AND...pictures from November...so far!

So, you obviously know by now that November started off with "our" election night victory. This is a picture of many members of our office at our election night "victory" party. This picture wasn't taken until almost 99% of the votes were in so we were sure we were in the clear. I think this is the relaxed we had been in quite some time.


After several years of tailgating for almost all the A&M games, we were somewhat derailed this season with the addition of soccer to our already busy lives! But we were able to have a tailgate party for the last game against OU. The tailgate party was really fun...can't say the same about the game! Our great friends Chris and Melissa were able to come and bring Gracie...their three month old baby (although I think she was only two months at the time!) Gracie is such a blessing after everything they went through to have her and the Comte kids sure love being around her. Auntie (my brother's wife) and her kids came up as well. Austin just loves playing with them and missed having them here so much. My niece sure loves him and loves to be around him. I took some really cute pictures...just didn't think my SIL would want me putting their pictures all over the internet!






About a week before the tailgate, Chris and Melissa came over for dinner and my kiddos couldn't get enough of Gracie! Kayla is finally warming up to her and was trying to get her to play, I think! Austin just likes to hold her and touch her head...not sure what that's about!



This past weekend weekend was Junior League Charity Ball, which gave Joe and I away for the night. We (OK, I!) had a really good time. We were there with several of our friends and really enjoyed a night of "grown up" time.




I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and enjoys time with friends and family. I know I keep saying it, but I will try to be better about putting pictures up. Maybe I need to figure out how to work that nifty slide show thingy!

PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES...from October!!!!

OK, so here they finally are! I'm putting a lot here so that I can get them all in. The first pictures are from Austin's last two soccer games.

You can't see it, but I'm wearing the infamous "soccer mom" shirt that I swore I'd never wear! Oh the things we'll do for our children...
This was Austin's last soccer game when they got their trophies. I had to convince him that it wasn't a toy and we couldn't play with it. With much chagrin, he finally agreed to put it on the shelf!
The fam after one of the last soccer games...
These two pictures are of Austin and his friend Keaton. Keaton's family goes to church with us and we've become really good friends with them. The boys are a little over a month apart and they "fight" as boys do...and then get upset when we try to separate them!
NOW...More Pumpkin patch pictures!! We went to the pumpkin patch AGAIN with my sister-in-law and her kids. Austin spelled out his name in little pumpkins (mostly on his own!) and Kayla was content just climbing on them!



And...finally...HALLOWEEN!!! Austin dressed as an "Army" (ie: a soldier...sorry, Poppa!) I bought his costume at a local army surplus store and then sewed the patches on myself. (See earlier blog about learning to sew!) He's put it on several more times to play dress up in and also to go outside and shoot his M16 (no...its not real!) in the front yard...how redneck can we get?! Kayla on the other hand was a fairy princess. I was worried because, leading up to Halloween, she did not like to wear the crown and the wings, but she ended up doing great and looking so angelic...boy, she had everyone fooled!




We went to one of my co-workers' house for a Halloween Party...notice that Joe is the only one not dressed up. We kept telling everyone he was "Joe the Plumber!"

And...I just had to add one picture of our newest neighborhood watch mechanism!

I'm going to post November pictures in another post!

A Sigh of Relief

So, my two weeks of jury trials are now officially over and I have a short break before a BIG trial the week after Thanksgiving. This week's trial was a juvenile (a 10 year old) charged with indecency with a child. Not the resolution I would have wanted (plea to a lesser charge), but at least he's going to get the help I think he needs. Last weeks was definitely not good...NOT GUILTY!! At least we fought the good fight (for all you prosecutors out there!)

So, last night was a little emotional for me for some reason. Not sure if it was the fact that I've had very little sleep lately or what, but as we were watching the CMAs last night, I started crying during Trace Adkins' song "Your Gonna Miss This". I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that Kayla had just let me rock her to sleep for the first time in a long time and the fact that Austin was snuggled up on the chair, but I just love that song. For those of you who haven't heard it, I encourage you to check it out. The chorus goes something like this

"You're gonna miss this. You're gonna want this back. You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast. These are some good times. Take a good look around. You may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this." Oh how true...I already miss it!

Our church is hosting Family Promise this week and we went and spent time with the families last night. Family Promise is a program that helps homeless families get back on their feet, while providing them a place to stay, food and opportunities to find jobs. There are 9 churches in our area participating and this is our week. We went up to the church and ate with the three families last night and played with the kids. Its so eye-opening and sobering to me to see kids the age of mine (and younger!) with no home to call their own. Austin and I were talking about it on the way home and it was so hard for him to understand. We are so blessed to live where we do and have the things we have. I have to constantly remind myself to thank God everyday for that.

I know I keep saying I'm going to put new pictures up. I promise...I will. I have taken some VERY cute ones...they're just still on my camera. Maybe when things slow down...yeah right!

Election Night is FINALLY here!!!

So, I've been pretty absent for the past couple of weeks...sorry! I have several pictures I am going to put up for everyone, but haven't had a chance to do it with everything being so busy. I will really try to get them up this weekend.

So...today was finally election day! While everyone is of course watching the national race to find out who our new leader is going to be, I was focused on the one race that would determine whether I would have a job in the morning. I am THRILLED to report that my boss (BEAL Turner!) won by 8% and I will have a job for at least the next four years! It was a closer race than we wished it would have been, but its definitely a win and that's the most important thing.

Its so funny to find out which attorney "friends" in town turn their back on us in a time like this. Not that we ever really thought they were our friends, but they really show their true colors when stuff like this happens. Well, all I can say is that we know who are friends are now! It, of course, won't affect how we treat their clients, but I can assure you that all communications between me and them will be in writing!

I will post more this week and try to get some pictures up soon! Austin stayed with me at the election party tonight and was very excited that BEAL won...ME TOO!!!