Thanksgiving!

Be ware this is a long post!
We began our Thanksgiving holiday with Joel's first ever kindergarten program. It was the "A B C's of Thanksgiving". Joel was an Indian (even though he didn't want to be one). He did a great job and wasn't intimidated at all.

We had a couple of long days in the apartment (which just continues to make us more thankful for our new house) before leaving Thanksgiving morning for Stephenville to have Thanksgiving with Craig's family. It was so wonderful to travel only 2 hours to Grandpa Billy & Jo's rather than the 5 that it used to take us to get there from Sugar Land. The boys absolutely LOVE going to Grandpa Billy's. It is a little boys heaven with tons of acreage, cows, donkey's, ponds, and a green gator to travel all around on. Grandpa Billy had MADE marshmallow guns for all of the kids. You insert a mini marshmallow in the end and then shoot it out by blowing as hard as you can through the tube. Oh my goodness all of the boys had a blast using them. I don't think Joel ever put his gun down, in fact I think he ate as many marshmallows as he shot. After surveying the dessert table he said no mom, I will just eat marshmallows for dessert! Of course we were the first ones to arrive so the rest of the guests had to navigate through the garage carrying their food and avoiding getting pelted with mini-marshmallows!! We had to have Michael pick up some refill marshmallows on his way in.
Christian spent most of his day playing chess. He played Craig and one of his cousins. He really enjoys playing and the challenge of the game. Christian got to stay the rest of the weekend with Grandpa Billy. He really wanted to go hunting. I haven't heard from them so I don't know if any hunting was done today but I know he was very excited for the opportunity. He is at the age that anytime he can go anywhere without his brothers he is very HAPPY!
We left around 5:15 or so to come home. Unlike last year there were no major life altering discussions on the way home (it was on the way home from Billy's house last Thanksgiving when Craig told me I think we need to move to Dallas - who knew it would be almost a full year before that happened). Caleb & Joel were asleep before we even got to the main road.

Since Christian got to stay with Grandpa Billy then Caleb & Joel wanted to stay with Memaw & Papaw. I met them today along with Sherri's sister and cousin so they could see the house. The house now has carpet, interior lighting, electricity, water, sprinkler systems, landscaping and a stained front door! The only thing left is touch up painting, the correct entryway light and appliances for the kitchen. Our tentative closing date is December 12th. We ALL are very excited to see the end in sight! Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

First Campout, Last Football Game & a House

Like most of you, we had a very busy weekend! Christian went on his first campout with the church youth group. I had scrambled to find him a sleeping bag (we have one it is just in storage!), borrowed one from a friend and then had to make a quick trip to purchase pajamas, warm up pants and a flashlight (yes we have flashlights they just must be in STORAGE!). Dallas had a cold front BLOW in on Friday and I mean BLOW. The wind was gusting around 40 miles per hour and it was in the 50's when they left! They went to a state park and camped out in tents with a bonfire and the whole nine yards. He had an absolute blast!! (I don't have any pictures because like most pre-teens he does not want his picture taken - I did ask!).

Saturday morning was our last green-gator flag football game. Unfortunately, Joel got up coughing that morning and after watching him Craig decided he did not need to play in the freezing cold that morning. In fact by the time the game started that morning he was wheezing. Caleb did play and had a GREAT game. We had several players missing so Caleb got to play both offense and defense most of the game. He got several flags and even caught a pass for a few yards! The gators WON!! It was a great ending to a good season. (I took the picture of them in the car since Joel wasn't playing and also because it was SO COLD!)

As the day progressed Joel got worse. Craig took him to a Care Now center and they diagnosed him with asthmatic bronchitis. (He does not have asthma and has only had one other experienced where he did the same thing when we lived in Sugar Land. He will start wheezing and starts having trouble breathing.) They prescribed him breathing treatments and a steroid. I made several phone calls trying to locate a nebulizer (yes I have one but it was guess where - STORAGE). A night in shining armor went with me and crawled all through storage and FOUND it in the very back in the box with the blender!! Joel is doing much better after 2 days of treatments.

We made our usual trip to see the house on Saturday after the green gator game but we couldn't get in because they were painting!!! YEAH. Craig and I went back on Sunday and took these pictures. We really like the paint, the cabinets, the stairs and EVERYTHING and are getting really, really, excited to see a finish in the future! (The first picture is looking from the living room into the kitchen - the cabinets where covered because of them painting. The second picture is looking up from the living room - the stairs are covered as well because of the paint.)

This week is just as busy - Joel is home with me today so we could get him some more breathing treatments but much to his dismay he will go back to school tomorrow. Caleb has a field trip on Wednesday and I am leaving to go to Houston to teach for the Wednesday Womem's Workshop at Lakewood (my old job!). I will be back on Thursday just in time for Joel's first ever school program Thursday night! Then the kids are really looking forward to being off for the whole week of Thanksgiving and traveling to Grandpa Billy & Jo's!

Brick House!

A lot has happened on the house this week. As I mentioned we had our pre-drywall meeting last Saturday. And today the house was completely sheet rocked!! Also, the brick was actually delivered a day early so by tomorrow the house will be completely bricked - we LOVE progress! Craig and I are a little disappointed in the brick. It doesn't look anything like we thought it would. Craig really likes a "red" brick. We thought when we picked it out it had a lot more red in it then it actually does. It is very hard to pick out brick from a small sample (The 2nd picture is what we picked out at the design center the brick, trim color and stain for the front door - it looked good then). Hopefully once the landscape is in we will like it better but oh well too late now!!!

Awards, Halloween & Football!

We have had a busy weekend - just like most of you I am sure.

Joel was awarded the Star Student of the Month for the month of October. He was honored at an assembly this past Friday afternoon. It is given to students who work hard in class and are kind and courteous to other students. He really enjoys school and helping others so it was a true honor for him. He also LOVES attention and having his picture made so it was not a problem for him to go up in front of the whole school! (Caleb would have been mortified but not Joel!). The school announces their name, has the come up and stand on the stage and then they get to lead the "cha cha slide!" Joel is all into that dance so he had a great time! (Couldn't get any pictures because they were moving to fast!).

Friday night was of course Halloween. Grandpa Billy & Jo came in to see the Green Gator's play and see our house so they joined us as we went around our soon to be neighborhood. Joel was a ninja and Caleb was the incredible hulk! Christian decided he was to old to dress up so he just rode his ripstick along with us. Joel told me right before we left that this was going to be Caleb's best day ever. I said really why Joel and he said because Caleb loves candy and I really don't so I am going to give him all of my candy!!! Wellllllllll, there has not been any distribution of the candy yet but Joel really doesn't like candy he is much more into donuts, ice cream, honey buns and that sort of thing!

Saturday morning was busy as well. We had our pre-drywall meeting with the construction manager. He took us through the whole house explaining what all of the wires and lines were for. After giving our approval they should start sheet rocking the house this week! Yeah!! They are projecting a move in date of December 19th but we could possibly close on the 12th. Please pray with us that we would be able to close on the 12th!! I really, really want to close 2 weeks before Christmas.

After that meeting we headed to the Green Gator game!! We were joined by my grandmother from Kilgore. My mom went and picked her up on Friday and she spent the weekend with her and my dad. She recently had shoulder surgery and was such a trooper through the whole day.

We were a little late to the game because of the meeting. Therefore both Joel & Caleb were on offense (not Caleb's favorite). Joel was the center and hiked the ball the whole half (don't know if you can tell but in the picture Joel is hiking to Caleb). The second half they played defense (Caleb's favorite). Caleb was able to get one flag while he played defense. The green gators WON!! They only have 2 games remaining!

Christian gets his first piece of music today from band! He is very excited as they prepare for their Winter Concert. Look for more pictures through the week of the house!