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

Pray for Avery

Please pray for Miss Avery Grace Akeman. Her site is listed on here, so you can check it out and read her story if you haven't already. You can also watch the Akeman Video to see them tell their story.

Avery spiked a fever today and her parents Paul and Angie took her in to the hospital. They are the most amazing family... I couldn't even imagine trying to explain here how much they mean to me and SO many others.

Bloggy

It's so much more fun to sleep with my sister.

Never a dull moment!

Uh, excuse me while I step out of the tennis game to apply my lipstick.

Eating pizza and playing tennis on Family Night.

The kids and I have been trying to get her to wear this forever! She finally agreed and was so cute!

Yes, even pirates play tennis. He was burning up!

High light of the night, catching a "pet"...the grasshopper.

One proud Daddy. Cute one too, I might add.

How cute is he in his uniform?

It's seems it's been a while since I last posted, but really it hasn't. If the truth be known, I blog constantly...inside my head. I blog in the mini-van, while watching my kids play, while I cook...seriously, I do. I even think while it's all running in my head, that I wish I could instantly send all it onto my blog.


Last night I was blogging like no body's business while I watched Savannah at Skate Night at the skating rink. It was truely like watching myself when I was her age. She was SO into it, like she was the only one out there. Man, I remember feeling like that. You know like "dance like no one's watching," and just go with it! I am so glad she still feels that freedom. I wonder when I lost it. I know I sure had it. I was "on stage" every Saturday night when Solid Gold came on. My family made me feel like I was the BEST dancer ever! Remember that girl with the LONG hair who spun her arm around? Well..I WAS her in my mind. Anyway, it was fun to watch how much she's grown up. She was socializing with everyone, laughing and having a great time. She is quite the social butterfly...I know because her teacher tells me A LOT! :)




Duncan man is driving me crazy with his questions about scuba divers and sky divers. The questions go something like this:

Mom, where do you go to scuba dive?
Do they were their swim suits?
Where do you by the scuba suit?
How heavy is that tank?

Mom (long pause) do you think I can go when I'm 88 or 65?
Mom, I need to dress in all red to be a sky diver, where are my red pants?
So mom, when you jump out of the plane do you spin?
Oh, and hey mom, what can I use to pretend there's a tank on my back?




Y'all, I mean it when I say it's all day long...no it's not 20 questions, it's a lot more than that. But he's still loving t-ball and SO IS HIS DADDY! Last game Duncan and his best buddy had turned their hats around backwards and it was so cute.



Kendall is such a funny kid. She really doesn't get it that she's younger than her brother and sister. She likes to say hello to EVERYONE @ Walmart and will call you out if you do not reply. She gets ugly and yells, "MOMMY, they NOT say HI to ME!" So if you see her around, please say hello.

We are getting ready for fall in TX. I can feel a slight change in the weather, so I know it's here. That's about all well get, just a slight change but I'll take it.


Dancing like no one's watching,
Kellye

The Week

(Me, Madison & Savannah)

I was invited to spend some time with Madison at her school for Grandparents Day, since her GP's couldn't be there. She was heartbroken since none of her family could come. Well, we just couldn't have that, so I went. It was a sweet time. That girl is precious and I am so blessed to have her as my Godchild. She wrote the most precious letter to me in her journal. I love you Madison Diane!

Savannah and I also went to a tea party at Madison and Genelle's church. It was a fundraiser for the cancer 3 day walk and it was so fun. The girls dressed up and even brought their dolls. They got to walk on stage for a little fashion show and they were just adorable. One of our favorite things to do it be with the two of those girls!

Duncan has been dressed as a sheriff most everyday since we went to the rodeo. On school days he changes into his sheriff attire as soon as he can. He talks A LOT about sheriffs these day... what they do, the cowboy hat they wear, their guns...it goes on and on and on and on. The funny thing about the outfit is the tie dye shirt that he puts with it. He wore it all day yesterday, slept in it, and wore it to Red Lobster today for lunch. Except for today he wore his pirate pants and flip flops with it too.

Kendall told me to "hursh" a.k.a. "hush", last week. It went something like, "Mommy, I AM going to put it on...now HURSH!" I was stunned to say the least, but just about died laughing. I walked away and put my hands on my forehead trying to compose myself. Savannah walked by and even asked if I was praying. My first thought was no, but evidently I need to!!! Here she is with Annabelle. She is Savannah's "old" doll and has become a part of our family. She got new batteries this week and is back to her old self...drinking her bottle and cooing, crying and so she's now Kendall's favorite baby again.