Sorry!

I know I've been a TERRIBLE blogger. Please forgive me!

Let's see, where to even begin...

Since November was my last post, I guess I should go back to December. We spent Christmas in Kentucky, as most of you know. We had a great time and the boys loved playing with their cousins. I think they succeeded in wearing everyone out! :)

January, well, where did it go?? Not sure. Jake started playing basketball and had games all through January. He did great for his first year playing. The regular season has ended, but he's playing on a tournament team and we have our 2nd tournament this weekend.

This is a great bunch of boys and is almost the same kids that were on the baseball tournament team...which we have already started practicing for!! no rest...

February has been a fun month. We went snowskiing i Breckenridge Colorado last week for Winter Break. We dropped Riley off with Grand Jo & Papa Bruce in Amarillo about 1:30 am early, early Wednesday morning. So he got to stay with them while the rest of us went on to Colorado.

We put Jake & Hunter in ski lessons the 1st day. Jake is a natural, he picked it up so quickly that he was skiing blue/blacks by the 2nd day. Hunter did great too. We skied together all day Friday. I'm ok with staying on the greens... I figure by the time Riley is ready for the blues and blacks, I will be too...hopefully :)

Jake had a b-day yesterday. I can't believe he's 9. What's even harder to believe is that Hunter will be 7 in 3 months! My babies are growing up!

I would like to ask for prayers for a little boy in our area who was burned terribly last weekend. They live out in the country and were burning some trash when a gas can apparently exploded on this child. He's the youngest of 3 boys and only 5 years old. He will probably lose both hands and both ears. The other 2 boys had minor burns and their mother has pretty bad burns on her hands.

Here is a link to a blog that his aunt is doing to keep people updated. I don't know them personally, but I just can't imagine what this family is going through.

http://claydavidfite.blogspot.com/

Anyway, hope everyone is well. I'll try to do better!

What's going on these days...

As I write, Kelly is building a pitching mound to go along the the batting cage. Apparently he thinks Jake has some potential as a pitcher next year when he moves up to kid-pitch.

There are 3 men driving their truck in my front yard probably busting every sprinkler head out there. They are planting 4 new trees. I'm sure Kelly got a "great deal" on them. The "great deal" is that he didn't have to plant them...

At last count there were 8 kids in Jake's room but I think one more just arrived.

So, there's a lot going on the Lanhams' today.

This was a very busy week, for me at least! I was invited to attend a grant-writing workshop that lasted all week. I was in class from 8:30 - 5 every day. It made me realize how fortunate I am to be able to be a stay at home mom. I don't know how moms can work and still get everything done. The class was great and I learned so much. It usually costs $900 to attend, but a local foundation paid for me to go. Then I walked away on Friday with $1000 check from them for the shelter. It was so worth it! I also have a grant written that is almost ready to be sent off and has been reviewed by the lady who taught our class. I am working on getting $300,000 to build an expansion. Now I just have to get my board on-board!

The boys are doing well. Jake got all A's again on his report card. He scored the highest score in his class on one of the reading practice tests for the TAKS test (their yearly tests). He has been reading Hank the Cowdog books and seems to enjoy them. I'm so glad he enjoys reading.

Hunter, well, Hunter is Hunter. What can I say? Kelly told me that people who don't even know our boys will walk into his office and see a picture of the boys and point Hunter out and say "that's the one you're going to have to watch!" He got all D's on his report card. Don't worry D is for "developed" in kindergarten. It's a good thing.

Riley is great. He had an exciting week. With me being in school, he got to visit lots of new places. Monday he spent the day with my friend Jennifer. Tuesday he had school, then went home with a friend until I finished my class. Wednesday he spent the day with my friend Angie. Thursday he had school then afterwards went to work with Kelly for the rest of the afternoon. Friday was a short day and he spent the morning with Grand Jo and Mama Jo. He kept everyone entertained I'm sure. I'm just thankful that he was cooperative and didn't have a problem with being passed around so much. My friend Angie fell in love with him and said she was sad when he left. As long as he has his blanket and his chocolate milk, he is good to go.

Yesterday Ihelped host a baby shower here for a girl who used to work at the shelter so I had to frantically clean the house since it was a complete disaster after being gone all day every day this week.

Last night some friends of ours got married. Kelly, Hunter, Riley & I went to the wedding, then I went to the reception by myself while Kelly & the boys went to watch the ou/tech game.

Now I guess I need to start thinking about Thanksgiving. Bruce, JoBeth, Casey & Lindsay are coming in. I think I'm going to have to break down and go to the dr. Still can't get over my congestion & cough. We all have it.

Well, that's about all I know for now. It got really quiet, so I guess I need to check on all of those boys!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Jake's First Deer

Jake got his first deer this morning. I don't know anything about it, but it's an 8 point. Kelly will have to tell more later.

Halloween pics

Don't have many pics, Hunter wasn't cooperating, so this is the only one I have of him!

He was a scary ghost. Riley was a shark and Jake was a football player.

I wish I knew what Riley was thinking....

This one cracks me up!

Of course they have been going through their candy all morning. They had fun trick or treating last night. Jake went with his 2 friends and Kelly took Hunter & Riley on a hayride with some friends around town hitting all the stops, including the nursing home!

I helped my friend Jennifer hand out the 500 candy bars she had bought. She lives on the busiest street and her husband was out of town. We ran out of candy about 8:30 and had to turn off the lights. It was madness--I didn't know that many people lived in Graham! haha

Kelly is hunting this morning, it's opening day of deer season. Hunter & Jake have soccer games at 11, so I guess I need to get ready for that. Jake isn't even here, he spent the night with his friend. He is getting to the age where he doesn't much like us any more :(

Hunter is bargaining with Riley, making promises he can't keep. For example, "Riley, I'll get you a Lightning McQueen backpack if you give me that toy/candy/whatever he wants at the time" and of course Riley falls for it every time.

I made about 100 Halloween cookies for the boys' school parties. Finally got my kitchen cleaned up this morning. From past experience, I know that my kids are the only ones in their class that DON'T eat the cookies. Why do I bother???

Follow this link and watch the video and you can catch a quick glimpse of me in the courtroom for our animal cruelty case! We won custody of 4 horses, 2 dogs and a pot belly pig. The boys are enjoying having them at our house. haha!! Just kidding. They aren't at our house. I promise!

http://texomashomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=21141

Riley

I took this picture this morning and thought it was so cute. Thought I'd share...

October 26th update

Today we went to the deer lease. Jake & Kelly went back tonight so Jake could hunt. It's youth weekend to hunt. He shot at one, but missed him. I'm ok with that!

Jake & Hunter both had soccer games this weekend. Jake's team won, Hunter's lost, but they both played well.
Riley and his friend from school watching big brothers play soccer.

We had a good weekend. Papaw Jack came to visit. Jake, Kelly & Jack hung out at the deer lease yesterday afternoon. Hunter had a bday party to attend and got to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Riley and I drove to meet a lady who had adopted one of the puppies I had fostered back in June. We decided we would just keep him because he was the one we had wanted all along. We took it as a sign that we were supposed to have him. So Sparky is back!!

Kelly and I had 2 Halloween parties last night so we got to go out while Jack watched the boys. We dressed up as a cheerleader and a coach. It was pretty funny. Kelly found some of the old school bike coaching shorts and an old hat and shirt.

Kelly has been staying very busy with work. He's been to California every week for at least the past 5 weeks and is going again this week.

I'm staying busy with Humane Society stuff. I took over as president of the board this month. We had a cruelty investigation last week and are going to court on Friday. We will be having a pet Halloween costume contest on Friday, too. The birthday party Hunter went to on Saturday was for some friends who asked for donations for the shelter instead of presents. I think it is so sweet when kids do that. I know my kids don't need any more toys, so we try to do that too, and it is even their idea!

I have finished working on another website, this one was for my dentist. I think I'm about to start another one too for another non-profit. I have also been doing some baking-- cakes, cinnamon rolls and cookies. I already have orders for Thanksgiving & Christmas!

The boys got all A's for their 1st 6 weeks. Even in conduct!! wow...:)

Hope everyone is doing well!

A few pics

Jake & Mason before school.

At a friend's Halloween party after school on Friday.

Riley w/ a friend's puppy at Jake's football game.

Jake caught the pass to score an extra point. His team went undefeated in the 8 year old flag football league.

Austin, Jake & Hunter