Troy's first 40 years...

Troy has been insisting that this birthday was not really any different, that 40 years isn't that big of a deal. But I think it is, especially for Troy. Cause you see Troy, my marvelous man, has done a lot in his 40 years. I could try to list the cool stuff he's done or listed ways he's impacted others, but I'd do a terrible job of covering it all, so instead I'll just brag about him a little.

He's the most humble guy on the planet, along with the most giving. Most know Troy for his frugal lifestyle, but I assure you he's not cheap! He's comfortable in his skin and his bright white socks with his brown shoes...although it drives me crazy! He's funny. He only jokes with you if he likes you, not to make you like him. His family is top priority. He loves to hunt and fish and works to live, not lives to work. He is simple "the coolest guy I ever met and he like doesn't even have to try"....OK, I stole that quote from Juno...but it's true! Troy is the real deal, what you see is what you get!

When talking to my friend Barb, she was telling me how significant God must have thought 40 was, b/c it is used so much. I did a little research and this is what I found:

Of all the types and shadows of the Old Testament, none is as pervasive and important as the shadows revealed in the relationship between "forty," and the fulfillment of promises.
The rains (in Noah's day) fell for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:4).
Israel ate Manna for 40 years (Exodus 16:35).
Moses was with God in the mount, 40 days and nights (Exodus 24:18).
Moses was again with God 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 34:28).
Moses led Israel from Egypt at age 80 (2 times 40), and after 40 years in the wilderness, died at 120 (3 times 40; Deuteronomy 34:7).
The spies searched the land of Canaan for 40 days (Numbers 13:25).
Therefore, God made Israel wander for 40 years (Numbers 14:33-34).
40 stripes was the maximum whipping penalty (Deuteronomy 25:3).
God allowed the land to rest for 40 years (Judges 3:11).
God again allowed the land to rest for 40 years (Judges 5:31).
God again allowed the land to rest for 40 years (Judges 8:28).
Abdon (a judge in Israel) had 40 sons (Judges 12:14).
Israel did evil; God gave them to an enemy for 40 years (Judges 13:1).
Eli judged Israel for 40 years (1 Samuel 4:18).
Goliath presented himself to Israel for 40 days (1 Samuel 17:16).
Saul reigned for 40 years (Acts 13:21).
Ishbosheth (Saul's son) was 40 when he began reign (2 Samuel 2:10).
David reigned over Israel for 40 years (2 Samuel 5:4, 1 Kings 2:11).
The holy place of the temple was 40 cubits long (1 Kings 6:17).
40 baths (measurement) was size of lavers in Temple (1 Kings 7:38).
The sockets of silver are in groups of 40 (Exodus 26:19 & 21).
Solomon reigned same length as his father; 40 years (1 Kings 11:42).
Elijah had one meal that gave him strength 40 days (1 Kings 19:8).
Ezekiel bore the iniquity of the house of Judah for 40 days (Ezekiel 4:6).
Jehoash (Joash) reigned 40 years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 12:1).
Egypt to be laid desolate for 40 years (Ezekiel 29:11-12).
Ezekiel's (symbolic) temple is 40 cubits long (Ezekiel 41:2).
The courts in Ezekiel's temple were 40 cubits long (Ezra 46:22).
God gave Nineveh 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4).
Jesus fasted 40 days and nights (Matthew 4:2).
Jesus was tempted 40 days (Luke 4:2, Mark 1:13).
Jesus remained on earth 40 days after resurrection (Acts 1:3).
Women are pregnant for 40 weeks (time of testing).

Well, there you go...40 is big, it's HUGE! You have blessed us all T-Roy with your first 40 years. I'm sure your next 40 are full of promise too.

I love you!

Kellye

Halloween Weekend

Life School Musical

Duncan dressed Kendall up as a motorcycle rider? This is a daily occurrence...no Halloween needed to dress up around here!

Celebrating Troy's 40th while his parents were here. His real bday is Thursday!

Cutest Minnie Mouse EVER!

Waited 7 long years to lose a tooth! FYI, she didn't get her first tooth till she was 15 months!

Minnie Mouse, Rock Star and Sheriff Conly

We had a great time this weekend. The kids loved having Nona and Pops (Troy's parents) here too. Kendall loved trick or treating and hung in there to the very end! I just knew she'd get spooked by the masks and darkness... but as I've said before she doesn't know she's 2! Savannah FINALLY lost her first tooth Halloween night and it was so exciting. She looks so cute! Duncan had his final t-ball game Saturday and Troy is sad. I think he could've kept going on and on. Savannah was also in Life School Musical, a cute musical put on by our kids' choir. She worked hard and it was cute to see her up there singin her heart out! Here's some pics to highlight the weekend. It was a packed one! Whew...I'm glad October is over!

Best Days of My Life

Fun Festive Fall

Uh...it's been so busy since I last blogged. I feel a little overwhelmed, so I'll just give you a quick review in pictures!

Troy and Savannah made it back from their Indian Princess camping trip. She was so dirty, she had to take two baths!!! What a fun time together. Below is a picture of them before a pumpkin carving contest. She is making vampire teeth with candy corn. They got 4th out of 9..not too bad!

Duncan had a choice to go with them or stay and carve with me and he chose to carve with me. Yeah! We had fun and his had Batman wings. Before we got started, he yelled, "HEY! I have GOT to get my safety goggles!"

We made a trip to the Dallas Arboretum on Sunday after church. We look forward to going every fall & spring. Man, it's so much easier now that Kendall's bigger! We are enjoying the kids so much. They are funny, fun and help us notice the really cool stuff around us in our (way too often) self centered world! My favorite part was watching them run run run through the beautiful grass...turning cart wheels, giggling and just having a good ole time outside.

Last Saturday Savannah was in an American Girl fashion show, modeling the clothes from their doll and big girl collection. It wasn't a big deal, but she had a ball. My good friend Paula came along to see her and that made Savannah's day. She loves her! Here's a pic of her walking down the runway. The clothes she wore were a too big, but she walked tall and proud and had a ball!

Tomorrow is Halloween and Troy's parents are coming in for a visit. It's going to be a busy weekend! And BTW, Troy turns 40 on the 6th!!

Love, Kellye

State Fair of Texas

Kendall loved Little Hands on the Farm

With Big Tex

Duncan loved the Lady Bug

I think in every state outside of TX you called it the Louisiana State Fair or Iowa State Fair, etc.... but not here. Yes, TX is loud and proud and they call it The State Fair OF TEXAS! It IS really something though. We go every year and this year was really fun too. After going for the last 5 years or so we finally found the dollar dogs booth! I can't even tell you how happy my man was to buy us all hot dogs for ONE DOLLAR! I think he may even have ran up to the booth, b/c he was there so fast! Anyway, we were able to eat our usually junk too. It just didn't hurt so bad when Kendall dropped her last bite or two on the ground since it was only like 30 cents laying on the ground :) OK, enough. Those of you who know Troy will appreciate it, because you know him.

Standing under the Texas Star

Duncan, Savannah and I rode the TEXAS Star. I hear it's the largest Ferris wheel in the Western Hemisphere and is a gazillion feet tall? Something like that anyway. That's what a semi-scary hair man told me at the fair. I don't know if it's totally true, but it was HIGH and it was scary. The kids LOVED it!
Before the Techno Twister
And after....

Savannah got the wits scared out of her on a big ride. She insisted on riding it since she thinks ALL the rides in the Kidsway are for babies. Well, can I just say she got a huge dose of the real Midway and isn't too eager to go back!! She got on the ride, put her head down as soon as it started and didn't look up until it ended. Her face was of sheer terror and she drew a crowd with the LOUD whaling she was doing when she got off. Her daddy had to hold her to get her over it. It was hard not to laugh though. Yes, I know that sounds mean, I know. She wasn't happy about me teasing her about it later, but then I said it would be a story I'd tell her kids when they call me and want to know some dirt on their mama. Which is what she does to me. She loves to hear all my "bad" stories and my parents are more than thrilled to tell her.

Troy and Savannah are on their Y-Princess or Indian Princess (which is no longer PC) camp out. It's a group they are in through the YMCA and it's like Girl Scouts, but it's a daddy/daughter only thing. They go on two camp outs a year and they LOVE IT! Troy is her circles Chief and they both think it's great. I can't wait to hear about all their trip.

In the meantime, I'm with Duncan and Kendall. Duncan and I go to fun restaurants when they are gone. Last night we went to Tasty Egg Roll. He wanted to go to somewhere he's never been. Kendall was all over the place and almost flipped over the booth....crazy girl! The most interesting part was that Duncan was an indian the whole time. He's been watching Davy Crockett and he's been a cowboy, indian or Davy for the last week. Last night his name was Red Stick. Of course I called him Baton Rouge, but he didn't get it. He said his friends' names were White Stick, Black Stick, and Rhythm Stick..b/c he likes music! ha ha It made for an interesting dinner conversation and I wonder if anyone else could hear him. He's so funny. It never even occurs to him that his outfits aren't the "norm" and that he's even dressed up. It's just who he is, period. I hope he's always like that, just comfortable with himself. That's just how Troy is for sure and that's one of the many reasons I'm nuts about him... And finally here's Miss Kendall in her PJ's refusing her breakfast b/c she wants her some candycorn! Just too funny not to add this one!

Have a great weekend!

Kellye

Happy Birthday D-Man..5 precious years!

Here's Duncan sportin his Bday shirt and making "ghost toast" for his school bday sanck to share today.

My little dude is 5 today. I just can't believe it. I know that when he was a little bitty guy (@ 9 lbs. 13 oz.!!!) I tried HARD to cherish everything b/c it was going to go so fast. And it has, just like everyone said. But I really like where he is now. It is so much fun to be his mom. He is a 100% full on, never stopping, boy. He gets up early, gets dressed and plays HARD all day long. No time for TV, just full on sword fighting, putting out fires, and building with his LEGOS, to name a few.

He dresses up every single day. Just yesterday he was a grounds worker and was asking what I needed for him to do. (I hope that continues!) His imagination is amazing and I think he's pretty darn smart like his daddy. But what really stands out about my little D-Man is his pure heart of gold. He is SO sweet. Yes, he will punch his sister when she pushes him to it, and yes he plays too hard sometimes. But he is still the sweetest thing. Just this morning I kissed him on the cheek and he said, "UH, well that wasn't even hardly a kiss!"

After a hair cut this summer he and I stopped for ice cream. As we were sitting there I told him that one day he was going to have a girlfriend and if she was ever mean to him I was going to drive to her house and pull every hair out of her head! He stared at me long and hard and then broke out in a big Duncan smile and said, "You will not." But I will.....

I love that last night he asked me to marry him. I said yes of course, but that it was OK if he one day breaks off the engagement. He loves being home and wants to live right next to us forever. I know that's going to change, so don't keep reminding me. I think that God made boys that way because really they will leave and don't come back nearly as much as girls do. So I'm gonna kiss his face off everyday and hang on to every little marriage proposal he gives me.

I love you Duncan. You are my little prince.

What up?

Duncan:
- has been dressed up like a cowboy, struting the new chaps I got him

- told me he wanted to be Jesus for Halloween...then giggled cause he knew it

was funny. I told him sure, but you have to act like him too!

- had a firetruck visit his school and now is a fireman when he's not a cowboy/sherriff

- asked me where do the astronaut guys get all that "stuff"

- has a new favorite sandwich, baloney! I told him you are what you eat!

- asked me "Does anyone eat dog?" Hmmm...what do I tell him about the baloney?

-is ready for his birthday next week

-is having really bad allergy symptoms....like father like son I guess.

-asked me a few weeks ago, "Mom, can I just be free now?" What he meant, "Can I be excused from the dinner table?"

Kendall:

-let the dentist clean her teeth AND take Xrays, but still cries like I'm dropping her off at an orphanage when we go to church!

- says she wants "my Nina" and "my Duncan" everytime she's in time out

- gets all the balls in the house and pretends like they're her babies...they roll all around and won't stay still and she gets very frustrated with them. Hmm...that scenerio sounds familiar.

- loves to sing "Tinkle Tinkle Yittle Tar" and "Issy Bissy Pider"

-always carries a purse packed FULL

-is trying to wean off her pacifier, so far so good!

Savannah:

-ditches me at the fence while walking her to school if she sees a friend

-WILL look back and wave really big to me when she's almost to the school :)

-let me give her CUTE Halloween pants from last year to a friend a year younger b/c she says they're babyish.

-is breakin my heart with all this growing up business

-memorized "If you have faith as small as a mustard see you can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move. Nothing is impossible for you." Matthew 17:20 for choir this week. She has 9 to memorize in 9 weeks and every week she nails it!

- just makes us all laugh with her drama

-is going to ask Santa for a hamster, since we can't get a dog yet.
-asked me, "What happens if a hog bites your hand?"....where that came from I do not know.

Troy:

-is taking me out on a date tomorrow night!

-is getting excited about his Y-Princess campout with Savannah.

-is the Chief of their Y-Princess circle and Savannah loves that he is!

-is getting tired of me trying to plan something fun for his 40th!

-needs to get over it and let us celebrate how awesomely awesome we think he is!

Life's good but oh so busy...

love, Kellye