Happy Birthday Patrick

Patrick turned 12 on Sunday, we had plans to get together with Hayley and let the boys celebrate December 11 together. While we were getting ready to fix steak we found out that Dad was taken to the ER for chest pain.  After moving to ICU and a bit of heart surgery Dad is doing better. The best news is that Dad is home now and ready for us all to visit him. We love you Dad.

Patrick 12 and Dalton 2. Happy Birthday to two great kiddos.

Gaylord Ice and Milkshakes

We got to visit with Marme over our Thanksgiving Break. Patrick and Alison always have fun visiting with her and it is a bonus when she brings Jarod with her as well. We went to Grapevine to the Ice Exhibit at the Gaylord. The hotel was very impressive with lots of places to get pictures, we just had to get a bit creative to keep all of the strangers out of our shots. Ice was fun, but cold. I still have not mastered pictures in low light so most of mine were blurry.

 We had lunch at Steak and Shake, I think Patrick and Alison have a new favorite.

After the Ice exhibit, we went to Snow, featuring Kung Fu Panda Plunge. 

Videos of Patrick and Alison tubing down the Kung Fu Panda Plunge.

Videos will not show up on phones, you will have to visit the blog.

The Planets

Alison has been singing about the planets for weeks now. I knew almost all of the songs in time for the 3rd grade play. The best part about it was that it was short and sweet. Alison is still convinced that she wants to take drama classes... or dance..... or gymnastics....

Happy Birthday To Me

I had a wonderful Birthday. Craig to me to lunch today so that we could enjoy some kid free time together. The kids helped Craig fix steak and baked potatoes for dinner. I am here writing my blog post, listening to the kids working together in the kitchen making me brownies.
I have to say that my favorite part of my birthday is the handmade card from Alison that she did all on her own.

I typed it out here, with her permission:

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom Happy Birthday, It's your day to shine. For the God above sends an angel to sing, when others dance for you with joy. People that shine everywhere, you're the one who's the star tonight! I'll be there to comfort you when you are alone. You are the one I love. I might get frustrated, mad or scared but you are the one to help. I might be happy, excited or maybe inpatient but you will help me anyway. There's lots of things that you do, but most of all I love you. You feed me, you comfort me, you even sing to me but one thing's true not only I love you but you love me. You do things fun with me like camping. We spend time and lots lots more. I love you as you love me.

I love you.

She said she worked on it all week and slept with it under her pillow so that I did not find it before my birthday.  WOW

Halloween and Random Stuff

 October is over, we finished it out with a quick trip to my aunts farm. The kids and I went down to pick up one of Aunt Kay's puppies for a family friend. The kids had fun playing with all of the animals and I was glad to visit with family.

Alison's Fairies have taken over another pot on the patio. She loves moving things around.

 This house goes all out every Halloween.

 Spec and his new family!

Dalton and his cookie monster hat.

  The kids and I saved milk jugs to make Monsters for the patio.

 Halloween

 Alison found a Fairy to take a picture with while we were out Trick or Treating.

Never a Dull Moment

Last Wednesday after the kids went to bed Patrick came back out to let us know that his jaw had locked up. Somehow he yawned so widely he his jaw locked up. Craig and I got an ice pack and tried to have Patrick sit calmly to see if he could get it to move. After a bit of searching Google and 30 minutes of Patrick sitting with his mouth stuck open we decided that we had to head up to the ER.

After a night or Morphine, X-rays and Cat Scans we were told that he had dislocated his jaw, but that nothing was fractures. We were afraid that the doctor was going to have to manually adjust it back into place, but with the medicine kicking in and the adjusting for the X-rays it finally went back on its own.

Patrick after the meds kicked in, his jaw is almost back to normal at this point.

We did not get back home until after midnight.The doctor told us to keep Patrick home to watch him the next day. We have been warned that since this has happened once, it very well may happen again.

Feeling much better after getting sleep, he was also excited to go out to eat.

Now in addition to everything else, I get to worry about him Yawning.

Texas State Fair 2011

It is time for the State Fair of Texas again. This years weather was much better than last year. Dad and Heather brought 6 Zebu up for show and Aunt Kay brought some up as well. Patrick and Alison are enjoying more of the exhibits now and are learning their way around the fair quite proficiently.

 Alison, always the fashionista.

 Dalton really enjoyed the hands on children's farm.

 The car was pretty cool, but Patrick said that the ride was actually pretty lame. He likes driving Tonka at the farm much better.

 Mounted patrol getting ready for the bands to march into the stadium for the football game.