Wordless Wednesday

(Bankston Hays - 1 day old, November 2007)

Good friends...good times

We were happy to have one of Kris' closest friends from high school perform our wedding! All those years ago, he and his wife, Shannon, were serving with a small church plant in Kentucky while raising their daughter. Chad flew in for the weekend but had to head right back home because Shannon was due with their second child soon.


Many years have passed and our lives have changed slightly. We have kept in touch mostly through Christmas cards and Facebook.

This summer there was an intensive Hebrew class being offered in San Francisco. Chad thought it was a great educational opportunity, so he and Shannon loaded up the family and made it into an adventure! They rented an apt. within biking distance of his class, packed things they could foresee needing, and started driving. We had the privilege of hosting their family for lunch on the first leg of the trip!

It was such a blessing to see Chad again, to meet Shannon, and to get to know their SIX children! We had a blast eating together and listening to the children play. Their girls (5!) and boy (1-the last) are the most polite and sweet children. It is an honor to be friends with such great people.

We took this picture as they were heading out of town - next stop, San Antonio and The Alamo.

What a treat to spend a few hours with friends. They are full of wisdom and so easy to talk to. Hopefully we can meet up again before another 12 years pass!

FLASHBACK: It's a girl!

Last Fall, my sister found out that they would be having baby #3 in May 2010. Our clan was super excited to see our number grow by one and could not wait to hold that sweet baby in our arms! We had had a little bit of a baby hiatus (from 2002 to 2007 my sister and I had alternated having a baby a year) it was about time to add some newborn lovin' to our lives :)

Up until her baby #3 we were gender heavy - Ann Elise was the lone girl among 4 rowdy boy cousins! We all hoped this new life would bring a princess along to play dress up and have tea parties and nurture baby dolls. With all our children we had waited to find out what we were having. But, Holly wanted to know this time. She was pretty sure it would be her last child and if it was a girl, she wanted to incorporate some PINK :)

The way her ultrasound date fell, she was able to find out baby #3's gender a few weeks before Christmas. She still wanted it to be as exciting as when the Dr. announces "It's a _____!" in the delivery room. So, she had the ultrasound technician write it down and seal it in an envelope to be revealed later.

Every Christmas Eve our family and friends get together after the candlelight service at the church. This year, after we ate, Holly and Neal opened the envelope in front of everyone. We were so very excited to see PINK come out of that envelope!

"IT'S A GIRL!"

In April, a few of us got together and gave Holly a baby shower at the Country Club. A great turnout of friends and family came to celebrate this baby girl and support Holly.

The invitation had a bird theme, so her mother-in-law (who owns a cake shop) replicated the bird from the invitation for the cake! It was adorable :)

She also made these cute cookies with her monogram.



Kris and my mother-in-law joined forces to keep our kids so I could be present for the birth. I left really early that morning and drove to my hometown. I got to the hospital just as Holly was being prepped for the delivery. It was not long before she was rocking and rolling and baby #3 would be arriving. I was very happy I got to be in the delivery room. There is nothing like seeing a baby take it's first breath. God shows His majesty in every bit of His creation and there is no shortage of His glory with new life!

Carter Cate
8 pounds, 10 ounces
19 inches
May 11, 2010 at 12:36 pm

While Holly was recovering, they wheeled Carter Cate down to the nursery to weigh her, prep her, etc. Big brothers, Mac and South, loved looking at her! In this picture South is telling her all about Iron Man and his super powers (he had a figurine in his hands)!

Unfortunately, my trip was just for the day. I had to head back home before I had the chance to hold my only niece. I didn't have to wait too long. We took a family trip to visit for the weekend and all the five dubs got to hold her :)


Time has flown by! Miss Carter Cate is now holding her head up high, cooing, and smiling. She is such a sweet thing. This is a more recent picture...her first tailgating experience of many.

Wordless Wednesday

Bankston Hays, me, Ann Elise, and Wes - New Orleans Zoo, March 2009

Bankston Hays - the observer, the imitator

Since having Bankston Hays, there are a few things we have learned about having a third child. One of which is that, in most cases, he has to learn by observation. Some of that is due to less time for one on one attention. But, most of it is just because he has so many people to watch.

With Wes, he pretty much watched me all day. So, whatever we played, he mastered. He got very good at puzzles, stacking blocks, paying attention to stories, etc. With Ann Elise, she had me - but she also had Wes. So, she learned from playing with me some...but she learned alot from playing with Wes. She got very good at digging in the dirt, pretending to be a pirate looking for treasure, riding the Powerwheels motorcycle, following her big brother's instructions, etc. With Bankston Hays, he had me, he had Wes - and he had Ann Elise. (Of course, Kris fit in this picture just as much - you'll see!! I am just referring to the "days".)

So, for the first part of his life he learned to watch us. We were busy doing all of it so he just observed. As he became more independent he imitated what he had seen us do most!

• He wanted to unload the dishwasher and transfer wet clothes to the dryer.
• He wanted to brush his own teeth and dress himself.
• He didn't want the tee ball (soft), he wanted the baseball (hard).
• He wanted markers. and paper. and scissors. and glue.
• He wanted to carry his own backpack full of whatever for the imaginary monster hunt and his own flashlight.
• He wanted to pour his own honey mustard.

Get the picture? "After all, this is how life works, right? The three of them do things this way...why shouldn't I?"

Soon after we built this house, we were visiting my grandmother and noticed she had several new oak tree shoots in her yard. She told us to take them and see if we could transplant them into our new yard. One of those trees has survived beautifully and is fast approaching providing us shade! As it grew, it had become top heavy and was growing at an angle. This Spring, Kris tied the top of the tree and anchored it, pulling it straight. One morning, I discovered Bankston Hays in the yard, with his tool box. He had observed Kris...



Another afternoon he pulled out his lawnmower and got to work. After all, that is what Daddy was doing!

"Don't worry that children never listen to you;
worry that they are always watching you."
~Robert Fulghum

FLASHBACK: Wes' Spring at School

Wes had a super Spring as a first grader. He was in the groove of school, knew the ins and outs of the campus, and understood what was expected of him. He enjoyed getting to participate in a few things that were brought about by being in first grade!

Just as the Preschool celebrated Grandparents Day, the Elementary got their turn to show appreciation to their heritage. The grandparents sat in on an introduction to the school and then got to visit the classrooms of their grandchildren. Wes was excited to have both Bobby and Nana meet his teacher and friends! (Again, Lala-my mom, was unable to attend because she is a teacher in another town)

(Bobby and Nana with Wes)

The elementary music teacher does a super job of planning programs for each grade. The students work hard learning their parts and the words and motions to the songs for many months before the performance. The first graders perform "Singing the Proverbs".
The program consisted of many songs based on verses from Proverbs. They all had really catchy tunes...a great way to ensure those truths are hidden in their hearts!

Wes' speaking part: "He talks to us through the Bible. The Bible is God's love letter to His children to help us learn how to live! My dad says when all else fails read the instructions!" (I must add that this really bothered Kris, as he would never have said that. He would have said read the Bible first - don't wait until you have tried everything else!)

They wore their "Singing the Proverbs" t-shirts with each class sporting a different color. Wes' class wore blue.

(Wes - top row, first from the left)

Another exciting plus to being a first grader - getting to participate in Field Day! Kris was very excited about this...he can remember Field Day being his most favorite day of the year (probably because it involved sports, but also because it was the last day of school) and couldn't wait for Wes to experience it!

(Wes - sitting, second from the right)

Wes participated in several events with his class, but also a few events in teams or solo. He came away with several placement ribbons. I think he was most proud of his first place finish in an event where he had to pull a bag of sand down and back!

(Wes - third from the left)

First grade brought more academics while keeping some of the fun from Kindergarten. It brought meaning to the words "homework" and "tests". I can remember Wes heading off to school the morning of his first "test". He said, "I just can't wait to find out what a test is like!" Yep, hope he can keep that enthusiasm another 15+ yrs :) Wes had an excellent experience as a first grader. Mrs. Schultze was such a good fit for Wes. She loved him and really doted on what a good student he was.

And yet, another year behind us and we have no idea where the time went. May second grade be just as challenging and rewarding!

FLASHBACK: Ann Elise's Spring at Preschool

We were so pleased with Ann Elise's 4 year old Preschool experience! Mrs. Heather was just the right fit for our sweet doll. She really grew academically and learned so much! We knew she was ready for Kindergarten :)

Ann Elise loved having a special day to celebrate her grandparents! They performed a special program in the sanctuary and had a small reception afterward. She was excited to show Bobby and Nana her school work and give them a tour of her classroom. (Lala, my mom, was not able to attend because she is a school teacher in another town)

(Ann Elise with Bobby and Nana)

At her desk she had this special gift for each of her grandparents. Mrs. Heather took a picture of each of the children dressed up as a "grandparent"! Isn't that too cute?!

In May, I got to go to school with Ann Elise for Muffins With Mom. They sang a few songs and we enjoyed some muffins while visiting.

At her desk she had several gifts for me! This picture shows the corsage she made for me to wear (left) and her hand print flower (right).

This picture shows the card she made (left) and her hand print flower pot (right). The hand print flower pot contained a packet of seeds.

The inside of the card she made had many questions Mrs. Heather asked about me. Some of her answers made me laugh! The innocence of a child is precious :)

This is a picture of Ann Elise with several of her friends. She really had a fun class! Can't you tell from the picture?!?

(Michaela, Ann Elise, Gracie, and Anna Caroline)

Ann Elise waited patiently all year for her turn as Star Student. She watched week after week as her classmates told about their favorite things, brought their favorite snacks, brought family pets or family members, etc. Most weeks she would voice some idea that she would like to do when she was Star Student!

The ways we celebrated Ann Elise:

• We made a poster that included lots of pictures of family, things she loves, and showed her growing up.

• We gave her classmates a sample of her favorite snack, Fruity Pebble Treats, with the recipe.
• Our family friend, Lloyd, visited her class and taught them the alphabet and how to count in Chinese and gave them each a bookmark from China.
• Bobby and Nana visited her class. Bobby, a watercolor artist, taught her class how to draw and paint a zebra (Ann Elise's choice).
  
• I visited her class and read the funny book, Smelly Socks by Robert Munsch. I told her friends that Ann Elise has crazy socks that she likes to play in and took a few pairs with me that they could see. I told them about how I would rather her use them for "play socks" and so she always strips off her "mom-approved-school-socks" in the van on the way home from school and gets her feet ready for her "play socks". They thought that was really funny!

(image found using Google image search for Smelly Socks)

They celebrated the end of the year with a program in the sanctuary. They sang all kinds of great songs showing how much they had learned. Mrs. Heather's class did a rendition of "Who Let The Letters Out" to the tune of Who Let The Dogs Out (and when you would normally bark, they pronounced the letter's sound). At the end of the song, after having said "Z", they each pulled sunglasses out of their pockets, put them on, turned to the side and crossed their arms. Very fun! They had been practicing this "move" and Ann Elise had been super excited about it! They worked really hard to keep it a secret from us parents :)

(Ann Elise is third from the left, top row)

Such a super Spring!

Wordless Wednesday

Kris and Jay Keywood (former student), 2006ish

FLASHBACK: Baby Birds

During the first few years of our marriage we lived on Melba, two doors down from some very dear friends. They had a little boy, Tatum, that we loved. He would occasionally strap on his backpack and walk across the yards to visit. We would have such fun "playing parents" and entertaining Tatum :)


During one Spring on Melba, a bird built her nest atop the wreath on our front porch. Tatum and his mom, Christi, would walk down every couple of days and we would check out the nest's progress. To our delight, one day the nest contained eggs! It was so much fun to watch the eggs hatch and the baby birds grow.

This past Spring we were able to share that same excitement...but with our own children! We had noticed a bird frequenting the light outside our french doors in the kitchen. And soon realized she was making her nest above the fixture. The location made it impossible to see inside the nest, but we worked around it by using a mirror! The kids were fascinated.

We have eggs!

They've hatched!

Look...they're hungry!

Getting bigger!

Ready to fly!

Throughout this whole adventure, we remembered to read one of my favorite little books, Bluebird's Nest.


This became a favorite read when Wes was younger. It shows the bluebird preparing his nest and with each turn of a page another piece of brown yarn appears. It is such a fun way to see the nest be built!