November

We started off the month celebrating Jeff's birthday.
We played pub trivia (and won!), visited The Back Dough for midnight doughnuts,
and showered Jeff with fun gifts, like a ukulele. 

The boys had the opportunity to participate in a handmade market at Arrow.
They each worked hard to come up with just the right product and were thrilled
that they sold everything they brought and made some serious cash.
Max made molded chocolates. Clay produced many artistic masterpieces.
And Weston had homemade hot chocolate, marshmallows, and whipped cream. 

After the market closed, Clay's Arrow dance class put on a lovely performance.

Clay read about homemade drums in a science book and decided to make his own set.

We celebrated Clay's half-birthday with a few small gifts, doughnuts, and The Grinch

Ruth marched in the Veteran's Day parade in Roanoke,
and Clay and I got to watch the parade while trying to stay warm.

Clay decided to make giant pumpkin doughnuts.

Clay got a few plants for his half-birthday
and has been a very attentive gardener.

We had an eggnog taste test.
(I snapped the pic after the almond nog, which was everyone's least favorite.)

We introduced the kids to Bob Ross, and they are now huge fans!

Playing The Worst-Case Scenario Game was probably
one of the most hilarious game nights of all time! 

Weston has gotten really into debate and had the opportunity
to observe a debate competition, where he dutifully
"flowed" (took notes) so he could improve his skills. 

I happened to be up at Arrow one day
and in the vicinity of Clay's robotics class,
so I caught him in action.

Jeff and I had a super fun, spur-of-the-moment date night in Denton.
We saw Little Shop of Horrors at the community theater, visited East Side Denton
and Paschall Bar, and picked up unique doughnuts at The Back Dough.

Weston had a grand adventure camping and hiking for a week in Palo Duro Canyon.

Along with my parents, we made a little trip to Rusk for the Thanksgiving holiday.
This was our first day at the KOA. We had the cutest little cabin and my parents
brought their RV. The little boys rocked at finding the golden pinecones the
campground staff had hidden, and they were rewarded with ice pops.
Papa taught Weston how to make specialty sandwiches on the griddle.
And Weston delivered his fire building/safety talk and helped us get the fire started.

Thanksgiving Day was gorgeous! We took a walk in the woods, rented quad bikes
from the campground, tossed the football around, had plenty of snuggles,
roasted marshmallows and made s'mores, and wore ourselves out. 

I made gratitude journals for each member of my immediate family,
which had entries for every day from last Thanksgiving to this one,
and I presented them to the family on Thanksgiving Day.
They all said it was one of the best gifts they have ever received,
and making them was truly beneficial and joyful for me as well.

Thanksgiving, KOA style

The day after Thanksgiving was spent playing games,
racing bikes, and chatting around the fire. 

We had a great time in the town of Rusk, visiting the longest footbridge in the nation
(according to the city of Rusk) and seeing some murals and historic homes.

Mom and I slipped off for a lovely hike through the Piney Woods.

On our last night at the campground, we cooked gigantic steaks,
had a mini birthday party for Weston, and stayed up literally all night 
watching the Fightin' Texas Aggies execute an epic win against LSU.

Weston became a teenager, and we had fun celebrating with gifts and Wolf'ems.

I had my first ever experience with Jury Duty
and am now much more knowledgeable about the Voir Dire process.

Ruth achieved the CAP rank of Technical Sergeant.

We kept our annual tradition of having an "Average Birthday Party"
(for those with birthdays and half-birthdays in November) at a Brazilian steakhouse.

We celebrated Ruth's half-birthday.

We made models of water and alcohol molecules
for the boys' Arrow science class.

Lucky Number 13

Dear Weston~

Thirteen years ago you made me a boy mom. I had no idea how to fill that role, and frankly, I was a little terrified. Admittedly, sometimes I still feel that way. But, you have been a great teacher, and you have been very patient with me, and together, we are figuring it out. I am so incredibly proud of the young man you are becoming, and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching you grow and mature during these thirteen years!

This year has been full of fun and adventure. You have continued to be very involved in Scouts and are still rising through the ranks. You are just on the brink of getting your Life rank, and I admire the hard work you've put in to making that happen. You have also become a great leader within the troop. Many of the other Scouts look up to you, and the adult leaders have great respect for you. You became the troop's librarian and immediately made some positive changes that were very beneficial to the troop. You also received a staff position for Brownsea and have worked hard to learn the material on fire building so you can teach it at the camp next week. Additionally, you have attended every monthly campout as well as special week-long camps in New Mexico this summer and Palo Duro a couple of weeks ago. Scouting lights you up and has given you confidence and purpose, and I'm so glad you are pouring yourself into it.

This was a year of new sports for you. You tired your hand at basketball, ping pong, and cross country. I love your willingness to try new things and to diligently search for those things that you truly enjoy rather than just sticking with what you already know. Each sport had its own lessons for you, and each experience helped you grow as a person. 

You wrapped up your time in CC last semester with a wonderful research paper on Thomas Jefferson, which you put your best effort into. And, this year, we started a new academic adventure by enrolling in Arrow. So far, you are really pleased we made the switch, and you are enjoying your classes, which include History, Guitar, P.E., Science, and Speech and Debate. This last class is your absolute favorite, and you even spend your free time working on speeches and preparing for debates. I think debate has become your new passion. You are looking for a team to join so you can become even more involved in the competitions. You were thrilled to receive a briefcase from Nana and Papa for your birthday so you can start putting your serious debater look together. 

We spent two months this summer traveling around South America, visiting places like Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines, Easter Island, the Amazon, and the Andes. Your favorite activities were sandboarding in the Atacama Desert and snow skiing in the Andes. You were especially tickled to have the opportunity to ski in June since it is normally summer at that time, and it just felt so ironic. You also got to spend some time in Oklahoma City with Ruth and Nana, and you had so much fun exploring a new-to-you location. You love to travel, and you are always up for an adventure!

Weston, you are such a fun-loving, easy-going guy! You love to laugh and to make others laugh, and you fill our home with joy. You have a sweet heart, an analytical mind, a strong body, an adventurous spirit, and a bold presence in the world. You are growing in confidence and maturity every day, and I could not be more proud of you! You are my favorite thirteen-year-old! Happy Birthday!

Love,

Mom

Finally a teenager!

October

Hard at work

Fall landed on our front porch while it was still 90º,
but the temperature eventually caught up with the season.

Clay and I spent some time creating a lion mask
for a performance he will do with his dance class in Nov.

I worked a Friday Meals on Wheels route in a different part of town,
which put me quite close to this new market, so I had to check it out.

Ruth attended a homeschool homecoming dance
for all homeschoolers in the DFW area.

We got to spend time with family,
celebrating sweet Charlotte's first birthday.

Weston stepped in as substitute math teacher one day.

The boys read a book called The Martyr of the Catacombs for their
history class and then made clay models of the catacombs.

Clay became a master popsicle maker.

Weston and I watched a local grocery store make all the popcorn.

Max was selected to help with the pledge at Arrow.

Ruth and her besties attended the HSAA homecoming game.

Jeff and I had a date night to Lucile's during Lobstrama.

Jeff and Ruth attended an Air Force Academy information meeting
and happily shared their new-found knowledge with the rest of us.

We attended the Taste of Denton event at the Armadillo Ale Brewery.

Rain, rain, and more rain

Chicken Oil Co. is always a hit with our crew
when we're in College Station.

Ruth and Weston finished up the cross country season
with the homeschool state meet at Texas A&M.
The course was a mess, but at least it wasn't raining.
We're so proud of their hard work this season!

While we were in College Station, we met up with Jeff's
brother's family for a long-overdue visit. 

No trip to A&M would be complete without ring pictures.

Got in on the first day of early voting

Clay taught me how to play Ticket to Ride.

Ruth finished up her public speaking class.
They created vision boards on the last day.

Clay managed to lose another tooth to make himself
look like a vampire just in time for Halloween.

One of my book clubs met at Sloan and Williams Winery
in Grapevine, which was a special treat. 

Max took on another paying job
filling up holes in our yard.

We got to spend a lovely weekend with my MIL at Lake Buchanan.

We had our first-ever online consultation with a physician
when Weston developed a severe rash and a sore throat.

We came up with a reward system for the boys for getting their
schoolwork done, which involved, in part, a large shipment of used Legos,
which had to be washed before I would allow them into circulation.

Ruth rocked her skeleton costume
for her CAP Halloween party.

The boys have a couple of events coming up at Arrow that
necessitated us turning our kitchen into a factory of sorts.
We made homemade marshmallows, homemade chocolates,
homemade brownies, and homemade goat milk soap.