GORDON FAMILY

Washington D.C.

2011-05-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time exploring Washington D.C. in March and April.

The first decision was do we fly or ....

...drive to Washington. It takes 20 hours so we chose to fly. The kids loved the flight (once we finally took off - major delays).

We arrive in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival. The blossoms were beautiful.

Around the Potomac River Basin/Jefferson Memorial the blossoms were spectacular.

We loved walking around and looking at as many as we could. We also visited...

The National Arboretum

The White House

Air and Space Museum

The Museum of Nature and Science

We treasured getting together with our friends the Angell's. We love you guys.

F.D.R. Memorial

We rode around on the Metro.

Toured the capital - this is the view from the Washington Monument.

On the weekend Joe took us out to Gettysburg.

National Zoo was wonderful and extra fun since we went with our friends the Angells.

The Postal Museum

The kids love the Library of Congress, especially the children's book section.

Joe and George went with us the Bureau of Engraving - thank you for the tickets Joe.

National Museum of Art

Then we met up with Joe's cousin on the weekend. Do you see the family resemblance? We all went to Jamestown together. What a fun place for the kids to run around and explore.

Elli and Jarom manned the cannon.

Trent and Elli got some water.....

helped make a canoe, visited the blacksmith, saw the guns get shot, chased the chickens - oops....

and boarded the replica ships.

it is hard to believe so many men came on these three small ships. There were sailors and 51 men to settle the new land. Jamestown was the first successful settlement. Roanoke failed a few years prior. The original church still stands today. This was a great place to visit.

Trent tried out the sleeping quarter on the ship. Boy the bedding must have needed washed after 3-4 months at sea. I won't go into detail about the sanitation on the ship, but lets just say the voyage was anything but first class.

Trent helped grind the corn like the native people did in the area centuries ago.

Then Elli and MaKayla explored the native huts.

Finally we all boarded a ferry and sailed across the Chesapeake Bay (note there are 2 Chesapeake Bays in the US). What a great vacation!

Spike

2011-05-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Little spike. Joe combed Trent's hair this morning before church.

School days

2011-05-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Trent is really excited to start preschool in the fall. He has started wearing his backpack around the house, even when he is playing.

Bowling

2011-05-05T08:42:00.001-07:00

On Springbreak we made a list of fun things to do, one for each day of the week. The kids really liked the day we went bowling. They bowled a few games. In the course of the time Elli released the ball behind her a few times - look out! Trent also managed to get his ball stuck 1/2 down the alley - it lodged between the bumper and the walking alley for the worker (that is because he happily threw his ball each time). Thankfully no one was bowling next to us.

Look at those similar scores.

Snow in Texas?

2011-02-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

It is rare, or so they say. We have had snow every year since we moved here. It is great for all of us and makes us appreciate the warm sun.

Good grades

2011-02-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

Elli good job on your school work. Keep-up the work.

Museum of Nature and Science

2011-02-04T14:30:00.001-08:00

Trents special visit to the Museum of Nature and Science.

He had fun making the hot-air balloon fly, looking at animals, playing with toys, planting seeds at the farm and digging for fossils in the sand.

Welcome to the family

2011-02-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

Elli and Trent get to have their first pet, other an a fish when Elli was 3. It is a rabbit. His name is Sparkie. Some dear friends of ours gave him to us. The children love him so much. He is very nice and the kids have even taken him for a walk around the block on his leash. Most of the time he stays in the backyard. One of his favorite snacks is an apple core. He is a very loved bunny. Thank you Westhora Family for sharing Sparkie with us! Joe made this great rabbit hutch for lucky Sparkie out of scrap wood. Way to go Joe!

Cousin time in Oregon

2011-02-04T14:18:00.000-08:00

Spending time with family is the best part about going to Oregon. Here is a peak at a few of our cousin adventures.

We slid down the stairs at Happy and Granddad's house.

Ate bowls of pop-corn while we watched a movie.

Exchanged presents.

Made gingerbread houses....

... and of course we happily ate them too.

Grandma came to visit

2011-02-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

We love having company. Grandma came to visit and took care of Elli and Trent. While she was here they ...

... looked at Christmas Lights ...

... took pictures by the big Christmas Tree ...

... played at parks ...

... went ice-skating ...

... and make gingerbread houses ...

... while Joe and I soaked in the natural, healing, hot waters, ate great food and hiked in Hot Springs for our 10th anniversary. Thanks Mom!!!

Cookie Party

2011-02-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

Elli hosted her annual Christmas Cookie Decorating Party. The girls had fun with glitter frosting, lots of toppings, yummy cookies and games. There were 15 girls this year. They are each so wonderful.

Cowboy's Statium

2011-02-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

We decided to take a trip to Arlington to see the new Cowboy's Stadium 'Jerry's World'. It is very impressive.
The seats were great and the game was perfect because our Wylie Football Team won! On to the next round of the playoffs!

Trip to Waco

2011-02-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a quick trip to Waco. We went to the Baylor Children's Museum. The kids loved the water room most of all.

The train room was another hit.
Along with the museum we went the Cameron Park Zoo.

We saw lots of animals. Some were very common animals.

Others were more unique.

Best of all they just had fun.

This little butterfly I found at the zoo looks very familiar.

Airshow

2011-02-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

The annual airshow is one of Trent's favorite days of the year. As soon as we leave he is asking when we can go again.

He and Elli sat in a planes cargo area.

He tried out a hummer.

Saw the Blue Angels - his favorite. If asked he will tell you they are VERY loud, FAST and TRICKY.

Lets see what it's like to be a pilot. Trent can't wait to go again.

Halloween costumes

2011-02-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

After going to the hotair balloon festival with some friends this fall, Elli decided that she wanted to be A GIRL IN A HOTAIR BALLOON for Halloween. Very cute and original. She had so many nice compliments about her creative costume.

What! Could that be Trent? Is he in a Dallas Cowboy's Uniform?

Yes, he is. Trent was a great Dallas Cowboy for Halloween this year. He wore the helmet every chance he could and happily informed me, "you have to wear it when you play football, even at home."

Pumpkin Patch

2011-02-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

Trent and I went to the pumpkin patch together. The patch was one of the best I have ever been too.

We went on a hay-ride...

...played on the slides and blow-up toys...

... lifted pumpkins ...

... rode on little tractors ...

... and even when inside a real pumpkin house.

Go Rangers

2011-02-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

Everyone is sporting Texas Ranger Gear as we try to cheer our team on to a National Title.

Science experiment

2011-02-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

Elli's science project was to determine which packaging material was better, bubble-wrap or foam. After dropping a box wrapped in each material with a raw egg inside from different heights around the house (including the two story window) she still didn't have an answer because neither egg broke. Our new water tower was just being finished so she asked the workers if they would drop the boxes from the tower to make one of the eggs break. They dropped from 1/2 way up the tower and still neither broke. Finally they dropped from the top of the tower and the bubble-wrapped egg broke. Cool science project Elli.

Halloween Party

2011-02-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn and Elli put on a great Halloween Party this year.

It was complete with a spook room, crazy games, giggles, smiles, screams, and lots of ...

... yummy treats.

Camping Texas Style

2011-02-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

We took a weekend to try camping in Texas at Turner Falls. It was different then what we are used to, but we had a great time. There were ...

... waterfalls to swim in ...

... a castle to explore ...

... rocks to climb and jump from ...

... along with caves to explore.

Daddy-Daughter ward campout

2011-02-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

Joe took Elli on the Daddy-Daughter Camp-out. They had so much fun. They fished, make promise pillowcases, watched the stars...

...sang songs with friends and...

ate smores. Blackened or not they taste really good...

...even if you become a bit cooked yourself as you make them.

A Beautiful Oregon Summer

2011-02-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

This picture about sums it up. Oregon is beautiful in the Summer. We had a great trip. Below are some of the highlights....

First and most important we welcomed a new member to the family. Baby Alyssa was welcomed into the world. She is so precious. We love her!

We had a great horseback riding adventure at Uncle Chucks and Aunt Lynn's home.

A trip wouldn't be complete without golf. Joe, James, Jeff and J.G. played in a tournament together.

Elli, Tyler and Cozette all dressed in white for...

their baptisms. Elli and Joe look so beautiful/handsome on the special day.

In fact it was a great day for the whole family. We were all smiles and had a great time with some many great family and friends that were able to attend. We love you all. Thank you for making the day wonderful for Elli.

It is at the top of the Mt. Bachelor's Ski-lift. Look at the view...

...It is SPECTACULAR!!!

We went camping and stayed next to the lake. If you look real close that is Joe out doing his swim. We took turns swimming out to the buoy and back. The water was cool, clear, fresh and absolutely wonderful!!!

Did I mention Oregon is beautiful?!?!?

We all loved camping. Trent threw so many rocks into the lake. He was happy to say there and throw all day long. He would have stayed all night too if we would have let him.

The camping trip was extra fun because we had great company; James, Patrice and their dog Diesel, Cousin Tyler, Great Happy and her dog Sammy, Barb and Jeff and their dog Penny, Tiery, Silvi and their three girls (friends from France) all joined in the fun.

Elli and Lucy (friend from France) hit is off. They layed in the warm sun by the lake, hiked 8.5 miles to Green Peter, jumped rope (Elli taught), danced (Lucy taught), played games, walked the dogs, watched for shooting stars and ate lots of ooy-gooy-super-sweet smores.

Trent had fun learning the fine art of roasting a campfire steak 'hot dog' from his Daddy.

Tyler broke the logs for the fire with help from ....

...Uncle James and that very sturdy rock. Oh the joys of camping. We can't wait to do it all again next summer.

On a summer day, Trent found a very comfortable place to take his afternoon nap. Thanks Uncle Ken.

Trent loved the Bison at Christina's Family's Bison Ranch. There were cute new calves along with huge bulls. I'm glad their is a fence between my baby and that big bull! Oregon was filled with fun, family and lots of great memories.

Elli's swimteam class

2011-02-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

Elli joined the swimteam this summer and loved it. She did so GREAT!

Trent's 3rd Birthday

2011-02-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Trent loved all of his gifts. A few to note were his new combine from Dad and his Train Repair Station from Mom.

Joe decorated his birthday cake for him. Complete with new working trucks and M&M rocks.

American Girl

2011-02-04T10:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you Aunt Katie for the matching American Girl Doll shirts from Washington D.C.! Charissa and I love to wear them together:)

Denton excursion

2011-02-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

It's summertime so we went to work with Joe. Well, he worked and we played. We tried Texas Blueberry Picking. There were lots of berries, but they are very small. They should make great muffins and treats in our oatmeal this winter.

Picking the blueberries was fun and the blueberry lemonade was a hit after a HOT morning of picking.

On another day we went to the nature preserve and had a picnic lunch by the lake. We were looking for wildlife. We didn't spot anything large, but we did see lots of birds, butterflies, bees and FIREANTS.

This small train circles one of the parks and we all enjoyed a ride. The driver could see that Trent is a train lover so he let him sit in the main engine.

Happy Easter

2010-11-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

Easter eggs are so fun to color. They kids made their own dye this year from household items and had fun seeing their ideas come to life.

Too quiet

2010-11-18T08:34:00.001-08:00

Trent was too quiet the other day while I was upstairs working. When I came down this is what I found.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-11-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

My two little angels got up and made me waffles with strawberries and cream.

My greatest gems and Joe's most precious assets are these two little loves. Life as a mom is wonderful.

Soccer season

2010-11-18T08:26:00.000-08:00

Soccer season is here again. Elli has really learned how to kick the ball hard. She and the rest of the girls on her Monarchs Team are fun to watch.

All boy

2010-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

Little Trentster is all boy...what are you thinking about us there?

Are you going to jump?

Did I mention he is all boy?!?!

Little swimmer

2010-11-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

Elli joined the swimteam this summer. She had so much fun because some friends joined with her; Grace, Lille, Cooper and Callie. The practices were an hour long each morning and the meets were on Saturday. Elli LOVED it. Her favorite stroke is Breaststroke. Go little swimmers, go.

Happy 8th Birthday Elli

2010-11-18T07:59:00.001-08:00

Aren't birthdays fun....some presents....

...a fun and silly dad....

....lots of great friends...

...water to cool off...

...a bunch of smiles and...

....one yummy cake. Happy 8th birthday Elli.

Aunt Becca came for a visit

2010-11-18T07:44:00.001-08:00

We welcomed Becca with open arms. We love to have visitors. In fact the neighbors bird even enjoyed her visit. While she was visiting she helped give Elli's 8th birthday party, shopped, got a tan, played in the pool and just had a break from college life for a little bit.

On her last night we took her out to Twisted Root for a Bison Burger and fresh Root beer. Afterwards we all went out to see the water fountains. The boys decided they needed to cool off. We love our two boys adventurous spirit. They are always up for a good time.

The girls loved the fountains too, but opted for the dryer view.

Trent is learning new things

2010-11-18T07:38:00.001-08:00

Trent explored the art of painting. After he was finished he hung his work on the refrigerator. When Elli and Joe got home he showed it off with pride.

Trent is finished with his highchair and loves to sit at the big table. Here he is exploring the bottom of his cereal bowl. Thankfully he is also very good at cleaning the table.

Traveling with Dad

2010-11-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

Elli and Trent love to get to travel with Joe. We have a great time park hopping, visiting different libraries, museums and pools. Best of all we all get to see Joe when he is finished working.

Zoo field-trip

2010-10-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Elli's second grade fieldtrip to the Dallas Zoo.

Elli, Jonah, Savana and Daniel. What a great group of friends.

Peek-a-boo. Elli and Jonah had fun looking at the animals.

A day at the zoo wouldn't be complete without a visit to the horses...

and the elephants.

New house color

2010-10-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

We had the house repainted. The colors were fun to pick and best of all we didn't have to get on the steep pitch of the roof ourselves!!!

The TRIATHLON

2010-10-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

Joe and I had so much fun training and doing our very first triathlon in Austin. We finished just seconds apart and loved the excitement.

A special thank you to our good friend Catherine. She encouraged, guided, inspired us both.

Subdivision fun

2010-06-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Easter Egg hunt was fun, but...

the fire truck exploration was the highlight of the outing for Elli...

and especially for Trent. He looks to see if the Fire Trucks are out each time we go past the fire station. To climb in and around them was loads of fun for him.

School Art Exhibit

2010-06-28T18:22:00.001-07:00

Elli was selected to participate in the school art exhibit and won a blue ribbon for her art. The art exhibit is fun every year and this year was extra special for Elli! Alright little artist!

Sleepover anyone???

2010-06-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Elli and Emma were adventurous sleepers and camped-out in the sit-up window. Joe helped them use couch cushions for padding. They claim they slept GREAT and can't wait to do it again.

Mad Hatter Tea Party

2010-06-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Elli and Trent had fun making hats at the Mad Hatter Tea Party sponsored by our local library.

Elli loved the costumes and had fun eating tiny cookies and meeting the Alice In Wonderland characters.

Trolley ride

2010-06-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Elli, Trent and I traveled on the trolley to visit Joe for lunch. We ended up taking the car downtown after the trolley was HIT by a car. It made for a very exciting ride. Trent didn't want to leave the trolley, but it was going to be delayed for an hour. Trent was happy once he was in his Daddy's arms and got to watch the Southwest Airplanes fly close by the lunchroom windows.

Lake Mineral Wells

2010-06-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

We took a quick Saturday Family Adventure to Lake Mineral Wells.

On the trip Trent became a rock climber.

Elli became a cave dweller.

And Joe became a mighty fisherman or perhaps we should say seaweedman - No bites, but lots of fun.

Fun in San Antonio

2010-05-27T08:43:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Sea World San Antonio!!!!

Touching and feeding the dolphins early in the morning before there were many guest proved to be a highlight of the day. The dolphins felt like soft rubber. Trent didn't quite get his hand on one, but the rest of us did. He loved trying and throwing the little fish to them.

Even though Trent didn't touch a dolphin he road his first roller coaster and loved it. The Shamu Express is one wild ride.

The cargo nets were also a fun climbing experience for us all. Here is Trent taking a little rest on the nets after his big climb.

Trent was also quick to point out the Southwest Airplane. He loves any kind of transportation and this specially painted plane was amazing to him.

Elli was the bravest 7 year old at the park. She rode Steel Eel with Joe. Mom and Trent stayed on the ground and waved to our adrenaline junkies high in the sky.

Joe and Elli ended the coaster experience by riding Atlantis. It was a cool day but they couldn't resist the ride. There is one large drop at the end of the ride with a large wet splash. Elli and Joe both loved all the roller coasters. They went to 6 Flags the next day to get their fill.

The animal shows were really fun for everyone. We loved seeing them jump and were amazed at how fast and high they can go. We laughed and smiled during all the shows.

A trip to San Antonio wouldn't be complete without visiting the Alamo and the River-walk. We had a great time in San Antonio and can't wait to go back. There is always an adventure waiting.

Let it SNOW

2010-02-23T14:18:00.001-08:00

IT SNOWED! Joe and Elli had the day off so we had a great four day weekend! We all played in the snow for hours and hours.

Trent got a little cold so he loved to be in his Daddy's arms the most.

Trent and I made this snow girl to surprise Elli. It was complete with pigtails and a necklace! Afterschool I went outside to show Elli the snowgirl, but noticed the carrot nose and apple eyes were missing and commented, "the birds must have ate them." Elli smiled and sheepishly said, "actually I just ate them!"

Our home had a nice white blanket. The last of the snow girl didn't melt away for about a week.

Sledding was every ones favorite and getting towed around the block was certainly high on the list too.

Bounce Town

2010-02-23T14:11:00.001-08:00

Trent went crazy at Bounce Town and had all kinds of fun stories to tell Joe and Elli when they got home. Among his favorites were ...

...the large inflatable slides...

... air hockey ...

... and of course basketball!

Tiger Tracks - American Idol

2010-02-23T14:04:00.001-08:00

Elli and her 2nd grade classmates had a great time performing during their schools weekly assembly. Then sang and danced to Achy Breaky Heart and Sweet Escape.

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-05T12:26:00.001-08:00

We hope you all have a great Valentines Day. Lots of love from all of us to you!

Merry Christmas in Oregon

2010-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

Trent and Elli enjoyed the Christmas Tree Farm. They wanted to get this tree. Trent was sure it was just the right size.

Every Christmas Eve the children get to make their own personal pizza with Happy. This year was no exception.

In the Gordon home we start our pizza chef's at a young age.

Spending time with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents is always at the top of our list for Christmas Vacation. We love them all and can't wait to see them again.

Trent was really HELPFUL at opening the Christmas packages. Last year he was still fascinated with the box and paper. This year he was anticipating the gift inside.

Trent had a great time taking his trucks out into the snow. The sledding was also a big hit for he and Elli. Thanks Uncle Ken for all the fun on the sleds.

Tyler and Kendall Ray came over to sled and play in the snow. They made snowballs, sled for an hour and then all came in wet and cold only to want to go back out after a quick 5 minute warm up by the fire.

Grandma surprised me and sent a sewing machine for my birthday. While we were together she have me a few sewing lessons. I had a lot of fun making bibs for Trent with her. She is one woman that can do ANYTHING, she simply amazes me. Thank you Gram.

Happy anniversary in Washington D.C.

2010-01-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

Joe and I recently celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary, on Dec. 9th, 2009 in Washington D.C. We had so much fun that I wanted to share a few of the highlights with everyone.

Joe took his first trip to the top of Washington monument with me. Not that he is not afraid of heights...that would be me... but he was never able to get a ticket due to his work schedule. He really enjoyed it especially since he was reading Dan Brown's book the Lost Symbol during our visit. If you haven't read it yet, I would HIGHLY recommend it!

No trip to Washington D.C. is complete without a tour of the Capitol Building...so we toured and enjoyed, but best of all we sat in on the senate debate and got to listen to John McCain and John Cornyn. We could have stayed and listened all day.

The botanical garden was more than I expected. If we ever get to return to D.C. I will be sure to take the kids to tour it.

Joe also arranged for a White House tour. It's not everyday you stand in rooms where you wish the walls could talk about the things they have heard over the last century.

We took some friends, piled into a tiny rental car and headed to National Cathedral and the D.C. Temple. Both were more than I ever expected. The stain glass inside of National Cathedral is inspiring to say the least....

and the temple grounds and visitors center were lit with thousands of lights for Christmas. It was great to visit.

The Jefferson Memorial was a fun walk for us on Saturday. Actually, anyone that visits Washington D.C. will probably need a new pair of shoes after the trip.

Air and Space was so much fun too. We visited to get Trent a little gift and ended up watching an IMAX film about fighter pilots. It was GREAT and I found out just how much Joe secretly wishes he was a few inches shorter so that he could have been a pilot.

Snow day

2009-12-02T11:42:00.001-08:00

We woke-up this morning to cold sleeting rain. One the way to take Elli to school it turned into a snow/rain mix. By the time we pulled back into the driveway it was offically snowing.

Trent put on his winter jacket and headed outside. We only stayed out for all of 5 minutes before we were both cold and ready for a cup of hot chocolate.

Our Thanksgiving Feast

2009-12-02T11:16:00.001-08:00

Elli enjoyed her Thanksgiving Holiday with Ashlyn and ...

many of our other treasured friends.

WOW! Elli don't over eat :)

Trent loved the feast and especially enjoyed playing games and sports with all the other children.

Time for church

2009-11-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

We are ready to go to church, but were is Elli? Out in the front yard looking for caterpillars. She found one big green one and named him Fatty.

Joe got Trent ready for church on Sunday. He came downstairs and said he was a missionary. He was so proud of his little white shirt and tie.

Waffles anyone?

2009-11-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

Trent asked for Waffles for breakfast. What he really wanted to to was MAKE the waffles. Joe captured our curious, helpful, young chef on camera.

Chalk verses Trent...

2009-11-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

Covered from head to toe.

There was more chalk on him than the sidewalk.

I'll let you decide who won.

Soccer season

2009-11-03T12:17:00.000-08:00

Fall soccer season is coming to a close. It has been a wet, but fun season. The girls have had a great time and they have improved their skills with each game. Elli has been the goalie or defender in almost every game. She loves it! Trent does too. He can't wait until he is old enough to play on a team. Go Monarchs!

Joe showed real Monarch pride when he and Nate came to watch Elli's last game wearing this t-shirt. Elli loved it and Trent had a great time playing football with his Daddy and the "Big Boys."

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat ...

Elli and Trent had a great Halloween.

Elli is our little witch.

Ohhhh she looks very scary.

Is it a burrito? Is it a taco? ...

No it is Trent as a cowboy.

He put miles on his horse before the trick or treating began. Take a look at the videos below!

LOOK OUT FOR THE DOOR!!!

Wow a blind cowboy and a wild horse make for a silly ride around the living room.

Joe had fun making a flying ghost to frighten the children. Watch this video to see his amazing creation in action.

Pumpkin carving

2009-10-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

Elli had fun designing a kitty cat face on the pumkin this year with her Daddy.

Trent loved using the big spoon and scooping out the seeds (or GUTS as he and Elli prefer to call them) of the pumkin. Fun fun fun in the Texas sun.

Daddy daughter campout

2009-10-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

Elli and Joe had an memorable camp out last Friday night. They camped with all the dads and little daughters in our church. They roasted hot dogs, sang songs, ate blackened marshmallow smores, and made craft projects. They slept in Elli's little Disney Princess tent until 2:00AM and then slept the rest of the night in the car. The next morning Elli went fishing, but she only managed to catch one of her friends by the hair - sorry Angela. Camping with dad - it's a good thing.

Volleyball champs

2009-10-31T12:13:00.001-07:00

Our chuch volleyball team won the stake championship - Go Wylie 2nd Volleyball!!!

Blue Angel's Air Show

2009-10-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Joe and Trent went to air show this weekend. When Trent woke-up in the morning the first words out of his mouth were, "airplane day," he had been looking forward to it all week long.

Trent LOVED all the planes ...

and the pilots.

Joe loved the Blue Angels and F-16's.

They had a great time and Trent showed us how he covered his ears when the airplanes took off as they were VERY LOUD.

The inside of the helicopter was cool along with ....

the giant semi-truck. All in all it was a day to remember. They are already making plans to go again next year.

Our curious little boy...

2009-10-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Trent is growing up and getting more adventurous everyday. Case in point see the 3 photos below...

Just the other afternoon I walked around the corner of the house and found him standing on my flowerbed wall ready to jump. He was shouting 1, 2, 3, GO.

and Jump he of course did...

Oh did I mention he had a partner in crime.

Conference

2009-10-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

Trent and Elli love camping out in the Princess Tent to watch conference. Thanks Uncle Ken and Aunt Jodi for the awesome tent!

Six Flags

2009-09-22T12:40:00.001-07:00

Hello from Six Flags. Riding on the coasters led to lots of smiles, lots of lemonade, lots of memories and one pair of ripped out shorts.

Who is ready for the log ride?

Joe, Becca and Nate had a BLAST on Superman.

Up up up and away.

Schlitterbahn

2009-09-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Schlitterbahn water park was a great experience. It is nestled near the Comal Canal in New Braunfels, a 72 degree spring fed canal. Becca joined us on the trip and was so much fun to have along. We love you Becca.

Joe was having a great day until he lost his shorts on this ride - Yikes!

Elli loved all the rides. The rivers, tubes, slides, you name it she did it and had fun. At the end of the day she didn't want to leave the park and asked if we could stay just a little longer.

Schlitterbahn is great for the whole family. Trent enjoyed the slow lazy river, slides, warm pool and fountains.

Thank you Gramdma and Papa!

2009-09-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

It's a Texas' rainstorm

2009-09-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

Trent was so happy to cool off after the hot summer.

Elli made a mad dash to the house as it rained and rained and rained!

Labor Day ...

2009-09-10T11:42:00.001-07:00

We went to Cooper Lake State Park for Labor Day. Not long after leaving we spotted a hot air balloon near our home. We followed it. Once it landed we all got out and admired it before getting on the road again. Ever since, Trent has been checking the sky each morning for another one. The hike was fun and the lake was refreshing. Trent eventually got used to the muddy water. He called it an "ucky pool" and didn't want to get in at first. By the end he was wet from head to toe but...

... he was still a little less that trilled with some of his findings.

On the other hand, Elli seemed to love the lake and the sandy mud. Mud pies anyone?

She and all her friends had a great time hiking, picnicking and enjoying a break from school.

Joe let the kids dive off the canoe for a little extra fun. They LOVED IT....

and decided they all wanted back in for round two.

Popcorn eater

2009-08-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Trent has decided popcorn is a good thing...

no matter how you eat it. He obviously perfers that head-first method.

Take a look at this.
Note, Happy is the name Trent calls his Grandma. She also enjoys a good bowl of popcorn.

First day of school

2009-08-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

Elli was ready for the first day of second grade.

OK maybe she was a little reluctant to let go of summer. She gets to have Mrs. Baker this year and is really excited to see her friends and learn new things.

When she came home after the first day of school, Joe asked her, "how does it feel to be a second grader?" Her reply, "it felt like being in first grade with a substitue teacher."

Ready for church

2009-08-31T12:05:00.001-07:00

Trent loves going to church and playing with the yellow bus in nursery. He recently got his first tie and belt. The belt was fine, but the tie took a bit of time to grow on him. Greatly he tolerates it to try and look like his daddy.

Mr. Independent

2009-08-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

Trent is growing-up so FAST. He decided to get his own breakfast one morning and sit in a big chair. Yogurt and peach looked good to him and most importantly he could reach both.

Joe is an OLD man

2009-08-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Joe had his 30th birthday party. We had a party with friends at the park. Everyone brought a picnic dinner, ate cake, visited and played. To soften the heartache of turning 30 Joe got a new T.V. He plans on enjoying every minute of the upcoming football season. Happy Birthday, Joe. We love you!

End of summer party

2009-08-31T11:55:00.001-07:00

Elli's friend Ashlyn hosted an end of the summer party. The girls had a great time at the pool, blowing-up rocket balloons and decorating cupcakes. Thank you, Ashlyn!

Summer craft projects

2009-08-31T11:52:00.001-07:00

Elli has had a great time making flower hairclips this summer. She loves to make them with friends and than wear them EVERYWHERE!

The Fort Worth Zoo

2009-08-31T11:30:00.001-07:00

Trent got up, close, and personal with the gorilla.

He attempted to do the same with the herd of elephants.

Elli loved see the ...

orangutans...

jaguars...

elephants and a host of other animals too. It was the zoo's 100 year anniversary. The history show featuring snakes, birds, alligators and a time machine. We all laughed and learned. Did you know the Fort Worth Zoo was established when a traveling carnival broke-down in Fort Worth? Once Pete the giant python got loose. It made newspaper headlines across the nation. Pete was finally found and a few years later layed eggs. Needless to say Pete was renamed.

Backyard fun

2009-08-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

The summer has been hot and fun. Elli and Trent have had a great time keeping cool.

They run...

they flip....

they relax...

and sip on popsicles all in the name of fun in the sun.

Oregon Adventures

2009-07-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

SILVERCREEK FALLS

Elli thought about diving right in to the cool waterfalls at Silvercreek Falls State Park. Thankfully she didn't but...

boy did she ever love the waterfalls ...

and sitting in a highchair.

Trent found a love for the art of throwing rocks...

and looked tiny amongst all the large trees.

All in all we loved Silvercreek Falls.

AT THE BEACH

Elli got a squeeze from her Happy (Grandma Gordon)...

... loved walking the dogs along the ocean...

... building sand creations ...

and digging for lost treasure with her Daddy.

OLD FRIENDS

Play-dates with old friends were great.

ENJOYING THE HARVEST

Trent stuffed himself in the strawberry patch.

Elli engulfed blueberries by the handfull.

COUSINS

Elli and cousin Will rode horses for a LONG TIME and loved every minute of it.

Trent did too. Infact he fell asleep on the horses back.

Elli, Kyla and Tyler loved their annual sleepover at Happy and Grandads house.

We were all due for a haircut. Trent decided to sleep through the entire ordeal including his own snips.

A WEEKEND IN BEND, OREGON

We all loved going to Bend, OR to visit Great Happy.

Trent threw rocks in the river on our hike to Green Lakes...

...big or small he was sure he should throw in it.

Great Happy joined us on our hike. She is an amazing athlete.

Finally all of Trents rock throwing did him in. He was ready to make the rest of hike on his daddy's shoulder.

Happy 2nd Birthday Trent

2009-07-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

Trent has turned 2. On his birthday he learned to say the word "two." It was a fun day filled with great memories.

He had a great time opening his presents.

Joe taught him how to blow out the candles on his cake from Aunt Michelle. She made it in the shape of a tractor because Papa's blue tractor is his current fascination.

Not only did he love the looks of the cake he also loved how it tasted.

Happy 7th Birthday Elli

2009-07-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Elli is jumping for joy. It's her birthday - yahoo!

All the kids loved the new waterslide. The laughter and smiles were great.

Summer fun

2009-06-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Trent is ready to head outside for some summer fun!

First grade presentation

2009-06-11T11:04:00.001-07:00

Elli ...

Ashlyn ...

Brooke, Rhyma and all the other first graders did an AWESOME job singing about animals in their first grade class presentation!

Rocket

2009-06-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

As part of FHE we launched a rocket. Boy was it ever fun. Thank you grandma!

Fossil Rim & Dino. Valley

2009-06-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at Fossil Rim Animal Park.

Elli smiled as she got to pet the goats and....

laughed when she saw the tortoises giving each other a 'piggyback ride.'

Some of the animals were a little standoffish.

While others were overly friendly.

Trent loved the big trucks, ...

his first driving lesson and ...

spending time with Grandma.

The Rhinos were awesome and HUGE!

Cool Dino footprints!

Happy Birthday

2009-06-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

Do we say happy birthday when someone turns 30? Maybe just lets have a party.

Western days...

2009-05-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

Elli had fun dressing up for Western Day at school. Although she was a little disappointed with her outfit because...she had outgrown her HOT PINK cowgirl boots.

Texas Bluebonnets

2009-05-07T06:15:00.001-07:00

Texas Bluebonnets are beautiful. We recently visited a field of them near our home and took a few photos...
Elli and Trent

wanted to play more than have their photos taken :)

Joe with his two little admirers.

Trent had a great time...

and so did Elli

Did I mention there were LOTS of Bluebonnets?!?!

Easter morning

2009-04-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Elli is ready for church and....

so is little Trent.

Finding Easter Eggs was fun for Elli, but...

teaching her little brother the art was even more fun!

Trent is showing us the egg is empty (note his chipmuck cheeks full of treats).

New teeth

2009-04-21T10:57:00.001-07:00

Trent's teeth are coming in nicely!

Daddy's little helper...

2009-04-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Dad can I help you get the tools?

How do these things work?

Do you need this one next?

By the way how do these taste?

Boy that was a fun fix-it project Dad. Do we really have to put the tools away already?

Gymnastics

2009-03-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

Elli and her friends are having a great time doing a few gymnastics.

Golf Season

2009-03-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

Joe has been out hitting the golfball around a bit. Of course it wouldn't be much fun alone so....

Elli has been joining him whenever she has time.

Wow nice swing Elli!

T-ball for the T-man

2009-03-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Coach Elli spent an evening teaching Trent the fine art of T-ball.

All went well until Trent hit his coach in the head with the bat - thank goodness for plastic and a forgiving coach.

Oklahoma...

2009-03-05T16:04:00.001-08:00

We took a quick day trip over the Red River to ...

OKLAHOMA!

We went to Fort Washita. At the fort we learned alot about the Native Indians whom the fort was built to protect. The local plains indians that already dwelled on the land were not happy to share with those displaced in the region by the government. Hence the fort was created to try and keep peace between the different tribes.

Behind this tree and a ways up the hill are wagon wheel ruts. The pioneers were traveling from the NE to California looking for what? You guessed it GOLD. Fort Washita was a major restocking point for travelers heading west during the California Gold Rush.

The old ruins and artifacts were great. Hang on little Trent!

T-man's appetite continues

2009-03-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

For any of you who may be wondering the little T-man still has a hardy appetite. Not much goes to waste on his plate as he licks it clean.

Texas sunshine

2009-03-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

The other night Joe called me to the window to see the sunset. I thought you might like to see it too.

Spring cleaning is in the AIR

2009-03-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

I wish I could simply pass it off as spring cleaning, but in all honesty the window above the front door hadn't been cleaned since we moved in (almost 2 years) - yikes. After eight plus years of marriage Joe and I finally bought a LADDER!

Human hamster wheel

2009-03-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Joe bought the kids a human hamster wheel. Boy oh boy is Daddy ever good at buying great gifts. Elli, Trent and all the neighborhood kids love to play in it. You could say it has made their personalities a bit more SHOCKING!