Christmas at the Cabin

Merry Christmas. We had a wonderful week at my parents' cabin. We are flying home in the morning and I am really sad. It was so fun to be with family and to play, play, play.

(These are the kids before we left Texas.)

Cousins! All the cousins. My kids and Austin's kids.
Abby (9 mos.), Parker (2 1/2 years), Staucie (almost 4), Bensen (11 mos.), Bella (almost 2)

Abby and Bensen

Parker LOVED the 4 wheeler, motorcycles, and Ranger.

Staucie loved the swing.

Mini dirt bike.

He is ready for his own.

Staucie and Daddy.

My dad's bears and the kids chugging Root Beer.

Christmas morning. Waiting for everyone to wake up.

Grandpa and Bensen.

Bensen's favorite was the wrapping paper.

Aunt Tyne and Uncle Kyle.

Parker got a remote control tractor from Grandpa.

It is just like Grandpa's tractor.

Sipping hot chocolate after playing outside with Grandma.

They went for a crazy ride on the Ranger.

Grandma is a CRAZY driver :)

The family on the Ranger.

Bensen made happy squeals the whole ride.

The kids in Grandpa's tractor.

Bensen walking with the wagon.

Grandma and Bensen.

(My mom sure is beautiful.)

The boys got into the animal crackers in the pantry.

We had a wonderful time and wish it didn't end so quickly. We will miss everyone. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for the great time and for all you do for us. We will miss you terribly.

First Beach Trip

When Daniel's parents were here for Thanksgiving we took a trip down to Galveston. We hadn't been down there yet. We haven't been anywhere. It was the first time the kids have been to the beach. It was windy and a little chilly, but the kids had fun anyways. There were a ton of dead jelly fish along the edge of the water. Pretty. Ha. It was not a very pretty beach :) But it was a little damp so the kids were able to run around without getting sand in their shoes.

Bensen's grump face.

Running with Grandpa.

Running with Grandpa and Daddy.

Eleven Months

Bensen will be a year old in one month.

It goes by much too fast.

He is such a fun little baby.

We love him so.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For Thanksgiving this year we talked Daniel's parents into coming down here. They spent the weekend before Thanksgiving with us which was a lot of fun and busy, busy. Then they went up to Dallas to visit Daniel's sister Ashley and her husband for a few days.

Here are the boys playing "chase" under the table while Staucie was finishing her lunch. Bensen loves to play chase. He giggles and laughs the whole time. He stops and turns around to make sure whoever is chasing him is still coming. It is pretty cute, especially when it is Staucie or Parker playing with him.

On Sunday night (the week of Thanksgiving) or early Monday morning at 2am, Parker woke up crying. He was having hard time breathing and it sounded like croup again. We kept him in our bed for a couple hours listening to him breath and trying to decide if he needed to go to the ER. At about 4:30am he sounded a little better so we put him back in his bed and he went to sleep. I was feeling sick too so Daniel stayed home from work. We ended up taking both boys to the doctor after we went shopping for our Thanksgiving food. It was a crazy, horrible day.

Both boys ended up on a breathing machine and getting shots of steroids. Parker also got oral steroids to take for a few days and Bensen had an ear infection. Daniel went to work the next day and the kids and I had fun doing 4 breathing treatments x 2 a day.

Anyways, the coughing won't go away, especially for me. It is really wearing me out.

Here is Parker.

We called it his DRAGON and he was a good sport about it.

It took about 15 minutes for each treatment.

Bensen would only sit there if I gave him his pacifier.
Otherwise, he would kick and scream.

Grandma helped the kids make a bed by the back door on the dirty mat :)

Thanksgiving Dinner!

With Grandpa Lees, Uncle Brad, Aunt Ashley, Grandma Lees, and us.
It was a great meal if I do say so myself. Of course, I just cooked what I wanted to eat :)

Grandpa and Grandma Lees.

We miss you already.

Thank you for coming to see us and for all you do for us. We had a blast. We saw New Moon, went shopping, took a drive down to Galveston to see the beach, and to Kemah to see the boardwalk, played games, ate lots of food, and enjoyed hanging out together. We are sad it is over and gone. We love you and thanks for loving us!

The Fridge

I don't know why, but when I open the refrigerator Bensen comes running (well army crawling, or more like a fast alligator). Sometimes I just let him play if I am busy trying to make dinner or do dishes. This day he was happy to chew on the ketchup.

My other kids have also had the same interest in the refrigerator.

This is Staucie in July 2007. She is 16 months old.

And then Staucie and Parker in October 2008.

It makes a good seat.

Staucie and Parker can now open the refrigerator themselves and don't care about it anymore.

HALLOWEEN!

We had a busy day. This post has a lot of pictures so beware. Our mom's wanted lots so here you go!

We made, decorated, and ate sugar cookies.

The kids had a lot of fun and the cookies were funny looking, but they loved helping and were covered in flour from head to toe. I had to talk Daniel into helping us. He just wanted to eat them :)

While the cookies were baking and cooling Daniel took the kids to the park to play. Then they came home, had lunch, and decorated the cookies, and ate some. Parker loves to decorate them and take a bite out of each one. Anyone want a cookie from Parker??

While they were gone, I was cleaning the kitchen and then found Bensen standing up to the entertainment center. This age is so fun, but it makes me so nervous. I hate when they fall and bump their heads, but they always do. He didn't fall this time. I helped him down.

After lunch and Parker's nap, the kids went out to play with Daniel. Bensen wanted to go too.

Halloween Night!

Getting ready for our church party.

Staucie was so excited. I was just glad we could get the costume on Parker.

He wouldn't smile. He didn't know what was going on.

At our church party, we had a potluck dinner and the kids played some games. They got little prizes and candy and little pumpkins to put them in. We now have 5 pumpkins. Good thing I never bought Bensen one.

The cake walk.

They had no idea what they were doing.

But they liked the little cupcake they got to eat.Playing some other games.

Bensen hanging out.

Trick-Or-Treat!

They loved going trick-or-treating. We just did our street.

After a couple houses, Staucie would ask if we are going to another house and then would say, "Yeah! I like Halloween!" They enjoyed walking around outside with all the other trick-or-treaters and of course GETTING CANDY! They had a blast.

Then we went home and checked out our loot. Bensen really enjoyed playing with it all and pulling things out of the pumpkin buckets.

Mmm... M&Ms.

Yummy candy!

"Trick-or-Treat. I love candy!"

They also really enjoyed handing out candy to the kids that came to our door. We ran out of candy though. We have never really had trick-or-treaters so I didn't buy enough. We had to turn off our lights and then put the kids to bed.

Happy Halloween!