Flowers in December!

These are my pansies. I planted them in the front yard of our house and they have done very well. Living in Texas definitely has some up sides, like panies on December 31st.

Wild Animal Safari . . . Texas Style

So as part of the boys love of animals we decided to take a day and head out to the Natural Caverns Wild Animal Safari. What a great time we had.

Now I know goats are not exactly the most wild of animals. And why is it when they say petting zoo, there are only ever goats. There have got to be other animals that like to be petted.

Anyway Turner is getting over his aversion to letting the animals actually touch him. He even let this little guy eat out of his hand.

I just loved this picture. Plus I had to throw it in to prove Hayden was on the trip with us, because I didn't get another single picture of him while we were driving around as he was in the back seat.

At the park they have all different kinds of animals. Several caged in a walking area like Lemurs (two different kinds) Mackaw birds, Giraffes and Cavies. And then they have this 400 acre area you drive your car into and the animals are all wandering around. Of course you can buy food to feed the animals and of course we had to buy some, and of course the animals know you have food so they come right up to the cars.

I'm not sure what this animal is, but it is just so pretty I wanted too include the picture. I could go look in the little guide book we bought, but I'm to lazy right now.

These were awesome. The front one is a long horn. You'd think these were from North America, but not according to the little guide book we bought. The book said the long horn actually came from England and Spain and was brought over by settlers. Interesting!

The three in the back at Watusi. Not only do they have a cool rack on their heads, but a cool name. . . Watusi. That's what I want to be when I get reincarnated (no I don't really beleive in reincarnation).

The next thing we know there is this huge Buffalo coming at the car and he looked like he meant business. Now you are not actually suppossed to feed the animals from you hand, you are suppossed to drop the food on the ground. But this guy wasn't having any of that . . .

He decided to get up close and personal in the car and even wanted to take a taste of the Turner. This is one of my favorite pictures.

The sign said the Zebra's may bite, but we found them to be very friendly.

Towards the end of our four mile tour through the Texas Safari, Turner decided to give driving a go.

We had a great time. It amazes me all of God's creatures. Even when an animal appears ugly if you really look at it, it is such a beautiful thing. I have trully gained a new appreciation for God's creates as I see them through the wonder of my boys eyes.

One Sixth of the way there!!

Dave has finished his first semester as a Phd student. We are officially one sixth of the way through. YAHHHH!!! This has been such a crazy semester with us moving to San Antonio and getting settled. And through all of this Dave has perservered. He thinks he needs to keep this incredible GPA like he had in Grad School. And he was kind of upset with his overall ending GPA for this first semester, but I think he did awesome and a 3.4 in nothing to shake a stick at, especially with all that took place in during the semester.

So very proud of Dave.

Christmas Eve

Our little family has some set traditions for Christmas Eve. We always go out to dinner and have Mexican Food and we always read the Christmas story from Luke chapter two.

This year I think we may have added a new tradition to our list. Taking a trip on the River boat Barges at the River Walk to see the lights.

The air was a little crisp, but it was so nice to be with the family. We definitely won't stay on the River walk for our Mexican food next year, but all in all it was a great night. I love traditions.

San Antonio Zoo in December

We took the boys to the San Antonio Zoo today. Despite being friends of the zoo, this was going to be my first visit and I was a little leery about going to a new zoo. The St. Louis zoo is just so good, and I was worried about being disappointed. This was not the St. Louis zoo, but I need to have feared the San Antonio zoo is a great zoo and we had a wonderful time and a family. At one point I was sure we had covered at least half of the zoo when I saw a map and realized we hadn't even done a third.

Always have to get a picture of my incredible boys. This is at the entrance to the zoo.

They have a ton of flamingos at the zoo. This is Hayden doing his imitation of a flamingo. Lucky for us he smells way better than they do.

One thing the San Antonio zoo has which St. Louis doesn't is a Lorry exhibit. These birds were crazy. We had a great time feeding them, despite the fact one pooped on me. The birds were every where. Hayden was quite the trooper when they even landed on his head.

Just walking into the exhibit the birds swarmed to you if they saw you had the nectar they loved. Dave had a bunch all over him.

Turner loves animals or at least the thought of animals. He wasn't so thrilled when the lorries decided to land on his head. I didn't get a picture but the freak out was quite memorable. After that he didn't want anything to do with the lorries.


We didn't even make it through the whole zoo so there will be many more opportunities to feed the lorries.

Prep and Landing. . . This is so TINSEL!

I've never really been big into Christmas programs. When I was a kid I hated Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer. Charlie Brown was okay, I guess. But there is this show out there called Prep & Landing from Disney, it came out last year and it is the best Christmas show I have ever seen. Good thing to because Hayden loves it and I have seen it like twenty balizzion times. Literally.

Not to give it all away, but it uses every Christmas cliche out there and many lines from Christmas carol's. But my absolute favorite part is when Magee tells them the "rev up the engines" and the little elf comes down on the string in front of Dasher and Dancer and says "yeah, yeah, yeah" and they get all pumped up. You really have to see it.

But I just wanted to share one of our favorite things from this Christmas and last. And let everyone know Prep & Landing is so TINSEL!

Sad New and Reflection.

I found out today the mother of one of my high school friends died on Friday. I was sad to hear the new. I don't know what happened and other than Facebook I really haven't talked to my friend in years. But still it hit close to home. Her mom was older than my parents, but how quickly death can happen. Sometimes my mom will tell me of someone who has died and she usually follows it with and they weren't much older than your dad and I, or and he was younger than your dad and I.

This last month I have had the incredible opportunity of spending more time with my parents than I have had in years. I am grateful for that time and all the rest and the special moments we have had over the years. I hope that when the sad day comes and I have to say goodbye to them until I join them on the other side I will not have any regrets, that they will know of my love for them and my eternal gratitude for all they have done for me. I am not perfect, but I would not be even a smidgen of the person I am where it not for them. Thanks to them I have the true gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and a strong testimony of all it entails. Thanks to them I have had more life experiences than anyone person should be allowed to have. And thanks to them I have become the person I am today with all the self assurance I have and the knowledge I can do anything I put my mind to and not only will I accomplish my goal, but I will have their full support no matter the cost.

My heart goes out to Liz and her family at this time of year with the loss of someone so dear to them. I remember many a day's spent at Liz's house and talking to her mom about this or that. She was a good mom to Liz and truly loved her daughter.

Christmas Program

The boys had a Christmas program at their school the other day. It was such a good program and we were very lucky that Grandma and Grandpa Vernieuw were able to come up to see the boys in action.

Hayden got to play a shepherd. Turner was a reindeer.

He even kept the antlers on through most of the program I was so impressed.

Overall the program was really well done and they kids sang so well. Even Hayden was singing his little heart out. He practiced in the car for a week before the program and I was so impressed he know all of the words to all of the songs.

Santa made an appearance after the program and Hayden got to sit on his lap. Turner didn't want anything to do with the bearded man and kept shaking his head no while keeping a death grip on my arm.

Damn Dog . . .2010 version

Doesn't she look so sweet and innocent. Well she's not.

She is a devil dog!!! Devil dog I say! This is what I got up to this morning. I didn't even get a picture of half of it.

Yes, that is one of her raw hide bones sitting next to one of the chewed up glass balls from the Christmas tree. By the way this is one of sixteen glass balls she has chewed up this year. Yes I said sixteen. This does not include all of the ones she chewed up last year. Now she is a smart dog, she knows how to open the doors and all kinds of other things, but for some reason she has yet to figure out the glass ball all taste the same and she doesn't like the taste. I mean seriously I had to buy a bunch of new balls this year because of all the ones she broke last year and the ones the boys broke decorating the tree this year. Good thing they are cheap.

Also the Devil Dog ate the candy canes off all the little presents I put together for the boys teachers and my secret Santa present for work (the secret Santa present not once but twice. That is it laying on the floor in front of the Christmas tree). She at least left the presents intact and had you not known there was a candy cane it really wouldn't have been missed, but she is the devil I tell you, the devil.