A Few More Things

Forgot also to mention Nolan had his first field trip in kindergarten. They visisted a pumpkin patch and learned all kinds of things. Also Colin sang his heart out in his Thanksgiving Program at school. Finally, here is a picture of a wild fox the boys spotted in our back yard a few weeks ago. Oh also a picture of Grandpa and Aunt Cara with all the grandkids at the beach in October.

Catching Up

Lots of catching up to do here. We had a great Halloween. Matthew actually dressed up which is HIGHLY unusual. I sat out with the neighbors passing out candy while Marty took the boys around the neighborhood. Afterwards, their friends, the Greely boys (also 3 boys) came by for a visit.

We went camping the next day (Nov 1st) to Palmetto State Park near Seguin. What a great time. They boys fished, kayaked, geocached with GPS units, hiked, etc. We will definitely need to do this again.

Baseball is finally over (for now) - thank goodness. Matthew's team won the championship!!! It was so wonderful because they lost many of the regular season games but won out in the tournament. Nolan enjoyed t-ball but says he wants to play soccer next. That should be fun.

We are off to Ft. Worth today for Thanksgiving with the cousins. We are praying that we won't trade viruses because all 3 cousins have been running fever, etc, and Colin has a bad cold. That's about all for now - I need to get packing!

Oh - one more important event. Cara and Marty ran the Inaugural Rock N Roll Marathon here in San Antonio!! Marty ran the whole thing (26 miles) and Cara ran half. They both did great. Marty limped for about a week after but seems recovered now. Great Job!

Obama Wins

I know you know by now but I had to add this entry. I will so enjoy going back and looking at this in the months to come. I am so excited and so relieved. Praise God. As one of my dearest friends, Jenny, put it in a text to me last night "America has been redeemed."

Fall Ball

In the fall, the little league calls baseball "fall ball." I am beginning to really like fall ball. It is not nearly as competitve as spring ball and more of a learning experience for the boys. Marty is coaching Nolan's t-ball and Matthew is playing coach-pitch with a great team. Matthew has played most positions but likes 2nd base and left field best. He is hitting well and we are proud of him. Nolan is doing a great job as well. He listens, hits hard, and pays attention in the outfield.

10 Things I Love About Austin

1. There they are, just as you almost hit the city limits - slowly you start to see them... OBAMA bumper stickers!! They're everywhere and I am reminded yet again how I miss Austin.
2. The Longhorns
3. UT (yes this is different from the Longhorns - the University itself, not the sports)
4. Zilker Park and the Zilker Zephyr
5. Barton Springs
6. City Parks around every corner
7. Town Lake (I think they've renamed it which is probably a good thing)
8. Runners
9. Recycling containers readily available
10. Only 70 miles from San Antonio!

Matthew and Colin's Birthdays

Well I couldn't locate the camera during Matthew's party so I don't have any pics. It went well - we had 13 boys here at the house for pizza, games, a movie, and cake and ice cream. Some came straight from school and others later - they all left around 8. Matthew had a great time and it actually wasn't all that bad... :). Kathy, my mother-in-law came over to help me because Marty had to leave mid-way through to coach Nolan's t-ball game. Thanks Kathy! I can't believe Matthew is 9! I've been looking at baby pictures of him for a project he is working on at school and I just can't believe it.

Colin's party was somewhat of a repeat of Nolan's (Chuck E Cheese). He had a blast because all his classmates and his teacher and her kids came. We had a great time. My baby is 4. He loves Chuck E Cheese and got up to dance with him.

Life in South Texas

I had to publish this photo of Marty returning home from dove hunting. He bagged 10 doves and was given 2 to make 12. He is responsible for cooking and eating them. Last year he did well - grilling them on skewers and serving to family. I would have never believed my husband was a hunter had you told me this 5 years ago. Life is sure different here in Helotes than it was in Austin. I love our life but do miss Austin. I have to visit Austin a few times a year to keep me grounded.

San Antonio is all abuzz with hurricane Ike fear. People are lining up at Sam's and Costco buying cases of bottled water. I say, just fill up your jugs and coolers with tap water. It's all going to be just fine. We are praying for our neighbors along the Texas coast however. It's during these times that we're glad we just rent condos at the beach and don't own any!

Colin's First Day of School

Well, I took the camera like a good mom, got there early, pried Colin off my leg and got ready to take a picture when... waaa-laaa battery dead. Anyway, here is a photo of him afterschool (after I charged the battery) but he was very sleepy and not interested in the camera. He loves school and his teacher Ms. Kari (and so do I). His best friend Gabriel is in his class so that makes it all the better.

Nolan's 6th Birthday

Nolan turned 6 September 3rd. Happy Birthday Nolan! Here are some pictures of his party at Chuck E Cheese. We had the party on his birthday (Wednesday evening). It worked out great as we were the only birthday party there. We are in for another round of baseball starting in a week or so. I do think I'm crazy. Marty got roped in to coaching again so at least we'll have some control of the practice schedule. Nolan is doing great at school - he does seem a little overwhelmed when he gets home though. He is making new friends and singing new songs everyday.

August Rain

We are so excited to have rain in August!!!! The grass is green - can you believe it???

Astros Trip

We made our annual trek to Houson earlier this month to see an Astros game. Next year we will bring our own food - remind me of this. $4.50 lemonade, etc. We had a great time even though the Astros lost. A homerun ball went right over our heads! We stayed for the Friday night firew

orks which was a little crazy. I've never quite seen fireworks like this. It was kind of like the fireworks were on steroids (or something else for that matter). Either that or the fans were supposed to be... Anyway, I think the boys liked it - too much/loud for Colin.

First Day of School and other late August news

Nolan started kindergarten Monday. Matthew hit the big 3rd grade hall (yes

- hall not portable although there are 3rd graders in the portables this year). All the 2nd graders were in portables last year so that means some are out there for the 2nd year in a row. Anyway, Nolan was so excited, popped out of bed saying "I wasn't asleep, my eyes were just closed!" And yes, teacher requests still work in this day and age - eve with 11 kinder teachers! We got the teacher we wanted!! Matthew's teacher is a winner too. We are very happy. It has been an adjustment for all of us but we are doing well. I think I am the most upset - worrying that the school is too big, Nolan is too overwhelmed, should I have put him in private kinder?, etc. etc. Colin also met his teacher yesterday- he starts next Wednesday. He is going to love school just like last year. Tonight we hit Nolan's open house - Marty actually got a sitter because he wanted us both to go! I am excited to see my sisters Dale (from Michigan), and Jo (from Houston) tonight - they are in for a visit. That's all for now.

Last week of summer blues

Well - here we are with 3 weekdays left before the boys go back to school. It will just be Colin and me for another week and a half and then he'll be off 3 mornings a week too! I think Matthew and Nolan are ready - they both love school and actually seem happier when they come home from school than when home all day. We are trying to get them back on the school bedtime schedule but Nolan and Colin are fighting it with a vengence. The olympics doesn't help either since Matthew loves watching it with Marty and I. Tomorrow afternoon we'll head up to the school to see the class lists posted. We'll see if my subtle email to the Principal and VP helped at all with Nolan's placement (I requested a specific teacher even though they "don't take requests"). Us kinder parents just get a little anxious ourselves this time of year... Matthew is the veteran 3rd grader now so hopefully all will go well there as well. We are gearing up for another baseball season starting in September. Oh yeah, Marty is training for the San Antonio Marathon in November. Cara (my sister) is training to run half of the same marathon (13 miles)! Me? I have no desire to run a marathon - I have started running again myself for exercise thanks to their motivation though. I really enjoy running but 3 miles is good for me. Well that's it for now.

The Alaska Railroad.

Matthew at Rika's Roadhouse - Delta Junction, AK.

Nolie Bear.

Mt. McKinley (Denali) Denali National Park.

Nolan on one of the many airplanes.

My brother John, Crystal, and JR, in front of their log cabin.

The boys in the ice museum in Chena, Alaska.

2 More Weeks of Summer (but at least 6 more of the extreme Texas heat)

Yes I know it has been 6 (yes six) months since I've posted. Sorry. We've had a great summer. Matthew and I were going over the answer to the ever popular "Where did you go this summer" question his 3rd grade (yes third grade...) teacher will ask the first week of school. Well, we went to the beach the first day of summer for 2 nights where Marty attended the annual Southwest TX United Methodist Church Conference and the kids and I played at the beach - grandma, grandpa, and cousins were there too. We took a day trip to Austin to visit our friend's, The Zuniga's, newest family member baby Adalyn. Marty and I snuck-in another trip to the beach for the surprise wedding of his sister Kara to Mario. Welcome to the family Mario (and thanks for the new cousins - Marissa and Anabel)! Thanks grandma and grandpa for taking care of the boys for the night. We took an amazing trip to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and cousin JR in Alaska. The kids will tell you all about this trip - it was well worth the 14 hours in airports and planes to say the least. We visited the cousins in Ft. Worth for a few nights. This week we are off to our 2nd annual summer Houston Astros game - the boys are very excited and all but Colin and Marty have our Astros shirts and hats ready. I am actively avoiding thinking about the fact that in 2 weeks our Nolan will be off to kindergarten. That's a whole other post. I'll end here for now and try to get some Alaska pics up.

Easter and other March things

Wow, I'm not so good at keeping this blog current. The boys had a great Easter as did we. We had lots of family over for Easter afternoon/evening. Tons of food and better yet - lots of desserts and candy. The boys are still sneaking candy all hours of the day and night. I am actually eating spilled skittles as I type - yes they were just laying here on the computer desk - ooh there's a pack of nerds should I need more sugar. I am out of sorts having been off work for Spring Break am going back tomorrow. I got some great news... I'm able to take the whole summer off! I have the best job ever (aside from my full-time job of motherhood).

March is definitely "in like a lion" around here. Coach-pitch and t-ball are in full swing with practices/games almost 5 nights a week and Saturdays. We'll see how I handle this. I have already given Cara an earful of my coach-pitch concerns (2-hour practices 2x a week, 2 games a week, somewhat competitive dads practicing with the kids including one dad who made his son do push-ups when he missed a catch). This could get Friday Night Lights scarry - ha ha. Anyway, I can't keep my mouth shut so I'll be talking with all the moms soon and get more scoop on if this is really what I want for Matthew. So far he is very happy and enjoys practice. I am a little down because I will miss both of their first games Saturday. My dearest and bestest friend in the whole wide world will bury her baby brother, Ed, Saturday and I will spend the day with her and her family. He was 29 and fought hard, and we all prayed hard but in the end his body just couldn't go on anymore and God's will was to take him peacefully on Good Friday. Please keep Erica, her mom, dad, and family in your prayers.

Lego Mania

Matthew is a huge lego fan. He has been able to build things I can't for a few years now. Just recently Nolan has taken an interest and is really getting creative. The other day he made me a giraffe that looked like a giraffe (a lego one anyway). Here is a pic of him with one of his many creations.

Colin's Visit to the Dentist

The Dentist and his staff are always so amazed at how "good" Colin is at the dentist. They are always prepared for a screaming 2-3 year old and he just climbs right up on the table. He had a little trouble this time because his top tooth was hurting (from running into the wall), but he made it through just fine. Nolan is also a good helper. He and Matthew had been to the dentist a couple of weeks earlier. I'll also post a couple of pictures from Valentine's Day parties.