Friends and Scissors

You might have noticed I'm playing catch up here at The Piks blog!  Scroll down for Christmas and birthday trip pictures.

Last week the kids and I spent the day with some of our favorite people:  Candice, Paul David, and Judson!  We've had a lot of cold weather here lately, and this day was no different!  But we couldn't keep them indoors!

It was an intense game of football!

Coleman and Judson playing Wii

Our famous group shot

The weather finally warmed up, so I wasn't as reluctant to go out with them while they jumped on the trampoline.  They all three love it!  I'm not sure where Spence was this day.  He's usually waiting right there for his turn!

And get ready for a little before and after.  A few days ago Spence and Allie had ceased arguing and I thought they were upstairs playing nicely.  When I went up to check, Allie had locked herself in the bathroom and was chopping her hair off!  She got several strands from the sides about shoulder length, but most of what she cut was right in the front.  At least it's in the area where bangs should go!  It's way short, but it doesn't look too bad.  There may be a few sections I need to trim, but I'm giving it a week or two then I'll see.  I'll never understand why kids feel the need to do this!

Flashback to Spence's Birthday Trip!

The week of Thanksgiving we took a trip to Great Wolf Lodge to celebrate Spence's 7th birthday.  What a fun place!  It was freezing that week, but luckily Great Wolf Lodge has everything you need so we didn't have to leave the hotel the entire time we were there.  We want to go back when Allie gets a little taller and can ride the big water slides.  We got a few pictures in the resort area, but none in the water park, since I didn't want to have to keep up with my phone or camera!  We're really enjoying this "birthday trip instead of a big party" gig we've got going!  I hope the kids continue to realize what a special treat it is to get away together.  I'm pretty sure it was a special trip that they truly enjoyed since Spence and Allie still have on those plastic bracelets they make you wear to prove you're a legitimate guest!

Happy New Year!

I have so many pictures from Christmas and the fun adventures we had with family.  It's a little overwhelming how far behind I am!  I'm even late to be saying Happy New Year, I guess?

On Christmas Eve, we went to church then came home and opened presents from Nana and Poppa and Mommy and Daddy.  The two big ones were a bike for Allie from Nana and Poppa and a basketball goal for the boys.  I usually do Christmas jammie pictures much earlier, but this year I waited until the last minute!  This was right before bed!

Spence had been saving this gingerbread man for Santa for about two weeks.  He added some crackers and a vitamin.  And a note to make sure Santa had actually been there.

Allie loved riding her new pink bike!  She got almost to the street corner when I realized we hadn't told her how the brakes work.  I took off running and caught her right before she went off the curb into the street!  After a lesson on how to apply the brakes, we had a lesson on the best way to crash:  fall toward the grass, not the concrete!

Close call!

 On Christmas day, Daddy and the kids went to pick up Grandpa and Grandma from the airport.  They love to ride the "train."

We've gotten lots of entertainment from the basketball hoop!  Coleman will even go out and shoot baskets by himself sometimes.

The guys got tickets to a bowl game at Reliant through the Boy Scouts.  While they had guys' night at the stadium, Grandma, Allie, and I went shopping and ate at Chili's.  It was a fun girls' night!

This Christmas was really cold!  We tried to find a good weather day to head to Sea World before our tickets expired.  The Saturday after Christmas was pretty cold, but we bundled up and went to San Antonio.  It was super fun to have Grandpa and Grandma there with us!  We enjoyed several shows, including one that introduced the new baby killer whale!  

 

Lucy also made the trip for Christmas!  It was fun to have the dogs back together again.  Aw, our first furry babies.

The kids always have a blast with Grandma and Grandpa.  We had fun outings, lots of cuddling, and, well, I'm not sure what this is!  But it looks fun!