Allie's Ballet Recital

After months of practicing, the big night finally arrived:  Allie's first ballet recital!  We were so blessed to find this amazing Christian dance studio, and tonight we got to see girls of all ages and abilities dance.  Priceless moment!  The recital was called "The Invitation" and it started in Genesis and went through Revelation.  We had to leave at intermission because it was getting past bedtime, so I can't wait to watch the DVD.  Grandma, I bet you can't wait to watch the DVD either!  Allie and her class performed second, and they were dressed as God's Promise, the rainbows.

Brian got some really good shots during their performance.  I love the one where he caught her mid-air!

Allie with her flowers from Mommy, Daddy, Coleman, Spence, and Nana.  We are so proud of you Allie!

Soccer

This Fall Coleman decided to give soccer a try.  He's decided not to play again in the Spring, but I think he had a good time for the most part!  He's learned some great skills and has gotten a lot more aggressive!  But his heart belongs to football!  Flag football for now.  So he'll go back to that in a few months.  Here are some pictures from last weekend's tournament.  His team ended up winning 3 of their 4 games and barely missed out on the championship game!

Seven!

Spence turned 7 on November 7th!  Happy birthday Spence!  Here are a few things I want to remember about Spence at this age:

• He loves to laugh and make others laugh.  He's really good at making himself laugh too!
• He's not nearly the messy marvin he was a few years ago, but he still has his moments.  (See the picture below from IHOP!)  Whenever I tell him he has something on his face, he immediately pulls up his shirt and uses it to wipe!
• He is a Lego genius!  He can put together the sets in no time, and he can also make his own creations.
• He is really starting to sense when he does wrong and feels bad about it.  Although he gets really frustrated with himself, I tell him it's good that he knows when he does wrong and he can ask Jesus to forgive him.  I pray daily for him to love the Lord and serve Him!
• Almost every afternoon he and Allie go in the back yard to play with Katie, whose Grandma lives behind us.  Katie climbs over the fence, and they play for hours!  Last night after Brian got home they all swung on the tree swing then played flashlight tag!
• Allie is his best friend and worst enemy, depending on the time of day you ask!

A few days before his birthday, Spence's new Bible and Coleman's Diary of a Wimpy Kid book arrived

Thanks to Uncle Brent and Aunt Dre's card, I didn't have to make a "7" sign!

Dinner at IHOP on his birthday

Instead of a party, we will be going to Great Wolf Lodge near Dallas the week of Thanksgiving.  I'm so glad the kids are enjoying taking family trips for their birthdays instead of having big parties.  Spence hasn't had a birthday party since he was 4, which sounds kind of sad when I say it like that, but we've had tons of fun at NASA, Sea World, and now this year a hotel with an indoor water park!  Allie's last birthday we celebrated at Sea World, and I think Coleman wants his next birthday at Sea World also!  If so, we'll get all three kids' birthdays celebrated there on our season passes.  Not that we're trying to be cheap or anything.  Oh wait, yes we are!

I am so thankful that God chose to bless our family with Spence.  We love you buddy!