Relocated Texans: 2014

November 2014

November was a fun month. The Thackers came to visit us and we stayed at a cabin in Packwood for 2 nights so the guys could go hunting in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest between Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens.

Elk Trail Cabin

The little ones loved having a shared bunk room.
I'm sure Ashley would have preferred a private room.

Walked to the river from our cabin
Levi threw rocks and the big girls just walked around

In their undershirts after their flu shot
They're so dramatic. This was 30 minutes after
their shots and they were still crying.

Ashley turned 17 in November. We celebrated with cupcakes on her actual birthday and the next day we took her and two friends to the Cheesecake Factory and then they went to see the new Hunger Games movie. I need to get pictures off of Ashley's phone. The only picture I have of her is from her actual birthday where we celebrated at home but she doesn't want those photos online.

Ashley took a picture of her cupcake. Only photo I'm allowed to show.
The other good photos are on her phone.

We celebrated our very first Thanksgiving with just our family. We had a lot of fun. Everyone pitched in to help and we made tons of good food. Ashley was thrilled she was allowed to make the pies all by herself and she did a great job. We did miss all of our family though. Holidays aren't quite the same without extended family.

First Thanksgiving

The weekend after Thanksgiving we decorated for Christmas and had our first snow. It was a great weekend!

Posing with our nutcracker

Jumping in the snow

October 2014

Ashley's homecoming dance was in October. She looked so old before she went out that it was a little scary. Her date did not drive so she picked him up after she left.

We went to a park off of Lake Washington and the kids would wade in and scream because of the cold and then run out and then go back in. It lasted for an hour and was hilarious.

Autumn is a good big sister

Playing tag on Cougar Mountain

Proud of her headstand skills

He screams when he's awake now so
pictures only occur during nap time

We attended Issaquah Salmon Days again and everyone enjoyed themselves. Ashley went with friends instead of with us. At one point, Levi ran away and we found him with the police. He had decided to head to the bounce houses without us. The second time he ran away we decided to go home since I was overly frazzled.

Enjoying the Salmon Days Parade

Slept through Salmon Days

Soccer Season is over for the year

All the Purple Cougars are in kindergarten
at Cougar Ridge Elementary

Levi plays soccer on the sidelines during Autumn's games

Enjoying a Halloween festival
Autumn and Levi chose to be ninjas

Daddy/Daughter pumpkin carving night at Cougar Ridge Elementary

Ready to go to a friend's house for trick-or-treating

Grant is a rugby player.
We had a baby ninja costume but he looks better in this.

Checking out their spoils for the night

September 2014

September was a busy month. Grant was born on Ashley's first day of school and I was still in the hospital when Autumn started Kindergarten the next day. Autumn also turned 6 at the end of the month.

Autumn's first day of kindergarten

About to walk to the bus stop for the first time

On the bus!

Autumn's first soccer game was 9/5 - the first day out of the hospital. Thankfully Grant was easy so we really enjoyed the game. She scored 3 goals! Go Autumn!

Go Purple Cougars!

After soccer and pizza she was an exhausted girl

Autumn celebrated her birthday party at a bounce house this year. She invited her entire kindergarten class and a few other friends. It was a large party and she had a blast!

Birthday girl at 3-2-1 Bounce

Too many presents to open at home!

Celebrating at home on her actual birthday

During the rest of the month we visited parks, Autumn attended gymnastics and ballet and Levi went to his baseball class. Grant was easy the first three weeks of life.