Wurstfest and fun and not so fun stuff

Our neighbors gave us free tickets to Wurstfest..a nearby festival full of beer & sausage!

We finally got to see what all the fuss is about. It was lots of fun and the kids loved it!

HB loved the corn on the cob and the girls loved watching everyone with their crazy hats,

riding the rides and the hot chocolate! Daniel and I enjoyed the beer and sausages on a stick..I love how they end their 'sampler stick' with a dessert sausage! YUM!
We ran into Brie Berry which was crazy and random but fun eventhough she asked "Are all those your kids??" Why yes they are!!

I would love to go back and enjoy the night with a bunch of friends..definitely a yearly thing!!

Another fun outing was to a birthday party. We got to do the Pump It Up and this time HB got to join us!

He was a wild man and was flirting so much he picked up an older girl! If we weren't moving I think I would have found a new babysitter! She loved him and he definitely liked her!

The girls had fun celebrating Giulia's birthday and we got to meet her new twin brother and sister!

I love the Fall and feel like it has flown by. I'm sad football is almost over with and am not ready to have a million Chrismas presents under the tree. Heck, I'm not ready to have a tree! So this whole moving thing is a real downer.
Did I mention that I hate packing and moving and going through the motions of finding new doctors, getting my carpet cleaned, cancelling cable service and waiting all day long for someone to actually to show up? Life is crazy right now! Crazy I tell you! And can I just say before I shut up that I think Christmas time is the worst time to sale your house. You realize how much stuff you have and can't really imagine wanting to buy anything ever again - it doesn't really matter if it's for yourself or someone else..they probably don't need it either! HA! I will get in the Christmas spirit soon..hey, we have lights on outside and some decorations out..we're getting there!! FALALALALA...

Gobble Gobble!!

I have been busy cooking this week and getting ready for Thanksgiving week back home. We had my little brother's wedding last weekend and it was SO MUCH FUN..can't wait to blog about it!! Let's just say there was dancing..enough where Daniel and I were both sore the 2 days following.

We made it to CS with all our items and babies and dogs. The Burban was packed!

These are some pics of the girls' artwork surrounding this wonderful holiday. Looking forward to the Aggies beating the Hell outta t.u. for one final time (at least for a while). This football season has been wild and exciting and disappointing..there is hope though! I saw this t-shirt at Freebirds.. {SECEDE} ..not sure what the back said..Like it or not, here we come!

For Thanksgiving I have been put in charge of cooking the cornbread dressing, pumpkin bread pudding (which turned out amazing even without the sauce), broccoli cheese casserole and Daniel is making twice baked potatoes.

Emmaline is really into making portraits of people right now..this is of her! She loves the flowers. :)
**Our BIG news is that our little family of 5 (7 with the dogs) is moving to a new Texas town about 2 hours toward the border!** So our house will go on the market soon, which will be about as much fun as you can possibly imagine, we will travel even more farther south to look at new houses and well, the rest is kindof up in the air. Who knows what will really happen next.?. Daniel is super excited about his new title and we are really proud of him. I have to say I am nervous and kindof upset about it all. I have my friends, my little corner of SA that I love. I'm not a girl who craves change so this is a challenge. So my mood lately has been a little moody.
Enough about that...Happy Thanksgiving!! I am thankful for all my blessings, including this little wild turkey!

Football weekend

So we headed to Tuscaloosa for the BIG GAME..it started late Thursday evening when we dropped the kids off at my parents in CS..we then drove lightning speed to Houston to stay at Daniel's brother's house..we saw them for a total of 5 minutes. Got up way early Friday morning to catch the 1st flight out Hobby, landed in Jackson to meet my dad, brother and Rachel for our adventure. The drive was a ways, but it was good and we headed to the first bar we saw where we became regulars for the weekend and they knew our drink order everytime we returned. A little shopping, a little dancing, a little drinking and little food..that was our Friday. The weather was seriously perfect, a little chilly, but it is football in November..you want it to be that way! Saturday started early with all the dramatic Game Day talk and stories. People were riled up and having fun. We did more shopping, lots of football watching and of course our trip wouldn't have been complete without Dreamland BBQ. The pork was amazing as usual and what can I say except my mouth is now watering thinking of the sauce..where is my white bread??!! YUM! Once we got our amazing tickets we headed for the stadium but took our time with all the fun fans and shananigans going on. It was great and so entertaining. My dad said it certainly had the 'Championship Game feel'. We walked onto the field (after stuffing our boots full of Pocket shots of vodka and whiskey) with an amazing view of crimson. It was lots of fun and so exciting. Never have I felt so nervous and ready for something. The game itself was up and down and highs and lows..crazy. I honestly feel bad for the kicker..it was awful but ok at the same time. They deserve to play again, but either way I am proud of BAMA and the way they played. So glad I went!! Here are pics of our time there..

this reminded me of home..my kids try to ride my dogs all the time!

Daniel's new nickname perhaps?!!

me and my Daddy! He was so sweet to take us to the game!

Daniel and I on Friday night before the peprally and parade!

Michael and Rachel before the Leslie Miles shots!

our tickets were awesome!! They say "Coach Saban's request" and were on the 40 yard line 15 rows off the field!!

in front of Bryant Denny Stadium! It was so packed. I love how the frat and sorority houses are all lining the stadium..can you imagine getting absolutely nothing done there but loving every minute of it?!!

Saban statue

How we ended our evening..Pocket shots are the best and everyone is always so intrigued by them! A must have item at any football game..or concert for that matter!!

Thanks Dad for an amazing and memorable weekend!! It was a blast and the only thing that would have been better would have been the W. You wouldn't believe the silence leaving that stadium..it was eery..Other bummers of the weekend..my mom broke her foot within 10 minutes of us pulling out the driveway on Thursday but wouldn't let anyone tell me so I didn't find out til Sunday..thanks to her and my Aunt Claudia for taking such great care of the kids..they had a blast! And when we got to our departing flight in Mississippi and found out that my luggage was left in the lobby of the hotel in Alabama..I finally got it in the mail after almost 2 weeks! The clothes were all there though, so that is what really matters!!..Rammer Jammer..Yellow Hammer..can't wait to see how the season plays out!!

Hayes Bryant is 14 months old!!

What a sweetie..cuddly little angel boy...he is super cute!. Not that I am biased! ;)

He is now being a true B-O-Y..playing in the dirt..knocking over the trash can multiple times a day and just plain throwing every single thing he comes in contact with..who knew I would be able to tell a difference in sexes like this! Oh well..we love our little man no doubt!

The girls call him, "Biscuell" - it's the best I know how to write it..I said one day, 'like a biscuit (sounds like it in the beginning)..we should call him Honey Biscuit for HB!' I thought it was cute and went together..Daniel said.."what about Honey Bear! Like Bear Bryant, duh"...so maybe he didn't say duh, but it came across the same..so who knows what his actual nickname will become!!..he is our everything!!

*He has learned to walk (and run!!), squat(and pick up stuff and stand back up) and eat an amazing amount of food!
*He got his first bloody lip by stepping off the front porch...his lip skin was wrapped around his top tooth (he has 4 total) and luckily the blood stopped or I may have taken him in to the ER..he was upset and I was thinking this may be what breaks him of the paci, but he powered through and was able to suck, HA! He was jumping off the couch in no time at all!
*Some people say he looks so BIG and then others are like, he looks so little for his age...who knows!!! We are just loving his sweetness..and yes, he still loves his Paci and seems to like his blankies too..
*He sleeps great..1-2 naps, bed at 8 and up around 8am! Goes to sleep easily!!
*He also has learned to answer with a head nod 'YES' or shake 'NO'. We ask if he is hungry (and he just ate) and he shakes a big 'YES'. He pauses like he is really thinking about the question before he answers and then goes full on NOD! So cute! I asked if he loved his paci and he shook a resounding 'YES'..sigh, I doubt I will ever be able to force him to give it up..he steals my heart!
*Also, this week he started to mimic the girls when they do gymnastic tricks, like cartwheels...he puts his head on the groud and flops his body over and just pretty much keeps going around and around in a circle..then stops and laughs!
*He is SO proud of himself when he climbs somewhere or does something he shouldn't (like destroy my purse in 5 seconds!)!
*He is still in love with his Daddy and cries everytime I go to pick him up at the the gym or elsewhere!(I guess he thinks I am going to leave him again??)

*At the girls' gymnastics, he escapes from me and bear crawls (he is SO FAST) to the blue mat where G does her thing..and I can usually scoop him up in time..but there was a hole in one part of the 'ring' and he crawled under the trampoline..I almost tried to follow him enough to grab his foot but didn't..everyone was staring at me..by the time I stood up he had crawled up the foam steps to the top of the tramp and was like a cat going around the trampoline mat..I had to jog all the way around the fenced off area and snag him up. He thought it was hilarious as did the other parents!
*The same day as the escape at gymnastics, he had an awful diaper..I got the girls to their class and was changing him..OOPS, no diapers left (I hadn't been home all day) and I had an hour worth of gym time left. So I used a thin changing pad and wrapped it around his behind..buttoned him up and hoped for the best....yeah, didn't work! Within 20 minutes he had peed and was stomping in it..a little girl was standing next to him and said, "Um, he had an accident and he's playing in it!" - true story! So that was my Thursday afternoon..and did I mention Daniel had to work late that night?!! - Seriously we got home from gymnastics at 5:30, they were fed by 6 and I was at my gym by 6:30 on the elliptical in childless bliss!! Sometimes all you need is the right motivation!! - {ok, sorry digression...back to my HB}

What a big, sweet handsome little man!! We love you and all your 14 month old glory!! Roll Tide, Bear!!

GNO at Ole' Market

We had a fun girl's night out (GNO) during the Ole' Market put on by the Junior League. My 2 girls I hang with all the time are members and Leslie practically put on the entire thing, so I was all in! I attended an early shopping day, that had mimosas and breakfast with the speaker, Frances Strange, Don Strange's wife, who just wrote a book. She was interesting and her stories were great. Jillian went with me and we shopped and drank til it was time to be a mom again and pick up the kids!

I watched Cambrie one day while Leslie was working and had a little photo shoot! HB was a bit jealous and didn't want to pose with her much!

She was a doll though and really good! E&G were escatic when I picked them up from MDO with Hayes and Cambrie! Then we got to get her big sister and brother off the bus and play at the park for hours! It was a fun afternoon but I am now sure I don't want 6 children (in case you were wondering)(well at least not all 6 ages 6 and under)!!
The best part of Ole' was the GNO where we were VIP and ate some amazing food!! There was a purse auction (yes, all purses..my mom would have been in trouble! HA ;)) and about 6 martinis to choose from, these fun blinkie rings, fruity shots and adult margaritas in the form of go-gurts that had 'koozies' that fit on them so your hands didn't freeze! I have been letting the girls use them when they eat their go-gurts!
The best part of the night was the dancing!! So if you know me then you know I drank enough to think that was the best part of the night. We probably made a spectacle of ourselves but it was a blast. I wish we could replay that night like every 2 weeks!!

I even bought Natalie a fur apron for her birthday! I'm sure she will use it all the time!!
I didn't win anything at the purse auction this time but I did buy 2 cute dresses over the week of shopping that I absolutely love!!

Leslie's birthday is Halloween, so we celebrated a few different times..we missed our party GNO and will be making it up one day, but we did do a surprise dinner the night before at El Mirasol with family. They have the best margaritas ever!!

Country music is what I love!

Over the last few weeks Daniel and I have been lucky enough to go to some fun concerts! Even luckier to get a babysitter so we could actually enjoy ourselves..
We attended the Cattle Barons Ball held at a ranch outside of Boerne. We got free tickets from a work friend for an event which is a bit more pricey than something we would usually attend, so we dressed in our Texas best, shined up our boots and gassed up the ol' Chevy.
They had tons of auction items and they went for ridiculous amounts of money, but all in the name of curing cancer! We actually bid on some silent auction items. We 'won' a hotel room in Houston with breakfast and I got a cheap haircut! Daniel was thrilled with our purchases! So, the headliner for the event was Clay Walker!! I was pumped..it had been years since I went to one of his concerts and it took me back to my old highschool days with my girlfriends! It was lots of fun and because of the type of event we danced to old favorites like "There was this woman, there was this man" and "She won't be lonely long"! and were right up at the stage to see him shake it! I didn't really remember him having so much hip action back in the day, impressive! He shook Daniel's hand and I may have sent a text that said, "Clay is making a livin' out of lovin' me!" to some friends..hey, the drinks were complimentary!

And I just have to say I had the worst outfit malfunction ever!! I wore a dress that I probably shouldn't have worn..it was a bit snug in certain areas..it hid my bra up until the time I sat down and then all you could see was white! So I did what any girl would do and took my bra off...yeah, maybe that is what any girl would do, but not a Mother of 3 children! My only saving grace was my denim jacket I wore..I covered up the malfunction but I still new in my heart what was underneath..And it wasn't pretty!
But I was able to power through it all and have a great time! I know, I'm so mature! {Hoping to add a picture of us on here at some point that his friend took on her camera..yes, just holding my breath on that one!}
Ok, so a week later Daniel decided to surprise me with a night out. He wouldn't tell me anything so I had to do some searching on the internet.. between other things he said I knew it was probably a show of some sort and probably country (he said Leslie wouldn't want to go and she doesn't like country music). It had to be within a certain time frame because of when our sitter was going to be there so I knew we weren't staying overnight anywhere.

It wasn't hard to find...he took me to Gruene Hall for a night with Bruce & Charlie Robison! We had dinner early and watched football before we headed to the venue. I like how they have all the tables pushed together so you kindof are forced to talk with people. We met all the people around us and for some reason they bought us our drinks!!

The opener was Jamie Wilson, from the Trishas, and she was really good and entertaining. Of course, they sang every song we asked for and it was really up close and personal. It was fun having them both on stage and chatting about different shows and stories. It was a really nice evening and really sweet of Daniel for surprising me with it. He knew I would like it eventhough I may have put up a little fight about going (it was my friend's birthday weekend)! Love you, Daniel!!

Halloween 2011

Our Hallween fun began with a Costume Dog Parade at one of Daniel's hospitals.

We met our friends up there and had fun seeing all the adorable dogs. I loved the banana split and the prom king & queen costumes best.

The girls got their faces painted, had popcorn at 10am and danced to the band. It was a nice morning!

On Monday, the girls' school had their Halloween parade. They were pretty adorable walking with their classmates and so excited to share their costumes with them. They lined up on stage and sang some cute fall songs..'I'm a nut', 'Have you ever seen a pumpkin' and others too.

One girl in G's class was the surfer girl with one arm (a 3 year old was carrying a surf board, and had one arm tucked in her shirt the whole morning). It was hard core..I couldn't even get my kids to wear their hat!

That evening we went to Leslie's house, it is her birthay, and we celebrated with dinner, drinks and then trick or treated our way through their neighborhood!

Britton is saying here, "You don't gnome me!", not really, Hayes just got through poking him in the eye..

It was Anna's 1st time trick or treating!

The kids loved it and got tons of candy. They did great and told me all about their thank-yous. It was a wonderful time with great friends and definitely a year to remember.