Santa!!!

It was a long weekend for us.... Carley has been sick with Pneumonia since Thursday, so we have all been hanging around the house watching movies, playing in blanket-tents and drinking lots of Gatorade! Her antibiotic must be kicking in because she is feeling so much better and hasn't had a fever since Friday evening. So, when she woke up in another good mood this morning, we thought it would be a good time to take both kids up to see Santa (and to get them out of the house for a little while).

Seeing Santa was so much fun! Well worth the hour and 15 minute wait... which really isn't all that long in comparison to the long line that was there when we left!!!!! Carley jumped right up and told him she wanted a trampoline and puppet theater. Campbell wasn't as excited, but still did a great job! The pitch of his scream was much softer than we anticipated! ;)

Straight Saturday

It is FREEZING outside!!!!!!!!!! Plus, we are all exhausted from getting home at midnight last night from Thanksgiving travels. So, today we are all vegging out inside. Carley and I were playing around and she let me do her nails, makeup and straighten her hair!!!! (While Daddy and Campbell watch football!) This is as straight as I could get it with the straighting iron!! It really cute, but makes her look way too old!!!!! And, it's just not our Carley Bear without those beautiful curls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

Turkey Tour

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!!! I did not grab many photos from our annual "Tour of South Texas" (McKinney, Sealy, Katy/Richmond, El Campo, McKinney) this year, but did get these....
Chris and other hunting buddies went hunting Friday morning and the kids always love seeing what he comes home with!!! This time it was 13 ducks and 4 geese, all of which most the kids loved helping him clean.... YUK!!!!

Cousins Claire, Ali, Carley and Campbell

This one is some of our niece Aliah and nephew Ali in Houston together with Carley, Campbell and Chris roasting marshmallows in the fireplace. It was fun, but Carley wouldn't eat them until they cooled off and Campbell just liked to play with the sticks. Maybe next year they will grasp the concept a little more. Thanks Aunt Angie for inviting us to stay with you guys when you baby boy is due NEXT WEEK!!!!! :)

Fall with Friends

I just love this picture of the kids on a Saturday morning.... also, there is nothing like afternoon naps with Daddy!!! ;)

Last week, the kids and I had so much fun raking leaves then playing in them, spreading them out, then raking them back up again! Did I mention I love fall??? ;)

Although it felt like the beginning of summer a couple week's ago, there was evidence of Fall around us. My friend Melissa and I stopped to take these pictures of our kids in front of these really pretty trees close to where we live. However, there is a line of green trees in front of all the red, orange and yellow trees, so we couldn't really get a great shot while still keeping the kids in the picture. But, they are still pretty good pictures afterall....

Taryn, Taylor, Carley and Campbell

Carley and Campbell

Halloween

We had a great Halloween! The kids went to my mom and dad's church's Fall Festival the weekend before, Carley had her school festival and party the day of, I took them both to Scare on the Square the afternoon of, then we all went Trick-or-Treating with our neighbors the night of!!!!!! Man, we're pooped!!

Trick-or-Treat!

"Scare on the Square" in downtown McKinney
Avery, A.J., Campbell and Carley
"Mom..Who the heck is this guy!!" - McKinney fireman at "Scare on the Square"
Will, Sam, Max, Avery, Carley, Campbell, A.J.

30 isn't so bad!

Thanks so much to all our friends that came out to celebrate my 30th birthday with us! Chris and I had a great time. We didn't feel 30 years old at all.... until the next morning!! :)

Steph missed the group photo, so we took our own!

Top L-R: Cory, Alison, Allen, Chris (What a hottie!!)

Bottom L-R: Mark, Dan, Carrie, Me, Michelle, Kacey

Happy Fall, Y'all!

I LOVE FALL!! Everything about it.... fall colors everywhere, pumpkins, Halloween costumes, football games, I LOVE IT! The only bad things about this Fall season are 1) it still feels like it's 100 degrees outside and 2) It just means my 30th birthday is actually here! Oh good Lord, please help me!!!!!

Oh well... It is what it is, right? So, I guess I will just keep on celebrating the season. Here are the kids and I doing just that! Happy Fall Y'all!

a life-changing read

As I sat down to work tonight, I quickly checked a couple of friend's blogs before getting started. On Lisa's, she lifted up a family she knows in prayer as they just today lost their baby girl at only one week old. Curious, I began reading and here just over an hour later I sit heart broken, inspired, joyous and a bunch of other emotions I can't explain. It is so sad this poor family has been through so much, yet their faith in the Lord is so inspiring. The joyful part is that over 500 people have followed their journey and read about how strong the Lord is in their life, helping turn this family's tragedy into personal witness of God's love here on earth and in Heaven.

http://conorbootheandgirls.blogspot.com/

Hug your kids a little tighter, kiss them a little more, and be a little less anxious for that much needed time to yourself (as I have "wished for" way too often lately).

Tag, You're it!

Good morning! In a very concentrated effort to procrastinate on all the house cleaning, laundry, phone calls and writing I need to do today while the kids are both at school, I am going to respond to Ronna's "Tag" game below. I usually don't even answer these when they come through email, but since it is about a great topic, I thought why not?!!! :) All kidding aside, Chris is my life and I love him so much. (If only he could view this at school - it would earn me huge brownie points!) :)

The Game of Tag about your MAN:

1. Who is your man? Christopher Lee Pawlak

2. How long have you been together? Married for 6 years this summer! Wow!

3. How long dated? Dated for 1 year and were engaged for 1 year

4. How old is your man? 32

5. Who eats more? Are you kidding me.... he's NEVER full!

6. Who said "I love you" first? That's a funny story.... he did, I said it back, then later told him I wasn't ready for all that. :) HA! Sorry honey!

7. Who is taller? Chris

8. Who sings better? Me... But he does a pretty good job when he wants to!

9. Who is smarter? Hmmmm.. that depends on the subject matter.

10. Whose temper is worse? I guess mine...

11. Who does the laundry? Both of us...

12. Who takes out the garbage? That's a man's work. :)

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Is this the right side if you are sleeping in it (Me), or the right side if you're looking at it? (Chris)

14. Who pays the bills? MEEEEEEE! I am sick of it!!!!!

15. Who is better with the computer? Me

16. Who mows the lawn? If you know Chris, you know the answer to this one. He mows ours plus 8 more.

17. Who cooks dinner? Both.. mainly me during football season, but mainly him during the summer.

18. Who drives when you are together? He does

19. Who pays when you go out? Whoever has the cash in the wallet!

20. Who is most stubborn? Oooo..that's a close race.

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Actually, we are both good at admitting when we're wrong.

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine since they are closer and come up more often.

23. Who kissed who first? I think I did.....

24. Who asked who out? He asked me out to dinner for the next night and said he'd that afternoon to make sure.. he didn't call until 5 :30 p.m. so I started to worry. I have to admit I was "sitting by the phone" all afternoon. :)

25. Who proposed? He did after our picnic in the middle of Kyle Field in College Station.... perfect!

26. Who is more sensitive? Him.. he cries more than I do... ;) Unless it's about animals..then I cry more. Is that wrong? HA!

27. Who has more friends? Gosh... I guess he does. He seems to know someone everywhere we go.

28. Who has more siblings? He does with four. I have one.

29. Who wears the pants in the family? I would like to say me, but I think ultimately he may.

The best part about football games

.... running on the field with Daddy when the games are over! Carley and Campbell love to go out on the field after the games to play with Daddy. Win or loose ( and it's been 'loose' all season), Daddy still plays with them on the field. District play starts this week, so hopefully we will start winning a few....making the 2-3 hours I spend chasing kids in the stands actually worth something! (Oops, did I say that out loud?)

It's been a while!

Wow! It has been so long since my last post... I told you I wasn't very good at this! It has been SOOO busy around here lately! With football, my work, and preschool starting, our heads are spinning. Other than that, we are doing great! Carley LOVES her preschool teachers, Ms. Cindy and Ms. Wendy. And, Campbell is doing great in Mother's Day Out. So, Tuesdays are my days!!!! A whole 5 hours to myself... it's wonderful. Here are some pictures from the first day of school...

It's Football Season

Well, football season is here! (Stephanie knows my pain!) However, we had a great summer with Daddy home, so we understand it's now time to get back to the Real World!!! Every year the coaches get new "uniforms" and such, so yesterday Chris brought all the "gear" home and put it on the kids. Carley had fun trying it all on and Campbell did too, but only for a little while. (Which explains the funny look on his face in the last picture. ) Now, if I can just get Campbell walking, we'll be ready for Friday Nights!!!! :)

Missing "Sister"

Carley has been having a blast at Nana and Papa's house since Saturday morning. She, Blanch and Lorabelle have had so much fun at Kid's Depot, Science Discovery (I think that is what it's called) and the movies!! Nana is bringing her home tomorrow night, then staying the night to hang out with Campbell. And, boy is he fun to hang out with!!! Chris and I have really enjoyed focusing only on him with Carley is gone. It's obvious he - like us- misses "Sister" though. Here are some photos I took this week. The first one is him playing in Steve's bed. Carley liked playing in there also when she was little. Campbell and Chris mowing was really funny... we let him push the mower down the sidewalk and then when I picked him up to come inside while Chris finished mowing, he threw a fit. So, Chris had to hold him while mowing most of the back yard!! It was funny, but actually pretty difficult to do. I guess he is going to be a wierdo and enjoy mowing the yard -and many others - like Daddy! :)

Sweet Reminiscing

Well, since I have been really bad about taking pictures lately, I don't have much new info to type about. HOWEVER, while Chris watched some gory guy-flick on TV last night, I messed around on the computer and started going through all our pictures! It was so much fun to remember the events for which we took the photos in the first place! Time goes so fast and schedules are so busy that I tend to forget too quickly fun times from the past. And the really sad thing about it is that I am not talking about pics from MANY MOONS AGO, but only up to 3 years ago! Now, that's pathetic! I must be turning 30 soon, as my lack of memory is really making me old! ;) Enjoy!

Breakfast is always better with a side of bunny ears!!!! Yummy!

We have to do this EVERY Christmas????

Aren't these Old Man shorts?

So this is what gas feels like!

Oh, Oh, Me..Me!! Pick Me!!!

Daddy: Now look me in the eyes and repeat after me... I WILL play football and run track! Campbell: Uggh...O.K.

Hey brother, when we get older, I am going to teach you lots of fun things... but right now I have to smile for the picture.

First day of Sunshine Kids Preschool: Got my mat, blankie and milk... Let's Go!

Best napping spot in the house!

Daddy says this fishin' pole is cool, but I'm not so sure yet!

Someone's not in the Christmas spirit!

Daddy's girl from the start!

Goin' to Grandma's house for Christmas (Carley, 2004)