These dogs of ours are just so cute. Often times we can't get the camera out quick enough to catch the cute poses and things they may be doing, but one evening in the kitchen I was able to get them both to sit by me and look in the right direction for a posed picture with me.
Phoebe wanted to celebrate her 14th birthday with family this year. So a few days before her actual birthday we went out to eat at a restaurant of her choosing and then came back home to open presents, play some games, and eat cake together. (I love that our kids are catching on to the fact that FAMILY TIME is some of the BEST TIME.)
Thanks EP, Lindsee, Will, and Popee for coming to town and helping us celebrate Phoebe!
On her actual birthday, she played in a basketball game, then we came home to have cake and open presents from us.
Eric went to Iowa one weekend in early November to help his Dad with a few things around his house. The kids and I took the early opportunity, while he was away, to decorate the inside of our house for Christmas....as a BIG SURPRISE when he got home Sunday night. We worked hard cleaning getting decorations out, decorating, and putting containers back away in the basement. Then we dressed Belle in a Santa suit and waited for him to get home so we could yell "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" and spread some early Christmas JOY to him.
In mid-November we got out the outside Christmas decorations and lights on a nice weather Saturday. We worked together to get the outside festive. That night we drove by from the street to see what our lights looked like from a distance... They looked great! Good job, team!
All fifth graders at Silas's school had the opportunity to participate in a yearbook cover contest. Any student could follow some guidelines, design a cover for the 2023/2024 Yearbook, and submit their design. Silas's design won! He was rewarded one morning at school with a big art kit from the school PTO and will get a free yearbook at the end of the year.
The youth and children at our church participated in the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox program. If you haven't heard of this, these Shoebox Christmas donations are a way to share gifts, messages of support, and the love of Jesus to children all over the world. Our girls helped shop for things to fill the shoeboxes, and all three of our kids help pack boxes and prepare them to be sent all over the world.
To learn more about Operation Christmas Child and to participate and help support this ministry in the future, please
Dad and his friend, Ron, rode on the Honor's Flight float in the Emporia Veteran's Day parade on Veteran's Day.
Phoebe was selected to participate in the Patriot League Honor Choir one Saturday in November. They practiced and rehearsed all day then performed several patriotic songs for a large audience in Winfield.
I caught Gus laying in his kennel one morning with his nose stuck down between his paws. Then another time I caught him, asleep, using the lamb stuffed animal as a pillow.
Below, Gus and Belle laying side by side near our Christmas tree.
Silas helped with the JOA (Jaguars On the Air) at school in November. JOA is a live production done by the fifth grade and specials teachers each school morning. It is broadcast in the classrooms each morning as a welcome, a way to share announcements, and get ready for the day/week/month program. I was subbing several of the days when he was one of the reporters. He brought smiles, enthusiasm, and positivity each morning that I was able to watch. The kids in the classrooms that I was subbing in sure looked forward to seeing him on there each morning and watching to see if he would do something funny or exciting.
Eric and I attended the first annual USD 261 Barn Bash. It was a fundraiser for the Haysville Education Foundation. Hutton (Eric's employer), was one of the big sponsors of the Barn Bash. It was a well attended event, and a lot of fun to visit with friends and people from our community.
We went to Texas for Thanksgiving this year. We arrived on Tuesday evening and stayed till Friday morning. We all had a great time with Bret, Andrea, Marc, Anna, Ayden, Kallin, Sharon, and Tom.
While in Texas we stopped to visit Stacee's cousin, Connie, and to shop at her store, Farmhouse to Table, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Below, Sharon with her five grandchildren, Ayden (14 1/2), Kallin (10 1/2), Sarah (16 1/2), Silas (11), and Phoebe (14).
On our way back from Texas we stopped in Lucien, Oklahoma to gather with some of Stacee's extended family for a Thanksgiving meal. Paul, Lindsee, EP, and Will were there too.
We enjoyed a BIG SNOW DAY the Saturday right after Thanksgiving. At our house we received about 6-8 inches of snow. It was cold, roads were covered, we took pictures, the kids, Eric, and the dogs played in the snow, and we enjoyed family time at home.
Snow angels were made, snowballs were thrown, snowmen were rolled and stacked, and a snow fort was attempted by Silas and Phoebe.
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