Houston Turkey Trot

Thanksgiving morning:
5:30- arise, bundle up
6:15- leave for downtown Houston
7:00 hung out in WARM McDonalds
8:00 Ran a 5K with friends, Shirley and LUCy (Shout out to Lucy who is only 8!!!)
8:30 Finished race (now, mind you have to delete at least 3 minutes off my time as I was back in the pack!)
9:15 Christian ran his first RACE!!-- a kids 1K....Ok, it was SUPER cute! And he got a medal on top!
10 Went back to hotel to shower, check out and get some post-race grub...

The rest of the day we spent with my cuz, Deb, and her fam...including her parents that came in from CA. It truly was a wondrous time to be near family and feel a part of a bigger whole. It got me really excited for Christmas time, where I get to be with my family...including ALL my brothers and sister. This is a big deal since our family has been rocky, at best, for many of the last many years. And even more eventful because my bro, Joe, is coming home from his mission on December 28th!! We have missed him greatly. Our Shane got to meet him at his birth but hasn't seen him since he was a week old. YEAH for the holidays that make all of these great things happen.
Back to Thanksgiving...on Thursday I had several thoughts of the countless blessings I am grateful for. Here are a few:
1) I am most grateful that my husband is here with us. Being a part of military often means, deployments during this time of year. And for his presence and the promise that he won't have to leave us, I am so very thankful for. He is serving our country here in TX...doctoring up our brave pilots.
2)As one who has struggled FOREVER to be a mom, I feel so eternally thankful that I have been able to have my two boys. They bring Gavin and I so much joy and laughter. I love to see them growing and learning...even though it is sometimes mischievously. I would be a mom a million times over if I could...my children are such miracles. Not to say, I do not HOPE and pray that I can have a girl some day. But for now, I am all about swords and wrestling!!
3) As I ran Thanksgiving morning, I could not help but be so grateful for a healthy, vibrant body. I love to be active and adventurous...and I recognize this blessing in my everyday life!
4) Where would I be without my knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father. Amidst all the challenges I have faced in my lifetime, my constant has been the overwhelming comfort of my Heavenly Father's love.
I could literally go on forever...but here are a few key ones!
We hope everyone else enjoyed some delicious goodness, over-endulged, and are enjoying the rest of the holiday weekend.

Reality Show Junky

I admit it freely...I love many reality shows. My latest fetish was The Bachenator (as Gav calls it). But I am also a hopeless romantic and was SOOO dissappointed with the finale. How lame is that? Why even have a show like that all to end up a single, loser dude. At least date one of them and let me think the romantic notion is possible. ARgHHHHhhh!!

To say the least, I was very disappointed. Well, at least we'll have American Idol in the new year. Some of these reality shows are lamer than the cartoons I have to listen to day in and day out....but there are a few that are very intriguing. And obviously, some produce real results...weren't there several AMA nominees who were AI alums.

Ok, I'll get off my reality high horse and go pack my stuff for Houston. We're going to spend Thanksgiving running a race and having yummy goodness with Debs and the fam!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL!!!

End of Soccer = Free Saturdays= No more Soccer

This morning was our finale soccer game for Christian. He had a fabulous season...and closed out the season with 8 goals against a team with players usually a head taller than most of our team!



He even got his trophy today at the Season-end Pizza Party. What a fun experience! I feel bad that my parents chose not to put most of us kids in more (or any, for that matter) sports....they missed out on these fun family experiences (not to mention, us kids were pretty gypped!) But, to think optimistically, we did learn how to work hard every Saturday morning!!



Here is the season video I put together for everyone.

Shawna was sick of seeing the scary Burger King guy at the top of our blog, so I'll help her out with a new post. My birthday was just over a week ago and when I walked in from work there was a sweet new board waiting for me.......my wife is the bomb ! It is a fun little 'fish' that is perfect for the Gulf surf. And of course, I already got in trouble for riding it the 3 days in a row right after I got it. But why did she buy me a new board if she didn't want me to surf ????????huh??????????

Holiday Cheer

Shawna said that she was ready for some cheerful Holiday music, so I thought I would post my favorite Holiday tune. Its beautiful.

Anybody need some CANDY??

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

We took a pretty chill outlook on Halloween this year. We had a great night of fun with our friends-- dinner, a belated cake for Gav and trick or treating, of course!! We had a few parties earlier in the month...and today we all awoke with a sugar hang-over. And a LOAD of candy...which I am already sick of. That's pretty bad for someone with a sweet tooth like mine. My Halloween decor came down today and now I've got to find my Christmas music. The end of Halloween marks the beginning of the "feel- good holidays"...and since there is really no Thanksgiving music...I get to listen to my Christmas music. It only means I have to search for it...wherever it landed in the latest move. We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Halloween also.......

He's all grown up...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY G-Love!!!

The baby of his family, now a daddy to 2 mini-Gavs. I honestly do not know any children who love their "DaDA!" more than ours love Gav. I could not ask for a better father or husband or best friend! I thought as a tribute I would list some of my favorites about him...(especially since he declined his chance at the tag): My Favorite Gav Quirk: Pacing the floor when he talks on the phone
My favorite Gav physical feature: his EYES
My favorite Gav nickname: G-LOVE
My favorite Gav saying: "...but the surf's actually happening and I haven't surfed in a whole month!"
My favorite Gav personality features: his lovability and his charm
My favorite Gav meals: WAFFLES...and frozen lasagnas when he breaks the oven ('member that!!!)
My favorite Gav moment: Within the first few years of our marriage, Gav's birthday came up and he LOVEs to uncover my surprises. So with his mom's help, I had arranged a nice weekend get-away. But was able to let Gav trick himself into thinking it was a surprise party for him... So our trip home from La Jolla that night...the whole way he sang "PARTaY, Surprise PARTay..FOR ME!!!" And was so pleased with himself for discovering the surprise....jokes on you SUCKA!!
My favorite Daddy Gav moment: When Gav takes the boys into the culd-e-sac and plays baseball with Christian...with Shane either hot on his heels or already on his hip!
My favorite husband Gav moments: grabbing my hand for no good reason and intertwining with mine.... and our trips to Puerto Rico and Palm Springs.

I thank my Father in Heaven DAILY for sending you to me and cannot express how overwhelmed I am by your love. I know I am going to spend eternity trying to be your equal!!! Love-Shawn

I'm a MARKED woman...

Lil' Debbie Cakes has tagged me... how FUN!!! Here it goes:

The rules:

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.



1.Habit: One of my favorite habits ( are habits okay to be favorites?)... happens every night as I kiss my little guy Christian goodnight and as I leave his room I tell him I love him forever and he says it back. Ok, so he's six...I'll take what I can get while I can!



2.FACT: One of my aspirations in life is to one day go to cosmetology school and do hair...its something I have always loved to do. In fact, during our Packard Posse sleepovers growing up...one of our routine activities was to cut hair and play makeovers. (Second to sleeping on the trampoline)



3. FACT: I often JINX myself... I always swore I would NEVER marry anyone in the military; and technically I didn't but he became part of the NAVY post-Shawna. And...I used to tell Gav that one of my dreams was to be in NYC during the holidays in Rockefeller Ice Rink and Central Park carriage ride--hence we ended up at Med School in NY. Not our first choice, but a great experience nonetheless.



4.FACT: So my first time wake boarding (which was this last summer...the same time my 6yo had his first time)...was quite comical. First time out in the water, in ready-stance, the driver hit it, face plant....second time, same deal- and despite watching Wally's what-not-to-do video the night before....I took off in the water and after the first face plant, I was afraid to exert myself and pull all the way up....so I squat-style boarded for a good portion of the lake. Everyone in the boat was in tears laughing at my determination not to face plant but mostly my stubbornness to NOT stand up. Maybe you'd need to see the video clip to laugh hard...definitely AFV material.
**Note...I actually stood up the next time and saw that was a much more pleasant experience...you can imagine the wedgie I had from my squat around the lake!!!

5. HABIT: I am a night owl...I have tried going to sleep earlier and I just lay frustrated in my bed, tossing and turning...so I have succumbed to it. Realizing that staying up late will always make me NOT a morning person. I don't enjoy more than a few word conversations in the morning...at least not until I am fully awake. Which is sometimes funny because Gav is such a morning person- in all his chipper,talky-talky glory-- and even though its kind cute, I sometimes wanna punch him. Don't mess in the morning!!

6. HABIT: Does your husband ever pretend to fall asleep? How about when you ask for a back scratch? Does he convienently drift off from his hard days work?? Ya, mine does too!! On occassion...ok, fine its really NIGHTLY, I like to have my back scratched(not to be confused with rubbed). It helps soothe and slow down my body from a day of crazy boys. Sometimes he obliges and other times he gets side-tracked by his sleep. Its a simple pleasure--if thats all I ask! Com'on!!!

PHEW--now that I am done...I wanna hear what the following people have to say (um... YOU'RE TAGGED)... JEN Isom; AMBER Bright; MELISSA Larsen; APRIL Krolak; LACEY Williams; and whoever else?!!

A cookie...as big as Tejas...

Oh BABY!! Take a look at the size of this thing. As you can see by Shane's reaction, he was in cookie heaven.

And I was in Hot Cocoa heaven. It was Finally cool enough to drink it and enjoy it...every last dollop of cream.

Not that you all wanted a listing of all we've eaten today...but I just had to share a few delights on the list.

Arachnophobia...

Like most normal people, I am pretty fiercely afraid of spiders. And I also know that there are spiders everywhere, even when we don't know it. During our short life here in Texas, we have seen some
S-P-I-D-E-R-S...they come large and in-charge, Texas-style.

Today while Gav was out mowing our monstrous backyard, he was going to get the small patch behind our utility shelter and found the long-legged black one...I don't know what species that is but I am convinced that thing is (or should I say...WAS) poisonous. We have no humane treatments for spiders or bugs here in our house. I apologize to those that might offend!


The other more furry brown spider I luckily found already deceased and partly shrivelled...but in my garage. There is something to be said about cleaning out your garage on a routine basis.



I know I shouldn't post these pics for my sister Denise's sake. We have a common memory of a particular night when we were 5-6 years old. Where she awoke screaming Blood curdling screams...all to find a spider in her bed that had just had a tasty snack on her back. She has since been terrified...and I also...although I have to say I can still function when I know spiders are inevitable. She, on the other hand, is quite traumatized by the incident. So, De, I'm sorry...these were just too cool to pass up!!

Makes you wonder what's in your backyard, huh?!!!