Cafe Adobe in Houston, TX - November 2008

Usually the girls and I get together at least once a year, but this time we brought our hubbies and kiddos. Julie and her sister, Nancy, Melinda, Stan, and their son, Evan, and Kevin, and I and our kids all had lunch together at Cafe Adobe in Houston, TX just to catch up and have some fun! It was great to see them!

Museum of Natural Science and History in Houston, TX - Nov. 2008

While in Houston, TX for the week of Thanksgiving, Papa, Kevin and I took the kids to the Museum of Natural Science and History one afternoon. They have wanted to go there every since they saw "Night at the Museum". It wasn't quite the same as the movie, but they did enjoy it. The dinosaurs were our favorite because they were so huge!

Happy Birthday Dad ~ November 28, 2008

Happy 61st Birthday Dad! We had a great time eating out to celebrate the occasion. Boudreaux's cajun restaurant was delicious, too. It was nice to see everyone - Uncle David, Aunt Kathryn, Granny Jean, Mom and Dad, and our family. I'm not sure who invited the crocodile??

Football with Daddy and Uncle Matt ~ 11/27/08

Thanksgiving day was perfect for playing football with Daddy and Uncle Matt. The boys played in an open field near GG's house in her neighborhood. Matt and Nicholas teamed up against Daddy and Clayton. After all the tackles, all the team huddles, and all the plays... Matt and Nicholas won by a slim margin.

Thanksgiving Day 2008

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year at Granny GG's house. The food was yummy and plentiful! Granny Lilly, Granny Maxine, Uncle Harry, Uncle Pat, Uncle Matt, GG, Mike, and my family were all there to be thankful for the many blessings we have been given throughout the year.

El Toro Family Get Together in Baytown, Texas 11.25.08

November 25, 2008. All forty something of my Mom's side of the family all got together to eat at El Toro in Baytown, Tx. It was wonderful to see everyone again. We love our home and love where the Lord has called us to be, but we do miss our family.

We Will Miss You Peanut! November 21, 2008

Peanut, our hamster, has passed away. It appears she had a stroke (from what I could find on the Internet). Yesterday morning she was just curled up in the bottom of her cage and unable to move. We knew she was still alive because she would jerk in small movements from time to time. By last night, she only would move her head slightly. We put her in sock to keep her warm and this morning, she was dead. The kids are just fine with it. Kevin asked Clayton last night if he was upset at all, and he said, "Not really, I knew it would happen one day. Can I get a dog?" Anyway, Kevin and I have the ones that are sad. She was a great hamster, part of the family. We will bury her tonight. Hamsters only live about 3 years, and we got her on September 30,2007 after she was about a year already - so she lived a full happy life with three kids who adored her.

Clayton's Very Own Room ~ November 16, 2008

The boys have had to share a room for some time now. Lately though, they have been requesting seperate quarters. So, we cleared out the office/craft room and took apart the bunk beds and gave Clayton his own room (and of course, Nicholas has his own room now, too). They are both happy to now have their own space to retreat to. We left the desk in Clayton's room also because he enjoys being able to do his homework without two other siblings peering over his shoulder.

Fall Color

The Fall colors here are just so beautiful, it amazes me. The yellows glow, the oranges blaze, and the reds pop! I started taking pictures of the colors a little past their prime,but they are still really pretty. I have found it difficult to capture the true color beauty on camera, so just take my word for it :) I made the kids go with me to Oak Mountain State Park to try and take some photos, and they were very cooperative. My kiddos are so sweet to always let me take pictures of them so often.

More Leaves! November 9, 2008

Another fun Fall day full of leaves, leaves, and more leaves! We started our day in the backyard with 40 degree weather, raking and bagging mixed with a few fun jumping piles (Clayton didn't feel real well, so he is not in some of the pictures). Then we moved on to the front yard to rake and bag some more (this time with Clayton) and the weather warmed up some, too. We have so many trees that leave so many leaves!! The kids enjoy it.

The Pledge of Allegiance by Kaylee

Kaylee says the Pledge of Allegiance in her Preschool class, and was very excited to finally have memorized it. This is her reciting the Pledge. She does a fabulous job - and what a memory!

Kaylee's First Bicycle ~ November 2008

Kaylee got her first bicycle - she was so excited! Grandma and Papa Dunlop were not able to see Kaylee for her birthday, so while they were in town last week, they took her to Toys R Us and let her pick out the one she wanted. She, of course, picked out a Dora the Explorer bike. She rides it all the time!

The Race is On!

After school one day, I took the kids to the parking lot of the church where I work. It is a popular spot for kids to ride bikes because it is flat and has lots of room. Kaylee has been wanting to test out her new bike! This is a video of the 3 kids racing from one end of the parking lot to me on the other end.

Trick or Treat! Halloween night, we went to the Ryecroft Street block party at my friend, Melissa's house. We all bring a dish of food to share, visit for a while, and then head down the road for some candy collecting - trick or treat style. Due to all the hills around here,we usually can only make it to about 10 - 12 houses before the kids are worn out! Also, not to confuse you from our earlier Halloween events, but Nicholas decided not to be Pikachu, so he traded it in on the opportunity to be a Storm Trooper from Star Wars. Clayton kept his Commander Cody, and Kaylee was beautiful in her Ariel the Little Mermaid.