Ready for Christmas

Today James and I went and celebrated Christmas with Lyndsey's 5th grade class. James loved being around all Lyndsey's friends and she was a wonderful big sister to let him "hang out" with her. I guess it is pointless to say that both kids are SOOOO ready for Christmas!

Chillin' at Epcot.....

Although the weather was quite nice while we were in Florida, with only a few spits of rain here and there, Lyndsey, Byron and James found it necessary to cool off in a "cool zone." Of course this was right after Lyndsey, Byron and Anne just got off the Test Trac attraction and LOVED it!

Our Disney World Vacation

We finally had our first "real" family vacation...Disney World for Halloween! It was, as I have told some friends, wonderfully exhausting! We spent 4 days in the Disney parks and rode as many rides as we could....and loved them all (the scarier the better for Lyndsey). We also got to experience Mickey's-Not-So-Scary-Halloween party on Friday night. Lyndsey loved dressing up to trick-or-treat but James would have no part of it. We did manage to survive a dining with the characters experience before the party. James was didn't like Goofy, Pluto, Minnie or anyone else coming near him. As long as they were at a distance he was fine..well, maybe just okay.



Here, I managed to sneak James up to Figment without him realizing it and get a picture!







We stayed at a beautiful lodge called the Wilderness Lodge. It was set on a lake with ferry transportation to and from Magic Kingdom (buses took us to MGM, Epcot and Animal Kingdom).














Mom and Dad (Anne's parents) were able to join us to experience the fun with their grandkids. Although the walking was exhausting for us all, it was great to share it together as a family. We only wished our entire family could have been there with us.

She's at it again!

Lyndsey is really getting into this softball thing. I guess she is becoming a SUPERSTAR since in this pic she hit her 1st homerun! What an athlete we have on our hands.

Two of the babies....

James and Sushi are becoming fast friends. Ok, so it took awhile but what do you expect when James always steps on or pulls Sushi's hair?

Role Reversal......

Ok...so we are outside playing and James wanted to swing, as usual. Well, he is normally in "his" swing and Lyndsey pushes him and then jumps into "her" swing. But on this particular day, James is in Lyndsey's swing and vice versa. I had to take a picture of the adorable pair.

Our star player!

Lyndsey loves to play softball these days! During her 2nd game this past weekend she hit the ball TWICE and got to first base. After one of her hits, another teammate hit her home! She was so excited...as were Mom and Dad.

The BIG Project

Byron and I decided the kids really needed there own play area in our backyard. Now this was a bit challeging since our backyard is very narrow and small. We couldn't buy one of the kits due to this obstacle so Byron designed his own swing set to fit our yard. He reviewed the kit book and measured numerous times until we finally began. This is the final product after 3 weekends of intense, laborous work by both he and I. The kids have played on it everyday for hours and love it!

Big Boy Eating....

Ok...so I have been the kind of mom who diligently makes sure her child's face is clean...even during his meals. So on this particular night Byron was out of town on a trip and I was trying to empty the fridge of leftovers. I heated up some ravioli and carrots for the kids. I just sat James in his chair and put his plate in front of him and let him go to town on his favorite food! Next thing I know is all his ravioli is gone and his face looked like this. All I could do is laugh and grab the camera!

James' First Day of Children's Day Out

Well, James began his children's day out program today. It was a sad moment for Mom to drop him off. He did well...at first. He walked himself in and then realized that Mom didn't follow. I saw him through the window standing at the door crying. Talk about pulling at your heart strings! I cried in the car but all in all it went well. He is such a big boy!

First Day of 5th Grade

Well, today Lyndsey returned to school to begin her 5th grade year. Last night she wasn't too excited but once morning rolled around she was ready to go.....socialize I am sure! She looked so beautiful as she walked out of the door to catch a ride on her first day with a friend. Of course little brother was there to see her off!

Playing in the rain....

While we were outside working in the flower beds, a rain shower hit. And what better time for the kids to play in the rain. At first James said it was a "No,No!" to play in the rain, but once he saw Big Sister playing he joined in. They had a blast!

Lyndsey & Uncle Craig goofing off!

As I said earlier, Lyndsey and Uncle Craig love to play! The night before Craig and Dora left, Lyndsey and Uncle Craig were goofing off big time....she even got him to try this hilarious dance (and yes, I got it on video). She really had a wonderful time and misses them both already.

They are all together!

Finally an updated picture of Byron, Craig and Lynn all together. While Craig and Dora were visiting Lynn joined in the fun before flying off to Canada. It was so nice to have them all in the house together!

A Visit From Uncle Craig & Aunt Dora

It had been quite a while since we last saw Uncle Craig and Aunt Dora - who are from New York. They came to visit for 5 days and we loved spending time with them. Lyndsey and Uncle Craig are two peas in a pod! They played hard and had a great time. We all went to Galveston and played on the beach, although the tide was terrible. James did really well and began to get comfortable in the water with Dad. We also enjoyed a day in Kemah riding rides and walking around. The last night everyone was here we left the kids at home with a sitter and enjoyed a wonderful meal out thanks to Lynn (G-Pa).

Cookie Time

Lyndsey loves to bake cookies.....and lick the beaters, bowls, spoons...whatever is available. Apparently James loves it too! As you can see, they both were enjoying the batter very much!

Bath Time

James loves his bath....and so does Big Sister! Lyndsey got tired of sitting on the outside of the tub and playing with James so off to get her swimsuit on she went. They had a blast blowing bubbles and making bubble faces.

Daddy and Me

While Byron is building a table for our guest bedroom, James is right in the middle to help. Of course, you couldn't ask for a better helper than a 1 1/2 yr old!

A Day at the Circus

The Barnum & Bailey Circus was in Houston so we decided to take the kids for the show. Before the show we could visit the animals and get autographs from the clowns. Byron and Lyndsey had lots of fun with the clown noses! It was a great day to spend together having fun.

Feeding the ducks

We try to feed the ducks at our "lake" each day. The kids really enjoy the ducks gathering at their feet begging for food. They will even follow you when you no longer have any goodies to hand out!

The Kiddos

Well, the kids are enjoying summer...or what is left of it. James and Lyndsey are here playing in their sandbox. Talk about messy though....James is usually covered in sand and water, along with Lyndsey. But, they have a good time.

Byron & Anne's Alaskan Vacation 2007

Well, we did it! We finally took our overdue honeymoon. Byron's dream vacation was to go to Alaska so that is exactly what we did....and loved it! Due to our late planning, we cruised up the Inner Passage with stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Prince Rupert, British Columbia. While in Ketchikan we went snorkeling in the frigged waters and wondered around on our own accord. We wondered upon the first boat to be featured on Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" series and talked to one of the deckhands that worked on that boat for many years.



After our day in Ketchikan, we sailed to Juneau. Can you say breathtaking? Oh my goodness. We loved it there. During our stay, we hiked up a mountain that overlooked the Mendenhall Glacier. The weather was perfect, warm and sunny, and the hike was amazing. We had a wonderful tour guide that loved to tell stories as we hiked. We were even lucky enough to see a black bear, about 2 1/2 years in age, in the top of a tree. Amazing.



Our next stop was Skagway. We just wondered around the town, did a little shopping, and had a drink at the Red Onion Salon. The town was quaint and the weather was bearable. It did rain for a couple of minutes but not like it usually does there. We were very lucky.



Once out of Skagway, we sailed up the Tracy Arm fjord. Byron couldn't put the binoculars away and Anne couldn't keep her eyes off the scenery as well. We saw whales, a brown bear and plenty of seals sunning themselves on the ice. It was truly magnificent. The sights were those that you never forget.

Our last stop was Prince Rupert, British Columbia. To us.....a waste of time. We walked around what little bit of town there was, bought too much popcorn and boarded the ship once again. To us, a wasted stop.

While on the ship, we got plenty of R & R. We ate some good food and watched a few shows. Since we aren't big gamblers we didn't visit the casino much. We stopped in and played a few bucks here and there but we both agree that our money is much more valuable than to throw it away. But that's just us!

Well, that is our trip in a nutshell. We both would love to go back and see inland of Alaska...maybe Denali Park. But, until then this visit will have to do.