We had a great time at Mimi and Pop's house in Georgia! The food was fabulous and the company was great! The kids just love being with mimi and pop and helping out in the kitchen. Ben loved hanging with pop in the woods and just doing boy things. We ate great, went to a the movies, shopped a little and once the kids went to bed we watched more movies(kind of a tradition for us). I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I am so thankful for my babies and hubby and really thankful for MY great parents. THanks for having us, Mom and Dad, I bet it is REALLY quiet at your house!!! hee hee
Boys doing "boy things" didn't you know you need an electic saw to cut a hickory stick?? (getting the hickory cut to smoke the turkey!)
Mimi and her little helper!
cooking up something good!
Turkey legs, anyone?
Ben making his roll an airplane and Katie telling Pop one of her MANY stories!!!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! GObble GObble!
Family Pictures
Of course, our annual tradition of getting a good family picture continues. I posted just a couple and surprisingly we were able to get a few for Christmas cards... It is always a "fun" event trying to get everyone looking the right way and smiling the right way... Ben is in his silly stage which makes for some "good" pictures.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
I am a National Board Certified Teacher!!!!
For those who knew about this... you know what I am talking about but for those who don't have a clue what that means... let me tell ya! Last year, well actually over a year ago, I started the journey of becoming a national board certified teacher. This is a professional development program for teachers to look at their teaching and meet standards of an excellent educator. It is a time grueling process and alot of hard work. It includes completing a HUGE portfolio complete with 2 videos of my teaching, sample work from students and lots and lots of reflection, analysis and evidence. On top of the portfolio, an assessment center exercise has to be completed which includes 6 prompts from all curriculum areas and in my case dealing with children between the ages 3-8. This was hard for me due to a husband that travels and two small children. I did not have the time on the weekends to devote just to national boards. There were many a night I would just cry and tell Craig "I quit." Sooo... by saying all of this I really do not know how I made it and how I actually passed. I was very insecure about the assessment center but luckily I scored enought to pass! So to my family THANK YOU for all the encouragement and confidence you had in me! To my friends, thank you for telling me I could do it! To all my "Teacher friends", and mentor, Cheryl Thomas, thanks for listening to me complain, reading my work and cheering me on! I am so glad it is OVER!!! Now I can finally relax.... a little!!! :)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Singing Time
This past Sunday Katie sang in church with the 4-5 year old choir... she of course is the oldest due to the September birthday and thus towers over the other children. She did such a great time, they all did. She is not a LOUD singer... well not there, at home is another story. But Sunday she sang so sweetly with such a dear expression on her face. I about tear up EVERY time she sings. She wore the beautiful dress Grandmama gave her. (and of course bow in the hair!)
I will post pics of Ben's choir debut shortly... His 3 year old choir did not sing in BIG church but had a mini-concert last night with just the parents... wait until you see the pics... priceless... lets just say Katie is the performer in the family!!! smile, wink!
Big Craig and LIttle ben CRAIG mattox
I had to RUN and get the camera on this afternoon to capture this moment. Ben did this on his own and it just warmed my heart to see my little guy following in my big guy's foot steps!!! I mean, how sweet is this????
Nothing Better than a pile of leaves!
The approach.... Full out RUN!!!
Katie in the lead and litte bro catching up!!
Girls Night Out
My teacher friends!!! They are the best!!!
Tanya, Me, Kelly, Kelley W.
This was taken at Sips n Strokes for Tanya's bachorlette party!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
New Layout
I thought I would change my layout for the Thanksgiving holidays... thought this was way too cute... I will be updating our profile, I promise maybe tonight... I have some CUUUTE pictures of the kids etc. I have just been a busy little bee now that the holidays are quickly approaching...
so check back in a couple of days hopefully for some new pics!!!
Jen
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Pumpkin Carving and Trick or Treating!!
Before we went trick or treating, Craig had bought a huge pumpkin for us to carve. The kids had a ball helping daddy create the masterpiece! Ben was dressed up as Handy Manny and Katie was a "funky" cinderella... We went over to a friend's house right after school and had an artist paint her face and do her hair. I thought it would be fun for Katie to be a little funky for the trick or treating... so she really did her face up cool and teased the mess out of her hair complete with spray and glitter... any girls dream!!!
Ben and Katie watching daddy.
My funky little cinderella not disgusted a bit with the pumpkin guts!
daddy really is serious about his pumpkin carving.(we used to have contests to see who was the best... for some reason I never won!)
cool shot from above!
Mama, Katie, Marcelle the monkey and my cheese monster:Ben with the masterpiece!
Ben had to take a rest and try some of his candy out... he just plopped himself down on these steps and poured out his skittles and chowed down... gotta love it!!!
Fall Festival 2008
Wednesday night was the annual fall festival at MBBC. Like always it was fun, chaotic and exhausting! Katie and Ben had a great time playing games and getting candy! We were so excited that our favorite babysitter came to visit! Ben also got to meet up with his best buddy, Eli.
Katie doing a little fishing!
Pure concentration!!!
Lindsay, our favorite babysitter...now a freshman at Samford University! Go Bulldogs!
