CHRISTMAS (Round 3) at Great Granny Loewe's House!

Granny Loewe celebrates Christmas on Christmas Day at her house every year. The family has grown quite large. Between eight grandkids (all but one married) and eleven great grandkids with two more on the way, the family has grown substantially over the years. It is always lots of fun to get together with all the cousins, aunts and uncles, and celebrate together. Every year at Thanksgiving we all draw names for Christmas, and then trade our gifts on Christmas Day. Kade got a football and sleeping bag from Emily, Brady got a old west shooting game from Reyce, Dane got some whisky from Laurie, and I got a sweater from Joe. After a huge lunch and all gifts were opened, the guys started their annual domino game of 42. We enjoyed spending the day with family and relaxing. Granny is really starting to get up in age, so we cherish each year we still have with her and celebrating the holidays at her house. We have never celebrated any of the holidays anywhere else. Thank you for yet another great holiday memory Granny!

The great grandkids opening gifts

Kade, Maddie, Brady, & Markie playing in the leaves

Markie and Brady have a cup of fruit

Christmas Morning!

The boys were very excited about Santa Claus coming to visit this year. Before we went to bed, Kade got the milk and cookies all set out, Brady got some carrots ready for the reindeer. You can bet there was no sleeping in for us Christmas morning. Kade was up at before 6:30am ready to go see if Santa had left him anything. We told him he couldn't go in there without Brady, so he went and got him up. Kade was welcomed with a new orange fourwheeler. He was very excited because it was a big one. Brady was just as excited about it even though it wasn't for him. Brady was so much fun this Christmas. He was thrilled about everything he got no matter how big or small the gift may have been. Everything was "Whoa, I got a ...! or "Whoa, that's cool!" Santa answered Brady's wish for a new gun; a big one for shooting big bucks and a little one for shooting birds. He was one happy little boy. It melted our hearts to see the boys so happy and full of appreciation. It was worth it to see those big smiles and excited gestures.

Homemade Christmas Cookies!

Kade wanted to make homemade sugar cookies and cut them out in different Christmas shapes and decorate them. I promised him we would do it so that he could put some of his specially made cookies out for Santa Claus. Even though we had fun making them, it was quite a long process and mess. Kade managed to spill two bottles of sprinkles all over the floor, and the icing, well that was a whole other story. When we finished though both of the boys were proud of the cookies they had made. I don't think we are going to make this a Christmas tradition though.

CHRISTMAS (Round 2) with Nana, Papa, & the Hardys!

It has become a tradition of celebrating Christmas with Nana and Papa Rau and the Hardy family on Christmas Eve. We all attend church together to take some time to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas; the birth of Jesus Christ, and then head over to Nana and Papa's house for some good home cooking, good company, and the opening of presents. This year we had beef fajitas, beans, rice, and all the fixings for dinner. It was sooooooo good. I hope we keep that up as a traditional Christmas Eve meal as well. After we ate, we gathered the kids and opened presents. It is so much fun watching them get so excited over their gifts. Brady got some new crocs and bath toys from the Hardys, and a hooded sweatshirt and hunting target game from Nana and Papa. Kade got a slingshot and t-ball cleats from the Hardys, and a hooded sweatshirt and buck hunting game that plugs into the television from Nana and Papa. The buck hunting game is most definately Kade's favorite gift. We have to pry him away from it. We had a great time celebrating Christmas with Nana, Papa, Aunt Stacy, Uncle Trey, Jenna, Leah and Luke. It is such a blessing to be apart of such an outstandingly amazing and loving family.

Family pic at church

All dressed up for church

Waiting to open presents


Kade's new buck hunting game


Brady's new target game.


New hooded sweatshirts

Miracle on Main Street!

Last Sunday, the children of our church put on a great Christmas program. Kade and Brady were both able to be a part of it. Kade was a caroler in the beginning of the program. He had a couple of lines to say, and he did a great job. Towards the end of the program he and Brady dressed up as shepards and were a part of the "Precious Moments" manger scene. Kade was all about doing a good job, but Brady was a whole other story. They were standing up front with their staffs and Brady decides that he and Kade should fight with them. He kept asking Kade, "Bubba, you want to fight?" Kade kept telling him "Cut it out." Then Brady decides to give Baby Jesus a poke in the cradle. After causing an uproar of laughter in the church, I decided it was time to go get him and take him back to the seat with me. The kids all played their parts well and the program was a big hit.

Kade and Jenna getting ready to say their lines.

The Precious Moments manger kiddos.



"Bubba, you want to fight?"



"Are you awake Baby Jesus?'

Go Cubs Go!!

The Brenham Cub football team made it to the State Championship game this past Saturday. Along with the Hardy's and Trostle's, we made the trip up to Austin to watch them play at the UT stadium against Aledo. Although it was a great game, and all the guys played hard, we just couldn't pull out the win. We ended up losing by two touchdowns. Even though we lost, we had a great time at the game. We couldn't have asked for a better day to go watch some good ole high school football. Maybe next year Cubs.

CHRISTMAS (Round 1) with the Maurer's and Siemglusz's

I think a new Christmas tradition was created Friday night. The first annual Maurer, Rau, and Siemsglusz Christmas took place. We all four went to school together, and since we have been married and had kids, we three families have become close friends. All of our kids are pretty close in age. There are eight accounted for right now with another little Rau on the way that we can add to the bunch next year. The kids all drew names and traded presents with each other, and after all the gifts were opened we enjoyed a great homecooked meal together. We had some of those mouth-watering ribeyes from Rau's Meat Center, some of Jamie and Wesley's delicious beans, and a very tasty batch of twice baked potatoes made by Steve and Adrienne. We then topped it off with a chocolate chip cookie cake. The Maurer's hosted Christmas this year at their home, and as always, they were the perfect host and hostess. I can't wait for next year; there is nothing better than getting together with great friends. It will be a blast to continue watching our kids grow up together.

Downtown Christmas Parade!

For the last few years, Brenham has hosted a "Downtown Christmas Parade" along with the Christmas Stroll. It has turned into quite a large event with almost fifty floats participating in the parade each year. St. Paul's Christian Day School has some floats in the parade each year as well. This was Kade's second year to participate in the parade and Brady's first year. The theme this year was "A Candyland Christmas." Christen Seeker, Kaden's mom, and myself were in charge of decorating the float for the Ocean Treasurer class. They were candycanes and peppermints. I was in chrarge of making the candycane archway. I think we did a pretty good job for just throwing this "trailer float" together in a few days. Brady rode on the Ocean Treasurer float with Kade, and he thought that was really neat. The weather definately fit the winter theme this year; the day before the parade we actually had a little bit of snow fall. On the night of the parade, we experienced freezing temperatures. Needless to say, we bundled up with our hats, gloves, coats, blankets, and a some good ole' hot chocolate before we took off on our float ride.

Kade and some of his buddies.

Kade and Brady.


Mom and her boys.


Kade and buddy Kaden Seeker.


Our candycane and peppermint float.

A Visit with Santa!

This past Friday, Dane and I took the boys to see Santa while he was here in Brenham visiting all the good little boys and girls. We weren't really sure how Brady would do with him considering last year he screamed and cried the whole time he was near him. We had been trying to prep him for the visit. Some days he would tell that he was going to sit on Santa's lap and other days it was a flat out "NO." We knew it was all going to depend on the mood he was in that day, and we just happened to luck out that day. When it was their turn to go sit on his lap and have their picture taken, Brady went right up to him and hopped up on his lap. Of course, it was no surprise at all that Kade was more than willing to go sit on his lap and smile his photogenic smile. Kade had been waiting that whole week to tell Santa exactly what he wanted for Christmas. He told Santa he wanted a new four wheeler and a deer hunting game (boy does he want that deer hunting game.) I really hope Santa comes through with that one. Brady told Santa he wanted a new four wheeler too and a big giant gun to shoot bucks with. When we left, Brady told me that he liked Santa and that he was nice. Watching the boys sitting with Santa on his lap and seeing how excited and happy they were makes the wonderful world of parenting all the more special and so worthwhile. It's these little moments that create a warm, heartfelt memory that will last a lifetime.

Thanksgiving Pics from Nana & Papa Rau's House!

Enjoying a deliciously tasty Thanksgiving meal with cousins.

Kade and Brady with cousin Luke.

Kade and cousin Luke.

Kade, Mr. Photogenic.

Kade flying high.

Little Man, Brady.

A Thanksgiving full of Thanks!

What better way to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday than with the ones you love and lots of food. We are very thankful that we have our family and friends nearby so that we are able to spend time with and visit everyone. Our holiday stops actually started the Sunday before Thanksgiving at my Granny Loewe's house. She is 88 years old and still has the entire family over for the holidays, and it is not a small family. With eight grandkids (who are all married with kids except one), twelve great grandkids (with two more on the way), and aunts and uncles, Granny's house is quite full for the holidays. We had a great time with all the cousins. Every year we draw names at Thanksgiving for Christmas. It's always fun to find out at Christmas who got your name.
On Thanksgiving Day, we headed over to Nana and Papa Rau's house for lunch along with the Hardy family and Dane's Great Aunt Mimi Nienast. We always enjoy our time over there with everyone. The boys thoroughly enjoy playing with their cousins, Jenna, Leah and Luke. We spent the afternoon over there, and Brady and I managed to get in a nap.
That evening we were invited to the Maurer's home to watch a little football; A&M vs. Texas. It turned out to be a really great game, but those Aggies just couldn't stop those Longhorns from taking home yet another victory. Kade and Brady always love playing with Avery, Austin and Caleb.
That Friday after Thanksgiving, the boys and I decorated the house for Christmas. That was quite interesting. What they call "helping me," I call "getting in the way." Nonetheless, we got it all up, and it looks great. The boys liked decorating the tree and hanging on all the ornaments. It was a funfilled holiday weekend full of many things and people to be thankful for.