Wow, it has been a little while since I have updated the blog and I apologize for that.  Believe me, I have my excuses.  The rhythm of life has picked up the pace in the last few weeks and I am lagging behind a bit still.  Things haven’t just changed for me individually, they have changed for the entire family.  Filming for the new episodes is in full swing and is demanding much more time than production on the pilot required.  We film 3-4 days a week now which is crazy, but is also crazy fun!  Graduation day was a few weeks ago at Baylor and was quite an event – the full Jones and Krueger contingents were present, all 14 of us, converging on little Waco from three different locales.  And then we all met up again a couple of weeks later at the Krueger home in Shady Shores for the Memorial Day Fish Fry, a 30+ year annual summer kickoff party hosted by Casey’s parents.  And of course I am still working the day job while Casey lays around all day, eating bon-bons and having her feet massaged…….you know that’s not right!

So we have been busy, as I am guessing many of you have been as well.  But the good news for us is that all of the busyness is of the good, fun variety and we probably wouldn’t have it any other way if we could!

The Memorial Day party was really awesome!  It was our second road trip with the crew and I think we are learning some tricks to traveling more efficiently with our little circus – there was no huge trailer this time around!  We only made one stop on the way up and that was for a stretch break for someone who will remain nameless until now:  it was Casey.  We got there on Saturday afternoon and went straight to the pool – I think Eliot set a land speed record for quickest time from car to swimsuit to pool!  The big party was on Sunday and the day was filled with lots more swimming for the whole family, tons of fun for the babies as they were passed from person to person and pool to pool (there were a few baby pools set up for the day), and the biggest pile of catfish and potluck dishes you have ever seen!  Aside from a few minor meltdowns from some very tired babies, the day was a huge success for all involved!  The ride home was not quite as smooth as the ride up, but we still managed to make it with only one stop (Casey behaved herself this time around).  The trip was brought to a perfect close by two of our superstar helpers, Megan and Jennifer, who were at the house waiting for us when we arrived with bags of Rudy’s Barbecue in hand!  The ladies took the babies off our hands so we could unpack, unwind, and fill our bellies…SU-PER-STARS!!!!

Sidebar for the funniest dynamic of the weekend:  Lila would not let Grandpa Bill (Casey’s dad) out of her sight all weekend long – it was adorable and also hilarious!  Every time he would set her down or try to leave the room, Lila made it clear that she did not approve!  So of course, being the good grandfather he is and also being a little proud that she was making such a fuss over him, Grandpa Bill would do whatever it was he needed to do with Little Lila in tow…not an easy task considering all of the work he was doing to get ready for the party!

Each of the members of our little Six Pack have been doing very well these days.  Eliot just graduated kindergarten and has an awesome summer of fun lined up, complete with camps, her sixth birthday, vacation Bible school, and at least a week in Denton with the grandparents.  Meanwhile, the babies are not really babies anymore…as their daily toddling and babbling clearly indicates.  We have been trying to venture out of the house with them more and they are really taking all of the adventures in stride.  The only thing growing faster than their little bodies is their personalities!  Here is a little breakdown of how things are developing in the personality department:

– Brooklyn Faith:  she is still our little sweetheart, the only one who sucks her thumb, and the best cuddler of the bunch.  But these days she has added a little quirkiness to her disposition – she is a total goof ball!  She makes all kinds of funny sounds and faces and is often by herself, dancing to her own little tune.  What a doll!

– Britton Grace:  still a fireball from her tiny head to her tiny toes, but she has evened out a bit.  She has some really good days where she barely fusses at all…and then she has her more normal days.  She has become daddy’s little girl, insisting on being in my lap whenever I am around.  Oh, and she is also quite particular about just about everything – sippy cup color and type, the exact type of snack she would like to eat, and pretty much anything else…the girl knows what she wants!  Her newest nicknames are Little Mighty and Itty-Bitty…. :)

– Jack William:  Happy Jack is still Laid Back Jack and continues to live in his own little world, perfectly content with life.  He has become more adventurous lately and is the only one who will bait you into chasing him around.  Since he can now run pretty well, instead of crawling over the girls to get to a toy (or milk, or daddy, or whatever), he now pushes them down and out of his way in his haste to get to the object of his desire.  Can you spell B-O-Y without J-A-C-K?  I don’t think it is possible!

– Lila Addison:  Lila is pretty happy also, more or less all of the time – except when Grandpa Bill leaves the room!  She is also our little adventurer.  Lila is constantly exploring a.k.a. wandering off from us!  She is the first to look over the rails to see who is coming up the stairs, first to walk off in pursuit of excitement, and she does it all with a shiny sparkle in her deep blue eyes (the only one with this color eye – all of the rest are hazel like Casey and Eliot).

– And then there is Ryan, still “The Lion” Elizabeth:  still quite vocal, still quick to anger, but just as quick to smile and laugh and put on a show!  She is the star of the crew, at least she thinks she is anyway.  She is the most developed in her speech and coordination as well.  Ryan loves to play and loves to laugh and she will do just about anything to have fun!  Ryan is usually the first one to greet me at the gate when I come upstairs, arms up with a pleading look in her eyes…that girl is fast!  I think she is going to challenge Eliot for best athlete in the family and she will definitely put up a fight for the biggest personality!

The next six weeks are going to be busy, busy, busy with the production schedule so I’ll post as often as I can!  We are really excited about all of the new episodes that are coming out late this summer!  Until then, keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, and right here for more pics and posts on our adventures with The Six Pack!

One more note:  I get to be onstage at Riverbend Church tomorrow with my main man, Jack William, talking about life as a father of one lonely boy and five crazy girls!!

God bless,

Ethan