Welcome, Fall!

I love fall! It is my favorite time of year. I love the cooler weather, the comfortable feeling of a hoodie and a pair of jeans and the smell of pumpkin scented candles. In our house we love that fall brings football! The leaves are just starting to change here and the weather is becoming milder but in Amarillo you know fall is coming by the onset of the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo. This year we went a record three times!
 James and I had a date night and saw one of our favorite Texas country bands in concert. In 14 years together it was our first fair date and I loved every minute of it!

 

James Henry and I went with Christopher's class on their field trip.

 

learning about how farmer's milk cows and how we get milk from the farm to our fridge

 

James Henry sitting in front of some of the panhandle's prize winning pumpkins.

 

James and I along with James Henry drove for Makayla's field trip and James Henry got to enjoy the petting zoo.

 

There may not be anything better than eating fair food!

                     I am so happy that fall has arrived and I enjoyed our time at the fair this year.
                                                                   Happy Fall Y'all!

 

Christopher's new passion

Last school year Christopher took drum lessons but towards the end of the school year we could tell he had really become uninterested, so we decided to take the summer off from drums and reevaluate his interests. When it became clear he wasn't going to want to continue with drums we started a long list of suggestions for his new hobby/sport.
   If you know my husband at all, you know his love for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA. So that was really what my husband was rooting for Christopher to decide to do and well....he did!! He started taking classes the first week in August.
Here he is on day one, receiving his white belt.

 

He has really fallen in love with it,and ask me to take him to train just about every day! It has been great to see James and Christopher bond over jiu jitsu and practice in the living room. They go and train together whenever they can. We love the confidence and discipline he is getting and his program also includes kickboxing.

 

 

 

He has done so well that he was invited to join the more advanced classes and last night, he received his first stripe!

James and I are both so proud of him but he really, really has a proud papa right now!

I think it's safe to say we may have found his passion and he is on the road to his black belt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New School Year

Yesterday was the first day of school for Makayla and Christopher. We are starting our first full year at Vista Academy and we have a brand new campus!

It is so nice and big. It's not 100 percent complete yet but they plan on having the ribbon cutting party in October.

   Makayla is in sixth grade and Christopher is in third grade this year.

We met their teachers last Saturday and God has blessed us with amazing Christian teachers. We are looking forward to a great year! 

  Today James Henry started pre-k at our church, Paramount Baptist Church.

He was so excited! He met his teacher about two weeks ago and he has been talking about her every since. She is actually the same pre-k teacher Christopher had, and she is wonderful! 

We know he is going to have a great year and I am clinging to this school year, since this will be our last year home together before he starts kindergarten! 

Our Summer Part 2

This summer went by quickly as always, but James and I think it may be one of the best summers we have ever had.  You can read about the first part of our summer here: http://lisfamily5.blogspot.com/2013/07/our-summer-thus-far.html

    The last few weeks of summer we have enjoyed catching turtles and horny toads....

 

James and I enjoyed a date night and saw a Clint Black concert, he was awesome!

Christopher started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and he loves it! Dare I say, we may have found his passion in life.

We went to the circus, and it was the best one we have ever been to. I highly recommend Barnum & Bailey's.

We went to the new water park in a nearby town..

Makayla went to Amarillo Youth Choir camp..

We welcomed a new life into the world, our friends had a precious baby girl, Addileigh Burnett.

Christopher turned 9 years old...

 

Then this week we made one last trip to the water park..

 

God really blessed us with a great summer, but we are ready for school to start on Monday.

Now it's time to pull out my hoodies and watch some football!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christopher's 9th Birthday

Yesterday our sweet Christopher celebrated his 9th birthday! It is a little hard to swallow the fact that he will be in double digits next year. Time flies by in the blink of an eye.
We had a weekend full of celebration!
Saturday morning we woke up and went to his birthday party at the zoo..

It was alot of fun. The kids did a scavenger hunt around the zoo.

 

We had an animal presentation. Christopher chose a ball python. The zookeepers told the kids lots of facts about the snake and Christopher asked ALOT of questions, then everyone got to pet the snake.

 

 

It was a great party and we are so thankful to all our friends who helped us celebrate Christopher's special day.

 

 

 

 

On Sunday morning we woke him up with a birthday song and gifts.

 

We made breakfast for him to share with his Sunday School class and after church we went to lunch.

Every year Christopher chooses the same place, a restaurant called Kabuki. It is a Japanese steak house. He loves it!

 

We wrapped up his birthday with pizza and wings and WWE Summer Slam on Pay-Per-View.

It was a great weekend.

Our lives our blessed and our hearts overflow with the love and joy Christopher brings into our world.

Happy 9th Birthday Christopher!

 

 

 

 

 

Our Summer Thus Far

It is hard to believe but the countdown has begun..27 days until school starts!! We have had an amazing summer so far and we have been on many adventures and made lots of memories.
So far this summer on top going to multiple movies, spending time as a family, going to the zoo, hanging out at the splash pad, playing with friends and just hanging out....

We've gotten cool haircuts...

celebrated my dad's 66th birthday...

spent ALOT of time in the pool...

Took a trip to Red River, New Mexico...

 

and climbed down into a volcano....

there was our "annual honeymoon"....

 

and the kids trip to Shreveport....

random evenings of cutting Daddy's hair on the porch.....

purchased James a new truck....

played at the Discovery Center....

My mom came to visit and we went to Palo Duro Canyon and saw the musical Texas....

 

 

 

I co-hosted a shower for our "Jo-Nanna"...

 

We celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary!!!

 

Played at Jump-N-Jive for preschool night.

Went to Wonderland Amusement Park.......

Christopher went to Lego Camp.........

 

.and we had a blast at our church scavenger hunt.... 

 

We have been having so much and still have some big things coming up in the next few weeks. I am really trying to soak up the next 27 days!