The rock work is almost complete, but much of the planned work was delayed by rain. In a way, it was good too have the rain because we were supposed to be keeping the surface wet. (Notice Jason watering it down in one picture) On the other hand, the decking and hot tub tile didn't get to be finished.
Next week should be productive with a dry forecast. Of course, it is also Christmas, which means the workers will likely have a few days off.
Construction is under way at the Karnes house! We are amazed at how much work was done from Monday to Thursday! More to come...
Braden and Landry did the garter and mum exchange this year for homecoming! This dud of a Mom thought it was a bit overboard given their ages, but it turned out to be really fun!
Landry actually got to ride in a limousine, which could be a once in a lifetime experience. It's a long story, but to make it short- the father of the boy she went with has a limousine service.
They definitely made some great memories. And they gave us a reminder that they're growing up too fast!
Well, summer has passed again! The kids started school today: Braden is in 6th grade, Landry is in 5th grade, and Tripp is in 1st grade.
I love to watch them all grow and mature. They were so excited to see their friends today and get back into the routine of school. I'm sure they'll be exhausted within a couple of days, and then they will have earned the Labor Day holiday!
Jason has been back to work for a few weeks now. He completed so many projects around the house this summer that I couldn't even name them all! I'll have to get back to pulling my weight around here too, because he does 90% (at least) of the housework during the summers! Have I ever mentioned how spoiled I am?
We had a great vacation to Galveston! We rented a house with our friends, the Muellers. Luckily, we were on a portion of beach that was cleaned daily because the seaweed is very heavy in Galveston.
Jason and all of the kids built a huge sand castle village that was still standing when we left to come back home! Basically, we spent our time either at the beach or at the pool during the day. At the beach, we played frisbee, paddle ball, wiffle ball, badminton, and catch with the football and baseball.
We played some board games at night that gave us great laughs. The kids got free time on their devices (ipad/Kindle/etc), and I had plenty of reading time!
The best part of the trip was that we didn't have anything planned. There was no rushing around to get here and get there. We slept in, enjoyed coffee on the porch, and moved at the pace we wanted. Some of us took naps, which was quite a treat! We ate one meal out for fresh seafood, but otherwise we fixed easy meals at the house.
We stopped to give the kids a quick tour of A&M on the way home. That place has changed so much, we almost felt like it was a different place! We both have so many good memories of college though, and it was fun to share some of the stories.
Landry and I took a road trip to Oklahoma City last Friday to watch some college softball. The world series is going on there, and it was a super experience!
When we bought our tickets online, we unknowingly purchased VIP passes to the hospitality tent where they had food, drinks, yard games, and an autograph session! For the game we sat on the 3rd baseline and were sure we'd get a foul ball. We did not! But that's ok, we had a blast!
Landry even got to see one of her friends from school who was there. We enjoyed two games, and Landry sampled many of the concessions. She had her first try of Dippin' Dots. Their slogan has been "the ice cream of the future" ever since I was a kid... Even with my criticism of the slogan, she grew a quick fondness for those tiny beads of ice cream!
Hopefully we can make this an annual event, but we do request the guys to join us next time!
Braden turned 12 this week! He ended his baseball as an 11 year old with a bang! He hit two homeruns this past weekend. One of them was a grand slam to put his team ahead by one run!
He got braces put on this afternoon, so we did our birthday celebration during the week!
Here are some pictures from his big day on the baseball field...
We had an incredible vacation to Surprise, AZ, to see the Rangers at spring training. We went with two families from Braden's baseball team.
The kids got tons of autographs, and we watched more baseball than you could imagine. We rented a house, and the kids swam in the beautiful sunshine. Tripp lost a tooth while we were there, so you'll have to ask him if the tooth fairy travels to Arizona!
We all made great memories! I hope we can do it again!
Our baby boy is 6 years old today! We tend to have birthday weekends rather than just birth-days! Tripp has celebrated with brownies, donuts, candy, and cake!
Tripp has surely been a blessing to our family. He makes us laugh constantly! He is spoiled rotten, of course. But, he is also just as sweet as you could imagine. He is a one of a kind, and we thank God for him on his special day!
Landry had another martial arts test Thursday. She passed with flying colors. The most exciting part was that she got to spar at the end. There is a girl a couple years older than her that is a great match. They went three rounds of 3 minutes, and they did great!
Landry also broke a board on her first attempt with a reverse side kick. Of course I'm bragging at this point, but she gives me a lot to brag about!!
Landry's Nana takes her on an annual shopping trip each birthday, and this year they went to the American Girl Doll store! Landry has a special relationship with Patti, and they love doing this trip each year.
Here is Landry with Isabelle.
Tripp tested for his green belt today, and he did great! He nailed all of his kicks and combo's. The best part was when he broke the board with a strong hook kick- on his 1st attempt!
Way to go Bones! He chooses McDonald's for celebration supper. We'll have to mature those taste buds a little to feel like we're all getting a treat!
Tripp had his kindergarten program tonight. He was a ham through all of the songs. It's funny how your kids can be so different, and he and Braden are about as opposite as possible. Actually, Braden doesn't mind being a clown now, but he dreaded any kind of performance at age 5. Does that mean Tripp is going to be in Super-Clown mode by 5th grade?? Yikes!
I had a lunch date with Tripp today! He asks me every week to come and have lunch with him one day. Friday is ice cream day, so we give each of the kids $1 for a treat. Tripp said he usually gets the orange creamsicle, but he picked the rainbow pop today. Looking at this picture makes my teeth hurt!!
