(I apologize in advance for the length of my story and the confusion that keeping anonyminity makes in telling this story.)
So, like many right now, things have been a little tight for us financially. We've really battened down the hatches to try to ride out this financial downturn. We've cut back on everything from groceries to clothing. Our nights "out" have become nights "in", and we're looking for ways to spend more time and less money with our kids. So all in all, it has been stressful, but good for our family. No worries, please - we really are fine. This was a necessary preface to a great story.
Anyway, Natalie, our oldest, continues to grow and grow and grow! And being the oldest, there really aren't many hand-me-downs. I've put off for weeks buying her some winter clothes and instead have loaned her some of my shirts and an old jacket from my college days. She's taken all my slightly too large clothing with gratitude and no complaints! She is really understanding beyond her years. I finally did get her some pants and shirts this week, but really didn't feel like I could spring for a coat too. She quietly continued to wear my college jacket even though it was really several sizes too big and her friends had (affectionately) named her "Hobo Bob" when she'd wear the coat at school.
Yesterday morning I took Dani to see Santa at the library with a couple of my friends and their girls. While we were there waiting in line I was telling them about Natalie graciously wearing my hand-me-downs and how her friends had nicknamed her "Hobo Bob" because of her coat. I didn't think much about the conversation after it was over. I was just telling stories to pass the time.
Then that night I went to our Relief Society Enrichment Christmas Dinner. One of my friends from the library found me shortly after I'd arrived and handed me a jacket that she told me she didn't need anymore and would Natalie like it? I was so touched by her thoughtfulness and I was so grateful for her being so in tune with the Spirit to know I had been praying to Heavenly Father for some relief from these tight money times. I gave her a hug and said a most heartfelt thank you! Then I turned around and saw the other friend who had been with us at the library. I showed her the jacket for Natalie and expressed how thoughtful our friend had been. At the same time ANOTHER one of my friends overheard the conversation and jumped in saying with surprise: "You just got that for Natalie?! I got her a coat today too!" Apparently, my other friend had mentioned Natalie's situation to this friend and so she decided to just go out and buy a coat for Natalie. She planned on leaving it on my doorstep later that night as an anonymous gift for Natalie, but the surprise of another coat somewhat changed her surprise.
I was absolutely shocked!!! TWO coats!!! I was completely overcome and broke down during the opening prayer. Heavenly Father really was listening and answering my prayers! I was so full of gratitude and humility that it took me a few minutes to pull myself back together. I have the most wonderful, spiritually in tune, awesome friends in the whole world!!!!
This morning when Natalie awoke, her bleary eyes focused slowly on the coat and gift bag (the second coat - my friend did end up leaving it on my doorstep) on her bedroom floor. I watched and explained that a friend had given me the first coat last night and that when I got home the gift bag was on the doorstep with her name. She tried on the first coat and then her eyes about popped out of her head when she opened up the gift bag and realized she now had TWO coats!! I told her I thought she was a pretty lucky girl to have people this thoughtful looking out for her. And since she didn't know who had given her the gift bag (I didn't say that I knew the giver), the best way to say Thank You would be to look for someone in need and "Pay it Forward." She really liked that idea and I can tell it's put her in the Christmas spirit.
It has been a great day!! I'm sooooo grateful for inspired friends and a loving Heavenly Father. I hope (if you actually got through the entire reading of this story) that your heart has been as touched as mine with the goodness of this Christmas season. Miracles abound and the Lord answers prayer!!!
Hilary and I picked the kids up from school and surprised them by saying we were going to Marble Falls. They didn't know we were going to the maze until we arrived. It's cool when these kind of surprises work out (which is rarely). When we got there we took a tractor-pulled hayride to the Texas-shaped maze. The kids got a kick out of all the hay on our bums and Dani made sure we all knew it was a bumpy ride. Above is a picture of what the maze looked liked (although I think this may have been a photo from a different year, the size and shape are the same.) 
Once we got to the maze, we checked out the map of Texas posted at the entrance and noted where all 10 of the cities that we were supposed to find were located -the maze was on about 4 acres. Then we set off. We started in pairs, each with a mom, but after about 15 minutes we found it to be more fun going around in a big group. After about an hour's worth of searching, we found all 10 cities. Surprisingly, we didn't happen across the same city more than twice, unless we were trying to because someone missed it. When we were all done, because we found all the cities, the farm rewarded us with a soda.
After the maze we headed back to pet the goats and pick out pumpkins in the farm's pumpkin patch. It's always fun to watch little kids get excited about petting animals. Dani was a little cautious at first but finally got her hand on patient goat. The pumpkin patch was a fun place for more pictures. The only downside was that Dani had had enough of pictures and wasn't about to smile for the camera anymore. But nevertheless, the moms perservered and got a few good Fall pictures.
The kids all had a great time. It's was a super alternative to going to the haunted house, especially for the "little" faint of heart. And, bonus, we got our pumpkins at the same time. (Beats running down the grocery store!) I can now pat myself on the back for doing something "cool" for Halloween with the kids, especially since this is a first. (Enjoy the slideshow of more pics above.)
Of course, for Jeremy, that's the perfect costume! I have to admit that I can't stand the movie (it's soooooo dumb!!!) but I played along and found a nun costume I made over to be Nacho's forbidden love interest, Sister Incarnacion.
I found our costumes at a party store. When Jeremy first put on the one-piece "stretchy pants" outfit I was rolling on the floor with laughter. Not because he looked just like Nacho (which he did), but because the costume was a little short in the, um, mid-section. In order to get the top of the one-piecer over his shoulders it rode really high in the groin area. Jer couldn't raise his arms without raising his voice several octives. I remedied this situation with a few alterations and Nacho walked into the party very comfortable in his "stretchy pants".
On Thursday the 30th, we test drove the girls' costumes at the Vista Ridge High School's trunk-or-treat. They left with so much candy I wondered if we would really need to trick-or-treat the next night. But of course they just dumped out their candy from the night before and headed around the neighborhood on Halloween. Jeremy and Tim took the kids trick-or-treating, while Hilary and I held down the fort from our driveway. The girls had carved their pumpkins earlier that day and we lined the driveway with the spooky and cooky jack-o'-lanterns. And Jeremy lit a fire in our portable firepit and we handed out candy while enjoying the pleasant, almost cool, night. What a perfect Halloween!
Then Emma headed off to school with Natalie, but lucky Emma, they only had half-day school! So after homemade cupcakes in class at 10am (the only time when 1st graders get cupcakes that early), Emma's class sang her Happy Birthday and crowned her birthday queen. She's the first one in her class to turn 7 this year.
Emma got a decent haul of presents. She got clothes, moola, arts and crafts projects, Barbie clothes and furniture, another Webkinz: a turtle she named Emmy, and a dragon egg that dissolves and turns into a little toy dragon.
So anyway, we headed over to Pflugerville to the first part of our "red"neck evening: at RED's Indoor Shooting Range. Did I mention I'd never held nor fired a real firearm? It was all a new experience for me - from the incredibly LOUD sound a fired gun makes in an indoor range to the real rednecks yuckin' it up behind Red's counter.
Tim and Jeremy did a great job showing Hilary and me how to safely load, handle and fire Tim's three different handguns. I tried all three: a 9mm, a 40 caliber and a 380. I first fired the 9mm. It took me a while to carefully go through all the steps in my head that the guys showed us: how to pick up the gun, how to correctly hold it, where to look when firing and how to position my body and arms for the kick from the actual gun discharging. I think the kick had me scared the most. From all the stories I heard in general about the "kick" in a gun, I guess I expected it to be a lot harder and more painful than it actually was. But it wasn't so bad, Thank Goodness!
Okay, I got a little deep there for what was supposed to be a funny blog of a redneck date. So after we "blew away" a wad of moola on range fees and ammo, and tossed around a few more one-liners with the "Red's"neck employees, we climbed back into our car and drove around looking for some dinner.
A couple weeks ago we finally got around to going to Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels, which is about an hour and a half from our home. All summer long we've been planning to go and all summer long it hasn't rained hardly at all... except for the day that we schedule to go!!! We crossed our fingers anyway and headed south hoping to dodge the thunderstorms. 
It was really amazing. The things he was imagining were hundreds of years ahead of his time. He had drawing for flying machines like helicopters and hang gliders and there was even a drawing for a tank! 
It was neat to see someone actually create working models of these machines. If the exhibit ever comes to your city I would definitely recommend going to see it. 
Christmas Day - 2015
10 years ago
