Road Trip!

We spent more than a day driving to get out of Texas. On day two, we travelled through three states. I know somewhere there's a good Welcome to New Mexico sign. But we'll take the one with the GIANT bullet holes and the spray paint. Look at the size of those bullet holes! What kind of gun makes holes that big???

I wanted a picture with West Texas tumbleweeds but it didn't happen. Mabe next trip. I am pretty sure if there is a picture on the next trip it will be just Kins and me. The boys swear they're flying and Kinsey "is SO not flying" anywhere. Quite honestly, I'm with her.

The Big Texan

On our way to Colorado, we spent the first night of our 1,000 mile trek in Amarillo. We ate supper at The Big Texan Steakhouse. It was definitely for the experience...not the food. This is the place that will give you a 72 oz steak if you can eat it in under an hour. Not only do you have to eat the massive steak, but 3 fried shrimp, a salad, bread, and a baked potato. Chad ordered a 12 oz steak and if it was any comparision...it would have been a severe beating to eat that bad boy in under an hour.

So, the restaurant offers free limo transport to and from hotels in the area. Here's a shot of the kids when they realized the limo was there for us. So very touristy...Very Griswaldian kind of place.

Dancing!

I tried uploading videos from Kinsey's dance class for hours last night. I am giving up and putting them on YouTube. To see them, go here www.youtube.com/sunnyd557

Kinsey's Christmas Party

Kinsey's class had their Christmas party today. They got lots of goodies and ate lots of sugar!

Check out Avery in the picture below. She has so much personality. When she talks, she not only uses her mouth, she uses her entire face. Cracks me up!

One of the kids brought antlers for each friend. So cute!

The Polar Express

We went to the North Pole last night, via the Polar Express. The kids wore their (matching) pjs (that Trace hates), we drank hot chocolate and ate cookies on the train. We saw Santa and sang Christmas carols. We even got bells from Santa's sleigh, just like in the book. It was really magical for the kids, especially Kinsey. Trace is beginning to think more and more about Santa, so he was hung up on "that's not really the North Pole". Kinsey was on her knees, hands against the glass with awe on her face looking through the window at the North Pole as we drove through.

Usually, I would include pictures at this point...not today. When we got to the train station, we hopped out of the car and I got the kids together to get a picture of them in those cute pjs, pushed the power button, and...nothing. I was ticked. So we paid $20 for the picture they take of your family then try to make you feel guilty when you don't buy it. All the pictures from the train ride were taken with our cell phones. And they look like it.

So, needless to say, we all had a great time...Chad even sang the Christmas carols!!!...and I got a new camera out of the deal. Pictures may come later if I can get them off the phones and you can tell who we are.

Update:

I used my new camera to take a picture of the picture we bought when we were at the train station. That big white ball on Trace's shirt...the flash from my camera.

Christmas-ish cupcakes

We set out to bake and decorate some Christmas cupcakes. If you have ever tried to make red icing using food coloring drops instead of paste, you will understand why we have pink icing. I turned them loose with red, ok pink, green, and white icing and all the sprinkles and colored sugar I had in the pantry. That's why I say they were Christmas-ish...

Notice all the hearts on this Christmas-ish cupcake.

Colored sugar....yuuuuuum!

Yep...those are tears, not laughter. There were 3 knives covered in icing. After we were done, each kid got to choose one to 'clean up'. Trace grabbed the green one and was on an instant sugar high. Kinsey picked up the knife out of the white bowl and cleaned that baby right up. When she set the knife down, she realized that the knife in the red, ok pink, icing was still covered. Bring on the waterworks! All she could say between sobs was, "I meant to get the pink one!"

I realize that I should feel badly that she was so obviously distraught and I was taking pictures. But I really don't! It was F U N N Y!!! Trace and I tried very hard to hide our laughter, but when Kins realized I was snapping away, she got a little irritated. When she started to calm down, very sweetly, Trace told me I should erase those pictures. So sweet, but oh, no I will not be erasing the pictures! Embarassing pictures are the reason I had kids!

Christmas PJs

I love, love, love matching Christmas pajamas. Kinsey has been sleeping in them since they arrived in the mail mid-November. Trace doesn't feel quite the same about them. If they had Obi Won or Anakin Skywalker on them, I think we'd be ok. I told him tonight that he WOULD be wearing them in Colorado. He was a little less than thrilled.
But aren't they cute??? Here's where I got them: www.etsy.com/shop/Nikkiloo. She did a great job!

Sing, Baby, Sing!

The 4 year old classes at Kinsey's pre-school had a Christmas program earlier this week. She had a small speaking part and had been talking about being on singing on stage and talking on the microphone since they started practicing in September. Well, about two weeks ago she decided she no longer wanted to talk on the microphone. Uh-oh...

I was pretty nervous that she would get a bad case of stage fright when she saw the room full of people, but she did great! Said her lines with no problem. Whew! Can't beat a production featuring 25 four year olds!

For your viewing pleasure, may I present to you...Jingle Bells!

Joy to the World

And what better song to wrap up a program than We Wish You a Merry Christmas?

Sunny Days

The Lucas Family just wasn't doing it for me as a title for my blog. Thanks to Clarise for my new name. Much better!
Obviously, this is not her, but I just L O V E this picture of her sweet baby.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

From a local weather forecast: "Depending on the temperature, Lufkin could get as much as 2 inches of rain." It has snowed off and on since lunchtime and the forecast says it's supposed to be 23 degrees tonight. All I can say about that is brrrrrr...and I'm glad I'm not a bird.

Gettin' Dressed Up

Is there anything better than playing dress up??? On any given day, we go through anywhere from two to, on a record day, seven outfits. That was for one kid! When they play dress up together, they usually do make it up onto Kinsey's stage. When neighborhood kids are over, the costumes include star wars characters, ninjas, pirates, wizards, princesses, puppies, babies, parents, teachers...the list goes on and on.

Here we have a clone trooper ninja. Also, notice the baton in the picture. Your guess is as good as mine.

It was morning when this picture was taken, thus the nightgown. The boots are the obvious choice if you've read any other entries about her. We were at the camphouse, so that explains the cork gun. The hat...her dad's. The pose - just Kinsey.

It's a standoff...

Kinsey had the camera for these next shots. They just cracked me up so naturally, I had to include them.

Here and There

I know it has been a while. Here are some pictures taken over the last month. No real stories to go with any of them...just something to look at!

Can you guess who loves her boots???