Thanksgiving 2014

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Our Thanksgiving break was fantastic.  B got off a little early on Tuesday so we drove to MS Tuesday night.  I think we arrived at 1:00 am and transitioned the kids over quite easily.  Wednesday morning we had breakfast and just played around the house while my mom went to pick up Uncle Bubba from AL.  He had off from work, so it was great to spend some time with him.  Our first agenda item was to visit the Hubbles over near Timberton.  Mr. and Mrs. Hubble had recently moved to MS from IL and they were living not far from Sue and Dr. B.  I'm not sure if they remembered us, but old people always like to see little kids.  We visited with them for a while and Uncle B and AC came too.  The kids colored pictures for Mr. & Mrs. Hubble and I think that made their day. 

After that visit, we had lunch at Raisin' Canes (my fav).  My mom had some sort of coupon thing so our food was cheap and good!  Our big plans for Wednesday was to see Big Hero 6.  AC babysat E since she doesn't do well with movies right now, but it was her nap time anyways.  The movie was great and I think it's one we will want to own some day.  The kids loved it too and R even cried a bit.  I looked over once or twice and saw Uncle B snoozing.  Spaghetti was our dinner that night followed by Charlotte's Web.  I had been reading the book to the boys everyday and since we finished, we wanted to watch the movie together.  I had forgotten how good a story it is about friendship. 

the kid table

R set the tables

 Thanksgiving morning we watched the parade and cooked food.  After eating we watched football, napped, took a family walk, watched more football and ate again.  Pretty much the best Thanksgiving holiday ever!  We got to skype with the Gillams, our normal Thanksgiving buddies, and it made my heart happy to see them.  I think we've celebrated Thanksgiving with their family since Lexi and Abe were born....so 5 years.  Great friends and we love them.
Cherry headed South Friday morning to take Uncle B back to Alabama.  We wanted to see where he worked and he wanted to show the kids off to his co-workers.

 He's a manager of a restaurant in a family entertainment complex.  There's bowling, laser tag, an arcade, and the restaurant.  We enjoyed ourselves and the kids' favorite part was the laser tag.  The whole 3 hours was fun and it made me miss my brother a lot. 

The kids napped in the car while we drove to Pass Christian to Nana and Tata's house.  We got there just before 4:00 pm and the plans were to pick up GLupe and go out to dinner.  GLupe wanted Cracker Barrel and what GLupe wants, GLupe gets.  Our meal was very yummy, but we were very cold.  I was surprised how cook it was in MS and we sat near the entry way.  After dinner and baths, we watched Frosty on TV before putting the kids (and ourselves) to bed.
We spend Saturday just hanging out together.  My dad needed a few things from Walmart so we went with him and saw Auntie Linda while we were there.  We picked up GLupe for lunch at a seafood place and then spent the afternoon at a playground close to their house.  The weather was a bit warmer on Saturday, and the kids enjoyed being outside for a while. We ate an oven pizza for dinner and banana pudding from Auntie Linda for dessert.  Off to bed for everyone, but not a lot of sleep for some of us :(
E had developed a cough and around 11:00, we heard her coughing so B went in to make sure she was okay.  She started to gag so we took her to the bathroom and sure enough, she puked twice.  Ugh!  We didn't know if it was a stomach bug or just mucus and drainage in her throat.  So we moved her pack-n-play closer to our room so we could keep an eye on her.  She wouldn't lay down without crying so I ended up holding her until she fell asleep.  She slept fine until around 3:00 and then she coughed again, but not vomit this time.  This episode changed our plans for Sunday.  Originally we planned to go church before hitting the road, but with E's sickness, we knew it would be better to just drive.  We left their house at 8:30 and got home at 3:40.  Uncle Ren had been house/dog sitting for us and he was still there, so we ate dinner with him and watched football.  I think everyone was tired that night, but we were thankful for MANY things from this Thanksgiving holiday, but probably most thankful that E didn't puke again in the car. 

Conroe Trip

C/J are in town for a short break and we had a chance to spend some time with them in Conroe, TX.  They were renting a house for a month from someone in their church, so we packed our clan up and stayed with them one night.  We decided to spend the night with them the Saturday before Asher was being baptized at The Woodsedge Church. 

After working out at the YMCA, we drove an hour to their house just in time for E's nap.  We skipped lunch because we had a ridiculously breakfast with Nana and Tata at IHOP.  While E slept, I went to H.E.B with Jaime and the dads watched the other kids.  OU football was on TV and they were winning big so both B and C were in good moods.  When we got back from the grocery store, J and I made snacks and we all ate a bit.  The weather was rainy so we couldn't really go outside and play, but the kids kept themselves busy with toys inside.

A little while later into Saturday afternoon, J's brother and his family stopped by for a visit.  They were on their way to the Bashaw house, to catch a flight early the next morning for CA.  The only other time I'd been around them was when C/J got married.  They were nice and their 3 boys played with the rest of the kids.  They did not stay for dinner, so after they left, we had pizza delivered from Dominoes (our fav).  The rest of the evening consisted of dinner, play, smore's, baths, and bed for the kids.  C/J/B and I had really good conversation about a lot of different topics after the kids went to bed.  I enjoyed our time together a lot. 

Sunday morning J made breakfast for us all and we relaxed before heading out to church.  We followed them to their church and all sat together ready to watch Asher's dedication.  After the service, all of us (Hantla fam and the Bashaws plus friends) went out to eat before heading back to Houston.  It was a nice lunch, and the kids slept on the way home. 

 B and I were thankful we had some time with C/J and their kids.  They leave Jan 7, so our time is coming to a close and we will miss them greatly.  C/J have such a heart for helping change the culture over there and we leave inspired after any time spent with them. 

Matthew 28:18-20 ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Our Surprise Visitors

Uncle Ren will come over to our house for dinner and football games a couple of times a month.  He came over for my birthday to hang out with us and then Friday, sent me a text saying he thought he left his wallet at our house.  I looked for it but didn't see it, so he said he would come over to look for it.  It was no big deal so we told him that when we got home from the store, we would let him know.  On our way home from Wal-Mart, we offered to pick him up but he declined so we just went on home and I started to cook dinner.  After a short while, there was a knock on the door and R went to let Uncle Ren in, but it wasn't Uncle Ren after all.  It was Nana & Tata!  SURPRISE :)

They had driven to TX to surprise visit all the kids (Ben, Lorenzo and us).  It was Friday night so they had spent the day with Lorenzo and now were with us at 7:00 pm.  If we had known, we would have rushed our shopping trip or skipped it all together, but we didn't know.  It was a fun surprise.  The kids were so excited.  We ate our oven pizza and talked at the table for a while.  We put the kids in bed a little later so they could have some time, and then the 4 of us adults talked til almost midnight. 

They had to drive back to MS Saturday to return their rental car and prepare for their church services on Sunday.  We met them at IHOP early Saturday morning before their trip back.  Uncle Ren met us there too and we had a great family breakfast.  It was a super quick trip, but a great surprise and a lot of fun. 

Losing Teeth

Rin is losing her teeth like crazy.  The first one came out in May, but since then, she's lost 3 more in a matter of weeks.  She's missing both her top two teeth and we are calling her snaggle-tooth.  While we were bowling at Uncle Bubba's place, B took this picture of her with a split. 

I can't remember if this was my split or B's but we thought it was funny since R's missing so many teeth. 

Football Weekend & Halloween 2014

Our yearly tradition didn't stop just because we moved to a different state....NOPE! 

On the plane leaving Houston

In Raleigh about to head to Charlotte

B and I flew to NC for a weekend to catch a football game with J/K and visit friends quickly.  This whole conversation started when B told me that he would be at a conference in Nashville the weekend we were supposed to drive to NOLA to watch the Saints play the Panters in the Dome.  I, of course, was bummed, but I tried to be understanding.  Coming to the realization that we would not make a game, was very sad for us.  B came home one day and said "we should just go to Carolina for the game.  It's on Thursday and I have Friday's off, it can work out" so I looked for tickets and found some.  We asked J/K and they were on board so we made it happen.  We didn't tell a lot of people at first, but then we started sharing our news. I knew it would be a quick trip, so how could we see as many people as we wanted without being in the car the entire time...???  Kristen O'Janpa to the rescue.  More about that in a minute.
Thursday we left Houston at 9:30 and landed at RDU at 1:00.  K picked us up and we went to Wild Wing Cafe for lunch.  Oh it was so good!  We waited for Jen to get home from work and then we headed to Charlotte.  We checked into the hotel and then caught the train into town for the game.  The game was great and we won (Sorry K).  It got chilly so the boys bought us hot chocolate to help keep us warm.  So much fun!

Catching the train before the game

We stayed the night at the hotel and ate in the continental breakfast before leaving back to Raleigh.  J let us have her car for the weekend so our next stop was Wake Forest Middle School.  I'd been communicating with Kline so he was expecting us.  He was on planning so we chatted with him for a while before seeing Linda and Chris and a few other people.  I wish I had had more time, but it was Friday afternoon on Halloween so I knew people wanted to get home.  At 3:30 we went to Sheree's house and ate with she and Ahmad.  I think we were there for a little more than an hour before heading to the Caldwells for trick or treating.  My favorite Halloween memories are from the Caldwell house and I was very happy to be back.  I missed my kids though and wished they could have been back with us to see their friends. I was so grateful that Nicole opened her home for us and there was food and fun.  The O'Janpa family came as did some of N's family.  In ways, I feel like N's sister is my sister and her mom was my second-mom.  We've been great friends with the Caldwells for so long.  We just love their family.  That night was great and I sat with N on the sofa til 1 in the morning just talking.  Boy, have I missed NC. 
Saturday started with a great home-cooked breakfast by K and game day on the TV.

My god-daughters

Our plans were to hang out with them for a short while before heading over to K/V's house for the open house.  K/V were gracious enough to open their home for us and let our friends come over and visit.  She came to our rescue because we couldn't figure out how to see all the people we wanted to see without driving all over town.  Her invitation said 11:00 so we got there early to hang with just the O'Janpa family.  B and V made a quick run to Home Depot while I visited with K and Bella.  We had a great time at their house and saw lots of friends:  C. Buck, Linda, the Kline's, the Boas family, small group families, and Lauria.

The Kline's

The Boas's

K had a great spread set out and I think small group people all brought a little something to help.  We just grazed on the snack food all day long.  Our original plan was to leave at 4:30 to be back at K/J for a fish fry but it was more like 5:30 before we left.  I didn't want to leave because I love K's house.  There have been so many play-dates, workout sessions, and dinners with V/K.  Next time we come to visit, I think we will stay at least 1 night with the O'Janpas.  We had snacked all day, but not enough to be full because K was frying fish and wings for us.  J and I made fried pickles and it was a normal Hantla-Gillam sleepover minus the 4 Hantla kids.  We watched football, ate food, and the wives fell asleep on the sofa while the husbands watched a movie.  I don't exactly remember the time, but I think I went to bed around 1:00 am.  B & K were still watching a movie.  I think the only thing that could have made our weekend any better, was having our kids.  Don't get me wrong, it was better for us for the football game sake, but the other visiting and stuff, our kids would have loved seeing their friends.  And everyone asked how the kids were doing so we would talk about our kids and that made me miss them even more. 

Tinkerbell, Mikey, Donny, and Alphaba

We flew home early

On our flight home

Sunday and P/V and the kids picked us up from the airport.  We were so excited to see them!  P/V were nice enough to fly down to take care of our kids while we went away for the weekend.  They took the kids to Katy, TX for Halloween and trick-or-treating

with their cousins and played with them the rest of the time while we were gone.

P/V are such a blessing to our family to allow us the chance to fly to NC.  We are so thankful and grateful for them.

Me and my boys

Oklahoma Weekend Oct 2014

Way back before we moved to TX, our friends Sara & Andrew were planning a trip to Oklahoma for his brother's wedding.  His brother was getting married in Edmond and so we offered P/V's house for S/A and their family.  Everything was planned.  Then we moved and thought it would be a great chance to see our friends for a weekend, so we decided to drive to OK to see S/A and P/V.

We checked R out of school about 30 minutes early to get on the road.  Everything was going great and even the traffic wasn't that bad.  We hit a little traffic in Dallas but the majority of the trip was easy driving.  Lorenzo was house sitting and dog sitting for us.  I think it was around 10:00 pm when we arrived and all the kids had fallen asleep.  They woke up to visit with Gran & Papaw for a while, but the Daniel kids were already asleep.  We set up their sleeping bags and put the kids to bed.  I think we stayed up with S & A talking til around 1 am. 

Friday morning Gran made us breakfast of bacon and eggs.  S&A didn't have to be anywhere early so we had a chance to have a relaxing morning with them.  We took the kids to the playground in the neighborhood and they played in the backyard too.  It was just a nice morning with friends and family.  We left to meet Papaw for lunch and then took a trip to Walmart to find B and OU hat.  Gran picked up a few things for the kids to do at her house.  I think it was around 3 in the afternoon when we made it back to their house and E took a nap.  I dozed on the sofa while Gran played with the 3 bigs.  I don't even know what B did for 2 hours.  Our Friday night plans included a high school football game at B's Alma Mater, Edmond Memorial.  We watched the Bulldogs play West Moore HS and ate dinner at the game.  R loved watching the cheerleaders and A enjoyed the football game.  I think E was frustrated being in her stroller but Gran took her out for a bit.  The weather was great and we had a good time.  We left shortly after the half-time show to head back home for bed time.

R watched the cheerleaders the whole game.  One came to talk to her during half time

Hanging out in the back yard

Being silly

Saturday morning started out rough when W puked pretty much in his sleep.  It was the strangest thing.  B and I were awake but just laying in bed and then we heard sounds that were similar to the sound Cooper makes when he vomits.  All four kids were in the room with us and we knew it wasn't E, but it was a toss up to which of the other 3.  I pulled my phone out and used the flashlight to discover W's poor head near a pile of vomit.  It was gross and sad.  He was upset and obviously didn't feel good so we took action.  We put A and R in the bed to get them off the floor.  I took W to the bathroom and put him in the shower and B started cleaning up the floor.  While in the shower, W called out that he needed to poop, so I took soaking wet W and put him on the toilet...poor guy had diarrhea too.  I think once he got it all out of his system he was fine because that's the only time he got sick.  We thought maybe it was the food he ate at the football game.  Either way, we got it cleaned up and it made for a gross/funny story later that morning.  A/S had a brunch with their family so they were busy.  We made plans to eat at First Watch with Gran and Papaw, so that's where our day started.  Breakfast there was very good and most everyone cleaned their plate.  After the yummy breakfast, we headed to a park so the kids could play for a while.  I don't even know the name of the park we went to, but it was near some water supply.  It was cute and the kids had a great time.  On our way home, we stopped by a cute pumpkin patch that had free train rides and face painting, which the kids absolutely loved! By the time we got home, E had passed out so she took her afternoon nap (while I slept on the sofa again). Gran cooked spaghetti for dinner and it was delicious.  It was nice to eat at home after eating out for 3 days.  We all had a craving for ice cream for dessert so we headed to Brick-town in OK City.  It was a nice evening and we enjoyed walking around together.  I think we stopped at a Marble Slab and it's been years since we've been to Marble Slab.  The one in Wakefield NC shut down a few years back.  Our visit was coming to a close and Marble Slab Ice Cream was a great way to end it.  Ice cream always makes things better.  After getting all the kids into bed, we stayed up with S/A until 1:00 am again just chatting and catching up.  They had an EARLY flight Sunday morning that I felt bad about keeping them up but....we never seen them anymore!

Raff

Monster High

Leo

E's butterfly

So Sunday around 3 am, R wakes me up that she needs to throw up.  Here we go again....Round 2 with R except she pukes 4 times between 3 am and 6 am.  I think she finally stopped at 6 and fell back asleep until 7:30.  The kids got up so I sent them down stairs for breakfast.  R tried eating a banana and she threw that up pretty much immediately.  I let B sleep since he had to drive us home and I packed all the bags and tried to clean our room up, even though it needed a good bleach cleaning due to our puke germs.  I think we finally left at 9:30 am and just started making our way back home.  We knew we didn't have Awana that night so our goal was to make it home for Sunday Night Football because the Saints were playing the Packers in the Dome. About an hour and a half into our drive, E started to fuss and we just thought she was hungry.  I gave her some cheese-it crackers and we kept driving.  Not long after that, she was still fussing so I turned around to talk to her.  Then I saw a stream of orange liquid run out of her mouth all down her into her car seat.  Round 3 in the van without any notice.  Of course E couldn't tell us that she felt bad or she thought she needed to throw up but she obviously felt bad and needed to throw up.  We pulled over at the first stop and B bought some paper towels and febreeze at the gas station.  Poor R got sick again while we were stopped.  I think that stop lasted an hour but when it was all said and done, E was naked (except her diaper) sitting in her seat with no pads (they were disgusting) but we were on the road again.  I think we made it an hour before E puked again, and without warning so there was no way for me to catch it in the throw-up bucket.  R was done by this time and finally said she felt better.  W and A were fine and wanted to eat lunch.  B & I were a little hesitant to eat a full lunch just because we figured we would be next.  We stopped for a bite to eat and then made our way to TX.  The trip lasted about 9 hours and the ended was a blur.  I remember I-45 was shut down so we had to take back roads that added extra time to our drive.  We picked up a hot and ready and made it home with time for baths before the SNF game.

How we felt on Sunday

So here's the scene.  We are sitting in the living room watching the game and eating (some of us).  I'm holding E so B can eat and I can feel her tummy rumbling and then, projectile vomit all over me and the sofa.  I couldn't do anything except for giggle and just sit there with it all over me.  Needless to say, we got back in the shower again and I washed more clothes and towels.  Poor E, that was her last time to vomit, but she went out with a bang.  I think that was possibly one of the worse travel days we've ever had! 

Together after 9 hours, 3 kids puking but we are happy!