A Peek at the Smiths

Fall Trip to the Arboretum

2011-11-12T23:08:00.001-06:00

Lindsay, Tanner, Amanda and Lilly made a trip to the Arboretum with me this fall. There aren't many times that will happen with everyone's busy schedule but it was really fun. As usual, it was beautiful with all of the pumpkins and fall flowers. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much I enjoyed being with them to take them!

Fall Trip to Rockport, Mass.

2011-11-12T22:35:00.001-06:00

My sweet mom and I made a trip up to Rockport, Mass. mid September for some play and reading time. We met up at DFW and flew into Boston, then got to the train station and traveled by train to Rockport seeing some great sights along the way. It was a wonderful adventure and so many folks were so helpful along the way. We stayed at the Emerson Inn by the Sea and it was so lovely. We did some hiking along the sea shore, shopped in town, ate a little bit of everything and started laughing on the plane. I love spending time with my mom and am so thankful for these extra special times.

"Cute as a Button" baby shower for Amanda

2011-11-12T22:02:00.001-06:00

I know this not following in chroneological order, but I wanted to get this in. Lindsay, Julianne, Karen and Megan hosted the cutest or "Cute as a Button" shower for Amanda immediately following our return from Africa. There were all 4 grandmothers, both moms, her sister and all sister-in-laws, Aunts and cousins from everywhere. It was a very special day.

Lindsay made the invitations using a stamp for the design, printed them and then applied several different textured fabrics before applying the buttons. We found several great ideas on other's blogs and even used some of the recipes available. Megan had a gift that was opened throughout the time Amanda was opening her gifts. She stacked several smaller boxes within each other and each time you opened a gift, there was a question. Whoever answered it unwrapped the next box. It was very cute and really helped Amanda feel more comfortable.

Meeting Miss Lilly

2011-10-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

Everyone was excited to meet Lilly! Tanner was especially excited to have his 1st cousin here after such a long wait. It's really so special to see your children become parents.

Lilly with Nonnie

with Papa & Mama and Scott, Rachel & Hannah

and Tanner & Aunt Lindsay

Welcome Lilly Marie Smith

2011-10-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

We have a new granddaughter! It's been a couple of months and I'm sorry I never posted anything then. Meet Lilly Marie Smith, born on August 14th at about 10:30 a.m. Mom and dad did a great job getting her here and Dr. Glen Heckman helped them do that. He is the same doctor that delivered Tanner which makes it that much more special.

Without further ado, here's Miss Lilly -

Our CampLIFE kids

2011-10-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of spending the week with 10 precious little girls from the Kanyama, a compound in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. These little ones ranged in age from 6 to 9. Out of these girls, 4 would not be attending school because of finances, half of the girls only eat 1 meal a day and all suffer with nightmares every night. I, along with my Zambian partners, was able to share the gospel several times and 2 accepted Christ. I don't have any idea if the seed was planted for the other 8, but please pray that they will some day come to know Jesus as their personal Savior.

Kevin had 11 boys, ages 13 to 17. He had 3 double orphans and 4 not in school because of finances. Like the girls, many only have 1 meal a day and all suffer with nightmares. All of Kevin's boys know Christ, either by hearing the gospel and accepting Christ CampLIFE week or they claimed to already know Him.

Saying goodbye to these children was more difficult than I imagined it would be. We came home with the task of getting these children sponsored so they would be provided food, medical care and be able to attend a Christian Lifeway school which is sponsored by Family Legacy. Praise the Lord, 17 of our 21 children were sponsored and overall, Family Legacy had 1,400 children sponsored since this summer. We are excited to be a part of a ministry that cares for the children of Zambia, the country's future.

I can't close without sharing a couple of special stories regarding these children. Our very 1st child sponsored was a young man named Aaron. He had a very difficult time at camp and struggles with witch doctors and their influences. He is a double orphan and did not attend school. He is small and undernourished. After sharing our experiences with friends, a young couple very dear to us decided to sponsor him. Why this was so special to us is they had just won a complete entertainment system and decided they would cancel cable and use that money towards Aaron. They also wanted a boy because they are in great hope that they can be a part of raising a strong, Christian young man. Aaron is so blessed by having them choose him.

Another story came from a couple we know from church. We sent out thank yous and pictures of the kids getting shoes that individuals donated toward. When this couple received their picture, they immediately began praying for Memory, the little girl they had a picture of. Within days, they had sponsored her and it was so precious to hear how they already loved her and was anxious for their relationship to begin. They now also sponsor a young man, Paul, who was in real need of them too. Both of them should begin school at Christian Lifeway school and have food provided for them and their families. Blessings for 2 more children.

We've been touched by all that have sponsored one or more of our kids. I truly believe there will be blessings on both sides of these sponsorships. We will continue to pray for these children and hope you too will lift them up whenever the thought comes to you.

And the story doesn't end there! We are signed up to go again this next summer. Why don't you join us?

Meet our Zambian Partners

2011-08-04T01:25:00.000-05:00

Kevin and I each had 2 Zambian partners, one was our Evangelist and the other was an Apostle. They both assisted in translating, teaching the Bible lessons and loving the children. Our Evangelist specifically helped us when we had one on one time with our children. During this time, we learn more about each child's home life and prayer needs. Many times they opened up about difficult situations and it gave us the opportunity to share Christ's love and hope. It also provides information to Family Legacy if it's a severe situation and they need to step in on the child's behalf. Both of our Evangelists are year round employees for Family Legacy and are both DLs (Discipleship Leaders) at a CRC (Community Resource Center) in the communities surrounding the city of Lusaka. The CRCs serve as a safe haven for children in their area and many times, it's through the DLs work with the children that orphans or vulnerable children are saved. They are the ones that determine which children in their area are most in need of attending one of the CampLIFE weeks.

Please pray for Rachel, Gwen, Gilbert and Bryan as they ministered to the children of their community. Pray for wisdom and discernment as they work with the children. Also pray for strength and encouragement as they are surrounded by so much darkness and poverty.

Where our Zambian children live

2011-08-04T00:51:00.001-05:00

Well we've been home from Zambia nearly a month now and we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of Taylor and Amanda's baby girl. Coming home from Zambia has been a little difficult. I wasn't really ready to talk much about my trip because I when I said something about it, I wanted it to really make an impact. Well I'm not sure how much of an impact I'm making but talking about Zambia and Family Legacy's work there keeps those children and my experiences in my thoughts daily. I'm worried about the children we worked with, if they are getting food daily or having nightmares. Those are everyday occurances for them. I'm anxious about where we should invest our money there so it benefits the most children. Today I'll give you a glimpse of where and how the children we worked with live and and the schools they attend if they can afford it.

Specific prayer requests:
     That our children have food on a daily basis
     That our children are safe from the influences of witch doctors
     That our children don't have nightmares
     That our children are remembering the lessons of CampLIFE - that God wants them to seek first the kingdom of God

Camp LIFE 2011 ended today

2011-07-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

Camp LIFE ended today with hugs & tears, new school shoes &
t-shirts, bracelets, bandanas, sweets, and bookmarks. It was an amazing day and an amazing week!

Kevin had boys ages 14-16 years and all eleven boys accepted Christ! One actually did it following the deliverance of a demon in his body.
I had ten precious girls ages 6-9 years. Two accepted Christ and I am confident that seeds have been planted in the others.

Please be praying for them to be safe, to be protected from the evil that surrounds them and for them to not have nightmares, but good dreams.

We leave in the morning for Victoria Falls.
Thank you for your prayers, and again, for your support of the shoes.
We'll be sharing more when we get home!

Love y'all!

Hello from Zambia!

2011-06-27T09:18:00.000-05:00

After 2 night flights and a little sleep, we made it to Lusaka at 6:00 am Saturday morning. Taylor was there to greet us and I all of a sudden forgot I was tired; now we’re catching up on that.

Camp LIFE starts Monday morning. Yeah! We met our partners Rachel and Gwen, and Gilbert and Bryan tonight. Please pray for them this week. Please also pray for our children, that they will know God’s love and finish the week with hope.

Love y’all!

We're off!

2011-06-23T13:31:00.000-05:00

Well we're heading out and we're excited. Lindsay and Tanner are taking us. We just heard from Taylor and he too is so excited for us to get there. Infact he will be picking us up when we get there on Saturday morning. That will be really fun.

I think we're actually flying with our friend from Sunday school, Shelba Jones. She is going with a medical group to Romania.

We look forward to sharing about our trip and all of the amazing things that we'll encounter. Check out Family Legacy on our Favorite List. You'll really get to see what we're headed for.

Love yall!

Camp LIFE at a Glance

2011-06-19T22:12:00.000-05:00

We wanted you to know a little bit of our schedule so you could pray for what's in store for us each day.

We will leave Dallas @ 5:50 p.m. Thursday, June 23
Arrive London Friday morning, June 24 & Depart late evening
Arrive Lusaka, Zambia @ 6:30 a.m. Saturday, June 25

Saturday - settle in and have team meetings
Sunday - Church in the morning, then meet our Zambian partners in the afternoon
Monday - Tour Lusaka and then Camp LIFE begins. We meet our kids!
Tuesday - Full day with kids at Camp LIFE
Wednesday - Full day with kids at Camp LIFE and do our Community Service tour
Thursday - Community service day with the children in their communities
Friday - Celebration service with kids. They get their new school shoes & shirts and we say goodbyes

Camp LIFE is over and we'll head out on our personal part of the trip. Will return on July 8th @ 3:25.

Headed to Zambia

2011-06-19T01:58:00.000-05:00

We're in count down mode around here and getting ready to head out to Lusaka, Zambia. We will leave Thursday at 5:50 p.m. and arrive in Lusaka very early Saturday morning. Because we are traveling as missionaries, we can bring 3 bags each and we've begun filling them up. Besides the things we will need for our week at Camp Life with Family Legacy, we are bringing school supplies and clothes for the children there. Following our week at Camp Life, Kevin & I will be traveling to Victoria Falls for some exciting excursions and to see as much as possible. We will conclude our trip with a few days in London. We hope to post many times during our trip, but while in Zambia we may be limited because of availability to the internet. I'll post our schedule so you can know what we're doing each day.

Here are some specific prayer requests that you can be praying for:

For Amanda's pregnancy and that all will go well while Taylor and us are away.
For safety and rest on the plane
For my health, all is good but I'm still a little anxious about it
That we will be protected from Satan's attempts to interfere with what we're doing
That we will continue to prepare well for Camp Life and that the Lord would guide us in our preparation
For the children that will come to camp and especially for those in our groups
For the relationship between us and our Apostles and Disciplers
That we will love and serve the children well
That many will come to know the Lord
That I will not be anxious about going into the children's communities
For our hearts when we say good bye to the children on Friday

Remembering my Dad on Father's Day

2011-06-19T01:27:00.000-05:00

It's Father's Day and I can't help but think about my dad and all the many ways he was precious to me. Dad went to be with the Lord on May 6th at 1:27 a.m. after a long illness and hospital stay. We were with him when the time came and even though it was a very sad time, it was also very peaceful. Dad had some amazing doctors and nurses throughout his stay in the hospital which brought much comfort to us. My mom has been amazingly strong considering she has lost the love of her life and her favorite dance partner. Some of the sweetest times I've had with my dad were when we had early morning visits before anyone else was awake, when he drove all night to Dallas to surprise me when Lindsay was born, when we traveled to San Francisco, Natches, MS and Devil's Den in Arkansas after Lindsay's wedding, when he walked me down the isle, when he taught me to dance to Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Band. My dad taught me to play basketball and seldom missed a volleyball, softball or basketball game. And I loved our outings to the Dallas Arboretum each Spring and Fall. He taught me great lessons to live by. But what I loved most was his love for my mom. Their relationship was quite rare and a great example for so many. I'm really missing my dad but am celebrating him on this Father's Day.

Celebrating Dad's 80th Birthday with lunch at Babin's Restaurant!

Arboretum trips!

Baylor vs Tech at Cowboy Stadium

I attended the Royal Wedding!

2011-06-19T00:16:00.000-05:00

I attended the Royal wedding the weekend before The Royal Wedding!! Our friend's, Nancy & Scott, son got married in Houston. We had a wonderful time and are so thrilled that Caroline is in the Royal family now.

Earlier we hosted a Couples Shower for them. We featured all white desserts.

Tanner in April

2011-06-18T23:41:00.000-05:00

Tanner is growing up so fast and this Grammy & Pops thing is way fun! We had to get some new things for our house. He is talking so much and plays really hard. I just wanted to share some pictures!

Pink & Blue Bar-B-Q

2011-06-18T23:31:00.000-05:00

Taylor and Amanda hosted a Pink & Blue Bar-B-Q for their family and friends to find out and announce if they were expecting a girl or boy (pink or blue). They did not know the sex of the baby as they had the technician write it on a card and then they had a cake baked with the filling being pink or blue. They both felt certain it was a girl. It was so much fun watching them cut the cake and waiting with great excitement. They are having a girl!!

Amanda was the 1st girl in her generation and now their little girl will be the 1st in this new generation for the Schwarz family. There are 4 boys in her immediate family with 2 of them born this Spring. Lindsay and Chris' little Tanner is anxious to meet Mandy's baby gul!!! As Lindsay said, "it's really fun watching our family grow".

Woman's Day Treat 2011

2011-06-18T22:49:00.000-05:00

Our Sunday school class loves any excuse to get together and eat, so the women go 1 way and the guys go another. The women plan a wonderful meal, the guys pay $5 and got to eat. The women read a book for a study and the guys play games (they actually had a few speakers that shared and really enjoyed it too). The women met at the Gover's ranch in Kemp, TX and the guys were at the Dugger's Longhorn ranch south of Alvarado, TX.

Arboretum - Spring 2011

2011-06-14T23:40:00.000-05:00

Lindsay, Tanner, Kevin and I caught the most beautiful flowers this year at the Arboretum. It's a timing thing to get to see the tulips at the right time and we did!! Kevin joined us and after seeing flowers and chasing Tanner, we had lunch on the patio.

My Birthday!

2011-06-14T00:10:00.000-05:00

Well we don't have any pictures of my birthday and that's just fine, but a major decision was made on my birthday. Kevin & I are going to Zambia this summer. I will keep you posted on that journey!

LSU vs Texas A&M @ Cotton Bowl 2011

2011-03-13T19:05:00.000-05:00

LSU Tigers vs Texas A&M at the 2011 Cotton Bowl at Cowboy Stadium and LSU wins 41-24. Tanner showed off his favorite colors and his wrench, which he used as a microphone to yell GEAUX TIGERS! You know it!

Christmas 2010

2011-03-13T18:57:00.000-05:00

Christmas this year was just a little different. With a baby in the family and Amanda's family growing with new in-laws, we just had to change some things up and you know, it was great. If I've learned anything in my old age, it is to be more flexible (with schedules that is!). We had the Smiths from Longview for the whole weekend and they got snuggies. How did we not get a picture of that!! We started our Christmas day going to the Loucks to give Tanner his gift from us. It was a Little Tykes Adventure playhouse and for the life of me I can't imagine why they didn't want to build it here and then take it over there!!! We had coffee, juice and cinnamon rolls there and then headed home. They then came to our house later in the morning for brunch and then Taylor and Amanda joined us at 3:00 to open gifts and have Christmas dinner. We had such a fun time opening gifts, but after the 1st gift Kevin & I opened, we were spent. Taylor and Amanda are going to have a baby and the gift was a blown up picture of the 1st sonogram. How sweet it was all celebrating together.

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-03-12T21:19:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving was a wonderful of celebrating with family and friends. The kids all were over, Mom & Dad, and Sandra & BJ. We had the usual thanksgiving stuff and added a new tradition this year. We used a new tablecloth that we each signed at the place we were sitting using a particular color pen for this year. Next year we'll do the same thing with a different color. It will be fun later on to see who all sat at our table over the years. Another tradition that we have is turkey and sausage gumbo the day after Thanksgiving using any leftover turkey.

I have to include in this post how very thankful and blessed I am for my precious family and dear friends like Sandra and BJ.

Tanner's 1st Birthday Party

2011-03-12T20:53:00.000-06:00

Lindsay and Chris had Tanner's 1st birthday party in the backyard and it was a "Ball Party". They did a great job finishing out the porch and decorating everything. It was a real sweet time with our family and their friends.

Tanner celebrates his birthday at the Dallas Zoo

2011-03-12T20:36:00.000-06:00

On Tanner's actual birthday Kevin & I joined the Loucks at the Dallas Zoo for his 1st birthday. He got a new wagon so he was set to go.

Women's Touch Dinner @ Park Cities Baptist Church

2011-03-12T20:25:00.000-06:00

At Park Cities Baptist Church we host a Women's Touch Dinner where we have a guest speaker and hostesses sign up to decorate and host a table. I served on the committee this year and had a great time with old and new friends. I've included pictures of the 3 tables I hosted.

Family trip to Breckenridge, Colorado

2011-03-08T23:04:00.000-06:00

Our family traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado over Labor Day weekend and had an incredible trip. The Loucks got to stay a little longer to visit and introduce Tanner to family and friends. The home we stayed in was absolutely beautiful.

Celebrating Papa's 75th Birthday in Dallas

2011-03-08T22:44:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Papa's (or Dad or Del) 75th birthday in Dallas with the whole family. It was a surprise but it was not easy. All of the ideas we were going to use was something he didn't want to do. Finally Kevin got him out of the house and everyone came over in time to surprise him. Kristin, David & Drew came from Houston, Scott & Rachel are here in Dallas and Del & Clara came from Longview. We had a wonderful time and look forward to many more celebrations!

I'm going to try to start again!!!

2011-03-08T22:28:00.000-06:00

OK, sorry I stopped updating my blog, but I figured everyone that was interested in my stuff would probably get all the latest on the kids' facebook accounts. I'll try to do this better and I'll start up where I left off!

Mallory and Tanner

2010-08-24T01:37:00.000-05:00

Mallory spent much of her time here in Dallas teaching Tanner to be a Red Raider. He wouldn't have anything to do with that! So he said to me:

"What, is she nuts? I'm not going to do that!"

"Maybe she's just a little nuts!!"

"But I sure love her!!"

Tanner finally gets to eat solids!

2010-08-24T01:27:00.000-05:00

Tanner finally gets to eat solids and I think he likes it! What do you think? He only questioned green beans!

Happy 80th Birthday Dad!

2010-08-24T01:01:00.000-05:00

We celebrated my dad's 80th birthday in Houston on July 3rd. He is very patriotic so it was only fitting to have a patriotic theme on the 4th of July weekend. Dad was totally surprised and a bit overwhelmed by the fact that most of our family was there. It was such a sweet time!

Happy Birthday Dad! July 1, 2010

Mallory, Hanna, Jo & I got the fun started

with balloons, cupcakes and clings!

Tanner celebrated with the best of them!

Mallory took our family pictures and did a great job! Thanks Mal!

the Thompsons and their families

the Cruzens

the Smiths

the Allreds

Mike & Caryn, David & Laura

Dad & Mom

June Was Filled With Weddings

2010-07-19T18:18:00.000-05:00

All spring we'd been planning for weddings of 2 friends' children. Valerie and Mark Bergstrom's son, Taylor and Peggy and Ron Gover's daughter, Megan got married one week apart, one in Dallas and one in Ft. Worth.

I was able to help Valerie prepare for their rehearsal dinner at Mattito's and we had a really good time doing that. Mattito's is a Mexican food restaurant and they have a seperate building for special events. It's a great place to have a party.

The Royals and us hosted a "Hola" party for the Govers the Thursday before their big wedding. We welcomed family and friends for a fiesta at Scott and Nancy's in Ft. Worth. We catered it from Blue Mesa and it was delicious and a great deal if you need catering.

The wedding was a fabulous event and every detail was perfect. The chapel at TCU was just beautiful and the reception was an updated train station that fit Megan's taste perfectly. We just had a wonderful time.

Time to Get Blogging

2010-07-19T18:09:00.000-05:00

Well it's the second half of July and I'm just posting again. My niece just left to go back to Houston after an eight week stay with us and she basically told me I need to blog and often. I'm hoping that means I will at least have one person who will really care what I have to say or share!! So I'll catch you up with what's been going on, but I'll break it down into different subtitles. And Mallory, you already know about these things so you don't have to read them!

Memorial Day fun

2010-06-10T01:52:00.001-05:00

We started the day with a special prayer time for Taylor and Amanda as they prepare to leave for Zambia on June 12th. All the kids stayed and we grilled, some swam and others just relaxed. Tanner loves the water and is so trusting of the adults in his life. Sometimes that's pretty funny!!!

Mallory comes to Dallas for her summer internship

2010-06-10T01:40:00.000-05:00

Mallory is here for her summer internship at Numantra in Las Colinas. I think she and Tanner are becoming real buddies. Having cousins is so fun!

Tanner has a 1/2 birthday

2010-06-10T01:21:00.000-05:00

Tanner had his 1/2 birthday and Grammy and Pops had to get him some big boy toys. He's really smart and had no trouble figuring everything out. If only he could sit up alone to play with them!! He's close! Sam also let Tanner play on him since it was his birthday after all.

Mother's Day

2010-06-10T01:11:00.001-05:00

We celebrated at our house and the kids did all the cooking!

the Smiths in Spring

2010-06-10T00:49:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Easter with the kids and as usual it was very special!

It snowed in Dallas on March 21st

2010-03-22T11:22:00.000-05:00

On the evening of March 20th we saw snow flurries begin to fall. By the next morning, we had had a full blown snow fall. It was beautiful and exciting, but in the second half of March! So remind me what global warming is?

Lindsay had a birthday

2010-03-22T11:10:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Lindsay's birthday with dinner, cake and lots of fun birthday presents. She is especially excited about the gift Taylor & Amanda gave her; a Smith workday where she can choose projects to get done and they will help her accomplish them. We had a great time!

Tanner gets a bath at Grammy's

2010-03-22T10:55:00.001-05:00

Tanner had his first bath at Grammy's. My kitchen sink is big enough to do this for many months. Too bad he doesn't enjoy them!

The way we spend our time with Tanner!!

2010-02-16T20:48:00.001-06:00

So we've quickly realized that most of our time with Tanner is talking to him so he can respond and taking pictures and videos. So we got his Aunt Amanda in on the action too. She introduced him to farm animal sounds and his favorite is a cow. We think he is amazing so we don't want to miss a moment! I hope we don't give him the "big head" but it's so much fun!

A Sip & See with friends

2010-02-16T20:05:00.001-06:00

Sweet friends hosted a Sip & See for friends to meet Tanner and we had a wonderful time. Some of those friends go back to when Lindsay was just a little girl. In fact, her Sunday school teacher from early elementary years, her church children and youth music teachers and her Junior High music teacher were all there. There were friends she had worked with and worked for, and even young ladies she watched grow up. It was so special to gather with friends who continue to love and support us through all the stages of life.

Tanner visits in Longview

2010-02-01T17:00:00.000-06:00

Lindsay & Tanner visited Mama & Papa in Longview and met some of Mama's friends. I think they all loved Tanner and had fun with him. Mama & Papa got some good loving in too.

The birthday celebration continued!

2010-01-20T12:55:00.000-06:00

The Govers invited us out to their ranch in Kemp to celebrate my birthday. Taylor & Amanda were skiing in Colorado and couldn't make it, but Lindsay, Chris & Tanner did. We had a wonderful time visiting, playing and relaxing. It was a wet and rainy time, but the 4-wheelers and tractor still offered much entertainment. Ron, Kevin, Chris and Lindsay got to shoot guns. Lindsay shot twice hitting her target once, so she stopped with a good record! The guys fed the cows and we saw a set of twin calves. Tanner was great on his first trip, but hopes to enjoy the same fun as everyone else one day. Enjoy the pictures!

Celebrating Lori's birthday!

2010-01-13T23:57:00.000-06:00

Well, another birthday is fast approaching and Tanner was a bit surprised by how old I am. The kids came over and celebrated with me on Monday. They planned a great evening, but I'm not sure what was my favorite part - 4 different kinds of cake from La Duni, playing Backseat Drawer or just the theme "games & goodies". They know just what I want for my birthday, fun with them.

Check Out Newest Pics of Tanner

2010-01-05T17:52:00.000-06:00

My sweet niece, Mallory, came up to meet Tanner and took some adorable pictures. Check them out at her blog spot, Mallory Claire Photography (click on her link over on my blog list). Mallory is a Soph. at Texas Tech and while she loves taking pictures, she is actually working towards a degree in advertising. Thanks so much Mal, we so love the pictures.

The Allreds meet Tanner

2009-12-31T21:22:00.001-06:00

Tanner's cousins, Mallory & Hanna, and his great Aunt Jo came to Dallas to meet him. I think they love him!!

Christmas Day

2009-12-31T21:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas and yes it was a white Christmas in Dallas! We had a great day, there were lots of surprises & Tanner got a rocking horse. This is so fun!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-31T20:49:00.000-06:00

We joined Taylor and Amanda for lunch at their house and then went to Christmas Eve service with them at The Village Church. It began snowing midday and continue until late that evening. Kevin's parents joined us later in the afternoon and then Christmas PJs were opened. This is always a special time for our family and we were especially thrilled to have Tanner with us this year.

Lindsay & Tanner decorating Christmas cookies

2009-12-31T20:42:00.001-06:00

We've usually had sugar cookies for Christmas and the kids use to decorate them on Christmas Eve. After many years of that tradition not happening, Lindsay and Tanner decided to do it this year. They were beautiful but is Tanner really helping!

Baylor/Texas Tech game at Cowboy Stadium

2009-12-01T21:02:00.000-06:00

Thought I would post these pictures separate from our Thanksgiving post cause I wanted to share several. Did I mention how amazing the stadium is?!?!

Much to be thankful for at Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T20:21:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and continue to be thankful for the many blessings in our family. My parents from Houston and the kids spent the day with us. Tanner met his great grandparents, Nonnie and Granddaddy, and Sam has finally decided that he's OK with baby Tanner being around. On Saturday we went to the Baylor/Texas Tech game at the Cowboy Stadium and it was so fun. The stadium was amazing and the Bears came out to win. Unfortunately Tech came alive in the 2nd half and won 20 - 13.

As we're now in the holiday season be kind, be safe and have a very merry time!

Newest Pics of Tanner

2009-11-30T21:15:00.000-06:00

We've been really busy with Tanner (taking pictures all the time!!). He's growing and changing every day. He went for his 2 week checkup today and weighed in at 9lbs. 9ozs. & 22 1/4" long. I'd say things are going OK for him! Both mom and Grammie were very proud of the glowing report from the doctor. The pictures posted were from this past weekend. Enjoy!

Tanner & Lindsay at Grammie & Pops

2009-11-24T22:43:00.000-06:00

Tanner and Lindsay have visited this week and I feel pretty certain that Tanner will want to come back! So far it's whatever he wants!! Chris went back to work this week which allowed me the opportunity to tend to Lindsay if she needs me. She wanted a little change of scenery so we came to Grammie and Pops house. Sam has had a little adjusting to do and if spending the whole evening in the other room away from us tells us anything, I think he's a bit upset! He likes being the one we fuss over and stuff, but there's a new kid in town. We are amazed at how quickly this little guy is changing. He's developing some patterns which his mom recognizes, and beginning to fill out his clothes. Lindsay is doing a great job being Tanner's mom and I couldn't be more proud of her. And FYI, when you become a grandparent, some people send cute little gifts!! That was a big surprise and lots of fun. Hope you enjoy the latest pictures.

All's well with the Loucks family

2009-11-14T16:55:00.000-06:00

We visited Tanner, Lindsay and Chris this morning and everyone is doing great. We got to just sit and visit and love our new little grandson. I don't think it gets any better than that! I've added some new pictures. Enjoy!

Tanner Christopher Loucks arrived today!

2009-11-14T00:57:00.000-06:00

We welcomed Tanner Christopher Loucks this evening after a long day. He weighed in at 9 lbs. and 21 1/4 " long. And he is absolutely beautiful. Lindsay and Chris are doing very well, and we are so very proud of them for all they went through today. Lindsay ended up having to have a C-section, but that too went very well. Dr. Glen Heckman was the doctor that delivered Tanner and what a blessing he has been to all of us. OK, I get it, there is nothing like being a grandmother. Enjoy these pictures of my precious new grandson!

Welcome to our new blog spot

2009-11-10T22:06:00.000-06:00

Well it's Tuesday evening, November 10th, and we are excited about starting our blog spot. We hope you'll visit us often and see what's going on. Don't feel you have to visit and you sure don't have to make comments, but I've really enjoyed my kids spots and thought this would be a great way to share a few things that are going on with us.

Many of you know that we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first grandchild who was actually due on Sunday, the 8th. Lindsay and Chris have been very patient, but eager for this new adventure in their lives. Details will be coming very soon!

Today is Amanda's birthday and it's just so fun celebrating with her. I hear her and Taylor went out to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate. They have been busy working on their house and tending to Miss Sydney. I'm not sure which is more difficult, but both their house and Syd are coming along great!

Thanks for spending a minute with us and check back soon. We will be having new updates soon!