We have two new kittens-NathanWorld

Spot had five kittens  I have caught two.

we have named one Shadow and the other Jet.

We have no idea what happed to the rest? 

                                 This is Shadow

Christmas, 2011

This year we went to Shelly’s for Christmas Eve, enjoyed yummy food, had a wonderful Nativity Scene and a computer animated review of our year and music.  We had a very nice time.

   Our Lizzy is growing up and so pretty!

Marlissa and Elizabeth – always together and the very best friends.

The angels and shepherds watching over their flocks

Mary and Joseph watching the music flash across the screen.

 

 

 

 

 

The wise men traveling afar and also Sammi/Beth the camel.  Best camel I have ever seen!

    Marlissa the “Wise Guy”.  She was so cute!

Samuel the Lamanite exiting the scene.

Beth and Dallas joined us for Christmas Eve, it was nice to see them.

Presents, presents everywhere.

Later at home, opening that one present.  She unwrapped a pink Nintendo DS XL.  Very happy girl!

Lego’s, Lego’s everywhere

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Nathan asked for 2 things this year.  A “Loopz” game and a Air Hogs remote control plane.

This is Loopz and it is a musical game.  The machine will give him/her a pattern of notes and you have to repeat them.  You can play by yourself or against others.  Everyone has enjoyed it and the remote control – well they are harder than they look.  Here we go – up, up and away -

and then -  yes, it is in there somewhere!  We did get it down and they enjoyed flying it this way and that.  

On the hay and on the ground.  Mandy on the other hand has played nonstop with her Nintendo.

We hope you all had a great Christmas and wish you a Happy, wonderful 2012.

Christmas, so far.

 

As I get older Christmas seems to come faster and there are alot of things that I don’t do, that I used to do.  This year just seemed very busy and some things like sending out cards didn’t get done but we have had a nice holiday and thought I would share a few pictures so far.

Our first batch of peanut butter balls this year.

 

We had a Christmas Advent wreath.  We have been reading an advent story and the candles are lit each either day or each Sunday.

This is the advent story that we have been reading this year.  It follows and young man in Jesus’ time and his adventure as he is taken through the Holy land and finally ends up at Bethlehem on Christmas day and the birth of the Messiah.

           Mandy set up the Nativity scene this year.  They are both getting so big and this seemed like something she would like to do.  She did a good job, I think.

We also made Gingerbread houses for FHE last week.  They both made one and they are both interesting. 

Step one and step two.

Nathan’s house – later he stuck the gingerbread man up on the roof, like Santa.  Mandy’s house -

I guess I need to get another picture of hers.  She has a walk way and the same design on one roof and the other and she was very meticulous, of course!

I will need to post other pictures of Christmas Eve and Christmas day but Happy Holidays to all!

The Beach and Thanksgiving

Of course, I am back to writing what happened a month ago.  The last time I blogged Nathan was playing football.  They won the Magnolia championship for their age group and then went on to win the area championship, also.  A good first year of football for Nathan.

The weekend   before Thanksgiving we went down to the beach and had a wonderful time!  We loved the house and everyone was very comfortable.  We could walk right onto the beach and play.  Only problem was in turned up cold on Saturday but of course, when we left on Sunday it was a lovely day.

               The view from the back porch.

 

 

 

 

         I didn’t even know Shelly could run!  The house was very nice.

The boys digging to China!

Katherine and David in the water.  We made them come out when Cameron said he couldn’t feel his feet!  We had fun though.

   Marlissa and Elizabeth – they play so well together.

Nathan playing football by the house.  We got back from the beach and Cyndi pulled in right after I did.  Nathan and Jacob were playing with the Jenga set and building things.  I didn’t get pictures of Thanksgiving.  I was busy but Shelly and Kathie did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Friday after Thanksgiving Mandy was baptized.  It was a very sweet baptism.  Shelly and Kathie spoke and Shelly, Donna, Kathie and Cyndi sang.  It has been a long time since they sang together and it was very nice.

Our week

I am trying to keep this up to date – although everyone that knows me, knows this won’t happen.  Anyway, almost no pictures, sorry.  We went to the Renaissance Festival with Kathie and her kids and nanny, Ashley and Sammi T.  We had a wonderful time but Kathie had the camera – I forgot mine.  She blogged – go check it out.

Nathan played their final regular season  football game yesterday. They ended the season 6-3.  Not bad for a team that over 50% of the kids had not played football before and some of the teams they played where HUGE!  I am talking 230 lbs. players huge and they were 10!  They played  the Magnolia playoffs – they were first place and they played the 2nd place team and beat them.  It was a good game, hard fought and we won 6 – 0.  On the 12th, we play the TOC (something to do with Champions) and play actually a two day tournament except we are only playing on Saturday.

Nathan is #60.  At the beginning of the season they were able to pick their own number and that was Daddy’s number when he played in Jr. High.  Nathan is a lineman.  He keeps getting matched against these huge kids.  Saturday, he was double teamed by two kids that were bigger than I am.

Pep talk after the game.  The coaches are really good at motivating the kids.  It has been a long season (July until November 12th) and I for one am glad it is over but he has learned a lot about sportsmanship and football and that is what it is all about.

St. Felipe de Austin

Our first history field trip for the year was near Houston.  It actually is very close to Sealy.  It is the first place that Stephen F. Austin brought the first 300 to help settle Texas.  We had a good trip and it was worth the hour drive.  The kids really enjoyed it.  It is a new historical site and Nathan was excited to find that a Sugarland Scout troop had done an eagle project and built benches around some of the natural sites.  The kids both took pictures – Nathan with his camera and Mandy with mine.

A statue of Stephen F. Austin.  It has been a long time since I have studied Texas history and it was interesting to learn about this chapter of history.  The settlers were from Missouri and at the time, Missouri had been settled by Spain and so many of the Missourians were Anglo- American Spanish citizens.  That is why the governor of Mexico allowed Moses Austin, Stephen’s father to come to Texas.  They had already pledged loyalty to Spain.

Another Texas statue at the site.  In the background is the small museum, which at one time had been a store.

 

 

 

 

   One of the benches that was an eagle project for this historic site.  Below is the tree that was there when the settlement was established and the cement box on the right bottom is a well that was dug during the settlements time.

  The museum and the curator who told us about the site.    Coins of the time period.

 

 

 

 

 

The flags that have hung over Texas.  There are five, can you name them?

Stephen F. Austin’s cabin.  It is interesting, how people lived in such a small place and think of how large our homes are now.

We had a good time and learned that the reason that the settlement or any remains of the settlement (both houses were moved from different spots) was that Samuel Houston ordered the burning of the city as Santa Anna’s troop marched through so that there would be no supplies for the Mexican army.  It must of been hard to burn your home after working so hard to build it.

We next went to a park – Stephen F. Austin Park and had lunch.  There were a set of trees (I don’t know what kind) that wove themselves around each other.  It was rather bizarre and we tried to take pictures but I don’t know how effective the pictures will be at displaying what we saw.

Having lunch. See the darker branches?

 

 

 

 

It was a good first field trip.