Look and see what the Lord has done...

...baby June is turning one!


Our Fresno baby celebrates her one year birthday this week in Texas. But a little California came to town! My 90 year old great-uncle Mo, his wife Aunt Linda, and their son Uncle Jerry were in town too! Did you know that I celebrated my first birthday in California? So, they were at my birthday too (over 30 years ago). What a sweet, sweet thing!





Here's my dad with the birthday babe!


Cousin Abilene came in town...thanks to Tammy and Bryan for being her drivers. ;)


Uncle Lee and Aunt Stephanie (with baby due in Nov.)


Mommy and lil' sister


What is this thing you are lighting?

Hmmm...still not interested.

Not buying it...
Plate, yes. Cake, no.


Presents opened by my 2 favorite guys? Yes.



Card with a dog on the front? Oh, yeah!


Bubble guns are always welcomed.


The Dude abides. Make that Dr. Dude. Jerry is a nautical archaeologist and professor in San Diego...also like my mom's brother (cousins only 3 months apart).


Uncle Mo

Sweet Aunt Linda

Big Mike

Dad, cleaning up. He smoked ribs and chicken for supper...so GOOD!


Man talk on the porch.

Tamsters lovin' on June.

Kiddos playing with the toys


Grandparents with their tiniest grandbaby

McCunes (who have been at 4 of 6 Arnold birthday parties).

I guess this is what you would call the "Hall Picture". Uncle Mo and his sister (my mom's mom) are Halls. The rest of us come from the births and relationships that came after their move to California in the 1940's. Missing my mom's parents today!


To friends, family, and a wonderful year as June's mom! More posts to come to celebrate year one!

A New Job?

You know that it was an especially long pledge drive for our local public radio station when today Owen says, "Mom, I know what can be your new job. You can be a proud supporter of KERA."

He did give me his top reasons for this new career:
"#1 You can still be my mom
#2 You can still work at our apartments
#3 You can be on the radio
#4 You can also be on TV...did you know KERA is the TV's pbs? I heard that.
#5 You do listen to it and so you can be a proud supporter."

He then proceeded to practice his radio voice. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemens. This is me, and you can hear me on KERA." I don't know what my next job will be, but at least I will have a career coach when the time comes.


Here he is in line for his first field day. Pre-K all had light blue shirts (from home or to buy from the school). I will not detail the drama that occurred when he found out I was not buying a shirt. Let the mother's guilt continue...



June, watching brother from the sidelines. Yes, she is holding a sippy cup, but do not be fooled. It is just to play with; to drink from it would be too much.


All activities were with water, so I'm sure his teacher and her assistant earned an extra jewel in her crown getting all 20 Pre-K kids changed into dry clothes before going home.


Our neighbor Janya is in his class too. Ladies first...

And in the future, maybe Teacher Appreciation Day (extended to the whole week at our school) should happen AFTER Field Day. You guys rocked! Owen had such a great time, and afterwards marveled in the fact that "MOM, we got there, ate our lunches, and DIDN'T EVEN WORK!" Oh, the joy!

On sister's side, she's figured out how to feed herself finger foods. Here she is delighted with this new skill:



Now though is the time I wish we had a dog to lap up all the failed attempts. Instead, I will be scrubbing the apartment grade carpet below the high chair. Never fails to miss the washable mat under the chair...it's like it repels the food onto the carpet. Oh, designers of multi-family housing, why carpet in the dining room? Why?

Last one for the day: June and her main squeeze.

5 Predictions for Year 5

5 Things I See for Owen this Year:

#1 BIKE RIDING

Lucky guy received a great hand-me down bike from his cousins in Austin for his birthday. Thanks Keely and Kaden! On a side note, I also predict that Michael will begin the corrective chiropractic care needed to remedy the hours spent hunched over trying to teach Owen.What was your first "big kid" bike like? Mine was a Strawberry Shortcake one that I soon ditched for a blue BMX-ish bike to ride around the neighborhood with Cameron Enterline. Aaah, elementary school!


#2 STAR WARS WILL LIVE ON

Thanks to our dear friends Rae and Bert, Owen was introduced to the old Star Wars movies last year, and his affection has not waned. So, this year, we did a themed party at the house. We had a lightsaber cake, asteroid hunt, and homemade lightsabers to take home (none of those an original idea...what did moms do for ideas before Google?). I do not see this interest fading, especially after generous family members helped him along with some cool vehicles for his action figures.



#3 HE WON'T BE LONELY

These friends from church, school, and a couple of "arranged" friendships have been an answer to prayer for us. Owen loves these guys and was very clear about his invitation list.

His seat partner at school, "Ci-Ci". That's his nickname for Crystal.
Caleb, Ryan, Jadeyn, and the birthday boy. Owen loves J because "she likes Star Wars just as much as me!"

Trinity is another buddy from school. She has the best laugh...this huge trucker laugh comes out of this little petite preschooler. I love it!
Casen...who won the award for farthest distance traveled for cake (from Abilene).

#4 HE WON'T DISOWN US

Wait...kids can't disown their parents can they? What I mean is that he knows a good thing when he sees one, and our family is a good thing!

Owen mentioned the other day how he likes being here in Texas. He said, "I like this apartment better than going back and forth, back and forth on the plane and in the car." Me too, me too. Here's to loving family and friends.

Grammy and Trish (Trinity's mom and my friend)
Aunties Wendy and Julie (whose sons Ryan and Casen are in an "arranged" relationship with Owen...friends because mommies are friends...luckily, the boys have fully embraced it!)

Molly and Mr. Tim (Miss Debbie was in class with Mom)...Molly gets the non-family award for most Owen birthdays attended. She has signed 3 of Owen's 5 birthday books. (Every year we get Owen a book for his birthday and all party attendants sign it with a message).
Miss Kristen (Jadeyn's mom and Owen's Tuesday Bible class teacher)
My absolute FAVORITE pic of Owen lately. Genuinely enjoying his Opa. Sushi had her end of semester presentation for her grad. school class, so she was not there this time. :(


Grammy and Pee-Paw

Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Lee (and "Biscuit"...my niece or nephew, due in November!!!)

Auntie Julie again with Baby Chloe...last time we were going over to their house, Owen ran up to June when she woke up and said, "Guess what, Junie?! You get to see Chloe today!" in his best smoopy-woopy-saccharine baby voice. Yes, June and Chloe are also an "arranged friendship".

#5 READING, READING, READING!

No pictures of this one yet, but I am so excited about the pre-reading skills that are transforming into actual reading. I try not to project too many of my interests onto Owen, but as a bookworm, my heart does flip-flops when he identifies a sight word, sounds a new word out, or asks me to read with him. Reading was my favorite thing about kindergarten...which is only a few months away. I hope that reading gives him freedom to explore his interests more deeply, nurture a passion for God's word, and foster the awareness that there is a greater world outside of himself.


Lastly, I'm just putting this one in to remind ourselves that some little apples don't fall far from the tree. Here's Ryan K. at Owen's party...And his dad Charles K. with June last month...

I love our friends! Thank you all who were able to come to celebrate Owen, and thank you to our "faraway" friends who called, emailed, texted, snail-mailed, and prayed birthday blessings to Owen. We love you!