Thanksgiving and Advent

My blog posts are all mixed up chronologically, just in case you are feeling confused...This is what we did over the Thanksgiving break (I think this was a Sunday). There's a nature trail kind of park close by that is by Lake Houston. We love to take a hike and the girls love to throw little rocks into the water. Here's my pretty dog in a picture all by himself! He's such a good boy and so sweet with the girls. It probably helps that they think it's really fun to give him treats. He got to run around loose a little here and managed to eat something that made him very violently ill in the middle of the night. Ewwwww! Luckily I heard him making weird noises and was able to let him out for most of it. The girls thought it was very interesting to take him to the doctor the next day and see him get a shot. :) We also put up the tree and put some of the garland on. We saved the rest for when Anton was with us again.

Two silly girls pretending to sleep together.There's Anton! It was a school night with lots of homework though, so we had to wait a few more days for the ornaments. The Christmas orchestra concert was beautiful as usual!Here's Anton's girlfriend Allison. She's very sweet!She came over to help us decorate the tree (2 weekends ago).

Anton getting is ready to go to the region band competition. He did really great! He competed at the highest level (5A even though his school is only 4A). He got 2nd chair so he will get to compete in January in the area level to try to get a spot at state. He also gets to be in the region orchestra performance sometime next semester, which he loves and the concert is a real treat for us. In case you are wondering about his outfit, he just had to show up with black socks and belt. They keep the concert tuxes at the band hall.

Here's some more pictures from last weekend when we got to watch the Pence girls. Here's the BFF's about to go to the Nutcracker.

And a little sister!

And some fun pictures playing in the backyard and in the leaves.

Nutcracker

I downloaded my camera today - it's been a while!!! So here's some random pictures over the last 3 weeks or so...
The girls are getting a lesson from Anton in skateboard repair. :) Anna showing off her turkey homework project from school. She had to disguise him so he wouldn't get eaten.

Some fun Thanksgiving crafts from school...

I had a playday a few weeks ago and my friend Jaci got the full salon service. :)

This is the day that Anton got his license. This is his first drive by himself!!!

There he goes, driving away in my Jeep all by himself!!!!!

The girls at our friend Riley's birthday party.

Our friend Abby was there too!

There's the birthday girl, with my sweet Emma picking her nose in the background! Yuck!Tony and I got to watch the Pence girls last Saturday while the rest of their family went to Austin so Jessica could sing with the women's ensemble at the state capital. Tony of course took more pictures than me, but I'll have to save them for the next post. I took Anna and Joanna to the Nutcracker while the little girls napped at home with Tony. It was great fun!!!

They made it through the 1st act in our real seats. They seemed to like it and did really great.

At intermission we went to find the bathroom.Sweet friends! They made it almost through the whole show, but I sat in the very last row while the girls danced behind me.

Back at home playing in the backyard.

Natalie got brave with Junior!I took these pictures today. The girls were splashing in the puddles with the new rainboots that Sinterclaus brought them (he comes to Holland on the 5th so he makes a special little visit to our 1/2 dutch kids all the way over here in America). They know he'll come back with more goodies on Jesus' birthday! :)And lunch at the playground. It was very cold, but they insisted on a picnic at the park for lunch.

Good times!!!