What a month!

I have been on a long hiatus. This time of the year for a music teacher is VERY hectic! In addition to Thanksgiving, I have put together and presented 4 programs with one more on the way, one extremely huge fundraiser, Gracie's science fair project and have tried to keep up with the rest of our family this month. It's been busy!

Thanksgiving week was terrific! We got a WHOLE week off from school and we had a blast! We headed to the farm on Monday and spent the whole day and night with Grandma and Grandpa. The kids had so much fun! In fact, Gibson came in just a few minutes ago asking when we were going to the farm again. 

The first stop was to see the chickens. Gibson and Hayden got a huge kick out of chasing the chickens around the pen. (I don't remember Mom and Dad ever letting us do that!:)

They rode goats... Hayden kept saying, "Whoa! Whoa!"

Landry had someone tote her around at all times. Grandpa was happy to oblige.

Grace followed Aunt Judith everywhere. I think that she was happy to see us go:)

The kids climbed all over the tractor. Landry could only get as high as the bottom of the wheel without help. She was a little disappointed. She spent the whole time chasing the big kids wanting to do everything they were doing.

Grandma and Grandpa planned a craft. The kids made gourd bird houses. Grandpa cut holes in the front of the gourds for the door and the kids had lots of fun and big messes painting them.

Landry finally found something that she could do. We turned around and she had emptied an entire box of Kleenex.

We had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa and the kids can hardly wait to head back out to the farm.

After Cisco, we headed to Brownwood to see Memaw Mize. We had a good visit. Late Tuesday afternoon, we took the kids to the park that is around the corner from Memaw's house. Gibson was on the merry-go-round and decided that he wanted off. Instead of saying, "Please let me off," he just let go. This was the result.

It immediately looked like this. We (keep in mind that I was freaking out, more like Shane) checked to make sure that his vision was not damaged, the bones around the eye were in place, he didn't have a concussion, and fluid was not coming from the eye. (The pediatrician said that was all we could do, along with motrin.) He cried more about the ice pack that we were trying to put on his eye than he did about the injury. He was back on the playground 15 minutes later. I asked him, "Gibson does it hurt?" He answered in his most macho voice, "It only hurts when I smile..."

By the next morning, his eye was completely swollen shut. At first, (because he is the most vain child I know) he wouldn't let me take his picture until I told him that he looked like a pirate. Then he was happy to pose!

Doesn't he look fierce?! He was most excited about going to school to show all of his friends.

After Brownwood, we headed back to our house for Thanksgiving day. Aunt Miriam came and stayed through Saturday. Shane had gotten tickets to the Cowboys/Seahawks game Thanksgiving day so we were here this year for the holiday. We had a great meal and were joined by Aunt Miriam, Uncle Noah, and Aunt Esther. The next morning we girls (including Grace) got up at 4 am and headed out for our traditional Black Friday shopping. It really was a fantastic week!