Happy Halloween!

On the way home from our camping trip, we stopped at a pumpkin patch up the road from us.  Michael was determined to have a jack-o-lantern for the trick-or-treaters,and this was the closest place we new to find a last-minute pumpkin.  Those of you that know Michael well will understand his excitement when we pulled up and saw this.

Looking for a GREAT pumpkin to be our jack-o-lantern!

Let the transformation begin.  (Note that there are only 54 more days until Christmas!)

The finished product!

We enjoyed getting trick-or-treaters at our house this year!  In the beginning, we thought we were going to have a ton of candy left over.  Then it picked up, and we started to worry that we'd run out.  In the end, we had around 60 kids stop by, and we had just enough candy left to sample our favorites!

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Camping Weekend

Michael and I both love to camp, but it's sometimes difficult to set aside an entire weekend.  Not to mention, the prime camping season (weather-wise) is very short in Texas.  That being said, we don't go as often as we'd like.  However, this past weekend, we were excited to get to go camping with some of our friends from church.  On Friday night, we drove up to Broken Bow, OK to Beavers Bend State Park.  It was such a relaxing weekend!

Our campsite backed up to the river.

It did get down into the 20's on Friday night, but thanks to our new sleeping bags that Michael's parents gave us for Christmas, we didn't get too cold.

Saturday morning breakfast consisted of sausage, egg, and salsa breakfast burritos, biscuits with sausage gravy, fried bacon, hashbrowns, powdered donuts, chocolate donuts, and orange juice...delicious!  Thanks to Dennis and Sonia for doing most of the cooking!

We spent the day on Saturday enjoying the amazing weather, hiking, playing ladder golf, fishing, going on a hay ride, watching baseball and hanging out with friends.  It was great!

 

Hiking Break

Ladder Golf - So fun!  We may have to look into getting/building a set.

The boys return from one of their fishing outings

Lacey (with Katie), Sara (with Bailey), and I on the hay ride

Dennis and Sonia enjoy the hayride...I'm not so sure about Gracie!

 

World Series Baseball!

Chili dogs and burgers for dinner followed by apple cobbler and Blue Bell for dessert - Thanks for making the cobbler Sara!

 

 

Sunday morning we enjoyed a yummy breakfast of pancakes and fried bacon before packing up the camp site.

We had to get one group photo before heading out.  (Back from L to R: Sonia, Dennis, Brandon and Bailey, Chris, Melissa, Michael; Front from L to R:  Sara, Lacey, Lucky, and Katie in her lion Halloween costume.  Somehow we missed Gracie...she was probably already in the truck ready to head home!)

Thanks to the Lees for planning and organizing the weekend!

Would you be willing to wait?

This morning at church, our preacher, Gordon Dabbs, showed the video below.  It's pretty funny, but it also makes you stop and think about how often we are unwilling to wait for something better.  Too often, we go for instant or at least quicker gratification in exchange for something that could be even better or more fulfilling if we were willing to wait.

I hope you enjoy the video below as much as I did!  (Be sure your volume is on.)


The Marshmallow Test from Igniter Media on Vimeo.
In this popular test, several kids wrestle with waiting to eat a marshmallow in hopes of a bigger prize. This video is a good illustration of temptation and the hope in future rewards. This experiment is based on many previous and similar scientific tests.


Our videos are created as sermon illustrations and should be purchased for use in small groups, churches, assemblies, etc. Downloads and DVDs are available at ignitermedia.com.

Our Texas Rangers are going to the World Series!

What an exciting game tonight!

Michael made it through about six innings in his previously posted about position on the couch...with a few moments of pacing through the room and going between tense and excited.

After six innings, he couldn't sit any longer.  From then on, he watched the rest of the game standing right in front of the television.  He tried to sit down (on the ottoman right in front of the TV) for a few minutes, but it didn't last very long.

Towards the end of the game, he called Brett, and they watched the last out on the phone together.  (It's nights like this that he misses living with Brett!)  This was taken after the game.  They were so excited!

We're looking forward to watching our Texas Rangers play in the WORLD SERIES!!!

Game Time!

Baseball Fever

After losses in games 3 and 4, Michael was convinced that he could not watch the playoff games with friends.  So, we have been spending many evenings at home watching baseball.  Michael and I watched Game 5 of the ALDS at home, and we were very excited to cheer for the winning team that night!  I think Michael was in disbelief when the game was over.  He was so excited!!!

For the ALCS, we have spent many nights like this.

Michael has a hard time relaxing during the games.

An occasional text message from Brett might break up the tension.

I usually start out sitting up, but most nights I've assumed this position before the game is over.

I really enjoy watching the games more than this picture shows!

It's actually been nice to be at home a little more.  We've (and by that, I mean mostly Michael) cooked a little more and actually gotten some laundry and other things done around the house.



Progress on the house!

It's now been three months since I moved into our house, and until today, I still hadn't hung one single thing on the walls.  My excuses have been that there are several rooms that we still need to buy furniture for, so I'm not sure exactly how they will be arranged.  I also wanted to make sure that the furniture we had was where it would stay before we started putting holes in the walls.  I think I have procrastinated long enough!

Yesterday, Michael and I finally got out to look at furniture.  We didn't buy anything, but we did find a few things that we liked, which we considered a successful trip.  After looking at furniture all day, I was finally motivated to get some things done around the house again!  Sunday afternoon, my parents came over so that Dad could help Michael hang our framed mirror above the couch.  I'm told that it weighs about 100 pounds, so Michael definitely needed help from someone other than me.  Also, I couldn't help hold it AND stand back to give directions on where to hang it. J I am very thankful that Dad was willing to come over and help!

Mom came too, and I had a few things that I wanted to get her opinion on.  Having her there helped me make some final decisions on where to hang things.  She and I stayed one step ahead of Michael and Dad so that when they finished hanging one thing, we had the next one ready to go.  We were able to get several things hung on the wall, which accomplished two things:  the rooms where they are hanging now look better and these items are no longer taking up space in my floor!  Michael and Dad did a meticulous job making sure that everything they hung on the wall was straight and centered like I wanted.

We finally decided on a spot for my prints in the living room.  I think they look great above the love seat!

We also got the Benjamin Knox print hung in the office/guest bedroom/current makeshift master bedroom.

Three items were hung in the café!

My birthday present - Benjamin Knox Blue Bell print

The clock that David and Melody gave us at one of our wedding showers

Up close

Coffee Art - appropriate for the café!

There are still several things that need to be hung, and some of them will have to wait until we decide on furniture.  I'm glad to have made some progress, though.  Thank you Mom and Dad for spending your afternoon helping us at the house!

Go Rangers!

After an exciting game 1 and game 2 of the ALDS, Michael was pumped about getting to see game three at The Ballpark in Arlington.  He had unsuccessfully tried to purchase tickets and was disappointed that he wasn't able to get them.  A few days later, he got a call from Landon (a church friend) saying that he had two tickets since his wife and father-in-law had decided not to go.  Michael and Brett were the lucky beneficiaries of their decision.  I don't know when the last time was that I saw Michael so excited!  He, Landon, and Brett made plans to leave early on Saturday so they could get there when the stadium opened (at 1:00 for a 4:07 game...no thanks!).  They had a blast.  Unfortunately, the Rangers didn't fare so well.

Here are some of the pictures Michael took.

Batting Practice

Bullpen

What looks like a healthy pre-game dinner!

 

 Almost Time

 

Play Ball!

 

On Sunday, we went to some friends' house to watch the game.  After another disappointing performance by the Rangers, Michael decided that he can no longer watch the games with friends.  It looks like we'll be watching the remaining games at home!