Dentist Time

No Cavities!

Free breakfast at Chickfila...

And then some school work while the little kids play. Nice!

Impromptu Field Trip

After Sunday lunch some firemen offered the kids a chance to see their truck. They even got to climb in. Thank you, firemen!

Bible Quiz 2012 - League 1 and Gold Cup

John's David's Bible Quiz team at the Gold Cup Tournament at our home church in Cedar Hill, Texas.
John David, Jacob, Mitt are in the front.
Behind them are Nate (one of our former students/quizzers! who came to visit for the day),
John, and another quizzer, Jacob.
In the back are Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Cali (and Baby Audrey still in the oven!). They live there so they came to watch John David quiz and we got to hang out with them. We love them so much!

Daddy gives the boy some quizzing advice.

John David's teammate, Jacob, was the individual high point quizzer for the day.
That was quite an achievement!

The first league meet. The kids helped themselves to donuts.
Yea for brainfood! =)

Talking to girls - eek!

John David with "Uncle" Paul, John's own coach from when he quizzed
(and now best friend!). 

Jacob, Mitt, Jacob, John David

Time out

Hanging out after the matches

An opposing team. We took this picture so we could print it out and put it on our quizzers' walls
for motivation to study and beat them! Ha!

A nice, normal picture of the John David's team plus our church's other team too.
(Abigail, Sarah, and Emmanuel. )

A crazy picture!

And some more crazy!

Nate (AKA Niller Miller) and John. We love this guy.
Ladies, he's awesome and he's available. Call us.

John David's 12th Birthday - A Special Note from Dodie and GranMamma

"We're scratching our heads too, trying to wrap our minds around how quickly the last 12 years have passed. Today, 12 years ago, we welcomed John David Sullivan, our most favorite first grandchild, king of all Lego lords, mastermind of Zelda, leader of not only the neighborhood posse (yes, we actually watched him lead the kids in a parade down the sidewalks in South Bend), but leader of the Sulliv

an monkeys - his sisters and brother. He has a great mind and a cute and quirky personality. We're proud of his effort in BQ; he's memorized 12 chapters of Matthew to date and can quote them all in about 30 minutes! We love him dearly and look forward to see how God uses all his giftings. Proudly signed, his GranMama and Dodie."

(Taken from Facebook)

John David's 12th Birthday

I only captured a few pictures from this big guy's special day. His birthday fell on the same weekend as a big Bible Quiz trip and then church and a huge Fall Festival. He celebrated with friends the weekend before, but since he didn't want me to come along, ("I just want it to be guy time.") I have no pictures from their testosterone filled evening!

John took John David and two of his friends (Ryan and Reid) to play laser tag and eat ice cream. It was super easy to plan and afterwards John David told me it was the best birthday party ever! Sweet. Let's put it on the calendar for next year and do it all again!

The official ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins that he wanted.
We ate this after coming home from the Fall Festival.

We're running out of room for candles.
No more birthdays!!!

The birthday spanking tradition lives on!

John's Dad, D, got in on the action too.

Even I got to get in a good one to grow on. =)

We love you so much, John David. 

You made us a mommy and daddy all those years ago. 

Thanks for giving us so many good stories we'll be able to tell 

one day while we're rocking away in our rockers. 

You are turning out to be one fine young man, and even though we'd like to take all the credit, we thank Jesus for you. What an awesome responsibility to raise a leader in the making! 

YOU are amazing. What other 12 year old loves his brothers and sisters as much as you do? What other boy spends a couple hours a day memorizing and studying God's Word? You can quote 14 chapters from the book of Matthew now. Wow! 

We love to watch you sword fight and wrestle, and I'm confident that eventually you'll have all the ninja skills you ever wanted. You are (still) a Lego master. We went to Lego Land in Dallas a few days ago and the bitterness of growing up was realized when you were denied go karts and play area. We TOLD you not to grow up. You should have listened to us!

You devour (hey, it's a vocab word!) history books and currently The Hobbit as well.  Nothing makes you happy like a good back scratch or head scratch, except maybe Starbucks. Grande Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino with chocolate sauce and whipped cream on top to be exact. 

YOU ARE LOVED!

Aulora Lost Her First Tooth

This picture was actually taken right before the tooth came out. Daddy was trying to pull it since it was so loose. He could never get it though. Aulora came upstairs and I couldn't stand it anymore - I thought she might lose it during the night and swallow it! I yanked that little guy right out. 

She was very excited! Of course, the tooth fairy visited that night. The girls decided that they didn't want the tooth to get lost in the bed though. Instead, they put it on a pillow in a little doll house bed right by the door to their room. The wanted me to tell the tooth fairy that's where it was. They don't really believe in the tooth fairy, but I told them that the fairy wouldn't come if they didn't "believe" in her. So they play along and humor me. 

And that's why even our 12 year old son still "believes" in the tooth fairy! Ha!

Playing with Hadley

Alamo Trip

We started off our school year with a mostly free trip to the Alamo.

John had to travel there for work and already had a nice hotel room so we tagged along.

It was a very hot day, but we Texans are tough. 

While the kids enjoyed seeing where such important history took place, I think they liked the pizza and swimming at the hotel that evening better. =)

Remember the Alamo!!!

Aulora's 6th Birthday

We celebrated at home and then later at a Bounce House place in town. 

Dinner was spaghetti - Boo's favorite!

A yummy cake made by Gran

Mommy with the girls and cousin Natalia

Aulora hugs Holly,  Uncle Zach's girlfriend. 

She scored big points when she gave Aulora the new Barbie movie!

Aunt Sanja, Uncle Danny, and Natalia gave Aulora an Easy-Bake Oven kit. Oh boy, the time for gift revenge is coming soon, Sanja. Make-up kit? Drum set? Slime machine? I can't decide yet. =)

Birthday spankings!

We had a Lalaloopsy birthday party. Even Aulora's dress was handmade by a lady on Etsy. 

Thank you, Gran for buying it for her!

Even D and Daddy got in on the bouncing!

Lots of yummy, beautiful cupcakes that were made by Gran. 

Faces were red after all that jumping.

This is the face she makes when she gets something like candy. 

It means, "It's mine! Don't even try to get it!" =)

Some close family friends even make her a Lalaloopsy story book for her. So sweet!

Julia and Aulora. Sweet sisters!

Gran and the birthday girl

D and the birthday girl

Happy Birthday, Boo!