Enjoying the Patio

We have had some nice weather lately, which is great because that means we really get to go out and enjoy the new patio!  I bought Aiden a bubble gun the other day.  It broke after a week, but I can't really expect much more out of a $3 toy...

A few bubbles here, a few bubbles there...



Blasting the BBQ pit lasted about 5 seconds before Daddy put a stop to it.



Aiden begged us to bring out his grill so he could make us food.

I'm really excited that our plants are starting to fill in for the year.  They get so sparse and ugly in the winter months.  Although I guess it's all better than going completely dormant like everything does in Illinois.  We already have giant dill plants and tons of peppers leftover in the veggie garden from last year.  There are even a couple tomato plants sprouting up on their own.  I guess that's what happens when you let a few fruits hit the ground.  We're not going to be able to make it to the nursery to purchase more plants for another couple weeks.  I'm hoping since we're getting them at a pre-grown status, it won't put us too far behind.  I'm crossing my fingers that everything grows better than it did in the drought last year!

T-day in Galveston

Thanksgiving was so easy going this year, it was amazing.  We went over to Ariel and Robert's house in the morning to help them clean and cook.  Since it was nice out, Ariel decided to do the seating outdoors. 

Hostess with the mostess

We ate around 4 pm, an hour later than planned.  Not too bad, considering how things have gone in the past.  We invited our friend Scott to dinner since he doesn't have any family nearby.  Ariel's roommate Bettye and their friends Brandon, Blake and Christy came as well. 

Dinner was FANTABULOUS.  I couldn't believe it, but none of my green bean casserole was left at the end.  I don't usually feel like that's a popular item, but apparently everyone liked it the way I made it with fresh green beans.  The canned mushy green beans gross me out.

I also made a new sweet potato casserole this year.  I don't generally like the sweet potato casserole, so I took control of it it this year.  The bottom layer is mashed sweet potatoes, the middle layer is a pecan crumble (basically it's pecan pie) and the top layer is toasted marshmallows.  The toasted part was an accident, but it turned out really great.

Ariel and Robert fried a turkey and roasted a turkey.  The fried turkey was more firm and really hit the spot.  Travis and I heated up the honey baked ham he got from his boss.  It turned out really great as well.  Thankfully we were able to reheat it right before the meal.

Christy and Blake

Aiden LOVES Brandon.  Brandon is so good with kids, so I know that helps.  Aiden sat in this hammock with him for a good 20 minutes and held on while Brandon rocked the "pirate ship". 

After dinner we ate pie: pecan, pumpkin and apple.  I made the pecan pie because I was hell-bent on getting it right.  For some reason I am only capable of making pecan soup.  The stinking thing never firms up.  Of course it was pecan soup again this year.  We still ate a quarter of the pie.  I took the rest of it home and baked it for another 35 minutes.  That did the trick.  FINALLY.

As we were eating dessert, the Luck's stopped by to say hi!  They were in town to visit family for the holiday.  Logan hung out with family while Sara and JR brought Landry over to visit with Aiden.  They colored with crayons and played with a magnet set that was Robert's when he was little.  Too cute.



I hope everyone had a great holiday!  I enjoyed my 4-day weekend and was quite reluctant to come into work this morning.  If only every month had a 4-day weekend...

Birthday Luau

For Aiden's birthday we decided to have a luau with a little Toy Story sprinkled in. We pulled out all the water toys that we had for the party last year. The only difference is last year, the water toys were dominated by the older kids. This year, we only invited Aiden's friends that are close to his age so the playtime would be more even.

Chris made this trike wash water toy that I mentioned earlier - you can see it at the end of the slip and slide with Blair running through it.

I think it was a big hit. All the kids kept running through it. Aiden doesn't really like the sprinkler because it's too much water in his face all at once. This trike wash (which turned into a kid wash) was a happy medium. (Pictured above: Aiden, Blair, Kate and Logan in the pool.)

Alexey and Nadya (Kate's parents) came for the festivities.

Travis set up the canopy so it would be more comfortable for our guests, especially the babies. It's amazing how much cooler it is if you're in the shade. My dad got in that morning after driving through most of the night, so he was in a bit of a daze. Ariel was only able to come for a couple hours before she had to leave for work.


Skylar was such a sweet little girl. She just sat on her blanket and played with her toys. Do you see her tiny little flip-flops? Teehee!

THE MEN

Travis, Zach and Chris

I wanted to buy some sort of fun cup for the luau drink of the night (hard lemonade), but the only thing I could find was a pink margarita cup. So I would like you to note the pink cup resting on Chris' left shoulder. I think some of the guys got in touch with their feminine side.

Luau baby Kenley
She slept through most of the party, but I think that worked out for Mom and Dad!

We had Hawaiian chicken and veggie skewers, rice, lil smokies, raw veggies, fruit, and chips with a Mediterranean dip. I need to remember to make that dip again. It was like an exotic salsa.

Aiden got some really great gifts this year. Well, he got some really great gifts last year as well, but this time he enjoyed it much more. I think his favorite by far is the train track. Kate got him an add-on set to the one we got him. He plays with it EVERY day.

That night, Sara, Logan and Landry stayed the night at our house. After the kids went to bed, we sat outside and talked for hours. It was nice to have some child-free chat time. Although I think I'm still hurting from staying up until 1:30 am, then having to get up with Aiden at 7 the next morning. I had to go into work for an hour as well, so I wasn't able to dawdle at all. It's okay though - it was worth it!