Happy Birthday Elysse!

It's so fun to celebrate our kids birthdays.  Now that they are adults with kids, it takes on a little different way of celebration but we are together and that's what we enjoy the most.  It's always nice to take a break from the beginning of the busy holiday season to celebrate Elysse's birthday and serve my traditional birthday dinner.  One day I know the kids are going to say enough is enough but for now they are sweet and go with the flow.  So the "traditional" dinner consist of steak, salmon and shrimp (sometimes), mashed potatoes, salad hopefully and a green veggie.  With grand kids the meal is expanding to macaroni and cheese and a fruit.  Our kids are very health conscious and want our grand kids to have all the food groups with each meal.  It has certainly helped GP & GM eat better and we love it.  I was so excited for Anna to arrive as she had not seen the Christmas tree up and decorated.

 This is the most interested she got during the holiday season.  The tree just could not compete with her toys.

 Anna doesn't get a lot of cookies, candy or sweets.  Can you see the anticipation on her face?

 Grandpa shared his cup cake or icing anyway.

 I didn't get a really good picture after she enjoyed the cup cake but she had chocolate all over her face!

 Happy Birthday Elysse.  You are an amazing mom, wife, daughter-in-law and we love you dearly!

Women's Holiday Dinner

For the last few years we have had a Christmas dinner at our church.  This is were the men are so sweet and serve us our meal.  It's such a festive evening wtih all the tables decorated and the tree up in the Atrium.....just love it.  Kathy Greenough has such a gift for decorating...it's just one of her many gifts and thankfully she uses them so therefore she decorated two tables.

 Here in the Witherspoon room the guys were preparing our salads.

 Gayle and Margaret where at our table.  Those two crack me up.  Love how they embrace life.

Love all these women and what they mean to me.

Last year Andy (our pastor) had just joined our church.  Don' they look happy happy happy? 

 Now there is a happy man.  He could hardly wait to get to church and go to work!

 They have a system.

They had their hands full with trying to serve our food with the stick on mustaches and the elf hats.

 Last year Elysse was pregnant with Anna.  Here she is pregnant wtih Anna's sister.

 Merry Christmas babe and thanks for being there for the evening and working so hard.

Thanksgiving 2012

We started the Thanksgiving holiday over at the Ingle's.  They have been so sweet to let us participate with their family and it's always nice to see Chris and Susan and the girls.  Chris and Carolyn were celebrating their (?) anniversary and John and Susan gave them a portrait of their girls.  What a sweet gift.

 Here are all the granddaughters...Emily, Megan, Meredith, Katy and Stella.  Cute girls.

 And here are the Ingle' and Dierks.

 On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day we drove to Houston.  Thursday was such a laid back day.  Lots of football watching and planning in our heads what and how dinner would be Friday.  For A&M families, Friday is when you have your Thanksgiving dinner.  So since we were with KW & Julie that's what we did.  KW & Julie were hosting and as you can imaging it was a lovely dinner.
It wasn't until we arrived back home that I realized that I did not get a group picture and I regret that.
But I did get some good shots of KW & Janalee. Looks like trouble at the dinner table to me.

 Janalee had been up all day.  Eating a little of everything, running and playing.  She was getting very tired and got on the sofa next to pawpaw.

 On Saturday we all drove to College Station for the A&M vs Missouri game.  A&M was winning, it was cold so we left during the 4th qtr.  Everyone was driving back except us.  We stayed in CS and came on home Sunday morning.  Great Thanksgiving!

 Doesn't KW look peaceful.  I just love this photo of him.

 We were thrilled that Blake and Kendell joined us.  Look at that cute baby bump and she is due January with baby boy Williams.

G-Man's soccer game

Finally an opportunity to see one of the Sander's (I know that is not their last name but everyone knows who I'm talking about) boys game.  I missed Layton and Preston softball games and this was Garrett's last soccer game of the season.  So happy it worked out.  Fortunately I have a camera that allows you to capture those fast moving action shots....enjoy as I did.

Look at that sweet face.

 Must be his game face....getting serious thinking about the game...the shots...

 Garrett is a player and you can see the competitive spirit in him.

 Doesn't really matter if you are a girl he's still going to get that ball!

 Here he goes...just another score for the team!

 I'm sure they are discussing their strategy....They certainly were serious.

 This was the best...just when the girl thinks she has it...here comes Garrett.

 In for the close!

 And for a hard season of playing soccer, you get the trophy.  Good job Garrett.  Thanks for letting me be part of your day.  Look forward to next season.

A&M vs Alabama

I got a little out of sequence with my post...The weekend after we arrived home from Europe we headed to Alabama.  We called it a Family Reunion so everyone would be on their best behavior after the A&M/Alabama or Alabama/A&M game.  Hal's sister Linda and her family live in Alabama and were the hostess with the mostest.  Sister Betty and son Sam who live in Tennessee came, Chris & Melissa in Atlanta came, Julie and KW in Houston came, we went.....Keith, Elysse and Anna were scheduled to go but at the last minute Anna came down with a double ear infection and they just couldn't make the trip.  The Asians were there in spirit and watched on TV from Korea.  Blake and Hal chatted via text during the game.  Technology is just amazing.  Keeps us in touch but it just can't give you that hug and that's what I miss!

The University of Alabama campus is really beautiful. 

Linda and Betty chose to stay home and tailgate. Here were all are at Lyle's friend Steve's tailgate.  They had more food than you could imagine.  We had to take two cars to the game.  There will be one car that will be very quiet going home.

 Still friendly....kinda!!!  KW and Lyle take games very seriously. 

 The seats KW & Julie gave us were perfect!  So Sam, Chris, Melissa, Hal and I all got to sit together.

 The weather that day was beautiful.  Sunny with a cool fall breeze and chili when the sun went down.

 Our seats were behind the Fight'n Texas A&M Band.

The game was an emotional roller coaster ride.  First A&M was ahead and then here comes Alabama.  It was back and forth the entire 4 quarters.  But in the end....there is only one winner!

Alabama 24 and Texas A&M 29.

Those are some very happy people!

 

 Chris and Melissa came with A&M colors.

 The next morning we got up and attended Cahaba Bend Methodist church were Lyle preaches.  He was very hoarse but did a nice job.  Funny the topic was on Stewardship. Afterwards we went out for lunch.  Hal, KW and Melissa were sick all weekend.  Hal decided he needed a margarita, to help his cold of course.  The waiter asked if he wanted small or large, he decided small.....look at the container filled with green liquid.  We all got a big kick out of that as we think only Texas thinks big!
After returning home and looking at pictures I realize I never got a "family" picture.  Betty, I'm so sorry!  I guess we will have to do it again and in CS next year.