Thanksgiving at the Johns'

This year we hosted friends for Thanksgiving. Wes and Jenny came over and another friend from work, Johnny, joined us as well. My second turkey solo! Jay did the carving honors. I even ventured into homemade rolls, homemade pumpkin pie and a sweet potato and apple stuffing. I was pretty nervous on Wednesday as I seemingly destroyed my kitchen with flour and veggies...but I just kept talking to Nanu, asking her to guide my hands and to help me do it just the way she would have. Much to my surprise, my angel must have been with me because everything turned out very well. Jay even really seemed to enjoy the pumpkin pie and stufing, which beforehand he would have sworn he didn't like!! Jenny even used Nanu's squash casserole recipe...I am sure she was somewhere smiling down on us all. I even broke out my holiday china for the very first time and used Nanu's handmade placemats...I was very excited!! Here are some photos from our little holiday in Clute :-)

Trick or Treat

OK, so it has been a terribly long time since I have updated my blog...given that I am posting this 2 months late. But I have a good excuse...our home PC bonked and I only recently got it fixed. But now we are up and running again, so let the updates pour forth.

The weekend of Halloween, my good friend Christi came over from Louisiana to visit. Our good friends Wes and Jenny also came over on Friday night and we all braved the mosquitoes to hand out candy. It seems everyone in south texas converges on our neighborhood on Halloween, so it looks like a block party...complete with police and everything!

Here are the lovely ladies handing out candy....

Christi hung out in Clute the rest of the weekend and we headed up to Houston on Saturday for an early dinner and a Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town Concert. Jay was kind enough to take a pretty show photo for us....

Ragnar Relay 2008

2 vans, 12 people, 181 miles and 36 hours with no sleep - put all these together and you get the Ragnar Relay.

A 181 mile relay race from San Antonio to Austin. There is no one word to sum it up, but rather a million fun little memories....A tour of the Texas back roads in the wee hours, crossing cattle guards, dodging racoons, port o potty's in the middle of nowhere, a little AC/DC on Hell's Highway, waking up in a fire ant mound, running hills for the first time in months, passing men in red dresses, being Beaver Believer's...and best of all...watching the competition get RunDOWn!!

We came in 2nd overall and 1st in the Corporate Division...not bad for our first time out of the gates. thanks to all for the awesome memories, keep running...we have a Canon to win!! MOM

Loading up the team vans...

Team RunDOWn

Watching the competition take off.

Teams that would eventually get RunDOWN...Our first runner (Doug) takes off

Waiting for Spencer at Mile 4Both teams cheering our runners

Van 1

Van 2

They have too much energy....Teri survives her first 6.8 through town

Watching for Dan My Kiddos

Go Gadget Go

Waiting at night

Ed geared up

Greg hands off to Jay

Jay looking for his gear

Van 2 TRIES to sleep

Doug leads off the last major exchange for Van 1

I was actually running pretty fast...

Morgan wants more hills next year
Greg dodges a truck to hand off to Jay for the last time

Run Forrest Run

My boys are Carnivores!

Our first place batons....we are Numero Uno!!

Some time with Friends & Family

While we were in NC for the wedding we also attended a cook out at the Yarbrough's with friends and family. It was a brisk evening, perfect for a cook out and bond fire.

We were so excited to be wearing winter coats!

What handsome siblings...I love you guys!!

So...which one do you think we get our looks from?My Escort Blake Old Friends....

Cousins Corey & Sam
The Newleyweds

Aunt Lynn sneaks a hug

The Cooks

Corey & Uncle Jimmy talk shop

My Little Brother Get's Hitched

Jeremy and Lori tied the knot on October 18th at New Hope United Methodist, in our home town. Congratulations little brother!! I am so excited for both of you. I can also say from recent experience, that the next year will be one of the most challenging, yet most rewarding of your life. Growing together as a couple is a wonderful experience, so enjoy every second of it. Remember to devote as much time to building your marriage as you do to everything else in life, because in the end, a storng marriage is what will carry you when everything else seems to be going wrong. Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day. All our love....Laura & Jay

The Gang's All Here....

The getaway