The Polar Express

Prepare for a picture overload.

This weekend, my mom and I took the boys to Wolfforth, Texas to ride the Polar Express Train.  The Polar Express is one of their favorite movies and I have wanted for a long time to take them to ride the train.

In their pjs waiting to board the train.

It was a little chilly that night.  They had real clothes under their pjs, and their hats and gloves to keep them warm.  I was a little concerned about our Aggie hats in the middle of Raider land.

The conductor

The boys' excitement was the most special part of the whole night.  I loved the gleam in their eyes and the smiles.  Very worth the trip to Lubbock.

Watching for Santa.  They heard he was around here somewhere.

Hunter enjoying his Hot, Hot, Hot, Hot Chocolate.

Story time.  Reading the Polar Express book.

The conductor punching our tickets.  "H" for Heath and Hunter and a candy cane at the bottom.

Coloring books

We finally arrived at the North Pole.

We heard there was someone special on the train.  Heath keeping an eye out.

A friendly elf stopped by for a visit.

Look who's coming!

"Do you see him, Mom?"

Hunter and Santa.  Hunter getting his bell.

Look at the shine in Heath's eyes. My favorite picture!

Heath's bell

Hunter's bell

  

So much fun!

How's the House Coming You Ask?

Momma's Deer

In the midst of below freezing temperatures and two kids with the stomach bug, I got to steal away for a couple of evenings to go hunting with my daddy. Yeah Momma!

The Thanksgiving When the Lights Went Out

As most of you know, the weekend before Thanksgiving this year, our part of the state had a major ice storm.  For three days a thick layer of ice covered every surface outside, and it broke many power poles and lines.  My parents and sister at the ranch had no electricity or running water beginning on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and lasting all the way until 4:30 on Thanksgiving day.

As a back up plan, we moved our huge feast to my house, which thankfully still had electricity (and hot running water).  It was a big change, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.  The food was still as delicious as ever.

We had some friends stop by and play in the back yard with us.

Because of the tight quarters and many, many people, we decided to have the kids eat in the play room.  We already had a table in there, so we just moved over some toys and threw down a table cloth and thought we came up with the perfect plan.  We were wrong.  At one point Zeke (one of my nephews) came in and sat down at the bar in the kitchen.  I asked him how things were going in the playroom and he calmly replied that they were playing with "splatters".  When I questioned him about what a "splatter" was, he nonchalantly picked up a foam Nerf dart that was laying in the counter and pretended to dip it into the sweet potatoes.  It took Kay (my sister) and I about 1 second to realize what he was talking about and sprint into the play room.  When we got there we saw only my two boys with foam darts covered in sweet potato ready to reload the guns and have another go at the windows.  Heath smiled and was excited to show me his "splatter", but Hunter was sneaky and hid his behind his back (consequently, getting it all over his clothes).  We found sweet potatoes on the windows and all over their chalk board.  After I calmed down and punishments were administered, I did lighten up and think it was pretty funny.  Lesson learned, the children will be front and center from now on.  No more hidden away kids tables.

After such an eventful meal, we finally got word that the electricity was back on at the ranch and we loaded up all of the left overs and went out there so we could hunt and watch football.

We are very thankful for our family, friends, and electricity and running water.

Pre-K Thanksgiving Party

This past week the boys had their very first classroom party. They had a Thanksgiving feast in Mrs. Davis's class. Some students were pilgrims and others were Indians. We enjoyed stew that the students helped make along with cornbread and pies. It was a wonderful feast. The boys had a blast, and I was thrilled to be on the parent side of a class party instead of the teacher side.

PreK school pictures

I have fraternal twins.  They really don't look a thing alike.  However, their eyes and their smiles in their Pre-K school pictures definitely challenge that idea.  That (goofy) smile is exactly the same.  They are still pretty cute though.

We're Moving!

Well, I guess it is about time to let the world know.  We're moving!  Not too far, just about 14 miles from where we live now onto a ranch Southeast of town.  Having been born and raised on a ranch myself, it has always been a dream of mine to raise my boys on a ranch, too.  I want them to explore the hills and canyons just like I did when I was their age.  We are going to have a brand new house that should be finished sometime this spring.

This will be the view from our wrap around front porch.

Looking into this canyon will be the view from the back.

Just this week they finished pouring the cement foundation.

We got to leave our hand prints in the cement.  Starting sometime next week, the framers will be here.

We are super excited about our new house.  I'll try to post more as the building continues.