Boys Pictures

I took some pictures of the boys the other day...

Thanksgiving 2009

I just put together a little something at our house for Thanksgiving...

Beautiful isn't it... ok our dinner looked nothing like this, but I did make dinner all by myself :) I cooked a turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, candied sweet potatoes, stuffing, rolls, and apple pie. I would have loved to do more sides, but doing a Thanksgiving dinner by myself was quite the task. Oh and we ate on paper plates because I knew I wouldn't want to do all the dishes after cooking all day.

Chad did a good job with a lesson about Thanksgiving and sharing with the boys, and I made a turkey activity with them. After that we went around the table and said what we were thankful for. Devan was so cute, he came up with a huge list of things he is thankful for, his brother, mom and dad, grandma, grandpa, trucks, food, Jesus, houses, and the list went on. Then we ate way to much, cleaned up, watched Charlie Brown, and that was pretty much the day.

Here's a list of things I'm thankful for...

1. Chad- He's been my best friend since shortly after I met him. I was just thinking the other day how while we were dating the only time we even spent a day apart was when I went on a trip to Costa Rica, and a trip to Denver. We didn't date for very long, but since we spent ALL our time together we got to know eachother super fast. I've been so impressed with how he has done with his job. He's such a hard worker and SO smart. Another thing I love about him is he's always so supportive of things I want to do. Oh and he makes me feel pretty (what girl wouldn't like that!)

2. My boys- Devan has such a sweet personality. He's always very aware of people's feelings. One day at the park a little boys brother wasn't being nice to him and the boy looked very sad. I watched Devan go up to him, put his hand on his back and ask him if he was alright. He's protective of Tristan, so much in fact, that one day when I got after Tristan, He looked at me and in a very stern voice said, "You be nice to him, he's my brother". Tristan is such a fun boy. He has a smile that could get anyone to grin. His laugh makes our home a happy place. He is always willing to give a hug and pooch smooch (kiss).

3. My other family- My Mom, Dad, In-laws, Brothers and Sisters, Grandparents, I'm pretty convinced I have they coolest family EVER. My Mom is the strongest person I know and she is so much fun to spend time with. Even though I haven't been able to know my dad like some people know theirs, just having people tell my stories of what a great man he is, makes me extremely proud to be his daughter, and also makes me want to live my life in a way that he would be proud of me. I really lucked out with my Mother in law and Father in laws. From the time Chad and I were together, they always have made me feel loved and a part of the family. Some of Chad's other family members have become some of my best friends and I'm so blessed to know them. My brothers and sisters all married AWESOME people. I love being able to spend time with them when I go back home and kudos to all of them for putting up with my crazy family. My brothers and sisters have gone from being just brothers and sisters to being my best friends. I love being able to go home, have all of us together, and have everyone get along. I know I could call anyone of them at anytime and they would be there for me. Anyone who knows my grandparents know I'm extremely blessed. Some of my best childhood memories are of spending time with them.

4. Modern technology- As I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I thought, this would really suck having to cook this over a campfire. And where would I be if I couldn't look recipes up on allrecipes.com?

5. Freedom!!! This is something I probably take advantage of way to often, but when I read about people that don't have it, it sure makes me grateful. Chad's stepmom sent me an email awhile back about the women who helped get us our voting rights. The things they went through were awful, and that wasn't even very long ago! It was a good reminder for me to ALWAYS take advantage of the freedom and vote. We are so blessed to live in a country with so many freedoms. And God bless those who are out there protecting them for us today!

My list could go on and on. I really love Thanksgiving. It's nice to be able to set aside a day to think about how blessed we truly are. I hope all of you had a wonderful one!!

It's raining, it's pouring...

We got a good rain storm today, and with the little amount of rain we've got in San Antonio this year, it's worth documenting!

"We're all best friends"

Today when Chad got home from work he gave me a hug. Devan came over and joined in on the hug, and then Tristan. After a minute Devan said, "We're all best friends". It absolutely made my night. I hope it stays that way forever!

The Candy Fairy

With all the Halloween fun this year, we were left with an abundance of candy in the house over the weekend. I really didn't want the boys (or myself) veggin' on junk all day and knew I had to do something about it, but didn't know quite what to do until I read this on my friends blog. So Sunday I had a talk with Devan and told him it's ok to eat a little candy every once in awhile, but eating to much would make his teeth and belly hurt (he suprisingly understood). I then went on to tell him about a place called Candy Land, a place where the fairies use candy for money. I told him if he would leave his candy out for the Candy Fairy to bring back to her home, she would in turn leave him some money to buy a new toy. Devan agreed this would be a good idea. Monday morning we set off to buy him and Tristan a new toy. Usually when we pass by the candy aisle Devan begs for a treat, but he didn't say a word this time. We picked out a helicopter for Devan and a truck for Tristan and that was that.