Welcome to the neighborhood!!

I had expectations when we moved. I was convinced all my neighbors would come and welcome us to the neighborhood with a basket of muffins. If you watch Desperate Housewives, you'd learn how to welcome neighbors. That is one thing they do right!!

After no one visited the first week, I thought maybe they want to give us time to unpack and settle in...

After no one visited the second week...I was feeling a little depressed. This is when I shared my disappointment to Wes. He thought I was ridiculous. He said TV is not real and people don't do that. I just couldn't accept. I would totally meet new neighbors and have the kids draw them pictures. If I knew there were kids, I'd make them cookies. I'm not gonna lie. I moped around that evening.

But, the very next day...
Lots and lots of cookies!!!
That was about 3 weeks ago. I was hoping for some more sweet neighborly stories to share...but I'm thinking it's just not gonna happen. I think I've accepted that.

My expectation wasn't fulfilled, but as least I proved to Wes that it DOES happen and it SHOULD happen! Be friendly to your new neighbors people!!!

The Tur Turds

I mean Treasures...yes, that's it. Last Friday, Zane's Pre-k class was supposed to dress up as a color or number (or letter?). Anyway, we chose color and tried to get every shade of blue we could find. He was very excited to have his picture taken...

The older grades went as vocab words. Avery was debris, so I taped trash all over her. Bella was a big "T" word (it's covered by her hands) that means the fear of the #13?!

Last week Zane excitedly came and asked me to look at his room. It was so clean and he was so proud. However, I found he just put everything in his closet! So, I said great job, but you now need to clean your closet! A little while later he says he's all done. Closet was clean, but it appeared he just moved it all under the bed. Ha! This was the lovely pile. I explained that wasn't really cleaning either. It actually needed to be put up! He got it right the third time. I didn't want to buy anything new or try and be all creative...so it's the same room, different house. His bed skirt is missing, so the bed looks a little silly. Especially with the random extra mattress under there. We have a twin trundle and mattress if anyone wants it as well as tall black bed risers (not these little brown ones) to make it fit under the bed.

He has a nice empty closet he can sit and read in...

Thursday, we went to OC to trick or treat. AWESOME treats and great decorated doors. My camera died after this first picture...

My sister and I felt a little crafty, so we made these cuties...

The end. HAPPY MONDAY!

Great Wolf Lodge.

Finally, two years after seeing the commercial on TV and wanting to go, we were able to go! My kids were pretty terrified of water but I started making them take showers and ignored their cries! I forced them under water (hugged and kissed them when I brought them up!) and then put them in swim lessons. We went to the spray ground nearly every week this summer until they loved water in their face! It. Worked.

The first night we ate at the Rainforest Cafe at Grapevine Mills.

We then rushed home and got our costumes on for spooky story time and a costume contest in which Liam won!

The kids got to meet Wiley the Wolf

and of course we enjoyed the water park. I thought I was going to die the first day as I felt I was trapped inside a chlorine container. Seriously...is that healthy? Anyway, this is the kiddie area. See the yellow slide and then the blue swervy slide in the background? Each day took convicing/forcing/bribing/threatening Zane to go down...but it worked! He mastered the yellow one the first day and the blue one the second!

Floating down the lazy river!

Avery found a friend she followed around a lot. This place was so empty we could let the kids go off on their own (if they told us where they were going). There are lifeguards every 10 feet.

Wave pool!

Avery was so brave (well she didn't have a choice really!) and went down all the big slides she was big enough for!

Our balcony. We needed .8 seconds of quiet one day so we made the kids stay on the balcony!!

On the third day...Zane mastered THIS slide! So proud buddy! Sure I may have said he wouldn't get icecream, I'd take away all his candy, and he wouldn't get to go trick or treating...but that's not really the point right? HE LOVED IT!

I had to do the same with Avery on the first day in preparation for the big slides! It worked and she loved it too!

The last day I threw a life jacket on Zane and tossed him into the lazy river by himself with Avery! haha. He didn't even have a chance to say no, but only because I knew he'd love it. I was right!

Good trip. Time to go home...

I think these kids are pretty cute even though there is not even a piece of hair that looks like me...

The whole clan. Jason and Amy are no fun at all.....

I'm torn on wanting to try it in the summer time to check out the outdoor park. I'm afraid that means many more people and a higher probability of losing a child?

Happy 80th!

This past Saturday we went to my Dad's dad's 80th birthday. My sisters and I got him a lovely Razorbacks snuggie and comfy matching socks! He looks SUPER excited!The whole clan. Grandma and Grandpa. 3 of their 6 children, 6 of their 15 grandchildren, and all 3 great grandchildren...plus husbands and wives! They have been a great Christian example.

My sweet little Zane...I had the kids make a card. He drew Frankenstein and a birthday cake, wrote happy birthday, and signed his name. He then excitedly ran to his room saying, "Ok, I'm going to go get him a toy. Daddy, you go get him a shirt!" He then came back with several different toys, many being his favorite ones. He decided on a sling shot. We had an extra one and he thought grandpa would like to shoot rocks outside. Here is Grandpa giving Zane a hug telling him thank you for the gift he brought!!

Sunday was our church's trunk or treat and fall festival. Zane is a $2 transformer I bought last year after Halloween! Good thing he thought it was "Awwwwwwesome!" I thought Avery was going to be a YMCA soccer player for a minute, but then remembered Brittany got her a Fancy Nancy dress-up set for her birthday...thus saving the day!

I hate how my camera can easily get switched to the wrong setting without knowing...

Our preacher and his wife!

Zane is obsessed with Frankenstein right now, so he thought this costume was pretty cool. I personally thought it looked like Einstein giving birth to Frankenstein...little disturbing!

I finally realized the camera was on the wrong setting and fixed it. The following pictures are a little brighter and clearer!!

They made out pretty well!