Justin's Birthday and Thanksgiving

Justin turned 26!! and in the usual fashion of Fajita Flats- he rode the horse like a champion!



We had Thanksgiving in our new house this year and I am proud to say it was successful! Amy and Mia were here to see the house for a night and then they flew back to Fort Worth to be at Great Wolf Lodge. Thanksgiving was just my parents, Justin and I, but we had leftovers for days. I felt like it was a test to show my parents I'm a big kid now! My parents were here for a week and we got a lot accomplished. We did some landscaping, replacing, flooring and even made time for lots of tennis and Larry's! It was so nice to have my parents here to see the house that we had already been working on so hard. I loved having my parents here and hope they will be closer to us soon.

Fondue for Two!

One of our favorite places to eat is the Melting Pot. It was one of the first dates we went on six years ago- and have been going ever since. After a week with my parents visiting, Justin's 26th birthday and just before we were heading to Vegas with his parents, we decided a few hours alone would be perfect for us. This fondue experience is a full three hours of eating and drinking in a little nook! We think it's the perfect date night for anyone.

Adventures with Mia

So that's what parenting is like....
I never could have guessed how much I laughed, doubted myself or acted like I was the one year old. Spending five days with Mia was quite the adventure. She is JUST like her parents, but a smaller, much cuter package! Mia is just over a year old and a bundle of energy. She gave me a run for my money! The little alarm clock woke up every morning by 5:30am and was ready to hit the ground "crawling." We spent the first couple of hours playing with toys, fetch with Mattie, reading the same Jingle Bells book or singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Following breakfast and a quick nap, we usually went out to run errands or some Christmas shopping. She is very entertained as long as there is lots to see and touch. We would come back, eat lunch and if I was lucky, take an afternoon nap. I became very productive with the one hour during the day I had by myself. After nap, more play, reading the same book, more fetch with Mattie, snooping around the house and eventually a bath. Bath time was by far the most enjoyable part of the day. She loves the water, entertains herself and just makes me laugh! After dinner and more play, she was usually worn out and practically begging to go to bed! She was easy to tug along anywhere we went and I enjoyed having a little one with us. With that said, Justin and I have reinforced our thought that we should wait a while longer before we have our own! Until then, we will just keep Mia and pretend she is our own.

Congrats Brian & Brittany Kelley!

My cousin Brian got married!!! The whole family came together for the last wedding on the Woodward side. Grammy and DD came in from Mexico and my parents came from Knoxville to meet us in Fort Worth for three days of celebration and play. Debbie, as usual, was an amazing host and threw the most gorgeous rehearsal dinner I've ever been to at the golf club. Family weddings are so much fun because you know most of the people there. We stayed with Anne and Carl on Thursday (Thanks!) and then moved to the hotel where the rest of the family was for the weekend. Amy and Mia even flew in on Saturday for Brian's big night. Here are a few pics from the weekend. Thanks Debbie for your great planning and hospitality!

Liz's Bridal Shower

Saturday I went down to Friendswood for Liz's first shower. It was thrown by some of her mom's teacher friends and they went way over the top. The house was completely decorated for Christmas with NINE Christmas trees and each room had it's own theme. Great food and beautiful decor. Liz looked adorable in her little dress and pearls! I can't say enough how excited I am that they are getting married in less than three months. We are so lucky to have them close by. I can't wait for the wedding!



On another note, Justin and I leave for Ft Worth tomorrow afternoon for my cousin Brian's wedding! I am so excited. He's the last one to get married on my mom's side, so it will be one heck of a good party. My grandparents are flying in from Mexico and my parents are flying in from Tennessee. Saturday, Amy and Mia arrive from Canyon and Sunday, we ALL drive back together to spend some time at my house for Thanksgiving. Talk about something to be thankful for!!!

My happy little life.

     This week has been no exception to us loving Sugar Land. Justin is enjoying his job and has had the chance to do a lot of creative stuff on his own. He plays golf at least once a week, plays baseball once or twice a week, and has had the guys over several times to watch football. I have spent lots of time playing tennis with Kelly and love seeing Kyla whenever I want. Friday night we went to Cindy and Terry's house, ate dinner, and played cards like old people! After Justin's baseball game on Saturday, we went to Tim and Jacque's house for dinner and then went out in Sugar Land with some friends. After church on Sunday, we had some friends over and I cooked lunch for everyone. This week, Kyla and I took her little foster baby to the pediatrician's for her two month shots and then went to eat at Larry's!  Justin and I meet up with his parents and Kelly for dinner on Tuesday at Fajita Flatts and Wednesday at Sugar Creek. Tonight is no exception : ) Every Thursday night we eat dinner and watch all the ABC shows and it's Kelly's turn tonight. I can only imagine what she is planning on attempting to cook for us! Tomorrow morning, we play tennis again- did I mention that I am the worst player at Sugar Creek? Being young doesn't help up there! Here are a few late pics from Halloween as well...

I LOVE my dogs.

I don't know how people could ever live without a dog, or two. Sadie and Mattie, both 5 yrs old, are the funniest little things in my life. They certainly kept me sane in Austin and are now living the high life here in Sugar Land. I took them to the new Pawm Springs dog park yesterday. Although it was still very muddy, Sadie loved running with the big dogs around the pond and Mattie played fetch until she couldn't walk anymore. They have lots of play dates between our friends' dogs and the McCoy's three dogs. Mattie is the more playful instigator, and Sadie "puts up with her," even though she would rather play with stuffed toys. They are still getting used to the hard floors throughout the house- here are a few clips of our funny little girls.