Giving Thanks

Here's my list of things to be thankful for this year:
1. Family
2. Yellow Balloons
3. A good night's sleep
4. Starbucks (for when I don't get #3)
5. True Friends

I asked Tate what he was most thankful for before I put him to bed,  Here's what he said (verbatum):
1. Knox
2. Blankie
3. Mom and Dad
4. Grandma and Grandpa

So sweet... but notice the order.  Hmmmm.

I'm sure Brad's list would go something like this:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Softball
4. Lunches at Twin Peaks
5. Dinners at Twin Peaks

And Knox's list would be as follows:
1. Tate
2. Binkies
3. Trucks
4. Meatballs
5. Handy Manny

But seriously, we all know this is the time of year that it's important to reflect on how blessed we are.  I am blown away everyday at how much God has given me.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Love to y'all,
Tracy

A Whirlwind Weekend

Brad and I had a wedding to go to in Des Moines this weekend.  Since it's ridiculously expensive to fly there, we flew in to Kansas City to see his sister's family for a night and then drove the three hours to Des Moines Saturday morning.  Let me just say that it was the fastest-paced weekend we've had in awhile... Here's a quick run-down of how it went:

Leave work early to get to DFW Airport... Brad gets stopped while going through security for having a bullet (yes, a BULLET!) in his coat pocket... Waiting for luggage in KC and Brad realizes he forgot his suit back on the airplane (we were able to get it back)... Meet our niece, Jensen, for the first time (sweet, sweet baby)... Get in limo so we can go out for a night on the town to celebrate brother-in-law's 30th bday... Bar hop... Two step at a nice little honky tonk in KC... Get home around 3am... Sleep for four hours... Drive to Des Moines... Wedding at 1pm... Reception with a bunch of Brad's frat buddies (lots of college stories being told)... Out to the bar after the reception wraps up... Back to hotel... Up at 7:30am... Back to KC... Fly home...Get to the truck...  Brad forgets his suit on the plane AGAIN and has to go back through security to get it (no joke!)...Back home safe and sound with our boys.  PHEW!!!

Me and Colton

Cade

Brad and Baby Jensen

First stop on our adventure!

Taking a break from two-stepping.

Phi Delts

Love to y'all,
Tracy

I Didn't Know That...

Today Tate enlightened us a little bit with a conversation he had with my mom over lunch.  Lately, he's been complaining about having to drink milk.  The other day he told Brad and I that he was allergic to it, so he shouldn't drink it.  Then today, he was trying to get out of drinking it again.  The conversation went something like this...

My mom: "Tate, you need to drink your milk.  Daddy loves milk.  Uncle T loves milk.  Even Santa loves milk."

Tate: "Well Jesus doesn't."

Hmmm....

Love to y'all,
Tracy

Bad Guys!

Tate has always loved playing "superheroes."  He dresses up in costumes and pretends to be Spiderman, Power Rangers, or Batman on a regular basis.  But lately, he's been pretending to be a "Bad Guy."  This usually entails him using various parts of different costumes and then running around the house looking for "good guys" to get.  (I'm pretty sure he got this from when Brad dressed up as a convict for Halloween and I explained it to Tate as Daddy pretending to be a "bad guy.")

So tonight, he's playing bad guys again... I heard him yelling at the good guys.  Here's what he said:
"Hocus pocus.
Green beans.
Let my power
Turn you into electricity!!!"

No clue where that came from.... I wonder if it worked.

Love to y'all,
Tracy

Favorites of a Boy Mom

It's just a lazy Sunday afternoon... Brad's been gone all day at Texas Motor Speedway watching some Nascar thing, so the boys and I have spent the day together.  I felt like I should write something, but don't have tons to say tonight.  Weird.

Sitting here, I'm surrounded by reminders of the unrivaled amounts of testosterone in this house.  And I have to say, I relish it all...

A four year old in a black Power Rangers costume, a cape, and a knight's helmet running around, yelling at pretend bad guys as he saves the world... a little toe-head in a diaper banging the blinds next to the front door... a black Little Tykes truck to my left... football on the TV upstairs... "No, Tate, I haven't seen your light saber"... Monster Trucks under my feet... baseballs, footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, golf balls in every room of the house... pizza for dinner... a Camero Repair Manuel on the desk next to the computer... dirty fingernails... socks in the middle of the floor... T-shirts with sports logos on them in size XL, 5T, and 12 months in my washing machine... a Ford truck in the garage... and toothless smiles of all three of my little ones decorating the walls...

So much to be thankful for.

Love to y'all,
Tracy