Rise up and call her blessed

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The boys and I are extremely blessed to have Gina in our lives. If you are reading this, chances are pretty good that you know Gina and love her as much as we do. One of the greatest joys for me is watching Gina be a mommy. It is definitely a role she has taken up with full gusto and puts everything into. We wanted to make sure she knew how much we love and appreciate her this Mother's Day.

The boys and I got a (relatively) early start on the shopping this year and had a fun time looking for presents we thought she would like. Shopping with the boys is getting progressively easier, though they still like to run around the store like wild animals from time to time. I can usually talk to them before we go in and tell them to stay with me, etc., and they understand. Anyway, they behaved themselves on half of the shopping trips this time, which isn't too bad.

On Mother's Day, we started the day with breakfast and letting Gina open her gifts. Then we went to church and came home for an early lunch and nap. The boys slept for a really long time, which was good because the rest of the day was full of activities. Tommy and Carol and their kids, as well as Granny and Granddad, met us at our house for lunch. We had prepared pot roast and vegetables, and I made an angel food cake (from a box!) for desert. Everyone else contributed to the feast, and ate until we were stuffed. We spent the rest of the playing at the park and hanging out at the house. We had a really nice time together, making it a memorable time for everyone. The only challenge during the day was getting Sam and Nate to settle down for bed after so much activity.

The truth is, Gina does so much for us guys in the house that everyday should be Mother's Day. We are so very blessed to have her and look forward to a wonderful summer of fun and family time.

On a lighter note ...

We got to go see MaMa and my dad (PaPa) this weekend in Shreveport. My dad was there helping my grandmother as she recovered from a recent procedure, and we took some time stop in and visit for a couple of days. We had a great time, as always, and I am happy to report that the geese finally ate the bread crumbs we brought for them. The 3rd time is a charm! Here are few pictures from the visit.

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Another Memorable Easter

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Easter is quickly becoming my favorite holiday with the boys. We have so many wonderful memories as a family on this day, from taking the boys to church for the first time to seeing them discover the wonder of Easter egg hunts. This year's Easter was full of fun activities that they boys are still talking about (and they are still eating their candy).

Easter Sunday started with us going to church at Northwood. The worship center was packed, and the boys made quite the impression with their dapper suits. The Sunday School teacher, Kimberlin, was beside herself when she saw those two handsome boys strutting down the hall.

After church, we headed to Granny and Granddad's house for lunch and some more fun activities with Tommy and his family. After a delicious lunch, we all went outside to hunt for (more) Easter eggs. Of course, these eggs should have looked familiar because we just used the ones from all the other hunts the boys participated in. The one difference this time, however, was that Granddad actually hid the eggs. This was different than the other "hunts" they went on, where the eggs were just scattered around in plain sight. This particular hunt required some major help from Zach and Kendall.

The next big activity was coloring eggs, which Gina had stayed up late boiling the night before. We started with 3 dozen eggs, and we colored each and every one. Zach and Kendall got quite creative in their coloring, using rubber bands to create stripes and dying the eggs in multiple colors. The end result was quite creative.

We ended the day playing baseball in the backyard, then the boys got baths. This was another great Easter, and I'm glad we were able to share it with family. I have included some images from each Easter since the boys were born in 2008.

Tornado Alley

As I was working at UNT today, I noticed the building was suddenly very dark. My building is almost totally glass on one side, so a change in light is obvious. I looked out the window, then opened a weather map to see what was going on. This is what I saw. Note: my location is not exactly on the red dot. I am closer to Krum, but we are still pretty much in the middle of cell. I am holding steady in my office, but I will follow the other scaredy cats into the basement if it gets any worse, or if they make me. Ah, you gotta love Texas in the springtime!

Another busy weekend

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This was one of those weekends that was so packed with fun activities that I am grateful to go back to work today so I can rest up a little. We started off on Friday by going to dinner at Chili's. We let the boys decide what they wanted for dinner, and they both wanted hamburgers. We took them to Kincaid's last weekend, so we decided to try out the old favorite this week. On Saturday, we spent most of the morning cleaning and doing things around the house, then we ate lunch and let the boys take a nap. Once they were up and had a chance to change clothes, we took them to an Easter Egg hunt sponsored by the Fort Worth Mothers of Multiples club. We have done a few activities with this group and always have fun.  The boys took some time to warm up to the Easter Bunny, but they took to Easter egg hunting pretty quickly. They loved the candy, and as if that wasn't enough sugar, they provided cookies and cupcakes afterward.

As we were leaving, Gina remembered that Northwood Church, that we have visited in the past and recently starting attending again, was having a carnival. I don't think I was prepared for this type of carnival. It had actual rides, games and food stands, just like a real carnival. The boys got to ride a few rides, which they absolutely loved. This was their first time to ride these kinds of rides without Mom or Dad hovering over them. OK, we still hovered, but from behind the gate. On the way home we picked up a Papa Murphy's pizza, then headed off to bed.

Sunday was business as usual, with church in the morning. This was our first time to visit Northwood in several months, after visiting some other churches for awhile. I wasn't sure how the boys would respond, but all of my fears were put to rest when Miss Kimberlin, their Sunday School teacher remembered them and was soooo excited to see them. She yelled, "Sam and Nate! I am so happy to see you! Welcome back!" I don't really know how they responded or if they even noticed, but I can tell you it did this daddy's heart good to know that their teacher remembered them after all this time. Later that day, we went to the Youth Ballpark at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to watch Zachary play baseball. The boys had fun playing in the stands and around the stadium, and I don't think they even noticed who won the game. Afterwards, we went with Granny and Granddad to The Blackeyed Pea. I used to work there (well, not this one, but one in Colorado) in grad school, and I love their food. Going there to eat brought back all kinds of memories.

After arriving home and a (much needed) bath, we headed to bed to get rested for the busy week ahead. It was one of those full weekends that keep us busy, but every turn was filled with a new special memory. I have to admit, I'm pretty tired, but I wouldn't trade this weekend for anything.

Meanwhile, back at the farm ...

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We had the opportunity to go back to the farm last weekend to help Uncle John celebrate his 63rd birthday. It was a great time of eating, laughing and spending time together. Sam and Nate loved playing with Callie Kay, and they were very patient as they waited for the cake to be cut. It was funny, Sam started to fade about 8:30 and could barely keep his eyes open by 9:00. Nate gained momentum all night and was at full steam when we left at 10:15. He lasted about 2 minutes in the car before he fell asleep. Sam was out before we got to the end of the driveway. My question to you is: Which child resembles which parent's sleep habits? We can't wait to go back out to the farm to see everyone again.

Take me out to the ballgame

This weekend we took the boys to a TCU baseball game, a first for all of us. One of the perks of buying season tickets for football is that we got passes for the other TCU sports as well. We didn't use them for basketball, but now that the weather is nice we are looking for reasons to go outside. We stayed for about 6 innings, at which time the Horned Frogs were trailing the Air Force Falcons 1-0. However, the Frogs rallied in the 9th inning and won the game 3-2. We are hoping to make it to another game before the season is over.

Spring Staycation 2011

This year we had the unique experience of having all three of our Spring Breaks coincide with each other. At first Gina and I thought about taking a trip somewhere, but every place we wanted to visit either required us to fly or was too far to drive. So, after some thought, we decided to stay home and do some of the local activities we had been wanting to explore.

I was out of town on the first Saturday of Spring Break, so we won't really count it. I got back in the afternoon, but we spent the rest of the day just playing and hanging around the house. I think Gina may have also gone grocery shopping ... without the boys ... which is a vacation in and of itself!

I can't actually remember what we did on Sunday, but I know we went to church and came home and I watched a lot of basketball (March Madness, baby!). Monday was when the real excitement broke loose. We started the day by going to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. I had been there years before when I took my 4th graders on a field trip, but I had forgotten how great of a museum it is. They have all kinds of interactive exhibits and science experiments, and there is so much to see we only saw the first floor. Thankfully, we bought a season pass and will be going back again--and again, and again. Somehow I don't think this will be a problem for Sam and Nate. They also have an Imax theater, which will be a lot of fun. Anyway, we ended the day by going to Chuck E. Cheese Pizza. I knew this would be a lot of fun for the boys, but I was worried that the boys wouldn't want to eat because of all the distraction. We all know what happens when the Alexander boys don't get their food. Remarkably, they both ate a ton of pizza and showed no signs of slowing down until it was all gone. They spent the rest of the evening wacking moles, climbing in the tree house, playing games and riding rides. No surprise, Sam still talks about when we will be going back to see Chuck E. Cheese. Sorry pal, no season pass to that joint.

On Tuesday we headed back to Fort Worth to ride the train through the various parks along the Trinity River. I had no idea this even existed, and I have to say it is one of the best values in Fort Worth. The train ride is about 45 minutes, and the price is very reasonable ... even cheap. There is something calming about taking a leisurely open-air train ride. I can see why Pa Kelly liked it so much.

On Wednesday, Gina and the boys went to see Lisa, Ruby and baby Kara. They had a ball playing Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders and digging in the dirt. The only tantrum the whole day came when Sam didn't want to leave Ruby's house to come home. Ah, the unfairness of the toddler life! I got to go shop for new running shoes during the playdate, but I also found time to pull weeds and mow the lawn. We spent the rest of the day playing at home and relaxing.

Thursday was the event Sam and Nate had been waiting for all week: the farm! We left the house sometime after lunch, and we arrived at the farm just in time to play outside for a few hours. The boys flew kites, played in the dirt, threw rocks in the pond, and threw the frisbee to Sydney. We went to eat at Tony's Mexican Restaurant in Farmersville that night, then came home and called it a day. The next day, our cousin Callie Kay came out and we had more fun than two little ranch hands should be allowed to have. We started the day by taking a long tour of the farm with Uncle John and Callie Kay (and Diogi) on the gator. We got to see cows an calves and all kinds of beautiful country. After a lunch and pretty good nap, we met up with UJ an CK again, this time to go fishing. I had not fished in a very long time, but it all came back to me pretty quickly. However, one thing didn't change a bit: I didn't catch a thing. I guess my fisherman skills haven't improved with age. Sam and Nate lost interest pretty quickly, so they spent most of the time playing with sticks and getting a detailed lesson on worms from Callie Kay.

The next day we packed up and headed to Garland to see Big Daddy. He was doing great, and we had a very nice time getting to visit with him and hear some classic stories from the past. From there, we headed to Roanoke to have dinner with Uncle Tommy, Aunt Carol, Granny, Granddad and all the cousins. We also got a visit from Gina's Uncle John and Emma and Luke, who were on their way to Austin for their Spring Break. After some hard play and a good meal, we watched Kierra and Kendall open their birthday presents.

I would definitely consider the week a success, and I have to admit that I was pretty tired on Monday. We are looking forward to this summer, when we get to create even more memories and explore (or rediscover) other parts of Texas. You can see some photos from the week in the slideshow below, or you can see them on our photo page.

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Need. More. Coffee.

One thing has been evident since February 4, 2008. I need more sleep. Gina would echo my thoughts here, I'm 99% sure. Although we were not necessarily models of good sleep habits before the boys were born, we normally got enough so that we didn't feel tired all the time. But now that Sam and Nate are in the picture, we are pretty much always behind on our sleep, even though the boys go to bed early and stay asleep all night. Here's a rundown of my routine from the time the boys go to bed: fall asleep in Nate's room while he is falling asleep, wake up after 30 minutes or so and go into the office, check my e-mail or begin working on whatever I need to work on, watch TV for a little while, go back to the computer, eventually go to bed way too late. Not a good routine. I go through mini-cycles of being exhausted then getting over-stimulated all evening. Well, I recently read an article about sleep habits that may explain why I feel tired all the time. It seems that my old friend technology is not such a good friend after all.

So, I am going to try the advice given in this article, which is not to use any electronics (TV, computer, etc.) for one hour before I plan on going to bed. I can tell you now, this is going to be a hard pattern to break, but I think I can do it. I will definitely keep everyone updated on hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The Great White Way

On Saturday, Sam and Nate went to their first musical. They have been to other live performances, such as the Dixie Stampede and the Chinese acrobats in Branson, but this was their first live performance that had an actual story. This is good timing for them, because they are getting really good at following stories. Gina and I have been reading to the boys since they were tiny, but recently they have started telling the stories back to us. One story that really captured their imaginations was Pinocchio, one of the stories in a book that GiGi gave them. They were especially interested in the fact that his nose grew every time he told a lie. As Nate loves to say, "His nose grew another INCH!"

Well, at about the same time as their interest in Pinocchio developed, I got Gina tickets to Casa Manana for Christmas. I got her 4 Broadway tickets so she and I could attend two shows together, and 4 Children's tickets so we could attend a show with the boys. We were able to choose between Pinocchio, Brer Rabbit and The Wizard of Oz, but once we learned how much they loved Pinocchio it was an easy choice.

Overall, they did pretty well during the show. We sat on the very back row, which turned out to be a good thing because both boys talked through the entire show. Sam processes his information verbally, so he is constantly asking questions and repeating things. Nate loves snacks, so most of his talking was asking me what else I brought for him to eat. They loved the songs and dancing, and they were able to follow a lot of the dialogue. After the show, we were able to get photos with some of the cast members: the Blue Fairy, Pinocchio and one of Stromboli's puppets, who happened to be dressed like Jessie from Toy Story.

I think the real proof that they really loved the show was that three days after it was over, they were still talking about it. Sam is still telling me how Pinocchio's nose grew "for not listening," (which is his explanation for everything bad that happens) and that he got swallowed by a whale. I have always loved going to plays and musicals, and I am glad that Sam and Nate like it too.  I hope we will get to see many more together as a family.

Three is the Magic Number

Last week we had the great privilege of celebrating Sam and Nate's 3rd  birthday. Their actual birthday was on a Thursday, and we were all cooped up indoors because of the bad weather. The truth is, it was great being home and getting to spend the whole day with Sam and Nate. We had some presents for them to open, and Gina made them each a small cake to eat that afternoon. After a(nother) day of hanging around the house trying to stay warm, we went to Rosa's Cafe that night for some fajitas.

Here is a video of us singing to the boys on their birthday. Notice how Nate uses the "arm pump" technique for blowing out his candles.

Then, on Saturday, we had a party for the boys. The weather warmed up just enough to melt away most of the ice and snow. But alas, their Great Outdoors party was held indoors. The boys definitely knew this party was for them, and they loved playing with their cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents (both sets!) and friends. I think this was the fullest our house has ever been, and we wouldn't have had it any other way. As usual, Gina hit a home run with the boys' cakes, which were decorated with camping and fishing Duplo blocks. The boys also got to wear their great fishing outfits from Cousin Dee, which fit the party perfectly. Other party activities included playing in the tent, listening to a campfire story and eating cake and ice cream (of course). Click through our Picasa page for all of the pictures.

This was a great day for everyone, and though we would love to keep the boys this age forever, we are grateful to be able to share such joyous milestones with family and friends. We love you oh so very much, Sam and Nate!

When life makes you slow down

The last 72 hours or so have been quite interesting, to say the least. Last weekend we enjoyed temperatures in the upper 60's, and I even contemplated wearing shorts. As I was leaving class on Monday at UNT, I could sense a real change in the temps. It wasn't exactly warm that morning, but I was definitely cold as I made the very long walk back to my car. By the time I got home and saw the news, I knew DFW was in for a real arctic treat. And I am not talking about Baked Alaska. The ticker on the news showed that several ISD's and private schools were already closing up shop on Monday night, so I knew there was a pretty good chance that TCU and Good Shepherd would follow suit. I did what any person would do who thought he was not going to have to go to work the next day: I stayed up late, watched a lot of TV, made no preparations for the next day and didn't bother responding to a few e-mails that would normally be considered urgent. My wild gamble paid off when I woke up early the next morning only to see messages from TCU, Good Shepherd, Keller ISD and UNT, all of which were closed for the day.

And they are still closed. We got the message late this afternoon that each respective institution will be closed again tomorrow, Feb. 3. This is great news for us, since tomorrow happens to be the boys' birthday. We are guaranteed some more family time, which has been great the past two days. We have watched movies, made indoor tents, played chase in our long hallway, baked cookies, played games and read a lot of books. What we haven't done is go outside, even at the pleading of this mountain man daddy. I did convince Nate to go with me to the mail box, but I ended up carrying him the whole way.

So, here at the beginning of a very busy semester with a mountain of things I need to get done, life has given us the gift of slowing down for a few days and being together as a family. These days, it's hard to justify just taking it easy for a few days, but we really haven't had any other choice. I am not thrilled with the weather outside, but I don't think I would change a thing.

Happy Dance

I recently had a chance to capture Nate and Sam doing their happy dance. Nate is especially passionate about his happy dance. I have caught him on more than one occasion doing it in his room when no one was looking. This is usually after we tell the boys we are about see GiGi and PaPa/Granny and Granddad, go to Uncle Tommy's house or to see Ruby, Jude and Baby Kara. We still have no idea where he learned this, but it's pretty cute.

Ready, Set, Go!

This morning Gina and I fulfilled a long-time goal for us and the boys: we ran a 5K race as a family. Technically, Gina and I ran while Sam and Nate got pushed in the stroller. Yes, we could have waited until the weather was a little warmer to do this, but we decided to just bundle up, get out there and do it. The race was at Lake Grapevine at 8:00, a 40-minute drive from our house. We had to arrive before the race in order to pick up our timing chips (that sounds cool ... but it's really not). We also had to make sure the boys had breakfast before we left because they get VERY cranky when they're hungry (just like their daddy). All of these little tidbits add up to a very early morning for all of us. Actually, my morning got started even earlier because I took GiGi and PaPa to the airport at 4:45 AM. Anyway, we made it there with plenty of time to get ready for the race.

The temperature at race time was a balmy 46 degrees, but my adrenaline was pumping a bit so I didn't feel it so much. The race got off to a bit of a slow start because it's not exactly easy navigating a double stroller through large crowds of people while running.  We all stayed together for the first mile. I was pretty comfortable running at an easy pace, especially with the stroller. However, I could feel my pace picking up and I noticed that Gina was having a hard time keeping up. She eventually told me to go ahead, which by this time I was eager to do. Many of you already know that I am extremely competitive, and I can't stand to run a 5K without pushing my pace and passing people. My attitude slowly transformed from "Oh, this is so wonderful running a 5K as a family," to "Move it slowpoke before I mow you down with my double stroller!"

My first mile was about 11 minutes, my second mile was 10:13 and my third mile was 8:41. I am not sure what my last .1 mile was, but I guess I could do the math to figure it out. My overall time was 31:07, which put me at 15th in my age group and 193 overall. Gina's overall time was 36:33, which was good enough for 11th in her age group and 273 overall. So, in comparison to her peers, she outperformed me.

Here are a few more stats/facts for you:

• Pre-race breakfast: coffee
• Post-race breakfast: omelette
• .5 miles: the distance left in the race when Nate started screaming
• About 100 pounds: the total weight of the stroller with the boys
• 369: the total number of people in the 5K
• 302: the total number of people in the 15K

The funniest part of the whole race was that Gina ran with the camera and took pictures mid-race. Only a dedicated mom would think of doing that. Here are a few of the shots she took.

Pre-race team photo

Race-timer chips to record our blazing times!

Our competition

Making our move

We are already looking forward to our next race, and you can expect to see better times because we will be training between now and then. We'll keep you posted.

Big, Wide Eyes

I guess that is the phrase that comes to mind when I think of this Christmas. It seemed that with every gift the boys opened, their eyes just got bigger and wider. Nate also got really good at yelling, "Oh! Wow!" every time he opened a new present. Gina and I have already discussed that we want to be purposeful in making sure the boys know that Christmas is not just about the gifts, but it still was a lot of fun watching them get excited with every new toy, book, puzzle, set of pajamas, pair of boots or shoes, etc.

My favorite part of the whole Christmas season was staying up late on Christmas Eve (and into Christmas Day, actually) playing Santa Claus and putting their gifts together. This was always a special time for Katie and I growing up, and I have always looked forward to setting up the toys and seeing the boys discover them first thing on Christmas morning. Their reaction to Santa's goodies did not disappoint, and we had so much fun playing with their toys that morning. I hardly even noticed that I was functioning off about 4 hours of sleep (until later in the day, that is).

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Tommy's house in Roanoke, which is only about 30 minutes from us. We had a great time sharing delicious food and playing with the cousins: Zach, Kendal and Kierra. We were also able to attend a wonderful Christmas Eve service at one of the churches in Roanoke.

Sam and Nate playing with their new car track

And taking a ride in their new wagon, which they pretended was the Polar Express.

Woody and Buzz even took a ride on Bullseye at Uncle Tommy's house.

The day after Christmas we gathered at my grandparent's farm to celebrate Christmas with the Gooches. It was always Big Mama's tradition to have everyone over on Christmas evening, or the day after, to eat Mexican Stack (burritos and all the fixins') and open gifts. We wanted to honor this tradition by meeting at their house and meeting together for some great food, fellowship and of course, an old fashioned gift exchange ... complete with stealing and swapping presents. The boys got a complete set of farm toys, including a big rug they can run their tractors and gators on.

As much as they loved all their new toys, the best part of the night was rolling around in all the wrapping paper with Callie Kay. She is pretty much Nate's hero and he followed her around all night doing whatever she told him to do, which included holding a plate under his chin when he ate cookies so he wouldn't get crumbs on the floor. Let me tell you, Callie Kay runs a tight ship. Big Mama's spirit was alive and well at this Christmas gathering!

And before I sign off, I need to share a couple of Christmas traditions of my own. I am pretty sure only my sister Katie will understand these, and I really don't feel like going into the details. So, just let me be self-indulgent for a minute (as if this whole blog isn't self-indulgent enough!)

I hope your Christmas and New Years were filled with as much joy, love and fun as our was. Happy 2011!

Happy Birthday, Jesus

Gina and I were talking to the boys about Christmas, telling them it was a time for us to celebrate Jesus' birthday. We told them we were making Jesus a birthday cake and would eat it later that day. I captured Nate singing this song as I was taking video of the boys playing with their new Christmas toys (more on that later).

Christmas Fun

This is Sam and Nate's third Christmas, but I have to say that this one has been the most fun yet. They still don't quite understand why Christmas is such a big deal, but they are aware that something is going on and involves a lot of activities, Santa Claus and candy canes. We have been very busy this Christmas season with several fun activities.

The first big activity we got to share together was putting up our family Christmas tree. After a couple of mishaps with ornaments (i.e., throwing them back into the box or across the room), the boys did a beautiful job of hanging ornaments on the tree. They continue to be fascinated with the decorations and lights, and they insist that they tree stay lit at all times. Sam got to put the cross on top of the tree this year, and thank goodness for photos so we will remember that it is Nate's turn next Christmas.

The next big event was a Santa Claus breakfast put on by the Fort Worth Mothers of Multiples group. Gina and I weren't sure how the boys would react to Old Saint Nick because, well, he's a little scary to those who haven't been indoctrinated to associate him with gifts, candy and two weeks off from school. For a couple of days leading up to the event we talked about Santa Claus and showed them some pictures. I even rehearsed what Santa would say when they sat on his lap (and you WILL sit on his lap!), and told them how to respond. Well, the big day came and we made our way into the church that was hosting the breakfast. We went straight to the room with Santa, and much to my surprise, both boys RAN to him, JUMPED in his lap and sat very still for several great pictures. They never cease to surprise me!

Our next stop was Zachary's Christmas choir concert at his school. We made it to the school just in time for the music to start, and we got to enjoy a very well done choir concert. Afterwards, we all went to get frozen yogurt before we headed back to Ft. Worth.

A little bit of Christmas came early when Gina ordered the boys some new house slippers. These were just to cute to wait, and with the cold weather we've been having lately these slippers have kept their feet quite cozy.

Finally, last week the boys had their Christmas program at school. We got them all gussied up for the event, and headed to the school. Nate was not too happy to be back at school at first, but he settled down pretty quickly. I think it was a case of pre-performance nerves. The boys' class went first in the program and sang a little song about Jingle Bells (not THE jingle bells song). Sam was right on cue, and Nate warmed up pretty quickly. Here is a video of their first ever live performance. I also included song from one of the older classes. I was pretty amazed that they could pull this off.

There will be more activities to report, I'm sure, so check back and we'll keep you posted.

Austin City Limits

This past weekend we traveled to Austin to visit several different family member. Austin is one of my favorite cities, so I was really looking forward to getting down there to hang out a little bit. Our first stop was with the Kelly's: John, Carrie, Max and Wes. Max and Wes are close in age to the twins, and they all had a really good time together. The highlight of the night was when the three older boys ran in circles giving Frosty the Snowman high-fives. John wrote about our visit on his blog. The next stop was the Gooch family reunion on Saturday morning. We were able to connect with several of the family members in the morning at breakfast, and we saw everyone else at my Great Uncle Bo's house. I had not seen many of these family members in several years, so it was wonderful to get a chance to catch up with them. The highlight of the day for me was Uncle Art's fish. He makes the best fish I have ever eaten, and this batch didn't disappoint. He fried 25 lbs. of fish for everyone, and I'm pretty sure I ate about half of it. We stayed and visited until the sun went down, then we decided to take Sam and Nate back to the hotel (or as Sam says, the 'otel) before there were any meltdowns.

One Sunday morning, we met my cousins on the Alexander side for breakfast. Don and Elizabeth and their two children, Brianna and Braden, live in Round Rock, and they drove to the hotel to visit with us. I had not seen them in about 10 years, so it was great to catch up. It is always great to reconnect with family we haven't seen in awhile. It was actually Gina and the boys' first time to meet these family members. We are looking forward to our next trip to Austin so we can visit everyone else again and get to know them even better.

A Season of Thankfulness

We have been so very blessed during this holiday season that I keep forgetting to update our blog. So, after some prompting by a few influential people, I decided I better share with everyone a little of what has been going on with us. The Thanksgiving season kicked off for us at the boys' school. They had a Thanksgiving Feast, which Gina was able to attend and snap a few photos. The boys sat at a "big boy" table with their classmates, as well as the parents who were able to attend. They wore traditional Thanksgiving garb (an Indian head dress made out of paper), and ate that time-honored meal of turkey and all the fixins'. Except they didn't want to eat. Maybe it was all the activity. Maybe it was the fact that Mommy was there with them. Maybe they don't like Turkey. There could be a lot of reasons, but they showed no interest in the actual feast at the Thanksgiving Feast. They were much more interested in the event. Oh, and Sam refused to wear his head dress, which is similar to his response to the clown wig at Halloween. He takes some time to warm up to new things. Gina was eventually able to convince him to put it on for some pictures.

Another Thanksgiving treat for us is that GiGi and PaPa came to Texas for a visit. They arrived on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, stayed until Monday and then left for Shreveport. We met them there on Wednesday, and we were able to stay until Saturday morning.  We had a great time with my parents and MaMa. We ate a lot of turkey, and it was great spending some quality family time together. The boys put on quite a show, as usual.

On Saturday we drove to Merit, Texas to attend my Uncle John's annual Wing-Ding. He always throws a big party on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and it is really fun. We got to see all of the Gooch family, as well as some of Nancy Jane's family. The boys made some new friends, played with Callie Kay, went on a hay ride and totally filled up on desserts.

Of course, the best part of the event was Big Daddy's prayer before we ate dinner. He has always had a way with words when it comes to praying over these types of events, and this year was no exception. I was with it enough to capture the moment with our camera.

As usual, we feel very blessed in so many ways. We have Sam and Nate. We have good jobs. We are healthy. And we have the Lord to keep us all together and sustain us until the next Thanksgiving rolls around.

The Music Man

Music has always been a huge part of our family. From singing in the church choir to singing professionally, and everything else in between, when the Gooches or Alexanders get together you can bet there will be music. This weekend we dropped in to see my grandfather, Big Daddy. It didn't take long for him to pull out his harmonica and put on an impromptu concert for the boys. I guess I know where I got it.