Christmas 2014 - Part 1

December is already half way over - that was fast! Here is what has been keeping us busy....

The house is lit! (Spotted: A creepy husband peering from the second story center window) :)

Christmas cards went out. It only took 3 separate photo shoots and an entire bag of marshmellows to get a remotely okay picture. This wasn't my vision but we gave up and they look adorable. They are always teaching me that things don't have to go my way for them to still turn out okay. :)

Frisco Square lights - something to experience! But don't ask Grayson, who fell asleep. The kid can not stay awake in the car! Another thing he gets from his Mama ;)

Walker-esque Christmas attire. This kid is something special, y'all. He just loves to wear strange things. Especially Brother's cowboy boots that are twice his size!

Christmas movies....

Ugly Sweater party at our last MOPS meeting of the year....these ladies brought it! 

These are the finalists - it was so hard to choose the best. 

I really love my table this year. Heather, in the white sweater, won 2nd place in our sweater contest. The deer on her sweater were really feeling the love that day ;)

Pictures with Santa - my parents' neighborhood had a (free) Santa at their clubhouse so we opted to skip the lines. Glad we did - it was traumatic! But the lunch was good after....

I really didn't ever want to be the parent in the Santa pic. So much for that!

Long day of being fearful of Santa....so Walker was helping to hold up Brother's head while he slept. Melt my heart!  

I just liked this picture of Walker :)

We really love being with friends but taking 3 or 4 or more kids to a restaurant is a BEATING these days. So we entertain at the house quite a bit. Here Grayson is with his fellow leftie, Brady. His parents (Emily & Jeff) are some of the funniest people we've ever met. Looking forward to spending more time with them!

Trains at NorthPark - Ma wanted to take the boys to this and they really enjoyed it :) Grayson more so than Walker. La Duni for lunch after and I was reminded how I could spend every day at NorthPark and be perfectly happy.

Walker is Grayson's copy cat. He does everything his brother does! ;)

Winter is here if our view is any indication. I love to pour a cup of coffee and take in the peace and quiet. For a split second anyway!

School Christmas Programs - Neither boy really liked being on stage with all those eyes staring back at them. They are glad it's over and I'm just glad I got some good video (of them standing there in silence) :)

Cookies after were this program's saving grace!

Grayson was a shepherd and 3rd from right with the massive crook. 

Day 2: Walker spotted Pop in the crowd and it was game over! Pop had to join a hysterical Walker on stage and he settled down immediately.

My friend Amanda threw a PJs and Pinot gift exchange at her home Friday night and what a great time that was! I've met some really cool mamas here and I have enjoyed growing closer to them. Many of them I've traveled to Canton with the past couple years ago and are also in MOPS so I'm lucky to see them often! Endless laughs, I landed an awesome gift and we didn't leave until 2am! I think it was because we were so comfy in our PJs! 

The boys were invited to a birthday party at the Dallas Zoo yesterday and it was so much fun! Perfect weather for December and the boys really enjoyed it. It's so cool to see Grayson get things and grow and ask questions.

Enamored by the giraffes

Penguins!

Our friends put on the hard sell for us to join the Santa Pub Crawl here in Frisco. What a hoot! The dance parties on the bus rides were probably the best part but it was all so much fun!

On the bus with our friend Ben creeping in the background

Group #2 busting out in spontaneous Christmas carols ;)

With Ben & Liz, Jeff & Emily

Tame kick-off before it was an all out dance party. I won't post those pics :)

Hope everyone is enjoying this Christmas season - hugs to all!

Fall Happenings 2014

There has been so much activity around here lately that I'm a little overwhelmed to even attempt a blog catch-up! But here goes - Fall 2014! These are just from whatever I took with my phone but it's better than nothing. :)

Pumpkin patches, of course! - More than anything, Grayson loves his friends. He talks about them, always wants to be with them or inviting them over and likes to talk about when we will see them again. Just like his Mama ;) Here he's with KJ at our Picnic in the Patch with MOPS friends. What a beautiful evening that was!

The Arboretum Pumpkin Patch with our MOPS friends (and another picnic)....

Holding hands with his buddy, Cruz ;)

Walker at the petting zoo at the Arboretum.

Their school took a field trip to a pumpkin farm in Celina. It's a trek but Grayson got to hang with some of his favorites, Chase and Patrick! This is their 3rd year of being in the same class together. I love watching him build these friendships all by himself.

Feeding a longhorn with my biggest boy

 With Fall came lots of parties, both that we attended and hosted. And with that, comes wine. :)

All belted in. Safety first!

Our family attended the dedication for baby Lincoln. A perfect day with our extended Dallas family. But where are my pictures of them?! (Sigh)

We have since invested in size 6 dress up clothes for G. He's just growing so fast!

 

Grayson was Spiderman and Walker was Mickey Mouse. Halloween day was SO busy with visiting Prairie Estates nursing home AND Ma's community party the same day as trick or treating. The boys were busy hustlin' that candy :) Walker was HILARIOUS this year. It was his first year really trick or treating and it took him all of 2 seconds to figure it out. He wasn't really talking that much yet so he'd just hold his bag up to everyone he came in contact with until they gave him candy. If they didn't have any candy to give, he'd just move the bag closer to their face until I pulled him away. He is a trip!

This was one of his first stops, before he realized that he should lift his bag up to help out these sweet residents ;)

 Grayson was DONE after trick or treating in our neighborhood. It feels good to be settles in our new 'hood and know so many of our neighbors. This year it was on a Friday, so we all had the chance to have a party afterward. We all stayed up way too late!

 Beau and I spent the first weekend in November in Austin at a family wedding. The boys stayed behind with Mimi and Pop so we had a lot of fun! ;) We stayed with Andrea and Rogan and enjoyed adult stuff like going to the neighborhood coffee shop (and running into Jerry Jeff Walker - NBD), having drinks at the Driskill and sleeping in. Not to mention road trippin' with my man and blaring some Pat Green. Overall, I give it a 10!

Caldwell cousins at the rehearsal dinner

The Driskill

Wedding night

We brought these amazing cookies back to the boys :)

Career and Hat Day at school - G wants to be a "Cookie Maker" :) and Walker...well Walker, just likes to wear hats. Any hats. And all other accessories!

 Other happenings this Fall:
G and his best girl friend/neighbor Piper went to a 3D showing of Big Hero 6. Why do they look so mature here?!

We already had snow in November! A light dusting but still! And then by the following week, 70 degree weather. Oh, Texas.

Several dinner play dates while the hubbies travel...

 And finally....Thanksgiving! First with the Reynolds Family, then with the my parents and lastly with the Dallas Caldwells.  We are very fortunate to have so much family so close.

Grayson's preferred curling up with Mawmaw. I LOVED seeing this :) 

Beau's Uncle Gary came into town from New Mexico. It was his first time seeing him since high school
and my first time to meet him. He's a great musician and the boys were in awe :)

Mimi doesn't ever show favoritism but when she does it's in the form of place cards! ;) But seriously, how cool is Grayson's?!

Ma, my mom and Aunt Charmaine looking at very, very old family pictures. Ma may be 94 but her memory is amazing and she tells the best stories! I don't ever want that to change.

Friday night with the Dallas Caldwells. 

SO many good memories, not quite as good phone pictures but it's captured here nonetheless. Next up, Christmas!