Our Very Own Nate

Both of the kids adore Nate and they have loved having him back home for Christmas break. (Nate was one of our youth since 8th grade and he graduated a couple of years ago. He now goes to Southwestern in Waxahachie.) Yesterday afternoon John David studied JBQ with him for almost an hour and then they played his gamecube until church time. Last night Julia brought in some books and they layed on the floor and read them together. It will be sad when it's time for him to go back to school again....=(

SAF's Christmas Program

Sunday morning was the kids' Christmas program at church. The older kids (which included John David) first spelled out Christmas (John David was the letter A) and then sang The First Noel. My pictures didn't turn out good of that so you just have to use your imagination. =)

Next, the 2-5 year olds came in as Mary and Joseph, shepherds, wisemen, and lots of animals while Away in a Manger was being sung. Julia was a pig and at the Saturday practice she wanted to crawl in over and over but when it was time for her to crawl in yesterday she wouldn't do it. She just closed her eyes and wanted to be a sleeping pig. Her teacher ended up walking in holding her. Even afterwards in her classroom she acted funny. I don't know if she didn't feel well or she was being shy or what. Oh well, she was still a cute little pig.

Cornerstone Christmas Program

Thursday night was John David's school program. His class sang Jingle Bell Rock and O Little Town of Bethlehem. He wasn't too thrilled about having to sing Christmas songs and getting all dressed up but he enjoyed seeing his friends. During the songs he discovered that he could put his hand through the gap in his shirt cuff and he mostly did that instead of singing. Then at the end he held up his hands and made what appeared to be kindergarten gang signs. I think maybe he was trying to make upside down Texas Longhorn signs. (He's only allowed to do them upside down because we are A&M fans!) The good news is that there were a couple of other little boys who were acting much sillier and distracted everyone. The lady in the picture with him is his teacher, Mrs. Karschner.

Sweet Julia

Julia loved lots of yummy things to eat during our trip to San Antonio, especially lollipops!

Growing Fast

Here's a newer picture of Aulora taken on Thanksgiving. She turned three months old today and she's still as sweet as ever. She is awake much more now, but she does still take plenty of naps. She weighs almost 11 pounds now and is growing wonderfully. Her brother and sister still adore her and give her lots and lots of kisses. Tonight, Julia and Aulora were wearing matching dresses for the first time ever. The look of delight on Julia's face when she realized it was precious. She reached down and gave her a big hug and kiss. So sweet!

Where The Wild Things Are

Well, Pudge had some uninvited company last night. I found his guest in the yard this morning. John David thought it was really cool and he can't wait to tell his friends about the possum in his back yard when he gets to school tomorrow. =)

Christmas Tree Night

The Thursday after Thanksgiving was our special tree night. While I made dinner, the boys went to pick out a tree. After we ate it was time to put up the tree. The kids were so excited and it turned out to be a pretty fun night. We listened to Christmas music, threw pine brances in the fire, and got out our decorations. We've decided to make this a yearly tradition.

Making Cookies

Last weekend we made some Christmas cookies for a special treat. The kids looked forward to it all week long! At one point I looked over and Julia's bottom was hanging out - I have no idea why, but it sure was cute. =) And in case you're wondering, the cookies were delicious!

Julia's 3rd Birthday

We had Julia's party on her actual birthday - November the 4th at 2:00. It was at our house in a Hello Kitty theme. In addition to family, she had 6 of her friends come and we played a couple of games (Including pin the bow on Hello Kitty which made Julia quite upset because all of her friends were messing Hello Kitty up with too many bows), ate cupcakes and icecream, and opened presents. Julia got lots of dress-up clothes and jewelry, nail polish and lip gloss, some new dollies, some movies, a game, a Dora castle, legos, and more! It was lots of fun! Happy Birthday, Julia Elisabeth Sullivan!

A Couple More Sea World Pictures

Sea World

We went to Sea World the day before Thanksgiving. It was perfect weather and not crowded at all. We watched penguins, rode rides, went to a 3-D movie, fed the sea lions some fish, and even had dinner with Shamu! There was a big feast right beside the water and after we ate, the trainers called the whales up to the edge and we were within about 5 feet of them. They did all kinds of tricks for us. It was amazing!

Thanksgiving in San Antonio

This year we went to San Antonio with my side of the family for Thanksgiving vacation. We went shopping in San Marcos, Sea World (I'll do a separate post about that), and we ate our Thanksgiving meal at the Hyatt Regency downtown. It was a huge feast!

We had fun watching the college football games in our hotel rooms since we had rivals within the family. John was decked out with all his A&M gear (enev a big fleece blanket!) and Davus and Jeremy were in the connecting room with Longhorn shirts. It was a great time when A&M won. =)

It was a fun trip but we all decided that we wouldn't want to do it again! =)

All My Babies

Well, here they are - all three of my babies. I took this picture in our front yard after church on Sunday. Aren't they cute??? (Am I allowed to say that?) =)

My Dream Come True

Ok, it's not really my dream come true but I have to admit that I did get pretty emotional at the grand opening of our beloved new Walmart Supercenter. We already had one here but on October 18th they opened the doors of a second one right down the road from our house. It's sooooo wonderful! Rumors of this store had been around for quite awhile and when ground was finally broken it was exciting - but nothing beat the excitement of finding out when opening day was! I was there when they opened the doors for the very first time and I tried to hide my tears of happiness. I know - I really need to get a life. =)

Rock the Pumpkin

Last Tuesday we had our annual Rock the Pumpkin at church. The kids had been looking forward to this night for a very long time. They spent a good portion of the night in the bounce house jumping their little hearts away but we did lots of other stuff too. They played games, ate candy, went on a pony ride, ate cotton candy and hot dogs (notice how Julia ate hers), and saw lots of friends. It was a fun night!

Play Time with Daddy

The kids LOVE playing with Daddy after dinner and here's a couple of pictures of them playing football one night. It's pretty comical to watch John trying to explain the rules to them. I guess they'll get it one day. =)

The Lone Bean

One night recently I cooked green beans for dinner. The table was all set and the food was ready too. We were just waiting for John to finish washing up from work and then sit down. Julia decided to help serve the food and this is what she put on each plate. It really amused me and I just had to take a picture. I really need to get a life, don't I?

John David's 6th Birthday

October 28th was John David's 6th birthday and since John was going to be in Dallas for Bible Quiz, we decided to make a family trip out of it. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and ordered room service breakfast. The kids thought that was so cool!

After getting dressed we joined John at Trinity for quiz. I didn't stay long with the girls but John David wanted to stay with Daddy. That night we ate at Don Pablos and they sang Happy Birthday to him. We gave him a game called Piranha Panic that he really wanted. In the picture of John David and John on the floor they were trying to make the best piranha face to see who would go first. John David won.

A few days after his birthday, John David told me he would be able to do something when he turned six (I can't remember what!). Anyway, I reminded him that he was already six. He was frustrated and said that he wasn't bigger and stronger so I explained that we grow gradually every day. He thought for just a second and then he crossed his arms and declared, "Well, I guess I'm just going to be a midget!" What a funny little guy. =)