Santa Finally comes to Texas!!!

Our tree this year is not my favorite...but the kids like it and Claire, especially, LOVES it! It is mostly decorated by her! So, of course, I like it too!

After MUCH waiting and good behavior, Santa FINALLY brings the toys!!! We celebrated Jesus' birthday on Christmas Day! The kids got LOADS of goodies from Santa and we all ate birthday cake in honor of Jesus!

My parents came over at the crack of dawn, as not to miss the kids viewing Santa's handiwork! Claire came down around 7:15, we made her go back up and help us get Jack so they saw everything at the same time!

After all the playing, it was time for resting in their cool new cots!!! They are watching a Caillou Holiday Special! No one really slept, they just rested up to go outside and ride their new bike and scooter. Santa surprised Claire with a new bike since she had been so nice to her brother!!!

Here is "NO PANTS MAN"!!! I hear "no pants, Mommy" quite a bit!!!

Santa Gee and Paw brought the whole family a Wii. Also, Guitar Hero!!! Here is Daddy jammin'! Claire and Jack also got guitars and are practicing in the background. Gee and Paw gave Claire the microphone....what a gift!!!

Aunt Mary helps us out to complete songs to open even more songs!!!

We were treated to a Christmas Night concert with our favorite artists, Jack and Claire...they are singing Gary Alan's "Airplanes" song....

Please tell me how a 4 1/2 year old knows about bar stools and microphones and guitars....and she asked Aunt Mary to accompany her!!!!! We all had to sit and watch the show!!!! I have it all on video!!! Can you say WEDDING material????!!!!

Bethlehem Village

Each year our church celebrates Jesus' birth with a tribute to Bethlehem. This year the kids were old enough to enjoy the celebration. The gym of our church is transformed into Bethlehem with "shops" that the kids can visit. Claire and Jack had a blast!
Claire is rolling a clay piece into a baby Jesus. She chose a pink cloth to wrap him in!

Both of the kids enjoyed decorating their own cookie. Jack LOVES sprinkles!!

Eating the decorated cookies was pretty good too!

Actors were representing the Holy Family!!! The kids really loved it!

Winter in TEXAS!!!!

Well, yes, last Wednesday, it DID snow in Cypress, but by Sunday, it was a warm 75 degrees, which means.....SWIMMING!!!! Yes, Spencer heated up the Spa, AKA "little pool" and the kids had a BLAST!!!!

Gotta love living in Houston!!!!

A Star is Born!!!

Last Tuesday night, Claire and her Little Lamb friends had a "show" of sorts...they sang Christmas music and did some movement to get everyone in the holiday spirit! This was Claire entering the performance gym!!! Now they are getting on stage in their places!!!

Now they are all set to sing and dance!!!

It was really cute!!! Claire, our little performer, loved it!!! She was soooo tired afterward, it was about an hour past our bed times!!! It was WELL worth it!!!

Thanksgiving!!!

We spent our Thanksgiving day being VERY thankful for our family!! Claire had a sleep over at Gee and Paw's the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and then Daddy, Jack and I joined her at Gee and Paw's on Thanksgiving morning!

The kids decorated festive cupcakes...it was Jack's first time to "make" cupcakes and he LOVED the sprinkles and icing!!!

Claire had time to give Mommy a "new you makeover do"....I think I look beautiful!!!

We had a day of food and fun playing at Gee and Paw's house! Good times!!!

Cake Making!!!

Call me a sucker, but I happily made a castle birthday cake for my good friend Tina's daughter Alyssa (one of Claire's BFFs)! It was crazy busy making it, but Alyssa loved it and it did look pretty good, not perfect, but good!

Gee's Birthday!!!

We celebrated Gee's 64th birthday on Sunday, November 2nd. We had our official griller (Spencer, AKA Daddy) cook up some YUMMY BBQ and had all the fixin's! Then it was cake time! Gee wanted pette fours, so we each had our own with a candle to blow out!!! Everyone LOVED it!!!!

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet!!!

The kids were soooo excited about Halloween this year! Claire really understands the whole thing, dressing up, getting CANDY!!!! She even LOVED giving it out at home!!! Claire was a Texas Tech Cheerleader, and Jack Henry was a Texas Tech quarterback!!! We visited Gee and Paw's first, then a few friends before heading home and waiting for all the kids to come by!!!!

Fall Festival...Hula Hoop Queen!!!

Claire and Jack had their Fall Festivals this last week at school, October 30. Claire couldn't stop hula hooping!!! She is sooo good at it! She also had her face painted like a kitty cat! Meow!!!

Jack liked his festival OK, he really just missed his Mommy!!! Notice the tear in his right eye!!! Poor baby boy!