basketball and ballet

it was a short but great basketball season for isaiah.

the girls started ballet at the seminary.

this was sophia's first sport class to take! 

i love this picture...the kids with southern in the forefront.

i could track their lives and growth with this building in the background. 

 

christmas on the west coast - part 2

we had a nice long visit with the family in california!  6 cousins together...plus one more on the way (matt & laura the happy parents) made for some great adventures!  we are so blessed with such amazing people to call family!

christmas eve

christmas morning

michael leo and his new latch board

crazies

sisters...just missing kendall!

daddies getting ready for an attack

during a wrestling/ball game, caleb kicked out alaythia's already VERY loose tooth!

these two were such big helpers in the kitchen

with their matching aprons

rollerskating - so much fun

i love this picture...

Christmas on the west coast - part 1

we didn't have much time in the northwest...just 4 days.  but we HAD to get there to see our new baby cousin.  the kids meeting bronson west for the first time was...hard to put words to.  the bond between the 4 of them was fun to watch!  we can't wait to add another hendrix cousin in september! (adam & emily are the proud parents.)

 

other fun things included:

cooking with gramma

            getting into gramma's make-up and perfume      

 

seeing grandpa for the first time

(and getting to be with moses)

gramma put on a 'girls only' christmas tea!  so so amazing!

and more bronson.  this auntie's heart was full at getting to be with him again.

end of the football season - the colts game

in early november, isaiah had the opportunity of a lifetime.  his mighty mite football team went to a colts football game, and after they watched the game, they were allowed to go down on the field and play a scrimmage game in full pads.  sometimes i am amazed at my son and all the things he has gotten to do in his short 7 years of life.  this is his second NFL game to see live.  and will probably be his only chance to be down playing football on an NFL field.  he and daddy were the only ones who got to do this, but matt was sent with specific instructions to document it as fully as he could.  here is some of that documentation!

walking onto the field. #14 at the end.

 

i know it's dark..but if you can see #14 in the middle, you'll see he playing is QB...on the colts field!!

happy

lyndon lightning mighty mites

thanksgiving in kentucky

even though we have lived 2500 miles from family for the past 4.5 years, we are very blessed, in that MOST major holidays we get to spend with extended family.  this thanksgiving however we were excited to be just the 5 of us.  while this was exciting on many levels, it was a bit scary for me, because it meant that i would have to cook my own thanksgiving dinner...all on my own.  turns out, matthew was all in so i wasn't on my own!  alaythia also helped a lot.  we had a great time planning the menu (from food network recipes), and then carrying it out. 

as we sat down to dinner my heart was full at those around me.  i was afraid that in that moment, i might feel lonely, or like something was missing.  but it was quite the opposite.  my heart was full and overwhelmed at the family that God has given to matthew and i.  at MY family. 

paula dean's apple pie

bobby flay's parker house rolls

matt's one request...jello with fruit! 

giada's gravy.

giada's turkey recipe

ina's mashed potatoes

rachel ray's green beans

 

table setting

sitting down to dinner! it was a fantastically beautiful day!

love, love my family!

last trip to the zoo

our zoo passes expired at the end of november and so we decided, the day before thanksgiving, to go as a family once last time.  we had a great time, exploring and enjoying.  but by far our favorite part was the polar bear.  this young bear was so playful that day, and provided us opportunity to see things we might never again!

the polar bear came into sight, walked right up to the window where we were standing, and then jumped in to the water.  caught all of us by surprise.

he swam out to a rock in the middle of the pool, and tried to decide what to do next.

jumped in and tackled a 5 gallon bucket, and then went back for more.

the best shot of the day.  he had carried his red football up onto the rock, then threw it in, and then decided to go get it.  i had to enlarge this photo so you could see how amazing it was to watch him play.

such a great last trip to the zoo!

pumpkin patch

we had a blast heading to a small pumpkin patch on a saturday in late october.  it was an overcast day which made for perfect conditions for pictures!