Small miracles

Christmas itself is a beautiful miracle. The meaning, the transformation of the individual spirit, and the wide-eyed wonder of little ones. This year we got an added bonus... Snow. Dallas experienced it's first official white Christmas in over 80 years. It started to snow Christmas Eve and lasted all the way through Christmas day. Now that is a miracle... at least a small one that we got to enjoy.

First Haircut

Why is it so hard for a mother to cut those first locks?

Now that I am cutting three heads of boys hair I told Dave he owes me $25.00. Five for each head and a ten dollar tip. I am expecting my money any day!

Joshua's birthday

Cake! Ice cream! and Presents!

Josh had a fun 1st birthday. He was lucky enough to have Grammie here to help celebrate. We sure enjoy our little Josh. He loves to laugh... and eat!

If only...

If only it were this easy to wash the kids, the car, and the house! I might even have time to do MY hair!!

Fall Fun and Festivities part 2

Here are a few pictures of us all at the Texas State Fair and Halloween. To be honest, I am grateful all these "fun fall activities" are over!!! I think I will sleep until Thanksgiving!

(Benjamin and his little friend Ethan were Bateman and Robin. These costumes originated from the early years of David and Matthew Stowell! Eliza was "Fancy Nancy" for her school costume, but chose to wear Belle the night of Halloween. Josh was just himself...cute!)

Our Little Cowboy.

Here is Ben's big event at the Texas State Fair. He won a trophy for "wrestling" that cow down the fastest! He really does make one handsome cowboy...Yeehaw!

Fall Fun and Festivities

Fall is such a fun time of year. We miss the brilliant color changes of thewest but we will take what we can get here in

Texas.This year we have had a lot of rain, but it has still been enjoyable. Eliza hadtwo days off of school recently so we took advantage of them.

One of our favorite

places is the Dallas Arboretum and their traditional Autumn Festival. It is a

pumpkin paradise. The kids

(especially little Josh)

enjoyed climbing all over the masses of pumpkins. Eliza's favorite part was getting her face

painted, and Ben

liked eating McDonald's Happy

Meals on the picnic tables. Mom was just happy to have a day outside with all three kids.

Our next favorite Fall tradition is the Texas State Fair. Dave took the day off so we could all go. We rode the "green line" train to the fair park and spend the day enjoying the sites, tastes, and rides of the fair. Ben

won a little trophy in the "Pee Wee Stampede Rodeo" for cattle roping. (It was really just a barrel of hay with horns on it that he had to tip over). Eliza enjoyed picking out a treasure at one of the booths. Josh loved feeding the animals (goats, lamas, long-horn cattle, you name it!) in the petting zoo. We all ate a yummy corny dog and some Borden's chocolate milk. Unfortunately towards the end it started to rain, and Josh got into a nasty pile of fire ants, but all-in-all it was a good day!