![Merry Christmas from 2008](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IMG_5956.jpg)
Elise’s Birthday
My Birthday
We celebrated my birthday with my last day of work and a drive to Houston to see family.
![Donuts at work](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1632-300x225.jpg)
![More donuts from the Deaf Ed department to say farewell and happy birthday](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1679-300x300.jpg)
![Birthday necklace from Elise](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1688-e1466435702504-225x300.jpg)
![Made it to Houston](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/houston1-225x300.jpg)
![Cousins](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1695-300x225.jpg)
![Jack hanging out with Aunt Claire and his cousin Tyler](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1706-300x225.jpg)
![Jack hanging out with Uncle James and cousin Tyler](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1712-e1466435806739-225x300.jpg)
![swimming in the freezing pool](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1719-e1466435852225-225x300.jpg)
![Jack there is something on your nose](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1727-e1466435879677-225x300.jpg)
![Pizza by the pool](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1731-e1466435907169-225x300.jpg)
![Jack finally meets Candice :)](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1732-300x225.jpg)
![friends](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1772-e1466435957343-225x300.jpg)
![Tyler and Jack](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1740-300x225.jpg)
![Flower Girl Reunion](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1770-300x300.jpg)
![Trying some zucchini cake](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1779-e1466436025140-225x300.jpg)
![Early mornings with cousins](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1787-300x225.jpg)
![All the cousins](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1820-300x225.jpg)
![Night night Jack](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1823-e1466436127925-225x300.jpg)
Wedding
One of my cousin’s got married and we had a great time…
![Jack and David hanging out at the rehearsal dinner; they are one month apart](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0322-300x300.jpg)
![Lovely food and a toddler tantrum from one of my nieces :)](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/IMG_0393-300x300.jpg)
![Jack loving on his Mamaw and the rest of us at the rehearsal dinner](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0320-300x300.jpg)
![Some of the 10 flower girls practicing](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0388-1-300x300.jpg)
![Flower Girls :)](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0387-300x300.jpg)
![My brother in the glasses officiating the wedding and my cousin waiting for his bride; my aunt and mom did the readings](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0389-300x300.jpg)
![Braided hair and all dressed up](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0386-300x300.jpg)
![The McClellans](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0376-240x300.jpg)
My Spring Break
![Reading for book club and work](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0085-300x300.jpg)
![Doing some editing work](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0154-300x300.jpg)
![Watching these guys doing their favorite things](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0067-300x300.jpg)
![Coaxing Maggie to let Jack play with his toys](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0086-300x300.jpg)
![The clothes master (her self-proclaimed title) ready for preschool, lunch duty at Elise's school, and happy Jack](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0102-300x300.jpg)
![Jack working on standing!](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0127-300x300.jpg)
![Ready for Rodeo Day](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0137-300x300.jpg)
![Helping with chores](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0150-300x300.jpg)
![Open House](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0188-240x300.jpg)
![Family Friday lunch](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0210-300x300.jpg)
![A little fun for me - delicious breakfast with Scott](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0222-300x300.jpg)
![A little fun for me - My first CauseBox and finding a pair of heels for $16 for my cousin's wedding](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0223-300x300.jpg)
![Made Vietnamese food - Saigon Meatballs](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0232-300x300.jpg)
![Girls relaxing with some books](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_0242-300x300.jpg)
Pulling her close
Elise loves her baby brother Jack. It was love at first sight.
She quickly noticed his dark hair, and said, “I hope it stays dark like mine.”
Now school has started, and whether it’s the fact that Jack’s hair is lightening or that Elise has seen so many homogenous families at her school, she sadly said to me, “Jack is going to look like you. I am the only one who looks like me.” And I remembered the wise words of a counselor (who noted how we good we are at talking but not always just sitting with Elise in her emotions), and I just said, “Yeah,” and put my arm around her and pulled her close and she snuggled in.
I’m sure the topic will resurface but for now that’s what she needed – to be pulled close by the ones that love her. So as someone who likes to fill silence with words, it is good for me to remember to pause and show my love because all my kids to feel my love as much as they need to hear it.
Crazy Week
Last week’s craziness started with a phone call from my husband saying he had lost his keys and couldn’t pick up our 4 year old. I had exactly 45 minutes before the school closed to pick her up and thankfully I made it. Then Elise came home with hurting gums which ended being something stuck in her gum like a splinter. Our beta fish indigo died – many tears were shed by the girls. Maggie’s been on breathing treatments for two weeks trying to get rid of her cough/bronchitis. And that was all by Tuesday.
![Goodbye Indigo](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_7891-300x300.jpg)
And Jack has decided that being a baby is not for him. He’s rolling over and scooting across the ground like an inch worm, so it’s looking like we will have a super early crawler. But it’s okay with us if he slows down since he’s just 3 months old.
![Sleeping on his tummy](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_7880-e1442763776532-300x225.jpg)
![Playing with toys](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_7898-e1442763910217-225x300.jpg)
![3 months](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/FullSizeRender-3-225x300.jpg)
Then Thursday, I had a hemangioma removed from my nose and then the spot cauterized. I didn’t realize I would wear a foam pack for 72 hours. Luckily, I only had to make through one day of work and had the weekend to recover. Hoping this coming week is much less exciting.
![L to R: Thursday, Friday, Saturday](http://mcclellantown.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_7890-300x300.jpg)