Deep in the Heart of TEXAS!!!! (Family and Friends and Snakes...oh my!)

I am finally catching up on the blog as to where we have been the past two months! After our wonderful visit in St. Louis, we headed south to Texas to visit family and friends.  It was time...we were all ready to see each other and we needed some down time in one spot for awhile! Since early September, we have been busy doing school during the week and visiting family on the weekends.  Alan and I did also manage to get away for a couple of days to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary in October!

The boys have really enjoyed time with some of the TX cousins! (Four of them are away at college. We sure do miss them!) I caught a few photos with family to share, although I ended up forgetting to get group pictures. Oh well! We can do that at Christmas:) 

The weather in September and early October was great for swimming! The older cousins play so well with our boys...

On Alan's side of the family there are NINE grandsons and one granddaughter!  The boys sure do enjoy goofing off together...including the uncles! 

Caleb kicking away from Uncle James as he is being "chased"

Chicken Fight with Uncle Alec and Jonathan!

We have also enjoyed quality time with the grandparents...

My mom has lots of fun pets to entertain the boys:) Yes, this is a cat on top of a bird cage with 2 birds inside...ha!

Grammy and Granddad have enjoyed playing games and building puzzles with the boys...

We have also enjoyed visiting with extended family throughout Texas...

In October, we took a weekend trip to southeast Texas to attend the 40th birthday party of one of our good friends.  Troye and Wendy have a beautiful home nestled in the woods...perfect for boys to explore and have fun!  They also have two boys, so we all have a great time when we get together!

These boys have been friends since birth!!! It is so neat to see how well they all get along...no matter how much time has passed between visits...they pick right up where they left off!

They also have two adorable, friendly, kind, patient and VERY BIG dogs that the boys love to play with!  One night, their greyhound "Bobber" snuggled up with Joshua at bedtime. :)

It's time for a fun party day! 

The day started off full of excitement when someone caught a snake in the chicken house! This led to a science lesson on snakes and how to spot poisonous ones.  As you can see, all of the boys were fascinated!

Although the snake was not a poisonous one, it was obviously a threat to the chickens, so after it was "taken care of", the boys took turns holding and examining the snake's body.

Nate, my outdoorsman, taking a "bite" of the snake's head...eeeewwwwww!  (Don't worry - he did not eat it...NO ONE had snake on the menu that day!)

Next, came a lesson on how to skin a snake.  Several of the boys took turns with this job.  I can't believe I didn't get totally grossed out!! It was actually pretty cool and we got to see all kinds of interesting things inside the snake's guts...including a partially digested rat/mouse and chicken egg.  I decided to not post some of those pictures just in case some of our blog readers have weak stomachs!!!

The birthday party was a blast with good friends, delicious food, shooting practice, playing games and lots of laughter!  We were so glad that the Inman family came out to join us that day!

Of course I enjoyed some fun time goofing off with my girlfriends:) We were going to just pose for a normal picture, but then someone suggested we could pose with the toy guns and then well...you can see we just got goofy...

Then came the jokes about Charlie's Angels and we totally lost control...

Or maybe it was just me losing control! Wendy (on the left) looks pretty cool and Charlene (in the middle) was pretty much dying of embarrassment while I just look...well...like a crazy lady!

But then slowly and surely...Charlene let loose...

...and she showed her true gun toting spirit! You go girl!!!

We recovered enough to get a real photo...only half laughing this time:) Love you girls!!! Thanks for the giggles!

I seem to remember laughing this hard the last time the three of us got together...

New Years 2013

I am so thankful for good family and friends who encourage me!  Love you all!

Blessings to you and yours,

Jill and the boys:)