A Pedal Bike for Dantzel

Christmas morning was pretty special for Dantzel. She woke up before the other kids and saw her new purple pedal bike, and she was so excited!
She was a little nervous about trying to ride it, but with a little encouragement, she did it and was riding really well within an hour!

I'd say she is pretty darn happy about it!

Ready to try a pedal bike with NO training wheels!

She's got it! First day on the bike and she learned like a champ!

We were all pretty proud of her, and I'm quite impressed, she is only 4!

These balance bikes are awesome!

Snow!!

Brett, Dantzel and Kelsey were so excited to visit grandma and grandpa's house in Idaho, and see snow for the first time! We arrived at the house at 12 midnight and the kids immediately jumped out of the suburban and ran straight through the snow, laughing and screaming, rolling around in it, and throwing it up in the air. All this happened in the Christmas lighting and it was pretty darn magical.
We spend a couple days at Grandma and Grandpa Jones cabin in Island park. We were thinking that the kids would only stay out in the snow for a short time and come in because of the cold, but they played in the snow for hours!

Grandpa made a sledding hill!

A Texas girl making her first snow angel!

Snow is so magical

Even this little toot couldn't get enough of the snow!

Camping trip at Pedernales

Instead of after Thanksgiving shopping, we decided to skip the crowds and go enjoy the outdoors! We had an awesome camp spot and enjoyed hiking both days! Before we left Pedernales, we went on a 4-mile round trip hike which included a river crossing. Dantzel was so excited to cross the "ocean" on the way back. The kids were champs! We had to bribe them with starbursts and juice, but they made it!

Happy to be in nature and get dirty!

Lots of awesome bike riding trails for this guy!

Collecting rocks.

Following the leader on our hike!

Turkey Bowl

Every Thanksgiving morning, the Buda ward gets together for a turkey bowl. Brett was so excited and decided he was big enough to play on the kids team. He kept asking questions like, "who is bringing the ball" and "will we have numbers on our back" and "how to you play the real game, because the game I play by myself in the back yard is a little different". He was so excited and a little nervous, I could tell, but mostly excited!

Jeff got to be on Brett's team. There was an adult on each kids team as quarterback.

"I am so excited for my first ever real football game!"

Serious business.

The girls drank hot chocolate and walked with track with momma!

4-wheeler rides with big Daddy

The kids always look forward to riding in the deep, dark woods with Daddy. Jeff secretly loves riding that little quad too! They romp around and always come home with exciting stories of the ride.

Brett can drive it himself and has sent Jeff off the back to land on his rear.

Love the ride but doesn't want to drive it!

This little one has been riding this thing for a long time, she's only two but loves when it is her turn to ride.

Story time at the Buda library

 Every Wednesday we head to the Buda library for story time with Ms Martha. We get to read stories, sing songs, and do a craft. Ms Martha is a wonderful person and loves these kiddos, they love her too! Last Wednesday Kelsey asked Ms Martha, "do you have fireants at your house?"...funny girl.

Working on the turkey craft for Thanksgiving.

Reading a book about being thankful.

We love Ms Martha!!

Halloween

Given the choice between Elsa and a fairy, she picked a fairy. I was so proud!

Spiderman is keeping mom and his sisters safe!

We taught her to say, "go, go, go team go"

These kids got to dress up for a number of different parties, and lots (too much) candy!

Fall 2014

We have had such a wonderful fall and I don't want to forget it, so I am going to try and update more frequently.

This little stud started Kindergarten this year.

It started off with Brett starting school shortly after our summer Idaho trip. I can't believe I have children in school, really?! I really miss him and the 7 hours are painful some days, but he has been loving it!
Fall is camping weather here in Texas and we tried out a new state park, Inks Lake. It was beautiful and we had a wonderful time, of course it rained on us in the night, it always does, even with a 0% chance of rain.

Rock climbing at its earliest.

Brett fishing at Inks Lake. He caught the only fish, a 12 inch bass.

Hiking the trails around the campground were so much fun!

Our campsite.

Brett kept saying, "look mom, I'm a mountain lion"

 

 

Happy camper.