So Thankful

We are extra thankful this year. We have two beautiful, healthy kids, a supportive and loving family, and careers that are rewarding. We are extra thankful that Kenny’s company has been thriving. Hard work and dedication definitely pay off! And I truly believe that when you take a leap of faith and trust in God, He will provide.

We drove into College Station on Thanksgiving-eve. After getting our tailgating spot all ready to go, we headed to Santa’s Wonderland. The kids had been so excited to drive thru and see all the lights. They had been looking forward to it all week. It did not disappoint. We went thru it two years ago, and they have changed it up quite a bit. So it was nice to see something new.

Thursday started early as we tailgated all day before the big game. We combined tailgates with some good friends and had a huge Thanksgiving feast. There were 8 deep fried turkeys with all the trimmings. It was so YUMMY!!!


We saw a few of these guys wandering around... They looked a little lost.  Apparently they don't all come together in a group.


A few hours before the game we watched Parson’s Mounted Calvary make their way to the stadium. These are the guys that set off the cannon each time the Aggies score. Then it was off to the game. The GAME! Dadgummit, the Aggies need to learn how to keep a lead!!!!! What a disappointment to lose the game with a last minute field goal. Heck, the whole season has been a disappointment. BUT, it’s on to bigger and better things for the Aggies. See ya Big 12-2-1+1-1+1.

One thing I will say about the game is how classy the Longhorn band was. They spelled out thanks aTm and played “Thanks for the Memories.” I thought this was a really nice gesture. It’s a lot nicer than some of the downright ugly comments I’ve seen/heard from a few Longhorn faithful.  I'm pretty sure they don't read my blog though.  Oh well.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see much of the second half of the game. Jordan had been fighting a tummy bug for a few days and was fine all day Thursday. As we got settled into our seats, she started complaining of a tummy ache. She eventually fell asleep after kickoff and slept thru most of the first half. So I thought we'd make it thru the game. She woke up during halftime and cried thru the bands. So, she and I left the game. I’ve got to hand it to her; she was definitely a trooper. It was a pretty long walk back to our car, but she toughed it out. We finally got back to Shari’s house, got Jordan into her PJs and she crashed.

I watched the last 5 gut-wrenching minutes by myself on the couch.

Having to bring Jordan home put everything into perspective. Kenny and I love Aggie football as much as anybody. And while the tu / A&M rivalry is huge, at the end of the day, it’s only a football game. We get caught up in rivalries and winning and sometimes forget what’s really important. People hate to admit that the two schools are more alike than different. As I left the game, I was reminded of what mattered most… and am eternally thankful for the little ones that call me Mommy.

Jordan was back to normal by Saturday. We decorated our house for Christmas on Saturday and Sunday. Yes, it takes 2 whole days!!! Why do we have so much stuff?!?!?! BUT, it sure is beautiful when it’s all up, and it deserves it's own post. :)

Kansas Game

First of all, Gig 'Em Aggies! What a big win over the weekend. Of course it was Kansas, who is known more for basketball than football, but heck, we'll take a big win any day after the season that we've had. I finally got the camera out and wanted to post some cute pics I took on Saturday. Who can resist Miss Sassy Britches!





Saturday was military appreciation day. The entire corps of cadets did a big Block T during halftime. We see this every game by the band, but it was quite impressive with all the corps on the field. That's A LOT of people! There were also several military salutes throughout the game which is one thing I love about A&M. The university never forgets the military and their sacrifice everyday to protect our freedom.


Gig 'Em!!!

Giving Thanks

This past Friday was full of Thanksgiving feasts at the kids' schools. We started with Jackson's Thanksgiving feast at lunch time. All of the kids dress like Native Americans and give themselves names. Jackson was Gliding Eagle.


Jackson's friend's name was "He Who Walks and Talks". I thought that was a great name! And it fit his personality very well. The kids had a great lunch of chicken nuggets, popcorn and fruit and veggies. They were all so cute!

Later that afternoon, Jackson joined Jordan's class for the Thanksgiving program at daycare. Here are Jackson and Jordan getting ready to sing.
This is probably the one and only time they've ever stood by each other. It was easy to take pictures of them together. They sang a few songs and then feasted on turkey and dressing.

October At-A-Glance

October came in with a whimper (Aggies lose to Arkansas) and out with a BANG (Halloween!). As I decorated my house for the fall and for Halloween, we watched the Aggies squander another first half lead. UGH, is all I can say. Luckily, the Aggies were back to their winning ways by beating Tech in Lubbock and Baylor at home. (Wish I could say that about the rest of the games.)

Back in SL, we were busy with our own little football star as Jackson’s flag football team played on Sunday afternoons. He has really enjoyed playing this year. He got several tackles as a rusher and even made a completed pass for a touchdown as the quarterback this past weekend. We can’t be more proud.

We also attended a family wedding this month. Congratulations again Alison and Jason! It’s always fun to see our cousins and aunts and uncles that we don’t get to see all that often. We’re all looking forward to our family Christmas in December.

October at St. Laurence means the Church Bazaar. Luckily, we were only attendees this year. Kenny has been a Bazaar chairperson the past three years and has worked his tail off prior to and during the Bazaar. This year, we had the Baylor game on Saturday and Jackson had a football game Sunday afternoon, so we were able to attend the Bazaar Sunday morning for a little while. We rode some rides, played some games and had lunch there. Then it was on to the flag football game.

The fall also means “spring cleaning” at our house. And I teamed up with my sister, sister in law and mom to have a garage sale in EC. We made a good bit of money. Money I get to spend in Canton! WOOHOO!!!

After the garage sale, we made our way to Victoria to Candace and Shelby’s baby shower. They are so cute and so excited to be parents. It was great to see the other Priesmeyers. Here’s Jackson with his cousin Justin. The shower was in a barn turned trophy room. Needless to say Jordan was terrified the first hour we were there, but eventually got used to the animals. Jackson loved it, and even got to tame a bear.

And as I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been slammed at work. Luckily our deadline was postponed a bit (which is never good in the world of IT), but I’ve still got my head down and elbows up trying to get everything completed by the new deadline.

Kenny has been busy too. He had several successful projects go out the past few months. Owning your own business is a lot of work, but it’s very rewarding. He’s doing great and the business is growing. I’m so, so proud!

October ended the way it began in terms of Aggie football. The Aggies gave up another halftime lead to the Missouri Tigers to lose in Overtime. What a disappointment. UGH, again.

Halloween was great. Jordan and Kenny started the day on a field trip with Jordan’s school to Dewberry Farm. She was soooo excited! And Jackson was jealous of course. Then they both had Halloween parties in the afternoon. We went trick-or-treating with one of Jackson’s best buddies and his family. We had burgers and candy… LOTS OF CANDY!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Just a quick picture of the kiddos prior to trick-or-treating last night.