Christmas 2008.

We celebrated our Christmas Monday morning... at 4:45! Dade woke us up and said he heard bells. The boys quickly found their presents from Santa.

Santa left them a note
and some dried snow where his boots landed.

Playing with her new doll

Christmas Eve in Tyler Christmas Day in HallsvilleLuke hard at work with his new tools

On Friday, we took the kids to the Polar Express with my parents, my sister and her girls. We sang carols, saw Santa, danced in the aisle, drank hot chocolate, and listened to the audio book while on our hour-long ride. What a great time!

The Polar Express train ride
Luke, Teagan, Dade, Audrey & Kaylan

Ready to ride

D, A, LSanta gave them all a bell before we

dropped him off at the North Pole

Getting their tickets punched

Gran & Big Daddy A, D, Teagan, L & Kaylan

Josh, Dade, Luke & Christopher

Chuck E Cheese's
Christopher's third birthday party

Benjamin

I hope to steal some pictures from Amanda and Susan to post soon -- I think they got some good ones from Santa's visit to Tyler and the train.

I was in the other room but both my dad and Tommy heard Audrey say "mama" on Christmas Day; she also let go and stood up on her own. I will post pictures of her with her stroller soon.

Merry Christmas to all...

Busy week.

Lunch with Stacey and dinner with MOPS Monday, I kept a friend's son Tuesday and Thursday, doubled my children on Wednesday, t-ball game Wednesday night, Tommy and the boys went camping Friday, gymnastics, and a wedding reception Saturday night, and wrapping for Santa who is coming to our house tonight. Here are a few photos for you...

Audrey's new favorite place to nap

She crosses her ankles just like the boys
Playing outside with the big kids.

Sidewalk chalk with
Heather's kids
Starting to take steps with her walker
Dade & Luke at S.F.A. State Park


My boys

Then and Now.

January 2007July 2007November 2008

Susan Gentile Photography

Audrey at Eight Months.

Audrey is pulling up on everything, has started letting go with one hand and is beginning to cruise. She is finally feeling better after having a cold for three weeks and will let me put her down again... my arms are needing the break! She is eating yogurt, cheese, some table foods, and still loves her baby cereal with applesauce or bananas. She will drink juice out of a bottle or sippy cup (with help). Her sweet smile is still toothless even though she chews all the time.

Susan Gentile Photography

SEVEN!

The evidence.The culprit.

"I'm showing off my guns because I ate all my carrots last night."

This is really what he said... he doesn't realize the SEVEN FULL-SIZE Reese's cancelled those out and them some! He said he got hungry during the night, saw the candy on the coffee table, took it to his room, opened some to eat, went back to sleep, woke up hungry again, ate more, threw the wrappers in the trash and went back to sleep.

SNOW?!

YES... you read correctly! SNOW!

On the grill cover.A child's joy... snowflakes on your tongue.Luke.

Dade.

Dade's Parking Lot.

What Dade has been working on while L&A are asleep.

Tagged by Tonya.

8 T.V. shows I watch:
1. LOST
2. Dallas Cowboys Football
3. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
4. Supernanny
5. 20/20
6. 48 Hours Mystery
7. Good Morning America (if the boys aren't watching PBS)
8. Anything on FOX/HGTV/Food Network (if I'm at my parent's house)

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Pizza King
2. Texas Roadhouse
3. La Madeline
4. Chuy's
5. Lupe Tortilla
6. Dudley's
7. Anywhere we can eat that has a sandbox for the kids to play
8. Double Horn

8 Things that happened this week:
1. Drove to Plano & back in one day with Audrey
2. Gave a baby shower for my longest-known friend, Alicia
3. Went to a wedding reception for our neighbors
4. Played at a park with friends and their kids
5. Mothers Of PreSchoolers meeting
6. T-ball practice
7. Pulled out what I want to put in our garage sale
8. Decorated our Christmas tree & added the kids' hand prints for 2008 to the tree skirt.

8 Things I look forward to:
1. Seeing what my children will do/be when they grow up
2. Fun family trips that the kids will remember
3. Pulling the carpet out of our house & putting in wood floors
4. More delicious food at Christmas
5. Spending time with our families in a few weeks
6. My garage sale
7. The cold weather that's coming this week
8. Next Monday night -- dinner out with girlfriends

8 Things I pray for:
1. That I will always enjoy my children
2. That I will remember their "lasts" (read this book if you haven't done so already)
3. That I will continually become a better wife
4. That I will decide what I am going to do when I am "done" raising our children
5. That I do a good job balancing love & discipline
6. That I will do a good job of letting them be little
7. That I will become more organized
8. That I will always be content

8 People I Tag:
1. Amanda
2. Susan
3. Cindy
4. Donna
5. Alicia
6. Wendy
7. Dixie
8. Heather

O Christmas Tree.

High Star Tree Farm 2008

Luke

Luke and DadeLuke ready to saw down our tree

Helping get it across the creek

Dade in the maze Sunset
Luke putting the star on

Something to smile about.

Susan took pictures for us over Thanksgiving and has them on her website to look at. Go to client proofing and put in the password "Goforth." Now to narrow it down for the Christmas card... I'll be up all night thinking about this one!

Tyler Thanksgiving.

Karaoke with the cousins:

Christopher, James, Luke, Joshua & Dade
Dade trimming the tree.
Josh & James

Luke deciding where to hang his icicle.