Fall Happenings

Here is one super-post attempting to capture some of our highlights from this fall...

Greg took the boys to Sky Ranch for a father-son campout. It's a real shame nobody had fun. Can't you tell?

Meanwhile back at the house, Gil and I worked on his cell project for Biology. I just love it when I get some one on one time with the boys. This boy is on the verge of flying from the nest and I especially love any time I can have him all to myself.

The fall is full of family birthdays. Robert's 70th was the first and we celebrated with a family dinner at their home. This is one of our very favorite ways to spend a Sunday afternoon and to honor Robert on this occasion made it all the more special. This man is the rock at the center of our family. He devotes so much of his time and attention and energy to our boys and to us and we are filled to the brim with gratitude for his presence in our lives. There could not be a better role model for our boys (or for us!) and his influence is more far reaching than he will ever know. We are blessed beyond measure by this man and it was our greatest pleasure to celebrate every one of his 70 years together!

We also visited the State Fair of Texas. I took the boys on their school holiday and we had great fun!

Every year, Greg's birthday gift to each of the boys is to take them to a game of their choice, just the two of them together and boy howdy is this ever a treat! Beck chose to watch the Cowboys play for his birthday game:

A school field trip was also enjoyed this fall. Sloan's class visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, here he is with a few friends from his class:

We decided to take another trip to the State Fair because one just wasn't enough for the Nelsons this year. Greg was in the market for a new car so the automobile building was the first stop:

Sloan also chose to see a Cowboy game with Greg for his birthday extravaganza, complete with nacho libre style Cowboy disguise . . . this boy cracks me up!

We celebrated Linda's 70th birthday in October with another family dinner, what an honor to celebrate her as well! She is an amazing mother, grandmother, wife, sister, aunt, grandmother and mother-in-law to me. I look up to her more than she will ever know and am forever thankful for her role in raising such an extraordinary husband to me and father to our boys. 

Beck managed a double birthday game treat this year and was thrilled to see the Celtics (his favorite) play the Mavericks (Greg's favorite)

And in other breaking news, the tooth fairy paid her first visit to Beck in early December when he lost his very first tooth at school. To say I took it hard is quite the understatement, these little feats are so much bigger in my eyes, they seem to be the physical manifestation of time passing at a pace much quicker than I would like! As I stifled my tears, I couldn't help but notice and admire this new, toothless and even more precious grin. While I mourn (how ridiculous this sounds even as I type!) the loss of tiny, Chiclet baby teeth and all they represent, I celebrate the very fact that I am present and lucky enough to get to be a part of this roller coaster of a ride called motherhood!