Randomness

This is the craziest week, but we love it. This is the boys last week of school before Christmas break. They do some seriously fun stuff this week. For instance I would love to join Blake for pajama day in my pajamas, but that would probably embarrass him and scar him for life.
Besides going grocery shopping with all four of my boys, I am very excited about them being out for a couple of weeks. Here are my blogging plans....

Posts I need to do over Christmas Break:
1. The boys wrestling. (This has been an adventure in itself. I even have some video, not that I know how to put it on this blog.)
2. Christmas fun including Advent, School activities, and the Big day itself.
3. Church planting. I have been reluctant to talk much about our adventure in church planting, but I think it might just be time.

I will leave you with this.

Now what makes a child do this? And, for that matter, what makes a mom let him do this just so she can address her Christmas cards?

Great Article

My sweet husband sent me this article and I just loved it. If you are a parent, you should check it out. Jeremy and I love a good parenting book. Lord knows we need all the help we can get. Honestly, when I stop and think about what my number one priority right now is, it is raising my boys to be Godly men full of integrity and love towards others. Isn't this what we all want? Enough from me, just read it!

"Top 5 Must-Read Parenting Books" -- My new blog post for those wanting to cut through the clutter. Click http://peterhaas.org/

Thank you Goodwill

Just recently we got a brand new Goodwill about 2 minutes away. The Goodwills in Austin are really great. I am not sure why, maybe because they are big on philanthropy in this city. Anyway, I found this coffee table for $18. It was oak with an orange painted top. I actually bought it to paint and resale it. I brought it in the house to stage it for pics on Craigslist. I just can't do it. I love it way too much.

this is our "front room", supposed to be office

a little distressing never hurt
On another note, my sweet husband will be taking a little trip with all four of my boys next week and I am going to repaint our entire living/kitchen area. Yes, I will miss the color that it is, but it has been three years. I need to lighten it up a bit. I will post pics after. Oh, and I would love to decorate for Christmas while they are gone. Maybe, if I work really smart, it will happen.

Give Thanks

I always like to do a little something to emphasize how thankful we are this time of year. The last two years we have done this little guy. But now that my boys are getting a little bigger I thought we would change it up a bit and try this.




We are putting what we are thankful for on this piece of packing paper. The boys are loving it. It helps that three out of the four can write.

Baptism Video

Around Here!!

This is in my yard all the time. Give or take a few kids. Love it.

October 31st

We had the busiest Sunday we have had in a long time on Halloween. We had church, lunch and baptism at the Lake, and then at 4:30 we had several families start helping us cook hot dogs. We provided dinner to our neighborhood before trick or treating. I don't love Halloween, but I do love that people actually get out of their houses to be in community with others. We met a lot of new people and hung out with the ones we have known longer. Our boys had a blast just hanging out in our cul-d-sac with their buddies.
Most of the picture are from before or right at the beginning of the party. I start talking to people and I forget all about picture taking. I need to get better at that.

Okay, I love Parker and Gray, but just look at their friend Grace. She lives right across the street and boy does Grayson love her.

Yes he did!!

Getting ready for our friends to come.

This happens everyday just without the costumes. Boys, lots of boys.

Thankful

Dr. Cash Lewis, Jeremy, Tyler, Jackson, and Lexi
Jackson and Tyler are best buds and it was so awesome that they were baptized on the same day.

It was perfect weather.

Jeremy was dunking Tyler then my battery died. Hopefully someone got a good shot of him coming out of the water. :)

On Sunday, Jeremy had the privilege of baptizing Tyler. It was so meaningful to Tyler and to Jeremy and I. As parents, we want nothing more than our boys to be sold out for Jesus. I am so thankful for new life in Christ and that as a parent I get to share that with my kids. I have seen people get baptized my whole life and it never gets old.

Football Baby!!

Last week our two older boys had wrestling practice (um yeah I will explain later), so Jeremy and I took Sam and Gray to a Fall Festival thing at Jeremy's office building. People kept saying "Texas and Alabama, what???" My favorite part was that Gray would just say "Roll Tide" in his little raspy voice and serious face. My other favorite part was that Sam kept saying his armpits hurt from the pads.

Seriously????

Project Mode

Ever since I have had three out of four of my boys in school, I have focused a little more on my house. I go through times when all I do is work on the house and then I get tired and do nothing. Another factor is money honey. If you know Jeremy and I you know we have been "Dave Ramseying" it for over 18 months. Thank goodness for blogs that give me tons of ideas.

The above bench was raw wood and $3.00 at a garage sale.
I painted it with paint I already had.

I made this Fall wreath and it took me way too long to do. (4hrs)
It cost me $6.00

Jeremy and I bought this armoire 11years ago from a friend right after we got married. It was an orange wood color. I just revamped our "front room", supposed to be an office, playroom/t.v. room. Again, painted it with paint I already had. I was totally shocked and in love with how it turned out.

Oak end table+white paint+new knobs

$5.00 Orange garage sale find+white paint

This dresser was black. My mom painted and stained it. Now it is my sofa table.

This piece was a garage sale find for $10.00. It is pretty old and had several
coats of paint on it. I used the same color as the armoire. I am not keeping this piece. I am selling it on Craigslist. I just have to put two more knobs on it. I think it would be super cute as a changing table in a nursery.

I have one more to show you, but it will have to wait, because it isn't ready yet.
Jeremy hates that I put how much things are, but I am inspired by others that do this and it has helped me stay on budget. Please do not take it the wrong way.

This is how I roll

Happy Birthday Party Sam!!

This boy turned 5 about 12 days before his actual party, but it was totally worth the wait. I think we had about 50 people at the house. He has never really had a big party. He is my very social boy and he was eating it up.

Hanging out with Honey and Jessie before the party. The boys were about to bust a gut for it to start.


Brand new bike from Mama Don and Papa!
This was in my yard from 2:00 pm on Sunday until Monday night. The boys played on it at the party 3-5pm, then until about 7:30. Jeremy put it back up on Monday after school and the whole neighborhood came over to play that afternoon. It was so worth the money.

RTR!

Lake Travis Game

Lake Travis High School is the high school in our school district. They have been state champs 3 years in a row. This whole town wears red, black, and white for the Lake Travis Cavaliers. I am not lying. They are totally supported. Their first game was held at the University of Texas Stadium this year. It was HOT, but worth it. Our boys loved it.

Blake and his friend Ryan making fun of the Cavalettes (The dance team)


Dear Lord, please do not let my boys ever be a huge football player that eat me out of house and home. Thanks.
The Crew

Rewind....to the beach! Happy Birthday Blake!!!

I have no idea why my pics are downloading weird. But this was Gray at Blake's celebration. Not a happy camper.
Blake and Sam

Happy Birthday Sweet Blake!
Blake turned 7 while we are at the beach. It was so fun.

Tyler is too cool for school.
This boy asks and gets a pair of running shoes every birthday. He is all boy. He loves Nike!!
His first ipod.
Checking out all his new tunes with his Paul Frank skull candy earbuds.

Happy 5th Birthday!!

Sam started his morning off with a donut and his morning coffee (milk)!!

One and Only...

...from 7:45-2:45 at least. Gray and I have spent a lot of time together since the boys started school. He is a great errand runner, but we needed to have some fun last week. We went with some friends to the Children's museum. He loved it.

Picasso

Kayak Fishing

Doctor

Scientist

Astronaut

First Day of School

Tyler starting 4th grade!

(He has 12 girls and only 7 boys in his class)
Blake starting 2nd!

(His best bud is in his class)
Sam staring Kinder. This picture is so him. He is a nut.


We love, love, love all of the boys teachers. We are so blessed to be a part of a great school.