This Just In...FALL Is Making an Appearance in Texas!

I am happy to report that it is rather chilly in Texas this morning.  After enduring what has been a summer equal only to Hell,  I am SO pleased to wake up shivering under my blankets (the window was open) and feeling cold air sweep into my lungs!  Fall seems to have long since descended on other parts of the world. But Texas, as usual, has been marching to the beat of it's own weather drum.  Surprise, surprise, right?  I was starting to think we were going to be running our air conditioner well into Christmas.  But the weather is finally cutting us a little break and we have officially had to break out with our jackets this morning!  Woo Hoo!!!!  LOVE it!

I should be at the gym right about now.  But this morning, Cooper seems particularly intent on ignoring all his "allowed" toys and planning instead, to dismantle my lovely home.  He's been into mischief since the moment his little feet hit the floor.  He's been stealing rubber bands from backpacks for Max's teeth, socks for Clara's feet, absconding with my Zumba dance weights and trying to raid the trash.  I decided to stick around for a bit until he's a bit more ready for a nap.  Should be soon here!  Right now he's sitting in the front window barking repeatedly at the lady who walks down one side of the street and then runs back up the other.  She's done it 5 or 6 times now and Cooper is still on full alert, guarding us against all the scary exercisers out there checking their workout off their list.  Like I should be doing.  Only am not.  Thanks Cooper!

It's been an exciting couple of weeks around here.  Crazy busy as always.  The football season FINALLY wrapped up Tuesday night.  So we are DONE with football and football practice and weeknight games.  Swim team is still in full swing and will be for a good long time.  They are a bit more intense than middle school sports.  Clara is still doing drama club and is heading into final weeks of rehearsal before her BIG night!  She is narrating for the Wizard of Oz production.  She has all of her lines memorized.  Now, if all the other kids will get theirs memorized, this whole thing MIGHT just come together!  She's getting very excited for her night on the stage!  I have been busier than normal with pictures.  It's like all of a sudden, stuff just starts coming out of the woodwork!  I just finished a beautiful boudoir session and a fun senior shoot.  Hot on the heels of that I am doing the dance academy again this Saturday, then have two more family sessions the week of Thanksgiving.  Busy, busy, busy!
Chris is staying busy at work.  There have been a lot of changes there and shake up over the past month or two and it's a bit crazy getting it all sorted and settled into it's new form.  It's made for some long days and headaches for him...but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

It seems like the whole world around us is decorated for Christmas.  Good grief!  We haven't had Thanksgiving yet.  Some of those decorations went up before we even had Halloween!!!!  It kinds of drives me crazy.  And definitely takes the excitement out of the season for me.  The one thing I always loved about Christmas growing up was that weekend AFTER Thanksgiving when you would see the FIRST twinkle of Christmas lights go up.  And then each weekend you'd see more and more and it was so fresh and fun.  Now, Christmas is trickling in a full two months before Christmas.  And stays up a month AFTER it.  It makes me crazy!  The specialness just isn't there.  Everyone here hires these companies to come and professionally decorate their yards and homes.  It's all so generic.  Listen to me getting all "bah humbug" about this.  Still....Grrrrr.  No decorations here until AFTER Thanksgiving!

On Monday I went to the zoo with Clara's class for her field trip.  It was such fun!  I'd never been to the Ft. Worth Zoo and I LOVE zoos...so it was an extra special treat for me!  It's a beautiful zoo too!  Here are some photo highlights for you!

Clara with her fourth grade best buddies...Marissa, Clara, Bailey, Cara and Kristen

I love the monkeys!

These two were engaged in a serious chat!

I swear, some days I feel like I look just like this old gal!

But her mate still seems to want to whisper sweet nothings and romance into her ear!

And ram his tongue down her throat.  We left at this point lest the show get X-rated!

Bailey, Clara and Marissa

Peek a boo!

Hello Mama Hippo!

Field trip, field trip, What do you see?  I see a Tiger looking at me!

Captain Cat is obviously feeling a little sleepy!  Nice teeth!

Nighty nite!

Sloth Bear (I think we are kindred spirits!)

Clara loved the bird aviary.  It was full of parakeets and cockatiels.  

She was very brave and excited!  

I hope she doesn't ask for one of these!

Be vewy, vewy quiet!  Shhhhh.

If I EVER come across a rattle snake this big I think I will die right there on the spot.

See...a couple of leaves are changing.  

A wonderful day at the zoo with friends!  Life doesn't get much better for a 4th grader!

That seems to be about it.  For now.  My furry friend seems to be getting sleepy and has just settled himself down into his little bed with a big yawn.  So I'm thinking it's safe to slip out and get on with my workout while he rests himself and recovers from this morning's mischief!


UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!

I was right about Cooper today.  THIS is what I found waiting for me when I got home from the gym!  BAD DOG!!!!!!!!