A funny picture of Emolyn

We were watching Emolyn and Winston captured this photo of her.  It made me laugh!

A Christmas Concert

Orangewood Elementary did a Christmas concert, both the boys performed!  They did a great job singing.

Cute Emolyn came too.

Cross Country Finals!

It was the district finals for cross country on Thursday.  Nora came in second!  She got a medal and a ribbon!  She really wanted second place because so far in the meets she had placed first, third and fourth.  She got her wish.

Her good friend Cassie came in first!
Winston gave it all he had, he got a side ache part way through but finished strong and came in fourteenth place.Benjamin was quite pleased with twenty eight.
The three of them are glad the season is over for this year.  The six forty five practice time twice a week was beginning to wear on them.  They did a great job!
The fifth grade Orangewood runners.
Showing off their medals.

Getting Our Tree!

We went to Whitfill nursery to get our Christmas tree this year.  There were some great trees to choose from.  We went with a smaller one this year, the kids were leaning towards smaller.

Not quite as small as the tree I am holding.  Winston wanted the one behind us, he said we could cut it in half.

We throw our tree in the pool for twenty four hours to help it retain it's moisture.  I don't know if it really works or not, I think it does.  
The kids jumped in with the tree.  They are trying to get in the pool every month.  December is done!
Winston was not happy when he got out of the pool!
The bathtub was ready and waiting with HOT water so they could warm up.  Merry Christmas!

My First Race

Open Door Fellowship had a run for the fund to raise money for the building fund.  It was my first official race as a runner!  There was about three hundred people there and it was so much fun.  The race was a 5K and I came in at twenty eight minutes!  The kids ran too.  I was so proud they ran the whole time.  Jason was the mc and did not run at all.  He wore his cool orange shorts! 

A Thanksgiving Play

My mom and dad have not had everyone together for ten years.  My how we have grown.  We spent Thanksgiving at their house.  As we were leaving my mom sighed and said, "I knew we should have got a bigger house!"  There are seventeen of us (eighteen if you count Bonny's niece who is now living with them).  We had great fun and food.

The kids put on a play, There's a Dragon About.  Noah was the dragon.
Quinn and Winston acting out their parts.
Wesley was the doctor.
Nora was the Queen and she really got  into her part!
Time is going too quickly.  

The Thanksgiving Football Game...

We call ourselves the HELLs: Hunter, Ellis, LaPlante, LaPlante.  Our families play a traditional football game on Thanksgiving morning.  My parents were not able to make it, maybe next year.  We usually play at our house, but because of the rain we played on Southwestern's field.

This was before the game was played.
Winston took some breaks because two days earlier he fell off the play fort.  He got a nice bruise on his hip and hurt his back.  I love his mopy sad face.
Benjamin found a HUGE puddle and went to town.

This is the after photo.  Much fun was had!

Crazy photos...

This is me just before a run, running makes me happy!

This is Benjamin being his crazy self!
This is Winston tying his shoes!
This is Nora embracing the new name for her blue hippo, Barfy!

Watching Emolyn

Emolyn came over the other night for a few hours.  My kids love love love her.  They all took turns doting on their cousin.  She watched Space Chimps with us and fell asleep halfway through.

Emolyn is finally warming up to her Uncle Jason.  He is a loud, fun, energetic person and small children cower in his presence.  This last time she was in his arms and I reached for her, she clung to her uncle.  This made him HAPPY!  
The boys took their turn holding her.

Science Center

Monday, November 24 Nora had field trip to the Science Center.  Jason and I both went as chaperons.  Nora had a great time. 

There was an exhibit of a bed of nails.  We all gave it a try.

Jason and I drove separately so he could take me out to lunch at my favorite Mexican food restaurant Tacos de Juarez.  They have the BEST cheese enchiladas and hot red salsa.  Everyone should go there, it is an experience! (1017 N 7th Street)