Choo...Choo

All of our boys have been fascinated by choo choo trains for over a year now. Honey decided that we should take the boys for a train ride through Dallas to North Park mall and visit the Ronald McDonald House train exhibit for something special to do during the holidays. This ended up being literally an all day trip... we left the house at 9:30am and got home at 4:30pm.

Connor and Honey are buying us tickets to ride the Dart Rail train.

What a better time of year to do this than when it is freezing cold outside. The twins were waiting to board the train.

Grant had this smile on his face the entire way to the mall...approximately 20 minutes!

Preston and Connor were having just as much fun too.

Watching the fountain at North Park

Posing and playing while waiting in an hour long line for the train exhibit...

Finally...we have our tickets and image this, all three boys need to go potty (all I could do is pray that they held it while we patiently walked through the exhibit...no backing out now...FYI, we did make it)

Conductor Grant

Conductor Connor

Conductor Preston

Me and the boys:)

WOW...did you see that.

The big fluffy red snowman...Grant:)

Merry Christmas - Part One

Yesterday was spent with Doug's family doing the first of three family trips over the coarse of the next week...therefore, Part One. We spent the day at one of his brother's homes in the big city of Crandall:) Doug's two brothers have kids that when put with ours age in range from 8 years old to 1. The kids always have such a good time seeing each other and playing...usually you don't even know they are with you until it is time to leave.

Grant opened a present that included a pic of Doug's mom.

Connor received some Bagukon toys.

Preston got a Diego truck.

Aunt Laurie is helping Preston figure out what all the truck does.

Doug enjoyed a nice peaceful nap while all the kids were screaming and playing with their new toys right beside him...go figure!

Connor and his cousin, Kaelyn, playing with the Piksos we got her.

Grant got a guitar from Aunt Kristie and her gang...the look on his face when he opened it was priceless.

I don't think he liked it at all:) ...look for him in the next big rock band!

Sweet snuggles with cousin David.

This last Friday I made plans for the twins and I to go with some church friends to Casa Mana in Ft. Worth to see "Rudolph" which was the same time Connor's Christmas party at school was to take place. Honey was a phone call away and was excited to come play with Connor at school. They decorated a gingerbread house, took pics, ate breakfast, and watched the teacher open gifts. This was Connor's first time to decorate a gingerbread house and he did an awesome job...it even made it home without being harmed.

Connor's 1st grade class (he is in the red shirt - second row)

Connor and Mrs. King with part of her present from us (a cute sparkly apple from Canton)

BINGO

This last week we had the opportunity to celebrate Christmas a little early with our good friends Ms. Rachel, Owen, and Noah. The boys were both excited to see them, but then they realized we were exchanging presents and that made it an even better celebration. The twins received a gift to share...yes, BINGO. They were just excited to receive a box with all their favorite Disney characters on it, but when we got home and they realized there was a DVD to put in the TV and it was a game for just them, you would have thought they hit the jackpot.

Here they are helping each other find the picture and number being called out on the TV

Preston just BINGO-ed!

This is what shows up on the TV when a letter/number/animal is called out. It is so easy for me to put this on and let them play while I get ready in the morning.

THANKS MS. RACHEL AND BOYS...WE LOVE IT!

Two Singers in the Making

Grant and Preston's Mother's Day Out had a Christmas program this last week. It included singing from each age group with a few surprise duets. One of our sweet children qualified for the position...yes, Grant. I had wondered why the twins kept singing "Go Tell It On the Mountain" as they were playing at home and I just joined in with them and now I realized that they were just practicing for their shining moment on stage once again. Grant sang his duet somewhat quietly, but when the chorus came he grabbed the microphone from his teacher's hand and belted out the chorus...then put his thumb up at me...then took a bow. I think they are both made for performing because I have one singer and one dancer (you can figure that out)

Bobby Joe and Grant singing their duet.

Preston momentarily standing still between dance moves!

The Big Kill

A week and a half ago Connor got the privilege of going with Doug and his younger brother, Russell, to the deer lease for the weekend. They don't receive great phone service while out in west Texas so there was limited contact with them. I did talk to them twice and received just enough information to both scare me and let me know my child was doing okay. Connor informed me that they had killed a pig and he got to keep a tooth and a finger (what more could a little boy want!). From all accounts since then, the threesome have had many stories and I think they made some good memories... Connor can't wait to go back:)

Learning to count money with Uncle Russell...we have worked on this many times.

Hacking away at anything that got in his way...wood...animals.

Connor built his own fire without any instructional help and did it right:)

The Outhouse:(

Uncle Russell and his ENORMOUS HOG...What a proud moment! It was so big that Doug and his brother couldn't pick it up.

Connor posing with the dead pig.

Connor and Uncle Russell trying to hoist it into the air to do whatever hunters do after the big kill.

You got it Connor?

Skinning the pig with dad...a proud father son moment:)

Connor plum wore out!

Hillbilly Connor...I just love this pic...it makes me laugh so hard!

Target practice

The Twins Take The Stage

Last night the twins "Play and Praise" church choir had the opportunity to sing a few songs in church. I patiently waited on the second row for the boys to come into church and line up on the front row side by side. My initial thought was YEAH I am going to get some great pics of them together and by the end of the performance I was hoping the teachers would never put them together again! I have been down this road before with Connor so nothing really surprises me anymore when they are put in front of a big crowd. Things started off really good (as you can see in the first pic)...they sang a song about baby Jesus in the manger (they are rocking baby Jesus in their arms below).

and then with the next song it all fell totally apart:) Preston was marching around up and down the stairs. Grant was jumping off the stair and couldn't decide if he wanted to sit or stand.

Preston is dancing as he jingles and sings "Jingle Bells"
Next time I will have to bring the video camera! We should have charged admission for the show because the twins gave everyone a good laugh:) That's my boys!

Surprise

Today with not much to do other than try to stay warm, the twins and I decided to go surprise Connor at school and eat lunch with him. The twins were so excited that Grant hid under the lunch table until Connor was right next to him and he jumped out and yelled, "Surprise." Connor gave them both big hugs and then the fight was on as to which friends would get to sit by us all.

Preston covering Connor with sweet kisses

Grant took a pic of me with the real "Twins."...(notice Preston is still kissing...he couldn't get enough of Connor)

Mountain Needed

It is official...Doug and I are taking Connor skiing the middle of January. We absolutely can't wait! The plans are finalized, we are getting our clothes in order, and now all we need is a mountain with snow. Connor is beside himself so much to the point he is going to sleep every night wearing his ski cap and goggles...that boy just cracks me up:)

One sleepy ski dude

He is his father's son:)

Trip photos soon to come