It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I love Christmas. No really, I LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEE Christmas! Everything about it brings happiness to my heart. What could be better than taking some time away from the hustle and bustle of life to celebrate the birth of Christ with family and friends? I love the food. I love the quality time. I love giving gifts. I love Santa. All of that is so much fun! But, the part of Christmas that brings the most joy is knowing that God gave us the most amazing gift by allowing His son to be born on this Earth in a manger, and because of that gift we get to celebrate every year and think about all the blessings that gift has brought us over the year. The Christmas story brings goosebumps every time I hear it. It is the most wonderful story ever told!

It has been so fun watching Sawyer get excited for Christmas this year. He likes to talk about baby Jesus and might understand a tad bit that He is the reason for the season, but at his age it is hard to grasp the whole story. However, there is one thing he has a full grasp on...SANTA! He definitely understands who the jolly guy is in the red suit. He also understands that the jolly guy is the one that is hopefully going to bring him the things he wrote on his wish list. What did he ask Santa for? Well, let me show you...

Yes, this is the official wish list that Sawyer gave Santa when he sat on his lap, and yes, he did tell me everything to put on the list. I must clarify though, there is only one thing on this list that he talks about DAILY, and that is Buzz Lightyear. If Santa doesn't bring that gift we might have a sad little boy on our hands. I sure do hope Santa comes through for us! :) We were so proud of Sawyer when he went to see Santa this year. There were no tears!! In fact, now that he has sat on his lap successfully, I think he would do it again and again. He hasn't stopped talking about Santa and his reindeer since that night!

We hope and pray that you and your family have been as blessed as we have been this past year! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Loving Jesus and Waiting for Santa,

The Wilks Family

Chris's "Super" Birthday

Sawyer has been excited for Chris's birthday to arrive for a long time now because he picked out his present for him over a month ago! I took him to Kohls and told him to look for something for daddy's birthday and after walking through the store for a long long time he finally said, "that one!" He was so excited when he picked out the perfect gift. I had no choice but to buy it! It was indeed a Superman Snuggie!! One morning a couple of weeks ago Chris had on his Superman pajama pants (which I assume is why Sawyer thought he would love the Snuggie) and Sawyer said to Chris, "daddy's birthday? Superman birthday?" Little did Chris know that he was telling him what his birthday present was!

Chris's birthday weekend started out on Friday when we took Sawyer to Springfield to see Despicable Me in the theater. We got home around 9:00, put Sawyer to bed, and popped in a movie for a relaxing evening. About an hour later the doorbell rang. Chris got up, looked out the window puzzled (not a lot of people ring our doorbell out in the middle of nowhere), and said, "someone is really here." He opened the door and Ryan and Angela were standing on the other side with big smiles. I think Chris was really surpised and he was so excited to spend his birthday weekend with great friends.

When Sawyer woke up Saturday morning and I told him it was daddy's birthday he immediately went to the closet and pulled out the present. We wrapped it with care and very special sesame street paper and dog stickers. He could hardly wait for daddy to get up and open his present! He was so proud as he watched him open the very special gift!

We had a great weekend with friends and family! We are so blessed!

A Wickedly Good Time

Some might be surpised to find out that I love broadway musicals and plays of any sort. You might say that my secret ambition is to star in such a production, even though I have no singing ability at all! (it is sad, but true) So knowing this you will understand why I was SO EXCITED when my mom got us tickets to go see Wicked the musical!! I mean what could be more fun, really!?!?!
If you take out the part of the trip where I got car sick and we had to eat lunch at a greasy hamburger joint with stick on air fresheners all over the walls for decoration...it was a perfect trip and so much fun! (even the hamburger joint was fun, mostly because of Kye's comments about how horrible it was! ha ha)
From the green water to the green lights on the building to my green face from the curvy ride there, everything was "Wicked"!! I LOVED IT!!!!!

Now to start planning my next dream adventure...New York City!!

It sure is fun to be a pirate!

What a great season! We are so proud! The Pirates finished the season in the second round of state playoffs with a loss to Lee's Summit. They played their hearts out but those big city teams are tough!! It was such a fun experience!

District Champs!

Praising HIM for the big win!

WE DID IT! Pirates are District Champs for the first time since 1998!!!!! I am always proud to be a Pirate, win or lose, but it feels so good to WIN!!!!

It is not about the game, it is not about the win, it is about our God and giving Him the glory. Thank you Lord for giving us legs to run, arms to throw, minds to coach, and a heart to make a difference in kid's lives for your name's sake! Thank you Lord for taking a young man with a heart of gold and giving him the calling to go out and be a football coach and mold and shape young boys into men of Godly character who can go on the field and off the field and shine for YOU!

I am constantly amazed to see how God has worked through my dad's life to impact these boys, not just in high school, but for the rest of their lives. What a fun way to bless him!!

Team Hancock is so excited, thankful, and happy today!

Crazy Football Fun

Well last week we had a crazy game against Kickapoo (really...the refs were CRAZY!!!), but we managed to win in the last seconds with a field goal kick into the strong wind and rain! It was so exciting, frustrating, and CrAzY!!!!

We have already guaranteed ourselves a spot in the state playoffs, but a win tonight against Nixa will do 3 things...
1. Give us the District Championship Title
2. Give us a bye the first week of playoffs
3. Give us home field advantage at our first playoff game

These things are huge and would really help us out!! I am nervous and excited. I will let you know how it goes.

So now, you might ask, "What does the Hancock family do the night before a huge game like this?" Easy...we have a costume dance party to celebrate my niece's 4th birthday! It was tons of fun and my dad even took some of his nerves out on himself by painting his face and dressing up like an army man from Toy Story...hilarious! (Sawyer did not think it was hilarious at first, but he warmed up to him eventually) ha ha ha!!!

Elephants, Frogs, and Butterflies...oh my!

MIZ...ZOU! Go Tigers!

Pirate Victories and Celebrations

My Father's Arms

I think it is so fun when you can take a specific moment in life and turn it in into a teachable moment about God’s love and protection for us. I had one of those moments the other day. Chris and I have been struggling lately with Sawyer who is going through a “frightened” stage in life. He seems to be frightened by a lot of things lately(one big one is train whistles, horns, or any loud noise that you might hear at a football game). It is not just a small fear that causes him to whine or cry, but it is a legitimate terror that causes him to scream in fear and even get sick at times. It is hard as a mom to watch your child be so scared of something that you know is so harmless. But it is also comforting to know that the one thing that makes him feel better is being wrapped in my arms. Something about my arms makes him feel safe and protected and helps him to calm down quickly. Just last Friday night I had one of those moments when he was screaming in fear and I wrapped him in my arms and the tears subsided and as he buried his head into me I felt his body calm down and relax.
Wow, what a picture of God’s love for us! How many times are you frightened about your future or your current situation and the only thing that helps you calm down is feeling the arms of your heavenly Father wrapped tightly around you? As I sat there holding my son and protecting him from the very thing that frightened him I thought about my Savior and how thankful I am that I can run into His arms when I am feeling that same type of fear.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 “The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
Never be afraid to let your Father hold you. Sometimes it is just what you need!

Fall is Fun!!

I love fall, I love football, I love family!!

This has been an exciting couple of weeks. Here is a run down of what has been happening...

• The Pirates beat Ozark, our bitter rivals! It was a great game and it is always a fabulous feeling to beat the tigers of Ozark!
• Barbara and Doug came to town and we took Sawyer to Silver Dollar City. He loved the rides and had lots of fun!
• The Pirates had another big game this past Friday against Neosho. They played awesome the second half and came back to win! We are undefeated in district play and excited to see where the season ends up.
• My dad was honored at the Neosho game for his 25 years of coaching in Branson (39 years of coaching overall!!). He received a standing ovation from the crowd and it was a very surreal feeling to sit in the stands and see all those people supporting this man I love and respect so much. Wow, amazing!! There were shirts with his name and 25 on the back, cowbells with 25 on them, and the players wore stickers on their helmets with the number 25. What a fun celebration! I even saw a player with the number 25 shaved in the back of his head, ha ha!
• Chris and I headed to Columbia this past Saturday to watch the Mizzou Tigers beat Colorado! It was a fun game and we had a good time with Steph and Brian before the game. Big thanks to Meemaw and Peepaw for keeping Sawyer so we could enjoy a little day trip!
• While staying with Meemaw and Peepaw, Sawyer got to go to a pumpkin patch and pick his perfect pumpkin (or 2!) I think he had a blast!
• After all the excitement and fun of the last 2 weeks we spent Sunday afternoon watching the Chiefs play and relaxing. Sawyer took a 4 hour nap and I probably could have done the same!

Did I mention that I love Fall? :)

Acrobat in the making?

Wow, our life has sure been crazy lately! We have been go go go for the last month and I am just starting to feel that our whirlwind of a life is finally starting to calm down a bit. Whew! We have been to ballgame after ballgame, work function after work function, and weekend activity after weekend activity. We are so blessed to have so many things to keep us busy! But we are ready for some "down time." We are excited to have some time with family this weekend. We are headed to Silver Dollar City tomorrow with Barbara and Doug and it will be great weather and a super fun day (I hope!)!! I think Sawyer will love it. We haven't been since the Christmas after he was born!

The Pirates are now 2 and 3 with the hopes of knocking off Ozark tonight at Homecoming. It should be a fun game and a fun atmosphere at Pirate stadium. :)

Let me tell you my funny Sawyer story of the week...
The other day when we came home Sawyer decided to show us his newest skill, doing somersaults!! He was rolling from one end of the couch to the other. I don't know who taught him to do this, but I am guessing it might be his rolling cousin Kloey! The next night he came to me at 8:00 (30 minutes before bedtime) and he said, "I go to bed." I said, "You want to go to bed now?" He said, "yes." So we went to his bed, read a book, and he curled up and closed his eyes. I was amazed!! Later that night after posting something about it on facebook I learned from his teacher that the reason he was so tired is because he spent his naptime rolling somersaults on his cot instead of sleeping. Ha ha! She said it was so cute she couldn't get on to him, she just told him to roll quietly, and he did! Oh that kid, I LOVE him so! Maybe gymnastics is in his future?

I find myself, probably like most moms, dreaming and wondering what Sawyer might do with his life? Is he going to grow up and become a quarterback of the football team, be in choir or drama club, be super smart or just average intelligence? I am not worried about his future or what he will do, I am just curious and anxious to find out. (not TOO anxious though, I DO NOT want him to grow up) All I can do is hope and pray daily that he grows to be a strong man of God and that he is a leader among his peers, his coworkers, and his future wife and family. Wow, I can't believe I am already praying for his future wife and family!? I guess it is never too early to start.

Well, that is what is on my mind today. I hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall weather as much as we are!! :)

Funny Sawyer story

The other day I went to pick Sawyer up from preschool. I knew it had been a great day because when I took him that morning he ran to his teacher, yes I said ran! He is really starting to love preschool! When I got there to pick him up he ran to me all excited. I asked him what he learned that day and he immediately started saying his number 1-10. He was so proud! :) We talked some more about his day as we got in the car and headed down the road. About halfway home I realized that he was being completely silent (that is NOT normal for him). I turned to check on him and there he was, sitting in his carseat perfectly still with his hand raised in the air like he had a question. I immediately started laughing even though he was being totally serious. I said, "yes buddy, do you need something?" He said, "can I have a snack please?" He normally asks for a snack before we even get buckled in, but on this particular day he thought he should raise his hand and be called on before asking. It was SO cute and funny. I made him reinact it for daddy later that night. Ha ha, that kid is a hoot! In fact, one of his papers sent home from school this week had a note from his teacher that said, "Sawyer cracks me up all day. Really, he is So funny!" We might have a class clown on our hands.

Tough Loss

Well the first football game didn't go quite as well as we were hoping, but Carthage was a tough tough team and we just have to move past it and get ready for the next game (which will also be very very tough). I will be missing the next game (for only the 3rd or 4th time in my life) because I am in a wedding this weekend in Oklahoma. But have no fear, I will be receiving text updates throughout the game!!
Please say a prayer for my daddy after this tough loss and for those people in this world that feel the need to speak negatively about him and his coaching staff. Some people just don't take time to think about others before they speak or write. It can be very hurtful to those that read and hear it. I just wish people knew how much time, effort, prayer, and love he puts into coaching. They would not be so quick to judge. Do they really think that he just makes quick uneducated decisions on the field? I think not! Sorry, just venting.

Other than the game we had a wonderful weekend! We took Sawyer for breakfast at Krispy Kreme on Saturday and he LOVED his football donut. His daddy was so proud! :)
Sawyer slept a ton this weekend making up for his busy first week at preschool. He took a 5 hour nap on Saturday, slept 12 hours Saturday night, and took a 3 hour nap on Sunday. Wowza...that is a lot of sleep! Hopefully he is refreshed and ready for another week of school. He did pretty good this morning when I dropped him off.

I am looking forward to my short work week and then some fun with girls in Oklahoma this weekend! Have a great week everyone!

It's Football Friday!!!

What better way to end a crazy week at work and Sawyer's first week at preschool than going to the first football game of the season!?!?! I LOVE Fridays in fall! This is my dad's 25th season in Branson, 39th season as a football coach. Wow, I am beyond proud of what he has accomplished over the years, but the thing that I am the most proud of is the amount of lives he has impacted. Even though he only had girls for children, he sure did adopt a lot of "sons" throughout the years! I only wish that everyone could see how much of himself he puts into these kids. You would all be truly impressed and proud. God gives us all gifts and he has definitely used his greatly for His glory!!
I love my dad, I love the Branson Pirates, and I love football! Thank you daddy for leading our football family to victory time and time again. I can't wait for another great season!!

First day of Preschool Pictures!

Relaxing before we leave the house

Here we go!

He was a little anxious and not really sure if he wanted to pose for a picture :)

Preschool ups an downs

How is the first week of preschool going? Let me just give you the rundown!

Day 1: We walked in and his teacher, Miss Cara, was waiting for him with excited loving arms. He was so overwhelmed/confused and she was so excited that he didn't even have a chance to cry. We said goodbye in the hallway and before we knew it we were out the door and he was a preschooler! He seemed excited when I picked him up, just VERY tired/thirsty/hungry. I found out the next day that the reason he was so tired is because during naptime on day one he just layed on his cot for the entire 2 hours perfectly still and quiet, but never went to sleep. Poor guy, he didn't know what was going on and was probably afraid to close his eyes!

Day 2: He seemed fine walking in but when it came time to hand him over to the teacher he started crying. Then crying turned into screaming! It was the most aweful pitiful pleading scream and the teacher said, "it is normal for day 2, just say goodbye and he will be fine." Oh my, that was the hardest thing ever. I know she was right, it is always best to just say goodbye and assure them that they will be fine, but that is a lot easier said than done. I held it in until I got to the car and then I cried all the way to work. That might have been the longest day of my life. However when I got there to pick him up that day I learned that his tears were dried up by breakfast, he had a great day, and he took a nap! Yay!

Day 3: He walked in a little hesitant, but went right into the room and sat down with his new friends. He had a very happy day and we started noticing changes in him already. He was becoming more confident with his abilities and conversing better and better.

Day 4 (today): He asked me to hold him while we went into the building and I could tell that he was not wanting to go. He cried when I handed him over, but not the screaming pleading tears of Day 2, more like the "I just want to stay with my mommy" tears. I didn't feel nearly as bad leaving him today and I am very confident that he is having a blast already!

All in all, I think he is adjusting normally to this new journey in life and it will be a very good fit for him. He will learn so much so fast and I am excited to see the daily changes. Next step...potty training! He was doing really well, but then took a couple steps back. Hopefully we can get him headed on the right track soon!

Whew...I will be glad when this week is over! :)

Being sentimental

What am I thinking about the night before Sawyer starts preschool?

• The day we brought him home
• Trying to get him to nurse and crying with him when we couldn't figure it out
• When he refused to sleep in his bed so I would give in and let him sleep on my chest for hours
• Middle of the night feedings and snuggle time
• His wrinkly soft skin when he was a tiny newborn
• His milestones of sitting up, army crawling, crawling, walking on his knees, standing, walking, running
• His "babble" talk that is now turning into complete and understandable sentences

Just to name a few! Yes, I cried when I went to check on him tonight to make sure he was asleep. It is not like I am shipping him off to boarding school...I don't know why this is so hard! I know he will have so much fun and it won't be that much different from dropping him off at the babysitter's each morning. It is just the fact that he is growing up that makes me so sad and sentimental. I just pray that I never forget those precious memories of him as a baby.

So here we go! Preschool starts tomorrow morning and his nap bedding is ready, his outfit layed out, and his new light up Buzz Lightyear shoes are at the door ready to be worn! It will be a fun day! :)

Officially a "Big Boy"

Ok, I think it is official. Our little Sawyer is a Big Boy! The crib is down and he starts preschool in 1 week! Wow, this is all happening too fast. As excited as I am for him to start learning a ton and becoming more and more independent, I just have to hold my breath and try to savor the last remaining baby moments. I was sitting on the couch rocking him the other night after he hurt himself and all of the sudden I stopped and noticed that his legs were hanging off the couch and he just didn't really 'fit' in my lap anymore like a baby should. He was crying because he fell down, but I wanted to cry because he was growing up. I know every mom goes through this. It is so fun to watch your kids grow, but it would also be nice to watch them stop growing just for a little while so that you could take a moment to really enjoy each and every stage. I guess we all just need to put a little more effort into enjoying the special moments in life instead of rushing through everything...I know I do!

All that said, here are some fun pictures from the past month. I sure do love my sweet, cute, loving, ornery, mischievous, silly boy!!

This kid loves shoes, even over pajamas!

Watching Elmo in sunglasses is so fun!

Watering Nanny's pool

Sleeping tight in his big boy bed holding on to his Buzz Lightyear toy that he NEVER puts down

The Big Boy Bed!

Cruising with Kloey in the Barbie Jeep!

Sawyer loves emptying out the cabinet and climbing in...such a monkey!

At a Wilks family wedding

As always, we had a fun month. I am sure I will have many things to blog about in the next few weeks as he starts preschool! Until then, I am holding on tight to my baby boy!!!!

Slides and "Story"

We spent 4th of July weekend with Barbara and Doug in Kansas City. The weekend consisted of relaxing, taking Sawyer to a couple parks so he could slide and then hitting a Sunday matinee of Toy Story 3 in 3D (more commonly referred to by Sawyer as "Story"). He had a blast and hasn't stopped talking about "story" since we left the theater.