January Snow!

In early January, we got our first winter snow! We do not always get snow every winter here in TX, so I told Eli not to get his hopes up this year. Well, I was wrong and he was delighted! After about an hour of constant snowfall, I could no longer contain the boys' constant requests to go play outside.

Isaiah quickly got cold and kept coming inside to warm up and then back outside to play. Eli, on the other hand, was more than happy to stay outside building his snow man and making snow angels.

Before we came in, I decided to try making real snow cones. For flavoring, we used maple syrup, which turned out pretty good! After our icy treat, the boys and I warmed up with some hot chocolate and marshmallows. Snow days sure are fun :)

Company for Christmas!

Jerry had to work this Christmas, so I asked my mom to come a little early and spend Christmas with us. What a great idea! On Christmas Eve, we shopped at a few stores, then attended a Candlelight Service. Afterwards, we met Jerry at Applebees for a pre-Christmas dinner and opened a few presents once we got home.

On Christmas morning, the boys openend their gifts from Grandma Carolyn and then we got ready to go see Yogi Bear at the movie theatre. I guess it's popular to go to the movies on Christmas, because there were quite a few folks there! When Jerry got home from work that night, we enjoyed a dinner of pot roast and veggies, rolls, and cranberry crumb cheesecake for dessert! The boys were very eager to open the rest of their gifts and stockings now that Daddy was home to share in the festivities :)

The remainder of the visit was spent grocery shopping, and visiting 2 new attractions. The first was the Sci-Tech Discovery Museum in Frisco. Inside were various centers featuring math concepts, and an area full of wooden contraptions for all the hands on fun you could ask for! The boys could have spent hours playing if we had let them :)

On the last day, my mom and I took the boys over to see the Christmas display inside the Gaylor Texan Hotel. The HUGE atrium held a gigantic Christmas tree, a toy train display, various Christmas displays, and our favorite-a gingerbread village! We would have liked to tour the Charlie Brown Christmas ice sculpture exhibit as well, but it was a bit too costly this year. Maybe next time....

Isaiah's 3rd Birthday

Amidst all the activities, we were excited to celebrate Isaiah's 3rd birthday. Once again, he wanted an Elmo cake, so I let him choose a cake topper at the Walmart Bakery. His cake was gluten-free, of course, and didn't end up tasting too great :( The cream cheese frosting was yummy, though! Kids only eat the frosting anyway, right?

With his birthday, came Isaiah's graduation to Eli's hand me down bike with training wheels. Isaiah proudly rode down the sidewalk, sporting his new ride and helmet! Now he just needs to learn how to ride down hill....

For those of you that know Isaiah, he is quite the character. After multiple attempts to get a good picture, I ended up loving this goofy shot! He is my funny little man :)

Since Isaiah loves Elmo, Grandma Cathy bought him an Elmo game for his Smart Cycle. He eagerly peddled his way through the game, collecting fruits, vegetables, and other foods :)

Holiday Activities

The boys and I attended the Angel Breakfast at Frisco Bible Church. Jerry was working that weekend, so the family picture only included the 3 of us :( Both boys made a chocolate chip cookie mix jar and enjoyed a breakfast of sausage w/ biscuits and gravy. Eli especially loved the donut holes!

The previous weekend, the boys and I visited Frisco's Merry Main Street for the 2nd year. Jerry was working OT at the event, so we were able to meet up with him for a bit. We snacked on nachos, chili frito pie, and apple cobbler. Then we played handbells to the tune of Silent Night! On our walk back to the car, mom snuck into a candy store to buy some Butterfinger Fudge. Yum :)

Another night, we attended a gingerbread house making party with some homeschool friends. What a turn out! I thought I would try something 100% edible this time, and made the houses from graham crackers. Unfortunately, the icing did not dry in time, so I had to secure the walls with hot glue. On our way out the door, Eli accidentally dropped his house which of course broke to pieces. I did my best to put it back together at home, but it wasn't pretty. Poor Eli was so uspset, so I let him eat all the candy that night after dinner. That seemed to make everything all better!

The week before Christmas, our playgroup had a little party with gift exchange. It was a small turnout, but the moms and kids still had fun :) Eli ended up with some toy airplanes and a 3D puzzle, and Isaiah got some shooting cardboard airplanes and a jumprope.

A couple days later, we bundled up again to go see the lights at Frisco Fire Safety Town. It was a lot less crowded this year, so the boys didn't have to wait in any lines. We made our rounds through the little buildings, collecting candy canes along the way. After a brief storytime and climb on the firetruck, we headed home.

Thanksgiving

After years of random Thanksgivings, we finally started a tradion (maybe). For the 2nd year now, we spent our holiday visiting Santa's Winter Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops. We are not big fans of crowds, so this is the perfect day to come.

After passing closed or crowded restaurants, we decided to splurge and eat at Uncle Buck's Steakhouse inside Bass Pro Shops. (No, we did not order steak). The boys had cheeseburgers and applesauce, while Jerry and I enjoyed Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, and veggies. What a tradional Thanksgiving feast! Would you expect anything less from us?

After dinner, the boys had fun at the shooting range, raced slot cars, drove remote control trucks, rode the Reindeer Carousel, and made an ornament. Neither boy was brave enough to sit on Santa's lap this time :)

Birthday Bash!

This year we decided to combine the boys' birthdays into one party for a change. Several friends joined us for some roller skating in Lewsville. Boy, was it crowded! We did not expect there to be a dozen other parties taking place all at the same time. Despite the crowds, everyone still had a fun time.

The skating rink also had a clever "walker" contraption to assist the beginner skaters. Eli got the hang of it quickly and was racing around the rink for most of the party! Even Mom hitched a ride on Isaiah's to help him get some speed! Of course Jerry did not need a walker, as he skated effortlessly in all sorts of directions. He has always been lighter on his feet :)

Isaiah

Our little man has definately cost a pretty penny lately! For over a year, Isaiah has been battling digestive issues. We recently took him back to our chiropractor for some adjustments to see if it would help.....but to no avail. The next step was to put him on a gluten-free diet.....success! In an attempt to clear him from his allergy to wheat/gluten, we have been taking him to a NAET (accupuncture/chinese medicine) doctor. This last week, he has received treatment for low calcium absorbtion, and gluten/wheat. The latter treatment does not appear to have worked, so we will most likely attempt another later this week. Our hope is to get our little man back on a regular diet, enjoying a variety of foods again......I'll keep you posted!

Birthday Boy!

Eli celebrated his 6th birthday last month! Jerry and I surprised him with a new bike at Richardson Bike Mart. Eli was excited to get home and take a bike ride with Dad. His old bike sits in the garage, waiting to be handed down to Isaiah on his birthday next month :)

Halloween

Fall is one of my favorite times of year, so I was eager to take a trip to the pumpkin patch. This year, we tried a new place in Flower Mound. The patch included bounce houses, wagon rides, rows and rows of pumpkins, and an area filled with wood cut-outs and props for picture taking.

The next weekend, the boys and I waited in the rain with hundreds of frisco residents for the Frisco Fire Safety Town Halloween Spooktacular!!! After an hour and a half line, we were able to trick or treat in the miniature town and the boys were thrilled with their bags of candy! Next year, we will definately wait to come towards the end of the night to avoid the long lines...

The following week, we attended two Halloween parties. One party was a homeschool crafts/cupcakes at the park, and the other was a backyard parade/games/treats with our Little Elm playgoup.

A couple nights before Halloween, we took the boys to the Fall Festival at Stonebriar Church. It was pretty crowded last year, but this year was even busier! We only caught the last hour of the bounce houses and games, but Eli was still able to win plenty of candy!

After all those activities, I was pooped! Our church was holding a trunk or treat on Halloween night, but I opted for a quiet evening. Instead we took the boys around our neighborhood for some good old fashioned trick or treating. Eli was so excited to ring doorbells, that we constantly had to remind him to slow down and wait for his brother! Again, both boys came home with full bags of candy, which we are all enjoying :)

Homeschool Field Trips

The end of August marked the beginning of another year of homeschooling. This year Eli entered 1st grade and Isaiah started preschool. One benefit of homeschooling is the field trips! Here is a recap of the trips we have taken so far....

"Farmer Duck Tour" at Heritage Farmstead in Plano. The boys got to wash clothes and dishes by hand, beat a rug, grind corn for the chickens, and take a covered wagon ride.

"Autumn at the Dallas Arboretum." The grounds were lined with hundreds of pumpkins including several pumpkin houses for the kids to walk through.

Fire station tour at Frisco Fire Safety Town. The tour guide talked with the students about fire safety and how to communicate with a dispatcher. They even got to try on a coat and boots!

Homeschool Day at the Fort Worth Zoo. We spent an entire day looking at the animals and enjoying lunch/ice cream with friends. I got some unbelievable pictures that day!

Henrietta Creek Apple Orchard. The students learned about the process of turning cotton into the clothes we wear today. Also discussed were bees, polination, and honey. We were then given a tour of the orchard and each student got to pick an apple to eat!

"Pioneer Tour" at the Log Cabin Village in Fort Worth. Students were taken from cabin to cabin to learn about the pioneer way of life. Included were the history of Indian corn, candlemaking, and weaving on a loom.

Dad's Bike Race #2

This time, Jerry entered a 12 hour race with one other partner. Again, the race was scheduled on a weekend that turned out to be even hotter than before---a high of 107 degrees! The boys and I could not go this time, as Eli had a football game that morning---in 101 degree heat.

At the start of the race, participants had to run with a wheel and attach it to their bikes, then hop on and be on their way. Below is Jerry all suited up and ready to race. Bike riding has become quite a hobby for this active guy! Jerry looks forward to competing in future races...

Ce-le-brate Good Times, Come On!

July also marked my 31st birthday, so Grandma treated us to my favorite restaurant, PF Changs! That night, Jerry and I went out to a movie while Grandma and the boys decorated a "robot" cake for my birthday :)

At the end of July is another important day.....our wedding anniversary! This year we celebrated 11 years by attending a Rascal Flatts concert. Neither of us had been to a concert in over 10 years, so it was pretty awesome!

Among those performing were Kellie Pickler, John Rich, and of course Rascal Flatts. The concert was hot and humid, but worth every minute :) I can't remember the last time I was up so late at night! Reminded me of the old days.....

4th of July

Grandma Cathy was with us this year for the 4th of July! Our rainy morning started out with the Plano Independence Day parade, which we went to last year as well. The boys were thrilled with all the free goodies and candy!

That afternoon, we attended the Frisco Freedom Fest, which quickly got rained out. Due to the high winds/rain, all the guests were taken inside of City Hall until the weather improved. After about an hour, the festivities were back in full swing despite the constant drizzle. We were still able to enjoy the bouncehouses, bungee jump, and fireworks.

The next evening, we took Grandma to go watch a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game. Grandma spoiled us with plenty of nachos, hot dogs, soft pretzels, and root beer! Our 4th of July ended with glow sticks and an awesome display of fireworks over the stadium.