Cookie Decorating/Christmas Worship

Sunday night our Community Group met at church for cookie decorating, dinner and a Christmas Worship Program. We absolutely love our CG! There are 4 families with a total of 6 kids ages 4, 3, 2, 16 months, 9 months and 6 months - whew! We are a wild a crazy bunch for sure...at least the kids are and us parents are just trying to keep up. What an incredible privilege to walk in community with others and not only model that for your kids, but bring them alongside.

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Tasting to see what to add next...no he's not done!

Gummi Bears too???? (notice all the gumdrops already added)

The finished product. He entered it in the cookie decorating constest - we haven't heard anything yet...

The bite...there was only one. I mean did you see the cookie? I think the sugar hit his veins faster than he could chew...and really, he only ate one bite of it.

The older kids in the back dancing to the Christmas music. They were having so much fun together dancing and singing to the songs.

The Tree

Abbie has discovered the Christmas tree and she is mesmerized by it. She loves to move the needles around in her fingers.

Where's Abbie?

There she is!

Experiementing with the sippy cup...or in Abbie's case, it's a fancy teether. Can't wait to see her face when she realizes water will come out if she figures out how to take a sip.

SNOW!

On December 2nd Dallas saw it's first snow of the season. It lasted a few hours but barely stuck and eventually turned into drizzle rain. Evan was so excited that the best I could do was to get shoes on him...so Lightening McQueen pjs and tennis shoes. Needless to say he didn't stay out long as it was pretty chilly. He loved it though!

Abbie is 6 Months!

I cannot believe that this little girl is already 6 months old. She continues to be such a joy to our family. We are told by people (strangers and friends) on almost a daily basis that she is the happiest baby they've every known - we would tend to agree. Every so often she blows that theory, but mostly she smiles and laughes and talks. She has started to become ticklish and loves to laugh. She and Evan's relationship continues to grow and has remained sweet so far...we'll see in a few months when she can go after his toys. Her sitting up is improved but she can't do it independently for long just yet and she isn't up on all fours yet either. I am in no hurry for true mobility. She does roll both ways and has learned to use that as a form of mobility and you do have to watch her closely or you just might lose her for a second.

On a side note - Evan is 3 1/2 today. He continues to grow into a little boy every day and we are so proud of him. We are truly love being the parents of these two little ones.

Thanksgiving in Mason

We went to Mason for Thanksgiving this year and were able to spend 4 days there. We always love being out in the Hill Country. Evan likes to run and run...and run and run...and there is plenty of space for him to do that. He spent many hours outside with his Grandaddy playing football, feeding the cows, playing with the fish in the cow's water trough and watching the deer.

Trying on the camo suit so they can go watch deer later

All decked out! He ended up wearing it most of the day and then watching the deer from the front porch instead of in the bushes.

Abbie hanging out with her toys

Our Thanksgiving table. We have so much to be thankful for this year.

The Mason tradition of painting rocks

Jeff and Evan playing in the tree fort. They took the walkie talkies with them and had a great time calling back to the house.

Abbie playing on a quilt that my great grandmother made

He has her toy...she seems pretty intent on getting it back. And so it begins....

Jesse hanging out with Abbie. Jesse is the only one of their dogs that really played with the kids. Bonnie liked playing chase with Evan and Molly just steered clear altogether.

Abbie loves to play wearing her daddy's hat...so precious!

Hanging with Grandaddy and Lela

Abbie loved petting the dogs and would laugh and laugh when they would lick her feet

Abbie and Lela - they really took to each other

Jessie the tunnel dog

Playtime with Grandaddy

Tunnel Fun!

Abbie has discovered the fun of the tunnel and she loves to roll in it and play with Evan in it.

Evan pushing through the mesh on the outside to Abbie

Discovering the baby in the mirror on her Excersaucer

Cereal Take Two

Abbie did much better the second attempt at cereal and is a real pro now. We have ventured into a few veggies but unlike her brother, she does not eat everything offered. She has not taken to peas, likes carrots okay and loves her sweet potatoes. Fruits next!

A Little Playtime

Cereal Take One

Abbie has graduated to cereal! She waited expectantly in her bumbo and then it was time. She thought the first few bites were okay but not completely sure about it all. Then she confiscated the spoon and used it as a teether. It was a fun first effort and Evan liked being the helpful big brother.

Halloween

This was Evan's first year to trick or treat and he caught on right away. He had a great time knocking on all the doors with his friend Annie. Afterwards he divided his candy into two equal piles and we gave one pile away as a donation. Once his trick or treating was over, he sat in front of our door excitedly passing out candy to the trick or treaters at our door.