Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving is about all that was happening around Mason's house this week. Here is a snazzy picture of he and his Gigi playing with his new construction set on Thanksgiving day. As many presents and "surprises" as this boy gets from his grandparents (both sides), Christmas is just going to be another day. Ha!

We had a nice day at my folks. Amber's dad was able to come up from San Antonio and we enjoyed his visit. Jaim-o got to come home also. Although I did not get to spend much time with her, Mason always enjoys his time with his aunt Jaime.

Mason is getting smarter by the day. I have realized that kids discover the same things more than once and in more than one way. Take Mason's toy plastic car that squirts water, for example.

First he realized it was a toy and played with it in the tub. Next, he realized it was a car and made motor sounds and drove it around the tub. YESTERDAY...he realized if he filled it up with water he could squirt mom and dad AND the whole bathroom! We could hardly tell him to stop for laughing so hard. :-) We were both soaked.

He is also speaking very well. Complete sentences and complete thoughts...except when the imagination kicks in and he starts making up words. Tonight I was a "shaker" and he was a "snipper." Whatever that means. He plays very well by himself. I think his Magnadoodle was our best investment thus far.

Chris, you will like this, he talks constantly about drums and playing in the band. I think it will be fine if he is in the band, as long as he falls somewhere between "Peetie" from American Pie and Tommy Lee. Either extreme may push me off my rocker! He is excited about Christmas and wants a set of drums. I am told he is getting some from his Nana and Gramps...I hope they come with a large bottle of asprin!

Well, I will leave you all with a picture of our pudding monster. How thankful we are for him. How thankful we are for the priviledge of parenthood. So many things we are thankful for this Thanksgiving and high upon our list are you, our friends and our family.

A Troubling Week

In a week normally filled with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming holidays, dear friends of ours had a tragic death in their family. Steven and Trisha Jones are dear friends of ours and her brother and sister-in-law, Bryan and Sarah Moran, are aquaintences through them. Bryan and Sarah tragically lost their youngest daughter, Audrey Kate, only two years and seven months old. I'm sure I have told many of you personally of this tragedy, but those whom I have not, I ask you to pray for them as often as you can. Pray for Bryan and Sarah, for their stregenth, and peace for their hearts. Also pray for their two other daughters, Caroline and Mary Claire, along with the rest of their families.

At a time of year when familys come together to share the holidays together, sometimes the idea of how fragile life is and how often we take it for granted gets lost. We just expect everyone to be at Thanksgiving dinner, just like last year and the year before that. Only the Lord our God has enough wisdom and comprehension to understand such a tragedy as the Moran family has gone through. Who are we to question God...yet our hearts are so heavy for this family. I ask you once more to pray for them dilligently, and cherish each moment you spend with every friend and family member over these holidays.

On a happier note, we would like to welcome Parker William Travis to the neighborhood. Sorry I don't have a better picture, but this is what I've got. Parker is a little over a month old, mama and baby are doing well and daddy is back to abnormal. He is a cutie!

We are also looking forward to "baby Wade" who is on the way sometime the first part of January! I'm sure she will be a cutie also. I can see she and Parker holding hands already! Ha!

Well, Mason has had a fairly uneventful week here at his house. We went to IHOP on Saturday evening for dinner. Mason had a smilie face pancake with strawberries for eyes and bananna slices for the mouth. He ate all the fruit and didn't have much to do with the pancake...normally one of his favorites.

We also decorated for Christmas this week. That is an event with a two year old running around with ornaments and whatnot. Whew. He is going to be a lot of fun this Christmas, I can already tell.

Mason is excited about his Gramps coming to see him Thursday morning. He is always talking about Gramps' house. He has only been to Colorado twice and San Antonio once, but it is Gramps' house this and Gramps' house that...sorry Nanna. :-)

We will be going to Gigi and Grandad's house for Turkey day. Lots of family as I understand. Mason's favorite thing at Gigi's house is the dirt pile, Granddad had something to do with that. Mason loves playing in it and making "tini tiny hiney slides," as he calls them when he slides down from the top of the pile. It may be too cold Thursday, but we will see. May just have to get bundled up and get dirty.

We wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

"My Hero's Have Always Been Cowboys"

Oh, so I'm supposed to update this blog thing more than once a month? Just kidding. We had a computer meltdown and are just now back up and running.

We have so much to talk about and so many pictures from the whole month...where to start? Halloween, why not. Our big guy was a cowboy as you can see. He ran around saying "trick-or-treat" and "yee-haw!" We went to our church for the fall festival. Mom and dad went with us because Amber and I had to work in a booth part of the time. Mason had a blast!

His new favorite thing to say is "I did," or "I have," when you ask him a question. He is being stubborn about the "yes sir" and "yes maam" thing, thus the new favorites. What a little toot.

We also went to see Thomas the Train a few weeks ago. That was really right up his alley. Mom got us all tickets and we went to Rusk and rode "Thomas the Tank Engine." The music was a little loud during the ride...Mason held his ears most of the time, but had a load of fun. We got some stick on "tats" and bought us a new backpack from the gift shop. I don't know which one, the crips or bloods, wears the Thomas gear, but we are decked out!

His Gramps also came to see him two weeks ago. That spurred on a trip to the zoo! He always loves the zoo...and his Gramps! They had a big weekend together.

Aunt Jaime came in this past weekend and spent the whole morning Saturday with us. From doughnuts to haircuts to checking out the JFD firetrucks to fixing flat tires, we had a busy Saturday morning. He loves getting to see his aunt Jaime and telling her that she drive a silver jeep and lives in Dallas. (I think she already knew those things ;-)

I suppose that catches you all up on our happenings. I thought I would leave you all with the view of my son that I most often get as I am chasing him wherever he may go. My favorite times are when I can just sit at a distance and watch him play. What an imagination has. How I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next!