Family Pics 2013!

We enjoyed another opportunity to have some family pictures taken this year!  Thank you Chera!

Happy Belated Fall!

Wow!  I guess I'm just going to have to start posting my entries in seasons.  One post for the Spring, one for the Summer, one for the Fall, and one for the Winter!  Katelyn has almost completed her first semester of Kindergarten and she still loves it as much as she did the first day!  That brings us great joy!

We did a lot of fun things this Fall, so I'll just post a few pictures and call it a day (or night, since that's when I'm writing this!)

 What's the Fall season without the official "pumpkin picture?"  Thank you Calloway's Nursery!

 Katelyn had another great soccer season! Go Cats!

 A sweet reunion with friends we met when we lived in China.  They moved to Austin, and we got to see them on one of our trips down there.  We had a great time at Sweet Berry Farm with you, Smiths!

 

Katelyn even got to cut her own bunch of flowers!  Don't worry...this was one of the organized activities offered at the farm.  I didn't just pull a pair of scissors out of my purse and set her loose! :)

  The girls had a blast trick-or-treating together at Halloween this year!  Katelyn was a ballerina, and Anna was Minnie Mouse.

 Knock! Knock!

Waiting to give candy to trick-or-treaters!

 We decided to venture out to the State Fair of Texas this year!  Katelyn has been asking for awhile to ride a ferris wheel, so we figured go big or go home....we all four loaded up on the 212-foot tall ferris wheel, and the only one who was scared was mommy!  It was an awesome experience and a very fun memory!

 

 Katelyn (and the rest of our family!) cheered the Baylor Bears onto the Fiesta Bowl!  Sic em bears!!

We had a great Thanksgiving in Austin with my family!  We all traced our hands and wrote on each finger different things for which we were thankful!  At the dinner table, we each shared what we wrote and then stuck them on the Thanksgiving tree my mom made.  Yet another special memory...

We always enjoy the chance to see Baby Sloane (and her parents--my sister Jessica and her husband), and Thanksgiving was no exception!  Can't wait to see you guys again soon!

Katelyn's First Day of Kindergarten!

I can't believe it finally came...her first day of Kindergarten!  She was so excited to go and has enjoyed every day since.  She also really likes her teacher, Mrs. Stanton.

The morning of...ready to go!

 Walking to school

 At the front steps of the school before going to her class

 In her class, at her seat

Her table

 Welcome home, Katelyn.  It's your day!

Celebration dinner at Katelyn's favorite--Chicken Express!

Happy 6th Birthday Katelyn!

Katelyn celebrated her 6th birthday on August 24th!  We started the day with setting her "birthday place" at the table (inclusive of cards, presents, and the birthday pin).  Then we headed over to a local kolache shop of Katelyn's choice and ate some yummy cinnamon rolls.  From there we continued the birthday tradition of visiting the hospital at which she was born just a few minutes away in Carrollton.  Later that afternoon, we had her birthday party.  She wanted to have a "dress up" tea party this year, so we invited a few of her friends to come dressed in their favorite dress up outfits to a local bakery and had a very special and sweet time!  We love you, Katelyn, and are so thankful for the gift the Lord has given us in having you as a daughter.  Enjoy the pictures below for more of a peek into Katelyn's special day...

 Rise and shine birthday girl!

 The Kolache House Bakery

 The hospital at which she celebrated her actual day of birth...six years ago!

 Room 242...at one time was the room we stayed in when Katelyn was born.  Today it is a storage room for medical equipment. :)

 Our trip to the hospital is never complete without a stop at the gift shop!

The Tea Party

 The favors

 The gift/donation collection basket--we collected juice boxes and individually wrapped snacks for the kids who visit the Children's Advocacy Center (located just down the road from us)

 The decor (complete with two cute little girls ready for a tea party!)

 The girls decorating their princess wands with stickers and jewels

 Katelyn serving the cupcakes

 Singing happy birthday!

 What a day!

Two and a half years old!

  Anna turned two and half years old at the beginning of August!

Katelyn at two and a half

Highland Village Hot Air Balloon Festival

The girls and I went to the 26th Annual Highland Village Hot Air Balloon Festival last weekend (Dave was in China, so we needed to distract ourselves somehow!).  It was such a neat experience!  We got to the park (it was held at one very close to our house!) at 7 a.m. for the pancake breakfast and to watch balloons take off and land.  The girls thought it was really cool to see the balloons so close....

 Rise and shine!

 Anna showing off her sausage link from the pancake breakfast

 I have no idea who this guy is...I was really just trying to take a picture of the balloons taking off!

There were about 10 balloons that were in the "race" and flying toward the finish line

10th Anniversary Trip!

Dave and I recently enjoyed celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary (a little belated, but better late than never!) by traveling to San Diego for a few days at the beginning of August while Mamaw and Peepaw came up to Dallas to watch the girls (thank you for that!).  We stayed with my Aunt who lives just north of San Diego in Escondido.  She is an amazing hostess, as is her seven-year-old daughter. :)  We started off our trip by eating at one of our favorite places, the Point Loma Fish Market.  Their fish sandwiches are fresh, filling, and delicious!  Then we headed over to the Cabrillo National Monument to do some hiking and site seeing.  The next day, we hiked at Torrey Pines State Reserve.  Other highlights were a kayaking tour at La Jolla Cove, Dave's surf lesson, riding bikes along the beach on Coronado Island, and going to a Padres game (too bad they lost 1-4 against the Orioles).  We also were able to drive up to Mission Viejo and have dinner with some good friends who happened to be visiting family there during the same time!  It was a great time together, and the girls had a fun time with Mamaw and Peepaw (Who doesn't??!).  Here's to 10 more years!

 Hiking at Torrey Pines

 Dave heading out to his surf lesson (he's the one of the left)

 Padres game

 It was cold!  What a nice change of pace from the Texas heat...