Just like yesterday

Today a friend from high school, who I connected with through FB, came over! Amy (DeRouen) with her husband and twin girls actually were in my house! It really couldn't have been about 20 years that have passed since high school, but I guess I turned 18 when I was a senior, and now I'm not 18!

We laughed and talked and her husband was kind to let us do that for the morning. She is amazing. It was just so good to see her and her darling family. What a neat treat this Thanksgiving season. Amy was visiting her parents, who live right by Martin HS. Small world. I appreciated her taking the time away from her family to spend some time with me.

Scott and Quinn missed it, as they were on a 50 mile bike ride for Quinn's scouting merit badge. Quinn called and they are finished with it. I'm proud of them. It only took all day (they went out to Lake Mineral Wells to ride).

Thanksgiving in Austin

We headed to Austin on Thursday morning. "We" = Scott, Quinn, Tanner and me. Eldon and Stephanie kindly took Connor and Allison with them on Wednesday while Scott was still working. The kids and some of the dads and grandpa played touch football on Thursday morning. Sara, Anne and I went for a walk. Allison, Mattie and Thomas played by the water. Sara's Scott and my Scott went for a run at Barton Creek Friday morning. We ate and ate both days. I wish grandma was feeling better. I did pedicures on the little girls. UT beat A&M. It was a good time and it's good to be home! Thanks to Edd and Anne driving 8 hours - each way - to spend time with us.

Scott likes Thanksgiving more than Christmas (he likes Christmas, but he really likes Thanksgiving.) I'm starting think the same thing. I love Christmas, but there are some wonderful things about Thanksgiving. I like the food and the company, and there isn't the worry of gifts. The whole month of November is a reminder about looking for what we have, instead of what we don't.

I have loved seeing my friends' gratitude lists on their blogs or FB this past month. I, too, am grateful for so many things:

Family, friends, home, food, clothes, Church, love, kindness, generosity and hope. The list would keep going on and on, but those are some thoughts that came quickly.

Awhile back (March 2007), I made a list in my journal of 100 things I was grateful for. I'll share some random things on that list (it started and ended with Scott, so I guess I really only came up with 99).....

Jesus Christ
seasons
fresh starts
Braum's milk
earth
exercise
sleep
beauticians
Mrs. Burcie
surprises
routines
friendship
my education
rocking a baby to sleep
prayer
imagination
weather
tender mercies

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for each of you who takes the time to read my blog. It's nice to have a little place to go to share my world. Thank you for being part of it! Happy Thanksgiving!

Connor Cross-over

Connor officially crossed-over from cub scouts to boy scouts last night. He has been going to 11 year old boy scouts for a few weeks now, but we had a big group of boys who were to cross-over about the same time, so we did them all together. He has an amazing leader now, and he enjoyed his past leader. We're very proud of Connor.

He's been reading "The Hunt for Dark Infinity," the 2nd in the 13th Reality series by James Dashner. His friend from church loaned him the book. As I type, he may have already finished it, as he got to ride down early with Eldon and Stephanie to Austin.

Awhile back, my brother Joe, who gets to work with an amazing microscope at BYU, asked us if there were things the kids would like to see under the microscope and he would send us images. Connor wanted to see dust (what would you want to see?).....Connor's seen dust through glass, but not through a microscope...he said he wished Joe could just give us the microscope!
Any chances of that, Joe??

Nutcracker

Allison and I went to a performance of the Nutcracker in Ft.Worth at the Will Rogers Coliseum. We went and got her hair trimmed and got all ready together. Our friends were performing.....Sami was a mouse and a Russian dancer and Camille was a toy soldier and a bon bon. Oh, they did so well. We were so proud of them. Allison was in heaven.
She loved every minute of it!

She asked if there was going to be a half time at the performance.....
yes, Allison, there will be a half time, but they call it intermission.

Quinn was on a camp-out with the scouts. Connor and Tanner enjoyed cousin Walter for the day while his siblings were competing in a rock climbing competition up here in Arlington. Connor played in his last soccer game the same day. The score was either 6-0 or 4-0, depending on who you asked, but either way, Connor's team won!

We came back to find

The other day, Scott and I had gone to Dallas, and when we came back, we found nativities going up some of the stairs. Allison had been busy. She has always loved Nativities. I think it's so sweet.

A little while back, I was asking Allison about the size of baby diapers she was wanting Santa to bring for her dolls (Quinn helped her with her list and it said something like smallish biggish diapers), and she very confidently responded, "He'll know."

And there he sits

Tanner was getting candy on the top of the fridge.....
and wanted me to help him get down.
Pretty comical.

Today we were driving up Cooper to the new Cowboys stadium and we passed by the workers who stand around to get hired for the day. We talked briefly how Quinn and Tanner should get an education, etc., etc.
On the way home, Tanner wondered,
"So if we don't go to college,
we'll just be waiting on the side of the street?"

Could someone else explain this to him for me?

Red Jumper

Allison, our holiday girl, has been begging to get the Christmas decorations out this year (this job usually is done by Quinn----our holiday and celebration master). She even asked if she could just get them out and play with them and look at them and put them back! Grandma made her a little red jumper that she wore to an ice skating birthday party, Charley's play of the "Wizard of Oz" at the junior high, and to church the next morning. She took it off inbetween, but only to bathe and sleep!

Paper Ties

Oh, my goodness....I couldn't believe it when I discovered the boys had made paper ties to wear to stake conference.

I think the story was that Quinn didn't feel like putting on his real tie, so he decided to make one instead. And Connor and Tanner followed, like usual.

And that is why I always say that we're so glad Quinn came first to our family because he generally is a good leader. Paper ties?! And they wore them, too.

Quinn just came home with a certificate for All Star English Student for the 2nd Six Weeks.
Way to go Q!

Birthday

I celebrated another birthday.....and had a blast. Scott took me to a Jim Brickman concert, followed by an over-nighter at the Radisson. Thanks to Eldon and Stephanie for watching the kids while we went, or we wouldn't have gone. He was sooo kind to me and we even got milkshakes after the concert, and it was HIS idea.

Saturday evening, Scott and I went to a church meeting, and when I got home, the kids had left me "Patti" legos and sweet birthday notes. It was a good birthday and I thank everyone who made it so nice. (But I STILL don't really like getting older.)

Fall Leaves

The kids piled up a bunch of leaves
and then decided to move the pile to the tramp and jump in them.
And it all started when Quinn wanted to rake some leaves
and earn money for some sunflower seeds!

Halloween 2009

The 30th....church trunk or treat...
Quinn and his friends stayed with the "trunk" and had the kids who came by throw balls through a hanging tire.



On Halloween night, cousins came over to knock on doors. Quinn's friend from school/baseball came over and handed out the candy with him (something about World Series on TV).



Grandma and Grandpa visited for the day and we celebrated some birthdays (okay, fine, I'm getting older, but Stephanie is, too). They got a chance to see E & S's new place and to watch the boys play sports. What a treat this Halloween was!!!!

Our Little Treat for Halloween

She was just fine, Stephanie, just fine (and we only spoiled her a little bit ;)

Crazy Sock Day

The junior high had red ribbon week the same week as the elementary school.

When I dropped Quinn off, a dad who was crossing the kids commented,

"That's pretty brave"

I don't think he meant the socks!

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon week was the last week of October. The kids got to do a little something each day to celebrate being drug free.



Monday...they got their red ribbons.



Tuesday...Corey Cub shirt day. This was the day Tanner did his mask report. He did it on the little red hen.



Wednesday...Hat day.



Thursday...Team Jersey day.



Friday...costume or red day. I went up to see Tanner perform in his P.E. fall aerobics (Monster Mash, Ghostbusters, etc.).



It was an exciting week, to say the least!

Just a Sunday afternoon

Top Toothless

Allison pulled out her first top tooth!
I don't have to tell you how thrilled she was,
it's written all over her face.

This was taken just before she pulled it out.

Oh, my little girl's smile is changing.....

They're so sweet

I couldn't resist......There Tanner was, sleeping with his new bear from Allison's party.

Making a fort out of the box!

She's 6 and He's 11

Connor turned 11 on the 5th and Allison turned 6 on the 10th. Connor gets to go to 11 year old scouts now. This was likely his last Primary Program to be in, depending on the date of next year's program. It was a treat to have Walter, Fielding and Zoey here to celebrate with Connor.

For Allison's party, she had a friend from church come with us to Build-A-Bear.
This was a first for her friend, and also for most of us, so it was a treat.

Happy Birthday October babies!

Zoey = good sport

Zoey and family spent the night in Arlington....she had a climbing competition in Dallas the next day.

She was VERY patient with Allison as they played dress up and did hair.

What a good, good, good sport
Zoey is!!!!

Thank you, Zoey.

Friends Forever

Jennifer came to visit (again) this year! Wow. This time, we went and got a pedicure, had lunch, and she showed me a cookbook at Barnes and Noble. It was short and sweet.....and we didn't stop talking (like usual :)

Aquasox Fall Ball

Quinn has had a great time playing in the juniors this fall. He has been able to do some catching and pitching. They are the Aquasox (not the boy's favorite team to be), but they make the most of it----they darkened out a part of the shirt that looked like a flower (it was the frog's footprint). "Go Tadpoles!"

A lot of his games have been called because of the rainy season we've had. The season will be extended into the beginning of November.

Let's play ball!!!!

Corey cub

It was Allison's turn to take home "Corey Cub" for the night. At school, they took turns taking home a bear and doing things with him. She had a great time with "Corey." I wrote down some of the things she did and we colored the paper at bedtime. Fun times.

Strikers Fall 2009

Connor's playing on the Striker's soccer team this fall. He is a good defender. I say he's like a wall that doesn't let anything past him. He runs like crazy out there.

And Allison can be a pretty good sport at the brother's games.

Speaking of weddings

I don't think these pictures need an explanation. We were dressin' up!!!!