Playgroup at the Pumpkin Patch....

This was our second year to go to the pumpkin patch with our playgroup...it was a good time and the weather was exquisite!! Our babies, I know they're growing up, had fun chasing each other and decorating their pumpkins :) Rachel took some pictures for me...sorry for missing some of you, maybe next year :) Thanks for hosting Jenni and Amber!

The pumpkins....

Kameron and her pumpkin....

Marshall...

Colin...

Drew...

Lawson...

Grayson...

Harper...

Walker...

Brooke...

Jackson...

Sam...

Erin...

Davis...

Tyler...

"Mer Daddy"...

The girls like to say "hug and a kiss" when they're saying their good-byes. Brooke talks so cute and says it a little differently..."mer hugs, mer kisses". Well, we went to Rico's for dinner after several nights without spending much time with Kyle. The girls soak him up like a sponge when they haven't been able to see him...it's the sweetest thing :)

So they start chanting their good-byes and Brooke says to her Daddy, "mer hugs, mer hugs", and they'd hug, "mer kisses, mer kisses", and they'd kiss, and then "mer Daddy, mer Daddy"...I loved it and so did her Daddy :)

Hmm, what happened?

Kyle was out of town this past weekend and Rachel, Rachel, Erika, and I spent 14 hours straight working on the Junior League's Holiday Market.  Between watching our children (6-8 toddlers under the age of 4) and JL, something happened...but, I was too busy and exhausted to notice until Sunday morning at church. Sitting in the pew and relaxing for the first time all weekend, I crossed my hands on my lap and looked down...noticed my ring, and thought to myself, I worked so hard yesterday that my diamonds fell out...

not so pretty without diamonds...

October Tease...

In the 60's...

October is my favorite weather month in Houston :)  7 years ago I moved to "the armpit" and it took years to acclimate to the weather...especially my hair and skin, nothing like teenage acne to help you feel youthful again...then October comes and you get such a drastic change that you forget about the heat and humidity of August and September... 

However, yesterday was just a tease...the girls wore sweatshirts to school and by 10:00 it was HOT, but still a BEAUTIFUL day!  

In case you were wondering what was on Erin's face....

Erin gets cold sores...she's gotten them since she was 15 months old.  The first time she had them she had too many to count...on her tongue, cheeks, gums and lips.  The one she has now is FINALLY healing...Kyle and his mom had expressed concern about how long she had had it and how it looked like it was still festering (Cherrie, in fact, said she thought it was impetigo).  So, we got the diagnosis, impetigo, and now we're treating it with a topical antibiotic... 

Pro Erin, Brooke and Kameron!!

Last night's presidential debate made me sad...when did choice become more important than life. I carried three babies and I KNOW that life begins at conception...I felt my babies move at 14 weeks...and a few weeks later, kick and hiccup...I CANNOT comprehend abortion...

Not easily entertained...

so, you gotta break the rules just to get through the day.

Brooke's naps are short now and that makes for LOOOONG afternoons...after dance lessons, a 90 minute grocery store excursion, chick-fil-a, playing outside, playing in the living room, coloring, more playing outside and watching some TV (okay, a lot of TV, so much so that they both told me no more because it's boring)...we had a dance party on our bed.

Dancing to "How to Save a Life"...not so much a groove song, but they don't care...

Kelley's Wedding...

Kelley and John got married last night...it was THE most glamorous wedding!!  The wedding and reception were at Hotel ZaZa in Houston.  It was an intimate setting with the Watson family and their closest friends. Erin and Brooke stayed home, but Kyle and I (and Kameron!) enjoyed ourselves the entire night.  Pictures say a 1000 words, so I'll let them do just that.

Kelley was a BEAUTIFUL bride.

Kyle and I underneath the arrangement where Kelley and John said their vows.

The reception was INCREDIBLE.

Our table with the Bride and Groom.

Kameron slept half way under the table (and between our seats) the entire night!  She is THE BEST baby!!

 

We had a five course "pairing" dinner!  It was DELICIOUS!!  Click on the picture to see the menu :)

Kyle's cake...

My cake...each guest had a personal cake :)

Kyle played "Rock Band" at the reception :)  He was really good!

I always laugh (a lot!!) when I'm with the Watsons....here's a conversation that I was listening to while sitting between Kyle and his dad last night.  

Kyle: Dad, I could whip you in 5 seconds..

Dennis: Son, you couldn't whip me in five seconds.

Kyle: I'm so mad right now, I almost like it!

Dennis: Son, I don't want to whip you, cause you're my baby, but I might...

Kyle: Yea, dad...

Dennis: I might not last long, but I'll last strong...

Thank you Kelley and John for such an amazing day/evening that will not be forgotton!! Congratulations and God Bless  :)

Talking to Jesus

Erin was in time out for hitting her sister today and she was crying....she said "I need to talk to Jesus" and this wasn't unusual because we've told her that she can always talk to Him and He'll listen when sometimes mom and dad won't (not that we don't listen :) ).  So, I say okay, talk to Jesus.  So she closes her eyes and begins her prayer, "Dear Jesus, please forgive me for my sins and please help me to try and not hit Brooke and please be my friend."   

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19:14

My prayer, thank you Jesus for the privilege and honor of raising three little girls....I pray that they find You at a young age and that they serve You all the days of their lives.  

Princesses Erin and Brooke

We went to the Skipper's Chick-fil-a in Magnolia yesterday...dressed up as princesses for a promotion they were doing last night.  On the way there, Erin told me this, "when people see Erin, they're going to say, Oh gosh, Erin is the prettiest princess".  She was, but she couldn't stop itching in her "scratchy dress", see picture.  On the way home, Brooke was screaming "POOP"...so I pulled over, but she didn't go...I explained to her what crying wolf means and that mom doesn't want her to sound off false alarms while I'm driving on the highway.

Cinderella and The Woodlands Princess

Family

We had a family reunion in Destin, Florida this year and it was a glimpse of heaven :)  The Tower family came together comprising of the Towers, Neills, Kulps, Watsons, and Honeymans...it was AWESOME!!  We had 21 people...of whom were 11 children, 10 years old and younger.  CRAZY TIMES :)  Erin and Brooke LOVE "the Kulps" and their Uncle Bob.  

The Royal Palace

We had a really large home on the beach...my brother was on the first floor, the Honeymans and the Watsons shared the second, and the Kulps were on the third...nap times were interesting with the Kulps directly above on wood floors...it really sounded like a herd of wild animals running around...

The view from our balcony

Bob still knee deep and way out in the ocean

We loved the ocean...it was shallow for at least 20 yards and you could see the bottom, so the parents could somewhat relax around the water knowing that our 2 and 3 year old children could touch for a good ways...

Getting ready for our professional family pictures

We had a local photographer come out and take a picture of the entire group...there was an amazing sunset that night...we flew kites on the beach which was absolutely breath taking to watch, the kites soared in the beach side wind and we ended a perfect night with yummy, yummy smores...

Kyle playing frisbee

The guys played football and threw frisbees on the beach and really had a great time...and talked and laughed, as only they could, about being married to their crazy wives.

Erin and Kyle

She LOVED the ocean water and swam "just like a mermaid" 

Erin LOVED the ocean...despite being stung by a jelly fish :)  She body surfed, swam like a mermaid, and never lost her smile...SHE LOVED THE OCEAN!!

Brooke strolled the ocean on dad's shoulders

Brooke and dad really hung out this trip...she wanted him with her in the water and he was happy to oblige...

Kameron and I stayed indoors most of the time...

Kyle and Brooke in "bumper/spray your mother-in-law in the face boat"

Mimi and Erin in their bumper boat

All the kids went to play bumper boats...each boat had a "water squirt" button and a "go" button.  Once on board, Mimi, aka, Kyle's mother-in-law, announced "Do not spray the Mimi". Long story short, Erin, in Mimi's boat, sprayed her dad and her dad retaliated by spraying the Mimi directly in the lenses.  She was not too happy...as the water dripped down her glasses and she gave him the infamous look of fury, Kyle couldn't help but recall an Uno game he played with her in our college days...two words, "Draw Four"!

Firsts...

Last week, the Watson girls had some firsts :)  Kameron smiled for the first time at her dad. She was smiling at him an entire week before she gave it to anyone else.  I caught my first smile today on the camera...

My first smile from Kameron.

Brooke got on Erin's bike for the first time last week (she didn't like it before she saw her sister ride it).  She put on Erin's helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads and tried her best to pedal. Her legs just aren't long enough to touch the pedals at their low point...so riding isn't possible, yet :)

Brooke posing on her sister's bike :)

Erin can ride a bike!

We bought Erin a bike a couple of months ago and she really didn't like the effort it required to move...she preferred her electric jeep...it would have been a smarter idea for Kyle and I to have given her the bike before the jeep...but, the jeep is off limits during the day without her dad around to help her steer, so she decided to ride her bike for the first time and she pedals all around now...in the backyard, around the pool, in the drive way, and around the loop in our house :)  I was surprised how easy it was for her to learn...no teaching necessary...she just got on it and rode!