Christmas 2014

We had such a wonderful Christmas!  We went to Dallas to see my family the weekend before and were home with Bruce, Brenda and Travis' Aunt Ann for Christmas Eve and Day.  

While in Dallas we went to the North Pole Express in Grapevine with cousins Cade and Tatum.  It was such fun time.  The boys absolutely loved it.  They punched their tickets, sang Christmas carols, received a bell and even drank hot cocoa.  A little boy's Christmas dream!  We celebrated Christmas that Saturday with my whole family with gifts and mom made a beautiful dinner with prime rib as the star.  It was amazing!  Sunday we celebrated my mom's birthday- surprising her with breakfast.  We had great visit!

On Christmas Eve we went to church with Bruce, Brenda and Ann.  It's always kind of a circus with the boys in the service the whole time, but they did ok. We came home to tamales and queso, reading the Christmas story, putting out reindeer food and leaving cookies for Santa.  On Christmas morning the boys slept till 7 {which is a gift} and discovered what Santa had left for them.  Tyler got new golf clubs and Mason got magnaformers.  They both got new camo trucks which they were super excited about.  We opened gifts and then ate a yummy breakfast.  We had a pretty relaxing, lazy day.  Travis smoked a brisket for dinner.  We ended our day with a peaceful dinner, singing Christmas carols and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!

North Pole Express with cousins

Meeting the conductor

Mason, Cade, Tatum and Tyler

Family photo attempt!

Love all the stockings at my moms!

Grammy and Tatum

They are loving the stick horse they gave Cade for Christmas

Grammy, Pappy and the grandkids

Reading the Christmas story Christmas Eve

Aunt Ann and Travis

Christmas Eve service

Cookies for Santa

Look what Santa brought

My favorite photo of Christmas morning!

Breakfast table

Brenda and Bruce selfie

Tyler holding the candle for Silent Night

Sweet brother

Boys are excited for their new F150 Santa brought

Blowing out the candles for Jesus' birthday

Camping at Garner

We survived our first family camping trip!  We took the boys to Garner State Park last weekend with a few other families.  We had a great time.  The boys loved being outside, hiking, playing in the Frio and kayaking with mom and dad.  Tyler said his most favorite thing was sleeping in the tent.  They loved our new tent.  It was definitely a lot of work for the mommy and daddy, but well worth it for the boys to make such fun memories!  The photos....

We are loaded down and ready to go...box fans and all!

Yes we brought our trailer and gas grill {there was a burn ban}

Tyler and Chance on the "north mountain"

So excited about his sleeping bag in the tent

Buddies

Sweet Hallie posing on the cooler

Hailey, Tyler, Kate, Calla and Chance on the hike

Daddy and Mason

Mason and Hallie playing in the dirt!

Daddy and Tyler

Sleepy Mase on the kayak

Travis cutting up veggies for our fajita night

The boys and Boomer dog {Mason, Tyler, Chance and Clay}

the nichols and their tent

The girls and Clay

The Crew

So proud of their new shirts!

Mason is TWO!!

I can't believe my baby Mase is two already!  The time has just flown by.  We had such a fun week celebrating this little guy.  We had his birthday party last weekend combined with his best friend Hallie.  We started his day with birthday breakfast and candle.  I made homemade mac n cheese and chicken tenders for dinner (a nichols boy favorite).  We ended his day with cookie cake and presents!  We got him boots which came in a barn shaped John Deer box.  There was a tractor on the box and he was flipping out crying that there was no tractor inside the box!  He was not thrilled about the boots!

A few facts about Mason:

• 28 pounds (50th% in weight) and 36 inches (90th% in length)
• LOVES tractors
• loves cookies and pizza (everytime we pass by pizza hut on main street he screams out PIZZA)
• favorite toy- dump truck
• favorite show- Mickey Mouse
• loves his big brother
• still my snugglebug- loves to be held
• loves dragging around his blankie and sucking on his fingers!  

Good morning birthday boy!!

Gobbling down his bday waffle:)

Sweet boy!

They love reading- especially their recordable books from grammy and pappy

Birthday dinner of chicken tenders, PW mac n cheese

I should have gotten his face, but he was very upset there was no tractor in this box- only new boots!

Happy birthday my big TWO year old!!

September 2013

Our month in review...

Tyler started preschool this year!  He is attending Messiah Lutheran.  The school is five minutes from our house and we have absolutely loved it there.  He is LOVING school.  The teachers and kiddos there have been wonderful.  His buddy Chance is in his class- they pretty much stick together!

First day of pre-school- September 4, 2013

And he's off!

While Tyler was at school...Mason and I got to play!  We went to the zoo with friends!

Mommy & Mase

Mason and Gracie

Whitten & Mason

All the kiddos...Gracie, Mason, Whitten, Reid and Crockett

Our family + Grandpa Bruce went to Port Aransas for Travis to go to CE by the Sea.  He was in class learning about veterinary things while we played.  We had a great time- it was the boys first time to the Texas coast.

Family pic!

Our best attempt at getting the boys to look at the same time!

We drove to Dallas to celebrate Cade's 2nd birthday!  We had such a fun time celebrating our sweet nephew.  

girls night with college roomies to start our weekend- love these girls so, so much!

We surprised Pappy with a visit at school- he loved it and the boys had a blast running around the gym with the balls!

Couldn't resist posting this one...sweet Mase

Best pic I could get with all the boys!  

Grandsons and Pappy...fun times

I ended the month by going to Roundtop with friends!  Allison, Christian and I drove to College Station for a night then off to Roundtop the next day.  We had such a fun time shopping, eating, and having a mommy-break!

The girls at Cafe Capri in Bryan- we loved seeing Courtney and Mackenzie

round top..here we come!

Poor Christian got stuck with all of our loot in the back

Funnel cake...yummmm

A trip to Aggieland is not complete without a stop in to Shipleys!