Shelf Elf Snowball Fight!

Our elves had the BEST time this Christmas! They were a bit crazy at times, as evidenced by this snowball fight!

And some crazy elf graffiti!!!

Merry Christmas from Jake!

Merry Christmas from Jake! 

Howdy, Y'all! This is Jake. I'm back! I'm a bit older and wiser -- but still enjoying life. I still chase the occasional cate and love riding my Jet-Ski up the Creek. 

For the rest of the Biggs Bunch, 2011 has been a great year. When we look back on 2011, we are most thankful for Mimi's recovery this year. We kicked off the New Year at the Creek with 3/4 of the Evans family and all of Longs. UFOs were sighted, S'Mores were enjoyed, and Luckily the Sargent Choir had the week off. Abbie rocked Name that Book. Abbie's DI team, The Nerd Herd, and loves glitter! Squirrel! Kait's team, the Creepy Crawlers aced the Rising Stars division! The trampoline is our ice rink. We had a Snow Day with NO Snow. We celebrated Opening Day on Hope Field, the first girls' softball field dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness. Abbie played for the Yellow Jackets. Kait played for the Rice Owls. Biggs coached both teams. This was Abbie's first year to pitch. D'Lyn soon learned there's nothing soft about a softball. She now wears a face mask to catch. They spend a LOT of time at Sandlot. GE bought dresser. Abbie's team won the Tire Pull at Keith's Field Day! My family skied in Utah over Spring Break with the Longs. The girls did great -- skipped a level in ski school. Just don't follow them through the trees! Kait built her first snowman. I spent the week at the Spa. We got new neighbors at the Creek, and they came with three big German Shepherds. I am NOT happy -- there are electric fences EVERYWHERE. Abbie only missed one question in the TAKS test series! Kait went to Aggie soccer camp, and Abbie went to softball camp. Abbie did NOT come home an Aggie. Abbie & Kait both learned to wakeboard, and Biggs built Kait a slalom ski. Abbie spent two weeks at Camp Blue Haven in New Mexico chasing bears and learning really bad jokes. The main story in Texas was the drought. We faced record temperatures as well as a record rain deficit all year. Fires burned out of control. EVERYONE prayed for a hurricane. When it did rain, I was fairly certain a UFO had landed in our backyard. Didn't scare me as much as the speakers on the back porch, though. Biggs traveled to four countries, flew 100,000+ miles on Continental and spent two weeks at GE charm school in New York. We are so thankful for Skype! Biggs and Abbie took the Hunter's Safety Course. D'Lyn won the needle-threading competition at Life Group Olympics. Camp D'Lupe was a blast! Trout, Beyonce's Cousin, joined us. We love fishing with Captain Gene! Kait mooned Abbie. Kait started 3rd grade, and Abbie started 5th, her last year at Keith Elementary. Opening Weekend of Dove Season was GREAT. My people got to spend time with great friends, and everyone got lots of birds. Abbie's Indian name is "Half Moon." Kait turned 9. We had the biggest turnout yet for See You at the Pole. "You know, some people just don't know their colors. They have no idea Bink is Blue and Pink." John and D'Lyn did their first Tri-Relay. A&M SECeded! We got AT&T Uverse. The Uverse quit working. Sasquatch, the raccoon, took up residence in our garage. The Uverse quit working. Kait played soccer for Team Spain and won both the Season and Tournament with only one loss. Abbie played Fall Ball in Cy-Fair for the Mustangs. Biggs was a coach with both teams. The Uverse quit working. Kait is learning to pitch. Abbie turned 11 and got braces. The Uverse quit working. Mrs. Pat and Sam came to Dallas and joined us for the DFW Breast Cancer 3-Day. Team Tiara walked for the 6th year and helped raise $7.1 million in DFW, over $80 million total for the 14-event series. D'Lyn walked all 60! Abbie and Kait are gearing up for spring softball season. Team Tiara is launching Pinktober365 and their new campaign to directly fund metastatic breast cancer research. The Biggs Bunch is looking forward to skiing Deer Valley over Spring Break. And I can't wait to get back to the Spa! Whew!

We hope you had a great 2011 and are wishing you an even better 2012! May God Bless You!

Love, Jake & Co.  

What Are YOU Doing for Christmas??

'Tis the season when polite conversation includes the all-important "What are you doing for Christmas?"  Every year you ask it. Every year you answer it.  But I can promise you that I don't know of a year when I've answered that question with more excitement than this.

You see, our Abbie-girl has decided to accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and has chosen Christmas Day as HER day to be baptized.

And this Mom couldn't be happier or prouder or more in awe of this incredible child God has blessed us with.

She asked me a few weeks ago. It was one of THOSE days in the car -- you've all had them, and if you say you haven't you're not being honest with yourself.  You know. One of those days when everyone is tired and cranky and the kids are being anything but nice to each other.

We were on our way home from pitching lessons, and I'd just finished lining her out about something -- I can't even remember what.  And then, right out of the blue she asked when she could be baptized.  And she blew me away.  And I haven't stopped smiling since.

I had thought this decision might come this past summer when she spent two weeks at Camp Blue Haven, but she says she wasn't ready then. She is now.

Her Daddy will baptize her on Christmas Morning.  And then we'll celebrate with a house full of friends and Christmas Dinner.  I know that the timing of this means that many of the people we love won't be able to make it. You'll be in other places or at your own church services.  You'll have your own families to hug and love on.  But even if you can't be here, please take a moment to pray a prayer of praise for our Abbie and this precious heart God has given her.

You know, I have to share a huge Thank You with anyone who has been a part of this road for Abs. From the amazing young women who prayed over her when she was so tiny back in Austin, to the Sunday School teachers at Pitman Creek, then The Branch, Fairfield Baptist, West Houston and finally Cy-fair Christian. The teachers and staff at Custer Road Christian Day School.  From all of her VBS teachers over the years to the staff at Camp Blue Haven -- you touched our girl's heart this summer.

It goes back so much farther than that.  Abbie has such a wonderful Christian heritage and sees that in her grandparents.  And you know her Granny would be Over the Moon about this right now.

For those of you who will be in town and would like to join us, our services start at 10:00 a.m. at Cy-Fair Christian Church.  It's located at 17150 Spring Cypress -- where Spring Cypress and Skinner intersect.  We'll also be there for the Christmas Eve service at 5:00 on the 24th.  We'd love for you to join us!  It's a new church, and we really are growing to love it and the people who worship there.