Tree Triming 2013

 I don't know about you, but trimming the tree is one of my favorite things to do for the Holidays!   Mark actually tells me it is not called trimming the tree if it is artificial, but decorating it.  However, I find something so rustic about saying "trimming" so that is what we're gonna say.  Seriously though, there is something so magical about cranking up some Christmas music and reminiscing over ornaments you haven't seen in a year.  I love the family togetherness and I can't wait to see how it evolves as our kids grow older. I hope to make this one of the most special memories of home they have.  Until then, back to the present day.  Reid has really enjoyed Christmas this year, and though he is still working on grasping the big concept, all of the fun things are great.

Here are a few iPhone pictures snapped.  We were on our way to head to a family pre-thanksgiving meal this day.  Though we are normally die hard "no tree up until after Thanksgiving" people, we knew we would be gone from Thursday to Sunday to celebrate in Tyler, so up it went.

Seriously couldn't you just eat him up?

This is one of my favorite ornaments.  It was my great great grandmothers.  Her arms are tucked behind her back btw.

Proof that the parents actually do exist!

Sweet Owen on his first tree trimming!

My heart is full

I love this sweet boy!

Reid got the job of putting the star on the top! 

Too. Much. Cuteness!

Here you get an instagram video of Reid singing Frosty the Snowman!  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving 2013 and our Blessing Tree

Thanksgiving is quite possibly my very favorite holiday.  You get the togetherness of family, the good food, the awesome desserts, all without the stress of gift giving!  I love being able to see family and spend quality time with the people I love.  The further along I get into mine and Mark's marriage the more I feel his family is now mine as well.  This year (number 5) it really felt no different being at his house than it would if I were at my own.  For this I am truly grateful.  I don't know if it is the maturity that came with being older now, or what, but I am just glad it happened.

Several things happened over the Thanksgiving holiday, one being we were able to see Blake, Mark's twin, and his new wife Whitney for the first time since their wedding! It was so good to see them as a newly wed couple and just catch up with life and how everything was going.  Of course we were also able to see the other couples as well, and we talked about how awesome it was a that everyone was married finally!  I was also able to get a new phone with Black Friday deals, a Samasung Galaxy S4, for FREE!  I was a little pumped.  Being an apple girl, I was nervous about the switch, but I absolutely love the android operating system.  It took some getting used to, but we are rocking and rolling now.  After I got mine on Friday at midnight, 2 of  my sisters-in-law went to get the same deal!  You just can't beat it!  All of the pictures I took from that weekend are taken with my galaxy, so bear with me.

My two guys sitting down to Thanksgiving lunch!

A full table!  Finally!

These plates are what my MIL asks for for Christmas! They are beautiful!

Playing with Daddy and Uncle Blake 

While the girls clean up dinner!

Owen loves his Aunt "Whit".  I got him chilling out with her more times than one!

We were able to help my MIL put up her Christmas tree!

She also sewed me a tree skirt to match the stockings she made for me!

Isn't it beautiful!

In line with my sisters at best buy waiting to get a phone!

Every year at Thanksgiving Mark's high school friends get together to play games!  It is a great time had by all!

Lastly his next picture, I have to say this was one of my favorite things to do in November.  I had the idea to make a "Blessing Tree" and put our blessings on leaves every night at bible time!  It was the neatest thing to watch our leaves fill out the tree as we went on.  I wrote down everyone's blessings they thought of this year, and planning on doing this every year!

All in October

This is a random post of off the things that happened in the month of october around the clifton house!

I know this wouldn't be most people's cup of tea but I love living next to my parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle.  It is seriously the best.  One of the major benefits is getting to see family constantly.  We work together to get things done and as a result my kids get to experience different things and get to know their grandparents.  I adore the way Reid loves Poppy and wants to help him do many different things around the "land".

Reid helping Poppy on the Tractor

This kid also LOVES LOVES LOVES sports.  He will go to a football game and actually watch it.  He has done so for most of his life.  He claps when others clap, and just enjoys the game.

One of his birthday presents from his "Tink" (my aunt) was a two man tent!  He ate breakfast in it for 2 solid weeks.  

I just think he is adorable!

On October 19, my brother-in-law, Mark's Twin, Blake got married to a wonderful girl  We were all there to celebrate the occasion with Mark as best man and Reid as ring bearer.  Reid's eardrum had burst the Monday before, but we didn't find out about it until we were driving down Thursday morning!  Mark said "Um, Kristen, have you seen this green gunk coming out of Reid's ear?"  Poor guy did not sleep very good at all the two nights we were away.  However you can't tell it from the pictures!

Reid showing of his "bones".  They were also glow in the dark!

One of my sister-in-laws, Katy, who helped me get the boys ready and to the wedding.  Love her!

Every one is married!  Sister in laws!

Isn't he adorable?!

 The wedding was beautiful but it was a LONG trip back.  Made even worse by the ear escapade.  At one point I was sitting in the backseat trying to feed both boys who were screaming!  When that ordeal was over 30 minutes later I told Mark I had a proposition.  I decided he and I would renew our vows when the rest of his brothers all had small children and they would have to drive just far enough to make it feasible they could drive back.  Luckily I don't think that will happen, but at the time it made me feel better!

They both fell asleep the last 15 minutes of the 4 hour drive! 

The Good Year Blimp

Every day after breakfast and morning chores the boys and I head outside for a walk.  Then we usually head out again right after lunch to ensure they are good and tired and take a great nap lol!!!  Well this post-lunch walk got a little more interesting in good ol' Harleton, Texas.  We live right under a flight path so it is normal occurrence to  see a few planes and helicopters each day, along with  the space shuttle from time to time. 

This particular day I heard something that I knew was either very large or flying very low.  I figured it was a helicopter but was so confused because I kept hearing it but not seeing it.  It took a long time for anything to come into view and just kept getting so very loud!  When I finally caught a glimpse of what it was I couldn't believe my eyes, it was the Good Year Blimp!!!!!! 

It was indeed very  large and very low!  Reid was terrified at first and ran back to where I was because of the sound and the enormity of the thing!  It doesn't look that big in these iPhone pictures, but trust me, it was!

We may or may not have run down the road after it. . .

 Later on after Owen was asleep Reid and I decided to work on some more prewriting skills.  These little paper pockets are great and were on sale for a dollar whenever it was time for back to school to happen.  I just found various printables off line and printed them out.  He has had a blast so far.