bass pro santa

Since December is always so full of activities, we decided to schedule our visit to Santa for the end of November.  The actual visit was very short and sweet, but the kids always enjoy wandering the Bass Pro Shop.

Colby was very into the guns this year, which didn't actually surprise me. 

And we couldn't leave without the letters to Santa...

As I watched them write their letters, I realized just how big they are getting.  Before long, they'll probably think they're too old for stuff like this, so I'm cherishing all the moments that they still find joy in the traditions and magic of Christmas.

Colby asked for a skateboard with "a skull disin (design) on the back" and Brooke asked for a 3D designer pen and Barbie hangers for her little closet.

We stayed until closing and had one of the employees snap a picture in our usual spot.

Can't wait for all of the traditions of the season!!

life in november

A random start to the month, but I took Colby to the orthodontist for a follow-up on his teeth.  They removed his expander months ago and since I couldn't remember the plan for his next step in treatment, I wanted to check in again :) Basically, they want to wait until more of his permanent teeth come in and then he will most likely get braces.

The kids somehow became obsessed with playing pickleball, but since we don't actually have pickelball racquets, they used smashball ones instead.  The best part: they get along super well when they play, which isn't always the case with sports.

I got my hair done and was really happy with the results. My hairdresser moved away almost a year ago and my new girl has really struggled to get the blonde the way I like it, so this was really exciting for me.  I took a picture to send to my mom and Kevin, who knew about my hair frustrations.

The second graders made "Stone Soup" and Colby was selected to represent his class in the judging process. Pictured is the principal, Mr. Gammon. I can't remember if their class won or lost, but he was happy about being involved in this part of the process.

Grandma and Papa took us to see Disney on Ice as an early Christmas present, and since we hadn't been since 2018, it was fun to be back.  I love "experience gifts", so although Kevin and Jeff had to work, the rest of us enjoyed the weekday fun.

One of my former YW, Emily (Anderson) Logan, does stats for the BYU Women's volleyball team and offered to get us tickets to the BYU vs TCU game.  She was nice enough to get tickets for the Peacocks as well, so we had a really fun afternoon at the game.  Near the beginning of the game, Brooke leaned over and commented that Emily was "just starting at her computer" instead of watching the game, so I explained that part of Emily's job is tracking every single time the ball is touched.  That made more sense to her, but it seemed like a stressful job to me, haha. 

The game was so exciting to watch, especially since both Kinley and Brooke are playing volleyball this year.  And BYU won, which made the whole experience extra fun!

We stayed after the game to visit with Emily for a few minutes, and then she guided us to where the team would exit the stadium.  We were able to meet some of the players and I couldn't believe how tall some of those girls were!

Since we were already in Fort Worth, we hustled over to the Stockyards to watch the 4 PM cattle drive.  I should've known better since it was Saturday, but there were hundreds of people there and we couldn't see a darn thing.  But Kevin, who dropped us off and went to find a parking spot, got stuck behind a barricade and watched the longhorns all walk back into the corral.  (He showed us a video since we couldn't see anything.)

Boot shopping with the dads was taking longer than we planned, so the kids kept themselves entertained...

I eventually broke away with these three sassy cowgirls and we had fun in the shop next door...

The store was stunning and the girls were smitten with all the feathers, charms, pins, and ribbons to customize the gorgeous hats.  Sadly, they started at $175, so we opted for a final picture instead.

The Stockyards are so magical at night, so it was fun to stroll the streets as a family.  

As we were making our way back to the car, Mel called to ask if we wanted to go on a carriage ride with them.  I didn't really want to spend the money which is why we hadn't expressed interest in the idea when she suggested it earlier, but she said it was their treat because their girls really wanted to do it with their cousins.  So we met back up with them and piled into the carriage.  It was equal parts hilarious and festive as we serenaded the random strangers along the way :)

Random way to end the month, but Brooke was SO happy after school one day because "nobody believed that I didn't dye my real hair!" All credit goes to our neighbors, the Weavers, who gave her these amazing clip-in extensions for her birthday.  And Brooke gets some credit for placing them so perfectly!

Can't believe it's nearly December!!

pie day and thanksgiving

We came home from our camping trip and jumped right into Pie Day (the day before Thanksgiving). The kids have loved this tradition the last few years and take a lot of pride in making the pies, start to finish.

Cutting up the shortening for the crust...

While the dough chilled in the freezer, the kids worked on setting the tables.

Then it was time to roll out the crusts and bake them...

While the crusts baked, the kids cooked the pudding for the pies...

As Colby was licking the spatula, Auntie Mel Mel reached over and "helped" Colby get a big taste all over his face.  He was laughing so hard and just embraced the mess. 

We thought chocolate pudding pie was the favorite, so we made four of those! On Thanksgiving morning, Colby commented to me that banana pudding was actually his favorite!  Grandma had banana pudding, but since nobody mentioned that, we went for four chocolates.  There's always next year, buddy!

Kevin and Colby played in a Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving morning while Brooke and I enjoyed sleeping in...

They were stinky and tired by the time they arrived back home, but they had a great time with ward friends. 

Grandma and Papa requested an updated family picture, so we arrived ready for pictures :)  For not coordinating our outfits at all, I was quite impressed with how well the colors all worked together. 

It was a beautiful Fall day in Texas, so we enjoyed most of the day outside.  My favorite was watching the kids play volleyball and hearing their volleyball team cheers.

Colby spent time coaching Kinley on how to correctly throw a football :)

We had a yummy meal, as usual!  Grandma and Papa cooked the turkey and Kevin was the master carver.

We also had ham, rolls, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, salad, a veggie tray, and grapes.

The infamous turkey hat (from Auntie Mel Mel) made its' annual appearance.

We ended the night writing down all the things we're thankful for and adding them to the turkey box Brooke made for Activity Days.  (Shawna was in charge of this one and it was a great way to shift our focus to feelings of gratitude for what we have.)

We are so grateful that we live near family so we can celebrate holidays together.  It was such a beautiful day full of great food and family memories.