Halloween 2011

We had such a busy Halloween that I just realized that Grant and Preston never carved their pumpkins!  So Sad!  That really shows how fast they are growing up.  Ryan and I did carve pumpkins at a pumpkin carving party.  I had a hard time because my pumpkin was already a little rotten. 

Mine was supposed to be a little scarier

Ryan saw a picture and then carved this all by himself!

Ryan went to a Halloween costume party as a Nerd!

Trunk or Treat @ church had a country/farm theme so my truck was Old MacDonald had a Farm….with a moo moo here and a quack quack there….very easy

Wesley Chapel kids!

Ryan was the only one who really trick or treated this year.  Grant had a basketball game away so my mom passed out candy.  Ryan decorated the porch (with my WHITE sheer curtains and much much more).  Grant ran around with friends for a few minutes after we got home.

Life is Good!

Just sitting here listening to the boys play outside with a friend on a beautiful fall day.  Grant went with me to the Downtown Fall Festival and we got a huge plate of curly fries-yum.  This week was Homecoming and I was reminded why I want to raise my kids in a small town.  Thursday night they shut down the 2 streets that meet in the center of town and had a community pep rally...small town. Grant walked to a friend's house after practice and they walked to main street to meet us for the pep rally.   Friday I took off a half a day at work and picked Ryan up for lunch.  Preston called and asked if he could go to McDonalds with friends and I said "yes but don't you need me to check you out?" and he said no.  He called back in a few minutes and said Mom can you tell her (school secretary) that it is ok?  He handed her the phone and I said it was OK and Preston said thanks...small school. Friday afternoon, they bus the elem. school kids to main street and they have a Homecoming parade (with candy throwing).   Friday night we crammed all our friends and family into "our" section of the bleachers and watched NBHS win in OT!  And when I say "our" section, I mean it.  The bleachers are made of cement and have our last names painted on the seats FOR LIFE!! ...small town.  Between the Howe's and Griffin's we have our own section!  Some of the people who worked on our house were there as well as old classmates.  Today we will hopefully watch Auburn upset LSU...War Eagle.
Our house is coming along really well.  There might be a big delay if Dennis and I can't pick out tile for the floors and bathrooms :)  TOO MANY choices!  They finished the dry wall and sprayed the ceiling.  The trim guy will start Monday and I have to finalize my paint colors.  The cabinets are being built right now.
Grant has started Jr High basketball and is playing great.  He had over 10 pts the 1st game as well as several steals and a rebound.  He had a nice 3 pt shot in both of the 1st 2 games.  3 games next week. He should also move up to the B Team (JV team) after the JH season.
Last weekend the boys went with the church group to the Pumpkin patch/corn maze.  It is probably our last year as Ryan will be in the youth group next year :(.  They only really wanted to go to keep from having to work at the house and we did go to lunch and shopping afterward.  I will bribe as long as it works! :)  They are really good kids and ALL made ALL As on their first report cards this year!  So Yes LIFE IS GOOD.  We are all happy, somewhat healthy and all together!

Wish you could see better in this picture but there are sunflowers, then the corn maze, followed by the pumpkin patch and in the very back is a small pond and a field of cotton.  Beautiful.

House pictures soon...have to get them off the camera

Happy Birthday Grant

Our middle son is now 14..or will be in 45 minutes (I am jumping ahead while I have the time).  Happy Birthday Grant!  You have turned into a wonderful young man with a great sense of humor and compassion.  Grant has matured into a typical teenager with a deep voice and mumble.  We say daily, "I did not understand a word you said" or if I answer him, someone else will say, "how did you know what he said?" :)  He is very athletic, good in school and is developing habits that will help him succeed in life.  He often does things for me before I ask and is always willing to help others.  He has shown much compassion and caring for friends that have disabilities and hardships.  We look forward to seeing the great things he will do in life!  Here are a few Then and Now pictures!  Poor thing, his birthday falls during fall break and a very busy time of year.  Just a dinner out with family this year.  Pictures soon.

What a difference a day makes

Drywall started and is all up!  In 2 days!  It was amazing to see them work.  They put up the ceilings and all of the walls.  Now the finishers come in and tape, putty and sand.  I am close to picking paint colors and just in time I guess.  Dennis and I now have to pick out a garage door.  We bought our double ovens and microwave this past weekend too...with several discounts + our military discount (Thank you Lowes).  Now I have to find the perfect and QUIET dishwasher.  I took many pictures of the drywall and all of the rooms dried in but I am using the laptop and having a hard time typing without typos and loading the pictures...miss my old program but that computer has died.  We hope to revive it enough to get the latest pictures of the house off.  That is why there is a gap between picture progress.  I will load as many as I can and will do more later when I download the program I like.
Other than the house progress....Preston has been moved up to starting defense, Grant made the basketball team and has games NEXT WEEK! and Ryan now has a clean room that we will be redecorating to get it ready to move.  Dennis is off all meds but is coughing and still has some speech problems at times.  The boys and I are on Fall break but Preston has practice from 9am until... and Grant has practice from 1-3.  We are having a hard time sqeezing in shopping and haircuts.  Guess we will go in shifts!  Tomorrow Grant will be 14!  Birthday post to follow.  Hope all of you are happy and well!

Drywall stacked up and ready



work in progress

Day one

Day 2

Day one

"stucco" finally and....

I am not sure I like the color.  I wanted a beige or tan and it looks a little gray or off white to me.  I will live with it and see how I like it and if I decide I don't, we might be painting in the future.  It is so hard to pick colors based on a tiny swatch and the cute color names don't help either.  I do like the way it looks on the house and think when I add a swing, shutters and rocking chairs it will look great. The columns are a light tan/beige.  And Look I have front steps!

Family Update

Like I said in the last post, Grant, Preston and I had a stomach thing this past week.  I still don’t feel 100% but am fine.  I was in bed for a day and a half and missed a day of work. Lucky Grant had it on the weekend and Preston was sick at school and stayed so he could practice football!  Our football teams have not been doing very well.  The JV team is improving and Preston has been playing very well.  He runs the ball and has many tackles on defense.  He has probably had 2 100 yrd games!  Grant plays defense and special teams and has had a few tackles too.  Preston does not get much varsity playing time so we can’t blame him for our loses :)  Ryan went to an acting workshop and has been submitted to be an extra in a film in Atlanta.  We are waiting to hear.  He will be so excited if he gets picked.  Dennis is off all medicine and continues to cough and have some speech issues but not bad at all.  We were stopped at a roadblock where they were checking licenses and insurance after the game last Friday night and Dennis was trying to talk to the state trooper and I was in the back thinking “Don’t talk too much, he may think you are drinking” :)

We have one week until our Fall Break.  The weather here the last few days has been cooler and beautiful.  During fall break, we are going to really clean the kids rooms and get ready to move.  We could be moving in 2 months! Still so much to do!  I barely have time for TV but you know I am all over the new fall shows and season premieres!  :)

Preston running after taking a handoff from his cousin Easton

Preston and Grant on the sidelines

Grant 11 and Preston 8 leaving the field

Preston 31 on varsity

Preston 8 as wildcat QB and making a tackle

Grant 11

Preston running the ball and Grant at the top left.  It is so hard to watch them at the same time.

Last JV game this week and 4 more varsity…then on to Basketball!

House Update

It has been awhile since I posted pictures of the house.  Quite a bit has been accomplished since the last post and I am anxiously awaiting the front stucco to be finished this week.  Drywall will also start this week.  I have been trying to pick out paint colors.  I have always lived in bland houses and while I am not a “bold color person”, I do want to have lots of different colors in my house.  We have decided on a hardwood for our floors but carpet is giving me the flu…literally! :(  **Had a bout of sickness run through the house and even I missed a day of work.**  If you have ever tried to pick out flooring, you understand!  There are many brand names, then grades in the brand name, then 100s of tan colored carpet to try to decide on.  I do not want anything weird, just a nice tan colored, durable, easy to clean carpet!  Sounds easy right?  NO!  I am really pleased with the front door and will get to take the tape off the windows after the stucco is done.

Do you see the brick that is a different color?  That is a brick we bought in Williamsburg after we watched how they made brick years ago.  We saved it and had it placed in our brick on the back porch.  (thought it was an original idea but the brick man said he had done that many times before!)

The back porch looking at the doors to the kitchen

Insulation has been blown in and the fireplace has been framed.  We will have limestone on the fireplace ( a nod to our 5 yrs in Texas).

Putting the Styrofoam on the porch.  It will get covered with “stuff” and then colored “Smoked Putty” and hopefully will look fantastic.  The columns are also up on the front and back.

Back steps are almost done.  I wanted a deck but that will have to wait until we can decide on what we want and have more money.