Goodbye Houston

On August 6th we pulled out of our driveway in Houston for the last time. We'd spent the previous two days watching the movers pack and load all of our stuff into their huge truck. There were WAY too many boxes!

The night before we left, we camped out in the living room of our empty house. It was a fun way to spend our last night together there.

The week before we left, we did our best to spend as much time with our friends and family as possible before we left. We had an after-work gathering on Thursday evening for kids and adults. I wish I'd brought my camera and taken some pics, but one of our friends did get some pics of Jackson and Audrey with one of their friends. You can also see all of the signatures Audrey got on her pillow...makes her feel so loved!

Our final gathering was at the park after church on Sunday. We hung out by the splash pad at Clear Lake Park for several hours while friends came and went. We LOVED spending a little more time with some of our favorite people!

There was lots of fun had by everyone!

Some of our favorite sibling pairs were able to make it. These kids (and their families) have been friends since they were babies!

There are more pics from the park in the album!

We spent over ten years in Houston. We accumulated a lot of "stuff" while we were there, but it wasn't all stuff that could fit in a box. We bought our first house there, both of our kids were born there, we began our careers there, and we built so many wonderful relationships there. We will treasure every moment...the good and bad because they made us who we are today. We look forward to the next stage of our journey and hope to continue growing the relationships we already have, as well as the new ones to come. We already miss everyone!

Goodbye JSC Daycare

The JSC Daycare has been part of our lives since just before Jackson turned 1. Many of the teachers have become part of our family and have been truly instrumental in helping Jackson and Audrey become the amazing kids they are today. They have been there to teach them how to walk, drink from a cup, potty train, learn all kinds of info from letters and numbers to science and math and computers, and most importantly, how to interact with other kids and adults. They have loved on them through thick and thin. They were there to help with a broken leg and broken hearts. We are forever grateful to have them in all of our lives!

The other families at the daycare have also been a huge part of our lives. They have walked along side us in this journey of parenting. They have provided guidance and support along the way. We have found some amazing friends here!

Audrey's last day was filled with fun. Her teacher, Ms. Monica, let Audrey decide how she wanted to celebrate her last day with her friends. She, of course, requested donuts, but not just any donuts. She requested very specific donuts. All of her friends were excited to share them with her. After the donuts, they each shared what they will miss about her, and then they each took turns giving her a hug and taking a picture with her. It was really sweet! Most of the pictures are in the album, but here are a few of them.

In the afternoon, there was a school carnival where Audrey and Jackson both got their faces painted and spent a little more time with their friends. It was a great way to say goodbye.

See You Later Bushi Ban

Before leaving Houston, we did our best to spend a little extra time celebrating all of our friendships. Jackson brought donuts to Bushi Ban (where he takes karate) on his last day. He had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone that day, and Bushi Ban did an incredible job of making it a special day for all of us!

When we arrived, Jackson was greeted with a huge card made by one of his best friends, Sophia. She had everyone at Bushi Ban write a note to him in it, which he absolutely loves! It's hanging in his room in CA, and he looks at it often!

We also got special pillows for Jackson and Audrey to have all of their friends sign. The pillows went with us just about everywhere we went the last week in Houston, and Bushi Ban was no exception!

During the day Jackson and his friends from Bushi Ban went to Mr. Gatti's to eat, play, and celebrate. One of his instructors and friends joined them despite being off work at the time!

When I picked Jackson up in the afternoon, they had everything ready for a special photo shoot, which you know I loved and appreciated! A few of Jackson's instructors weren't able to be there, but they will never be forgotten! Master Kazi, Master Jamie (pictured below), Master Chaw, Ms. Cheryl, and Ms. Liz have been absolutely incredible for Jackson and our family this year! If I haven't said it before, I whole-heartedly believe Bushi Ban was the best place for Jackson to spend his time after school last year and throughout this summer!

I'm pretty sure Jackson got a picture with everyone at Bushi Ban that day. They are each so special to him. Here are a few of the pics, but there are a LOT more in the album.

Also, did you notice the new belt color in the pics? Jackson got another double promotion to a purple striped belt! Since he wasn't going to be in town for the upcoming graduation, they gave it to him early!

Master Kazi reminded Jackson that this is not "goodbye," but "see you later" since he truly hopes our paths will cross again some day. We certainly hope so!

Circus Field Trip

Audrey's last field trip in Houston was to the circus. My dad (AKA Pop) was in town and got to join us for the fun.

The circus was impressive, but I think Audrey enjoyed the pre-show most. In addition to getting a full bag of cotton candy to herself, she also got to dance with one of the circus performers!

After the show we joined the class for pizza. The whole experience was great, but it was a little bittersweet. There aren't a lot of preschools that take kiddos on field trips, and knowing it was the last with our JSC family was sad. We enjoyed every moment though! There are a few more pics from "The Greatest Show on Earth" in the album.

4th of July in Leakey!

We spent the 4th of July in Leakey again this year, and it was a blast! We went to the rodeo, watched and shot fireworks, floated and played in the river, and enjoyed the nature around us.

Poppers were a favorite for the kiddos.

Isn't my nephew, Mitchell, adorable! I love the boots. Of course, seeing Jackson and Susan enjoying the view from the porch was pretty special too!

All of the kids are into Star Wars these days, so there were lots of lightsaber battles in addition to the outdoor activities, which wore us all out!

Mitchell got some chickens for Easter, so we had fun getting to know them, as well as watching the deer feed. I also managed to get a picture of one of the butterflies floating around the river.

It was a relaxing and fun trip!

There are more pictures in the album!

Jackson's 6th Birthday!

Jackson turned 6 on June 12th! Since his birthday was on a Thursday, we started the day with presents from the family. He had cupcakes with his friends at Bushi Ban during the day, and we spent the evening having a special family dinner and more cake. The big party was on Saturday. This year Jackson chose a "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" theme.

It was a water slide party with pirate games too!

After lots of fun sliding and splashing around, I gathered all of the kids and passed out their treasure maps. Each map had a different path to get to the treasure. Jackson went to the "Hook Toss" game first. Then he had to "Walk the Plank" and "Swab the Deck."

Jackson's next stop was the "Cannon Ball Toss," which was throwing water balloons at Captain Hook.

Finally, Jackson and all of the kids reached the "X" on the map, which was in our dining room. Each kiddo had their own treasure chest filled with pirate party favors. It was definitely the most kids we've ever had in our dining room at one time!

They also got to dig into the food and have cupcakes! Jackson was SO excited to have so many of his friends there to celebrate with him!

Jackson is one of the messiest eaters I know...check out the goatee he managed to create while eating his cupcake.

Once we got Jackson cleaned up, we moved to the living room to open presents. He was so sweet and thoughtful. As he opened each gift he wanted to read every word on every card and thank each person for what they gave him. He enjoyed every moment, but it took a while, which meant some of his friends lost interest before he was done.

The party then continued on the water slide until after everyone was gone. Ross and I joined in at some point too. We couldn't pass up the chance to act like a kid again!

This birthday was an awesome celebration of Jackson and everything we love about him! It was so wonderful to see him so happy! Of course, there are more pictures in the album.

Here's a run down of some things about Jackson as he turns 6:

Loves God, his family, his friends, and his teachers!

50th percentile in height (same as every year so far)

25th percentile in weight (same as every year so far)

Lost 2 bottom teeth

Generally, a sweetheart and very helpful

Not a fan of change, and sometimes struggles with managing disappointment/anger (works really hard on this!)

Best friends: Audrey, Andrew, Cooper, and Lane

Favorite color: blue

Favorite toys: legos, Wii U video games/tablet, and card games

Favorite subjects: science and reading. He has chosen to do several science camps this summer, and he is reading short chapter books.

Favorite Sports: soccer and karate

Jackson's Kindergarten Graduation

Today was Jackson's last day of kindergarten! He had graduation on Tuesday, a water party on Wednesday, and a half day to wrap up the school year today. The graduation ceremony was so cute. Rather than having everyone in caps and gowns, the graduation had a Hawaiian theme. The ceremony started with a message from the principal followed by some songs from the kids.

Then they lined up each class, and as they said their names, they asked each kid what they want to be when they grow up. Jackson very confidently said he wants to be a policeman. In a report the week before he said he wants to be a policeman so he can get all the bad guys! Then they gave him a lei, and he returned to his seat on the stage before ending the ceremony with the school's song.

We are all so proud of Jackson and everything he has accomplished this year. He is an incredibly sweet and sensitive little boy. He has matured and learned so much over this school year. He went from knowing his ABCs and numbers to reading short chapter books, doing math, writing stories, and loving science. It's really hard to believe how much he has grown inside and out! We are beyond grateful for his teachers and the incredible staff at his school, as well as his after school program. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and we couldn't do it without each of these people! Jackson is a better person because of each of them! We love him so much!

There are a few more pictures in the album.