Brother time

We were invited to go out to Beth's family's land in Pipe Creek for New Year's day. So we went out and the kids practiced with their bb guns and .22s. We climbed trees and looked at rocks. Then we took a trip down to Pipe Creek. The kids waded around in freezing water and we chunked rocks. While we were there, Becky Whittington showed up and then Andy, Kate and fam showed up. What a wonderful surprise! I wish I had on film the look on Seth's face when Maddie and Claire came running down the hill! Being together with all his cousins is just his favorite thing in the whole world. We had a wonderfully lazy time, and then had a big cookout that night, complete with fish, shrimp, and venison. It was just a perfect day.

Blake throwing rocks with Aunt Becky

Caught a nice pic of Katie and Gavin

Christmas

We made cookies for Santa with dinosaur cutouts. The boys had fun, but I forgot to take pics of the finished projects.

My two reindeer

My little elf. Beverly from Kyle's work makes all of his cute little hats and I adore them.

Henson Christmas Party

Every year, the Hensons, Kyle's mom's family, have a big Christmas party. Gloria is one of eight kids, so it's usually a big party. They are always fun, and this year the theme was tacky Christmas sweaters. I thought the big hair went well with the horrid sweater.

Uncle Robert and Luke

Gloria in a vintage sweater

Friggs,Luke, Laramie, and Damon. I think the misspelling really adds something.

Ooh la la, they look nice.

me, Gloria, Savannah, Shayla, Kali, and Lisa. Sadly, I don't remember who won. But fun was had by all!! More to come on Christmas later...

Our Christmas

Stringer boys 2010. We are going to Kyle's parents for Christmas, so we opened our presents today so we wouldn't have to haul them up there. Later that morning, Seth said, "You know these Christmas presents aren't the best ones - the best one of all is that Jesus was born so that He could die for our sins." Amen!! I've never been so proud!

Kyle took the boys to a pottery place in New Braunfels and made this! He drew and painted it himself, with the boys' hand and fingerprints. What a treasure! I cannot believe I married such a talented man.

Okay, not Christmas related, but had to share. Went in to check on the boys before I went to bed the other night and couldn't find Blake anywhere. Finally, I located him asleep under the bed in a box. Why did we buy bunk beds?

More Fall Portraits

I LOVE this pic. They only lay still for about 3 seconds, but I got one!

Thanksgiving - part 2

After we visited Winnsboro, we went to my parents house on Tuesday and stayed through Sunday. My dad's whole family came out for the feast, which was awesome because I don't see them nearly enough. Mom set up dinner in the barn at a huge table and we sat on hay bales. She is a wonderful hostess! The food was amazing, of course.

My cousin J.J. with her daughter Caitlin and my aunt Joyce - so good to see them. So many relatives I didn't even take pics of, but I was so thankful to see J.J. in from Oregon and Tyler in from California.

I don't know what other families do when they get together, but we hitched up toboggans behind the golf cart and pulled the kids around. Even Cullen loved it.

His favorite activity was getting rolled around in the new duffel Kyle got for Christmas. He would screech if you tried to remove him.

And we all swang on the tree swing. So fun!

Kyle and I in the hammock

Grammy and Papa with all the grand kids. It was so cold! Look at how the kids are all scrunched up!

Grammy with her boys.

Thanksgiving

This is one for the wedding video....well, one can hope. SEth was kinda sweet on Mallory. So adorable. Seth had the whole week off for Thanksgiving, so I took the boys up to Winnsboro for the first half of the week while Kyle was still working. We had so much fun! The Porters came down one day and we had a big time - the kids played on the hay, and Gloria pulled them around in a wagon behind the four wheeler.


This is the only photo I got of us three. Seth took it. Obviously.

This is the Porter's newest cutie, Luke.


Pa with Cullen. Glo-Glo and I are so last year whenever this guy is around.


Seth abslolutely loves Man vs. Wild, so one day Gloria and I played "Survive in the Woods" with them and we showed Seth how to build a shelter/ teepee in the forest. Holy Cow, what a hit. He cut vine to use as rope, and green branches to weave in and out. At one point he said "I'd be fine out in the woods, and all those other babies would go cryin' to their mamas!" Then later he said something about "boys who can't do this must be wearin' pink panties!" (WHOOP! Yes, my kid just quoted Bob D.) Anyway, he thinks he's ready to go live off the land.



We also went horseback riding...



I also (finally) took some time to get fall portraits of the boys:






Why I had boys: little slim cut wranglers.