Corey is 16.......

I can't believe it...Corey is 16. I was only nine years old when Corey was born...I feel old! I remember him as a tiny baby. We were so excited to have a new little baby in our family. We lived in Marysville, WA at the time, which is just north of Seattle. I had asked Santa Claus for a baby sister the Christmas before. I believe that it was in early April, maybe late March when my parents told us about our new sibling to be. My dad was saying the prayer one night at dinner and blessed the baby in mommy's tummy. You can bet that all of our eyes shot open at that comment! We could hardly contain our excitement! I knew that Santa Claus was real. It was only until the ultra sound tech told us it was a boy that I had my doubts. Maybe he exists, maybe he doesn't ;) . My brothers were so excited, and I felt so jipped. My only chance to have a sister....gone. But, when the little guy arrived I loved him just as much as I would have loved a sister, maybe even more. In the end, I didn't have to share a room, or clothes, or toys! Corey was always my little buddy! There was enough years between us that we didn't have to fight! Corey is such a great person. He is such an easy person to get along with. He is so eager {well, sometimes not eager} but he is always willing to help someone out! He is the best uncle that anyone could ask for...I mean the BEST. My little boy Peyton loves him....I mean LOVES him. Corey lets him hang out with him and all of his friends. Peyton thinks that he is one of the guys. His heart breaks if Corey has to leave...anywhere {sometimes even the bathroom}. Every time Kael lays eyes on him he can hardly contain his excitement! He is a great kid, brother, and uncle! We love Corey and we are so glad that he is here {even if he wasn't a girl ;)}.

Corey was so excited to get his license. He studied for days for the written portion of the drivers test {who knew he could study...he has totally been holding back :) } I think he got 100%! He then got a 98% I think on the road test! Anyways, he was so excited on his birthday to get his license he was at the DMV first thing in the morning to get it! He even went before high school! Here he is proudly displaying his accomplishments! We love ya bud and drive safe! Happy 16th Birthday!

Friday Night Lights...

Last Friday night we went to a Coppell High School football game.

When our hometeachers came to visit we talked about how we HAVE to go to a high school football game while we live in Texas. I mean, it is INSANE here! So we decided to go along with the Naef family to our local high school's football game. Troy and Sarah have two little boys, Kaden and Eli. Kaden is a little older than Peyton and Eli is about 18 months old. They are adorable!
We first went to get a hamburger at my new FAVORITE hamburger place, Steak N' Shake {seriously good hamburgers for cheap...and their strawberry milkshake is the best ever}! What is funny, is they have a drive-up but when you go inside, you have a waiter or waitress. It is so good. If you are ever in Texas...I highly recommend it! {I have a long list of restaurants that I have tried here and some I want to try....and not one that I have tried has been bad!} After we went to eat we went to the game.

This is the home side of the stadium! Totally insane right? This is just for THEIR high school. A lot of the huge stadiums around here are shared between two or three high schools. In Arlington, TX they are building a 32 million dollar stadium....for a high school. CRAZY.

We entered on the visitors side and couldn't really figure out how to get across to the home side, so we sat on the visitor side. The visitor side was just a little smaller than the home side. Pretty sure that they have reserved seating {with actual chairs} for the season ticket holders. Season ticket holders? I am telling you...this is an experience! The Coppell Cowboys were playing the Central Keller Chargers. This is the mascot of the Chargers. Peyton thought he was the coolest horse around! He gave him a high five and a hug. He asked me if the horse could ride home in our car and stay at our house. HMMM. I can't believe that he held still long enough for me to take his picture....and he was smiling {we are making progress people}!

I know this is not the best picture, but I wanted to show the players' "tunnel". On the right side of the photo {the black inflatable helmet} is where the Coppell players enter the field. At the beginning of the game and after half time. On the right side of the picture {the red inflatable tunnel} is where the visiting Chargers entered the field. The teams bring along their inflatable tunnels!

The half time was 30 minutes long. Is that normal for a high school football game? I really don't remember from when I would go! I know why they are so long...the visiting teams as well as the home team has their marching band and their drill teams perform. Which I thought was also odd. Usually it is just the home team that performs. The marching band was HUGE! Probably double the size of Davis High! And they could spell things. While playing their school song they spelled "This Is Our Year". {They are undefeated} Eat that Davis! Just kidding! Their drill team, the Lariettes {what is that?} had 60 girls on the team. I think we had 15-20 on our high school's drill team! I guess that cheesy saying of "Everything's BIGGER in Texas" is really true!

It was so fun to go and experience, and fun to be with friends! It was a little chilly though, 48 degrees. This is pretty cold for Dallas this time of year! It felt like a real football game...cool and crisp!

Teddy Ruxpin....

Today we made our bi-monthly visit to Sam's Club. Of course, Peyton need a churro { and I needed a Diet Coke...I really am going to kick the stuff...I promise!}. So we were standing in the concession line and I saw this little boy. He was about ten years old and Asian. Now of course I have nothing against Asian people or their looks {I promise I am not racist!}. My sister-in-law is one quarter Japanese and she is beautiful! Anyways, I was studying this boy and finally I said to Bryan, "That boy looks like someone." Bryan then quickly replied, "I'll tell you who he looks like, he looks part Teddy Ruxpin"

I couldn't help but laugh my face off......I don't know who I was thinking that this little chubby faced Chinese boy looked like....but yeah, he did look part Teddy Ruxpin!

Who thinks of Teddy Ruxpin when they are comparing a human? I will tell you, my husband! It was the most random comparison I have ever heard!

Sorry if this is such a lame post, I just had to write this down because I wanted to remember it. My husband is a really funny guy, with a lot of classic one liners....and this is one of them! At least between us, maybe you had to be there. I am telling you, if you would have seen this sweet little boy....you would have thought the same thing!

Some of my besties....

Before our big move to Dallas, I went to dinner with some of my best girl friends from high school {minus Marci and Jen}. We went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate!

Whit, Hil, Me, Michelle, Jenna, and Em!

It was so fun to get together and see them again! Love them!

Delinquent act #2....

We recently traveled back from Utah...and boy was it a trip! I don't know if I have mentioned this in the past, but Bryan was able to take a furlough with his job. Which was perfect really. It allowed us to have flight benefits for 90 days. Which was good for us and good for Bryan's parents {because they can fly for free as well}. Although, Dallas is not the easiest city to non-rev in and out of. So we only had to give it three tries to get back to the big D {on three different days :)} It was okay, at least we had a free place to stay!
When we finally made it out, they loaded us on the aircraft and found out there was a flat tire. So....we all had to get off of the airplane while they changed the tire. When we got back on the plane, we had to wait an hour to be de-iced. Of course, Kael thought this would be a great time to take a nap...not! He then woke up mid flight and wanted to get down and crawl around. Anybody with children would agree that the best child on a plane is a sleeping child. Needless to say, it was a long flight to Dallas! After we got off the plane, I looked down and noticed that Peyton had stole a pillow! Oh jeez....how on earth did I not see that while carrying a diaper bag, baby, blankets, and coats? ;)
I had totally forgot about it, until the other day when Peyton whipped the pillow out in the car.

At least he is getting good use out of it! He looks pretty comfy!
Can you imagine how many germs are probably on that pillow? Ick...okay I have to stop thinking about that! {That pillow is going in the garbage}.

Besides, after a minute it does him no good! :)

Halloween....

Peyton couldn't decide what he wanted to be for Halloween. He was toggling between Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Spiderman, Venom, Iron Man, and a scary skeleton. Every time you asked him it was something different. Finally we decided on Buzz Lightyear. I was going to have Kael be Woody but I couldn't find a costume in his size. So he was a skunk. Peyton was a skunk two years ago when he was his age!

When Peyton saw Kael's skunk costume, of course he wanted to be a "Stunk". So he had to try on the hat and the skunk feet on his hands.

Bryan carved our $25.00 dollar pumpkin!

Our ward had a chili cook off party and then a trunk or treat. It was fun!

Peyton was so excited to be Buzz!

Buzz is ready for take off! There were a lot of Buzz Lightyear costumes at the party. One little boy had wings that popped up when he pushed a button. I thought Peyton's inflatable wings were cool, but we were trumped! The little boy would come up to Peyton and stand in front of him and push a button and his wings would pop up. He knew they were cooler than Peyton's wings and so did Peyton. Every time the little boy would come and show off his wings, Peyton would try to push his wing button and the kid would push him! It was pretty funny!

On Saturday night we decided to celebrate with a Jack O' Lantern pizza. Before we got it in the oven Peyton had eaten his eyes and some of the pepperonis.

We didn't really know what to expect with Halloween being on a Sunday and not being in Utah. Lots of people went trick or treating on Sunday. However, we didn't get any trick-or-treaters in our complex. Peyton loved his "Rockband" pumpkin. Everything with a skull is rockband!

I wanted to take a picture of the back of his costume because I think that the tail is so cute!
Sorry for the blurry pictures, my camera is missing so I am down to my cell phone camera! I am distraught about my camera!

Our neighbor Bill (the man who always sits on his balcony) bought some candy for our boys and wanted us to stop by. So we had to get them in their costumes and take them over to knock on his door. We had to pretend like we were going to continue to trick-or-treat to get out of an awkward conversation!

Peyton LOVED the candy, of course. He always asks for his "Frankenstank" candy bag. I don't want to tell him that it is Frankenstein! Ha ha!

Pumpkin Patch II....

I know that I already did a post on the pumpkin patch but Peyton wanted to bring Kael to show him all of the pumpkins! Here he is holding Kael's head to make sure that he is looking at the pumpkins!

Kael LOVED the wagon ride. We always had to keep in motion or he would try to stand up inside the wagon. That is his new trick! I even caught him trying to stand alone the other day! We are in for it! He is going to be a tiny midget boy walking around!

The pumpkin patch has a cute little hay ride. They take you through the pumpkin fields and around a pond they have on their property! Along the hayride they have all of these cute little wood cut out characters for the kids to look at. Peyton thought the hayride was very cool.

One day I wish that I could get a normal picture with my children. Peyton was so mad that I took him off of the hay bench in the middle of the hay bed and wanted to take a picture with him....the nerve!

What the? How can Bryan get a picture with our children where he is not squeezing their face off to get them to hold still for three seconds while we take a picture....just saying! Kael liked the ride as well!

Bryan LOVED the area that the pumpkin patch was in. Flower Mound is really a beautiful city. I am not sure he is going to move back to Utah after visiting this city. I even heard him use the word "adorable". :)