There is something a little magical when you see them light up the castle at night with the fairy godmother coming onto one of those little balconies and waving her want and poof up go the lights!
One for the memories... We did it, we made it through a week of Disney with four young kids. Thank you Mimi and Poppy!
It was warm (as you can see by shorts) so we had a moment with the snowman trying to remember it was Thanksgiving and not the 4th of July!
Star Wars 3D ride. I had to take my glasses off and stare at my legs so I would not VOMIT after this ride. The kids loved it and ran to do it again!! UGH!
Mexico....chachacha
The Carlson family run into none other than some of the cast of Jungle Book. It was a throw back moment for me as I was 3 (I think) when I went to Disney with my family for the first time. So watching Dane was fun. (the bear behind me....KINDA BIG!)
we had the great fun of going with Chris' parents and Whitlocks to Disney for THanksgiving!
Here's Halloween Clan...
THING ONE & THING TWO and their friend Kate was Dr. Seuss
No question.....who this is?!
ELISE inspired me this summer (and taught me!) so sew... Anders and Dane were "SUPER A and SUPER D" . Uncle Lee said "is he Alvin from the chipmunks?!"
The D
October has come and gone and so did the pumpkins. But we made it...our annual trek to the pumpkin patch. I had my kids this day and also Katherine and Lucy...Anders woke up with an "upset tummy" this day but seemed like he was going to be ok? Not so much!! We were in the middle of pumpkin land when Anders THREW UP between pumpkin lanes!! At bedtime he said to his dad "I threw up at the pumpkin patch today. Yep and mom put a pumpkin on it. that means someone is going to buy a pumpkin with throw up on it dad....that's not good!" 
It really seems like a sick joke? We are in the worst drought EVER....no exaggeration. Estimated 66 million trees will die...just in Houston. People's foundations are cracking.....crops gone, lakes dried up! We've seen the carnage already. Two weeks ago we had an entire day of rain. It felt like we could all breath for one day. Not enough to rescue anything but enough to say.....we've seen rain!! That one day of rain hatched the "flood water mosquitoes" that have been lying doormat in coastal dry tidal areas. They said it was just the right combination of the way the tide came in and the rains came that hatched the worst epidemic of mosquitoes here EVER!! One mosquito catch that normally catches about 200 mosquitoes/day...this week caught 15,000 mosquitoes in ONE DAY!!!!!!! It feels like a cruel cruel joke to have DROUGHT and MOSQUITOES!!!!!!!!!!! Say it isn't so!!
A gaggle of kids.....had a good time playing in the backyard at Anders "airplane party" on Friday night. This is the group after the water balloons!!
Anders' good friend and special guest to his party...Col. Pat Forrester (astronaut)
Painting planes...
Anders has taken a keen interest in airplanes. He and Gunnar had an argument the other day while Gunnar was watching the Aggie football game. Anders said "let's watch this movie about the astronauts walking on the moon" It was a library rental.... Gunnar replied "this is still the first quarter Anders!" Anders said quickly..."but this is real Gunnar. Science is real life and that is fake" Gunnar responded with confidence.... "that is why you will be a scientist someday and I will be a professional Football player"
Lee...Tanyi (behind man in white hat), Joey & Chris. I took this picture across the field where Jill, Colette and I sat squished on a bleacher near the much smaller Baylor crowd and a very large Aggie student crowd.
Midnight Yell Practice....these bleachers were completely full just a few minutes later
Joey and Tanyi at the Aggie game Saturday...... Aggies vs. Baylor
I can with no hesitation say that it seems like last week we took Audra up to school for her very first day of kindergarten....that we left her, in what seemed like an enormous building with large children and hurried grown ups. She was precious then..... and
She is precious now. This was her 5th grade school picture day. I took her picture at home and could hardly wrap my mind around the fact that it's her last year in elementary. We're already experiencing life changing. The homework is by far more intense and girl drama is ramping up. But Audra is still Audra..... just a tiny taller (not much) and a little smarter:)
The joy of friendship. Over the last couple of years we've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our friends the Forresters. They go to our church, Pat and I have taught some classes together and they are in our Thursday Bible Study. Their two boys are grown and our children have loved getting to know them. Anders in particular has taken a deep fondness for Mr. Forrester. He enjoys spending time with him and building ships and this last weekend he took him to Ellington field where lots of NASA test flight make their home. Mr. Forrester happens to be an astronaut having gone to space many times... This was their latest adventure!
Future Pilot?
Not for long buddy buck, you are in Kindergarten now. Pack up yer beach towel and open your BOB books it's the big time now with Escuela 8-3pm! Pack your backpack we're late again!
Although we are in our second full week of school... the heat BLAZES on here in Texas. With record upon record days of 100+ I am a pool of sweat every day when I bring and pick our gaggle of kids from school.... thus....I'm still thinking of summer! Here are a few more candid shots:)
Best of friends....and cousins to boot.
aaaahhhh what? Did you say camera? These two are not camera shy
A pool in the mountains. the difference with swimming in New Mexico is the water is actually cold unlike swimming in Houston where the water is a nice steamy jacuzzi!
Audra 5th, Gunnar 3rd & Anders KINDERGARTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahhhhhh that was good! Summer on the lake. Minnesota did not deliver entirely this year. We spent many a HOT day there this summer. Family on the other hand, always delivers and we have good memories even if some were HOT!! (one day was 119 heat index!)
waiting for??....
Uncle D & Audra doing their version of the lake...
aaaahhhhhh this is summer!
Two towheads behind the tow...
Dad's and their boys....
A gaggle of cousins on the water....
Wheel of fortune.... depending on the day? you may want or more of these kids:)!!
Our annual trek to Bonita Springs... this year Chris came up for the weekend and was able to join us for our hike. This year....just like in Houston, New Mexico is dry too and we were met with lots of dry streams.
End of summer.....ROOT BEER FLOATS!
After Tyra's beautiful graduation party we got to stick around in Apple Valley for a few days before heading to Windom.... a little longer so we could get Gunnar's arm officially cast after they checked x-rays one more time!
we had a great day at the beach with the Carey's (Bart, Lorelei and their two sweet boys!)
and the boys got to see a TWINS game with their Uncle D, Dad and cousin Tanyi!! they won!
