Family Fun Monday

(I'm really behind on blogging and plan to go back and fill in with posts from Christmas soon. But I'm starting with today and hoping to update more often in the future!)
Keri and Addie both had Monday January 21 off for MLK Day. After a laid back morning of chocolate chip banana bread, playing pretend, and snuggling on the couch we decided it was time to have some fun. We all got dressed and watched part of the inauguration on tv and also took time to remind the kids who MLK was and how he helped to change our world. Then Keri decided we would go on an adventure in our own town.




We loaded up and Keri told us he would drive us around town. If we saw somewhere we wanted to stop all we had to do was tell him and he would! Doak was the first to speak up and chose a fun park near his school. We all played on the playground and had a game of soccer too.




Brock fell asleep on the way to stop #2. But when we arrived he woke up and was happy to continue on the adventure. We never skip his nap so this was a big deal! Addie chose stop #2 to go to the Waterway area.




At the Waterway we watched the beautiful fountains








lounged on Addie's quilt on the grass,




the boys rolled down the hill over and over,




and we had a delicious picnic lunch from a few Waterway restaurants.




We watched the Waterway cruisers (definitely want to do this soon!) and had the best time just relaxing and enjoying each other and the gorgeous weather.




Stop #3 was another Addie pick. She has wanted to go ice skating for months and she finally got her chance! Doak and daddy joined her and they had fun trying something new!




Stop #4 was to Berri-Pop yogurt. Keri and I were still stuffed from lunch but the kids were up for some fro yo with toppings!




Stop #5 brought us back home. We watched a new Wild Kratts special on tv and snuggled together on the couch. Just about a perfect day!
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Christmas card photo shoot

When I started thinking about Christmas cards I knew I wanted to include a photo on our card. We haven't found a photographer in Houston that comes close to replacing Chera so we had no recent family pictures. I asked my sweet friend Lorissa to be our photographer. We met at a pond in her neighborhood, I brought my nice camera, she brought a tripod and the rest was good luck!  She did a great job capturing our family. Here are some of my favorites.









 








 











final shot for the Christmas card

a walk to the museum

The day after Thanksgiving we walked to The Children's Museum that is near our house.  I love that we have so many fun things in close walking distance. 



We have been to museum before and the kids always enjoy it. 



The train table is a big hit for Doak and Brock. 



Although most parts of the museum is geared toward preschool and young elementary age kids, Addie always finds something to do.  She and Cookie took a look at various things under the microscope. 



Papa and Addie experimented with blowing air.  



 One of the new exhibits was this huge lite brite. 



It brought back lots of memories from childhood!



Addie spent a long time drawing a picture at the easel for us. 



cheese Brock!




Fun times looking at the fishies!  We're so glad we got to take Cookie and Papa to the museum.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dad and daughter 5K

Dad started the Couch to 5K program this summer shortly after I started running. It was fun to have someone to talk about running with and to cheer each other on across the miles. When I saw an ad for a 5K right here in our town I asked Dad if he would run it with me. He agreed and the rest is history!

My running time was seriously decreased this fall since Keri only makes it home during daylight hours once a week. And if you know me, you know there's no way I would wake up early to go running! But I managed to run once a week and add in walks or stroller runs when necessary. The week before the race I ran with Brock in the stroller and the big kids following me on bikes. It's not my preferred method but it kept me in good enough shape not to collapse during the race.




The race benefitted the American Diabetes Association. It's pretty neat that the day we ran we also went to the wedding of my longtime friend who has had diabetes since he was in elementary school. We thought it was a cool way to honor him!




Mom was awesome and got all 3 kids fed, loaded in the car, and to the race site to cheer us on!




We didn't win, but we did run the whole time and finish the race which was the goal. I loved experiencing this with my Dad! Love you Daddy!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Halloween 2012

This year for Halloween we had a football player (again!), a Ninja from Ninjago, and Domino the cat.

 

Addie chose to be a cat at her Storybook Parade and she also wanted to wear the same thing for Halloween.  For our night of trick or treating she added a black cat mask. 

 

Doak is obsessed with Ninjago!  Luckily we had a dress up that would pass as a ninja, and we ordered some foam nunchucks online to complete the look.  Can you tell he likes it?

 

Since sweet Brock isn't quite old enough the voice his opinion about costumes yet, and since he LOVES all things football we decided to go with that for his costume again this year.  The vintage helmet and pads are decor from the boys' room and the pants and shirt are what he wears to the Mustang games.  No cost costume=score one for mommy!




A local shopping center held trick or treating starting at 5pm so I took the kids there before Keri got home from work.  It was much less intimidating to have all 3 kids on a sidewalk than going through a neighborhood. 



After a quick Sonic car picnic we met Keri at our friends Lorissa and Mark's house.  The daddies took the kids around the neighborhood while Lorissa and I stayed at the house to pass out candy and visit.  Halloween will never be my favorite holiday, but I do love seeing the kids get so excited, dressing them up, and spending time with our family and friends!