A Date and Brad Paisley!!

Chris and I had a rare date night this past Sunday. My Mom came and stayed with the kids while we went to Lubbock for some shopping, dinner, and a Brad Paisley concert. We had a GREAT time!! When I say we I mean mostly me about the concert. Chris swears he enjoyed it, but he is not a country music fan and did not know any of the songs he sings. Brad Paisley puts on a great show! He is a funny guy and has a very technically advanced show with videos and lights. There was one part where he sang a duet with Allison Crouse and you would swear she was really there. The way he used the video of her made her look so real. He is touring with Darius Ruckard and Derks Bentley, so we got three concerts in one.

Thanks Mom for watching the kids! I hope they were not so bad that you won't come back!

Dixie Dog Turns Eleven

Our first little baby Dixie turned eleven this month. That is 77 in dog years! It is hard to believe she has been with us for eleven years already. Chris got her for me for Valentine's Day right after we got married. Dixie has been known for her feisty behavior, really she is just plain mean until she gets to know you, but she has mellowed in the last few years. Although she is mean to strangers and has snapped at a few hands she loves us. She has been a good mama dog to our babies. She even jumped in the pack and play from the couch one time to save Luke from being picked up by somebody who came to see the new baby. We moved the pack and play a little further from the couch after that. She enjoys napping, sitting in my lap, waiting for snacks from Baby Kate at meal times, and eating. Some of you may notice she is carrying a new figure these days. She has been on a diet for some time now and lost a few pounds. I think it makes her look younger!

Here is her with her partner in crime, Amos. They are waiting for a treat from Rachel. I never can get a good picture of the dogs. Every time they are playing and being cute and I run to get the camera, they get this scared look and their ears droop. I have discovered if you have treats they perk right up!

Happy Birthday Great Grandad!!

Here is a sweet video of Baby Kate and her Great Grandad at Christmas. They had a great time playing with each other. She sat and let him hold her for about 30 minutes. That is a record for her. She hates to be still longer than a few seconds. She rested her head on his shoulder for the longest time. We thought she was going to go to sleep, but then she perked up and they started playing.

Today is Grandad's birthday! We hope he has a great day, and we look forward to seeing you soon!!

Christmas 2008

We had a great Christmas Holiday break. After Santa came and we opened our gifts, we loaded up and went to Snyder for ten days. We had a great time seeing everybody, getting presents, and eating like little piggies. It is nice to get away and get off of our schedule for a little while. Rachel and Luke were treated to several new experiences. They went to an Ira High basketball game, spent the night with Aunt Johnnie, Uncle Aaron, Tenley and Miles, learned about the dairy and got to feed and see a brand new baby calf. They talk about their night with the other Stansells almost everyday. The dairy is a great place for kids!! I got to get away to have lunch and see a movie with my Mom and Dena. It was fun to get away and the movie was good too! Chris got to go to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. He was wined and dined by his company. He got to see the game from the Bell Helicopter Suite. He really enjoyed the experience. We also celebrated our Eleventh Anniversary! My gift was concert tickets to see Brad Paisley in Lubbock later this month. We are looking forward to our date! We also celebrated a big day for our sweet little nephew Miles. He turned One Year Old on January 4th!!! He is a big boy now. We had a wonderful time on our little vacation. We are back home and back in the groove now.

Katybug Has Pigtails

Kate's hair is finally long enough for pigtails...well sort of. We just could not wait any longer. We think they are adorable!!!

I included this one just to show you she can throw a fit. This is her new phase. Everything ticks her off. This particular fit lasted about 20 minutes. This picture was also taken about 30 seconds after the picture at the top. You see I sat her down so I could get a better picture, and immediately picking her up did not calm her down any. I should have known better. I just wish you could hear her screams. They would really add to the picture!

Wii Boxing

We got a Wii video game system from Santa Claus this year. We have had so much fun playing the different sports on it. We each have our favorite games and some are better than others at different sports. The Wii is fun because we can all play as a family. I have discovered my favorite is the boxing. You can go head to head with each other. My favorite opponent is Chris. Lets just say I kicked his rear tonight! Boxing is a great way to get your aggressions out. I am not saying I was mad at him or anything. It is just fun to beat each other senseless for fun!! Here are some video of the kids boxing. It is just as fun to watch as it is to play.

That is Kate commentating for you.