Spring Break 2012

We spent Spring Break 2012 in Southlake!  Not very original, but it was so nice to have a week where we weren't really on a schedule.  We definitely slept late almost every day, went out to eat, swam and rock climbed at Lifetime, played soccer, took pictures, cleaned out closets, watched movies, went shopping, played tennis, read, and just enjoyed hanging out together.  Next Monday might be painful getting up, but we have lots of good memories from the week, and summer will be here soon!

Will got sent outside to clean out my car, and when Ray went to check on him, this is what he found!  Maybe we weren't clear in our instructions!

Open House 2012

Open House is always a fun time for the kids and the parents.  They get so excited to show off their work, and it's always especially fun to read their writings!  Will had to send in a picture of himself somewhere in Texas, and we used a photo from one of the Baylor games in Waco.  His Texas Adventure included getting to high five the players as they came through the tunnel and plans to be a strong football player at Baylor.  I like that idea!  Caroline had so many things to show us including a paper on how much she loves her Daddy.  Apparently he is hilarious and so kind!

Photo Shoot in Roanoke!

I have had my eye on taking some pictures of the kids in the downtown Roanoke area.  It's an older area that they have redone by adding new restaurants and shops, but they have still kept the small town feel.  There are lots of neat buildings, walls, fences, sheds, and signs there.  So, I bribed everyone by telling them we would go eat at Twisted Root and have shakes if everyone would participate in a quick photo session.  It was great incentive, but they were hungry before we ever got started.  I had to work fast, but I was happy with the way they turned out!

Allison's Confirmation

March 4th was a very special day for our family.  Allison made a public profession of faith and was confirmed as a member of our church.  She had been taking classes for about a month, preparing her for the confirmation.  She has been a Christian for several years, but publicly proclaiming it and becoming a member of the church was incredibly meaningful and another important step in her journey in her walk with Christ.  We were so happy to have Gram, Grandpa, Uncle Bill, Katherine, Libby, Uncle Forty, Aunt Robin, Jack, and Sophie celebrate the day with us!  Also, having special friends like the Rawlins and Feighners going through the same thing made the day even more wonderful.  Abbey, Kate, and Allison have been friends since they were 3, and they have a very special bond.

Allison attended the 9:30 and 11:00 services where she/we sat together as a group.  Pastor John recognized all of the kids being confirmed, and they all stood and answered the questions asked collectively.  Then during the closing hymn they all went up to the front and answered the questions to become members of the church.  After the 11:00 service we took some pictures and had a lunch in Wesley Hall.  Then, at 1:30, there was a private service where each child was confirmed individually.  There was over 100 people being confirmed, so this was a long service, but it was also the most meaningful part.  When it was Allison's turn, the whole family went up to the front where Allison kneeled, and John prayed over her while her family and the other pastors laid hands on her.  It was definitely a moment to remember and a day we will never forget.

joining the church!

hugging cousin sophie

Allison's Godfather, Uncle Forty, and cousin, Jack

cousins

allison and libby

ray and libby

look who's walking!

Allison and Dr. John McKellar

cousin pic - katherine, caroline, allison, sophie, libby, jack, and will

the whole gang

ray and katherine

kate being confirmed - the girls all went up for each of their times being confirmed

the rawlins family

allison's turn

our family....

pictures I took of Allison a few days later in her dress...

Dragon Pride

Will and Caroline always look forward to Dragon Pride and getting to dress up for the theme of the day!  This time it was a cowboy theme, and the cafeteria was decorated so cute.  Mrs. Blake had all of her students stand up and face the crowd and yell HOWDY when their name was called for achieving their reading minutes or dragon pride project for the six weeks.  Have I mentioned that I love these teachers and this school?

Mrs. Blake

Brown Belt

Will still loves Karate so much, and belt testing around here is a big deal.  He worked so hard learning this form, and we were so proud of him for earning his brown belt!  They start with sparing and then move onto their form!  He did great, and all of his hard work paid off.  Way to go Will!!!

Will and his friend Graham