Just Plain Cute

I don't really have anything to blog about but thought I would share some pics from this week. In other news, we just found a good deal and booked a flight to Utah for a few days over Christmas break, making my holiday a little more hectic and expensive than I would like but we had to take advantage of our last flight opportunity before Eli is two and requires a ticket as well. We are really excited to see some family.

Good Grief!

CJ was the star of our ward Christmas party last night and he did an amazing job. I am so in love with my enthusiastic, talented, hilarious husband! Way to go CJ!

Texas Snow

Snow is not a rare commodity for all those who read this blog but I had to post it because this is extremely rare for Houston and for it not to melt the instant it touches the ground is even more rare. It broke a record for the earliest snow in Houston. We got a few slushy flurries last year, but this felt like real snow. The Utah snow must have followed us to make CJ happy with living in a warm climate that his wifey prefers:) Ok, that was winter enough for me, now bring me back my 70 degree weather!

Cutest husband, father, teacher, runner, student, birthday boy...

We had a special celebration day on Sunday since CJ had to share his birthday with Thanksgiving this year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAYTON JAMES!
-love, wenders

Thanksgiving with the Hansens

CJ had the whole week off this year so we headed over to Atlanta to visit his sister's family. We had fun playing all week- especially Eli (the little punk figured out how to climb out of the pack and play, making naptime/bedtime slightly difficult). When it was time to sleep, he would repeat "play, Ava" (he is still saying Kate, Ava, and Emmett and we've been home for 3 days). Monday night we went to see New Moon- woot-woot! And Wednesday night we made pies. Here is a pic of these two with the late night crazies- they had to get up early the next moring for the run- yay!

Thursday morning, CJ and Carolyn ran the half-marathon and they both did awesome. It was CJ's first race and he got an excellent time of 1:49::44. I am so proud:)

After the race we hurried home to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. While everything was in the oven we participated in the Hansen traditional "Turkey shoot". The kids all shot the turkey Dads with paintball guns. Later on, this lucky wife got to shoot turkey CJ:) Carolyn also had a little too much fun shooting CJ and Jackson.

Thanksgiving dinner was beautiful and delish! Several other families joined us making about 20 people total. Carolyn went all out and made everything wonderfully perfect. And, of course, we sang to the Birthday boy and ate yummy pies.

We had the best time and were sad to go. Eli had the most fun of all- playing with Jackson and his dog, Bodie; getting Jeep rides from cousin Kate- cruisin' around the yard, and having her read him bedtime stories every night; playing in a playroom full of toys with Ava; playing ball with Emmett; and jumping on the trampoline with all the cousins.

It will be an adjustment being home with boring old mom in our little apartment, but at least he had his fill of non-stop fun. Thank you Hansens for an awesome week and yummy Thanksgiving!

Halloween

My mom sent Eli the cutest dinosaur costume and when we put it on him he ran to look in the mirror and then ran around the house saying, "roar!". It was so fun. He sported his cool new costume at his cousin's first birthday party and our ward trunk-or-treat. Halloween weekend we went to Austin for CJ's foreign language conference so I spent all Saturday morning walking around with my little dino and taking pictures. When we came home to Houston that afternoon, we took our dinosaur to Taco Bell for black-jack tacos. CJ and I made rice crispy treats and sipped hot caramel cider. It was fun teaching Eli about Halloween and he even learned a new word: pumpkin. He is ever more talkative and likes to answer my questions with "uh-huh" or "uh-NO". In other news, CJ took the GRE this weekend and did great.

Wild Beasts and Warriors

CJ did not have to work on Columbus Day so we took advantage of free day at the zoo. Free- that is my favorite part. I forgot my camera but we met up with my sister and she had hers so we actually got to be in a picture all together as a family. Eli liked the petting zoo but I think his favorite animals were the sea lions because they caught his attention the most and he said "wow!". It was supposed to be cooler and rainy but as usual the forecast was not completely accurate. We walked around all day with our rain jackets stuffed in the stroller and the sun beating down on us. After the zoo, we ditched our jackets in the car to walk across Hermann Park to get to our next adventure at the Museum of Natural Science. Of course, the rain came pouring down, soaking us for a chilly experience in the air conditioned museum:) We met up with our friend Megan to see...The Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit!!! It was a little pricey but well worth it considering our day at the zoo was free and this exhibit is the chance of a lifetime. Needless to say, I was excited and enjoyed it along with another exhibit- Spirits and Headhunters- about the disappearing cultures of the Amazon basin. Eli fell asleep in the stroller allowing me to enjoy our museum visit a little more (less distractions). It was a fun filled day and by the end we were all exhausted. I loved every minute of it:)