...I think...and we all ate and visited until we couldn't any more. So much good food. Aunt Lorna and Uncle Richard brought some Cajun turkey...I must have eaten 3lbs. myself. Must be why I'm still sleepy even now as I type, ha ha!!!

After the eating subsided, the scooter riding commenced! These kiddos rode, and rode, and rode, and rode those scooters. I broke a sweat pushing them back up the driveway after they got to the end! Look at the determination on Mason's face in the second picture...what concentration!

After they played outside for nearly an hour and a half, they all but crashed. Have you ever seen four kids ranging from 3-6 sit nicely at a table and play calmly with Playdo? Mason fell asleep on the way home at 6:30 and slept all night. I could handle that once a week! Ha!

Friday morning, Mason and daddy hung out while mama went shopping. She is nuts. We had lots of fun doing guy stuff and running errands. We finished decorating for Christmas and Mason was a big help. We wanted to get him an "Elf on the Shelf," for the weeks leading up to Christmas, but haven't found one. I think we will get one for next year though. Pretty neat behavior check for the little one's when they are old enough to understand.

Finally, I was so proud of Mason Sunday night when he put together his 24 piece Mickey Mouse jig-saw puzzle with only one or two hints from daddy. So when I came home tonight and Amber showed me this picture, I was even more proud. He did it all by himself, no help. I am so thankful for the good boy he is...he is such a blessing. Hopefully he will be 5 or 6 years old before he realizes he is smarter than 'ole dad! Ha!