Family Pictures

On Saturday, we went to Pecan Park to take family pictures for the holiday season. I thought it'd be a great idea to go outside, and take some pictures of the kids having some fun. I think that Ryder had the most fun, because he spent most of his time running around instead of posing for pictures (which was totally awesome for his parents...not!). Needless to say, Ryder gives as plenty of stories to tell, so life would be pretty boring if we didn't have our boy! Kennadie and Avery had a blast, too. Avery got tired towards the end, but she was a trooper! Kennadie just smiled the entire time, so her cheeks were hurting by the end of the session. JD told me that he couldn't wait until next year to do it all over again (actually, he told me that I was on my own for Santa pictures).You've gotta love family picture day!

Thanksgiving Fun

This year we ventured out to east Texas and went camping with JD's side of the family. There was alot of fun, food, fishin', and FOOD! The kids had fun playing football, hiking, and biking. Avery Grace and Addie hung around the campfire and entertained Bailey (the dog also known as "Corkscrew"). We had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast and the weather turned out to be great! Our family has so much to be thankful for, and we are fortunate to have such awesome friends and family that support and love us on a daily basis. Thank you to all of you who touch our lives...we love you!

Ryder Helps the Make a Wish Foundation

Ryder's school had a fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation. There was a silent auction in which all proceeds would benefit the foundation. Ryder put in his bid for the "Cars" basket, and he was the highest bidder! The look on his face when the director told him he had "won" was priceless. His school raised a lot of money for the Make a Wish Foundation, which was cool in of itself. I guess it's never too late to teach your children the value of giving to a charity even if they think that they "won". Actually, now that I think about it, the foundation won, too! :)

Happy Halloween!

The Girls
Kennedy, Kaitlyn, & Avery Grace...the three bees!
Hollywood Starlet, Kennadie

Optimus Prime, Blue Power Ranger, Belle, and Ariel gettin' ready to collect some candy!
The Gang!

Say, "Cheese!"

Our Princess Bumble Bee on her 100th sucker!

Me and my kiddos!


Pa Ned and Rowdy Ryder

Opa & Oma Sellers

Nana and her red headed princess!

This Halloween was a blast! Excitement filled the air as all of our neighbors, family, and friends got together for a fun-filled evening of eating delicious food and trick- or- treating! There were 11 children and a handful of adults to corral the chaos. We had three adorable bumble bees, a cheerful cheerleader, a cute blue fairy, beautiful Belle, Princess Ariel, Optimus Prime, and a little giraffe that escorted Avery to every house. Everyone had such a wonderful time, and by far it was the best Halloween yet!

Kennadie Meets an Author

Kennadie had the pleasure of meeting Susan Stevens Crummel at school last week. She is a children's book author. Kennadie was tickled pink when Susan signed a book for her. It made her feel really special, and we had to read the book to Ryder & Avery Grace when we got home. The next day, her first grade teacher had her read to the entire class (which I was surprised because Kennadie tends to be really shy). Angie (Kennadie's first grade teacher) said she was a natural! Hmmmm, I wonder where she got that from???

Our Nanny Girl

Today was Nanny's 73rd birthday! It's hard to believe that she's 73 because I've always had her in my head as being 50. She is such a huge support in our lives, and I don't know what we'd do without her! This good ol' country girl is funny, caring, kind, compassionate, and best of all...she SPOILS us all! We had a wonderful time celebrating her 73rd birthday today. We took her to a craft show in Katy and came back to our house to have cake and ice cream. The weather was beautiful, so we went outside to let the kids play and we visited with our neighbors. Happy Birthday, Nanny!

Reflection

I am totally blessed to have such a wonderful family! God has blessed us beyond any expectations that we could ever have for ourselves. He is definitely doing great things in our lives and I couldn't ask for anything more. In fact, I was reading a magazine the other day that asked its readers what they thought happiness was, and some responses were things such as a sunset, morning coffee, shopping, an old barn, friends, a vacation, a porch swing, etc. It made me stop and think because most of the answers that I was reading I didn't have any connection with, but it made me reflect on what true happiness really was in my life. I believe that true happiness is family, friends, and neighbors feeling cared for and loved by a family that has an intimate relationship with God. It's seems pretty simple, but I believe it's completely important and necessary in our lives. The "rat race" in which we live in these days can often distort our priorities in life. We get so wrapped up in so many other unimportant things that we tend to to lose sight of what's really important. I always knew that God, family, friends, and neighbors were important in the back of my mind, but it never really seemed to play out that way until JD and I sat down after many sermons by our pastor (and God whispering in our ears) to reprioritize (the best thing about it is it's never too late!). I am so thankful for The Bridge Fellowship and the many friends that we have met through our church that support us on a daily basis. I am also blessed by my family, my friends, and my neighbors (who are now my friends). The Sellers Family will never be the same and that's a wonderful thing!

Enchanted Gardens...Fall Fun!

On Sunday, Kennadie, Ryder, Avery Grace, Beverly, and I went to Enchanted Gardens for their fall festival. The kids had fun fishing, decorating pumpkins, running through a hay maze, pulling a lollipop out of a tree, and posing for MANY pictures (if you ask them, too many). They also ran through a garden where they saw an array of flowers, pumpkins, and fall decorations. The kids also filled up on snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn, and candy. The weather was beautiful, so it was a great day to be outside! It definitely felt like fall!

Ridin' Horses and Havin' Fun

Yesterday, we went to a horse ridin' birthday party! The kids rode horses, banged up a pinata (Kennadie broke the stick in half), jumped on a moonwalk, and rode a gator. Most of our dear friends from our community group were there, so the kids had a blast! Kennadie and Avery Grace were more than ready to get on the horses. Ryder, on the other hand, was still a little leery due to him and a horse having a little misunderstanding a couple of months ago. After the party, the girls and the kiddos came back to our house and played outside while the guys went to the William's house to watch football. The girls hung out and chit chatted until the natives got restless, then everybody headed back to the house. Ryder ended up spending the night with Caleb, and Annabelle hung out at our house with Kennadie and Avery. It was an awesome Saturday afternoon!