McDonald Madness

Kristen's Birthday

2011-12-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Kristen's 39th birthday a few days early this year. The kids were actually all going to be out of town on my actual birthday. Linda made a wonderful dinner and a yummy chocolate cake and we celebrated. As always, I was spoiled beyond belief. Thank you to my entire family for a gift (my camera) that I will treasure for a lifetime. I will use it to preserve the wonderful memories of this family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Breaking Ground!

2011-12-11T20:13:00.000-08:00

After a year long campaign, Grace Avenue UMC broke ground on our new building. It was such a neat ceremony. Once the ground had been broken in each one of the new rooms, we all walked around and placed our rocks (that were given to us at the beginning of the campaign) in the bucket of our choosing. These rocks will be buried in the foundation of that particular room. Megan's rock will be in the Choir Room, Dylan's in the Welcome Center, Ashley's in the Brides Room, Kristen's in the Sanctuary and Mike's in the Prayer Room. How special to be a part of something so wonderful and powerful!!

The Grumpy Sheperd

2011-12-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

Megan joined the Grace Avenue Children's choir this past year. She is part of the Rejoice Singers (1st & 2nd graders) . She was part of her first ever Christmas Musical - The Grumpy Sheperd. She was the cutest little sheep on stage!! :) Thank you to Ms. Karen for making her sheep hat! The performance was so cute and they all did such a good job.

Dolphins Basketball

2011-12-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

Megan is playing basketball for the 1st time ever. We signed her up to play on the Dolphin's with her friends from school. I could not get my camera settings right, so I only got a few pictures of her standing still. I will try better next time!! :)

Santa Claus

2011-11-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

We made our annual visit to see Santa Claus and was pleasently surprised that there was NO WAIT this year. The kids all had time to visit with Santa and told him what they wanted. There wish lists have gotten much more expensive!! Ashley wants a Kindle Fire, Dylan a laptop and Megan the American Girl Julie doll.

Family Advent Night

2011-11-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

Grace Avenue kicked off the Advent season with family Advent night. Megan and Mommy spent the evening making crafts to give to others as gifts.

Trimming the Tree

2011-11-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

We spent the afternoon trimming the tree. It is always so special to unwrap the ornaments and reminisce about the meanings behind them. Cherished memories!!

Elf Magic

2011-11-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Our Elves have returned for the Christmas season. The kids wrote their letter to Santa asking for the elves to pay their holiday visit. They layed out crackers and water and sure enough...Miranda, J.D. and Kennedy returned leaving a mess of popcorn and a new movie for the kids.

Turkey Trot

2011-11-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

Icy the Polar Bear (Dylan) helped to promote The 2012 Polar Bear Plunge and cheer on all of those that participated in the 1st Annual Frisco Turkey Trot benefitting The Miracle League.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

We drove to Stillwater, OK to spend Thanksgiving with Tim, Crystal, Joel, Hayden Grace & Simion Peter. We had a wonderful dinner at their home, toured Stillwater and celebrated Tim's birthday at the bowling alley. Our trip was too short, but well worth the drive!!! We are looking forward to seeing everyone again during the Christmas holidays.

Thanksgiving Break

2011-11-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

We spent must of our Thanksgiving Break relaxing and playing games. Our favorites were Scattegories, Headbanz and Sequence!!

Sunday Choir

2011-11-20T18:15:00.000-08:00

Megan and the children's choir sang in two church services this morning. What sweet voices these little children have.

5x7 Folded Card

2011-11-18T19:36:00.001-08:00

With Love Christmas Card

This season, send Christmas cards personalized with family photos.

View the entire collection of cards.

Softball Party

2011-11-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

Megan enjoyed hanging out with her friends to celebrate the end of fall softball. The Devil's had another great season!

USTA WIN!!

2011-11-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Dylan WON his first ever USTA tournament!! He played in Denton and blew away all his opponents. His final match was a nailbiter in which he won 7 to 1 in the tie-breaker. We couldn't be more happy for him!!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

Mike & I dressed up and took Megan (Dorthy) & Dylan (Polar Bear) out for a night of Trick or Treating in our subdivision. It was a beautiful night out and the kids had a super time walking the streets. Of course they LOVED all of the candy!

GAUMC Trunk or Treating

2011-10-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

Our church hosts an annual fall festival night each year that includes Trunk or Treating. Different families decorate their cars/trunks and hand out candy to all of the children. We, along with the Hallmans decorated our van this year as Bedrock and we dressed up as characters from the Flintstones. It was so much fun!! We took 3rd place in the contest behind Tangled and The Smurfs. Can't wait to start planning our trunk for next year!! :)

Rangers Mania

2011-10-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

We LOVE our Texas Rangers!! It has been an unbelievable ride that has been so much fun to be a part of. We have enjoyed watching the games from the comfort of our own couch or celebrating the victories with friends at our favorite local handout...Pick 6!! We hope to end the ride as WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!

Boals Fall Festival

2011-10-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

Megan & Mommy spent the evening at the Boals Fall Festival. Meg showed off her athletic ability while playing all of the games. She even dunked Mrs. Chamberlain in the dunk booth!! We had a nice evening visiting with friends and having some fun.

Texas State Fair

2011-10-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

We skipped out of Sunday School and headed to downtown Dallas for the 125th year of the Texas State Fair. We spent about 3 hours walking Fair Park, playing a few games, riding a few rides and of course eating and drinking some special treats. Mike very much enjoyed FRIED OREO's!!

Church Choir

2011-10-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Megan has joined the church choir this year and they sang for the first time in church. She did such a good job and looked like such a little angel up there. How big she has gotten in such a short amount of time.

Wakeland HS Homecoming 2011

2011-10-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Ashley & Nick went to Homecoming with a big group of their friends. They started the evening over at Ali's for pictures and then headed toward the water fountain at Cantina Laredo for additional pictures. All the "moms" left at that point in time and headed out to meet the guys to watch the Rangers play. The kids went to dinner, the dance and then headed over to Claire's for a Homecoming Party. They had a blast and they all looked so beautiful!!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

Our family took a three hour shift at the GAUMC Pumpkin Patch. I worked the counter, Mike priced pumpkins, Dylan helped with the hay ride and Ashley kept Megan entertained. We had a great afternoon and raised a ton of money to go towards missions.

Homecoming Game

2011-10-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

Wakeland's homecoming game was on a Thursday night this year. We made it a family affair, but we were not all together for the festivities. Ashley & Nick were with their friends, Mike & Dylan were on the field and Dean, Megan and I watched together from the stands. It is an amazing sight to see all of the different homecoming mums. They have gotten so BIG and so elaborate!! What a fun night!!

Lott Family Reunion

2011-10-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

We headed to Hill Top Lakes for the annual Lott reunion. So thankful that our entire family was able to attend this year. As always, it is wonderful to be able to catch-up with family and reminisce of old times. After the reunion we headed to Lufkin to bury Puh and Grandma Betty's ashes. It was a service filled with so many mixed emotions. They exemplified the Lott spirit!! Thank you to Uncle Leroy for having the Lufkin High School 1936 Bi-District Champions flag flying at half-mast in honor of Puh and his football accomplishments of that year. Too COOL!!

Dolphin Tale

2011-09-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

Megan wanted to have her "friend" birthday at the movie theater this year. We took her and a group of her friends to Frisco Square to see Dolphin Tale. It was such a wonderful movie!! After the movie we headed back to our house for cake, ice cream and of course presents. The Hallman's gave Megan a very special cake that they bid on from our church's Pie Auction. It went right along with her movie theme and it was DELICIOUS!! So special!! The girls had a great time and Megan had another birthday she will never forget!! :)

Aggie Football!!

2011-09-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

We spent the day in College Station with the Hallman's attending the Texas A & M/OSU football game. I have to admit...the Aggie family is amazing!! I was very impressed when the entire stadium stayed to watch the Core during halftime, the student section NEVER sat down and all of the cheers that they have. It was pretty cool!!

Megan's 8th Birthday!

2011-09-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

Megan's birthday was filled with special surprises all day long. She chose Dunkin Donuts and a coke from Sonic for her birthday breakfast, Grandpa, Grandma and Mom came to eat lunch with her at school and brought McDonald's. She had special black and hot pink cupcakes for her class party and ended the day at the Wakeland/Frisco HS football game and Pink Out The Park celebration. WOW...what a day!!

Megan's Family Celebration!

2011-09-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Megan's birthday with family on September 22nd due to our busy weekend. We ate dinner at Cane's and then went back to Grandpa & Grandma's for cake and ice cream. They had her favorite's - strawberry cake and milk chocolate ice cream!! Thanks to everyone...she was spoiled by everyone!!

Megan's Pitching Debut

2011-09-10T20:15:00.001-07:00

Megan is following her big sister's footsteps and is pitching for the FBSA (Frisco Baseball Softball Association). Her team-the Devil's, decided to move up and are playing 10U softball this fall. Needless to say Megan is the smallest player on the field and she is pitching against some big girls. Mom was worried beyond belief, but Megan rose to the occassion and did unbelievably well on the pitching mound. She even caught a line drive that was hit right at her. Looking forward to the season ahead!

1st Day of School

2011-08-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

Another year of school is upon us. The kids were all super excited this morning about the start of another year. Ashley is a Junior in High School, Dylan is in 8th Grade and Megan is in 2nd Grade.

Ashley's New Car

2011-08-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

WOW!! Ashley got a new car...well, a new car to her. She got a 2005 Hyundai Elantra. She is super excited and very proud of it! Mom is a nervous wreck!!

Meet the Teacher

2011-08-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Megan had Meet the Teacher Night at Boals Elementary. Since Mommy was meeeting her new students, Daddy and Ashley took Megan to meet hers. She was super excited to meet her 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Bruner. She unpacked her school supplies and got everything ready for her 1st day of school on Monday.

Kimmie & Katelyn's Visit

2011-08-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kimmie and Katelyn (Little K) came to Dallas for a visit! As always, we had a wonderful time...it was just too short as usual. We had fun hanging out at the house and visiting all of Kimmie's favorite Frisco spots. We added a new favorite to the list...American Girl. Can't wait for them to come visit again.

Happy Birthday Mike!!

2011-08-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Mike's 39th Birthday at Main Event. We went bowling with the Hallman's and and Dean and then came back to the house for pizza, cake and ice cream! We had a great night of FUN!!

Model Airlplanes

2011-08-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dylan has found yet again his love for model airplanes. He started "small" this summer by putting together little Whitewings and has now moved onto bigger models. The latest he built was a model of the Wright Brother's plane. It was the Special 100th Anniversary model.

Brad Paisley Concert

2011-07-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Nick gave Ashley tickets to the Brad Paisley concert for her birthday. They spent the afternoon/evening at Pizza Hut Park and had a wonderful time. What a special "Sweet 16th" birthday gift!

Summer Vacation 2011

2011-07-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

We spent a week traveling the southern states. We left Texas to drop Dylan & Megan off at Aunt Kate & Uncle Joe's for a couple of days while Ashley, Mike & Kristen headed to Pensacola Beach, FL for Brooklynn & Austin's wedding. Once we left Florida, we headed back to AL. We stopped by Tuscaloosa for a short visit to the University of Alabama (one of Ashley's top school's) and then onward to spend a couple of days in Helena. We took off from the Kruse's and headed to Pigeon Forge, TN to visit Splash Country and Dollywood. We even made a short stop off in Athens, TN for a visit to the Mayfield Milk/Ice Cream Plant. We put a total of 2, 692 miles on the van and made many memories along the way.

Girl's Night

2011-07-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

Since the boys both left for their Boys Weekend, we decided to have a "Girl's Night" at home. The highlight of our evening was playing the game Hedbandz. We laughed so hard we cried!!

McDonald Family

2011-07-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

Uncle Tim and Uncle Jon came into town for the annual boys weekend. Before they hit the road, we all had a little bit of time to hang out with each other and catch up.

Let me DRIVE!!

2011-07-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Grandpa took Megan on her 1st driving lesson. She got to drive the riding lawnmower around the perimeter of the house. She had a BLAST!!

LoneStar Park

2011-07-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

The Hallman's invited us to go with them to LoneStar Park to watch the horse races. We had an unbelievable night. We sat inside and ate dinner and watched the races. Everyone but Mike won a little something!! Nick however was the big winner taking home $111.00!! :) Looking forward to heading back to the races next year!!

BRACES

2011-07-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

Dylan got a mouth full of braces this go around. He needed upper and lower braces and will have to wear them for about a year. He was pretty sore for a few days!!

Hood Family

2011-07-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

We headed home to Katy to see Mama, Papa, Kimberly and Katelyn and all of the Hood Family. Kathryn and the boys were in from AL and Jamie & Heidi were in from NY. As always, we had a wonderful time.

Katelyn Michelle's 1st Birthday

2011-07-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? Katelyn Michelle - "Little K" turned 1 on June 9th. We celebrated her 1st birthday at the park in Katy. Kimberly had everything you could imagine and we celebrated in style.

Softball Party

2011-06-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, another season of softball has come to an end. The Devils had another unbelievable season. They ended up taking 2nd this year in the leauge due to having to forfit the tournament games once summer hit. They celebrated their victories with a wonderful pool party.

Welcome to the Work Force!!

2011-06-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Ashley has gotten her 1st "REAL" job. She is officially an employee of Raising Cane's. She is super excited about her job. She is off to her first day of training. Good Luck baby girl!

Museum of Nature & Science

2011-06-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

While Dad and Grandpa went to College Station to pick up Ashley from camp, Grandma treated the rest of us to a special afternoon at the Dallas Museum of Nature & Science. The kids had an awesome time experimenting and playing with all of the different exhibits. Grandma then gave the kids some spending money to get something special from the gift shop. Megan chose a book called: How To Take Your Grandmother To The Museum. It is such a cute book!! She wants Grandma to sign it!! :)

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that we were in College Station on Father's Day, we celebrated with family the next day. We had a wonderful dinner at Dean & Linda's and enjoyed visiting with everyone. We were lucky enough to have Uncle Tim and family with us this year as well.