Update

Fall is in full swing, and the weather has actually turned cool (by Texas standards) over the last few days. We had a high in the 50's yesterday which was absolutely blissful. Bring on the chili and boots! We've been enjoying more fun Fall activities, and making ready for baby Vivian's grand arrival. Hannah also had a new set of tubes placed and her adenoids removed so things have been as busy as ever.

Here is Hannah at her 6am roll call for her procedure. When we arrived, Hannah's O2 saturation levels were only 94% so they were not going to do the surgery at all. With special approval from the director and reevaluation b the anesthesiologist, they decided to go ahead. Overall, the surgery went well, but they found more things once they got started. They think she may have some sinus problems, but they can't evaluate that until 3 months after the surgery. We are two weeks post op now, but she still has a cough which she has had for 2 months now. It is way worse in the evening and mornings, but it seems to let up for periods during the day. We'll see how it all pans out over time. Greyson took his first ever field trip with his Pre-K class, and he got to ride on a real honest to goodness yellow school bus! Let me tell you that he could have just ridden around on that bus for an hour and been just as happy, but they got to go to a cute Pumpkin Patch as well. My Mom and I met him there and enjoyed some one-on-one time with him. It's not often that I get to do things with just Greyson so it was so nice to spend some quality time with him before the baby arrives. He is super excited about having another little sister, and I can't wait for him to hold her. He has really grown up over the past few months, and I see such a tender, sweet and caring boy in him. He worked on a project the other day at school where he had to tell them what he wanted to be when he grew up. He told his teacher that he wanted to be a "good Samaritan." I found out when I was walking down the hall and was admiring his class's artwork. I asked him about it later to check his level of understanding about good Samaritan, and he said that a "good Samaritan is someone who helps other people when no one else wants to help them." It made me so proud, and I might have teared up just a little bit :).
Hannah's dance class celebrated Halloween by allowing all of the girls to wear their costumes to class this week. Hannah is Minnie Mouse this year, but she pretty much refused to take off her tutu outfit that she wore that day. It was still super cute, and she thought it was a better "costume" choice for dance class. I love watching her concentrate and try so hard to do everything Ms. Taylor teaches. I can't WAIT for her first recital this Spring. I will definitely be the annoying dance mom taking way to many photos and video. I had my 36 week checkup yesterday where I found out that I am dilated to 1 1/2-2cm but 0% effaced. I will continue to go for my weekly checks every Thursday until Vivian's arrival. I am scheduled for induction the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at 5am, but we'll see if I make it all the way until the 23rd. I plan on being pregnant until then, but I will be happily surprised if she makes her debut any earlier. Happy Fall!

Fall in Texas

Fall just started here in Texas, but we are taking advantage of the sub 100 temperatures. Grandma and Grandpa are off on a 2 1/2 week trip through Europe so we tried to fit in a last minute trip to the Botanical Gardens with Grandma before they left. It was a beautiful day, and we got some great shots. Enjoy!

We headed straight for the pumpkin patch upon arrival, and they had some really cute princess stuff set up. Greyson struck a super awesome pose I thought :-).
These kids are just too cute for me :-).
Hannah insisted upon getting her face painted like a "purple princess." She was so patient and couldn't stop admiring herself in the mirror lol.They had a blast running around and playing together

This was probably their favorite part. They just love to get barefoot in the super soft grass and go crazy. We were just along for the ride and for pictures ;-).Hopefully this is the start of many more trips to pumpkin patches and other Fall activities. We have a busy next few weeks planned. Hannah is going to have her tubes redone, and she is getting her adenoids removed on the 14th. The parents are out of town for a while, pumpkin patches are in full swing, and the State Fair is in town. Whatever will we do first?

Trying new things...

We decided that with the start of school we would let the kids pick an extracurricular activity to do this Fall. Greyson chose to start karate, and Hannah chose to begin dance lessons. Greyson is taking a mixed martial arts class at USA Martial Arts here in Frisco, and he is doing such a great job. He goes twice a week for 3o minutes each time, and they are really helping him develop so many different skills. They focus on developing leadership skills, self discipline, confidence, and martial arts training. It's really made a difference in his ability to contribute to our home, and we are loving it.

Hannah is doing a combination tap and ballet class once a week for an hour at Legacy Dance Centre here in Frisco. I wasn't too sure about her staying engaged and participating for a full hour of class at only 2 1/2, but she absolutely ADORES it. She asks me almost every day if she can go to "bawake" as she calls it. We had to go buy a little pink leotard, pink tights, tap shoes, and ballet shoes, and she is pretty much the cutest thing I have ever seen. They don't really do a lot of pictures at karate class, but I have gotten a few of Hannah at dance class. Enjoy!


Greyson was giving her some posing tips while dawning her tap shoes :-).Our little angel.

First Day of School

I just can't believe how much our little kids are growing up. Greyson started Pre-K this year, and Hannah started Mother's Day Out for the first time. Greyson is still going Tuesday through Thursday like last year, and Hannah is going Tuesdays and Thursdays. They absolutely love it, and we couldn't be more happy with their progress. They are both going to First Place at First Methodist Church of Carrollton this year, and they are learning so much. Greyson is focusing on learning to write and prepare for reading in his class while Hannah is getting adjusted to learning in a group setting and following a routine at school. Greyson's teacher, Ms. Becky, is great with him, and he just loves to go to school each day. Hannah is our little sassy frass, and her teachers, Ms. Linda and Ms. Jean, are blown away by Hannah's chatterboxy self. It really just doesn't surprise me at all that she is the most talkative girl in the bunch. I remember vividly getting in trouble for "excessive talking" in class growing up. Hannah is in class with Annelie, Ander's (and Greyson's best bud), sister, and she is enjoying every minute of it. It gives me a chance to go to doctor appointments (which are getting much more frequent these days with Vivian's impending arrival in 7 short weeks), going to the grocery store, and running errands. Here are some highlights from their first day.
Greyson walking in to school
Hannah and Daddy making their way to class.

Trip to the Beach

We took the kids to the beach for the first time this summer with several of our friends. 1 house + 18 adults + 19 children = CRAZY FUN & CHAOS! The house had nine bedrooms and was located in Surfside Beach about 30 minutes from Galveston. It was the perfect place to go since we pretty much had the beach all to ourselves. During the day, the kids would wear themselves out playing in the sand and ocean while the adults watched on. In the evenings, we'd put the kids to bed, play fun games like glowstick golf and swim ourselves. It was a blast, and I hope we get to do it again next year. We escaped with only a few "incidents" including one where James went swimming with our car keys and lost them in the Atlantic. That turned out to be an expensive mistake, but we learned a valuable lesson that day. Looking back, it will be a fun story that we can look on in the future and bug Daddy about for year to come ;-). WE didn't take too many pictures as our camera was on the fritz with the sand and all, but here goes.