ADVENT

David and I had the pleasure of getting ready for Christmas together this year knowing that we would be doing things that we would want to continue to do for many years to come so we had to decide what we want our family traditions to be...some are still yet to be determined. But we did know that we wanted to do the following:

Hang our stockings with care.


Decorate the house the weekend after Thanksgiving.
David may have decided to watch the Office after he discovered that every ornament he put on the tree was moved to a new spot where it worked better :0

McCovey hasn't destroyed the tree too much, but he does like to take a drink or "lean" into the lower branches just to see if we are paying attention!

Our Texas tree, brought to the Wichita Falls Boys and Girls Club to sell, from the state of Washington.


Drive around the city and look at lights.
Walking around Midwestern State University campus--every building is done in lights and it is so beautiful!



We have had an amazing Advent season and we have loved preparing our home and our hearts for the birth of our Savior. We are so excited to go to Midnight mass together tomorrow night and to see what other traditions take place...for our first Christmas on our own. Wish us luck :0

A PUPPY PLAY-DATE

Last weekend we took McCovey to our friends' home to play with their puppy, Tux. Mac and Tux had so much fun bounding around their backyard, running after balls, chasing each other and taking a dip in the pool. We know that they will be forever friends and they were so tired the rest of the day that we have all agreed this is going to become a new Saturday tradition.

New friends playing chase, and yes Tux is chasing Mac...and yes, Tux is half of the size of Mac :)

Trying to decide if he wants to take a dive....he fell in on accident, so the choice wasn't up to him!

David threw the ball for them so many times, he is so faithful and patient!

TEXAS THANKSGIVING

For Thanksgiving this year we were so excited to host a family who has become near and dear to our hearts. The Blacks (were) a family of five and Kristi was nine months pregnant...so we thought what a perfect time to have them over and allow Kristi to take the day of from cooking! It was so much fun to spend the day getting ready and we enjoyed our time together talking, playing games, and doing a few crafts! The next morning (BLACK FRIDAY) we were called at 6:30 to come hang out with their kiddos because Kristi was in labor! Their newest member Thomas Harrison arrived very soon after they got to the hospital and we loved being able to spend the day with the fabulous new big brothers and sisters! A very blessed Thanksgiving, for sure!

Getting that huge bird in the oven early Thanksgiving morning.

We decided each year that we will take a photo of Mac by the turkey so that we can keep record of where we are in life and how big he is every year!

Yes, I let McCovey lick the pan after I roasted the bread crumbs for the stuffing...I couldn't help myself....he is just THAT cute!

The Black family saying hello to new baby Thomas.

Holding new baby Thomas Harrison.

MOM & DAD JASPERS

It was so fun to have my parents here for a week in November. We relaxed, saw "the sights" of Wichita Falls and Dallas, gave lessons on cooking, technology and gardening and we just enjoyed catching up! I feel so blessed that I have such fun and easy parents who are loving and kind and most of all supportive of both David and I and the life that we live!

The JFK Museum in Dallas.

Mom and Dad at "The Falls" in WIchita Falls

My mom letting McCovey lick the plates as she was cleaning the kitchen...

Lessons on how to use a digital camera.

My dad teaching me how to make his world famous crepes for breakfast!

Longhorn Cows in the Wichita Mountains

Mom and Dad at the lake in the Wichita Mountains

McCovey LOVED having them here and can't wait until they will come back to play again!

THE FALLS IN THE FALLS....

This weekend the air was cool and crisp and the sun was shining bright so we decided to head to the local monument that we have driven by many times but have never been to…THE FALLS in Wichita Falls. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed spending time together as a family with the local Texans!

LAKE ARROWHEAD

Last weekend the temperatures were in the high 70’s so after organizing the garage and the attic we took McCovey to Lake Arrowhead about 14 miles outside of Wichita Falls. We took a nature walk that they have made in the State Park and then we spent some time throwing sticks for Mac to swim out and retrieve. He has never done this and he LOVED it! We are so glad that our dog is a water dog and that he loves to drag sticks back to us to throw again. We are so blessed to have new adventures with our little boy!

The leaves are changing in Texas and they are beautiful!


It wouldn't be a Texas nature walk without a cactus or two.


Look how far out he is going....we are so proud that he is getting so brave!

AMAZING COOKIES

These cookies are out of this world! I made them around Halloween, but I know that they will be a favorite in our home for years to come! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butterheart
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, shortening, white and brown sugar together. Add in peanut butter, then your eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to your peanut butter mixture until well incorporated. Then stir in chopped peanut butter cups. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes or until just browning. Do NOT overbake!! Let cool for 2-3 minutes before removing from your cookie sheet or they may fall apart!

DAVID'S VISIT

It was so amazing to have my brother David visit us here in “the falls” there isn’t much to do here, so we had a great time playing cards, watching movies, relaxing, eating and catching up on each other’s lives. It is such a joy to share our lives with such a fantastic member of our family.
My two David's touring the base.

Seeing the courtroom up close and personal.

Always nice to play host to guests with my sweet husband.

APPLES

Apple season is in full force in our house! After grabbing some apples from the local orchard I dove head first into all things apples. Applesauce, apple pies, apple tarts, coffee cake, and salads. It is so fun to live nearby to so many local fruit orchards and I am excited to be learning so much about preparing new things.

Baking does not come naturally to me (it is too precise) but I have been trying new cookies, cakes, and cupcakes all month trying to perfect the art of baked goods! I’ll keep you posted on my progress as the tutorials continue.
My first homemade applesauce turned out pretty good, just a bit thick....next time I won't cook it quite so long and it will be less like apple butter :)

The most recent addition to my baking endeavors has been a new cake plate from the Pottery Barn (insert angels singing). The cake plate matches our dishes and I bought it with a PB gift card my mom gave me for my birthday (she truly does know the way to her daughter’s heart)!

3 MONTHS OLD

Dear Mac,
You are growing so quickly—every day you look more and more like a real dog! You have come so far and each week we laugh at your “latest” interest. You have gotten so good at playing catch, and recently you have actually been bringing the ball or the stick back to us! You love your tennis ball, basketball and raccoon the most! You are no longer afraid of squeaky toys—you actually like to squeak it yourself. You are content to play in the backyard by yourself for periods of time and you LOVE to jump on the couch much to my dismay!

You love cheese, peanut butter and ice…and you are ecstatic when we accidentally drop a pretzel on the ground. You go potty on command and you never have accidents in the house anymore. Your favorite place to sleep during the day is in the entryway against the wall and at night you sleep soundly in your kennel!

You love the car and you are getting better every day at walking on the leash. The latest accomplishment to add to your list is walking for longer than 10 minutes without a whimper!

You are sweet and loving and you bring joy to our lives!

HARMONY'S VISIT

We have been so lucky to have harmony (my college roommate) here for a week. If she didn’t believe me before, she soon learned that there is NOT MUCH GOING ON in Wichita Falls! But we managed to have a lovely visit filled with Fort Worth, coffee, cocktails, shopping, apple orchards, local dive bars, Dallas, and SUN! Being from Seattle, Harmony was all too happy to enjoy the 80-degree weather we have been having…so we spent many afternoons relaxing in the sun! We are so blessed to have such an amazing friend and we are so glad that we got to show her our new Texas life!

Lunch in Fort Worth after we picked her up at the airport.

The fields of Texas

The Parkway Grill, our neighborhood dive bar.

Everything is bigger in Texas (and cheaper...only $4.50 for a beer this size)!

A night on the town in Dallas