Love my graham crackers

Mason has discovered his new favorite food...graham crackers. In spite being all gums (no teeth yet), he loves those crackers. For the longest time, he wouldn't grab them and feed himself but I've finally worked with him enough to feed himself. Now he grabs them, taps them on his tray for a bit and then assaults the cracker with great gusto. And I do mean assault them...he keeps the cracker to his mouth until it's gone, barely coming up for air. I've joked with him more than once "Mason, would you like a side of fingers with that graham cracker!!"

A Day for the Boys

I've had a lot of fun the past two Thursday's while watching Mason and Layton. And now that the boys are old enough to acknowledge each other, the fun has begun. The days started with a few moments of polite staring and then the squealing began. I had to play referee at regular intervals, keep them from stealing each others pacifier. For instance, Mason had decided to pull his plug but I guess he wanted Layton to do the same and yanked his out of his mouth, much to his surprise.

So far the toy sharing is working but there is a little toy envy. When one was intently focused on a toy, the other would stare with great concern and grab it once dropped. They also decided to share in each others pain. This past week, Layton's first tooth began to crown and he was uncomfortable, so I sat Mason in the corner of the couch and then sat next to him with Layton in my lap. Mason watched Layton cry with a smile on his face, attitude unchanged. THEN, Mason just flipped a switch and joined in with the tears. I know I shouldn't have, but I laughed hysterically, I couldn't help it. I will say, the odd response broke the tears.

And as usual, I played with the camera. Layton is on the left and Mason is on the right.

Look at those heads...can you tell they are related??

Layton giving me a great smile.

Mason posing as the waxed-version of himself...LOL!!!

Charlie Brown Christmas

As with so many, watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a vital part of the Christmas season. I was glad to catch it this past week. Such simple and powerful truths in the message. As I've gotten older, I appreciate Charles Schultz's clear gospel message that is shared with the masses. I was also glad to share the show with Mason for the first time. While he was busy playing on the floor, I was reminded of the importance of sharing with him the meaning of the holiday as he grows. JP and I have laughed that as we get him close to the tree, he repeatedly reaches for a wooden ornament that depicts the nativity scene...how sweet and profound. We've prayed long and hard for his life, health and happiness. Perhaps his spirit is connecting to his Savior even now.

On a more superficial note, it was fun letting my Charlie Brown watch THE Charlie Brown. So in my usual form, I decided to get a little creative with the camera and catch Mason and Charlie Brown in the same frame.

Family Pics

Great big Thank You to my in-laws for helping us with our family pictures this year. We had a great afternoon together catching memories around our home and property. Bill and Vicki have great abilities with the equipment and JP has a phenomenal ability to frame an beautiful photo. We talked about what we wanted to capture and he stewed on it for a week. When the time came to take the pictures, he knew exactly where he wanted to position us. These great photos made the Christmas card process much easier this year. Enjoy!!

Thanksgiving in stages

As with any expanding family, we are learning to celebrate our holidays over the course of several days. Mason's first Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. We enjoyed a large Shearrer family lunch at Dad and Leigh's house. As usual, Mason and Layton were a good portion of the entertainment for the day. They are really starting to notice and interact with each other now.


John Paul and I made our way to San Antonio that afternoon for some dessert and Cowboy's football with the Padgett's. By the end of the day, Mason had had his fill of being passed around and was very ready to go home. Can't blame him, but so many people love him and want a little time with him.

Then we had Mom, Clifton, Amy and Layton over for the last round of Thanksgiving on Saturday. We opted for a more casual approach to the meal and had a great time. And once again, the boys commanded the attention in the room. When the two boys are together, we all simply laugh. They have brought so much joy to this entire family...truly something to be thankful for.

MY Hand

Had a precious moment of wonder that I wanted to share. We were having some family time in the big bed before church, with Mason between us. He was reaching out to touch his daddy when he suddenly became enamored with his own hand. He reached his arm to the sky and studied the palm of his hand. Then he'd turn his hand over and study the front. He continued this study for 15 minutes, wiggling his fingers, looking at his palm then the top of his hand. Watching his face, I could tell he was making the connection that HE has total control of his hands and they move the way he "tells" them too. It was a light bulb moment and I was so blessed to watch that light bulb go off. He truly is growing by leaps and bounds before our very eyes.

SNOW!!!

That very rare sight has been seen in South Texas. More specifically at our house. I was busy tucking our outdoor plants under the covers in preparation for tonight's freeze and heard that familiar sound. Yes, it is familiar to me from my years at Texas Tech. I could hear the gentle tap of the sleet and then looked up to find snow falling. It's so awesome and so Christmas-like. Keep in mind, the sleet is crazy small, but couldn't resist capturing a bit of this winter treat.

The dogs aren't sure what they've done, but they are all for the white stuff. They spent the night in their kennel and have been allowed to stay in their warm kennel for the day. Of course they are totally confused when they are sent outside for a bathroom break. Budro actually sat down at the gate to their pen and drooped his ears...he was working the sympathy card as hard as he could.

Have to say I hope the winter precipitation continues throughout the day. Something about South-Texas' version of frigid cold makes the warm cup of coffee that much better.