(Doesn't he look like a different person??? It's like EmoJuan. I like it.)

(thanks David Brawner!)

(written by Sally...he has no idea I did this :0)

(now...Jon)

Okay, so I've been tagged; therefore, I'm writing my five random facts.

1) Out of the six guys that I grew up in high school with I was "predicted" to be the last one to get married, if ever. I ended up being the first to get married. That goes to show you that Sally was really a gift of grace from God. I also got a new closet of clothes after I started dating Sally. According to most people that knew me before dating Sally and after, I definitely had a good improvement in my attire. Another fact relating to Sally and I - we dated for 5 months and were engaged for 3 months. I highly recommend this!

2) I love cheese. In fact, I have a favorite little snack that I eat every once in a while - a slice of Colby Jack Cheese spread over the top with Miracle Whip. Now, make sure you read this right - Miracle Whip, not mayonnaise.

3) I dropped art class my senior year. My twin brother got all the artistic skill - I got absolutely none.

Day One: My art teacher had a crayon on an overhead, handed us a piece of paper and pencil, and said, "Draw this in 2D." I couldn't draw a 2D crayon.

Day Two: My art teacher had a crayon on an overhead, handed us a piece of paper and pencil, and said, "Draw this in 3D." I couldn't draw a 3D crayon.

Still Day Two: I walked to my advisor's office and told them that I was quitting art class. "Why?" they asked. I said, "I couldn't draw a crayon in 2D and today the teacher added another 'D.' How was I supposed to do it in 3D if I couldn't do it in 2D?"

4) I love coffee. My sophomore year of college my friends challenged me to go without coffee for a month. The only thing that got me through it was the empty coffee can that sat by my bed that I would smell when I wanted coffee.

5) I was a Junior Olympic Gold Medalist in Tae Kwon Do in my former days.

6) I'm a rebel. So, I'm not tagging anyone. Plus, I don't think that there's anyone left to tag.

I've been tagged! Here goes...

Five Things you don't know about me...

1. I come from a long line of Elvis impersonators. Every New Years we all get together and do our best impersonations... it's a big contest. My mom hates Elvis, so she doesn't participate...she does the judging. For some reason, almost every year my brother-in-law Matt wins. Poor Jon, marrying into such a strange family. (you must know-- Jon is a closet Elvis fan. He acts like he hates it, but deep down, he LOVES it!)

2. I was on the dean's list every semester that I was at A&M. It probably has something to do with the fact that I'm married to one VERY smart Asian.

3. I was born with three eye sockets. Talk about scary... it was on my left temple and some awesome surgeons did an amazing job removing it...there's not even a scar. This condition is hereditary...so technically one of my kids could be born with the same issue.

4. I hate the sound of hair being brushed. Eck. It gives me the heeby geebies. So do I brush my hair? Yes. I just turn on something really loud (like the blow dryer) when I do it!

5. My Dad was once a Senator. He only served one term. That's about all I have to say about that.


Can you believe I said all of that with a straight face??

I've always been REALLY good at making up stories. Some people call it lying... I prefer story-telling.

Okay, now for the true stuff.

Without furter ado, Five Things you don't know about me:

1. The way I use my bath towel is very peculiar. Since I was about 10 years old, I've used the side with the tag to dry my body...shoulders to toes. And I've used the side without the tag for my hair and face.

Now, I do have good reason for this... even though I am all clean, I can't be havin' feet all up on my cheek and booty all up in my hair! For real people, unless you send your body through a head-to-toe, hospital grade sanitizer every time you shower, all you free feelin' towel dryers, your icky habits must end!

2. I'm currently learning to read. No, I'm not illiterate. I've just never been a "reader". In fact, it used to amaze me that people would voluntarily spend hours with their eyes glued to something unmoving and black & white. But now, I'm a new woman. I am committed to learning to love reading. We want our kids to be readers...so that means Mom must be a reader!
Which brings me to #3...

3. We don't own a TV. For now this seems like the best option for us...as we can waste hours and hours filling our minds with dramatic story lines! We often wonder how people live WITH a TV and still manage to get everything done. Life is so busy! And any down time we have we try to spend together.

4. I LOVE to cook! Cooking is fun because I get to create something new! I am the ultimate AMENDER! I think I picked up this trait from my mom... I would watch her cook dinner and ask her how much chili powder or marjoram or cumin she put in the pot...and she'd say, "oh, a little sprinkle". At the time, it frustrated me. Now, I love it! Who has time to go to the store because they forgot one ingredient? Definitely not a new (or old :0) mom! So, we just make it work with what we have. This makes cooking so fun! And I get to develop lots of new recipes! Here's one to try out:

Sally’s Pineapple Cinnamon Bread

This recipe is great as a dessert bread or breakfast bread (depending on how you make it). It’s so tasty that it doesn’t even need butter on it!! The ingredients are such that you’ll usually have them on hand if you’re in need of a quick dessert! Enjoy!

Bread:

½ c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 c. white flour (for dessert bread) or wheat flour (for breakfast bread)

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 c. crushed pineapple, semi-drained (save the juice you drain off for the glaze)

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix. Add flour, baking powder, salt, pineapple, and cinnamon. Mix until fluffy.

Bake at 350’F for 30-40 min. in 3 greased mini loaf pans or one reg. loaf pan.

Glaze: (prepare while bread is cooling)(optional)

3 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp. butter, melted to liquid

remaining pineapple juice (1/2 c.??)

Mix together until smooth. Allow to cool.

Once bread has cooled, cut bread length-wise and deep without breaking the edge (creating an envelope). Spoon glaze into cut and over the top of the bread. Sprinkle cinnamon over glaze.

5. I gained 39 pounds this year alone. Okay, okay, so I had a baby....that counts, right? And Lynsey, I did it all WITHOUT eating a hunger buster and fries every day for lunch!

Who to tag, who to tag...
Everyone seems to have already been tagged!
Here goes:
Kaye, Mom, Bethan, Amy, Jon
The deal is that you have to list FIVE things the people who read your blog don't know about you. This may be a tough one Mom...but like always, I'm sure you'll pull through. :0)

I would tag Mary, but her baby is due any day now and, well, that just wouldn't be fair.

First, a little background:

We have had this huge fly in our house for about a week, and today I was able to trap it in the bathroom and kill it. Ha! Victory! Now instead of buzzing around my head, he went swirling down the toilet.

ONE SHOT. ONE KILL.

Now, let me instruct you how to kill a fly.

First you take a rubberband around one finger, pull back with the other, and FIRE!

This isn't the first time I've killed a fly with a rubberband. I do recommend this as a new way to killing flies.

Here's why rubberbands work the best:

1) A rubberband shoots a lot quicker than your hand could swat.

2) You don't need perfect accuracy. A rubberband typically covers a 1/2 inch diameter, so even if Mr. Fly can fly faster than the rubberband, there is room for error.

See, think about it. I really think you'll prefer this method.

~ Jon

I finally caught it on video!! Here's baby Jude doin' his thing! Enjoy!!

Coos & Giggles


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And Finally...
He fell asleep in his bouncy seat! This is a first for us!! Check out the cutie-sleeper.

Jude makes SOOO many faces!! Unfortunately, most of them come out when he's doing business. Here's our little pooty booty in action! (...he's gonna kill me one day for calling him that...)


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Side Note...
I actually met a guy in college that confessed that he and his friends would walk around the lunch room in high school, stopping innocent classmates with one request:
"Show Me Your Poo Face". Can you imagine?

Be sure to check out the six week update below!!

Jude has been doing the CUTEST thing...although I don't think he has an option...

After feedings this kid is out cold...He even does the whole limp arm thing! (Jon just sits there a laughs his heart out.)

This picture captures it at it's finest.

(This super-soft blanket was handmade by Jennifer Kohl. Thank you Jennifer!)

I just HAVE to tell you how thankful I am. My guys are so WONDERFUL!

Little Jude has a minimal case of jaundice yet, thankfully, Dr. Bacak let him come home with us today...under one condition: we have to keep him under "bili-lights" so he gets better! So today Home Health Care got us all set up and ready to go.

Well this little Jude LOVES a good swaddle and can't sleep on his back without one. And, of course, these days it's the rule that babies shouldn't sleep on their tummies.

One Problem: Jude can't be swaddled and wrapped in the bili-blanket at the same time.

Translation: Jude cries his little eyes out when we put him on his back in the bili-blanket.

Jude Elijah Estes entered the world on September 3, 2006 at 3:54 pm after 23 hours of labor. Oh how wonderful the Lord is! Join us in prayers and accountability to raise this child to "contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). All for the magnifying of God's name and the spreading of God's fame!

Daddy and Mommy are doing great. We can only thank God for the wonderful doctors and nurses who were alongside us. God was our stronghold through labor and contractions and birth. He deserves all the glory!

More pictures to come when Daddy, Mommy, and Jude are home and settled.

this really spoke to me today.
talk about confessions of a wayward heart.
but Jesus keeps bringing us back to Himself. He'll always be home.

Runnin' Home
mercy triumphs over judgement.
and grace covers shame.
in a moment i won't mean this,
but right now i can say
that i'm desperate for You
in the absence of proof.
yes, i'm desperate for You
to change my heart.

Your kindness leads me to repentance.
Your favor lasts forever.
at times i'll trade Your nearness
for a little bag of silver,
but i'm desperate for You.
there's nothing else i can do.
yeah i'm desperate for You
to be my home.

you say Your strength is made perfect in weakness
so i'm runnin home to meet You.
you say that Your love can pierce any darkness
so i'm running home to meet You.
runnin' home to meet You.
runnin' home to meet You.

home.
home again.
it's so nice to be, so nice to be
home.
home again.
it's so nice to be, so nice to be
home.

Listen to "Runnin' Home".
This takes you to the website that has the song. it's on the right side..."Runnin' Home".

Graduation!
Yep! We did it! I graduated Friday, August 11th from Texas A&M!

Yea for baby showers!
My three sisters and three of my wonderful friends recently threw a baby shower for us in Houston! Here are some shots of the fun day!