Happy Halloween

 I wrote all about my new black cat Kyle built for me, but then I forgot to show the blowups (which Kyle also put out).

And when I took that picture of the blowups, I didn't have our yard sign yet. 

It looks even better now!

And here's the front porch so I can show off my new cat again.

And Chloe ready for the trick or treaters to descend on us.  

(Fingers crossed it rains to slow them down!)

More Megan

 Megan had a professional photo shoot.  

Her headshot is quite stunning. 

Meet Megan!

 Kyle decided that this year he would try something different and raise a lamb.  It's been a very different experience already.  I was used to the pigs squealing when they were picked up and taken to their pens.  The lambs don't squeal, but you also can't pick them up, and they are very stubborn! 

It wasn't easy, but Kyle and Jason were finally able to get her to her pen.

Kyle named her Megan after Megan Moroney, and she is soooo soft! 

Kyle is working on teaching her to walk with him.  Look how high she can jump!

Regionals

 Monday was such a busy day that I'm just now writing about it on Thursday. 

On Monday Reed ran in Huntsville against the best 24 schools in the region.  It was some seriously fast running on a tough course at 11:30 in the afternoon, which was hot.  (Reed even got sunburned)

The race was literally just down the road from where PawPaw grew up, so MawMaw and PawPaw came to see him run.  

Here he is warming up at the starting line

He ran a 17:18, which he was disappointed in.  I just wanted him to finish in the middle of the pack, and he came in few places before the middle, so I was happy for him, but it's hard to be happy when he is so disappointed.  

Needless to say, we are very proud.  And like Reed says he can't be mad at the progress he made this year.  Which is certainly an understatement! 

I can't believe we only have 1 more cross country season.  It was so fun to watch him run this year and place at so many races! 

Here are pictures from Monday.

Oxford Weekend

 After almost 2 1/2 years we've finally gotten the visiting JR thing down.  We went this past weekend while there was no football game, major concert, or admitted students' day happening. 

We got to do all the things and visit all the friends. 

 I didn't get all the pictures, but I did pretty good.

I was very excited to see JR was watching 80's music videos when we walked in his room.

He cleaned his room for us

And here's his view

We had lots of fun and we will be back (just not on a game weekend)! 

I'm so Behind

 I let last week get away from me.  I'm going to try and get caught back up tomorrow, although tomorrow I have to drive to Huntsville in the morning to see Reed run at regionals, and then tomorrow afternoon Kyle picks out his lamb!

In the meantime, here's a picture of them at a shoot last weekend. 

That Pesky Possum

Kyle can jump pretty high on a diving board, but Chloe is giving him a serious run for his money as the family's highest jumper.  She really thinks she can get that pesky possum. Bless her heart. 

XC District

 I'm going to start by saying that if you had told me what Reed was going to do in cross country this year I wouldn't have believed you.  Before the school year started Jason and I were talking about how we hoped he would just finish in the middle of the pack since he was running varsity.  Not only was he not a middle of the packer, but he medaled at every meet but one. And this week he finished 9th at district, running a hilly (by Houston standards) 5K course in 17:12.

I'm too embarrassed to show you any of his running videos since I'm screaming like a crazy person in every one of them.  But here he is after the big race.

Here he is getting his medal.

And with the top 10 boys which means they all qualified to go to regionals!

3 on his team finished in the top 10

The team finished 2nd, only 4 points away from winning district. Ugh, so close! 

They run regionals in Huntsville which means MawMaw and PawPaw will be able to easily come see him! 

Another 85

 We celebrated my dad's 85th birthday in March, which means we had Grandpa Gary's 85th to celebrate in September.  And we got around to celebrating the big day this past weekend. 

His entrance was definitely iconic. 

And I was an old pro at the balloon decor after last weekend's install.

Here's the birthday boy with our people.

JR flew in on Friday night and flew out Sunday morning, but he was in town long enough to sing a few songs with the entertainer. 

We had lots of fun celebrating! 

More Things Kyle Made

 I haven't decorated for Halloween in quite a few years.  The kids always do the blowups in the yard, but I haven't put out anything.

About a month ago I was walking through Sam's and saw a black cat I just had to have.  It was in a big box, so I figured I'd open the box and put 2 pieces together.

Instead I opened the box and it was like a million pieces (it might as well have been a million) with cords and wires and multiple pages of directions.  

I immediately walked away from it and called for Kyle.  And in about 30 minutes my cat was ready! 

Here he is working on it.

And here's my new cat!

Isn't it just the cutest!? 

Things Kyle Made

 Kyle has decided to raise a lamb this year for FFA.  None of us know anything about lambs, but that's what he's decided to do.  

He also informed us that he was going to make a "lamb table", which again, I had no idea what a lamb table looked like or what it's for.  (I think they play on it so they don't get bored.)

So in true Kyle fashion, he borrowed Reed's truck, went and bought wood, and just made a table like it was no big deal.   

And here's Chloe pretending to be a lamb and modeling the lamb table. 

I think Jason helped a bit, so he got to be in the picture too. 

Saturday

 We got up Saturday morning and had to leave for Jason's company picnic, because of course we had to add a picnic to an already big day.

Here we are at the picnic.

We got home and I made nosegays.  I actually made 5, but 2 of them were identical.

Reed's pictures were at 5:00, and they hadn't started taking them by 5:30 when we had to leave for Kyle's pictures.  So opposite of Friday night, I have lots of pictures of Kyle, and just a few pictures of Reed. 

And as big as Reed's group was, Kyle's made Reed's group look small.

I took this picture of Kyle at the end of the line so I'd actually be able to see him in a picture.

Because the group looked like this

 

Look how perfectly her flowers match!

I was definitely worn out from the weekend!