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Thats New

Brian and I are in the Marriage class at church. Brian actually is teaching it, but that makes us participants in the class. I love it. It makes us think and do more for our marriage every day. Last week there was an assignment to do one of 4 things. We decided to "do something different".
Brian planned it out. He got a babysitter bright and early in the morning and we were off for a breakfast date. Even when we were dating we didn't have one of these, so it was totally new to us. The original place he wanted to go was a place he has heard is great ever since he was small. We walk in and the smell of bacon in this place was just enough to make me want to leave. Sorry babe. He was sweet to plan it all out, but I couldn't do it. So we went to a place a know I can eat a good breakfast, La Madeliene. MMMM they have the best french toast. It ended up being really fun and some of the best conversations we have had since being married, that I can remember!



It didn't stop there. Last night we went out to dinner and then decided to play pool of all things. So random, since we have never ever done this before either. We went out with Brian's Brother and his wife and it was a blast. The girls ruled the table. I wanted to be able to brag and say "Ya, I had a pool table growing up" But lets get serious, it was all fluke!
You wanna know something BRAND New that we got to see? HARPER GRACE JONES. Our friends Justin and Andrea had their first little one and she is just the sweetest, prettiest thing ever!

Thanksgiving this last week was really great. We had the whole Rawlins family together, with a little Miller mixed in there. It was over at my cousin Heathers house and it was seriously the best Thanksgiving I can remember. I did decide against black Friday shopping this year though, just the craziness of it all was too overwhelming this year. I did do a little online shopping, that is the way to go!!

I have so much to be thankful for this year. I am thankful for loving family, a warm house (or a cool house!), Healthy beautiful sweet funny lovely children, the gospel of Jesus Christ and my testimony of it, Texas pride, Canadian Pride, Pest control, Treadmills, a good pillow, Pie, chocolate, prophets, technology, ease of traveling...and the list could go on and on. We are truly so blessed to live in this Country with all that we have.

Im thankful for a daughter who wants to be good...

Im thankful for a daughter who loves to get into mischief...

I am thankful for LOTS of good friends who know how to have a good time and enjoy the same silly things together.

I am thankful for sweet Cousins we can take out for her 12th birthday and have cheesecake factory.

I am also thankful for a son who keeps us on our toes all day long. Whether it is hand cream smeared on desks, toothbrushes jammed into printers, honey in the carpet, sneaking loads of candy in his room during a "nap", or just cracking us up with his comments, or whatever he throws our way. I am thankful for him, even though he drives me crazy!

And Last but not least I am thankful for a husband who loves unconditionally, works hard, plays hard, makes me laugh, makes me cry(from laughing of course), makes me good food, cleans, gives sweet kisses, Has a strong testimony, "helps" me make the bed, and can make anyone be a better person. I am one lucky girl. He is one of a kind.

We have had a really fun and eventful week, full of NEW things to be thankful for!

cran crazy

Our kids are nuts. I don't know if every family has kids who are nuts, but mine are crazy and crazy and crazy. I love them, but they are nuts. When the noise goes away finally at night and the kids are all in bed and I get to sit down, those moments are soo nice that I don't want to do anything.
The other day Natalie and Boots were playing house and Natalie said something about going to the kitchen to cook because she is the mommy. Boots was the Daddy and he quickly chimed in that mommies don't cook, Daddy's do! haha I busted up. so true in our house! Daddy definitely cooks!
So i got a white tree on clearance at the end of last season and was so excited to get it up this year. I spent a long time deciding on colors to do on it, and finally we've got it all up and decided on red and white. So I did a little research on some DIY decor in red and white and have gone Cranberry crazy. THESE little things are my favorite though. Ignoring the bad photo, these are foam balls with cranberries hot glue gunned onto them. LOVE them! I also have these crans in rows on the tree, and in other places scattered through our house. I love them, and Courtney likes the ones that fall on the floor. And then I like stepping in the ones that she finds that I had dropped on the floor, after they had been chewed. yum. So the first chapter of Sports in our family has come to an end, until after Christmas. The kids soccer ended and they both got their trophies and final game. Natalie really was improving with every game. This last one, she wanted a goal so bad! She worked hard and I am so proud of her! Boots on the other hand just likes to run. I am not even sure he knows there are rules to soccer! haha

And yes, I am super behind and lacking with the blog. AHHH!! I need that extra hour or two in a day. Or better yet, I need 15 minutes of uninterupted me time to just sit and not be asked for a snack, or a drink, or to help them go to the bathroom, or cleaning someting, or folding, or cooking, or coloring, or buidling block towers, or cleaning, or cleaning, or cleaning... UGH! Anyway, I will try to be better becuase I am sitting her and forget all the good stories I had to tell about the last few weeks.

Misteak

Hi.
We are sick.

In the last few weeks we have been through croup, Ear infections, pink eye, and strep throat. My Dr is sick of seeing us, and really going in multiple times in the week for multiple things is really pathetic. I have had headaches, but lucky for me that is the worst of me. The only thing worse than a sick kid, is having 3 of them passing snot and slobber all over each other. One word DISINFECT please!!
On a much brighter note, we have been prepping for Thanksgiving. We are hosting the family this year and we also have decided it is the year to start the fried turkey tradition. Its juicy, its super fast and hello... its fried! So we did a trial and it turned out superb! Now I'm even more excited for Thanksgiving to come to eat eat eat till my belly is full of turkey and gravy. The only problem is the place settings and decor. I have no FALL decor and really want something on the tables that is EASY and inexpensive. ANY IDEAS?!?! PLEASE I am desperate.

We, as in the whole extended fam, like to get together for fun and always for food. This last week the piano was involved and the mood was set for some lovin', Dancin', and swinging of the arms. Embarrassing for them? Maybe. But I had to catch it, and post it!
COURTNEY - Ever since this little one has started to walk, which has been the last 2 weeks, she has gotten a lot more curious and bold. She will climb onto chairs, beds, and apparently fireplaces. Good thing we don't actually burn fires in ours! She is turning into a little girl version of Boots. I don't know if I can handle another one like that!! The good news for her is that her iron levels were low for a few months and after working really hard to remember to give her her supplement daily, her levels are back up. I hate feeling stressed about making sure they are healthy. Really I am so grateful for healthy kids. I mean, yeah they have croup or pink eye or a cold, but I will take that any day! They are so healthy and happy. Especially Courtney, our VERY healthy and plump eater!

BOOTS...

Originally we had some friends over and it just so happened that they have all girls, so play turned to dress up, pink, and princesses. Boots started out as the prince, escorting, marrying, and just being the only boy. Soon things started to change a little... he felt left out and just wanted to join in, he ran in right as I was fixing to take the picture of the girls fully clothed in princess dress and tiara.

Brian cooks around here most of the time I would say. This is partly because he is better and partly because I am lazy... and he is better. So the other night he made steak and it was so great. Our kids all are meat lovers and when there is medium cooked steak up for grabs, they are the first to take fourths and fifths. Well there must have been a miscommunication with what it is called because boots kept asking for "mistake" or should I say misteak. haha

And as I am listening to him play in his room right now I can hear him singing. Usually there are kid songs coming out of his mouth but today it was "say you, say me. Say it for always, that's the way it should be." perfect spot on. over and over. That kid is classic.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is not a good day to start a new diet. Actually the whole week is a bad week to start. You will be eating the candy and sneaking it past the kids. For whatever reason it is OK for the mom and dad to have as much as we like of it, but the kids are so limited to what they are allowed to eat.
One reason I justify not letting the kids eat as much as they want is the lack of normal food that my son consumes in a day. Today, before dinner, he had eaten 1 yogurt. He spread it out throughout the day and finally finished it right before dinner. He only did it because he wanted a piece of bubblegum. That kid, I don't get him and food. It is a battle every single day!

SOOO, Halloween this year was great. We usually always go to grandma and grandpa's house for a quick dinner then on to trick or treating with the kids. They totally loved it and we went out for about an hour and a half. They carried their own heavy bags and there was little complaining.
Although we were all bugs for our earlier trunk or treat, the kids wanted to dig through the dress up box for a new costume. Natalie was a bride and Stephen was last years pirate. We spunked it up a little since he has a new found love for Jack Sparrow. Thanks to an old blond wig and a little black paint, he got a little jack sparrowed!

Olivia and Avree were so adorable in their thing 1 and thing 2 costumes that Kathleen just happened to throw together! Somehow I slipped not getting the other kids in their getups. I just love that kids transform and think they are what they are dressed up as. I did get the group shot of all the cousins.

After the big dump out, sorting, and eating way too much candy, we watched a little Cat and the Hat cuddled up with Daddy. It was a great day! Love days spent doing fun things with family.

So just a side note about Natalie, she has been attending preschool twice a week and is loving it. I just started her in a little extended program which keeps her an additional hour each time she is there for help on her letters. She really has a hard time with them and she does not learn well from me. She gets real frustrated and mad whenever I try to work with her, so I hope this works better. She is so smart and sharp, just letters and numbers are not her thing. Not so good when you are preparing to start kindergarten!

And nothing like ending the post with a BOOTS story. Tonight after soccer we were on our way home and he was complaining about red stuff on him. When we stopped the car and got out, I noticed that red stuff was blood all over his hands. I had a moment of panic, until I noticed the blood coming out of his nose. I said "Boots, stop picking your nose!" He quickly responded how he always does with a whinny "OK! Im not mom!". Sorry bud, you cant hide it from me. The proof is all over your fingertips! haha