Happy New Year!

The Cousins...take 5010

Face paint and Connect 4 with Pops... what fun!
The Cousins....take 60000!

I'm so excited, I can't stand to look!

The weather was great!

Dora scooter...watch out!

Aunt Deanna rolled her hair about every day!

After a make up session w/Aunt Deanna...we are in so much trouble!

Finally, a pet of her own!

His motorcycle helmet and football gear were a HIT!

OH he was SOOO excited!

Santa delivered THE skateboard!

We had a great Christmas, as I'm sure most of you did. The kids were so fun to watch opening their gifts on Christmas morning. Duncan DID get his skateboard and so far hasn't been too injured. He mostly likes to stand on it on the rug and try to flip it up and catch it. Kendall got her babies from Santa and is SO happy. Savannah got her gerbil. Her name is Honey and she is quite cute. I have actually grown to like the little thing. So, we now have an official pet. Now I don't have to hear about the sob stories of, "Mom, we were doing a graph in class about who had a pet and I was the ONLY one who didn't get to raise their hand!"

Troy's parents (Nona & Pops) also came in for a week, along with Troy's sister and her two cute kids. The cousins had A BALL playing together everyday. It was a week full of precious memories! The kids rode their scooters to Braum's everyday and played outside most of the time. That's always a winner.. outside and daily trips to the ice cream store! We also managed to go to Arbor Hills to hike, to Northpark to see the trains, to the skating rink (OH yeah!) and Savannah, Deanna and I made a trip to the American Girl store. We played twister, Connect 4 and charades, which was SO funny. Duncan would just spaz out and we were like, OK... you are a wild man on a motorcycle. Then he'd say, "NO! Guys, I was going in the store, jumped off my bike and ran up to the counter..." etc. So, if in doubt, don't pick him for your partner if it ever comes up. Hopefully he'll improve, but he was hilarious! They were all so cute. I think they'll be friends for life. It was just a great time with family...which we love.

That's all I really have today. I have been contemplating what to report, but quite honestly we are just trying to get back into the swing of our real life. But life is good, none the less. Really good, in fact. We are very excited for what 2009 will bring us this year! We have BIG plans in store and I can't wait to see what God's gonna surprise us with. His plans are way better than mine anyway! Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Christmas Countdown

"It's Kissmiss Time Duckin!" That's what I heard Kendall say the other day when a Christmas program came on TV! So so sweet! Savannah sang in front of the church Sunday morning with the Kids' Choir. It was so sweet. It always made me cry when I heard my students sing during the programs when I was a teacher. Now I'm the crybaby mom in the audience! Seriously, I just wanted to grab Savannah and squeeze her to death and burst into loud, obnoxious, joyous tears when the song was over. I refrained. She was glad. But y'all God is so good and so faithful! I have witnessed Christmas blessings this past week, so Sunday was just even more beautiful to hear. NOW, the funniest thing is that really it's not like she's belting it out or anything. She's hardly singing at all...but still I was proud. (This is a pic of the kids before they sang, I tried to load the video and it was taking WAY too long and my computer technician..aka..Troy, is in bed now...maybe I can try again tomorrow!)

We also made our annual gingerbread house, fresh from the kit we bought! Those things are awesome! Worth every penny. The house (the ginger bread house that is) smells so good. Duncan even put the cardboard it came on in his room because it smelled so good. Guess I need to get that outta there, come to think of it! Anyway, the kids loved decorating it and even little Miss Kendall got into it. She doesn't know she's only two you know! I need to video her saying "gingerbread" it's so funny and sounds nothing like the word. I know she ate more candy than she put on the house, no doubt. They all did!Notice the little house to the left of the big one? That's one Duncan made @ PreK. He said it was the jail. Hmm...what might a gingerbread do to get put into the jail? Duncan continues to dress up and it's just so funny. Here he is about to go to the "Carrot Festival"! He has the best and funniest imagination. And here he is ready for duck hunting. I found him dressed ready to hunt after being home with Troy while I was out running errands. Troy got all his "gear" out to look through. He had earlier in the day explained to me how to walk in the woods so "they" don't hear ya. He walked all around the house that way. It was so cute. I think Troy has definitely got himself a hunting partner! (Uhh... ok, after further observation of this photo I'm left wondering HOW do you shoot a duck with a bow? Juuusst wondrin....)Savannah's into her 2ND game of UPWARD cheer leading. It's a great sports program through area churches. It's low key, positive and not too overly competitive. Which is good, since we do live in the state of Texas! She's loving it, we're loving it and she's so cute out there! She's cheering for basketball, so it's hard to get a good picture inside the building.

That's all for now...

God Bless you everyONE!

We've been Elfed..Elved...whatever!

Karl sent this to us of our kids. I think it suits them. The kids LOVE watching it. Kendall really cracks up about seeing hersELF! hee hee...

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/oKZWa33PjVYC6sQJUQzv

It's Christmas Time

We had a great "Christmasy" weekend. Here's some of the highlights! We made Reindeer cookies and it was fun. The kids loved it.

She was not happy when we took the bowl of chocolate chips and skittles away! She didn't care about decorating, just eating the candy.

Duncan likes making 3 eyed reindeer. Go figure, such a little boy!
When Daddy got home we headed downtown Plano to see Santa. Kendall wasn't scared. She said, "Santa not cary, he so nice. And he not gonna bite my finger." It was so funny! Where did she get that?

Savannah telling him she wants a guinea pig or hamster.

Duncan saying he wants a skateboard with NO HANDLEBARS! (We got him a "scootboard" for his 4th bday and it didn't cut it, b/c it had a handle.) And Kendall leaned WAY over to say, "I wonna BABY!" Now, she was brave and confident when she told him.. but was ticked when we left the little house, b/c she didn't get her baby! Try explaining to a two yr. old that he comes into your house, while you are a sleep, DOWN THE CHIMNEY, and leaves it then. Hopefully she's not scared now!

Group Shot! We had a GREAT time together.

God Bless!

Ya Ya Sisterhood

Genelle and I met while we were single and teaching. We married a month apart, our 1st girls are 2 days apart, #2's are 2 months apart and they will be married one day if I have anything to do with it, and our #3 girls' are one year apart! Love me some Anderson's!!!!!
We now have to travel "a ways" to make this happen, but it's SO worth it!!!

Barbara Ann, my Mississippi girl! She understands my Louisiana lingo!

OK so you may not care too much about this post if you only want to hear about my kids. So if that's why you read it you can just move on, but I have to give a shout out to my YaYa's!! I have the most wonderful group of friends here in Texas! This is my Supper Club group. We started this group 3 and a half years ago and we get together once a month. We met in MOPS years ago and just started this group to get to know each other better. We feel it was a God thing. Everyone adds something different to the group, and all of us together makes it complete. We rotate who's house we meet at, bring food, spirits, and have lots of laughs! It's such a blessing to know them all. Seriously, these girls are the real deal!

This was a special meeting because Genelle hosted it at her beautiful castle in the woods! She and her husband just built the most beautiful home, and I do mean built with thier own hands!

Ahh... I love these sisters. Life is just too short to have crappy friends!

Thankful

Mom, Kimbo & Me

Troy and Abby around the fire...Troy didn't object, he liked her b/c she went hunting with him.
I love this picture.

The hunters.

Last day around the fire.

Josh, Bekah(nephew & niece), Savannah & Kendall playin with the bunnies.

I think there were 57 there, but not all are pictured. The weather was perfect too!

Playin on Paw Paw's junk behind the house.

It's been forever since I've REALLY blogged. Sorry. We went to Missouri for a week and it takes a week to prepare to get there, we are there for a week, and it takes about a week for us to adjust to being back home. As always it was absolutely wonderful! I'll spare you all the details, but I will tell you it's basically like a Thanksgiving Hallmark commerical. The love, the food, the cute kids, sweet families... the total package. This year we had cousins bring 4 wheelers up and my kids were SO excited. It's on our "we gotta get one of those" list. I think I'll even place it before my "mini van with automatic doors"... oooohhhh, that's a big deal people. 'Cause I like me some automatic doors!

The kids went from watching Disney Channel, Nick JR, playing Webkinz on the computer, and all their extra "important" activities, TO two channels on a 19inch TV (YES I did say 19) and dial up internet (so needless to say no internet), no snacks to speak of (but I should add PawPaw has an endless supply of ice cream sandwiches if grandkids are in town) and a set of bunkbeds. Believe me there ain't NO complainin', fightin' or whinin' goin on about none of it!

I will tell you it was coming back to all the "luxuries" that was so much harder. So SO much harder for us all. My kids would rather feed cows, play with baby bunnies, explore in the woods, not bathe (ok, not that glad about that one), ride 4 wheelers, and watch Kung Fu Panda with 12 people around a 19 inch TV (wish I had a picture of that), or sit around a bonfire (not even eatin smores!) than be all that impressed with what the "world" thinks will make them happy. OK, maybe I'm going overboard, but really! I swear they started fighting as soon as the garage door was raised!

But we have returned to Plano livin and we've adjusted. Ha Ha...that's funny. Get it Plano, plain-o...

Love you all...if anyone even reads this anymore. Feel free to sign in....

Kellye