The Lady Vols!

This picture was taken after the game was over and Parker was ready to get out of there...it's a long time for a kid to sit still...not that he did, but we tried!

Parker sat on Paul's shoulders before the game started and ate Tic-Tacs...as soon as they were gone, he moved on to the next person with food. That's the way he works...if you have food, he will sit with you!!

If you have been reading my blog for more than a few months, you will know that my husband is a huge Tennessee Vols fan. Both sets of his grandparents live in Tennessee, his parents are graduates from the University of Tennessee and Aaron just loves the Vols. I know, he didn't attend the University of Tennessee. He went to the University of Florida, so I guess you could "officially" say that he is a Gator grad. BUT, his blood runs orange...Tennessee Orange. He went to the U of F because it was free (lots of scholarships!!),and if you were just wondering, they have a great engineering department. But, back to the Vols....

Aaron and Grace enjoying the game together.

We have some friends from church and the husband is a UT grad. He looked up the basketball schedule for the Lady Vols months ago....really, like in August, and saw that the Lady Vols were coming down south to Austin to play the Lady Texas Longhorns. We have been planning on it ever since and this past weekend, we all got up on a early Sunday morning and drove to Austin!!

Susie was excited that she finally got some cotton candy!!

The ride was great...our kids were in the car with all the dads and I got to ride in the car with the moms and the teenagers. We had fun talks all the way there and we ate at a great Bar-b-que place called "Rudy's" just outside of Austin. The game was great...the Lady Vols are a super young team this year, coming off of their last year's national championship win and graduating some awesome players. They started 2 freshman and 3 sophomores...so look out next year!!
They stayed with the more experienced Lady Longhorns until about the last 5 minutes of the game and then it was over. Fun game with friends...we will do it again and Parker will stay still for longer next game because he will be older...hopefully!!

Susie loves Mr. Steve...now that is one loyal Tennessee fan...

December 17...oh my!

I know, it's December 17th and I haven't posted in over 10 days....I'm back, for a few minutes anyway. We have been so unbelievably busy the past few weeks and I've taken LOTS of pictures to document the events. I just haven't taken the time to put them all up. So, family for your viewing pleasure....here is what we have been up to!!

2 weekends ago (Dec. 6th) we all loaded up and went out to Holiday in the Park at Six Flags. It was so much fun!!! This year Six Flags so smartly opened for almost the whole day making it so much better for us season pass holders. We pulled in the parking lot about 7 pm and there were huge school groups of kids, leaving!! Less people means less of a wait in line in the park!! Grace kept saying, "Wow, all these people leaving is GREAT for us!" We were all bundled up and ready for fun. We walked on every ride but one so it was perfect. We sat and watched the parade and then moved up to the stage for the closing show. Great night for the whole family. Also we found out that Parker has grown great guns since our last visit!!! The last time we all went to Six Flags, Parker could not ride the mini-mine train because he was too short....now he is WAY over the line and had a great time riding the roller coaster! Fun!!Aaron was out of town for 2 weeks for a training class in Houston the first 2 weeks of December so when he came home on the weekend, we were all so very happy!! Glad that he got to go and learn some new things about work, but more thankful that he is home happy and healthy.

The kids with "Cowboy Santa" at the Stockyards in Fort Worth. He has a great hat!

All the kids (and Aaron) after we got off the "Holiday of Lights" bus tour.

This past weekend, we went with a group of friends to downtown Fort Worth and did their Christmas festivities at the stockyards. They had face painting, balloon artists, hot cocoa and cookies and then we got on the Christmas light bus. It was a fun night to be with friends. However, I do not recommend the bus ride if you have small kids...it was over 1.5 hours long. We had fun being with our friends and singing Christmas songs while looking at lights in Ft. Worth, but there was a baby on the bus that did not!!

The kids were all excited when Santa and Mrs. Claus came on our bus to visit for a few minutes!

Grace and Susie love being with one of their favorite teenagers, Bethany!

After the Bus tour, we all went out to eat at a great Mexican food place downtown and the kids got Christmas presents from our babysitters. Bethany and Jenna are the best! They love the kids and the kids love them. We are so thankful for great friends. I'll post the rest of the weekend activities later. Have a great Wednesday!! We are off to a Christmas party at Fortress!!!

A Christmas WHAT??

Aaron and the kids were getting all of the Christmas decorations down from the attic on Thanksgiving after all of the festivities and the company had all left. I was at the movies with some friends seeing, "Australia." Very good movie by the way. Loved it. Back to the story....

Aaron was getting the decorations down so that we could all do the tree together the next day, after Thanksgiving. Out of the blue, Parker picks up a wreath, sticks his head though it and says, "Look Daddy, it's a Christmas hole!" He's kinda right...it's a big Christmas Hole!! :) Now we have Christmas Holes hanging on our house. Oh, to see Christmas though the eyes of a 2 year old, it is the best!

Weird Weather....

Yeah, welcome to Texas! Yesterday afternoon, it was 77 degrees outside and the kids were out riding their bikes. This morning? 31 degrees. DD sent the kids these hats for winter in a package yesterday. Parker just assumed that the blue one is for him...it has hearts and cute little ponies all over it....I guess he'll figure it out eventually! Susie wore her new hat to church last night, wanted to wear it to sleep (mommy said no!) and then put it on first thing this morning...She is such a funny little girl! Love her so much!!

The car is in the shop and we are hoping it will be done today or tomorrow. Strapping 3 carseats in Aaron's car is so hard! I didn't realize what space we had in the Tahoe until it was gone!! I am so thankful for my Tahoe and can't wait to have it back. Well...I'm off to get the little two ready for school. Today Santa and Mrs. Claus come to school and they are both so very excited!!

OH. MY. WORD.

Am I ever thankful today!! Last night the kids and I attended the Chili supper with the the "thankful" devo service up at church. It was a great fellowship and the kids had fun running around with their friends. I always love seeing everyone. I really do love our church family here. We all stood around and basically closed the building down and got in the car on the way home. Aaron was interviewing potential engineers for their company so he was out for the evening and it was just me and the sweet kids. The girls were really great at church so I told them that we would go to Sonic and get a milkshake. We were all excited and literally a stone's throw away from Sonic when we got hit. Yes. WE GOT HIT, IN OUR CAR. A little Saturn (we are a big Tahoe) pulls straight out across the road RIGHT in front of us...I swerved and hit the brakes as hard as I could. Thank you Lord that they just hit the front right fender!

Everyone is fine...this morning I'm a little sore, but I think that is just from tensing up to hit the brakes last night. I could see it happening...I even remember telling the kids to hold on because I could see the car pulling right out onto the street coming straight at us. CRAZY!
I'm so thankful that everyone was okay and that the people in the other car were fine. They can't drive, but they are fine as well. They thought that their little niece in the car was hurt (she was fine, just scared and screaming a little too loud) so they called the fire dept., twice. So, not only did we have a police car, but we had 2 fire trucks there on the site, with all their lights on. Parker thought it was all pretty cool. When you ask him what happened last night he says (in his little voice) "The BIG firetruck pulled right there beside me!!" What a blessing that is all he remembers!

I'm so thankful that we have such great friends. I knew that Aaron wasn't anywhere close, so I called the Frost family who had just been at church with us. They were there before the police arrived and took my kids into their car and helped keep them distracted from all the commotion. Then they called our friend, Jill, and she came to the rescue, too. Our friends here are such a blessing. I know I could have called any number of people and they would have been there in a second. We are so very blessed with wonderful and caring friends.

So today, I have many things to be thankful about this day before Thanksgiving:

1. 3, not a scratch on them, sweet kids!! Thank you, Lord!!

2. Wonderful friends that sat out in the cold with me last night when I was scared to death! They helped me feel better, gave me peace of mind, and I was so thankful to have another male there to help me remember what to do....my brain was not working. I just wanted to make sure that my babies were okay. Thanks SOO much, Ron Frost! It gave me such peace to know that you had my back with that kid who kept trying to give me his cash and didn't want me to report the accident to the insurance company.

3. A car that has GREAT brakes!

4. A car that drove home last night and didn't have to be towed to a shop!

5. A nice lady that stopped and waited to give her eye-witness account of the accident. She waited quite a long time and really didn't have to...nice lady. Another car stopped and helped us get out of the busy intersection. They were super nice and helped set a calm tone.

6. Did I say that we are okay? Yes, I'm still thankful for that!

7. An on the ball insurance company. I take the car in at 1:00 for an estimate, already. We love USAA.

8. Friends that call and check up on us....

9. A very concerned Daddy that got to come home today after being gone. He had to go back to the office, but we got to see him for a little while.

10. Sonic, which is where we are finally going to today for lunch....after all, we were on our way there yesterday before all this happened!

Go and count your blessings today and post them at X-Box wife's page. I'm so thankful for her!! She came home with me last night and helped me put my kids to bed!!

Sunday nights with Parker

On Sunday nights, Parker gets to stay up with us and watch "Sunday Night Football." I know, his sisters have to go to bed...yah, yah, yah....He's 2 and he loves football so for now, he gets to stay up. When he wants to start watching Barbie, he'll have to go to bed! Last night, Parker was so funny. After the Colts won, we were jumping up and down because we couldn't believe that they pulled off another squeaker...Parker kept running around the couch..."We win, we win!" It was so very cute!

During halftime he said, "I want my picture with you, Mama"....who can say no to that?

My sweet boys!

Baby it's cold...inside??

The kids are watching their morning cartoons...they wanted their own blankets this morning. Do you think it may be a little cold in the house? I guess it may be time to turn on the heat, eh? We are loving our "Do nothing Friday!" Well, it's not "Do Nothing" more as it is we aren't going anywhere and we have not a thing planned!!! Yippe! I love Fridays!!! I'm off to snuggle with my kids and put another load of clothes in the laundry. There is nothing like a warm load of clothes straight out of the dryer...wait, does that mean that I have to fold them, too? :)

Ten Things Tuesday!

It's Ten Things Tuesday...Here are mine! Go to X-Box Wife and post yours this week, too!

I'm thankful....

1. For daddy/ son relationships. Aaron and Parker have so much fun together. Last night after we put the kids to bed Aaron said, "Parker is just getting so big. He just isn't a baby anymore." Ya think?? It is true. He has been talking so big lately and of course, as the 3rd child, he thinks that he can do anything and well....he pretty much can. The other day, he opened the fridge and got out a cheese stick! Susie and Grace have always asked if they could have a snack and I would go and get it out of the fridge...Parker is just cutting out the middle man...ME!!


2. For Sisters!! They might not always get along, but they do love each other. After Susie's school program last week, when we got back in the car, Grace told Sus, "You did a great job up there singing, Susie." I was so proud.

3. Susie!! She had her school program last week and did a great job! This is her last year in Circle of Friends and she is thriving...next year she will be in Kindergarten...all day!


4. Great adult friends who love my kids!! We had a fun night Friday night with some great friends and then Saturday night we went out with all the kids, too.


5. My kids friends...These are the little boys in our small group on Sunday night. They are the cutest little things. Parker prays for his little buddies every night and I'm so thankful for their little friendships. They will all be in the same class at church and at school when they get a little older...sweet boys!

6. Grace! Grace made the "Battle of the Books" Team for the 2nd year in a row. She is so very excited and feels like an old pro because all the other kids on the team are new! She is doing so great in school and I'm so thankful!

7. Coffee. I know, but I do love it and it's warm on these chilly mornings!

8. Far away family. Aaron's parents sent a big care package for his birthday (it's next week) and it had new and oh so very cute P.J's in it for the kids. They were so excited.

9. The Internet. I've reconnected with some old friends on facebook and it has been so much fun! I love catching up with old and current friends!

10. Pre-School for the little ones. I've gotten most of my jobs done for today so I went and got a real hair cut!! Okay, not a big cut, just a trim...but for me, that is a big deal!! I'm thankful for the Tuesdays and Thursdays that they get to go and have fun with their friends and I can get a few things done...quickly!!

Okay, there is my list....go and do yours!!

Our Mondays....

Since school has started, the two little ones and myself, drive downtown to work at a daycare for inner city kids. It is called Fortress "Building Blocks" and we love it! It was established by the church that meets in the inner city area and is to help give the kids there a little head start before they go to pre-k or kindergarten. It's a Monday/Wednesday program right now and there are 13 little ones enrolled for our first year of operation. Completely free for these sweet kids! We only go on Mondays and then we have other friends that volunteer with the program on Wednesdays. Parker LOVES going to Fortress and being with his friends there. The program is staffed by mostly women from our church and a few gals that worship with the Fortress church there on Sundays. It is such a blessing to be with these cute little ones on Mondays and see how much that they are learning in such a short amount of time. I'm also so thankful that they let me bring Parker and Susie with me...I think they get as much or more out of it than I do, sometimes! We do love Fortress Mondays!

Every night Parker prays, "Dear God, Thank you for my family, Thank you for my Jesus, Thank you for my friend Jo Jo, my friend Ty Ty, my friend Owen and my friend Kendall. Help me to have sweet dreams. In Jesus name, AAAAMMMEN!" Well, the picture above is with Parker and his buddy JoJo that he loves so dearly. They are little stinkers at Building Blocks and you would never guess that they are a year apart because they are the same size!

Vote True 2008

This is so cute!!