Birthday Part One

Jon's 30th birthday is tomorrow, so we went today for a tour of Cowboys Stadium today. (The Cowboys are one of his very favorite teams.)

It's a spaceship.

Getting his first look.

Jake was excited too.

We're here!

Go Cowboys!

Dad and Jon looking around.

After we got there we got a surprise that the REAL LIFE COWBOYS were going to be there practicing. So we ended up staying there WAY longer than planned to watch.

Running a play.

Jason Garrett, the REAL LIFE HEAD COACH.

The Cotton Bowl is happening at Cowboys Stadium (not AT the Cotton Bowl) next week, so they were hanging up the team banners.
Gig 'em Ags! Beat LSU!

We took a short trip to the cheerleaders locker room.
Jake was thrilled.

How 'bout them cowboys?!

Watching them practice.

That is earth's largest screen.

We took a break and ran across the street to Arby's.
We kept the stadium in sight.

After practice was over... three hours
later... we got to go out on the field.

Jake LOVED running around.


Grandude tried to get him up to the goal post. Didn't quite make it.

Gig 'em Ags!

The Fam on the Field

Oh, and Gig 'Em Ags!

Then we got to go to the Cowboys' locker room!

In front of the locker of one of the former
Razorbacks, Daddy's other favorite team.

Riding high.

In front of the star in the locker room.

Wearing a Tom Landry hat in the gift shop.

It's a spaceship.

As we left, we could see both the Ballpark in Arlington and the Cowboys Stadium at the same time. Such opposite looking stadiums. I prefer the Ballpark, but I love the Rangers, so I'm biased.

Christmas Time Was Here

Don't hold your breath while you read this. You'll pass out. It's long.
Christmas started for us on Friday. Thursday night was Christmas Eve #1...

We finished our advent calendar that, by the end of the month, Jake was really excited about. You pulled off the sticker each day, and he would remind me we needed to do it and jump around excited while I did it.

Jake read his book about Santa.

Christmas (Eve) Morning!

We went over to Candice's house to celebrate.
All the cousins were wearing green!

Jake got his first stocking.

Playing with the stocking goodies.

He was excited about his turtle pillow pet.
I wish I had one dollar for every pillow pet sold this year.

Jon was excited about his new coffee maker. And earmuffs.

Aunt Candice helped Jake open his Chuck the Truck.

She also gave this INSANE ball that plays
music and shakes. He LOVES it!

Alyssa Kate and Caroline also LOVED the costumes that I got them.
On clearance. After Halloween.

Jake had a great time playing with his new barn from Mimi and Pop.

And Wes loved his remote control helicopter.

After lunch we drove to Fort Worth.

Christmas morning!

With the stockings.

He had reindeer on his feet last year too.

Stocking #2. He's getting this reach-into-the-stocking thing down.

...and stocking #3.

"What is this stuff?"

Grammy and the dog.

Whoa. Lots of presents for lots of people.

Jake got a super cute backpack.

Opening presents.

The wooden stacking blocks that I got for just a few dollars online!

Surrounded by his gifts... mostly books and puzzles.

Jake got a Magna Doodle, but it was confiscated for an evening long game of pictionary for the adults. My uncle Jack started by just writing on it.

Playing with his new ball ramp, trying to
catch the balls as they went down.

Opening our loot.

I looked over and my dad's legs looked insanely long, so I took a picture.

Goofy face.

Sunday night we went to look at some lights.
This huge house has a huge display. The trees on the
right of the picture are seen up close below...

They are COVERED in a net of lights. So cool.

Then we went downtown to the Pier One complex. All of the trees were wrapped. This was the least fuzzy family picture we got.

If I was posting this from home, I would have
photoshopped out that street sign. Just ignore it.

Awesome.

Tuesday night my cousin Kristen came over and played with Jake.

They had a great time. We haven't seen her since last Christmas!