Our Tribute to Grandma Doris

We lost a very special and very much loved family member this week. A week or so ago, Grandma Doris ended up in the hospital due to a shortness of breath. We were blessed to be able to take the girls down to the "great Valley" one last time so they could spend some time for her. Sara did really well and I think she enjoyed those last moments seeing Grandma Doris. Since then, she's been praying to God that "to help Grandma Doris feel better."

Monday night we got the call that she passed peacefully in her sleep. We were grateful that she wasn't in any pain and that her kids were with her when she went. With heavy hearts, we broke the news to Sara last night. We read a story about a Grandma that was very sick and then died. The story talked about how she felt good again and would be going to heaven. It then went on with the Grandma saying goodbye to all her family. There was a little girl and a baby in the story. I think Sara knew where we were going with this because before we could finish, she said that the little girl was her and the baby was Georgia Ann and the Grandma was Grandma Doris. We then told her that Grandma Doris had moved onto Heaven, that it was ok to be sad but she was feeling better and would always be around in our hearts and memories. Sara seemed to take it OK. She did add that Nana Jan now needed to move to the Great Valley :)

Today, we celebrated Grandma Doris by attempting (heavy emphasis on attempting) to make some of her famous treats. We tried baking the Raisin Jumbles. The girls had fun helping out and we looked through the recipe book and talked about all the pictures and things we would miss. The cookies didn't turn out as well as Grandma Doris's but I think the girls still enjoyed the process. Here are some pictures. We will all miss her very much. Also, here is her obituary. She was an amazing woman and I am so glad that the girls got to know her, if only for a little while.

Yummy!

Fall is in the air at home. And, we're celebrating! Last week, the girls and I made yummy apple pie - our first taste of fall. Next on the menu is pumpkin bread. Can't wait.

Each daughter got their own pie pan, after Sara helped me mixed together all the ingredients, I just let them at the pie crust, filling and laying. I think they did a pretty good job. Sara tried to lattice her pie because that's the way Snow White and her birds do it (I have no idea what she is talking about, but it made her happy so we went with it).

I didn't get to try any of the pie but Sara and Granny assured me that it tasted deliciously. Anyway, here are the pictures.

Little things

Last week I went through and read our blog from the beginning. It was amazing how much I had already forgotten. So, it made me think about all the recent little things about my growing girls I want to remember. With that in mind, here are ten things about each girl I just need to jot down so they don't get lost with time.

Sara.
1. She is still obsessed with Snow White and insists that she too is a princess. We've at least convinced her that Snow White went away to the University of Texas for college. Guess where Sara now wants to go?!?
2. Sara has three best friends. Madeliene - a daughter of friends that we have, Olivia, our next door neighbor. And, her very best friend at school is an adorable little boy named Brody. She can't stop talking about Brody.
3. At dinner every night, we let Sara lead us in prayer. She always thanks God for her food and also for "Daddy, Mommy, Sara and Georgia". She adds in that last part all on her own :) Very sweet.
4. She knows her address, including what state and city she lives in. Chad has also taught her how to spell Texas.
5. She loves playing pretend and her favorite activity, as of recent, is playing with her dollhouse. She even has Brody playing alongside her at school with the dollhouse up there.
6. She is such a scheduler and always wants to know the plan for the day, and sometimes the week.
7. She feeds El Paso every morning and frequently asks if he can sleep with her. We've tried a few times, and El Paso just isn't into going to bed at 7 PM quite yet.
8. Whenever a song comes on, she wants to know what instrument the person is playing and what the song is called. If it is a woman signing, she will then tell us that it is her "wedding song". As of recent, she's said her favorite song is "Jolie" by Dolly Parton.
9. Sara insists that Uncle Craiger is really just Alicia's brother. We've tried to explain that they are married but she won't buy it. She also thinks that Alicia lives in "Winter Wonderland" and among the polar bears.
10. Sara likes to help me fold clothes. And, frankly, I let her have at it when it comes to her own clothes. She does a pretty good job, too.

Georgia Ann.
1. When she is in a good mood, Georgia is such a joy to be around. She is full of smiles and goofy personality. She can be quite the little ham.
2. While she loves playing with balls and is a little more "rough and tumble" than Sara was, she still insists on having a bow in her hair before she leaves the house. In fact, she insits on having a bow in her hair before going to bed too (but she loses this fight).
3. Reading books are becoming one of Georgia Ann's favorite activities (yay!) and her vocabulary is really picking up. I would bet that she can say over 50 words pretty regularly. And, she knows her name.
4. She does not like having El Paso in the house during meal times and will yell "no, no" while wagging her finger at him, if we forget to put him outside.
5. While she loves her sister (they are starting to play together!), her favorite activity in the car is pulling Sara's hair. And, yes, she does it to purposely bug her. Georgia Ann is smart.
6. Georgia Ann LOVES to dance. At school, they'll play country music and she'll dance for anyone who will watch.
7. Her favorite game to play right now is "Ring Around the Rosie" and she loves it when Sara will play with us.
8. Georgia Ann is entering into the tantrum phase, and we think she'll be quite the expert. When she gets mad (which usually happens anytime you have to tell her no), she'll stomp her feet, get bright red and do her ugly cry. It is so hard not to laugh at her because, really, it is too precious.
9. She thinks she is as big as Sara and will follow her around trying to do the same things.
10. Apples are her favorite fruit - and she will eat the entire thing. Core and all.

Anyway, what's a post without a few pictures. Here a few from last week.

Kicking off the fall

October came in with a bang, dropping our temperatures by nearly 20 degrees. Brrrrr!! While we are not happy with the changing seasons, the fall does bring some good things like holidays, baking and family time.

Anyway, we've decided to embrace fall this year and spend as much time outdoors as we can stand, because we only know the gloomy days of Winter are just ahead.

Last weekend, we took the girls to Brazos Bend State Park. If you haven't gone, go! It was so beautiful and their are live alligators all over the park. We did a 1.7 mile walk with the girls and we saw seven on the trail. It was so cool.