Roxy loves school!

Our sweet Roxy LOVES walking up to the school in the mornings and after school. She is like that dog in all the movies that would wait at the bus stop to greet the kids everyday if she could. She gets so excited when I tell Hudson it's time to go get Nolan. I'd almost trust her enough to just let her out the garage door and send her to go pick him up! Ha ha! (Okay, maybe not really but wouldn't that be cool.) Since it's been colder the past few weeks I haven't been taking her everyday because we want to just get Nolan and get home. Last week I guess she had had enough of being left at home and pulled her leash off the counter in the laundry room and was sitting with it when it was time to go. It was like straight out of Lassie or something - too funny!!! Of course we took her with us! Poor girl!

Baking Day!

We have a day every year where we go over to Granny's and make cheeseballs. (I have no pictures this year since I lost my little camera!) It's something we started about five years ago with my aunts. It gives us a chance to spend some time together and make up cheeseballs that we can freeze and give as gifts or take as snacks to holiday parties. It's always a great time. I guess after years of us talking about cheeseball day my Grandma was feeling a little slided. She decided to make up her own day where all the women on my mom's side of the family get together at her house to make something. Grandma is a baker - she makes the best rolls, pies and cakes so we first started talking about a baking day. The problem is that she only has two ovens and with a bunch of different recipes all with different temperatures that would be hard to do all of our baking together. We decided to pick out different candies and make them up and package them for gifts. My cousin Starla even made up these awesome sugar scrubs. We had a such a good time cracking jokes and telling stories all afternoon. I am SOOOOOO lucky to have two amazing sides of my family that I am able to fully share my life with. Well really three because even my "in-law" family is awesome! I hope that as the boys grow up they take notice of our wonderful family and always have a connection to them the way I have.

LOVE these next pictures of my mom being silly - she is so cute!

Hacienda on Henderson

Saturday night after working on the house all day and dragging out all of the Christmas decorations we went out for a little adult time. Nana came over to watch the boys for us. We purchased these Groupons for a resturaunt over in Dallas called Hacienda on Henderson and they were about to expire so we needed to use them. It was great food and nice to have a night out on such a busy family weekend!

Thanksgiving at Grandma's House

This year we started of our crazy Thanksgiving schedule at Grandma's house. Last year was a sad one because it was our first year without my PaPa but this year seemed a little easier because all of the great-grand kids were all there and we have a "fresh" one in the mix! My cousin TJ and his sweet wife Katie had their first baby boy 6 weeks ago. Bronx is precious!! I love all the pictures that I got of my grandma with all the kidddos. From Grandma's house we went out to Mansfield to MiMi's then over to Granny's. It was a busy day - so busy I never even pulled my camera back out! :( Oh well, it was a day full of fun, food and love for sure!

















The night ended as it always does - me, Becca and Mom pouring over the BLACK Friday ads and making up our game plan for the next day. This year all the stores decided to get even a little crazier and open at 3AM (some even opened Thanksgiving night at like 10PM - but we did not even attempt all that!). We knew we already had a full day of shopping and start at 10 that night would never allow us to keep it up the whole next day. It is completely crazy and out of control but that is my favorite part about it all. We have never been those dead serious ones that would like pull out a knife and stab someone over a $10 kitchen appliance - but we sure like watching those that would and making fun of them later! It is greatness and seriously one of my favorite days of the year. I LOVE my momma and my sisters. Spending that time together is priceless even if all the "deals" aren't! :)

Thanksgiving Feast

Nolan learned all about the first Thanksgiving at school. They had a "feast" to celebrate a few days before Thanksgiving break. All the kids made "Indian" or "Pilgrim" costumes and dressed up for the big event. Nolan was SO excited that he got to be an Indian! They all ate and then sang a song that they had learned - it was super cute!

Mimi and Uncle Wes' Birthday

Joni and Wes' birthdays are only like three days a part so we typically celebrate them together every year. This year we went out to Wes and Tammy's and mad fajitas and cake. :) Everything was yummy! I made homemade hot sauce for the first time. My friend Kathy always makes it and gave me her recipe so I thought I would give it a try. It's kinda one of those a "pinch of this and that" type recipes so I don't think that mine came out as good as hers but it was okay. I will just have to keep practicing it.

Other pictures from the "girls" photoshoot...

I couldn't resist taking a few other shots while we were there; these are my favorites...