Merry Christmas!

Vacation Land

Wow, coming back to cold Indiana after sitting on the beach in Mexico is not fun but getting warm hugs from my boys is!
We had a great time in Cabo celebrating our 10th Anniversary a little early. We stayed at an all-inclusive called the Riu Palace and loved it. The food was great and always there and the fruity drinks were free! :)
A couple of days we just hung out at the pool or the beach and relaxed. One afternoon we took a glass-bottom taxi boat to Lover's Beach and the famous Cabo arch and watched the sunset over the Pacific Ocean...Gorgeous! I braved playing in the waves and got sand under my eyelids, embedded in my scalp and in little pockets of my swim suit I didn't know existed. They really aren't kidding about the strong undertow!!! One day we ventured into Cabo San Lucas via local bus, there were no chickens on the bus but we definitely got a taste of the local flavor when we were pretty much dropped off in the middle of who knows where and couldn't find it on our map. Luckily a kind local pointed us in the right direction. I think he could tell that we should be sent directly to the Flea Market and Cabo Wabo. My favorite thing we did was an excursion where we Zip lined, rock climbed and repelled. It was a rush trying all these new things and I would do it again in a heart beat. Even though it was fun, it is good to be home.

Pics

Love this picture, they actually look like they like one another

My Three Men.

Family Pic for Christmas card

Cooper's 7 year photos (a little late)

I take their picture in Dan's white shirt every year so I can see how much they have grown.

I remember when you couldn't even see his legs in this shirt!

Halloween

That's MY MAN :)

The boys trick-or-treated with friends Jack and Claire

Mackey didn't mind the icky part of cleaning out the pumpkin

Cooper wasn't so hot on it!

Fall Break

Over Fall Break we visited with both sets of Grandparents

We also went to Cataract Falls and were able to actually walk across the Falls since the
water level was so low.

Do You See The Family Resemblance?

Mackey in a sweet little girl's wig...isn't' he pretty.


















Dan in the same wig...not so pretty.


















Dan's dad Bud, in the wig that his sister sent him from California...still not so pretty, but can you see the resemblance? Look at those eyes!

















Almost back to normal. Since Dan's parents didn't get a granddaughter from us this picture is probably as close as they will ever come :)

Life On Loan Service Project

This weekend our Church, "Left The Building". For the past six weeks we have been doing a study called "Life On Loan". Our weekend services, small group and even our kids area has been focused on this topic. Helping us all dive deeper into what it really means to live the life God loaned us the way he wants us to. A big part of this has been how we help and serve others. To put this into action the Church organized a massive weekend outreach project, sending teams all over Hamilton and Marion County all day Saturday and Sunday. Our Life Group planted trees in a neighborhood on Saturday morning. We all got up way early for a Saturday, gathered at Church and then were sent off to serve. Cooper and Mackey wanted to dig! They were so anxious to help that it was hard for them to wait until they could get their hands in the dirt. When the time finally came it was a little nerve racking to see so many little boys with shovels but no one got knocked in the head (thank goodness) and the trees got planted!

Forest Park

How do they do it? They spin and spin and spin and then get off this thing like they just were sitting still. Mackey was on this for like 10 minutes straight. I can't even watch these for more than a couple seconds or I get motion sick!

We've spent a lot of time at Forest Park this Fall and the boys love these Saucer swings. They just lay down and go back and forth, back and forth. Just like the spinny thing, how do they not get sick?
I just can't resist this little guy.

My Bunko Group

These ladies crack me up! I have the most fun Bunko group EVER (probably helps that I've never been in one before). This month had a Halloween theme of course and here is our group shot. If you are looking for me...I'm the "Table Runner". Cheesy I know, the cheesier the better for Halloween. I didn't want anyone to know it was me and the second I came to the door the few people already there decided it was either me or my friend Renee. I tried just standing there silent hoping it would throw people off (thinking no one would believe I could be silent for very long) but when Renee showed up they knew it was me. I wonder what Liz's neighbors thought as a Table walked down the sidewalk and up to her house....hmmmm?

2008 Recap

So far this year it has been a busy one but I think I am beginning to understand that busy is normal. It is all in the way you handle and schedule your "busy". I posted a little slide show that catches you up on 2008. Dan & I got to have a little alone time in January when Dan's company sent us to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and then again in June to the beautiful West Baden Resort. One on One time is soooo very important!! Cooper has been busy playing both Spring & Fall Football and Mackey tried his hand at T-Ball in the Spring. Over the summer they enjoyed going to the Zoo, Children's Museum, tons of bike rides & playing with friends. In July we took a family vacation to Michigan to visit friends Kelli, Dan, Aubrey & Drew. We had a great time climbing sand dunes, playing on the beach & building sand castles. August was an active month for Dan and I with Dan competing in his first Duathlon & I finished my first Triathlon. Also in August, Cooper started 1st Grade and Mackey began Pre-K. I can't believe how big they are getting!

Well now you are all caught up, hopefully I will keep up with this blog thing on a semi-regular basis and update more than once a year!!