Long Time Coming

Wow, it's been a while since I updated the blog with what we've been up to! I guess life can get in the way of blogging, huh?

Anyway, Wayne and Wyatt left at the first of the year for a trip to Carlsbad Caverns and had a great time. They got to climb around and explore the cave and see some other interesting things on the way there and on the way back home.

Shortly after that, Wayne and his step-dad Bill left with Wayne's BMW GS on a trailer behind his truck, bound for Seattle and the sidecar Wayne ordered back in the fall. He had been anxiously awaiting the call to say that the builder was ready to attach the sidecar to the bike and was ready to get the whole thing taken care of. Unfortunately, on the way to Seattle, Wayne hit an icy spot on the highway and totaled his truck (which was only 3.5 years old) and banged up the front of the GS. Thankfully the guys escaped with only minor cuts and bruises. But the setback weighed on Wayne and slowed things down a lot in the sidecar process. He did end up getting the bike to Seattle, then headed home in a new truck bought in Idaho out of necessity.

Wyatt participated in his second Pinewood Derby - he and Wayne put a lot of work into their cars (Wayne competed, too, against other non-Scouts) and Wyatt won for the fastest car overall. He was very proud (and Wayne was, too - it's a lot of work for dads). Wayne came in second for non-Scout racers. We all had a fun time watching the different cars competing.

Wayne and I had the chance to visit San Francisco over Valentine's Day weekend (thanks mom and Lily!). We spent a couple of days relaxing in Sonoma then headed back to the city via the Marin Headlands. The days we drove back and forth were relatively sunny but pretty cold and windy, and the days we were in Sonoma and San Francisco were so rainy! But it was a good way to make us relax and enjoy some down time.

The girls have had fun with Girl Scout activities and they, along with Wyatt and I, went to a Twilight Safari at the Dallas Zoo. It was one of the best Scout activities we've done and we got lots of positive responses from the parents. We got to visit the Zoo after hours and were the only group there. It was so much fun seeing the animals at night and learning from the guides. We'll definitely do it again or maybe even spend the night next time!

Wayne made it back to Seattle to pick up his sidecar rig, this time all in one piece and fully operational. He got back to town in the middle of spring break, then he and Wyatt took off last Friday for the Florida Everglades and points in between. Getting this week's school work done for Wyatt was a bit of a challenge, but I think the effort was worth it - he and Wayne have had a great time visiting national parks and state parks between Dallas and Key West. Be sure to check out his website to follow along and see their gear, etc.

Hope the new year is going well for you all - I promise to do better with updating our lives here!

Christmas & Birthday Update

We had a really nice Christmas and New Year's. We were able to make it to the Christmas Eve service at church, and Chloe chose to sing with the children's choir. It was a really nice service and a great way to start the evening. My parents and Wayne's mom & step-dad came over for dinner and presents. Wayne and I gave the kids a karaoke machine on Christmas Eve, and it provided a great deal of entertainment before they headed to bed. Wayne and I stayed up until 3am working on putting together Christmas gifts. Then the kids were up and ready to roll at 6am. I guess that's how it works when your kids are still young enough to get gifts that require assembly!

Wyatt turned 9 on the 28th, so we had everyone over for the customary pizza dinner that evening. Wyatt requested buttermilk pie, though, instead of a cake. He's a country boy at heart, I guess!

Here are some of the photos from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Wyatt's birthday and the day after:

Happy Almost Christmas!

I can't believe that Christmas Eve is tomorrow. It seems like yesterday I was fretting about the Halloween party. But here it is. The presents have been bought, most of them assembled as needed and/or wrapped. I've baked and delivered gifts for the neighbors and friends, and even hosted a cookie exchange a couple of weeks ago.

At this point, I'm feeling pretty relaxed about everything. We'll spend the day at home tomorrow, preparing for Christmas carols at church then dinner with my parents and Wayne's mom & step-dad. Then it'll be time to exchange gifts and put some very excited kids to bed. It should be a relaxing, enjoyable evening.

I'm not looking forward to kids waking us up in the wee hours of the morning on Christmas Day, though. Last year it was around 4am when Wyatt woke to discover that Santa had indeed visited. I'm hoping we make it until at least 6am this year! I did a lot of lounging on the couch last year once the gifts were opened and breakfast was over.

I hope our friends and family all are safe and able to spend time with your loved ones. I know I'm thankful to have so many that I hold dear so close to me.

Just a Quickie

It's been a busy month - we hosted our fourth annual Halloween party at Wayne's shop the weekend before Halloween. The kids (and lots of adults) dressed up and had a great time. Candy, cookies, Kool-Aid and more candy. What more could a bunch of kids ask for? It's a lot of work, and some unsure moments, but always worth it.

On Halloween night, Wayne stayed home and passed out candy while I walked the kids through our neighborhood then took them to the neighborhood across the way. Wyatt and I got a real kick out of a huge guy dressed as Darth Vader passing out candy. When Wyatt walked up to the door, Wyatt said to the man, "I'm Anakin Skywalker" to which the man replied, "SO AM I" in his best Darth Vader voice. So unexpected and a real laugh!

I'm putting my November desktop on here for you to see a couple of pictures of the kids. The one of all three is pretty obvious - Halloween costumes, ready to trick-or-treat. The other is not so clear what's going on. Edie decided a few weeks ago to gather up some toys to get rid of. And she didn't want to take them to the local outreach. She wanted to sell them in front of the house. So she set up a bag, made a price tag, and settled herself on the front steps. Such a cutie!

The house is nearly done - we'll be sliding into home just in time for everyone to arrive for Thanksgiving dinner. The cabinet for the TV is being finished as I type, and the new furniture and fixed-up pool table will be delivered on Tuesday. This whole house renovation thing took on a life of its own, and it's been worth the trouble and inconvenience.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

First, a couple of photos from the Girl Scout outing to the pumpkin patch on Saturday. Edie had a great time on the hay ride, and she and Chloe picked some really nice pumpkins.






Monday, I ran and picked up pumpkins for Wayne and me, and his mom & Bill came over for dinner. Then we got down to the business of carving pumpkins. Nana made a face with hair, Bill made a witch, I made a Spongebob, Wyatt made a Pikachu, Edie and Wayne made a cat, and Chloe made a cute face pumpkin. Sure was fun, but I really underestimated the amount of time and work it takes to carve pumpkins. Better start a lot earlier next year!



A couple of other things. You might notice the Video Bar on the right side. Over there ======>

If you click on any of the videos, you'll see the YouTube video that we've uploaded. The most recent video is a very short "film" that the kids and Wayne made at mom & dad's recently. Some find it "disturbing" but we find it funny. See for yourself.

Also, if you go to the bottom of the page, you can subscribe to this blog and have emails delivered when I post updates.

Take care!

Here, There and Everywhere

At least I feel like that's where I've been lately. In actuality, it's been in a big circle...school, soccer practice, piano lessons, soccer games, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts.

We have had some fun doing different things, too, though. We took the kids to the State Fair of Texas a week ago and had a great time - Fletcher's corny dogs, Hans Mueller German sausage, plenty of rides for the kids on the Midway. Going to the Fair is an event that all of us look forward to each year. There's so much to see, and so many things to do. Instead of loading a zillion photos on here, I made a Slide show. In case you can't quite figure out what's happening in the photos, just move your cursor over the picture and a caption will appear.

Aside from that fun, my Brownie Girl Scout troop went to the local pumpkin patch/animal farm this past weekend. The girls had a great time seeing all of the animals (everything from chickens and geese to zebras and alpaca), going on a very bumpy hay ride, and choosing just the right pumpkin. Edie is now involved with the group as a Daisy Girl Scout, so doing things with the Scouts really is a family affair!

Wayne and Wyatt went on a Cub Scout camp out - Cub O Ree - this weekend. Wyatt has joined a new Pack and really enjoys going to Scouting events. Wayne really likes the new Pack and I feel like there will be many Boy Scout activities in our future.

An Update...Finally!

It's been a while since I updated here - life's gotten in the way of frequent blog posts.

School is in full swing and I think everyone's getting accustomed to working again. The first 6 weeks will come to a close at the end of the week and we'll get the first report cards on October 1st.

In the meantime, all three kids are now taking piano lessons. I think they're enjoying it - they're all willing to sit down and practice, and to even do the theory work. Wyatt got the music for the "Star Wars" theme and is pretty excited about it.

Edie is taking dance again and started back to classes a couple of weeks ago and is having fun. I'm having headaches, though - it seems like every other girl in the class has a younger, louder sibling who likes to run in circles in the waiting room while screaming at the top of their lungs. Maybe I should hit Wayne up for some earplugs!



Both girls are now playing soccer, too. So our weekends have gone from leisure time to very hectic. Okay, so there wasn't much leisure time anyway, but they definitely weren't so booked up! Anyway, Chloe's team is the Burn and she had her first game on Saturday. She played a bit of defense near the goal, so her playing time was pretty limited. I have a feeling she'll be doing a lot of running this Saturday.



Edie had her first game on Saturday, too. Her team is the Red Titans and since there aren't many kids on her team, she played a lot. She even got to try out being goalie.



And just for grins, here are a couple of other photos that I liked:





Take care, all!