Thankful Pictures

Today I thought I'd show you what I'm thankful for, instead of telling you.

Mainstay Farms.  We got their every year to get our Christmas tree and it is a lot of fun for the whole family.

Kids that make me laugh.  Here Claire is wearing a wig from a mannequin at Mainstay Farms.

Hugs from my favorite boy. 

Claire's creativity.  She had me make a Barbie cake, which was basically a bundt cake that we stuck a Barbie in.  Here she is singing "Happy Fake Birthday" and blowing out a candle.

Kids that get along.  Here Claire is actually reading Paul a book.

Exciting adventures in nature.  We often find lizards.  Here Adam and Claire are with a Texas Swift.

A church that loves us all.  Last Sunday, both kids posed in the manger for our church's live nativity.  Many people walked by and not one minded we had two large kids in a manger.

Exciting education.

These are George Washington's teeth.  That's right.  They are currently on display at the Fort Worth Museum.  The Boyettes are thankful for our passes there, where we learn something new at each visit.

Preschool Programs

Paul was an angel this week in his preschool program.  Yes, the child in the stripes, plaid shorts and rainboots was mine.

Diego!

Here Paul is being silly with Diego.  Diego is a student in Claire's class and Paul and I are helping tutor him.  For Christmas we bought him a little Leap Pad laptop and he was so excited about it that he wouldn't even look up from it when I wanted to take his picture.  I programmed it to say his name and he nearly fell out of his chair when he turned it on and the computer said, "Hi, Diego!"

Winter Wonderland Thanks

It's about 35 degrees outside and we are warm inside.

Today I am thankful for:

1.  Fall colors
From my chair right now I can see a tree covered with green, another yellow, and another bright red.  I know I often write about being thankful for trees, but every day I walk down the street noticing their beauty.

2.  Cookie baking
Paul and I spent part of the morning baking snicker doodles together.  He looked so cute in his Christmas apron.  He can crack eggs all by himself without any eggshell residue in the bowl.  I'm so proud of him!

3.  Carols
I've been blasting out the Pandora Christmas station all day today.  Paul and I have been dancing and singing to all the tunes.

4.  Food for ducks
This morning I was trying to think of an activity Paul and I could do just for fun.  We decided to go to the duck park and feed the ducks.  We had a pile of stale bread and crackers, so we bundled up and took them to the park.  It was raining and cold, and the ducks were starving.  At least 100 ducks encircled us wanting food.  We have so much fun feeding ducks with aerodynamic pieces of bread.

5.  Our covers wagon
Since the weather has gotten colder, Paul has been taking more naps.  When it's time to pick up Claire from school, I just wrap him in a blanket and lay him in the wagon.  Today not a bit of his head peeked out from the covers.  I'm thankful I don't have to wake him up and that he can be transported from bed to wagon to couch without interrupting his sleep.

6.  Sentimental ornaments
On our tree right now are ornaments from my grandmother's tree in the 1960s, Adam and my family trees from the 1980s, and ornaments that represent our life together.  The crosses were handmade by Adam's 103 year old aunt and several of the ball ornaments have been painted by the kids.  It's nice to look at the tree and remember.

7.  Avoiding the mall
With the exception of a big trip to Toys 'R' Us, Adam and I are almost done with our holiday shopping.  We have successfully avoided the mall.  Claire is reading this and has pointed out that we did have our pictures made at the mall, but we didn't venture beyond the portrait studio.

8.  Cookies for the postal lady
Our postwoman is named Rhonda.  Claire just now ran out and gave her fresh cookies and received a hug.  We love Miss Rhonda.

9.  Barbie cake
I must conclude this post because I am being called to the kitchen.  While Paul is napping, Claire and I are going to make a Barbie cake.

10.  A working oven
Thank God our oven works, or else I couldn't be thankful for most of the items today.