It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Who doesn't love the holidays?!?  It's such a busy time for everyone but it's also a lot of fun!  We have a few traditions started in our household already that I hope my kids always remember and enjoy!  

First up...Lance goes to duck camp to hunt and this girl gets the tree up!  He went the first weekend of November so Friday night Bennett watched me work.  When Lance got home the next day he said he knew I'd have it up.  He knows me well!!!  This is mommas tree (can't let go people) so the boys get to have their tree downstairs.  They (mostly Landon) fluffs it, puts it together, strings the lights, and decorates it.  They like the colorful lights while I stick to the classy whites!  

While the big boys were gone Bennett and I made a quick trip to Branson.  The pictures tell how the trip went.  Here he's ready to go and I've got wet hair.

We made it through the mall and he's hungry and getting tired....but we've got to go to target!

We are all done and headed home!  My hair has went up in a ponytail!

We packed up our shoeboxes at church.  We've been gathering the items and then our class filled them.  

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Viola with the Newtons.  We always get there early and try to get a family picture before the boys get wild.

We went to my classroom before school resumed after Thanksgiving break so I could change my room to Christmas fun.   

We decorated gingerbread houses.

Mitchum having fun!

Our elf, John Mark, returned on December 1st.  He brought the boys new pajamas and told them to re-watch the movie after school.

Landon and Lance have been hunting a lot which is fine because who doesn't like frying up some duck meat!

Yesterday was Me and the hubs 9th wedding Anniversary.   I had a feeling about a possible gift so I snuck and planned around it.  Lance got me a new mixer!  I got him a pullover and then he opened the grinder attachment to the mixer...ha!  We have talked about getting one and how he would use it to grind up meat...so we both were happy.  He was a bit sour because he can't surprise me! 

We tried it out Saturday and started simple with chocolate chip cookies.  YUM!

Landon loves all things art.  He has a sketch book filled up and last night he begged to paint so I finally let him.

Now we've only got 5 school days left then it's Christmas Break.  Two weeks off sounds so nice!  

Halloween 2015

The day has come for no more coordinating costumes.  So let's just look back at those.

I asked them what they wanted to be and there was no way of making them connect.  So here we have it...a blue power ranger and a cardinal baseball player.  I still think they looked cute!  Our Halloween festivities began Wednesday with our church's trunk or treat.  I help with Bennett's class but luckily they joined preschool-2nd grade together for the hayride and the trunking.  

Bennett and Evan

Landon and Luke

Friday was school parties so I ended up taking half a day so I could attend Landon's class party.  

My friend Stephonie went to Samira and Bennett's party and sent me a picture.

Saturday we went to see my cousin Haleys house for our first trick or treating fun and they looked great!  So fun that they dressed up.

We then went to my sisters to go around her neighborhood.  It's a tradition to go with them and my parents.  We cooked hot dogs once we got back.

Sunday Bennett wore his Halloween shirt for me.  I needed to get one wear out of it.

After church we went and ate with the Benton's.  We usually do the Mexican restaurant in town and then Evan asked for me to take their picture.  Of course I will Evan!  

After nap we carved our pumpkins.

Landon had his field trip on Tuesday.  This was rescheduled from the prior week due to rain so Lance ended up going with him.

Now it's on to Thanksgiving and Christmas!  I did my grocery shopping Saturday and saw these babies.  And I had two get a couple boxes...which we already need more.  I'll probably put up my tree soon because I just love the lights and it's a lot of work so I want to enjoy it for a long time.  Come Christmas evening I want it down!  Ha

Thursday Thoughts

I can't believe it's already OCTOBER.  We've made it almost two months into the school year and it is going good.  We teachers started with a week of in-service so nana came to keep the boys.  Bennett ended up getting sick with throat stuff so we dealt with bad sleeping the last part of that week.  Poor guy!

Landon had open house for 1st grade and Lance took him since I was meeting my new babies.  Thankfully my crew is awesome and they've made the beginning of school easy.  We've got a small class size which helps things go better.

Landon seems to like his school even though he was a little nervous at first.  He's at a different, bigger building without his momma.  So we both had to learn to how to be separated...Ha!  Me and my sister are helping each other out with all the trasnporting of kids.  I would be lost without her.  She even keeps B when he is sick and I have no other option.

We meet at the daycare so I can drop Bennett off, she takes Christian and Landon, while I take Mitchum with me (he's in my class).  Then after school she gets C & L, brings me Landon, and I give her Mitchum.  Are y'all confused yet?!?  It's a lot of passing but somehow we all manage to make it on time.  We took our first day of school pictures.  Landon started 1st grade, Bennett went to the pre-pre-K class, and I started my 11th year of teaching Kindergarten. 

Speaking of Landon and October...He is my little own jack-o-lantern.  He ended up losing his third tooth the week before school started, then his front tooth while hanging out with the hunting boys, and his other bottom tooth during lunch a couple days ago.

He's been hunting and fishing with his dad lately.  

We've already wrapped up the beginning of year testing and the K paras helped out at the 1st & 2nd grade building this year.  They sent me some sweet pictures of Landon.

We've done a lot of yard work and house work lately.  We had new steps poured and rock work done around the house.

I put out a couple fall things on our front porch.  

Handy Lance has framed our fireplace and the guys hooked it up last week.

We had Bennett's urology checkup appointment at Children's.   We worked half a day then took off for Little Rock.  His appt was at 3 so it was fast driving and quick naps.

Passing time waiting for the doctor.

After the good news appointment (urine was clear...go back in 6 months for an ultrasound and praying that comes back fine...he will probably dismiss us) we went and ate at Burges which has the best turkey salad (brought two tubs home with us) and food! Our last stop for the night was to WWE SMACKDOWN.  The boys were pumped, it was tons of fun, and like Landon said "a dream come true".

This is super fan!  Of course the boy on the left stood the entire night and even elbowed Bennett in the head during the Lucha Dragons entrance song.  Ha!  But the positive was super fan made it easy to find us when we watched it on tv Thursday night.

The next day I took off and kept the boys home since we didn't get home till 1 AM.  But that evening I took the boys to the fair with my sister and her family.  The parade was going on in town at 5 so we did the fair and it was super easy.  No crowd, no lines, and done in an hour.

I was super scared taking these pictures.  The Ferris wheel kind of creeps me out.

The bumper cars were hilarious to watch.  Audrey and Mitchum were crazy drivers.

Landon rode some big rides this year.  He did like this ride but at the time I think he was ready to get off.

All the younger grades go on a field trip to the fair.  Lance went with Landon since I had to take my babies.  It was super HOT!

Landon and his buddy Luke D.

We've started BLAST at church.  I'm helping with Bennett's class and Landon is with Ms. Sara.

School spirit night and these boys are all representing their schools.  GO BOMBERS!!! ha

We occassionally go to eat lunch with the Benton crew after church.  Our boys love going and the parents used to hang out all the time (times are busy now but we try) so we enjoy getting to sit down together. I always have quarters for the machines and the boys all got gum and a toy.  We went and sat outside to wait for the adults to pay...ha!  

I had a fun migraine (throwing up and in bed all day) a few weeks ago so Lance took the boys to church while I tried to get back to human level. Ms. J had the kids during church and they got to go outside.

Today I am home with both boys.  Landon hasn't been feeling the best and before school he was getting a little upset saying his head hurt.  He even told me to go ahead and not get tickets for the fall festival his school is having tonight (that was a good sign the boy doesn't feel good).  So we ran to lay out my stuff, wait for a sub, and then come home.  We're having a good resting day and I'm getting a jump start on my weekend chores.