Can't resist a scarf

We visited my sister in Sweden two summers ago and the temperature change was shocking! Houston to Gothenberg and a 40F shift! I was pregant so the change was welcome but I did find myself shivering when we were out and about. I noticed that everyone in Sweden wears scarves. So somewhere along the way I bought one. I know everyone else already know this but scarves are magical! With the right scarf, you don't need a bulky jacket! Neck warm=body warm. You can wear a totally cute top (even short sleeved sometimes) and won't have to cover it up with a coat! My sister explained all of this to me but I didn't really believe her. I'm officially a believer and totally addicted to scarves now. I'm starting Lucy early- no need for her to wait until she's in her 30's. :)

We went to Missouri for Thanksgiving. It was awesome! The car ride was long but not that bad. We did the drive in about 13 hours and agreed that it's better to just do it in one day and be done with it! The hotel made mistake on our reservation and gave us two rooms to make up for it. That totally made a difference. Having enough beds and two bathrooms and two TV's... yep- that helps. The kids were great and it was so fun to see the fam in MO.

Everyone made us feel so welcome and it was fun to see the kids play.

Highlights: The Food- amazing. Pretty sure I gained several pounds from soup, bread, pesole, Brenda's awesome pizza, a fabulous Thanksgiving feast, Nate's pumpkin pie (pretty much the best I've ever had!)..., A trip to the Botanical Gardens- this is my dream job someday. Plants make me so happy, A trip to the zoo. I think the Goliath Spider was my favorite (it eats birds and frogs!), Playing games like Tetris, Blokus and Phase 10, singing Christmas carols around the piano (Dang- my family can sing! I loved Lullay Thou Tiny Child, Angels We Have Heard on High, and all the Primary Christmas songs, Listening to Curtis and John rock out in the music room, watching Rachel's movie, just talking and laughing.

As always we were glad to be in our own beds again but this was a great trip. So glad we could make these memories!

Halloween... I know- I take WAY too long to post!

Mom and Dad: didn't dress up. We haven't in several years and we're still riding the fame wave of our costumes of the past. I'll have to post those some time- great memories!

Jonah: Undercover agent Elmo. He and his friends always make fun of Elmo and he wanted to do something silly so he came up with that idea. The only problem- they don't make Elmo costumes bigger than size 4T and there was no way I was going to try to make it. So he squeezed into a toddler size and had a ball. He won "Best Costume" at our church Halloween party

Isaac: Ice Wolf Ninja. Do I need to say more?

Daniel: Knight in Shining Armor! I found his costume at Costco had to buy it. It's awesome and he loved it

Lucy: I didn't know if she would be walking or not and kept waiting to decide. I had this cute tutu I made with some friends from church but I only wanted her to wear it if she was walking. I was also waiting to see what the weather would be. Usually it's pretty hot here on Halloween but this year it was actually a bit cold. Anyway, the day before Halloween I still didn't have anything. Checked Old Navy and found a cat costume for $2!! I'm not really a cat fan so I alterred the costume a bit so she could be a bunny. Because who doesn't love bunnies? :)

Our neighbors all gathered in our driveway for pizza and snacks. Then we divided up and went around the neighborhood. It was a little chilly but the kids had a ball and of course came home with lots of booty! The next day Isaac and Daniel were literally bouncing off the walls so we took the rest of their candy and gave it to the school. The End!

Flag Football

Curtis and I aren't big football fans. There's sort of a thug mentality there that is a real turnoff. It's also huge in Texas. Buuuuut... our boys LOVE to play. They have a neighborhood gang that plays out in the cul-de-sac most days after school. So we searched around to find a league that didn't annoy us too much! We found I9sports. It's a nationwide franchise that does lots of sports and we LOVED it. Probably the biggest pro was that practices are right before games on Saturday mornings. Nothing during the week- perfect! While Jonah practiced we watched Isaac's game and then everyone watched Jonah play. The boys had a great time and we really appreciated all the emphasis on working hard and playing fair. We didn't do any of the coaching this time and there were no fundraisers or pointless meetings. About halfway through the season Curtis looked at me one day and said "Wow- this league has honestly been a pleasure." Flag football is great because it's not as agressive as tackle. The boys really enjoyed all the different plays and learning the rules. Both scored several touchdowns and it was fun to watch their confidence grow.

I have to brag for a moment because each team (10 players) gives out 3 special awards at the end of the season. Jonah and Isaac were both awarded "Best Sportsmanship." Their coaches said they worked hard, got along with everyone and were willing to play any position. So we will definitely do it again. Daniel is signed up for winter soccer- this will be his first sport ever and I think it will be so great for him to finally be the one on the field with the whole family cheering on the sidelines. :) We'll keep you posted!