Falling Behind

{I chose fall pictures to go with the title instead of pics of behinds. Aren't you glad?}

Naomi, my baby, my baby...girl.

I never did post your 6th or 7th month stats. Sorry about that. When I took you in for the 6th month check-up the Dr. told me you needed a CAT scan. So of course i cried and then i wasn't in the mood for blogging. As it turned out the results were negative and you are perfectly health. whew! You have FINALLY graduated to the crib in your own room upstairs. I kept you in the bassinet in my closet for 6 months. Sorry about that too. You are FINALLY sleeping a bit better too. I am not sorry about that. You decided it was time to roll over back to front and front to back on the same day. Your siblings did this around 3 months but i suppose you'd have to be put down to master the roll and well you just don't like being put down. You are a momma's girl through and through which i love and hate at the same time:)

We love every thing about you from your chubby li'l self to your giggles to your pathetic cries:) i'm only slightly sorry for forcing you to jump in the leaf pile.

O-ya-ya

If you weren't so hillarious, you'd find yourself in a lot more trouble! You're super smart, and sassy, and sweet. I'm lovn the snuggles in my bed in the morning and how you are always writing letters on scraps of paper as presents.

Kolbs

You have such a good heart. One morning you woke up and cleaned the playroom all by yourself without being asked and let me sleep in til an embarrassing hour:)

My crazy kiddos...always good for a laugh.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

from my pilgrim and little savages.

The Lawtons know how to spread a feast:

1 deep fried turkey, 1 baked turkey, 1 ham, and all the fixns!

All of us

(minus our amazing hostess Rosie)

Worked off a bit of food playn pickleball on Mark's new sport court.

Then had to replace the lost calories with chocolate-cherry cheesecake, pumkin, apple, and cherry pie.

Thats right we're teaching em to over eat while they're young.

Hope ya'll did the same:)

Olivia-isms

Olivia: Mom, there are 50 stars on the American flag

Me: ya, you're right. But how did you know that?

Olivia: because i'm 3 now!

*********************

Kolby: Mom, are there people on other planets?

Me: um, uh, well...

Olivia: yep!

Me: how do you know, Olivia?

Olivia: because i'm 3 now

*****************

Olivia: Mom, do you know what to say when you don't know what to say?

Me: huh?

Olivia: I say 'Hello, Ayudame!'

(that's "help me" for those who don't speak spanish...ya I had to ask Daniel what it meant)

Apparently 3 year olds are much smarter than 28 year olds!

Blast from the Past

One of my BFFs from high school stopped by this weekend.

Look everyone it's "little matt" and his darling family!

Dani was super woman and ran a half marathon (on her birthday of all days!) and my house just so happend to be the perfect hotel:)

We had fun just chill'n and I really couldn't get over how adorable james and ali are!

When did we all grow up and have families of our own?

"Repented, seen the light, and made a switch...true? yes."

(Oh Ursula)

Been drinking skim milk since before i can remember...recently rediscovered 1%.

It really is better.

Let's not get crazy though...i still can't handle the thick film of 2%.

Emotional State

I am obsessed with teacher-coach-inspirational movies. Cheesy? yes. But i love it. Current obsession? Friday Night Lights. You know what i'm talkn about.

So when my hubby brings home this pic a few weeks ago of him and his star runner of the last 4 years what do i do? Ball like a baby of course.

This is Hillary Montgomery, AKA one of the most amazing people i know. This is them at Bearkat Bash which they've both got 1st for 4 years in a row. We pretend like she's our teenage daughter. Our kiddos love her. She's super smart, super talented and most importantly a very good girl!

In her speech at the xc banquet she said,

"When Coach Lawton became my coach, a whole new world was opened before my eyes. Not only did he give me workouts and instruction, but he gave me feedback and a huge passion for running that i'll carry with me forever....He taught me the difference between running with your mind and running through your heart, completely focused on a world of your own...For the last 2 years at the State meet he has ran the entire last 800 with me yelling at me the place i'm in, how many more girls i need to pass, and not to give up. Every year he manages to improve both the boys and the girls teams, and encourages more people to continue to run. He has been my favorite part of cross country and I honestly don't know how I'm going to cope next year running for a different coach..."

What did i do? ball again of course.

Who knew i had my very own inspirational-movie-coach for a hubby?

This weekend we went to the State meet in Austin. Hillary placed 4th. I'm so proud of her and proud of my husband. The two have been really good for each other and we're gonna miss her terribly next year!

Ugh enough with the emotions already...

Here's Daniel and my bro-in-law Tom whose team took 2nd! whoop-whoop!!

and here's me in the girls T this year...it says "Our workouts are longer than our shorts" heehee The Erwins decided to join in on the fun too and met us up in Austin. Naomi is attacking her cousin Levi. Kolby and Olivia stayed with my neighbors who spoiled them rotten. And here's the gorgeous Kinliegh!!!

Holly and her kiddos were there too but alas us coach's wives are so distracted supporting our hubbys that we're not in many pics:)

And to celebrate the few weeks of post- xc season and pre-track season...i enjoyed this puppy from Cafe 290 on the car ride home...a little slice of heaven!

Have an Art Heart

Don't have the heart to throw out art before i post it at least:)

Here's my fav of Olivia's....

Daddy holding a puppet, naomi, and kolby holding a stuffed animal

apples:)

And these are my favs of kolby's...here he's thinking about a truck, thus the think bubbles

apple tree

a school and bus

ice cream cones

and mater:)

love my little artists!

Pretty Pretty Princess

Olivia and Daniel had a daddy-daughter date to Disney Princess on Ice last week.

Her expressions kill me:)

Recently people have been telling me she looks like me...i'm starting to see the resemblance.

the Smell of Death

yes this is the aroma in my house.

I took out the trash, washed the rags, bleached the kitchen and bathrooms, all to no avail.

Last week while i was home alone one night i heard loud noises down stairs. I stood in my family room and continued to hear a loud scuttle above my head which proceeded to move all over the ceiling.

A bird?

nope much bigger.

a fallen tree?

nope too skittish.

the boogie man?

highly unlikely.

I went outside armed with a flashlight and giggled nervously thinking how i'd explain my logic when my hubby found me half eaten my an R.O.U.S.

As it turned out the noises stopped and i never saw a thing.

A week later no noises

Just an awful stench.

My theories?

A large family of rats or possums duked it out and then died.

of course it also could have been...

a murderer who hid his victim's remains in the walls of my home

(My dad read Edgar Allen Poe to me as a child...I'm still scarred obviously)

Either way,

my house smells like death.

Is there a Febreeze for this?

just be-cuz-in

2 more cousins moved to Texas this week!

We couldn't be happier {obviously}.

kolby(5), kinleigh (5), ellie (4.5) jack (1), levi (2), naomi (6month), olivia (3haha) perfect picnic at the park!

Halloween Hang-over

Somewhere between the cinnamon rolls, spice cake, cider, and candy...we're feeln a little sugar shock around here:)

Anyone else got a Halloween hang over?

Here's to holidays dedicated to sweet indulgence!

The only thing sweeter than my teeth? My babies of course. What cuties!

We went to the Trunk or Treat on Saturday and then watched a movie while the kids sorted their stash on Sunday.

Raphael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Sleeping Beauty

Tink Holly, Jack-jack, Naomi, and Afro-Daniel

I am a zebra, not a kitty. And apparently after nursing i never buttoned my shirt, glad no one told me ALL night!

Are these not the most ingenious pumpkins you've ever seen?

My neighbor made them with the kiddos.

No mess, no smell, and they're reusable!

Now that's a Happy Halloween!

Look what i taught my kids...