Puppet Show

A few Sunday's ago Alaina put on a puppet show for us. The boys had to join in the fun. It was very entertaining.

After the puppet show mom pulled out her accordian to play for us. She is so talented.

I don't know what was more entertaining: Alaina telling the story of a giraff looking for someone to marry or Cody laughing at the show.

Jonny is gettign in on the puppet show action! The croud is anxiously awaiting the show.

TOO FUNNY!!!! The stage was behind the couch

We were eating dinner and I look over and see Jonny. He's not asleep, but almost! Doesn't look very comfortable.

Mom and Dad got a trampoline in their back yard. Shalene's kids love it! I love this picture of Alaina.

Cody has the best run on the trampoline. His legs are so short.

August Update

A friend from college got married in August. Here are all my dear Aggie friends at Ben and Holly's reception. We always sing the Aggie War hymn. It was so fun to see everyone again.

Nefelinda, Breanne and I at the wedding reception! What fun good memories. Thanks Lisa for coming with me.

Cody is so dang cute! Shalene moved in next door to my parents. I LOVE having them here.

Alaina, Jonny and I all went out for ice cream one day after school!

Fun activities!!!!!!

New School Year!

This will be my 7th year teaching at Maplebrook and my 6th year teaching PPCD - (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities). Since my 4 cinder block dolls can be really gray and boring I decided to make it a little more colorful. I found some puppets and used our play blocks to hold them up. Yes that is a ball pit!

I also decided to be more of a "teacher" and actually put up bulletin boards this year. I was hoping for a picture of a beautiful beach and some palms trees, but I'll settle for colors and shapes.
Our play area with very minimal toys out for First Day Fest.

Our fun circle time area. I love the block chairs!

The school year started off great! I have a great class!

Prince Edward Island

What a trip! I can't tell you how much fun this trip was.....Well once I got there. For the first time ever I missed my connecting flight from Montreal to Halifax due to the rare appearence of rain in Houston.

Lisa and I met in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We stayed at Kim Olvera's (co-worker)mom's house. It is a beautful house and it was extremely nice of her to let two strangers stay the night. On Wednesday morning Gloria(Kim's Mom) took us out to breakfast and then we drove her out to her cottage, which is an hour away from PEI. YOu can see her ocean view in the slideshow. I've never seen so many shades of green in my life! Pictures just can't do Canada justice.
On the way to the cottage we stopped off in Tatamagouche. They converted an old train station into a Bed and Breakfast. The train cars are actually motel rooms. The station has rooms upstairs a kitchen and trading post downstairs. It was a really cool idea.

To get to PEI we had to cross Confederation Bridge. It is an 8mile long bridge and it took us longer than 12min. to get acroos. Once we got to PEI we stayed in New London Bay Motel. We went down the street to Lucy Maud Montgomery's (wrote Anne of Green Gables)birthplace. Her mother died when she was young so she was raised by her grandparents. Who Marilla and Mathew are based on. Pictured in the slide show is a Hutch from her house. This is where she had an imaginary friend Katie. This inspired Anne's window friend when she lived with the Hamiltons and at the orphanage. The mantel is where LMM was married. Of course you can't miss the Lake of Shinning waters. A beautiful place infront of her grandparents house.
Wednesday night we went to a Celtic show put on by the Sky family. They are amazingly talented. Great music and dancing.


Wednesday - how to create a free slideshow

Thursday was just as much fun. We got up and went for a walk around the fields next to our hotel. We had lots of fun talking tons of pictures of the nature around us. So many different types of flowers. It's a good thing we went on a walk, because I realized my camera battery was dying. We went back to the hotel and charged it before heading to Green Gables. I could hardly contain my excitment and I think Lisa got a huge laugh out of me. At Green Gables we took a tour around the lot before heading into the Haunted Woods. The woods don't seem so haunted when there is a golf course right in the middle of them. The Green Gables in the film is obviously not the original, I believe they said it was a hotel somewhere. The inside of the house in the movie is a sound stage. Green Gables is actually where LMM's cousins lived. She would walk through the Haunted woods to get to their place. The woods were beautiful as well. I kind of joked we took three steps take a picture, walk another three steps take a picture etc.

If you walk out the front door of G.G. you walk straight down the path into the haunted woods. Placecards are scattered throughout the woods with quotes from LMM journal. Some are also from in the book.

LMM's homestead is no longer standing. It's just the brick surrounding the foundation that is there. It is here that she wrote Anne of Green Gables (G.G.)

Rachel Lynn "I once heard of an orphan that put striknine in the wheel, killed the whole family Marilla." That well is on the homestead property.

Next we toured G.G. Anne's room includes a puff sleeved dress and the slaight broken over Gilbets head. Marilla's room is nicely decorated and very neat. Mathew's room is off the kitchen as it was in the book. The stove in the kitchen is the same one they used in the film.

Behind G.G. is Lover's Lane. It is featured in the movie when Anne is walking through the woods reading a book on her way back to Mrs. Hamilton's house, with the 3 sets of twins. It again is ruined by a golf course cutting through.

That night we went to "Anne and Gilbert Musical" It was really cute. Its more about how Anne and Gilbert got together and follows the books more closely..... IF you've read the books you'll know Morgan Harris is not a main character at all.

Thursday - Free Slideshow Maker

Friday we got up and road bikes along the beach shore line..... Well kind of they have paths like the greenbelts in Kingwood, Tx you ride on. It was a beautiful mornign and even better.... We could wear a sweater! LOVED IT!!!!!!

We drove back to Halifax and took several pictures on the way home. One was of a sign that says half way between the North Pole and the equator. We stopped for lunch in a place with the largest blueberry farm. Lisa and I also chuckled at the speed limit signs. once in Halifax went to Citadel Hill. It's a really cool fort and Lisa and I had tons of fun talking pictures. The fort took 28 years to build. It was an active military post through two world wars up until 1952 when it was declared a national historic site. Next we made a stop off at a cemetary where some of the Titanic victims are buried. Then went went back to Gloria's house and went to sleep. Our plan left at 5:45am.


Friday - how to make a free slideshow

At last the trip had to come to an end sometime. :( Canada is beautiful and I enjoyed the trip a ton. I can't telling Lisa "I can't believe we are actually here!" It's true! I never thougth I would go there, but it was tons of fun!

Canada or Bust

Lisa and I are heading to Prince Edward Island next week. I can hardly contain my excitement. I've wanted to go for so long. Sad we aren't staying very long, but too excited to see all the sights from my favorite childhood movie. I always wanted red hair like Anne Shirley. I want to be on the plane right now.

LONG TIME!

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. Here are just a few highlights. Alicia's family came and visited for two weeks. It was fun to have them here for my birthday. We had a great family BBQ. We made homemade rootbeer with dry ice. I love watching the kids get all excited when we put the dry ice in the rootbeer. Claudia became a US citizen! I took the day off to go. We were very glad she made it through the ceremony with out going into Labor. Claudia and Dannen welcomed their new daughter Brooke into the world. She is very cute and I love to holdh her during church every Sunday. It has been alot of fun to have their family so close.

I also went to my first hockey game. I was disappointed. I actually love the game hockey, with the slamming up against the wall to get the puck. Unfortunately they also hirer players that are trained fighters. The game would stop so to players could take over their gear and duke it out on the ice. It was sad to see all the children yelling "fight".

Birthdays and Family Fun!!!

While mom was in California visiting Shalene, Dad and I went to the Humble Rodeo. It was kind of cold, but it was fun. The riders were good and the kids chasing the calfs was a lot of fun to watch too. Would you belive this is the same arena I graduated high School in?

I'm proud to be an American. I love our Flag and give thanks to those who fight for my freedom.

Mom's Birthday was a lot of fun. We went and looked at paint for the house and then dad made a pinapple upside down cake to celebrate. Happy Birthday to the Greatest mom!

This is one of my favorite pictures of my parents. I love to see the fun personalities they both have.

Blow out the Candles on your cake and make a wish! Serve everybodies favorite dish!

We also pulled out the fire pit for her birthday and roasted Hot dogs and had smores. It was alot of fun have Jason's family in town. Landon and Abby are so much fun to be with.

Landon was having a grand time eating smores. He's hands got pretty dirty.

Abby looks very excited to be roasting a marshmellow.

These two play very well together. Landon was singing for us. He sounds just like Jason did on some of our family home videos.

I love his blue eyes!

YUMMY!!!!

I think Landon enjoyed the nights activities.

Abby's birthday was just right after mom's. She couldn't decide on an Elmo cake or Scooby Doo. Dadra asked me to make a cake for her. Just so happens that we managed to get both in one cake. Abby loved it! The design of the cake pan is Scooby eating a Hamburger, so we made a minor change to Elmo, which made it a lot easier to decorate too.

Abby opening her presents and Landon loved them too.

Dannon and Claudia came over. Abby got a new out fit from them.

Abby got alittle laptop for her bithday. It was so fun to watch them all play on it.

Must have been a great afternoon. Jason, Dadra, Landon, Abby, Kyla and Dad all enjoying the day.

Still enjoying the games! Happy 5th Birthday Abby! She is excited she gets to go to school next year.