Dedicated to you Ashlie!

When I talked to you the other day and you said it didn't feel much like December and that you heard all those birds chirping (in Houston), I had to agree. Before it snowed I walked outside and could hear a bunch of birds making all kinds of noise. They were in the tree at the bottom of our feild. Yesterday though that all changed. We didn't get very much snow, but it was enough to make it really cold and feel a tad more like December. So here's hoping you can somehow find the right mood for Christmas.

The above picture was taken December 9, when we went to go get Christmas trees, the day after Thanksgiving, the below picture is how little snow we had then.

Gingerbread House!!
I thought it would be fun to put a gingerbread house together with my kids, so I bought one of the kits. I didn't think it would be any big deal and the girl who checked me out at the store said to make sure the frosting was warm. I pulled everything out of the box, read the instructions, and warmed the frosting. I started to put the walls together, then thought it might be easier to decorate everything first. I disasembled the walls and we decorated. The kit only comes with so much candy and Mccoy had almost all of his used on the door and two windows. Well, it takes time for the frosting to dry and the walls to stand up on their own and do you think my kids had that kind of time. Uh, NO. I learned a very important lesson from all of this today.
Gingerbread Houses are not meant for 5 and 2 year olds.

Happy Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, I had a few thoughts to share. First, I am so thankful for all that I have and am able to do. Though our country is going through massive changes, we still have many opportunities that others do not. Second, I am so thankful for family. Especially around this holiday season.

Halloween Meltdown

Why is it that some kids are so excited to get dressed up in their costumes for Halloween and then there are mine. Throw a fit, kick and scream, and tears running down their face when finally I give up and say it's not worth it. I only wanted a picture and she was not going to cooperate. Mccoy on the other hand was willing, to get dressed up and get his picture taken.

Family Pictures

It was time once again to do family pictures. I try to do them every fall, it hasn't happened every year, but we have done them at least every other year. What I don't understand is why they have to be such a big deal. The girl taking the pictures was just a few minuets late and my husband kept saying "she has a few more minuets to get here or I'm not doing them." My children didn't want to smile. Lindsey wasn't feeling the best and Mccoy wanted to do pouting faces. We just had to have the photographer keep clicking and we did come out with a few decent pictures.

For anyone who views this, please don't tell my husband he's on here. He'll throw a fit.

Since it has been over a month since I last updated, let me do so now. A lot has been happening since the last time I wrote. We have a new baby and on my previous notes I said Carter didn't cry very much. Boy was I ever wrong about that. All he does is cry when he's awake. He does sleep alot during the day which is a very good thing and he only gets up once in the night. He has been eating like a horse lately, so I think he's growing.

Mccoy and Lindsey are both handling a new baby very well. So far Lindsey has only hit him a couple of times. The both like to hold him, but it only lasts for a few minutes because he starts to cry.

One last note, curly hair. None of us can figure out where it came from, but its there and its cute.

Mccoy's off to school, & New baby

Mccoy started kindergarten last Wednesday and he really does like it even though he won't say much about it. Every day when he comes home we ask him how school went and if he liked it and we only get one word answers. He has Mrs Bernard. His all time favorite thing about school is riding the bus and that he doesn't have to wear a seat belt on the bus. Mccoy has been such a good kid, he is such a trooper. We were supposed to get a new baby the same day school started, but it ended up not happening until the next day. That was such a good thing though, because I got to take him on his first day.

And then,

Here is Carter Mark Stewart. Born September 4 He weighed 7lbs. 7oz. He came so fast, we were at the hospital by 6:00, but by the time we checked in and I got changed the doctor didn't break my water until 7:30 and Carter was here at 12:20. Both Mccoy and Lindsey cried a lot even at the hospital and especially at home, but Carter so far hasn't been much of a crier.

"The Great Outdoors"

Our theme for the summer has been anything outdoors. We have spent a lot of time outside, doing a lot of things. A couple weekends ago we went camping. It was so cold. The weather was nice on Thursday, but Friday the wind blew the whole day. I put on 3 layers of clothes plus a jacket then my coat and I was still cold. The campfire was just not enough and I'm pregnant. My kids must be super tough because they only had long sleeves and jackets and they seemed ok.

All good memories though. And isn't that what it's all about, making memories, even if it's cold. And the kids all had a good time.