November

November started with Eden going on a field trip for school to the Zoo. My friend took some photos for me.

 I love this photo with a bird on Eden's head. It is SO Eden... She would be happy to have a bird on her head. My little animal lover.

The kids had school photos taken. I totally think Eden looks like me when I was about her age, but in the 3rd grade. I had a boy hair cut though and looked SUPER goofy. I'm so lucky to have a beautiful mini me who is my better me! Love this little girl so much!

On November 4th I did the rugged maniac run again. I went with my friends Aly Giles and Jamie Lowe. I have loved having a reason to exercise and do something for me. I have come to realize when I take care of me then everyone is happier. I have started running with Connor in the stroller after I dropped kids off for school. I consistantly ran 2-3 times a week for 3 months straight, which was probably the most consistent since high school. It was so hard at first to keep going, but once I started I didn't want to stop! I now know the goals I want to accomplish and I can't wait to do my next race so I have something to look forward to again.

The kids knew it was a big day for me so they made me breakfast in bed and were just so sweet. Toast, yogurt and hot chocolate this time. I'm so lucky to have such kind and thoughtful children!

Eden has LOVED having the Pinkston's nearby. She has become a Texan at heart. She loves going out on their property and just being a kid getting in to everything! Her excitement is infectious and makes everyone around her as happy as she is. She has loved spending time with Uncle Rick and hearing all the fun ideas he has for the property. Uncle Rob started the chickens and both got Great Pyrenees dogs and now there are so many animals to play with and just so many fun things. 

Eden was so excited she decided to write Uncle Rick and tell him all about it. They became pen pals. I didn't realize it but when Eden wrote Uncle Rick she slipped him one of her dollars. 

Uncle Rick slipped her $5 in his letter back to her. 

I have loved seeing this little girl bloom into the person she wants to become and so grateful for the Pinkston's helping her to become her full potential.

Another Pinkston visit.

 The new goal is who can catch a chicken faster.

 Jacob is a good sport and drove the kids around on the golf cart.

Elara has taken to dressing Connor up in her clothes... Connor doesn't seem to mind.

On November 9th after having to reschedule from Hurricane Harvey we finally were able to do my young women's camp out that I was in charge of. The Pinkston's were super kind and let me use their property for the camp out and built us a fire, and the girls even found a hike for us. 

I don't know what I would have done without Juli and Heidi, and Haley and Jamie and all the Pinkston's pitching in to help me out. Jamie came to watch the kids until Derek got off work and we are just so blessed to live by family who love us so much!

THANK YOU!!!

Kael and Eden got to come camping with me and the girls and it was so fun having them with me.

I LOVE these girls so much! It has been one of my favorite callings. I am over girls camp and volleyball and I love that I get to do fun things with these girls and have them be good examples for my kids. Eden and Elara can't wait to turn 12 so they can do young women's like these girls.

After spending time with Pinkston's, Derek wanted to come up too, so the next day we all came back up again because we just can't stay away!

After hanging out with the cousins we went to dinner at Mamacita's. You guys Mexican Food is AMAZING! Connor can't stop dipping chips in salsa! It was SO GOOD! Our new favorite restaurant.

Love these people so much!

Connor shared some of his apples with me after our morning run together. Well I ran and he played in a stroller. We sometimes stop where there is construction and watch the big tractors for a while. He loves watching the big tractors and I love dying on the sidewalk.

Connor loves dressing up still and put on Elara's gymnastics leotard because it works perfect for El Luchador!

We got Pete the Pirate this year for Halloween and never took him down because he was such a good friend.

 The kids helped me make a thankful tree this year for Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and I'm glad we have this as a tradition to remind  us to always be thankful!

 I decided to be crafty this year and since all the Pinkston cousins were coming for Christmas this year I wanted to show them we love them in some way SO the kids helped me make them all rice bags! It was so fun and I think they turned out cute! 

We spent Thanksgiving with Pinkston's Rob and Julie's family and wanted to prepare by making Indian Headdresses. I think the kiddos did a great job!

We had an amazing Thanksgiving and had so much food and such a fun time! So much so we didn't snap a SINGLE picture. Next year there will be more!

The girls just because.

We got the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving because Derek was going to have to go back to Corpus Christi and we didn't want to miss having his help set up Christmas!

We tried getting bulbs out and Connor broke the first one so we hid them very quickly and thankfully I had purchased plastic bulbs and stored them so all bulbs went high on the tree and Connor still grabbed them the entire season, BUT we didn't break anymore after the first one.

We got Christmas lights put up as well!

And the kids wanted a count down to Christmas!

I have no idea when Derek took this picture. He told the kids he used to put paper in his mission companions mouths when they would fall asleep on trains and such so he had the kids do the same to me... True love. I fall asleep all the time while watching movies, or just am always the first asleep at bed. So, I guess what I'm saying is I'm so used to this. I have several sleep over instances from high school where things like this happened. A girl needs her sleep!

BUT Derek made up for it by writing this all over my mirror before he left for Corpus Christi. I was surprised and just love it! Derek still surprises me all the time and makes me feel so loved. I'm so lucky to have him as my best friend through this life.

Lately Connor has been kind of a monster. It really is the best word to describe him about 80% of the time... He is so so sweet, but so full of life that I just can't keep up with him. He is getting an opinion and letting you know. This time last year we wanted him to just say Mama and now I just want him to stop growling Mama... We love this little boy so much though and are so grateful for him especially when he goes to sleep without screaming at us.

We did figure out why he went to bed screaming the night before this picture though... It turns out hand foot and mouth was going around and the poor kid caught it bad... We didn't know, but once we realized it and saw the sores in his mouth it was just so so sad. He never got a fever at all, but was still pretty miserable.

I took a picture of this ridiculous table to show the ginormous bug that Elara left there for me. The kids are always catching bugs and other critters and putting them in tupperware... Then, leaving the lids open for me to find things... Thankfully this guy died in the tupperware the night before, BUT it was still sitting there waiting for me to find. Thanks kids...

This picture shows our weekly Thursday. Kael and Eden getting ready for piano and Connor and Elara stuck in the van. Thankfully this day the two littles fell asleep, but I just love these 4 kiddos so much and for all the growth they keep having and developing.