Beta Volunteer

Savannah has been busy again volunteering around Moss Bluff with the Beta Club.  

On Saturday, she went to Moss Bluff Elementary to help paint the court yard.  

The Beta Club leader, Mrs. DeFelice, wrote about it on Facebook.  

What a beautiful day to make a difference! Boy Scout Troop 21 of Moss Bluff and the Sam Houston Beta Club joined forces for six hours today to repaint the USA Playground Map at Moss Bluff Elementary. This playground map was our son Zach's Eagle Scout Project nearly six years ago, and it was so fun to see the kids bring new life to it today! Take a quick look through the before-and-after pictures - what a great job they did - quite professional-looking! And a special thanks to Troop 21 for raising the necessary funds for the project with a car wash last fall. Mr. Vern and Mrs. Nita - those boys are so blessed to have you as their leaders...just as my son was so many years ago.

The map before.

The map afterward.  Great job, guys!!

Then, this afternoon, she went with Beta again to Moss Bluff Elementary to paint the windows of the cafeteria to encourage the students before the standardized testing next week.

Mrs. DeFelice, again on Facebook:

The SHHS Beta Club spent the afternoon painting the cafeteria windows at Moss Bluff Elementary School with encouraging words for the students in preparation for LEAP Testing next week. What a fun way for the older kiddos to show their love and support for the younger kiddos!

Savannah said she painted the frog.

Tomorrow afternoon, they are headed up to Gillis Elementary to decorate their windows for testing too, and later this month to decorate the windows of a local nursing home for spring.

These guys and all the other Beta volunteers have done so much good in our community.

Savannah loves being in Beta and decided to run for an officer for next year.

She had to get teacher recommendations and one from the principal and she had to prepare a speech.

She found out on Friday that she had been voted as the Beta club Treasurer for next year.

She is so excited to have this opportunity.  She was up against some stiff competition.  

She's going to do a great job!!

Let Me Remind You That He is Five

This morning I received a tutorial from Jackson on how to take care of his clothes when I do laundry. 

The other day he fussed at me about it too.  I told him that he could roll them himself before he put them away. 

This morning, he showed me how so I could do it instead, making sure I was paying close attention to the different treatment needed for long vs. short sleeved items. 

Oh, that boy.  He's going to be so disappointed!

Portfolio in Progress

Tristan has decided that he wants to study Digital Art and Animation.

We have looked up several colleges and their programs.

One mentioned that he would need a portfolio before applying.

He has always been a drawer and sketcher, doodling on the margins of all his papers, but this must have inspired him because he has been drawing a lot lately.

Here are two of his latest drawings, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Tarzan.

Much more interesting than my stick figures!

Quotable Quotes

Last night, we were having dinner.  I had made some mixed vegetables that had sliced orange and yellow carrots in it.  Jackson was not interested in eating the yellow carrots, saying that they tasted weird.

I told him that I could not tell a difference in the flavor and that lots of foods have several different colors, like potatoes are white, brown, red, and even purple.  Apples are red and green and yellow.

Then I explained that carrots are really good for your body and provide Vitamin K that is helpful to maintaining good eyesight. That started us on a conversation about vitamins and minerals and which foods have what our bodies need to stay strong and healthy.

After a minute or so, Holden stood up out of his chair and walked over to where I was sitting.  He opened his mouth wide after asking, "Mom, can I have some of your Vitamin K?"

The Droid Files

I have a ton of pictures on my phone that I never think to blog about, 

so here are some of them in random order from random dates.

From the Republican Club field trip I took with Tristan to New Orleans last April.

At the I-Max Theater with my friend, Vicki Hilliard.  (It's a horrible picture of me and I am only posting it to have proof one day that I existed and did all the things I have said that I have done.)

Savannah with her friends, Taylor Andrepont and Savannah Stebbins, on a dress up day at the middle school, possibly Halloween 2012.  They are supposed to be triplets.

Holden, Dylan, and Jackson playing in the dirt at Dylan's house.

Ethan at CiCi's Pizza after a swim meet in the Summer of 2013.

We went there with some friends after a meet and piled all of our plates in front of Ethan to make it look like he ate all that food by himself.

Holy Batman, Tristan!  Being silly on a band trip.

Savannah caught her first fish on a trip with her friend, Alyssa.

I think she was more afraid of it than it was of her.

My friend, Brenda, brought me some awesomely yummy chips that are only found 

in her hometown in Pennsylvania.  She brought me a bag each of two different kinds.  

When she visits home, she packs her bags and trunk full to the brim and hoards them until they are gone.  

So sweet that she thought of me when she visited the last time!

A little freaked out by the picture above.

A loose white powder?  Can't find that listed in the ingredients.

Last time I bought that for the kids to take to school for lunch.

Holden just laying around, watching television.

Jackson's adorable artwork from the first week of school.

The cutest little study buddies ever!

The cutest little brothers ever!!

At least two PB&J's made daily at this house, using Grammy's famous blackberry jam.  Yumm-o!!

Jackson at soccer practice with Coach Drew and the Bacon Bits.

Holden hanging out around town with bear and alligators, oh my!

Ethan helping me tear out and staple workbook pages for Jackson's teacher, Mrs. Castille.

Self portraits in the hall at Gillis Elementary.  Love, love, love them!

Savannah was given a couple of dresses that were a bit too short, so we ordered her some slip extenders, one brown, one white, and one black to go with several different outfits.

They look awesome and really will go a long way to make her wardrobe more modest 

and wearable for a much longer time!  SOOOOOOOO excited about that!

Two of these planters sit outside the Chiropractor's office.  

Holden says they are trophies.

 Making birthday gifts for the children in the Jennings Primary.

Holden and I went to pick up donuts for the Moss Bluff Senior Citizens breakfast being thrown by the Beta Club at the High School.  All they ordered were plain and boring glazed donuts.  Holden was thrilled when the donut shop owner gave him a glorious sprinkled one!

Ethan's French teacher, Jean-Paul went into the hospital in October for problems with his feet.

We went to visit him and found this awesome poster signed by Jackson's French class hanging on the wall.

Tristan getting his hair did by the girls in band.

More Bacon Bits!

Tristan ice skating on the band trip to Dallas.

And visiting Medieval Times on that same band trip.  Turned out to be not so much a fun activity for him.  This picture was taken right before Tristan had a major sneezing attack because of all the horses.    

Tristan is on the second row from bottom in the black SHHS swim shirt, next to the kid in the Batman shirt.

Believe In It!

Ethan had the opportunity yesterday and today to attend a soccer clinic put on by a professional soccer  player named Jared Montz.  Jared is the only professional player to come out of Louisiana and also runs an online soccer academy.  He did a wonderful job with the kids!!

Ethan had a great time and even scored a goal or two during their scrimmages.

Ethan with his team:  Ethan, a boy I don't know from the U12 Gunners team, Maddy, Ben, and Dallas.

Ethan loved being able to go and especially loved that the t-shirts were orange!!

Savannah Smiles

It seems like Savannah never gets her due recognition on our blog.

It's certainly NOT because she is never as busy as the boys.  She is crazy busy with volunteer work, friends, school clubs, homework, projects, and maintaining straight A's.  We are not sure how she does it all.

Here are some updates on Savannah's activities from the past several months, in no particular order.

Riding in the Moss Bluff Christmas Parade with the SHHS Republican Club.

Singing in Sacrament Meeting with the Young Women.

 Family road trip to Beaumont to see Ethan's soccer game and eat at Diary Queen.

Goofing off with Morgan in typing class.

Volunteering with the SHHS Republican Club at the Mike Huckabee Dinner at the Civic Center.

Eating more than her fair share of Girl Scout Cookies.

Holding signs outside the school in honor of the anniversary of 9-11.

She is holding "NOT."

Attending the Mardi Gras Gala with Alyssa.

At a party with her SPARK friends, Alyssa, Ryan, and Taylor.

Camping with the Lake Charles Ward Young Women.

Modeling her hair that was braided by a SHHS Wrestler, and refusing to admit that this might be a sign that he likes her, 'cause boys don't usually just walk up and start braiding someone's hair.

Helping mom with her Webelos group at SPAR, earning the Aquanaut Activity Badge.

Constantly deleting creepy photos of boys who steal her phone and take a million selfies.

Playing at Mr. Gatti's Pizza with Abby and other friends after attending the funeral of a classmate.  

Rockin' her own selfie shots.

 Doing all her friend's hair during a lull in class.

Jammin' out at stake dances.

Volunteering with BETA at the Parent's Night Out.

Volunteering with BETA at the Methodist Church pumpkin patch.

Helping raise nearly $6,000 for the Ethyl Precht Breast Cancer Foundation.

Playing at Toledo Bend with the Foreman family.

Traveling all over the state of Louisiana as one of the best statisticians
the Bronco wrestling team has ever had.

Proving that modest really is hottest.

Loving life without braces.

Holding the breath of John Green, a momento kept by her English teacher, Mrs. Wamsley.

Making sock snowmen at a Jennings Branch Young Women activity.

Dressing up for Homecoming week fun. 

Shopping and accessorizing like only Savannah knows how.

As you can see, this girl never stops!  

Whew!!  I'm tired now.  Think I'll go take a nap.