Finally a Saturday off...

Audrey and Holden goofin' around at Artie's playhouse!

So work has been a little busy lately, add college and you have a recipe for very little fun. Saturday the 23rd was my first Saturday off this month and we spent it just being kids. Rick just back from Vegas was exhausted so we spent the morning letting him sleep and cramming in fun on a wet rainy day. Amanda and Holden treated us to Artie's Playhouse. It is a cute community kid theatre. The actors are all kids and the play was adorable. We watched while we enjoyed popcorn and even joined in some dancing at the end. From there we drove to Grapevine for Madison's 6th birthday party at Skatetown. Luckily my old skates still fit and we had a good time pushing Audrey and Holden around the rink. From there we cruised home and took a well deserved nap. Definately a great Saturday!

How did my baby get so tall?Happy B-Day Madison!

Holden getting the hand of skating!

Mobile Pics

Breakfast with Audrey at McDonalds Over the holidays Bailey took off for Washington State to visit family. At home Rick and I had a lot of 'Audrey' time. We did a Mom and daughter breakfast one morning on the way to school at McDonalds. It was fun, Audrey and I shared pancakes and she had a lot of comments to make about the other people eating at McDonalds. Rick and Audrey went to a couple of movies, Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Frog Princess. Audrey seemed to enjoy being an only child, the first day that Bailey was back she decided to give herself a haircut! Luckily she only cut herself bangs! Audrey unfortunately has recieved many compliments on her new Tinkerbell do!

Audrey after her self-infliced haircut, all that styling must have made her exhausted!

Coming to a Christmas Card Near You

Last night the girls and I put together the Christmas cards in the new office. I stuffed the envelopes, Bailey put on the labels and Audrey stamped ever one. It was a fun family night. I was even good and got them in the mail today! Below is a preview of this year's cards. I was able to get a few photos of the girls on the Texas Women's University campus last weekend. The leaves are full of fall colors right now, not the best for 'Christmas' cards, but hey what can I say thats Texas!

Photos at TWU

The weather was about 40degrees outside and it was

pretty breezy, but we all toughed it out for about half

an hour to get a few cute photos. Audrey cooperated for

about 12 minutes and then gave up on any effort to smile

or pose in any picture. Of course the joke was on her

because she was already captured in several good ones!

Bailey complained all the way there and then when on site

immediately decided to become photographer extrodinaire!

All in all we had a good time, as you can see from the pics!

Where did November go?

Audrey's Preschool Fall Program

Trying to capture a marigold sunrise Bailey and baby Ryder

Audrey..starring in BUBBLE Mania

Between Audrey and Holden's birthday/Halloween party and Thanksgiving, I think I must have misplaced about 20 days somewhere. Hard to believe that Christmas is only about 20 away from today. The cold front that moved in this week brought me a serious case of procrastination. I can't even get motivated to put up my Christmas tree. Of course the best intentions...I don't know why I always start so many great projects and never seem to get around to finishing them. I started a Hello Kitty Halloween top for Audrey in October and to date only the trim is finished. I have two project boards that I decoupaged sitting in my bedroom, awaiting completion. I bought a ton of Christmas craft things to put on the tree this year, that might make it by next years tree. And of course the soap I planned to make for gifts this year, is still just a thought buried in my busy little brain. On the up side the things I have accomplished...thanks to my cousin Amanda I learned how to make artisan bread. Audrey and I discovered that if you put a bunch of hand soap in the bathtub and start the jets, you get bubbles to the sky (see photo). James Ryder and I have formed a little neighborly bond, he even lets me feed him from a fork. We got the new office completed and actually moved in...and the guest bedroom is as of last night actually a bedroom with a bed and all. I have a lot to be thankful for this year, so what if I my Christmas cards never make it to the mailbox...

SEAWORLD

Chilly days at Seaworld....

Hanging at the Children's Museum in downtown San Antonio. Audrey did the shopping, Bailey did the serving and I enjoyed a few fake plastic tacos....

"Kids, I said the monkeys

under the trees!"

Well you can't plan everything... It turned out to be a fun-filled busy weekend in San Antonio. I

think we may have done more than any year before! A switch in plans on Friday had us staying at the Baymont Inn and the cold front that rolled in made almost everything I had packed unneccesary. Luckily everyone rolled with the changes, the kiddos seemed completely unfazed. I think we could have stayed in a plastic tent under the overpass eating beans out of can and they probably would have still been excited! We got to eat on the Riverwalk twice, once at the traditional Casa Rio and once at HardRock. This year we actually took the boat tour on the Riverwalk and had a chance to go to the Children's Museum. On the way back Liz and I made sure that we stopped at both outlet malls. I would say overall the weekend was a total success! Here are a few pics of the weekend. Note to self: Next year pack for 2 seasons! :)

Busy busy busy...

So as usual I am always running behind. Though today after logging in and checking my email inbox, I had 154 unread items. To my delight I had apparently won 4 foreign lotteries and a widow with cancer has decided to leave me her inheritance! I am going to chalk that up as a good day. Two weekends ago we make a quick trip to OK with the kiddos, I am attaching a few photos from our visit to the Oklahoma Museum of Science in OKC. Last weekend we spent at home, visiting Craft Day at Home Depot and attended the Roanoke Fire Department Kids Day. Another busy and fun filled weekend. This coming weekend is the annual SeaWorld trip. James Ryder's first meeting with Shamu, it should be a lot of fun. Our dance card is filling up quickly for the rest of year, it going to be a race til the end of 2009. I am looking forward to every day!