Christmas in Pictures....

I apologize if you come to my blog to read anything I have written because it just hasn't been happening lately!  I did want to document our Christmas season in pictures, though, and as you can see we all had a BLAST!!  Mommy and Preston were super busy with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever the first weekend in December and had a wonderful experience.  Thanks to all who came out so see and support us.  When that was over all of the school Christmas fun got into full swing and I had so much fun being very present for everything this year.  The gingerbread house, the ballet and of course the reindeer games and Christmas party.  So FUN!  In other big news PRESTON LOST HIS FIRST TOOTH!  It was so magical has the tooth fairy and our elf "Buddy" got into a bit of a dental floss tangle!  Preston said he didn't hear a thing!!  We had a wonderful Christmas with each of our sets of family but were not sitting on the couch Christmas Day as we packed up and headed to Dallas to cheer on our Bulldogs!  They came away with the win and that made it all the more special.  And let me not forget Daddy and Preston went on two seperate hunting trips--one deer and one duck---and had lots of camp stories to tell!  Mommy gets a little depressed when she realizes John Cole will soon be gone too...but for now we still have movies and hot chocolate in Christmas jammies by the fire!  Hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday and are settling back into a (cold, wet!) routine.  Love to all!

Merry and Bright!

Didn't get the blow-up framer of the family I had hoped for, but I did get these PRECIOUS Christmas pictures of the boys from our session last week with Crystal Garcia.  Family, do you see any pics you want for Christmas??  

Hope you are having a great week.  Ours is crazy busy with the play.  Gotta go more later...

Fun at the Farm

So much fun yesterday celebrating John Cole's 3rd Birthday at Papa Simpson's Farm!  Thanks to all of our special friends who came to play.  We love you all and are grateful to have you in our lives!!!

Holidays are HERE!

First of all, I just have to say I can't BELIEVE my baby John Cole turned 3 yesterday!!!!! He potty trained himself, is just a JOY to be around and is so hilarious.  We all love you so much baby brother.  You did great at your first dental check-up too!  Mrs. Amanda told Mommy you were her best patient of the day :)

It's THANKSGIVING BREAK!  I can't remember a time in recent memory (well, except when I was in the hospital having a baby) that I took off a whole week for Thanksgiving.  But I'm hanging with my boys all week and I couldn't be happier.  Jeff and I really enjoyed our first AEP Thanksgiving Feast and I think Preston did too.  We even found the bricks commemorating Jeff and my graduation from Tech.  I think P was actually impressed.....

Daddy has been at the Duck camp so Mommy is INTO the Christmas spirit and decided to take the boys on a ride on the Polar Express in Palestine, TX.  Look, this is not Disney World.  Nor is is a short drive from Ruston....especially in the rain....but for these two boys it was a SWELL time. John Cole's favorite part was the train (which I regret not getting pictures of but the rain made it kinda hard) and Preston said his favorite part was the hot chocolate.  My favorite part was seeing the smiles on my boys' faces as they were singing Christmas carols.  Thanks so much for going with us Nana...couldn't have done it without you!!

Hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving and are gearing up for a wonderful CHRISTMAS!  This is one girl who can't WAIT!!!  More later...

A check off the bucket list.....

I don't have any pictures of him running--and I tried to respect the fact he probably didn't feel like pictures post-race---but JEFF RAN THE NYC MARATHON!  In 4:20 and some change.  Folks, that's NOT an easy task.  Especially considering the conditions Sunday were VERY windy and at times he felt like the wind might literally blow him down.  I'm so proud of him.  Not just for running the race, but for still being a super hard working husband and father ALL THE WHILE putting in mega miles to get trained.  He never looks at this but I just have to brag on him that he is an amazing guy.

Again thanks to Nana--and the VILLAGE--for stepping up to help with kids for us to be gone.  We greatly appreciate it!

**Pic in middle is a fallen Marine who was on our flight from ATL to Newark on Friday.  The whole plane sat in teary silence as we watched him leave with a HUGE police/Marine escort.  It was so touching and I will never forget how proud I was(AM!) to be an American at that very moment...GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Fall Fun

It has been busy...but it has been a FUN Fall!

Our biggest news to report is that Mommy and Preston are doing Ruston Community Theater's production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" together!!!  Preston has a speaking part and will appear in all 6 shows, and by some fluke I got double cast as the female LEAD!!  We have been rehearsing twice a week and let me tell you it is time consuming--but soooooo fun!  Preston will most definitely steal the show if you are interested show times are:

12/4   7pm
12/5   7pm
12/6   7pm
12/7   2pm matinee

I will appear in the 12/4 and 12/7 shows.  We are also doing two school shows that are SOLD OUT already!  Such a fun experience....now I need to go work on my LINES!!

Kendal and Kevin were gracious to host BOTH boys for their annual pumpkin carving night this year.  I think you can tell they both had a great time ;)

And we all had so much fun at our first TUMC Trunk-or-Treat!  I don't usually do a trunk--but since we were going to be gone for Halloween I thought I'd step up to the plate for this fun, family event.  And I WON favorite trunk!  GO figure.  All credit to Pinterest...and those two cute little cowboys who surely won me some votes!!

Lastly, had a great birthday and birthday night celebrating at the Boys and Girls Club "Gatsby Gala." Glad my super cute hubby still likes to take me "out" and that we got to support such a great ministry in our community....more later...