Ghosts of Halloweens Past

Halloween 2005
Coleman the Monkey

Halloween 2006
Coleman the Robot
Spence the baseball under Mommy's shirt

Halloween 2007
Coleman the football player
Spence the pirate

Halloween 2008
Coleman the knight
Spence the dragon

Halloween 2009
Coleman and Spence the Clone Troopers
Allie the pumpkin

One very excited Clone Trooper!

One very cute pumpkin!

Halloween 2010
Coleman the policeman
Spence the G.I. Joe
Allie the ballerina

Another Carnival!

A G.I. Joe, a ballerina, and a policeman walked into a carnival. No joke. They really did! More pictures tomorrow. Apparently carnivals are exhausting!

Three Kid Quotes

Kid Number 1 is always saying something funny. Here's his latest:

Coleman: I DO NOT like Kindergarten!!! Wait.... do I?

Kid Number 2 is pretty silly also. Here's what he thought of the disgusting bathroom at their camping site:

Spence: Daddy, I need to go poo poo!
Daddy took him to the bathroom and led him in.
Spence: Can I just go in my pants?

And Kid Number 3, though she doesn't talk in sentences yet, is getting a bigger and bigger vocabulary! I can tell she's gonna be a goof also! We have lots of pumpkins around here, and she has been trying to say "pumpkin" the last few days. Here's how she says it:

Allie: Bup-kee!

Carnival Day!

Today was carnival day at Spence and Allie's school. They dressed up in their Halloween costumes and looked adorable! Well, as adorable as a G.I. Joe Snake Eyes and a Stripper Ballerina can look! When I first dressed Allie this morning, she did everything she could to get out of that leotard! I only saw her disrobing once at the actual carnival though. They had a great time, and we've already eaten half the candy!

See, aren't they cute?

Here's a picture taken outside the school

And the little angel... I mean ballerina!

Allie's class and her teachers

Toss the beanbag

I think Spence has his first crush! He always talks about Emily!

Spence's class

Spence with his teachers
I just love their costumes!

Um, Hi There

I dislike the first day back after taking a little blogging hiatus. I never know what to say. "Oh so sorry that I've been a slacker!" Or "Wow, has it really been over a week?" It's not that I haven't had anything to blog about. Allie had her first trip to the zoo and the guys went on a weekend camping trip. The boys daily crack me up with their crazy ways and Allie has started saying her name, minus the "ll." So it sounds like this: Aw-yee. Adorable! Here's a little story I'd like to share about my neglectful ways. I hope you won't think less of me after hearing it! There's a puddle of chocolate syrup in the door of my refrigerator that I noticed several days ago but have been too lazy to clean up. I realized today that it seems to be inching its way closer to the edge of its contained little area. Hmm, what to do? Cleaning it would involve, well, cleaning it. So I tore off a paper towel and used it to squish back the thick, cold syrup. Then I left the paper towel over it. Maybe one day soon the urge to clean the fridge will strike.

Well, the urge to clean the fridge hasn't struck today, but the urge to blog has!!! I'll start with our trip to the zoo on October 22.

Allie's first trip to the zoo!

We went with Candice, Paul David, and Judson

Candice has some great pictures, just click here!

Look at these two little friends

Going through the fish tunnel

I love this picture of them going through the tunnel with the reflections!

A cute picture of Judson and Allie

The zoo playground

Paul David and Spence checking out the zebras

The Dinosaur Exhibit

Pumpkins!

Today we went on one of my favorite fall outings: the pumpkin patch!

This pumpkin patch is at Sugar Land First United Methodist Church. It's the same one we went to last year. Click here for last year's pictures!

The kids love this big balloon pumpkin. And notice Spence's binoculars.

Searching for the perfect pumpkin

Allie enjoyed looking at the pumpkins. Last year I would prop her up against pumpkins and trees and take picture after picture. This year I could hardly keep up with her!

Have I seen them all yet?

I want the tiny one!

This is a smile.

The best picture I could manage of all three!

Classic Spence

Dear green croc boots,
May you grow with Spence's feet, because I dread the day he can't wear you anymore! You have brought smiles to many a face, including mine each time I see that adorable little boy running around - rain or shine! Oh boots, you are starting to look so small. You used to reach up to a little 2 year old's knees. Now he's almost 4! I'll let him enjoy you until his little toes become scrunched, then you'll wait patiently in another closet. And then a precious little girl will find you, try you on, and fall in love! Thanks for so many memories, green croc boots.

Thought for Today

The prescription for worry is trust.

Beth Moore

Oh how I pray to fill this prescription daily! We have so much going on in our lives, so many people we care about, and it is so easy to worry. At least for me, it is a constant battle. Will they be safe when out of my sight? Will I guide them correctly? Will the test results be good? Will I get it all done? Will I know what to say to that person? But worry does no good. So why do I waste all my efforts on it? I just want to tell myself to stop it! And so does God.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Luke 12:22-25

May we each see our true value to God today and turn our worry into trust.

Women of Joy Conference

October 8-10 I met Theresa and her friend Robin in San Antonio for the Women of Joy conference. It was a wonderful weekend! This was my first time to be away from Allie overnight, but she did great with Brian and my mom. Thanks for letting me get away for the weekend! It was much needed.

The hall at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center (I think there were about 4000 women there)

Friday night started with Sarah Palin. I really enjoyed hearing her speak. She is a very interesting woman who loves the Lord and feels called to serve her country. I'm sure Theresa could tell you much more about her, so maybe she'll blog about it (hint, hint)!

We were about 4 rows back and over to the side. Some women in front of me were standing on their chairs getting pictures, so this was the best I could get!

Another good picture

Our hotel room was amazing! It was right across from the convention center and on the River Walk, so we never had to drive anywhere.

Saturday during free time we went to the Alamo

Sunday our speaker was Priscilla Shirer. She was amazing! I might have to do another one of her studies soon!

Our group: me, Theresa (and baby), and Robin

Happy Birthday to My Friend!

Happy birthday to Candice, my oldest friend! Now, that didn't quite come out like I intended. Candice is not my oldest friend in age, but in the number of years we have been friends. Candice and I met in Mrs. Joyce's first grade class in 1982. I still remember going home one day and telling my mom, "I got to sit by Candice at lunch today!" I thought she was the coolest, and actually, I still do! So Candice, I've written a little something for you here and hidden 11 words or phrases that should conjure up memories of our friendship. I hope you find them all!!!

Candice, you know I'm not a huge vocalizer of my feelings, and that I don't really have a good memory, but let me share some of my thoughts about our friendship. You are one of the friendliest people I know. You've never used people. You would give the woven pancho off your back. You are a wonderful friend, but you can be crazier than a speedo! I wouldn't trade our friendship for anything, not even a little rock from the far side of the moon. Especially now that we're grown up and our lives are like a zoo sometimes! I know that even if the moon turns into paper or the only restaurant left is IHOP, you'll still be my friend! And that makes me happier than a Kramer t-shirt!

I Promise...

...to post pictures from my weekend away soon! It was amazing! I've got some famous people pictures to share.

Beautiful Day, Beautiful Verse

I'm in the middle of changing my blog design, so excuse my mess here!

It's another beautiful day here in Sugar Land! We went to a different park 5 days in a row last week, and then Saturday evening the boys went to a car race and took JACKETS! Today Spence, Allie, and I went to another park and the weather was even cooler than last week. I love it! I'm ignoring the yellow dusting of pollen that is covering everything. I won't let that bring me down! So no more talk of it!

It's only fitting that on such a lovely day, I happened to flip open my Bible to one of the most beautiful verses. I don't think it's that well-known. I want to say it was in one of my Bible studies last year. I underlined it then, and today I was flipping around trying to find Hosea and came across it.

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

Isn't that wonderful? Amazing. It leaves me in complete awe of Him. I hope you feel Him with you today!