Babysitting Photo Shoot

Yesterday morning I had the joy of beginning my summer vacation by babysitting for Jesse for a few hours while James and Allison attended a Parenting Conference at church. Since I was going to be with Jesse for several hours, I took my camera and had some fun getting pictures of him. He is growing so fast is turned 5 months old today.

Here are some of the best pictures I got of him:

Jesse was very good for me. He was happy, took a good nap, and stayed content waiting to eat. When James and Allison arrived back home Jesse was very happy to see them. We were sitting outside on their front porch, and he was all smiles when they appeared, so I had to take of few pictures of Jesse with his Daddy.

May Madness

As usual, May was a busy month, although it was different than it was when the kids were little and we had three children's birthday parties to host. With James' birthday on May 8th, Katie's on May 13, and Matthew's on May 15, along with Mother's Day, end-of-school-year programs, and graduations, we often referred to the busy month of May as "May Madness."

This year, Susan, Terry, and their two youngest boys, Caleb and Noah came to visit in early May. While they were here we went hiking at Tanyard Creek Falls. With the huge amount of rainfall we had received, it was flowing nicely, and the kids had a great time playing in the water!

I tried to take some close-ups of Hannah putting on her shoes and socks, but she didn't want her picture taken and kept turning her back to me.

After the hike my parents joined us for dinner at my house.

Susan with Jesse

Lisa and Jesse

The Birthday Buddies (and Jesse) - one day early

This year Mother's Day was a big day for many reasons. Both Jesse and Benjamin were dedicated at church on Mother's Day. Jesse's dedication was at UBC, but unfortunately, I could not be in attendance for Benjamin's dedication, since it was at their church in Texas, Houston Northwest Church. We are very thankful that both of our grandsons are being raised in Christian homes, with a focus on glorifying God. In addition, since Mother's Day was May 8th, it was also James' 25th birthday, and my sister Carol's birthday, too. I won't mention Carol's age, but James was born on her 16th birthday. After church we ate lunch at AQ Chicken, along with David's mom, James, Allison, Jesse, and Lisa.

Pastor Mike Lumpkin with James, Allison, and Jesse

The next day, May 9th, we celebrated James' birthday with a family meal of grilled salmon and baked potatoes. Jesse really enjoyed being outdoors while we ate.

Allison, James, David, Steve, and Lisa

May ended with Memorial Day weekend celebrations. We had lunch on Sunday with David's mom. James and Allison came over in the afternoon on Memorial Day to let Jesse try out the pool. It was pretty cold, and he wasn't too sure about it.

My parents, Carol and her family, and James and Allison joined us around the pool in the late afternoon for some swimming and a cookout. The only ones who actually enjoyed being in the pool for very long were the Huneycutt children. They didn't seem to mind the cold water.

Jesse loves books, especially this book.