Texas Andersons

Could the celebration actually have started a week ago?

Last Saturday was a great day! We met my parents up at Bass Pro Shops so the kids could enjoy the store’s Christmas events and sit with Santa. Then, Nathan and I were off to enjoy a weekend without the boys. We first headed to our Dream Dinners appointment, making some fantastic meals, including a bunch of side dishes for our Thanksgiving feast. Then we headed home for a nap. To top off the evening, we were off to Austin for Myk’s birthday party. Myk (turning 30 again) entertained well, will great bbq, drinks, and company.

Sunday (after spending the night with Jenny), we had THE BEST breakfast at The Original Pancake House and then drove back to Boerne to enjoy the day and wait for the boys to get back from Camp Granmom.

On Tuesday, Jenny, Evan, and I drove up to Curington to spend the morning with Ben’s class. Everyone was dressed as indians, and they got to have snack in a big tee-pee set up behind the school (really cool!). That night we had a picnic in the living room, complete with a movie and popcorn (so much fun!).

Thursday was Turkey Day. The day was spent visiting, eating, playing a game of frisbee, eating some more, bowling, watching the Cowboys and Longhorns win their games, and eating some more! It was spent with Larry and Debbie, Bobby and Loretta, and Jenny (we were missing Angie). Surrounded by the people we love and more than enough food, we realized once again how truly blessed we are.

But the high didn’t stop there! Yesterday Nathan and I made a stop at Toys R Us to get the boys’ Christmas gifts from Marvin and Dorothy. We made all the right moves to get in and out of that mad house in less than half an hour (with a bunch of great toys!). Then we all headed to Ed and Joyce’s for a visit. Next stop was the Pipe Creek Christmas tree farm where we cut down our tree for this year. And last, we spent an evening on Main Street playing in the “snow”, eating, riding in a horse-drawn carriage, and (did I mention?) eating.

THANK YOU to all who spent Thanksgiving Day with us. We had such a great time! And thanks SO much to Jenny. Your help all week was much appreciated. And to all who weren’t with us, we hope your day was just as blessed. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We’re elves- click here!

And then leave your link in the comments if your family does it!

Happy Elfing!

Okay, so I don’t exactly have a pair of “fat-girl Levi’s”, but the theme rings true…

On my wedding day I weighed 155. My dress was a size 10, let out a little for complete comfort.

When I got pregnant with Ben I weighed 160. I was a size 12. The day he was born I was 200. Just a few weeks after giving birth, I was down to 150 and was back to a size 10. And I stayed this way for several years. It was the best I had felt. It was the perfect weight and size for me!

When I got pregnant with Evan I had somehow snuck back up to 160. Size 12. The day he was born I was again at 200. Now, five months after his birth, I am still stuck at 175. Ouch! Unable to get those last 15 pounds off, I can only fit into one pair of my shorts, a couple of khakis, a handful of tops. None of my jeans fit!

So how do I get my waist back? What’s the secret to melting off the last pregnancy pounds? How do I get myself back into those size 10’s or 12’s?

As the song says about the old jeans, “…if I buy more big-girl clothes, then I’ll never go back.”

Okay, so now it’s in print on the internet! I’m going to be held accountable, so I’d better make progress. Stay tuned for hopefully good weight loss news.

I think the rest of this week went well. The days seemed uneventful. The nights were spent working here at the computer. Nothing big. But Friday and yesterday were superb.

Friday began with my mom stopping by for a visit while Dad got his truck worked on out here in Boerne. Before she left, Marli, Robert, and Lillian arrived for their afternoon with us. And before the Carollos left that night, Erica and Madison stopped by to play too. The day was so much fun! We all got to visit; the babies cooed at each other (and Evan tried to chew on Lillian’s toes a number of times!); Robert got to go with me to the bus stop to pick up Ben (Ben was so excited to see a friend there with me!); the big kids played so well together; and Marli and the kids got to stay for dinner. What a great day, with the sounds of baby-talk and laughter filling up our home!

And yesterday was another one of those “Ah” days. Nathan, Ben, Evan, and I headed out to Lost Maples to take in nature. It’s become a tradition to do this every year. Only, last year I was so sick with the pregnancy that I couldn’t even make it around the Maple Trail. But yesterday, with a big 5-year-old at our side and the baby in the backpack, we all made it around the West End Trail (a full 4.1 miles!). Okay, so we had to stop once to give Evan a bottle and diaper change, and we had to hear Ben complain about being hungry the last half hour, and it got cold and windy the last 15 minutes… but other than that, it was a glorious day. The weather was gorgeous, the trees were beautiful. Ahhhh….

A few months after I donated ten inches of hair to Locks of Love…

A big “BRAVO!” is due to both Marli and Jenny! How wonderful for both of you to do such a great thing!

Was it easy? Did you cry? Like your new hairstyle? How was your experience?

I’m sitting here at my desk buried in work. In the middle of ten print orders, I am so tired and weary from the stress of getting all of this done but am also so grateful for the business in these tough times. Good problem to have, right?

Well, to take a break, here was our week…

The Crushers had their seventh game last Saturday. Ben and another boy rocked! They both made several goals and had great control over that ball. And it was a great game- the score was close the whole time!

After the game we were all off to Nathan’s boss’ house for a party. Good food, good company, and a heated pool made for a great time!!!

We ran errands on Sunday, and Tuesday was spent staying up until midnight to watch all of the election coverage. What exciting times!

Wednesday was a blast! Lions, and tigers, and elephants (oh my!)- Erica, Madison, the boys, and I headed to Kerrville for the Shriners circus. The acts were wonderful, and Madison and Ben got to ride an elephant! How cool is that?!

And yesterday was Ben’s last soccer game. And what a great time it was! Not only did they win the game, but Ben’s best friends showed up to cheer him on, and they received trophies at the end. Awesome! And then it was off to Brodie’s birthday party and then to Landon’s birthday party. Whew!

Maybe life will slow down after Christmas once I get through the busy portrait season and when we have a couple of months when no friends have birthdays? We’ll see…