So many things to be thankful for...

I cant believe that Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is here, wow that went by fast!!! We had a great Thanksgiving. We all stayed out at our old home, which is now being used as a family place to enjoy! My mom and me have been busy redoing it and making sure everyone had room and there were beds for the crew we have these days. With my sister's new additions and ours we have 7 kids and 6 adults (we are now out numbered), so beds are usually an issue and we are typically all spread out on blow up beds. This year we got smart and had bunk beds made, so all the kids except for Bennet slept in the same room. It really went waaaaaay better than expected getting them all to sleep. We also converted an old barn into a big dinning hall, last year the weather was terrible so we had 17 people crowed into our living room, it was totally out of hand. This year we got smart! Besides my mom getting a terrible cold, we all had a great time. We have so much to be thankful for this past year. It really has been a year of blessings. From bringing Bennet home, my father surviving a heart attach, my sister bringing her two girls home, and every small little blessing along the way, it really has been an amazing year. Now my tree is up, and we're getting ready for Christmas! I plan on taking things slllllooooow and really enjoying the holidays. I want to drink hot chocolate with the kids during the day and have red wine with Jason and friends at night. I look forward to the holiday parties, Christmas music, baking, eating, wrapping presents and all the wonderful things that with celebrating Jesus birthday!

Kinley Pics

I know, I've been a really bad blogger but honestly I just haven't had much to say, life has been pleasantly boring!

My sis is home with all her kids in tow, they are adjusting to life as a family of SEVEN. Steph is homeschooling the girls (besides allee) and has been busy with that. On Tuesday's she watches my two while I give Katya and Nastya horse lessons. They are doing SOOO well, they are very naturally athletic and balanced, plus Nastya is animal obsessed which always helps! I was a bit worried at how I was going to teach someone that could speak english but its been fine, like a fun game of charades! It really has been a great way to bond with the girls on my own turf and be able to help in their journey through the amazing power of horsey love!

As for little miss Ella and mr. Bennet, they are doing great! Each day I see them bond more and more. It is so nice to hear Ella say that she has missed her brother the whole day (while at school). It is also so nice to see Bennet hug on her and her hug back instead of give a look of, 'who does he think he is'. Bennet is also being babysat once a week by my cousin who is going to school at SWT. She has been such a blessing, it is so nice to know that he is in good hands and is being well loved on while I get a little bit of sanity back. I tell you its been a bit of an adjustment for me, going from three days a week of childcare, to none! Bennet has also grown so so so much, he is three, yes, three inches taller (thats been in three months) and grown two shoe sizes! I suppose its all the eating he does. Wow can the boy eat!

This past weekend I got to meet my best friend's newest addition to her family, a precious little girl named Kinley. She is so so sweet. I am trying to get into photography and would love to eventually have my own business going so this was a perfect time to get some baby picks! I think they turn out pretty good! Thanks Kinley for your help! This weekend we are going to Houston to Kinley's baptism and my mom will be keeping Bennet for us, we'll see how he does without us for a night!

Potts: a new family of FIVE

My sister is now the mother of FIVE!!! They arrived in San Antonio late Sunday night after two days shy of five weeks, wow thats a longgggg time away from home and kids!!! The girls seem excited to be home and were so excited about their new room with all their new clothes! They quickly got out their pics and started to decorate!

Trick or Treat

Wow. I forgot what a whirlwind Halloween weekend can be! We kicked it off with Ella's school's Halloween carnival that they have every year, even when I went there. I remember the haunted house in the cafeteria, with grapes as eye balls, spaghetti noodles as brains, and my mom dressing up as a witch, cackle and all. This year was no different and I felt it only fitting that I dress up as a witch. I know, I know mom, my costume wasn't hand sewn and I didn't have a black tooth but all and all I think I made a great witch! I held down the bean bag toss! That evening we did some trick or treating, ate tons of candy, the adults had stew, and the kids played Ghost in the Grave Yard with flashlights! It was really a fun night! Then the next day it carried over into Ella's ballet class where they got to dress up again and get more candy. I can wait til Monday when some of her candy disappears while she's at school. I wonder what happened to it???? I would never throw away perfectly good candy.

Pumpkin Patch

Another wonderful thing to do with pumpkins...the pumpkin patch! What is it about these vegetabbles that make them such a crowd favorite. I cant put my finger on it. Is it their perfectly round little bodies, they're bright shades of orange, their sweet but not too sweet flavor, what is it? There is just something about a pumpkin that just makes you feel good! We had a great time at the pumpkin patch. We painted faces, painted pumpkins, rode a hay ride, and went through a maze, made of maze in the shape of Texas! Bennet was a crowd favorite, as he is these days in any crowd! He has turned into a huge ham, loves any attention that he can get! His new favorite is dancing. He likes to role it, with his arms and makes sure someone is watching to cheer him on!

Tagged

jpg]" border="0">

Ok, I have been tagged by Erin, and Shasta, I know its taken me forever, so here it goes...

1.  When I was about 12 years old I had really really thick hair that my mom let me spiral perm a few times so as you can imagine it was VERY poofy.  Well I started hating my thick hair and asked my mom to cut it with thinning scissors.  So she got to chopping and before I knew it she had gotten a little out of hand and thinned a chunk of hair on my forehead.  For months I had only half of a bang, that we called feathers.  It was not a good look.

2.  In highschool I was very unmotivated and hated school.  I especially hated math and really sucked at it.  My mom got me a tutor that would come to our house after school.  Me and my friend Liz would hide from her in my parents office and watch out the window until she left.  I would then tell my mom that she never showed up.  I cant wait for the payback I get when my kids grow up!

3.  When I eat things like, raisenettes, cheerios, m&ms, etc I have to eat two on the left side of my mouth and then two on the right.  Its a little ocd but its just how I like to do it!

4.  I took ballet from the time I was 4 until I was 13.  I wanted to be a professional ballerina until I got on point.  It hurt soooo bad and was soooo hard that I quit.  Now Ella takes ballet and I secretly wish I could take classes again but I think I missed that boat already!

5.  I deeply believe that I have really pretty feet.  Apparently I have told a few people, when I graduated a friend of mine that had been my hair dressers since i was little, secretly took a pic of my feet, blew the pic up and had it framed for me.  My roommate and I hung it in our dorm along with a life size pic of our friend that went to a different college.

6.  My favorite season is Fall.  I love the colors of fall, the cooler air, pumpkins, boots, etc. 

7.  Along with Fall, I am obsessed with pumpkins.  I love to decorate with pumpkins, make pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes.  When I lived in College Station there was this ice cream place that made pumpkin ice cream every fall.  I literally went there everyday.  I have considered going there and buying a few gallons but am concerned it will melt on the drive back.  I'm really going to have to give that some thought.

On a different note, my sis is officially the parents of two little girls!!  They made it through court this past Monday and now they just wait for paperwork and then they can come home, yea!!!!

He never learns...

Poor Ralph...perhaps he will think twice before tangles with a porcupine.  I'm pretty sure its 1 to 0 porcupine in the lead!