January Little Things

January seemed like a really long month.  But at the same time, I can't believe that February starts tomorrow!  Here are some little things that happened this month:

Eden and Lily had their 3rd Six Weeks Awards program and both received awards for A Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance, and Perfect Conduct.

Parker received the 7th grade Star Student Award for 3rd Six Weeks.  He got to invite his family to come eat lunch with him on stage during his lunch period.  Cory couldn't get off of work with such short notice so the girls and I joined him for lunch.  They had pizza and cookies for the students/families and he was given a certificate in front of the entire 7th grade.  We were so proud of him for being recognized for his hard work this year!

During winter break, Parker got both braces and contacts and they have completely changed his looks!

We enjoyed a girl's day out one Saturday with Emily, Addison, and Aubrey.  We went shopping and ended our day with milkshakes at Chick-Fil-A!  The girls convinced Emily and I to let them have a sleepover and they had a great time playing, watching movies, and giggling way past their bedtime.

 Lily and Aubrey still like to dress alike and wore the same dress to church on Sunday.

Cory went on his annual ski trip to Beaver Creek with Dr. Ranelle and Dr. Hu.  I chose not to go this year but Cory had a great time being wined and dined for a few days.

Eden and Lily are almost finished with their Little Dribblers basketball season.  They've both had great seasons and have learned a lot.  Both of their teachers were able to make it to one of their games this year.  The girls are always so excited when they come to watch them play.

2020 is off to a great start!  I can't wait to see what February has in store for us!

We Are the Champions!

Parker's 7th grade basketball team took first place in the Joshua A Team tournament this weekend.  They all played very well and won all three games by at least 15 points.  We are so thankful for Coach Ellis and everything he's taught Parker this season.  This is a fun team to watch and I'm sad that we only have a few more games before the season ends.  

 Parker had his own cousin cheering section!

 Way to go, Parker and the SMS Yellow Jackets for a job well done!

Ringing in the New Year

We started 2020 by taking Parker to a Dallas Mavericks basketball game at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas.  Parker got tickets for Christmas  and it was a fun way to ring in the new year!  It was Wizarding Night so everything during the game was Harry Potter themed.

 Our seats were in the first row of the top section right on the center court line.

It was a fun game and the Mavericks came away with a big win over the Brooklyn Nets.  Parker really enjoyed watching the game- I hope this is something we will be able to do again soon!

December Little Things

We start a new decade tomorrow and I'm sitting here wondering how on earth 2019 can already be over!  The years get faster and faster every single year.  We started the month decorating the tree and getting the house ready for Christmas.  The kids are such good help these days!

Parker tried out for the Region Band and made alternate.  He found out on a Thursday that he had been called up to replace someone who couldn't make it and got to be a part of the Region Band in Granbury.  He went to practice on Friday evening and Saturday morning and then performed in a concert on Saturday afternoon.  He learned a lot and had a lot of fun!  Cory and I were so impressed at how great the band sounded after only a few hours of practicing together.

While Cory and I attended Parker's Region Band performance, Eden and Lily went to the Mansfield Christmas parade with Emily and the cousins.  They had a lot of fun and got a lot of candy!

Eden made an edible landform project at school and ended up eating most of it after she brought it home!

She also presented her GT project this month.  Her GT class has been learning about Roman times this semester.  They had to research a person that would have lived during this time, dress up like that person, and present their research to a judge.  This was way out of Eden's comfort zone but she did a great job!  It was not easy but I am so proud of her for being so brave and making it through her presentation.  She ended up getting a first place ribbon at the GT Café for her project.

Lily's GT class also made a project for the GT Café.  She created an original board game, made a commercial, and presented it to a judge.  Lily not only got a first place ribbon, but also got the Judge's Merit Award for being the top overall presenter in 3rd grade.

The SMS Wind Ensemble came to Gerard to play Christmas music for the students and did a great job!

Lily loves going over to Granna's to spend the afternoon.  One day I got a picture from my mom of Lily playing in shaving cream.  She always has so much fun when she goes to Granna's house!

Parker and Maggie have a special bond.  One afternoon I found them napping on the couch together.

Last week, we drove over to Mansfield to go ice skating with the cousins.  The girls had been ice skating one other time for Addison's birthday but it was Parker's first time to try.  It took him a while to get comfortable on the ice and I'm not sure he will ever want to try it again.  

Thank goodness for the buckets that help kids who have never skated before!

About 5 minutes after this picture was taken, Aubrey ran into the glass wall of the ice rink and chipped her front tooth in half.  Luckily, Emily was able to get her into an endodontist within the hour and get it fixed.  I'm not sure Aubrey will ever want to go ice skating again either!

2019 has been a good year for The Brown family and we have some exciting things in store for 2020!  There are so many things we have to be thankful for and I can't wait to get a new year started!

Edenisms and Lilyisms

The girls don't mix up words like they used to when they were little but every now and then they say things that make me smile.

Edenisms-
Donimoes = dominoes

Lilyisms-
Me- "Lily do you want to go get your Bible to take to church?"
Lily-"No, it's the wrong 'transportation' (translation) anyways."

China seeds = chia seeds
"Mom, can you put some of those china seeds in my smoothie?"

Lily (after hearing a curse word on TV)- " Why didn't they 'bleach' (bleep) it out?"

Lily- "I'm a smart aleck. (pause) Mom, what's an aleck?"

Texas Bowl

Emily found out last week that she won four tickets to the Texas A&M Bowl game in Houston this weekend.  Jon and Cory both had to work so we decided to take Parker and Addison with us to the game.  We left yesterday morning and had to stop in College Station for a few minutes. We also stopped on the way to the game to eat at Gringo's- my favorite Mexican restaurant when I lived in Houston.  I hadn't eaten there in almost 20 years and it was just as good as I remembered!

We made it to the game just in time for kickoff.  Our seats were amazing!  They were on the 7th row in the end zone.

The Aggies didn't play well in the first half but came back and won the game!

We spent the night with our aunt and uncle in Cy-Fair and then got up early the next morning to head home.  I had never been to Buc-ees so we had to stop on our way out of Houston.

It was a very quick road trip to Houston but I had so much fun spending time with Parker. Emily, and Addison.  And getting to watch the Aggies come away with a win was icing on the cake!