Best Week Ever...

...In November anyway! Jeff and I got the chance to get away for the week and go to a Youth Specialties Conference. We haven't done anything just the two of us in over 3 years, so just being at the airport with NO kids was a blast!!!! We spent Friday to Monday at the Conference in Atlanta. We would get there at 9 in the morning and not get back to our hotel until midnight, but it was so much fun! We got to hear great bands: Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Desperation Band, Third Day, just to name a few. AND awesome speakers: Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, and Doug Fields. It was so uplifting and encouraging to both us!! Then, we drove to see one of our teens from Florida who is now going to college in Georgia, so good to see her again! Then drove to SC to see our friends, Todd and Kelley. Oh my goodness, I miss them. We haven't laughed so much in a long time!! Then we flew back to Missouri on Wednesday, just in time to spend Thanksgiving with Jeff's family! So fun!

Chris Tomlin

David Crowder (my personal favorite)

At Vannessa's Beautiful College! I love you Vannessa!

Austin and Brenden's future wives (they don't have a choice) Haley and Taylor

We went to Silver Dollar City after Thanksgiving and it was sooooo cold! Brenden was perfectly happy bundled in his stroller and did not even want to get out to do rides (but he of course, had no problem when it was time to eat!) The kids had alot of fun and the lights were just beautiful!

Austin rode his first roller coaster, he is the second to last car

Austin, being silly...imagine that :)

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

Well I have been dreading this birthday since, well, since I turned 29 :) I know I already have a minivan and two kids, but something about turning 30 was a little depressing, BUT I had the most fun birthday. I woke up and Jeff decorated the whole house, then I went to drive my car, and Catelyn (one of our teens) had decorated the outside of it, my sister (I love you Shannon) sent me my favorite flower, daisies (which luckily did not come in black), Kylie bought me a high school musical cd and texas fuzzy dice to keep me young, and then....I thought Jeff and I were to go on a date that night. I was sitting in our living room waiting for our babysitter when these masked people all dressed in black came and kidnapped me. They put an OU shirt on me and wrapped me in an OU blanket and threw me in a van. We started driving and no one would talk to me the entire way (it was about 20 minutes). We finally arrived and when I took off my blindfold, it was my all my friends taking me to my favorite restaurant, Olive Garden. You guys are the absolute best!!! (btw, friends and family if you want to see pictures of that, you will have to go to Mandi's blog on my sidebar and find Birthday Bandits) SOOOO.....thanks to everyone who made my 30th birthday so much fun and not at all depressing!!!





The front of the van said "Hot Mama" and pointed to the driver, and it was so great when Jeff had to drive it a few times!!!

HALLOWEEN FUN!

We had a great Halloween. Jeff and I got to dress up to go to an 80's prom costume party, Austin was a member of the S.W.A.T. team and Brenden a boxer. We walked around the neighborhoods and then went to our church's Trunk or Treat. Both of my kids cried putting on their costume (yes, even Austin) but once the candy came rolling in, they were fine! It was a great night and we will be eating Halloween candy until this time next year!



Austin with his Ms. Batterton at his Halloween party!

Brenden and one of his many favorite teenagers!