Go Texan Day 2013

As I have said many years in the past, Texans are proud to be Texans!  We are people who pledge to our flag every morning at school, who love to two-step, who love country music, and love to eat anything on a stick around rodeo time!  Every school has Go Texan Day which is full of fun!  This year we have been visiting a local church that had a good ole' fashioned Barn Dance.  We went up there and got to watch the kids ride ponies, learn to square dance, line dance, eat funnel cakes, and just enjoy the environment where we were!
We love our state and feel fortunate to live where we do!

Super Bowl Time

This year in the Super Bowl, it was the SF 49ers taking on the Baltimore Ravens and Beyonce in charge of the half time show!  I have no liking for either team but sort of was rooting for the 49ers and really enjoyed the half time performance!  Really, it is a great time for us all to get together for some yummy food, drinks, and play time for the kids and adults!  Thank you Lackeys, Moffitts, Pierrels, and Salazars for coming over!  We had a great time!

Dinner time!

Guys watching the game!

And eating!

Kids had a great time playing outside!

Valentine's Day

HAPPY HEART DAY!
Colson was given the task from his school to make a valentine box of his liking!  Well, Colson is not the crafty guy, so when all else fails....turn to pinterest!  We found a few good ideas and he decided on the Angry Bird box!  Because he was doing it, Brooklyn wanted to do one too, so she made a valentine's pig!  They both turned out super cute....of course with the help of daddy on Colson's!  Brooklyn took hers on all by herself!
We had a great day filled with parties, valentine cards, candy, conversation hearts, and a lot of LOVE!

Time to create our boxes!

Colson's finished product!

Colson wrote this to Brooklyn!  His handwriting is so much better!

He wrote his name on every card all by himself this year!

Brooklyn's final product!

Skating Adventure

This was our very first skating adventure since both kids are old enough to be able to do it!  Toby turned 9 and we were invited to celebrate!  I cannot believe that he is 9!  Just seems like yesterday his mom and I were driving to high school together every morning!
Both kids were so excited!  Brooklyn was encouraging Colson the whole way there that if he falls, it is ok!  Just get back up and keep on trying!  Well, that proved to be easier said then done for her!  Once the kids got the walkers on wheels, they did much better!  Before that, we had tears from Brooklyn and laughter from Colson every time he fell...and he fell hard!
Such a fun time!!

ART

Brooklyn made the Spring art show last year and was thrilled.  Her goal this year was to make the Rodeo Art Show in her district.  We have been getting updates almost every Monday night telling us what she is doing for her project, what was going right and what she felt were huge mistakes!  Her teacher, Miss Dickerson, read a poem to them about a red cow that had meadow flowers in her mouth and guided the kids through a drawing.  They all used the medium of watercolor.  She was so upset one day when she said that she put the head in the middle and ran out of room for the body so she had to smush up the body.  She also said it was a HUGE mistake when she dropped a drop of red paint on the green grass.  We were so excited when we got the certificate and invitation to visit the Rodeo Art Exhibit in Klein where her art would be displayed.  Her art went to the district contest where they were all judged by local judges and given blue, red, white ribbons, black ribbons for finalists to go to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and best in show awards which were moving to the next level.  We were joined by all of the Lewis side of the family and almost all of the Alford side of the family to see her red cow!  She entitled her work IZZY.  We were even more thrilled to see the blue ribbon attached to her work!  She is truly an artist!

Mercer Arboretum

We had a blast last weekend taking some time to go enjoy the beautiful weather!  We loved going to Mercer Arboretum and just walking around, checking out what was and was not in bloom, and noticing soooo many changes going on there!  A great family morning!

The cod in the pond reminded Brooklyn of Memaw and Pop's old pond

Bamboo shoots!

Standing on the edge looking at Spring Creek

We thought these turtles were fake because they were so still until Curt threw a pine cone....oooppps!  They were real!

Legos, Lego Friends, and Trio OH MY!

Our house is full of building sets for both of the kids!  It is amazing the enjoyment from building and the satisfaction and imagination that we have seen when playing with what they have built!  Brooklyn is in love with her Lego Friends sets...totally girly!  Colson feels like a grown boy when he is playing with his Trio sets, lego sets, and superheroes.....totally rough and tumble!  Here are a few of their builds...there are too many to picture!