More October pictures

 While I was updating 2 days ago my camera died before I was finished loading pictures onto the blog.  SO today I will continue on.  If you are lost and confused read previous blog first then come back and read this one :)
My Friend Kathryn and I took Kenedy, Constance and Callum (Kathryn's kids) to a Jonas brothers concert in Houston.
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Kenedy and I at the concert



A visit to Gmom's and Papa's.  This is Blake pushing baby Troy

Troy going for a little ride with daddy

Jacob looking so big!

Blake's first field trip to the pumpkin patch.

Kenedy's Girl scout troop worked the pumpkin patch as part of their service to the community.

Kenedy had a fall festival at school.  They partnered up with another student and wrapped each other like mummies.

Kenedy before wrapping

Kenedy after wrapping her partner

This is Kenedy busting out of her wrapping.

Blake also had a fall festival.  Here he is in the sack race.

Trick or treat!

This is our Trick or Treat clan. Can you find Waldo?

Kenedy and her Sunday School teacher.  Her Sunday School class raised money for the World Hunger fund.  This is her turning in her money. 

Here is Blake standing on the track before a game in his number 1    4   jersey.

When did Fall get here?

I feel as though School just started but when I look at the calendar and see that it's November 5th, I think where did September and October go.  Since it has been so long I think I will give an overall of what everyone has been up to and then include pictures at the end.  So lets see what has been going on with the Marion's. 
       Kenedy- was again invited to join the Dance team this year.  Her Dance studio (Rowes) invited to be a part of their Junior Dance team and to participate in the Nutcracker Ballet that they put on every year.  This would take a big commitment and required her to make a choice Dance team or gymnastics team.  She went with Dance.  She is still taking one 90 minute floor tumbling class that I am helping to coach.  She misses doing the bars, vault, and balance beam, but is excited to be a part of the dance team and the Nutcracker. Kenedy is still loving 3rd grade and her teacher.  Thank goodness I dont know if we could of survived another year of mean kids! Her teacher told me that she is precious (well of course) and loves to learn.  She brought home straight A's on her report card (as usually).  Something else exciting for her is that she made the UIL team at her school.  She will be competing in music memory.  Oh and she also made the school choir.  How so much Smarts & talent can be rolled into that little body is amzaing.  She is amazing, not to mention that she is absolutely beautiful and has a kind heart. 
       Blake- Blake started soccer this fall. He is loving it and where he has scored at least one goal a game his favorite is playing defense.  (I find that very interesting since Ryan coaches Defense in football and most children care mostly about scoring)  Blake is of course loving football season as usually.  It fascinates me how intense he is when he watches the game.  He is very involved in what is going on and makes coments like "ooo did you hear that hit?  "It went Crunch"  Or "did you see them drag that football boy"  Blake has a football hero.  His name is Hunter Holland and he is a senior for the Bulldogs.  Blake has known Hunter for the past few years (He goes to our church) but has just discovered that Hunter is a great football player.  Hunters number is 14 but Blake calls it number 1   4.  Hunter is a great kid who will be attending college at the AirForce Acedemy.  Blake is also enjoying Pre-k and his teacher is FANTASTIC!  Secretly she has told me that Blake is her favorite.  (well of course he is)
Ryan-What an amzing guy he is.  He is of course working his normal football hours 70 to 80 hours a week.He has not missed one of Blake's Soccer games, and is fininshing his last semester of his master's degree.  Kenedy says her favorite thing about her Dad is that he is creative.  (trust me these are words that would never be associated with me.)  She likes that he gives her bear hugs and helps make tents for her and Blake to play in. 
Me-I am enjoying teaching 4th grade Language Arts and Social Studies.  I miss Kindergarten, but have also grown to love 4th grade.  I guess I like different things about both grades. 

Okay now for the pictures you have all been waiting for. 

Blake's First Soccer Practice                                           Hunter Brought Blake his very own  1   4 jersey

Blake slept in that jersey that night  Kenedy got her first Mum for homecoming from Rade.

 

For those of you who dont know Rade has been Kenedy's best bud since First Grade.

Kenedy and Rade

Some soccer action

Mimi and Papa visit

Snacks at end are always the best part.

More picturs to come my Camera battery has died :( I will charge it and add pictures in the morning.  Note to self buy spare camera battery.

School Days

Well it's official, I have no babies anymore:(  Kenedy is now a big 3rd grader and Blake has officially started school.  He is in Pre-K.  I can not believe that he is old enough to go to school.  I'm not worried about him though he has the best teacher ever!  Here he is with is good friend Avery Morgan and their Pre-K teacher Tamesa Conway at meet the teacher.

Here we are on the first day of school, Blake is headed to Pre-K, Kenedy to 3rd grade, and Me off to my new job as a 4th grade teacher.  Blake looks so scared but really it's just his fake smile.  Kenedy was so excited about here first day of school outfit that she even had her toes and fingers painted that shade of blue with brown zebra stripes to match it.

On the couch before first day of school.

Okay so on the first day of school I took the kids to school so I could get my first day of school pictures with their teachers. 

Kenedy's Teacher's name is Mrs. Hubbard.  Kenedy LOVES HER!  She knows a few friends in her class this year and seems to be having a great time.  I'm so glad and just continue to pray that this year is better than last year.  I would hate for her to loose her love for school. 

The first week of school was very busy and the second seemed to be even more so.  Ryan and I  did manage to find some time to take the kids to the circus.  Yes thats right the circus in Carthage Texas.  I could hardly believe it myself but it turned out to be pretty good and the kids really enjoyed it.  They even got to ride and elephant! 

We have officially started football season.  The Carthage Bulldogs have won their first 2 games giving them 31 wins in a row!  I am So proud of Ryan, all the coaches and boys.  I hope we have another great season!  The kids schedules are starting again this next week.  Kenedy will be dancing again this year, but will only take floor tumbling from a place here in town.  If she misses competing in gymnastics than we will travel out of town for gymnastics again next year.  Blake will be playing soccer this fall and then baseball in the spring.  He too will be taking a floor tumbling class once a week. 

This is also Ryan's last semester in school.  In December he will be finished with his Masters. He has worked hard and I'm excited for him.  I cant wait to keep everyone posted on this upcoming year.  I know it's going to be a great one!

Summer is almost over, I'm so sad!

We have had such an awesome summer.  I love being home with Ryan and the kids!  Ryan has already gone back to work, and I have been working on getting my new room ready.  Some of my awesome friends Lynsey and Kathryn have been helping me get ready.  I dont know how teaching 4th grade is going to go but I am very excited and VERY nervous. 

To end our summer we have been doing a lot of swimming.  Blake has become such a good swimmer I am so proud of him.  Here is a picture of Jacob, Kenedy, and Blake swimming at the pool in Killeen.

When I told the kids that this is the pool that I grew up swimming in, Kenedy said "wow this pool is old" 

Here the kids are with my Aunt Tencha.  The blond girl is my cousin Michelle's Daughter.  They were visiting from Vermont.  Kenedy really enjoyed meeting Emmalee! 

I thought I would include a picture of Debra and Tony cuz we dont get a whole lot of them.

Dont they look sweet.

Kenedy has a good friend named Bailey and her mom invited Kenedy, Blake and I to go fishing with her and her kids.  Ryan was at work and so was Belinda's husband (Bailey's mom) So it was just us moms and 6 kids.  (Belinda has 3 plus her son had a friend) I'm not really a outdoorsie kind a girl, so luckly the two older boys helped with the baiting of hooks.  Blake caught his very first fish ever, and Kenedy caught a fish too.  They both had a great time. (and so did I)

I realize the fish are hard to see they are small and blend into the picture but I swear they are on the hook.  Look at how excited their faces are. 

We also had the pleasure of keeping baby Troy for several days while Debra and Tony cleaned out rooms in their house.  He is so much fun and such a good baby.  I did forget how exausting it is to have babies around.  He really liked swimming with Blake and Kenedy and riding bikes with them at night.  Here he is playing with Gizmo in the front yard.

Blake and Kenedy have had such big summers.  Blake learned to swim and ride a bike with no training wheels.  (can you believe that he is only 4) and Kenedy went away for a whole week at camp without anyone and absolutely loved it, she cant wait to go again.  It seems like they both really grew up and became very independent this summer.  Blake will be starting school in 2 weeks and Kenedy will be in 3rd grade. While I am happy for them and know that things are going just as they should be my heart breaks a little too,  Soon they wont be little. 

Here is a last picture of them riding their bikes.  I'm sure the next post will be of the first day of school. 

Kenedy's Nationals, Kids Vacation, Kenedy leaves for camp and LOTS & Lots of pictures!

First let me start by saying that I LOVE SUMMER!  Okay with that out of the way lets get down to business.  I guess we will start with The fact that Kenedy's Dance team qualified for nationals in Jazz and Ballet.   So She was going to dance her Solo (jazz) on Wednesday and her group Jazz and Ballet on Saterday.  Ryan and I thought this would be a great opportunity to take the kids to Dallas and do some things with them there.  We invited Jacob (their cousin) to join us.  So we will start with Day one Wednesday.  Kenedy Danced her Solo in the morning, She received 3rd place in the Jazz category.  She danced the best I've seen her do all season and Ryan and I are so proud of her!  Then we were off to the hotel where the kids did some swimming and then we went to a Rangers game.  This is where the pictures come in.  In hotel before we left for the game:

Eating at the game

The kids enjoyed watching the game but really liked when we went down to the area with the kid games:

This is Jacob signing an autograph poster for one of the players who had broken a record.  I'm sure that I was supposed to remember details of his name and what record he broke however I forgot.  (I could ask Ryan so I looked like I knew what I was talking about but while I'm in here blogging, he is actually on the laptop takeing a test)  (on a side note he is doing great in school and will be done in December!) 

After games we looked in some of the shops, Kenedy and Jacob wanted the # 1 fan foam finger and Blake wanted a Ranger baseball.  You would have thought we gave them a million dollars.  They played for the rest of the night with this stuff.  Here is a picture of them voting for us to head back to the hotel:

So Thursday we decided to go to Hurrican harbor.  Everyone had a good time.  Kenedy really got into the water slides and even rode A really big one  (the Tornado) with Ryan. 

Here they are headed out for the park.

Friday was a little different.  Kenedy and I had reservations to have lunch at the American Girl doll store.  We had never been and Kenedy was in Heaven.  She spent $1000 (in her mind of course) within the first 5 minutes of being in that place.  I have to admit it was an amazing place.  Needless to say she picked out a few things that were with in reason and then we had lunch.  Another unreal experience.  They have highchairs at the table for your dolls.  (The food was really good by the way)

While we shopped and had lunch Jacob decided he wanted to try Ice skating.  So Ryan and the boys went to the Ice skating rink inside the Galeria.  Ryan said by the end Jacob had gotten really good and could go fast.  Blake did great for his first time as well and was finally able to go a little ways on his own with out crashing. 

After these adventrues we all headed over to Medevil Times for Dinner and a Show.  This turned out to be Blake and Jacob's favorite part of the vacation.  (Kenedy's was the American Girl Doll Store)

This is outside of Medevil Times:

Jacob and Blake Sword fightingJacob even took on some other people.

Kenedy Loved the fact that our knight (who won by the way) kissed a flower and threw it at. 

Then of course On saterday Kenedy Danced her group #'s and did awesome they placed 2nd in both Ballet and Jazz.  We headed home to wash clothes and pack Kenedy for Girl scout camp.  She was so excited.  I asked her if she was nervous and she looked at me like I had lost my mind and said NO!  We left Sunday Morning to drop her off.  When we got there We met up with her cousin Alli who is going to the same camp.  The girls would have ditched up right then and there if we would have let them.  We got them all checked in, walked them to there cabin, (Kenedy told us good bye again but I informed her I had 9 minutes till they made the parents leave and I was staying)  I helped her make her bed, and she told Blake good-bye.  This is the part where I started crying ( I hid it from Kenedy of course but it truely broke my heart)  See for yourself:

I mean really is there anyone out there that did not tear up when you saw that?  Blake told her He would Miss her.  Then Kenedy looked at Ryan and I said Adios with a smile on her face and gave us a hug.  I made her pose for one more picture on ther cabin steps:

I can not believe that she is big enough to go away for a week with out us.  I know that she is going to have a great time.  I keep you updated on how camp goes.