Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We got to see lots of family and ate great food for several days. We started the weekend before, by driving to Yoakum to visit Friedel family members. On Thanksgiving day, we ate and visited at Darren's grandpa's. Then we got up bright and early Friday morning to drive to San Angelo for lunch with the Lacy family. We spent the rest of the weekend in Robert Lee, and got to visit with the Millican family on Saturday. KatieLynn and Dean loved playing with all their cousins from all sides. Unfortunately, even though I took my camera, I didn't take any pictures. :( However, here's a few pics from this morning of the kids playing at home. As you can see, they absolutely love playing in the dirt pile! Darren also killed an 8 point buck last week; I don't know why he doesn't look happier in the picture!

Farmer & Ladybug

The kids had a large time for Halloween. We attended a fall festival at our church the weekend before, and then went trick-or-treating with Darren's brother, Greg, Courtney, and Emma. This was the first year that we've trick-or-treated, but the kids caught on immediately. Dean loved just going from house to house and didn't even collect candy at first, but it didn't take long and he made sure to say 'trick-or-treat' and wait for his treat. :)

Dean & KatieLynn are ready to go to Emma's house.

Darren baled hay around our house that afternoon, and while we were waiting for Darren to get dressed, the kids played outside, checking out Daddy's round bales.Emma, Dean, & KatieLynnDean & KatieLynn love playing in the pack-n-play! My college friend, Melanie, came to visit us with her husband and 3year old son. They slept in Dean's room, so he slept in a pack-n-play in our room, and the next morning the kids had a great time pretending to go 'night-night'.

Birthday Boy

Dean turned two today. It's hard to believe that 2 short years ago, Dean was just a little newborn (well, a 9 lb newborn isn't that little, but he was a newborn nonetheless). I still can 't believe that my 'baby' is two; I remember when KatieLynn turned two, she seemed all grown up, compared to 6 month old Dean, but now 2 years still seems pretty little.

Dean's favorite things are playing outside, playing with his tractors, hay baler, trucks, trains, and going with Daddy on a real tractor. He is a great communicator, though he has been talking in his own language for a while now, he is starting to say more words that anyone (not just family) can understand. He does a great job using the potty, and only uses a diaper to sleep. Dean and KatieLynn play well together, though Dean is still learning to take turns and share. They are great friends, and miss each other when apart.

I made a chocolate chip cookie cake for Dean's actual birthday.
KatieLynn cheered him on to blow out the candles.

Dean loads hay (blocks) onto his new flatbed and pickup.Happy Birthday to Dean!!
We had a very small birthday party on Saturday with only immediate family and friends.

Dean & KatieLynn eat cake and ice cream. Gracie & Dean have fun. KatieLynn pedals her tractor.
The kids play at the sandbox.KatieLynn & Dean watch Thomas the Train.

The kids play outside at the playhouse.

Waller Co. Fair

This weekend we went to the Waller Co. Fair with the Schultz's. The kids had loads of fun riding all the rides, and us grown-ups had a good time just watching them. Dean and KatieLynn had both taken great naps that day, so they were ready to stay up late and party. We did the carnival rides, snocones, cotton candy, and the rodeo. We didn't get home until nearly 10:30pm, and that is very unlike us!

Here's a shot of the kiddos flying in a helicopter.
Darren, KatieLynn, & Dean
Jack & Hadley Schultz Hadley & KatieLynn ride a train.
I ride the carousel with the kids.
Dean rides the tricycle, at our house outside.
KatieLynn wants to swing;
we so need to get a 'big kid' swing!

Playing Outside

Darren brought a load of sandy dirt, and dumped it in a corner of our yard. The kids absolutely LOVE it! They dig and dump, over and over and over. The downside is that my house may never be the same; it seems like my floors are never clean! Shoes, socks, and pants come off on the back porch, but still the house always has sand everywhere. But the upside is the kids have a great time and sleep good after playing outside. :)

KatieLynn & Dean work together to fill up the dump truck.

Queen of the Sand Pile!The kids have a good time playing with Brody & Lauren Bolcik.KatieLynn is ready to go with Gigi and Emma to the Waller Co. Fair parade.Dean plays on the playground at the park in Hockley.KatieLynn loves swinging in the 'big girl' swing.KatieLynn & Gracie take a break to get more nourishment.

We're Home!

Sorry I haven't written sooner, but we have been home for several days now. Our power was restored Friday afternoon, but the kids and I had already planned to go to the County Fair in Brenham, with Bebe (my mom). We went Friday morning to look at all the animals and displays, and then went back that evening to enjoy the rides. As soon as we pulled in the parking lot, and KatieLynn saw all the lights at the carnival rides, she said, "Oh, I'm so excited!" So we were excited too! Dean was excited, and loved the carousel, but on the next ride, I couldn't ride with him, or stand close, so he wasn't too sure. I let him get down, but then as soon as the ride started, and he saw KatieLynn having fun riding, he wanted to get back on, but too late. However, he did ride all the other rides with his sister. :) Unfortunately we forgot our camera that evening, but here's a picture from the morning.

Dean liked all the animals, but his favorite thing was the tractors (of course!). He keep wanting to climb on all of them, and he couldn't climb on the antique tractors, so he would touch their tires, and anything else in reach. You'd think he never got to be around a tractor!

Bebe has lots of Thomas the Train DVDs, and the kids loved them!

Our house weathered the storm like a pro (it has lived through over a hundred years of hurricanes, so it is kind of like a professional). There were lots of limbs down, but Darren had them pretty much all picked up before we got home. We never found the trampoline, except for three leg pieces in the hayfield... the kids are sad, but I bet we'll get a new one in the next few months. :)

We had a wonderful visit in Brenham. My parents could not have treated us better, from sharing their beds, food, TV (my dad let us watch whatever he wanted -how sweet!), and everything else they had. The kids behaved very well, so it was a great 'vacation'. I know there were many who were not as fortunate, and my heart goes out to them. God Bless You!

Hurricane Weekend

Hurricane Ike hit early this morning, and I feel very sorry for all the people that had damage from the winds and flooding. We thankfully, haven't come out too bad. The kids and I came to my parents' house in Brenham, yesterday morning, and have had a great time visiting and playing. Darren stayed in Hockley, at his parents' house, so he could keep an eye on our house and cattle, but still be in a brick house when the winds came. The wind really blew apparently, but the house is still in good shape. The bad news for the kids, is our trampoline is missing. I'm hoping we'll find it in one of the fields, still intact, but Darren is doubtful. I haven't seen the yard, but Darren said there's sticks and limbs everywhere, and it will take both of us a full day to get it all picked up -he's quite worried about it! All in all, we are very lucky! Our power is still out in Hockley, so Darren came to Brenham to visit us, take a bath, and sleep in the A/C!

The kids and I went swimming this week, and we had a great time! Dean and KatieLynn love to jump in, and then climb out, and do it again and again!

Hi Dean!KatieLynn jumps in!
KatieLynn gets ready to throw the ball.
Dean could spend hours in the sandbox.
KatieLynn takes care of Molly (her doll)
KatieLynn and Dean drive their tractors all over the yard.

Dean wears his hat that he got at Vacation Bible School.
He will rotate between this hat and his JD hat.