Memorial Day at Arbor Hills

This morning, our Sunday School class met for a picnic at Arbor Hills in Plano. Everyone trickled in and by noon, we had a full house under our shade tree! In the shade it felt really nice but in the sun it got pretty hot. We had a great time being outside with the Bug and playing with our friends... and eating some yummy chick-fil-a. We had a great turn out for a holiday! It was a fun play date because usually play dates are just mommies... but daddies got to see what it was all about today too! The sweet Jacksons came too and got a taste of the play date world!

Happy Memorial Day!

Documentation

No pics in this post - I'm just writing this down because it's been a big week for us and I want to keep track of when things happen!

Brady started cutting a tooth on Monday and it finally popped through on Friday. You can't really see it when he smiles, but it's definitely there and I think he might be starting another one... finally.

He also started signing "Please" on Monday... by the end of the week he was doing "All Done" and "More". Jerica told me that if I just stuck with it and didn't force it, it would come all of a sudden... and sure thing, it did!

He's been taking a step here and there every so often, but by yesterday he was taking 5-6 at a time and today it was even more. (Yesterday we did have a very big fall into the coffee table. I was afraid he wouldn't try again). With all that said, he has learned how to 'steer' his little walker. It is SO funny (or at least I find it to be) because he'll go from one end of the house to the other. Our little duplex is small so he goes around the coffee table, into the furthermost part of our room and then back again into his room. I took a video on Friday and am hoping to upload it soon...

Hopefully we'll have pictures and video tomorrow... Thanks for bearing with me!

Sarah's House.

On Wednesday, my sweet friend, Sarah, had all the girls from my Bible Study table over for lunch and a semi-playdate. We had a few younger kids that are around B.'s age and then a few older kids. Sarah has a beautiful daughter, Sadie (I love that name) who's about 4 1/2 and she has a new baby on the way!! When B. and I got there, the first thing that Sadie wanted to do was show us her room - and then the nursery! Sarah told me that Sadie asks so much when they can start decorating the nursery, that she finally made her a jar with the exact number of marbles in it that count down to the day they find out the sex of the baby. Each day Sadie gets to take one out... what a great idea, huh?

Anyway, we had a great time and Sarah has been stocking up on new baby and toddler toys so B. and the other kids had lots to choose from! I am somewhat tickled by the fact that Sarah and I almost didn't meet... in the fall, a bunch of girls and I signed up for a B-study at church where we sit in tables... and we had too many girls. So two of us (Marci and I) moved to an 'unknown' table. We feel like it was totally a God- thing. We absolutely adore our precious leaders, they are talented, creative, godly women who are not afraid to be open with us 'young' moms about their struggles. AND, Marci and I got to meet a lot of women who had already been where we are, that had older kids.

Sarah and I sat next to each other... EVERY Wednesday. It just kind of happened like that. Whenever we'd split up into prayer partners, we'd always end up together... and thus began our precious friendship. She has such an incredible story of God's faithfulness in her life and I could not be more excited that she is expecting a baby later this year!! I'm so excited to spend more time with her and Sadie as they prepare for "their" baby. (Sadie says she's "having" a baby!)

Graduation Day

Graduation DAY is finally here. Even though Jeff technically graduated in December, there was no law school ceremony at SMU until the Spring. As much as Jeff debated 'walking', we all wanted to celebrate him and his hard work one more time. After raining ALL day long, the ceremony was switched from the law school 'lawn' to Moody. I know it would have been beautiful outside, but it was dry inside!

B. went with us to graduation and he made it to the prayer, and then my sweet sister and her boyfriend took him home for the rest of the night. (Thank you Aunt Katie and Mr. Trent!) Our precious friends and family came up for the celebration and Ron was so kind to treat us all to dinner at Maggiano's after! They know how to make good food, don't they. We were stuffed... and because we had to eat so late, we all woke up in the middle of the night with weird stomach aches. Still, it was SO yummy and is one of Jeff and I's favorite places.

For one last time, here's to the law school graduate:

B. sat quietly in Beck's lap... for a while.

Jeff and I with the Valedictorian!

Playing at the Park

Austin.

When we found out that Jeff had passed the Bar exam, we immediately knew that we would be in Austin for the official swearing in ceremony today. However, we weren't sure what all of that would entail.

At some point last week, Jeff told me that he decided for Mother's Day, he was going to take me to Austin sans Brady Bug and we were going to have a night out on the town. (His parents were going to bring B. up on Monday morning.) I was excited all last week for Sunday afternoon to arrive!

We ended up leaving Dallas around 2:00 and hit Austin at 5:30. The Driskill was amazing. I love historic buildings... especially BEAUTIFUL historic buildings. I was especially excited that we ended up with a room on the historic side of the hotel! We hung out around the hotel and got cleaned up for a bit and then headed out for dinner. Sweet Judson recommended Eddie V's for dinner, and our concierge recommended the same place... so we had a winner.

Eddie V's was two blocks from our hotel... and let's just say it was an interesting walk... especially after dark. Jeff and I've always loved Austin... but there are sure some interesting people hanging around 6th street at night time. I couldn't believe it was so happening on Sunday Night! We decided to sit in the lounge with the live music for dinner... and it was well worth it! We had a great dinner with good food, good music and awesome people watching! I'd recommend Eddie V's any day!

On Monday morning, we woke up and met Jeff's parents with Brady downstairs. We headed over to the main swearing in ceremony at the Erwin Center... which was pretty interesting. We were happy to see my Uncle John, who is the Chair of the Board of Law Examiners... and he was even happier to see the Bug! (We didn't get a great picture of it, but he WAS wearing a tie with dragons on it!!!)

We were so honored that Judge Don Willett asked Jeff if he could do a private swearing in ceremony for us at the Texas Supreme Court in the afternoon. However, we had to find something to do with our sleepless little one in the mean time. We headed back to the Driskill for a low-key lunch at the cafe (which was so yummy) and we all took turns trying to get him to fall asleep. He had been awake since 5:30 a.m. when Ron and Darlene left Dallas!!! He HAD to be getting sleepy!!

The Bug was such a trooper though... and although he was super squirmy at the Supreme Court, he was pretty well-behaved. Judge Willett has two little boys and just had a little girl 4 weeks ago, so fortunately he understands the no-sleep syndrome. we were trying to hold onto him and the court room, and he so generously waived us off and said, "Let him crawl around! He needs to get some energy out!"

After Judge Willett swore Jeff in, it was time for us to head out of town! Brady slept until we got to Waco and then he was ready to play again. I felt so sorry for him, being strapped in all day and not able to move! He was such a trooper and he crashed at 6:45 tonight! I am so proud of my dear husband, and so thankful that we can now check all of this off our list!

Our room at the Driskill

Eddie V's

My night out on 6th Street
(We were in by 9:30 pm)

Jeff's firm got us this expensive bottle of champagne when we found out Jeff passed the Bar.

My Uncle John

B. is checking the list for his daddy's name.

When we arrived at the Texas Supreme Court.

B. is sitting in the lawyer's chair.

Being sworn in.

Being sworn in (5 seconds later).

Signing the oath.