Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Christmas

I didn't get any pictures of Christmas morning. But here's a recap. Legos, Legos, Legos. More Legos. 

Also, a Street hawk flying driving machine.


A couple of bikes...



a scooter...



and a pup...


named Soda. 

We love her.


Turns out this puppy thing is tough stuff. I'm getting very little sleep and on constant potty/chewing watch. I, honestly, don't think I could do it without Mr. Ethan. He's been the ultimate helper with her. He takes her out in the 35 degree mornings. He wrestles her. He teaches her not to bite. They are becoming fast friends and it melts my heart to see it.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Exploring

I hope my kids never tire of going on "explorations."

This morning, the 45 degree temp didn't deter them, and they found their "team flag."


Drew's runny nose had him turning back early, but the twins marched on.








And what winter exploration is complete without some hot chocolate?


Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Getting Christmas ready

We never made it to a real-deal Santa this year. Thankfully, the man in the red suit made a stop at our ward Christmas party. Ethan asked for a "Street Hawk remote control car that flies," Kate asked for a bike and glitter gliders, and Drew asked for "toys."



The kids have been making presents for each other this year. Kate made these shields for Ethan. 



Drew knocked it out of the park in his pre-school Christmas program.

As did my hair, if I do say so myself.

One thing that has taken me 3 months to get used to is 11:00 church. 
We've finally settled on a schedule that seems to make everyone happy. 
A 9:30 brunch. A 3:30 lunner.
And a pre-bedtime....

dessert. 
This Sunday, it was root beer freezes, followed by an entertainment number by Greg. Of course, now that we have it figured out, we'll enjoy it for one more Sunday and then go back to 9:00 church.

Stuff

I don't know why, but our lives have gone un-blog-umented lately. 
Maybe because my iPhone has taken over as lead camera. 
Maybe, Instagram.

But, alas, here we are.

We've done things like throw rocks in Cibolo Creek with Grandma.

One night, Drew fell getting out of the tub and had a pretty big bruise on his face. Out of nowhere, Ethan comes running in with a pool noodle/ light saber and told Drew he could whack him as hard as he could. 
Owie: gone.


Ethan finished another soccer season with a great coach and team.

One Monday night, we held FHE at the Guadalupe River. We intended on going for an actual hike, but there were just so many rocks to be thrown.



Our dear lad, Ethan Douglas, lost his first tooth. He wasn't expecting it, nor was I. But sometimes, when trying to split two Legos apart, a tooth gets lost.
He was stunned. I cried. It was a moment. My boy is growing up.


And since Daddy was out of town, a request was made to hold on to the tooth for just a couple more nights.


Thankfully, our tooth fairy is a merciful spirit and the request was granted.


Drew. Sometimes, with this kid, there are just no words. 


Like, how he always tries to be prepared. Just in case the temperature rises 30 degrees, and a pool happens to show up. All while we're on our way to the bus stop.
He may or may not have had a few people stop. And laugh. And take pictures.

The kids learned how to play football not long ago, and when all the neighborhood kids assemble, it's often the game of choice. 
The neighborhood kids seem to assemble quite a bit. They're good kids and I'm happy they have each other. Maybe one of the best surprises in moving here is the great neighbors. In our little neighborhood, there are about 15 kids that take the bus home together. The older kids are nice and respectful and often help the younger kids with homework and reading books. They all know each other and have fun getting together and playing or riding bikes. 
A good neighborhood can make such a difference.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Family Pics

When my mother in law was in town a couple weeks ago, I asked her to snap some pics of us in our back... yard? ... property?

I don't know who this girl is, but it's definitely not my little girl Kate. This girl is a teenager and she's not allowed back in my house till she looks 6 again.

If you're a follower of mine on Insta, you already know that we had some "issues" with Mr. Drew smiling for the camera. In all my years of living, I will never understand what happened to him that night. He'd never done this before and hasn't since. But that night, little man had his own agenda when it came to smiles.




Thankfully, he did come through with a few good smiles.




(For the best one, you'll just have to wait for the Christmas card!)

But this guy?
He's handsome.

 And her?
She's gorgeous.

And just like that, the menfolk decided that the photo shoot was deemed complete.

Back to business as usual.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Halloween

So, Halloween happened. 
Along with what seemed like the rest of America, we went with the Star Wars theme. 
I think we pulled it off quite nicely.





Every year, my mom makes amazing costumes and every year, I do one thing to add to the costume and feel like I have solved world peace. This year was no different. I scoured the YouTube world and figured out how to do these buns and Kate couldn't have said it better.
"Even I have to admit, I look like Princess Leia."
Yes, you do, my darling. But only much, much cuter.

And this guy. I mean, seriously. Could a cuter Yoda possibly exist? 
I think not.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Pumpkin Patching

Let it be known that I believe Boerne, TX to be the greatest small town in this great nation. A number of family-owned restaurants, street fairs, darling downtown with cute shops, rodeos, parades, great schools, proximity to all the other stuff you need (Target, Costco).

But it lacks in one very important category.
A pumpkin patch.

Give me hayrides, face painting, carnival rides. Corn maze, barrel train, apple cider. I want it all.

No matter. A bunch of pumpkins thrown on the lawn of the city library will suffice for the happiness of these kiddos.