Thanksgiving...in the which we ate ourselves sick and partied all weekend

This year we enjoyed Thanksgiving in San Antonio at Dave and Ale's house. Altogether there were 26 people for the feast. It was so fun to meet Daniel's cousin Donnette and her cute family as well as Estes's cousins Grant and Penny. Plus the usual Texas Lawtons (minus the Kennedys, sniff sniff).

Highlights were: the turkey trot, playing "werewolf", "kung fu destroyers" and the "train game", Sea World, and a Mannheim Steam Roller concert downtown. Oooh and of course all the food glorious food!!!!

Turkey Trot

Of course it couldn' t be a Lawton get together without a race of some sort. Kolby ran in a 1/4 mile fun run and Daniel got 2nd place in the 4 mile run! Not bad out of 2,500 people! I unfortunately missed the whole thing as i was busy vomitting. No worries i made up for all the food i lost by stuffing my face the rest of the weekend.

(blogger won't let me download these photos... curses)

Thanksgiving Feast

The boys picked fresh green beans from the garden. Kolby told me he was a good farmer. Grandma supervised the cutting:)

My niece and 2nd cousin(?) helped make the Sweetwood rainbow Jell-O.

The table decor... edible turkeys and teepees, Ale is super creative!

The kids decorated their own placemats

The Feast...enough for the neighborhood

Friday... Sea World

Friday Night i didn't snap a photo since i'm pretty sure it wasn't allowed, but i found this one on google. Dave and Ale treated us to a Mannheim Steamroller concert at this fabulous old theatre in down town San Antonio. It was amazing and really put me in the Christmas mood. The perfect end for our wonderful weekend!

Family Pictures 2009

Rosie has done it again. She somehow managed to make my strange ideas become a reality! There's just something about those clean black lines and that perfect shade of yellow that i had to have this year. A big yellow school bus for a back drop? classic.

And i really really wish i was super talented with photoshop (or that i even owned photshop) so that i could erase my terrible wrinkles but alas this is the real me...baggy eyes, chubby face and all.

Help me decide on your favorites! If you are not family please don't be annoyed with the oodles i posted:)

Olivia was a ham! I'm thinking she and Marilyn Monroe might have took modeling lessons together.

Kolby on the other hand decided to give us all goofy faces or all grumpy faces. UGh. Whatcha gonna do?

"Hmmm which ones do you like?"

Hi-ya

just felt baby's first kick.

just as cool the third time around.

The Perfect Girls Night!

Yesterday was a cold rainy day. Basically the perfect day to see New Moon! I somehow convinced all these hot mamas to go with me :) So glad they don't judge me for my obsession. We bought our tickets weeks in advance, arrived at the theatre an hour ahead of time, stood in line with 100+ people ahead of us, and ended up sitting in the back row of the front section. Crazy Twilight people!

I thought the movie was sooooo good!!! It reminded me why i loved the books in the first place. Of course we had to share the theatre with a trillion 12 year old girls and the screaming every time Edward or Jacob came on the screen was slightly entertaining/mostly annoying. Oh well. Just part of the craze eh?

My awesome friend Jeri provided these cool treats. Eye-candy and chocolate all in one! Heaven:)

Basically last night was the perfect girls night!

I'm thankful for...

Last night for FHE Daniel read a story in the Friend about being grateful. Then the kids drew pictures of all the things they are thankful for. Since the drawings are a little "abstract" I will just list what they told me they were.

Olivia said she is thankful for: -a house -library books -and ABCs

Kolby said he was thankful for: -books -a banana tree -and Jesus then he asked if he could mail his list to Jesus

So funny the things kids think of!

A weekend in Austin

We took our traditional trip to Austin this weekend for the state cross country meet. Usually i opt for taking just one child and its our special one on one bonding time but this year we couldn't decide so both got to come. We figured its their special time before baby # 3 comes. We did all the usual hotel-ish things. The kids jump on the beds, jumped on the elevators, watched cable, and had a yummy breakfast. We also went to Macaroni Grill mmmm, and then to a Go-kart/arcade/lazer tag/bouncy place. Needless to say the kiddos had a blast and i was exhausted:)

Saturday of course was the meet and i was so proud of Daniel's runner that i almost cried! She finished 5th! We get to hang out with her lots so she's practiacally like an adopted daughter.

My bro-in-law also was there with his xc team. They finished 5th as well. So of course i made them humor me with a cheesy picture.

So long...

So long... ******************* *vomitting twice a day ******************* *ultrasounds twice a month ******************** *covering my mouth and nose when i smell my hubby's bodywash ********************* *so long fav jeans ********************** *so long figure ********************* *So Long 1st trimester!! Sorry about the aweful picture. I've decided that i hated all prego shots of myself with the first two and when people told me that i was cute they were really lying bc i looked huge! Perhaps if i only take headless side profiles I can still document my pregnancy without realizing that its me in the pic:) And here's the ultrasound from last week. I love the last one where you can see the wee little legs. Too bad i have to wait 6 weeks to see what is in between those legs:) Here's to a much better, less stressful, less puking, enough energy to climb my stairs, 2nd trimester!

Makes me Smile

Thursday night we attended Daniel's Cross Country Team Banquet.

I'm not gonna lie i openly loathe going! We go to these sorts of events a few times a year and i am expected to sit in the front row keeping my children perfectly behaved as everyone stares at us but no one actually talks to us because we are the coaches family, and frankly I'm pretty shy.

But i was pleasantly suprised this year to actually find a few things to smile about:

1. My kids were dressed in their finest and their hair was need i say...perfect! Everyone couldn't help ooohing and aweing over what darling children i had! I was too stressed to take any pictures that night so you'll just have to take my word for it. Would a mother lie?

2. I somehow managed to squeeze (definately for the last time) in my little black dress, and actually had time to blow dry my hair. So I looked pretty hot if i do say so myself.

3. My kids somehow managed not to spill a single ounce of food on their formal-dry-clean-only-clothes.

4. My kids did not have a single out burst or shed a single tear, or take off their diaper in front of 50 people and have me stash it in my purse while i escort her to the bathroom and block everyone's view of the award ceremony, or stick their hands down some poor lady's 5 inch clevage to get to a cross necklace (all of which have happened previously...you see where i get the loathing?)

5. My hubby was actually funny during the 3 hour presentation. And the booster club got some amazing photos of him with the team that made me not only realize what a talented and dedicated coach my hubby is but also what a hottie i married:)

6. I was so proud to hear the athletes tell of times when "Coach" encouraged them to keep going, or helped them improve, and especially to hear the senior boys (whom i happen to know can be little devils and have seriously given Daniel HELL over the last few years) presented a slideshow telling everyone how much they looked up to Coach and that he was their hero.

7. Ah yes and in case you're wondering...the other thing that made me smile was the gorgeous roses the team gave ME! Hooray for coaches wives!!! I am usually far too practical to ask Daniel to buy me roses since its kinda a waste of money, as they die. But everytime i walk pass them i can't help but smile.

Perhaps being the supportive wife on display has its occasional benefits afterall.

Random Visit

Friday night Daniel was at the Regional XC meet in Dallas so Holly and I were supposed to get together for a coaches wives pity-pizza-party we made up for ourselves:)

But poor Holly got sick. She desevered the pity-party but not the pizza.

Since my kids still wanted a "party" it worked out perfectly that my bro-in-law Ryan just so happened to be driving through Texas on business. We still had pizza, Blue Bell Ice Cream, and watched Bedtime Stories.

My kids love Ryan! He plays with them and makes them laugh until we are all peeing our pants. Olivia and Ryan have this special game that she calls the roller-coaster. She loves flying through the air. Kolby and Ryan launched ballons at each other. Can you tell how hard Kolby is laughing?

Thanks for the awesome yet short visit!

This is my mom...

To answer my sis-in-law's question, "what's a baerbel*?" hee hee hee.

A Baerbel is something i like to call my mom. She is silly. She worships the sun. no really. She is easily pleased and amused. She cooks delicious meals for me including some meatballs that did NOT burn my eyeballs. She entertains my kids. She stays up late watching movies and eating candy. She takes me out to lunch. She spent all day yesterday helping me clean my house! and then she flew home...sniff sniff

You'd think now that i am a mom i would make the extra effort to be sure I show my appreciation to my mother. But even now, just like when i was a kid i forget to say thank you. Thanks mom for everything!!! I never realize how awesome you are til you're gone. * FYI-"Baerbel" is my mom's first name. She is from Germany. no worries Dianna, I can't even say it the correct way and she's my mom.

oh ya and just so you don't feel left out...i love you too dad! hee hee. Dads totally get the shaft sometimes. What can I say? perhaps if you cleaned a toilet for me i might cry when you leave too:) ha ha. Although you did change a poopy bum when i felt nausious already. I will never forget it!

It was a special treat to get to see you even if it was for a short weekend:) and i absolutely love seeing you play with my kids!!!

To the best parental units in the world!!!