October 2013

October.  So thankful still that Derek had insisted no sports, aka soccer.  Don't even know where we would have fit that in!

Tragic photo taken when I spent the day all to myself.  As I was saying, tragic...

Started scrapbooking.  As in put tape on the back and the photo and attach to the page.  Had to start when Justin was 2.  Yes, took me days.  Caught up to Justin in kinder and the pother two to current.  The kids have loved looking through it, so it's worth the effort.

Blast from the past!

Lexi and daddy went on a date to the Aquarium

Finished a puzzle from Grammy

Derek took the kids to the train store at Memorial City Mall.

Cool dude off to school

Lexi reading the Word...upside down...

Levi read the book Lentil at school.  Lentil played his harmonica in the bathtub.  Levi decided to follow suit.

Justin was excited to place first in one of his Jr. PGA golf tournaments. 

Lexi attaching her name plate creatively

Baking a cake with Maddie the great!

Buying pumpkins, and becoming quite educated, as the peanut pumpkin was our favorite.

Painting pumkins

Making a maze for daddy when he came home from work

Lexi and the bike.

We had been trying to find motivators to have her desire to even try with no training wheels.

We ride bikes daily, and the training wheels are more work and slow you down.  She would ride the extension on my bike and would get lazy and not even pedal.  So then I told her she had to keep up with fast riders.  After two days of that she woke up and said it was time.

Levi helping her make a turn

The boys ran for a full hour, encouraging and cheering her on.  It was a day of delight and simple joy.

Haven't looked back since!

And just in the last week she can now start herself.

Rewarded by resting on top of the fence they climbed.

The much awaited arrival of my nephew, Joshua Henry Smith.  Who is now a big ole chunker.

Levi especially loved holding this little bundle

Oldest and youngest cousins

Momma-in-training

We went to the park with Papa and Birdie

Cartwheel girl

These two work well together

Typical - Justin playing frisbee and Levi just relaxin' on the ground

Then we played some flag football

It was these four...

...against the crazies

Three generations

Miss being able to see them often living so far away!!

Got a quick swim in Grandma's hot tub

Bead parade while listening to music

With some flags thrown in

Doing some hard labor

Clever hair prop

Princess

Holding hands with best buddy Moriah at school

At the Natural Science Museum

School boy

Hat day at Awana

Loves to fix hair

Found a worm we names Katy in our organic corn.  Gotta love real food with real insects!  Katie stuck around a few days until a cold front came through.  Then she ran away.

Making pancakes like our book of the week

I was making dinner, knew that face paint was occurring, but didn't know where...

Levi at Brooks' party was on the hunt for fake frogs.  And then he found a real one!

I got my hair fixed

Party favors at the Duck Dynasty party for Brooks.  Hi-larious!

I like me some props too

We all do!

Lexi had a Stuart Little Book party at school.  The class reads a book, then the kids get to dress up as characters of the book while room moms plan activities going along the story line.  Prek is pretty tame.

We went as Snowbell.  And yes, I used a glue gun...shocker...and made this number.  It may never happen again.  Homeschooling is bringing out all sorts of inner beasts waiting to come out.

All the kids got mouse ears when they walked in as well as bags that...wait for it...Derek decorated!  His mice were better than mine, so he helped me label the bags.  I glued the nose on.

Lexi's class

Showing off her tail

We all got to try on the mouse ears

Everyone got to take a photo with mom's camera.  Here's Lexi's attempt.  My camera is very heavy so it's hard to maneuver.

Brought home some extra to have for ourselves

Had another round of family photos.  Love all of these.

It was a windy and slightly chilly morning.  Great for no sweating but the occasional hair blow did occur.

 Happy smiles because we were going to the Natural Science Museum to see dinosaurs, butterflies, and to watch the Jerusalem Imax movie.  I wasn't sure how they would do watching a documentary, with 3D glasses, etc.  But they love all the Disney Earth, Disney Cats, etc. movies.  We all sat arm and arm and cried.  It was so compelling, and Levi, who asks often, "Mommy, when are we going to Israel?"said through tears that now he REALLY wanted to go.  It had the viewpoint of a Jew, Muslim, and Orthodox Christian.  It was historical and spiritual.  We all want to go now.  The Spirit moved in all of us as we watched that day.

Baylor Homecoming.  Freezing at the parade that morning.

Derek stayed here most of the time.  He's a trooper going to all the Baylor nonsense for the rest of us.

Saw a familiar face in the crowd with SRS III

What is this exactly?

Getting ready for the game.  Derek stayed back and grabbed all the kids when they got pooped and let me stay.

Posing with Birdie and Papa

Cray Cray

Babysitter stayed home with the kids and they all made us a chalk welcome for our anniversary.

Levi's book party was Charlotte's Web.  The entire kindergarten grade reads Charlotte's Web, then they have a party with stations, snacks, activities, etc. that reflect the book.  A real pig showed up for this one!

Levi wanted to be a sheep. So we, once again, got out the hot glue gun, who was equally shocked to be once twice in one month, and put cotton balls and spider webs all over a white shirt and called it a day. 

The teachers made themselves shirts. So festive.  

Brand new baby piglets

Everyone loved Templeton's word search 

Lexi had Hannah from her class over for a play date 

Mariana watched my kids for part of the day and Steve and Kerry watched them the other half while I took my mandatory continuing education for my hygiene license 

Anna Bethancourt came over to play

As did Mariah 

And her brother Antonio 

Ran in a race for Hope for Houston to support adoption.  Kids loved doing the 1K. And funny tidbit...the kids on the left of Lexi is now a teammate and close buddy of Justin. We were to meet him two months later. And he is best friend with Justin old best friend Jake Wilburn. Too funny as I noticed when going through these photos to post. 

Lexi and the cows. Inseparable

Levi with bestie Andrew 

Piper came to our church. It was a privilege and an a honor. The Lord has done great things in his ministry. 

Justin's book party was Pooh Corner

Yes you read that right. So many families eat like we do at our school, and it's so nice that everyone is considerate of the food allergies and such. Doesn't sound like much, but when your kids have to sit out from so many things it's fun for them to be a part of things. AND not mess up their precious bodies inside. 

Lots of Tiggers. This was the first time Justin offered to dress up. He chose the costume. 

PreK teacher Mrs Kennedy's family is in the bee business. She came to demonstrate. 

Some of Justin's buddies and all baseball teammates

Justin and Mr Alvarez

Justin's class 

Very original I know. It's what daddy ordered

It poured on Halloween day!  It was a home day and we deciided to take a break in the rain 

The sun came out at 4pm after raining for 24 hours. Just in time for n

Black Ninja G.I.Joe. (And my boys still don't know who G.I. Joe is)

Ironman 3 (both boys were cost specials that they saw and wanted)

And Tangled Bride, wig in hand

We then were going to our neighborhood Halloween party and decided to change our heels for a more suitable show.  Ponytail optional. 

And that, finally, is an October rap!

Music I am loving is Rend Collective. The Art of  celebration. 

Also the new Passion 2014 Take It All CD. 

Also read Tom Davis' book Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World. Eye opening and uncomfortable at times. Same author of fields of the fatherless. Couldn't put it down. 

He is faithful!