Holiday Visitors

We love our family! It has been so nice over the past few weeks to be able to visit with family and see some loved ones we don't see very often. It's always great to spend time with all of them. There are so many different personalities, backgrounds, and traditions, it makes the holidays so much fun!

My nephew, Ben and niece, Grace

We have Christmas with them at Thanksgiving every other year.

Hugh (Chad's brother) and Chad watching TV

My brother, Rusty and sister in law, Tiffany
Easton calls Rusty "Uncle Soft Hair"!

Uncle Hubert and all the cousins, Alana, Houston, Britton, Victoria, Landon, Easton and Felicia

We missed you, Misty!

Britton, Landon and Easton with Uncle Elroy (Chad's brother)

We missed you, Terry!

Don't you love this time of year?

A pic of the front yard from last winter. It just seems to sum up my feelings today.

This is one of my favorite times of the year. I love decorating for Christmas and putting up lights and searching for just the right gift for everyone. I love searching all the Black Friday ads and planning out each stop I will make and at what time according to the priorites of the gifts and prices. I love the kids excitement trying to figure out what are in all those wrapped gifts and making their lists for Santa. I love that they believe in Santa and the "magic" of this time of year. I love sitting in front of the fire listening to the wood crackle and the smell of the wood burning. I even love going to church smelling like smoke from the fire. I love the cold weather and putting the electric blanket on the bed and crawling into bed on a cold night. I love seeing family and friends that I don't get to see very often and spending time with the ones I see all the time. I love when people are nice for no apparent reason and they want to help others who are less fortunate. It's just a great time of year. Why can't it be this way all year long? I guess it would take some of the "specialness" out of it if it were always like this. There are things about the holiday season that I don't care for, but I don't want to think about those things today. I just want to LOVE this time of year, if only for today!

My husband is a Hall of Famer!

O.k., maybe not NFL Hall of Fame, but a very distinguished honor. Last weekend Chad was inducted into Arkansas Tech University's Hall of Distinction. That is the highest honor anyone can receive from that college. Arkansas Tech is where he played college football and was drafted from by the Pittsburgh Steelers. This weekend they inducted all athletes that had, in any sport, been All-Americans. There were 35. We had a nice luncheon and great video of each athlete and then awards. The stories of each athlete were amazing and to be included in such a talented group of people was really something special for Chad. I always knew he was a great athlete, but his football years were before I met him, so I never actually realized how talented he really was. It was really a special time and I am really proud of him!

Receiving his award
The kids were so proud of their Daddy

Maxie Mathis, just one of the many talented athletes

that Chad had great memories of.

Back in the day (as Chad would say)

A Witch, a Mummy and a Zookeeper

These posted backward, but I'm not going to go back and upload them. Poor Landon threw up the entire night before and missed school on Halloween. He was miserable, but still wanted to go trick or treating. He only made it to a few houses and decided to sack out in the car while Britton and Easton continued their candy hunt. Thankfully, the next day he was better and was able to make his last soccer game. Here are my little trick or treaters.

Easton after trick or treating

My sick little Mummy, Landon

Halloween 2008

Don't they look excited?

Run, Baby, Run!

Easton ran his first race! And Landon ran his 3rd! It was a fundraiser for a local youth ranch for kids ages 3-13. Britton signed up, reluctantly, but decided to go on a hayride instead. So the boys and I went to the Country Club for the run. Easton's age group (3-5) ran 1/4 mile and Landon's group (6-8) ran 1/2 mile. Poor Easton was a basket case with all the little kids running around. We had talked about it all week and he said he would do it even though I would be standing on the sidelines. Of course, as he was waiting for his group to go he got cold feet and said he wasn't going to do it. So, I, along with a few other parents, ran with him. Thank goodness I put my tennis shoes on before we went. I could have used a better bra though!! I must have been a sight with me going one way and "the girls" going the opposite way! (All you large chested women out there know what I'm talking about!) Anyway, we made it to the finish line and Easton got his medal. There weren't any "places" since it was just a fun run, but we didn't come in last. Landon did well. He tripped and fell after they took off, but made up a lot of ground. My camera battery went dead after Easton's race, so I didn't get any pics of Landon running. The boys before the race
Easton looking a little nervous
(Doesn't he look like Landon in this picture?)

Run, Easton.

I'm trying to take pictures as I'm running along behind since Chad was in Birmingham at a football game.

Telling Daddy he finished the race

Two proud boys!

Loosing the game and getting lose!

Another good weekend around here. We spent Friday afternoon at the park. The Arkansas River is only a mile from the house and there is a small park beside it that the kids enjoy going to. We can all swing for hours.

Saturday, Landon had a game and scored 6, but they still loosed. He gets so frustrated when the coach takes him out. He wants to be in the middle of the action all the time.

After the game, I took the kids to Woolly Hollow State Park and we went for a hike. It is really nice out there and we just hiked around the lake. Everyone did really well the first 2 1/2 miles, but that last mile was long. Easton was scared that it was going to get dark the whole time and Britton ran out of steam the last 45 min., but we made it and had fun. I'm hoping once football season is over, we can go back as a family and camp.

Yesterday was Easton's last soccer practice. Although they haven't really played any games, it has helped him tremendously to be around kids his own age and participate with a group. He is so shy around people he doesn't know very well. At church he sits in the same seat, will not talk, participate in activities, just sit and color. Preschool next year is going to be a rude awakening for him I'm afraid.

Here are some pictures of Easton last week at soccer practice. Chad was able to leave work early and come "play" with him.

Letting lose!

Poor Landon can't stand sitting on the sidelines watching Easton. He wants to be out there also. He finally found something to keep him occupied, shoe football. It's not very clear, but he is going in for a touchdown....with his shoe. Letting lose, with all that speed!
Don't loose that shoe, Landon!

Here are the kids at Woolly Hollow. I could barely get Easton to get on the bridge without holding my hand. That was as far out as he was going to go.

Please don't let lose of me.

Sorry, Magen! I just couldn't help myself. For those of you who don't read Magen's blog, disregard all the loose/lose mistakes. For those who have read Magen's "Pet Peeve", enjoy! By the way, it drives my crazy too!

It's been a while...

Is is just me or does Easton seem more excited to be there than the pony?
The boys were not going in the maze without their "I'm lost, rescue me" flags.

Britton was our fearless leader.
Headed to the pumpkin patch
Only one rule: You have to carry it.

I think they made good choices.

All of my fellow bloggers are busy, I'm busy, does it slow down? Probably not, and I don't know if I would want it to. What else would I do? Clean house? No way...put me on the sidelines of a soccer game or swim meet any day before housework.

Anyway, we've just been doing the typical fall activities around here. A couple of weeks ago we went to the pumpkin patch. We all had a great time. They had a corn maze that they said was in the shape of the Statue of Liberty. I guess if you had an aerial view you could see it, but as we wondered around in 8 ft. high corn stalks, you couldn't tell what the design was. There were some farm animals that you could pet (that was Easton's favorite part) and they had hay bales stacked so the kids could crawl through the tunnels. There were pumpkins already picked, but it just isn't fall if you don't pick your own pumpkin off the vine. So we took the hayride to the pumpkin patch and everyone picked out their own pumpkin. Shockingly, Easton did not pick a green pumpkin. I just knew he would, but he said they didn't look like pumpkins.

We brought them home and the kids drew faces on them for carving. We decided to wait on the carving until closer to Halloween, so they wouldn't rot. Sadly, just 2 1/2 weeks later, our pumpkins look like they have a bad case of moldy chicken pox and they still aren't carved. We might have to make another trip to the pumpkin patch for more pumpkins!

Last weekend, both of my brothers were able to come to my parents house and visit for the weekend. It was really great having both of them there. It is rare anymore to have them both here at the same time. None of our spouses were able to come (we missed you guys), but hopefully we can all get together again around the holidays.

My nephew, Ben, got a car while we were there. It's a fixer, upper, but knowing my brother and all his connections, they will have it up and running before you know it. Watch out on the roads, Northwest Arkansas! It was very exciting to see Dad and the boys get it loaded on the trailer. There is not a lot I miss about being a teenager, but all of those "firsts" really bring back memories. Congrats, Ben!

I haven't been working on the house too much lately. I really would like to get the kitchen done before Christmas. I think it can be done. The only "big" things we still need to do is get new countertops and backsplash, new light fixtures and fix the ceiling where we ripped out the old cabinets. I have a real problem trying to make a decision on the countertops. There are just too many choices! Not to mention the backsplash. It will get done eventually though.

My mind is on Christmas these days. I've started my shopping and am looking forward to putting up my Christmas decorations and lights. Last year we didn't put anything up since we were right in the middle of the move. It was the only year I've never put a tree up. This year I'm planning on getting it up early and enjoying it for a while.

Sorry to ramble on. It's been lonely around here lately with Chad working 18 hour days and gone on the weekends with football. I guess I needed to "talk" if only to myself.

Have a great second half of the week everyone!