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...