Harry Potter and a Ballerina Kity

Halloween was wild and crazy as usual. We actually did something a little different but rewarding. A couple of years ago our church stopped doing their Fall Festival and encouraged us to have block parties. The reason behind this was for us to engage with our neighbors and get to know them. Honestly we have lived in our house for 3 years and really only know 1 neighbor. Toby and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get to know more of our neighbors. Luckily, Sally and Eric Loyd live in our neighborhood and were able to help us out too. We cooked hot dogs and chili and had a bounce house. We had several neighbors come out to join us! It was a really good time. I wish we had done this sooner. After the block party we went trick-or-treating with the Loyds and the Williams. Fun was had by all!

Cason as Harry Potter

Molly as a Ballerina Kitty. That's a whole lot of sass right there. 

We started out Halloween at Dodd's Boo Bash. This is Cason and his buddies Wade and Max. Wade was Ron Wesely and Max was Harry Potter too. 

Molly and her friend Macy. 

Cason and some of the boys Cason plays with after school. Cason, Wade, Max, Brady T. and Brady L

Block Party fun. 

We hosted the Block Party in our front yard. 

There are no words for this picture. No words. Pray for us when she is a teenager. 

Trick-or-treating time! 

Tooth Fairy Paid a Visit

TO MOLLY! 2 weeks after starting kindergarten she lost her first tooth. It happened on September 5th. She kept complaining that her teeth were hurting. If finally dawned on me that she might have a wiggly tooth and sure enough she did! There was a little drama with the fact that we had to pull it. She has a fear of blood. Once is was wiggly enough she let me pull out (with some crying and screaming of course) . She was super pumped about about finally getting it out. After another 2 weeks she lost her other bottom tooth. She is a cute toothless girl!

Texas State Fair

We have all lived in Texas our entire lives and Toby and I have lived in Dallas for 12-13 years. AND we have never gone to the State Fair even though it was a 30 min drive. The kids and I get free tickets every year through my school. This year, with 3 free tickets, we decided to go. We met the part of the Loyd family there. The fair is always more fun with friends!  The kids had fun at the petting zoo and the rides. We spent a lot of time standing in line. We went on a Monday that we had off of school. Even though it was a Monday, it was CROWDED! I finally had my first taste of fair food, a fried Reese's Peanut Butter cup. It was AMAZING!

My little pork chops

Add caption

Cason feeding an ostrich. They were feisty! 

The kids with Big Tex. Unfortunately the lighting didn't allow me to get a good picture of Big Tex. 

Cason and Beau shopping for their truck. 

State Fair! Yay! 

Too cool for a pic. 

We stuck to the little rides. 

Fight Raiders Fight

Toby has been talking about going to a home Texas Tech game for years. We have taken Cason to a couple in Dallas but never one at Tech. Molly had never been game so we picked a date, packed our red and black and went to Lubbock. Tech played SFA and won 69 - 17! The kids had a blast and did great despite not leaving until 10:30. 

We watched the "Goin Band From Raider Land" warm up. When they played the National Anthem, Cason stood at attention. 

Kids with Soap Suds

Family Pic

Touchdown!!!  

High five from Raider Red

Summer 2016

e started off our summer by saying goodbye to Myrna. She was Cason and Molly's babysitter since Cason was 2 months old. She was a major part of our life for 7 years! She is the kindest, sweetest person I know. Cason and Molly thought of her as their second mom. Sometimes I think they wanted her to be their "only" mom. That was a hard pill to swallow at first but then I realized how much she loved my kids. It's not easy to leave your kids in someone else's care, but Myrna made it easy. She gave the kids a happy and safe environment to grow up in. She also gave me much needed parenting advice from time to time! She will always have a special place in our hearts.

Aunt Tory, Travis and Jake came for a quick visit during Memorial Day. Of course we had to visit the zoo!

This summer went by SUPER fast. The fact that our summer was 2 weeks shorter may have contributed to that. Thanks State of Texas. Despite our shorter summer, we managed to have a good one. No big vacations this year. I decided to paint the entire inside of our house.
Our first week of summer break we had Vacation Bible school. I directed the first grade class. The theme was GLOW. We had an awesome time!

Molly and Camille on twin day

Reid and Cason on twin day

Arts and Crafts time

Molly, Colin, Reid, Stone, Cason and Wade. I taxied these crazies to and from VBS every day. It was a wild and crazy ride. 

Cason participating in the Game Show during Family Worship Night

This was Molly's first year to participate in VBS. She loved it! 

Dancing away at worship

Recreation Time

Uncle Thomas, Aunt Kim, Ryleigh, Tamra and Ethan stopped by on their way to the beach. We visited Babe's Chicken House and met this dude. He sat with us throughout the entire dinner. 

Ethan, Cason and Molly doing the chicken dance

Molly had a music camp at church. This is her performing on her parent show off day. She is in the front row in the blue jean dress. They were all wearing zoo animal hats. 

Summer selfie

I was able to spend some quality time with each child this summer. One of those days me and Cason took Reid to Hawaiian Falls. 

Cason had an appointment in downtown Dallas so Toby and I took him to Clyde Warren Park for some playtime, food trucks and popsicle. 

Molly at my parents neighborhood 4th of July celebration. 

She could do flips. A lot of people were super impressed! My little gymnast! 

If you look closely you can see Molly, Reid, Cason and Camille on this ride. I feel sick just looking at it.

All the cousins, minus Collin, waiting on a water slide. 

Cason had the opportunity to participate in Camp in the City run by Pine Cove. It was held at First Baptist Wylie and Cason had an amazing time! He was in a group with Stone, Beau, and PJ. Some of his buddies.

Cason and his counselor. 

Last Day picture with Beau and PJ

Last day picture with Stone

Molly and Camille on one of her special days. I took them to Hawaiian Falls while Cason was at camp. 

Molly didn't get to do as many camps as Cason did this summer because she started gymnastics. She LOVES it! She flips, twirls, and hangs on everything she can.

Molly went on a lunch date with me and Toby too. She was cold and stole my jacket. 

Toby and I were able to get away for a couple of days too. We had a staycation in downtown Dallas for our 11th Anniversary. It was a little bitter sweet because the night before we went down there, 5 police officers were killed in an ambush. We stayed in the Omni Hotel which was right across the street from where it all happened. Despite the heaviness of it all we were able to get away and enjoy some much needed time with each other.

Memorial honoring the fallen police officers at Dallas Police Headquarters. 

The hotel we stayed at showing support for the police department

Anniversary selfie

I have always wanted to run on the Katy Trail in downtown. That was part of our anniversary trip. We are dorks, I know. 

 To end the summer, the kids had a camp out in the house!

 We also went to 6 flags!

The Judge Roy Scream. This was Molly's first roller coaster. The whole time she screamed, "I don't like this Mom, get me off of here!". Then when we stopped she said she wanted to ride it again. 

Waiting to get splashed! 

Like I said, it was a pretty busy summer. Add in our trip to Lubbock, spending time with Grandad and BeBe, weekly visits to Hawaiian Falls, and Cason's basketball camp and I think we had something going on every week. I'm pretty sure I say this every year, but I love having the opportunity to be a stay at home mom for a few months. Getting time to spend with these nuts is just what I need! I can't wait until summer 2017!