Walkers' Trail

Since this is my scrapbook for myself, I guess you get to see our life in pictures, too! :) We have made the traditional gingerbread house the past few years. This year the boys got to make a gingerbread train with their GG. It's all Kyle can do to not take the candy off yet! We had Hall family Christmas over the weekend since everyone has different plans for the actual holiday. Here's Grant trying out one of his new favorite toys - Marble Run (it appears that Jason is building it, but really, I am the one that got it working and his side... well, it kinda collapsed! :) ha. and he's reading this over my shoulder as I type which makes it even more fun to do so!). The boys got matching OSU warm-ups! Grant was happy! Kyle is ALL CARS! Wes got him a ferrari car. I don't think it has been out of his hands longer than 10 minutes since he got it. He also has two smaller Porsches which are right up there on his happiness scale. As homeroom mom, I got to put toget...

Our family loves to bake and at Christmas, I always make sure to do "from scratch" sugar cookies and get the whole family involved! This was a great year for the boys to cook! We had a huge mess after Kyle was in charge of the flour and sifting (!!) but lots of smiles were made, both in our cooking and in the sharing of our cookies! We had just finished making these, and our nice neighbors came over with GORGEOUS cookies that tasted as great as they looked (thanks, Misty!) The pictures are in backwards order, but here is Kyle with a finished masterpiece! :) Grant is very seriously concentrating! Kyle and his sifter! Grant was the dough-roller and they both were in charge of the cookie cutters.

We had dinner with friends last night and they mentioned this video!!!! It's a personalized email video sent directly to your child from the north pole! It takes about 4 minutes per child to do and it's FREE! Grant's video: http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/znkajb6Gf9olzYQvOSP_Gg Kyle's video: http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/-mq2MQQGbN5QVR_6JLd61A they are personalized based on age, behavior goals, and toy selection for Christmas! L-O-V-E it!!!!!

(pilfered from Kristy ) 1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Usually wrapping paper. I prefer to open wrapping paper and enjoy the art of making a present look pretty. There are some items that are oddly shaped that go in to sacks. 2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial and pre-lit 3. When do you put up the tree? Usually sometime soon after Thanksgiving. This year, the house was decorated the weekend before, except for the tree, which I think we did the week of Thanksgiving. 4. When do you take the tree down? usually after New Years. I think we did it earlier last year because we had the time due to the snow/ice. We usually enjoy the decorations for as long as possible! 5. Do you like eggnog? I really don't know if I have ever had it...if I have, it's been 15+ years ago. 6. Favorite gift received as a child? my hand-crafted dollhouse from my grandfather/mother. The gymnastics balance beam and mat. Trampoline. 7. Hardest person to buy for? Mom 8. Easiest person to buy for? usually th...

Peanut, or Lemon as Jason reminded me last night, had a great check-up today. Growing perfectly and the heart rate is strong and steady - dropped down to around 145, which is right around where the boys both were! "The" ultrasound is January 6 (Mom's birthday!). Her present will either be a third and wonderful grandson or her first little granddaughter! pink or blue? pink or blue?

Good-bye, 405-348-7329. It's my home phone number growing up. And it's now gone. Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE STILLWATER RESIDENTS! Congrats, parents, on following your forever dreams (doesn't hurt that part of your family is here!) and retiring in Stillwater!

the sign says 12 but it's really 1 day shy of 13 when we took this. Still not showing. Other areas of my front have become enhanced (!!!) but no baby bump. I can definitely tell that my waist has thickened and getting that tight feeling along the sides. Note to self: do not take profile pictures in horizontal stripes - they do nothing to help the cause! :) Grant has just loved his time in kindergarten. His class at the beginning of the year made classroom rules that each student is required to follow; if you break the rules, you must go to the Thinking Spot. Needless to say, I go check on him the other day, after an unusual amount of time upstairs by himself, and find him getting ready to post these on his door. 1. Don't wake me up 2. Have fun 3. Don't jump on bed 4. Listen and do 5. Be kind 6. Keep control of yourself 7. No bragging 8. No guns

Our family had a great Thanksgiving week, especially with the public schools being closed the entire week! We've had lots of playtime outdoors as the temps have been nearing the 70's (until the freakishly cold Thanksgiving Day!). The boys piled leaves in our yard and just laughed and laughed! Kyle just loves his big brother!

According to the boys, those should be the names of baby #3. One November 8, we had a good friend go in to labor and so we talked about how they were at the hospital and would come home with their baby boy. Grant and Kyle thought that was so neat, and so I asked if they would ever want a baby. Without hesitation, they both screamed "YES!" I asked "why?" and they replied a variety of answers including "it would be fun to play with, we can teach it stuff, they are so cute, etc." They both wanted to know when we would have one, and I said "I don't know" and Grant goes "well, I do. We get to have a baby if God thinks we should have one." I liked that answer. Then I asked what they would name the baby. Kyle said "Henry." and I said what about for a girl? "Henry is for a girl, but it would be for a boy, too." Grant's choices are Alan (wth?!?) or Sweet for a sister. ahhhhh.... we love it that they are so excited. An...

So I am in the mood for Christmas! I've changed my background a week and half early from the fall decorations to Christmas. And, it makes me happy!!!!

In case you need a reminder as to God's rules for our lives: Exodus 20:2–17 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 Do not have any other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 8 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 9 For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do a...

Who would have thought that the Baylor Bears would be a huge game for us?!?! Not me!!!!

In case you missed our photos on Facebook - here they are! I was so very happy with how the costumes turned out this year! We had a great time at both our church's Trunk or Treat event, and then also a friend's Halloween party, where everyone was required to dress up! Church party - hayride and horse rides for the kids!

If you know our family very well, then you know we are very outdoorsy folks! We love to play outside, eat outside and take adventures outside. We have had several "camping" trips to our backyard, where we pitch the tent and sleep overnight, but we've been near modern conveniences. In the spring, with friends, we overnighted on their land but we've never been to an actual campsite until a few weeks ago. We loaded up and headed to McMurtry (just so happens to be where we got engaged!). Our campsite (there were only three camping sites being used this weekend, which we found ridiculous b/c the weather couldn't have been more perfect) ended up being right around the corner from our good friends, the Ramseys . We had smores together! A few pics: Grant off exploring on the rocky wall at our site (it was a HUGE site, too, with a great area for fishing). The boys preparing our campfire to roast our hot dogs and chili on! (disregard the blue lighter at his feet ...

There will be a day when I look back on October 28, 2010, and laugh. I'm just not quite there yet... this has been one for the record books. The following is just one teensy-weensy taste of our day: Grant puked in the car. As we were cleaning him up at Jason's office, Kyle managed to find a phone and dial 9-1-1. And then our neighbor, who happened to be on duty, came to the office in his patrol car. The bright spot of the day: Grant scored way above average in his elementary school's testing. Parent - teacher conferences were tonight, and the teacher had nothing but excellent things to say: from his reading ability, writing skills, counting, socialization, etc, etc, etc. He is thriving in his class in all aspects of his development!

Here are the much-anticipated (!!) photos of Jason and Kyle in the Juke Joint Jog. You can see from the running ones how serious Kyle really was this year! Fear the Blonde! This one is at the finish line - I am on one side and they are running in.... The runners! and this is the start line (out of order). Jason is just smiling away with friends and then there is Mr. Serious Stride. This was his favorite - Joe and Buffy!!!!

Dear Grant, You snore so loud in the mornings that I can hear you from the bathroom doorway. Bless your heart! Your favorite thing about school is... why, of course - learning! followed by a close second of football on the playground. It's basically impossible to get you to sit still. Only when I want to do writing games or color or something will you actually sit at the table. Even at mealtime, you have one foot on the floor,... always ready to go. "Hey, Mom!" is your favorite thing to say, followed by "will you play _____ with me?" (insert any of the following: golf, soccer, catch, football, hockey, basketball, tennis) when you get out of the car from school, up until about 6:30 when it becomes "Hey, Dad!" Did you know that you have the prettiest skin and eyes and eyelashes I've ever seen? Even your teeth (those sweet little baby teeth that will soon be replaced by those HUGE ones from your x-ray) are pretty. :) you're my pretty boy! ...

My baby (ha!) has a new found determination and leadership! In the past month, it's like he has grown up - physically, emotionally, and mentally. He has a new attitude (less whiny ) and asks to help set the table, etc, to be helpful around the house, and picks up without me asking. Publicly , he is a spitfire. Here are a few recent things: The Juke Joint Jog - this was going to become an annual exercise event for us after our family family run last year. When it came to be the day of the race, Grant said he didn't want to do it, so I sat out with him, and Kyle was still full-force ready to run. He did SO much better than last year. The last .2 of the race, he ran as hard as his little body would take him to the finish line. Of course, everyone was cheering. I got a few pictures but couldn't swap over to video quick enough and still get pics. He was a DOLL!!! Fire Engine - we attend the public library story time every Monday. Being Fire Safety week, the firemen cam...

One of my husband's favorite things to do is to visit the Grider Farms pumpkin patch. Here are a few pics from Visit 2010. and they are a-growing this year! We've decided the pumpkin patch is "a pattern" (thanks to Grant).... good year, bad year, good year, bad year! and this was a good year! We hit the pumpkin patch the first of October. Wes and Anne asked to join us a few months ago as neither of them had done that before. Not so sure Wes enjoyed the whole farm life but Anne got in there and cut a few off the vine. :) Come visit our house and office and see how pretty they look as decorations!

The season is now fall! In our home, that means it's All Orange All the Time! It has been great for our family to have season football tickets this year. It's the first year we have braved taking the boys, and 95% of the time, Grant is paying attention. Kyle is around 60%, and the rest of the time he can be satisfied to have popcorn in front of him! The boys are Pistol Pete Partners. Below are pictures from a variety of weekend events - football player party, the game vs A&M, and just orange Friday attire! Here's the view from our seats. We ended up being near friends so it worked out great! Family photo! The gal that took this ended up being the Stillwater Homecoming Queen the following night!!! and to make me feel really old, her mom was my advisor at OSU! Playing tag outside the stadium (during the OSU comeback of the A&M game). I wanted to be INSIDE and not out... I just love the pure expressions on these faces below! Dr. Pepper and Cute Boys. If you read o...

UPdates haven't been too frequent lately. For that, I apologize! Guess life is just fun and busy (and it is taking incredibly long to upload photos lately so who really has time to sit for so long?!!?! I did discover how to make the photo size smaller so that should help... we'll see!) Soccer and friends describes a lot of our time during September! Grant has just taken off and really enjoyed soccer. His teammates are mostly fellow Kindergartners at his school, and its been fun for him to talk about seeing them on the playground, cafeteria, etc. Our coach is just awesome, too - he is a parent, but has played soccer for 35 years, so Grant is actually LEARNING and not "just" exercising. It's a great season! We have a great group of friends but don't often times get together, ALL together. It is usually a few moms and a few kids, or the dads are out golfing, etc. That is what is going on in this picture! Jason took three friends golfing so I had the f...

My three besties in Stillwater and I went on a road trip a few weeks ago. We took one camera to capture the fun! However, Kristy beat me to the blog post, and hers is un-matchable, so why don't you just go read all about it for yourself! Click Here!

and tears are rolling down my cheeks after this one! I have the best Mom and the best answer to her (and my!) prayers!

Last week, my Heavenly Father was answering some major prayers for my earthly daddy and best friend. He was busy.... and I am SOOO thankful he feels these two angels still have a lot of work to do for him on earth! So Thankful.

Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel , "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land." Nearly 75 years ago, (when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said “Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land.” Today, Obama has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land! I was so depressed last night thinking about Healthcare plans, the economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called a Suicide Hotline. I had to press 1 for English. I was connected to a call center in Pakistan . I told them I was suicidal. They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck…

in response to looking at a friend's new baby's photos... and he was in a few from the hospital so he was extra interested.... "She sure is cute and now they finally have a chance to be a real mom and dad," said Grant after viewing the pictures. Kyle's preschool teacher: "So, the other day we were in our small groups and I was talking to them when all of a sudden Kyle just breaks out in to this big belly laugh for a few seconds. I ask him "Kyle, was that funny?" and he gets very serious with a slight scowl and says "No, it was not" which then caused me to laugh and he got upset at me then." Kyle's preschool teacher: "it is very interesting for me to have had both of them and to learn their personalities. They aren't much alike, are they?!?!" "ummmmm, no" Grant announced last week as he got in the car after school something to this affect: "Mom, I am just not going to go to school anymore because ...

In this age of so many forms of easy communication and social networking, why a blog? Wouldn't it just be easier to post it all on facebook for my 841 friends to see? or email to the family members and friends who (amazingly) haven't joined the trend to get an account? Because I can! This blog is a place for me to capture small moments and details and simple, funny stories about the life that my little family is creating. When I first learned about my pregnancy with Grant, it was within days that I started keeping a journal, detailing every little thought and writing down doctor appointment stats and blah blah blah. Love it! I was so good at updating his journal even when life was crazy, and I was working 2 jobs and Jason was gone 6 days a week for school, residency, and his job. I think it is updated until he is about 4 years old. Also started one for Kyle... his is up-to-date (not nearly as many entries as Grant's one) to about age 2. This blog, however, lets me detail i...

While spending time in college, it seems the students thought the world (at least the town) revolved around them. As a young family, in the same town, it's amazing to me how separate the college life is from the "normal" life here, other than more traffic! --------- the reason I wanted to make a quick post right now is to share my thoughts on age and beauty.... it doesn't peak at 18 or 20 or 24 like gossip magazines and Hollywood tends to portray females in pictures, roles and stories. Sure, at that age, most girls are pretty. No brown spots. No fine likes around the eyes. No stretch marks from carrying a child inside your belly. But I have had the chance to be around several friends from college in the past year because of baby showers, get-to-gathers, random run-ins at restaurants and OSU events.... Every single lady is prettier now than when they were 20. ----I am amazed by each of you. Not only is your outer beauty so wonderful, but man, lovely ladies on the ins...

K's first day of preschool has come and gone! Here are his three teachers - two of whom we had when Grant when thru the program. Yay! He had a fabulous day, and when I asked when I picked him up if he napped, one of his teachers belly-laughed "uh, no, he didn't nap." :) We have a big kindergartener in our house!!!!! He had a great first day, was very excited to go, and there were no tears shed by anyone. There are 7 kids from his pre-k class in his kindergarten class so that helps! Also, he has grown 2 "bricks" since last year (we take pictures by the school sign) for a fun fact. Jason joined us for dropoff! Doesn't he look stinking old?!?! Typical event for the boys... driving the golf cart present by some old neighbors. I have to limit Kyle's time in this, usually daily, to 15 minutes so he will actually do physical exercise. Miss Mary - our Monday morning librarian friend! Just happened to have the camera from the first day of ...