tidbits of our lives

The girls had fun with Halloween this year. Ellie had a Fall Festival at Friendship School and we enjoyed putting together treat bags in Malachi's memory & honor for Kerri to deliver to the patients at Texas Children's Hospital. She was able to deliver over 1000 bags!!!!! Malachi is her & Ben's precious son who passed away around 19 months of age from Leukemia. They are such examples to the rest of us as they do so many things in his memory to bring glory to God. They asked their friends to help make treat bags for the patients at TCH and got a great response! We were supposed to go to the hospital and throw a carnival, but with all the flu mess, the hospital nixed that idea this year, so Kerri and a few others delivered them.

Saturday, we had the Hosch family over for chili & trick or treating. Jason & Chris were roommates for awhile at ACU, and they currently live in Houston and go to church with us. Jason & Deana have 3 sweet girls. Jenna & Gracie are both in 4th grade and have become fast friends, and the older girls are sweet as they can be to Katie & Ellie, so that was a fun night. Unfortunately, with Jason's job, I don't think we'll get to keep them in Houston too much longer, but we are enjoying them while they're here.

For Halloween this year, Ellie was a ladybug that Gracie was a long time ago. She was so cute and didn't mind the costume at all! Katie chose to be a cowgirl even though she was that last year for part of the holiday (she was a princess for actual trick or treating last year, but a cowgirl for a festival and trunk or treat.) Gracie chose to be a basket of laundry! It was really very cute. She & her daddy put it all together. She also went to a sleepover the night before Halloween, so she got to wear her costume twice.

We took the girls to the drive in Friday night, and that was a lot of fun! Ellie enjoyed walking around & playing with the rocks before the movie started, and she really did well during the movies too. She fell asleep pretty early on during the 2nd movie, as did Katie.

Family tidbits:

*Katie enjoyed disguising Tom Turkey so that the farmer couldn't find him and eat him. She chose to disguise him as "a Police." She delivered him to school where he will hide out in the classroom with the other disguised turkeys.

*I had a parent/teacher conference with Mrs. B, Katie's Kinder teacher. She told me wonderful things about how Katie is doing, etc., etc. We are so proud of her school behavior & her academic progress. She is doing great and loving school!

*Gracie had her 2nd student council meeting. She worked on some posters to advertise an upcoming project where they are asking students to bring in books & school supplies that they will send to Nigeria. 4th grade is proving to be the most challenging school year for her, but so far, she is hanging in there and has kept straight A's on her report cards. She is a hard worker, and we are proud of her for that!

*Gracie has a violin recital coming up this Saturday. She has only taken lessons a couple of months since her looooong break from when we moved to Houston after only having taken a few months in SC, so she is still a beginner, but she is praciticing her recital piece, and it sounds good. We need to work on getting her to practice more in general, but she enjoys playing, and is doing a good job.

*Gracie will be in the 4th grade Spelling Bee in a couple of weeks! We are all really excited about this. If she qualifies, she will move onto the school wide spelling bee, then district, etc....

*Ellie is walking all over the place these days and has discovered the playset in the back yard. I found her well on her way to climbing the ladder the other day and had to quickly rush out there to get her down. Gracie was out there with her and was in the process of reprimanding her as well. At the playground by school, she has earnestly tried to climb UP the slide, not realizing the force of gravity! So much for quietly sitting and watching her watch the other ones play. She wants to be in the middle of it!

*Ellie has also demonstrated a love for DOGS! She loves "Stoops," a Shihtzu who belongs to some friends and "Willow," a schnauzer we have met while picking up G & K from school. We talk with the lady who owns him while waiting for our children after school, and Ellie loves petting Willow! It's really sweet the relationship she & the little dogs have. They are both really patient with her as she learns how to be gentle with them. She is really into giving big kisses to us, too.

*She is in the habit of imitating what other people say. She has a frown that should possibly be trademarked as "Ellie's frowny face." But when she smiles.......it's wonderful! She just has a stubborn streak and is a bit 'cautious' of others sometimes! She has also learned the word, "No!" and "Mine!" Terrible Two's at 16 months old. :) She is precious though and tends to do well for others in Bible Class and at Friendship School. She's a JOY, despite the struggles!