Foster's First Birthday Party!

I cannot believe how long it's been since I've blogged. I looked up and the month of November is over. Since the last time I've blogged, I've traveled with our business to Canton, Jackson MS, Austin, and now Canton again. I've been home one week in the month of November. I have truly missed my children and family. However, I am truly grateful for this job. It is the best eventhough it requires travel and weekends. The following pics are from Foster's birthday party on the 14th! It was pretty crazy with only family here...twelve of them being cousins! It was lots of fun and although Fos' isn't talking just yet, he can finally sign "more" and "all finished;" he will do whatever you tell him and he gives luscious big-mouth kisses!!! I don't know what it is about boys...they catch on a bit slower than girls or maybe Kate was just exceptional. Foster is walking and has been since a week before his birthday. Actually, my parents kept him while I worked in Jackson at one of our shows and when he returned to us, he was walking...CRAZY! Enjoy!

This was the end of the night and he was ready for bed!

Uncle Brandon (my brother)!

Nani and Fos!

My parents and Fos!

Sweet Caroline, Kate and Miss Laurie!

My Sweet Foster's First Birthday has come and gone!

Grandmothers and Kiddos!

Kekie and Nani with Belle and the Lion!

Halloween 2008

We had fun "trick or treating" with our sweet friends, The Wades and The Andrews. Kate was "Belle" and Foster was a "Roaring Lion"

This is when we started before Fos nearly flipped out of the stroller onto his head! Thankfully daddy caught him!

Fos was getting so sleepy!

Hudson and Foster taking a break; trick or treating too (above). Kate and Caroline

Halle, Caroline, and Campbell

Miss Letha and Kate...this is Foster's babysitter and she is the best ever!!! We love her! We went to visit her at the end of the night and Kate was just a little afraid since she had a fog machine, music playing, bats flying, Mr. Donny (her husband) hiding out in the trees and Miss Laura (her daughter) dressed up too. They were very festive! Kate got some great treats from Miss Letha! Foster was long asleep in the car.

Little Emily and Kate

Cousin Emily spent the night with us last night and Kate loved having her read stories before bed. The picture you see below is Emily as a baby and here she is today.

Ten Years Ago...ACU Graduation

It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since we graduated from college. Wow! Time Flies!!! This past Friday our family along with Matt's parents, Nani and Poppy traveled to Abilene for our ten year reunion. It was lots of fun and brought back many special memories. Let me fill you in on a little history...Matt's parents both attended ACU and his dad played football there. He was then drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and then went on to play for the New Orleans Saints. I think that is pretty neat. So, they saw many old friends too. We had fun going to the carnival on Friday night, attending our early morning breakfasts on Saturday for the clubs we were a part of, aka fraternity or sorority (they aren't national so they are called social clubs). After the breakfast, we had fun seeing all the floats at the parade and the kids loved it too. The theme this year was Elvis. We then went to Homecoming Chapel which was so wonderful. I loved attending chapel as a student and I love it today. The singing is amazing and every "special occasion" chapel is closed with the song, "The Lord Bless You and Keep You." It was great...however very different now having children there with us. We enjoyed the football game that afternoon and that's the first time I've ever seen an ACU game packed! It was great to see that spirit...guess people want to come when you're winning! We had tons of fun and enjoyed our special weekend at such a special place! We love ACU! Below, I scanned in some old pictures from when we graduated ten years ago and then posted pics from the weekend. It sure is fun to see how things have changed.

Miss Emily and baby Emily ten years ago. Baby Emily is Matt's sister's youngest girl.

Matt and I, Laurie and Gary and Miss Emily then.

ACU Graduation Day 1998

Ten Years Later...ACU Homecoming

ACU Homecoming 2008.

Just one of the new things on campus... Jacob's Ladder. This is the monument representing the story of Jacob having a dream about the stairway to heaven...God says I am watching over you Jacob and all this land will belong to you. Genesis 28

This is at Jacob's Ladder on campus. So many new things and new buildings now.

Miss Emily (check out her pic above from ten years ago), Foster, and I at the 6:30 a.m. Siggie Breakfast! Em's 1 year reunion and my 10 year reunion! Emily and I pledged the same club so it was nice having her to go to breakfast with this year. Thanks Em for picking us up for breakfast.

Miss Emily and Kate

The ACU Wildcat!

What is that Fos?

Just a little apprehensive!

Kate hugging the Wildcat!

ACU Homecoming Parade Floats

Okay so I have this all jumbled, but this was the Homecoming Parade that is so much fun and a tradition at ACU. Each social club has to build a float centered around a theme and this year's theme was Elvis. The pledges are in charge of building the floats and many stay up all night to make it happen. The overall best was Gamma Sigma Phi....they were great...they had Elvis singing on top of the float and a band playing below. Actually, they won the competition. The Siggies were great, but of course I am partial since that was my club....they were chocolate milkshakes and had a blender on top. Matt was in Galaxy so I had to post a pic of the BUS. Poppy, Matt's dad, was in Sub-T 16 which was hilarious...the entire van was bouncing...talk about no shocks! Gata was the club that Nani, or Matt's mom was in and that is the red float below. It is hilarious to hear Matt's dad make fun of him for being a Moonie or in Galaxy instead of in Sub-T. Just thought I would post this for all of you ACUites that didn't get to make to Homecoming this year. It was fun!
Sub-T.

Foster's 1st Birthday Invite!

Okay.....I have got to recommend this site to anyone who is needing an invitation for birthday parties. Her site is www.lilbeansprout.com. Obviously, this is Foster's first birthday invitation and I love it!!

Precious Children...Precious Pictures

Is this picture not the cutest you've ever seen??? Oh my goodness....once again Sarah took this picture last summer of our kids in the Blanco River...Griffin and Kate. Okay...so I am still learning how to blog backwards so if want to read so it will make sense, scroll down to Special Friends and read up. Hopefully next time, I can manage to place the pics in order along with my wording. Once again, Sarah is a photographer in San Antonio. Visit her website at www.sjphotos.net. She is amazing!

The whole gang this past summer. Our special friends!! One more from the Jones' family is due to arrive tomorrow. We can't wait to meet him.

I didn't have any of Brooks on here...all of Kate and Griffin. My mom fell in love with both of these boys, but especially Brooks. Wow...he is so sweet and precious!

My Foster boy. Oh, I could eat this child...he is so yummy! Yes, Sarah took this one too.

Pics taken by Sarah Jones

And another.....photo from this summer....Griffin and Kate. Do you suppose we could plan a marriage? Heehee

Kate...another pic that Sarah took. (http://www.sjphotos.net/)

Brooks, Kate, and Griffin this summer.

Choo Choo got to ride too.

Special Friends

Matthew, Greg, Griffin, Brooks, Kate, and Campbell having fun on Pops' Ranger.

Wow!! These pics were taken by Sarah Jones, one of my sweet friends from SA. I posted a pic of our kiddos not long ago from this past summer. Anyway, they came to eat at my parents when we were there visiting last weekend. Sarah, by the way, has a photography business. Her website is http://www.sjphotos.net/. She is great so if you're ever in the area or know someone who lives down south, send them her way. She put these pics on her blog and I had to copy every one of them to post on mine. They are adorable and of course show what a great time we had with them. They are special friends of ours that we so enjoy hanging out with. I might have mentioned this in an earlier blog, but while we all attended ACU, we didn't really get to know them until we lived in SA. We were all friends and in a growth group together along with Amanda and Trey who I mentioned in an earlier blog. That was prior to our precious children entering our lives. We love Greg and Sarah, their children Griffin and Brooks and of course Holden who is in Sarah's tummy at least for another day or so. We can't wait to meet him. Oh yes, I didn't mention that she is having a baby tomorrow so if you want pics made, wait at least a month or so for her to get acclimated to three boys!!!