Happy Halloween!! ( I know it was last week)

Well, the weekend of our ward's trunk or treat we were supposed to be in Arizona for my high school reunion. But as fate would have it, the flights were full all weekend and the only flight that we were able to get on was cancelled. So we had no way to get to Arizona in time for my reunion. I was really upset and the kids were crying. So what do you do when things don't go your way? EAT!!! I took the kids out of school early on Friday and we went to see a movie and ate lots of popcorn and movie candy. Then we went to Cici's Pizza and just had a ball. Then to top it off the next night after the trunk or treat -- candy!! I know that's a bad example to set, but we had a blast. There's nothing like some family bonding time. It was worth it.







Okay, about the costumes. Taylor wanted to be a pilgrim again. This outfit was made by Grandma Tanner. Julia was supposed to be a chihuahua, but things didn't work out, so she begrudgingly was a tiger again. Josh's costume was in Arizona waiting for him, but since we didn't go, he just stayed in his soccer uniform and was a soccer player. I wanted to color their hair and put on make-up, but none of them wanted to do that. Poor sports!!

They had fun anyways and spent time with their friends.

On Halloween, we went trick or treating with our friends in their neighborhood. After eating .39 cent corn dogs at Sonic, we hung out in their back yard until they were finished getting ready to go out. So I took the opportunity to take some pictures.

I love this picture. She's high up on the swing set and she loves to model. What a pretty girl!

Josh's costume came just in time thanks to my mom who sent it via UPS. Thanks, mom. Just in case you don't know, he is a wizard. You just can't see his wand. He wanted a wizards hat, and a day before Halloween, most stores are out of most things, but we found a purple hat and tried to put black cloth around it. It was hard and close up it looks really tacky.

What a cute tiger!! I told her she had to wear the halloween socks because it was so cute!!

We love Halloween!!

While we were trick or treating, we found this toad stuck in the water meter cover. He couldn't get out and he was bloated. But you know Curtis and he figured it out and got that toad out. But wouldn't you know as soon as he let him loose, he went right back to the same hole. Go figure!

This is what happens when your husband is not working for a month!!

It first started with idea of building a deck. The concrete porch in the backyard was cracked and uneven with an ugly green outside carpet covering it which was there when we moved in. By the time I thought about taking a picture, this is what Curtis had already started.

This is what it looks like after he finished!!

He then decided to put brick on the end of the porch because the door that goes into our den wouldn't be able to open with a deck. This is how it looked before. (Our dog looks pathetic!)

Here's afterward!

So after the deck Curtis still had time off and some money left over so he (I) decided to replace our 25 year-old stove and oven. Here's our stove before:

Here's Curtis in the mix of things!!

Our new stovetop!!

Here's our old oven.

The new one!!

I'm so proud of Curtis for spending all his extra time doing major projects around the house. He is so handy and I am so proud of him. Putting the new oven in was not easy and it took a day of sanding the edges and bruised legs to get that thing it. But it is so worth it!!

See what Curtis had for lunch? Yes, Debbie, it's a real octopus! He thinks they are so good, but I almost lost my lunch!!


Here we are playing around outside after lunch!!

Well, we didn't get much of what they were predicting (of course). We have almost a half an inch, and it's pretty windy, but that's about it. It's been a fun day and we're just glad we are north enough not to have to go through what Galveston and Houston is going through.

HURRICANE IKE!!!

This was taken at 8:00am before we left for the soccer games. It's windy, but not too bad.


This was taken at 8:30 when we got back from the soccer fields. We were almost there when it started to pour rain. We wanted to play anyway, but they cancelled all games.


11:00 - It has been raining and the trees are blowing in the background.



11:15 - It's even more windy (22mph - gust 31mpg) and more rainy, but it won't keep the kids in. They love this!!

11:15 - It's really raining behind them. I thought this would be a better picture, but I guess not.
More to come later!! Right now, we're going to go each Chinese Food for Taylor and Josh's birthday. Wish us luck.

Okay, here I go again. I'm sorry it's been so long, but with no kids at home during the day, I am busy!! Here's what's been happening in our house since Christmas.

Here's Julia at her square dancing performance. Notice the hands? She is NOT going to hold this boys hands for nothing. She was very upset that Curtis had the video cam going.

This is Taylor as the Good Witch in the play, "The Wizard of Oz". She got to sing a solo and did a wonderful job. Doesn't she look so nice and pretty?

Even though Julia was not a part of the group that did the play, they did ask her to help backstage with the props and the curtain. It was a huge honor for her to be asked!!

I know it's gross, but Josh was so excited to get these teeth out. Curtis pulled the second one out and Josh didn't even know it. There's just something cute about a kid with 2 missing teeth.

I was looking at the trees and look what my sneaky kids were going to do.....throw snowballs at me. We were up in Lakeside during Spring Break and it snowed on us! It was so pretty!!

Happy Easter!! Do I take pictures of them all dressed up in their Easter clothes? No. I take the picture with their baskets on their heads!!

Taylor had her 4th grade field trip down to Austin on Apr. 16th. This is a cavern just full of beautiful formations. They found it while digging for a freeway.

Taylor's words: "This is the Bob Bullock Museum. I am standing with my friends. We got there by charter busses. Amost all the girls in my class, which is 8, got private seats."

"This is the capitol of Texas with all of my classmates, except 2. We walked from the Bob Bullock Museum to here, which is about 5 blocks."

What happened on our way back from Austin?

Hail. And lots of it. This picture was taken the next day. I had the camera so Curtis couldn't take pictures of all the hail. In some areas, there was as much as 6 inches of marble-sized hail.

See the leaves? Those are from our newly-leafed tree. The hail was coming so hard that it shredded the leaves on our trees, all of our flowers, and our newly planted garden - all ruined. Our sky-light was also shattered. What a mess!!

The good news is that we were still able to go to Utah and visit Shelly and family. It was really, really short, but we had a lot of fun!!

I bet you can't tell who their favorite cousin is in Utah? Thanks, Shelly for letting us come and go crazy for a weekend!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Here is Josh singing in his first kindergarten Christmas (I mean Holiday) concert. He did a wonderful job. Kudos to Julia for going up to the very front and taking a great picture!!

We have had a wonderful year and we are grateful to have wonderful friends and family. We love you guys and miss you so much.

By the way, if you haven't had the chance to see my family as elves, you've got to check it out. http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1703283448

Julia was nominated and won the Superintendent Super Star Award. Only one student per school wins this wonderful award. We are so proud of her. She received this award at a school district board meeting and got her picture with the superintendent (above).


We spent Dec. 21st at a wildlife reserve where the wild animals run free. You just stay in your car and you drive through this area and the animals will come to you. This zebra came right to my window and scared me to death. But Joshua wanted to pet it and it let him. I guess they're not that wild. Anyway, there was an emu that came to our car and everytime we would roll down our window, he would try and stick it's head into our car, so we would roll it back up. We had so much fun!!

Last picture of Stacy and the kids and the goat's rear.

We hope 2008 brings you all happiness, love, and laughter, just like 2007 did for us.

This is what's been going on.

Okay, I'll start with the first day of school. I am now a free woman and no longer have anyone at home during the day. They all love school so much and the teacher's love all three of them. Go figure. You think I would have lots of time to do stuff, but as you can see, it's Oct. 19th and I'm finally having time to sit down and figure this out.

How Sweet!!

So what happens when you play on the furniture at the church?

You get staples on the back of your head!! Poor guy. I thought they were so cool. I told him he should show the staples for show-and-tell at school. He wanted nothing of it. By the time the week was up, before he had them taken out, he was so tired of me showing everybody. Hey, it's not every day that you get staples on the back of your head!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!! She had a fun non-sleepover pajama party.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSHUA!! Yes, he's still in his PJ's. He couldn't wait to open his presents.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT SHELLY!! Josh and mom were lucky enough to go to Utah and party with the Lomu family!! What a blast!

What is this??? Taylor is learning how to mow the lawn. We were so proud of her, she didn't even complain. She sure is having fun?!?!?!