Catching Up!

Catching up!... I mean skipping and starting with November :)

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun this year.  We hosted it at our home again with friends in the ward.  There was a lot of good food, as can be expected, and we had a lot of fun playing board games and chatting with our friends, even some new friends. 

Joseph took advantage of the Thanksgiving break from work to take care of some projects around the house, including filling two garden beds, building a workbench, a planting some rose bushes.

We also played some ultimate Frisbee and Frisbee golf with the family of our friends the Rogers.  They are an older couple with kids our age, but we like to hang out with them.  Sister Rogers and Michelle work out at the gym together, and Joseph and Brother Rogers talk about nerdy engineering stuff.

Becky and Jeremiah came down to visit us after thanksgiving.  We had fun visiting, filling up garden beds, and playing Farkle.  We experienced the worlds greatest streak of luck when we went around the table 3+ times without a farkle, with the finishing player (Joseph :) racking up 45,000 or so points in one turn.  CRAZY.

We set up Christmas this last week and the boys really enjoy the lights.  Daniel loves seeing Christmas trees and lights.  We are back in the habitual watching of Polar Express, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is in mandatory hiatus, per Mommy.

Michelle started teaching piano lessons to a family in our ward.  We decided to do a time trade, piano lessons for help with work on Joseph's truck.  At the time, we thought we would need to do an engine replacement, but we may be not needing that anymore (which is a good thing to say the least). 

Michelle drove up to Austin with the boys (minus Dad) to go to Time Out for Women.  She had a great time being spiritually fed and spending time with the central Texas Adams ladies.  Thanks to Robert A for watching the boys.  Joseph had to stay home to help out with his plant's startup activities.

Speaking of which, the plant is coming along nicely and is making product water at partial rates.  It feels really good to have the plant running even to a partial degree after working on it for so long.  Work is extra stressful with end of year budget constraints and other things.

We have enjoyed watching BYU play football.  We have been going over to our friends the Krogues for football watching parties and have had a blast.  If only we won every game...  We still have fond memories of when we went to go see BYU play in Houston :)

Michelle has been working with our ward choir.  Our numbers are improving, and we had a WONDERFUL performance for thanksgiving.  it must be thanks to all of those muffins that Joseph bakes for choir practice...

Daniel is getting better at potty training, remembering on his own.  He still loves to play with trains and run and run and run.  He loves his baby brother, although he doesn't love it when he takes his toys away.  He loves "Daddy's blue truck" and frequently talks about going to go bye bye to see grandpa.

Jason is very mobile now and loves to get into everything.  He loves taking things out of cabinets and drawers.  And we mean everything.  He considers it his job to make rounds around the house and take everything out.  Desk drawers, toys, kitchen cook wear, Daniels clothes, etc etc.

Joseph's intern Jean has started taking discussions with the Elders.  He is responding to it well and we enjoy the discussions that we are having.

Love Joseph, Michelle, Dan the starry eyed man, and Jason the tornado boy.