CHRISTMAS

RE-CAP!

Secret Santa!

Every year we draw names for "Secret Santa." (Not sure why we call it "Secret Santa" as it's not a secret!) But anyway, being there are six of us, we draw names rather than each kids buying for everyone in the family. It has become quite the tradition each year and the kids really look foward to it. We usually draw names and make a family day of shopping for the person we drew and have lunch together. This year Daddy had Kristen and he bought her a Sim City game for her Nintendo DS and a pair of earrings. I had Cody and I bought him a racing game for his PSP and a Webkinz. Kalee had Bradley and bought him a really cool Lego set. Kristen had me and she bought me a Wok and a springform cheesecake pan. Bradley had Kalee and he cought her a purse and a HUGE jug of Jelly Belly Beans. Cody had Daddy and he bought him some new surround sound ear buds for his iPod. We open these gifts on Christmas Eve and open all of the other gifts on Christmas morning.

The Stockings Were Hung!

As always, the kids dive into their stockings first. Santa knew just what they's love! They were stuffed with lots of their favorite candy, fuzzy socks, hair stuff (for the girls) and Bradley & Cody got their own hammers (they are always taking Dad's).

Three Special Gifts!

This year we decided to go a little "lighter" on Christmas gifts. Our kids are old enough to understand the true meaning of Christmas (which is not presents for me me me!) and not to mention, we are on a budget with the adoption so close. So, each of the kids got three gifts from us representing the three gifts brought by the Wise Men for Baby Jesus. Kalee got a Heely's, clothes from American Eagle & a flat iron for her hair. Kristen got Heely's, clothes from American Eagle & a new flute. Bradley & Cody also got Heely's as well as a case and a movie for their PSP and new skateboards. They were all very happy with what they got from us, but Santa brought their favorite present....see next post!

Santa Brought A Wii To The Field House!

The Field Bunch must have been good this year! Everyone had a blast playing Wii Sports, but I think Charley was a little sore by the end of the day!!!

Decorating Christmas Cookies!

After opening presents and playing Wii (for a very long time) the kids decorated cookies that Granny made. Every year our cookies get more and more detailed. They are quite the little artists!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MERRY
CHRISTMAS!!!
Well, no Christmas miracle referral, but God has blessed us with a wonderful Christmas. We spent the day as a family. My parents came down from Oklahoma and Chraley's dad was here too. The kids got lots of cool stuff (the WII is the favorite). Now I get to enjoy the next 7 days off and we look foward to all the wonderful things that 2008 holds!

Kalee (8th Grade Basketball Game)

Kalee made the 8th grade basketball team and loves to play. She is very aggressive and a leader on her team! Way to go Kalee!!!

Elf Dancin' Field Kids!

Hey, I just made a total elf of our kids! Check it out by clicking the link below.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1194554729

This elfin' greeting brought to you by OfficeMax®.

BIG XII CHAMPIONSHIP - BOOMER SOONER!!!

As I'm sure it goes without saying, we had a blast in San Antonio with our friends Chris, Lindsey, Andy & Sarah this weekend watching the Sooners beat up on the Mizzou Tigers 38 - 17!!! BOOMER - - - - SOONER!!! (See Riverwalk pics below!)

San Antonio Riverwalk

We hung out most of the day at the Riverwalk until a few hours before game time. There was tons of Sooner fans and a few scattered Mizzou fans, so we drouned everyone out hollering BOOMER - - - - SOONER!!! We ate some interesting Mexican food at a place called Rio Rio. I reccommend trying somewhere else if you are ever in San Antonio and looking for Mexican food! Yup, it was that good!!! The river was beautiful at night, all lit up and decorated for Christmas. We had a great time!

Charley "LOVES" This Job!!!

If you only knew how much Charley HATES this job, you would be VERY surprised that we have Christmas lights on our house!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

Today we put up our tree and the kids did a great job hanging all the ornaments! Our house is begining to lool a lot like Christmas, inside & out!

Thanksgiving & Marshmallows!

We went to Granny & Papa's in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. It was great to spend time with my mom & dad and share in a delicious meal! (Granny is the best cook!) The kids really enjoyed their "Granny Time" too! Look closely at the pictures....our crazy kids are roasting miniature marshmallows over a candle flame! What goobers!

Pebbles & Boomer!

Here's Pebbles & Boomer! (Boomer left, Pebbles right) Pebbles is 2 1/2 years old and Boomer is 4 months old and is the same size as Pebbles! We are hoping they will eventually have puppies! Stay tuned!

Agility Training / A Quiet Family Day!

Finally, after many weekends in a row of going to Oklahoma to work on our old house that we're hoping to sell SOON, we finally enjoyed a nice quiet day as a family. We went to church this morning, came home and made breakfast burritos for lunch, and watched the kids play with Pebbles & Boomer while Charley cooked rotissarie chickens on the grill. After we eat, we're having brownies & icecream for dessert and wathcing Disney's "Meet the Robinsons." Ahhhh, to finally relax, even if only for one day!

4th Grade Music Performance / Cody's Art

Bradley had his 4th grade music performance this week. I have to say, we were quite impressed. They have only been in school for 9 weeks and it was a job very well done by all the kiddos! The performance was called "Texas Are Texas" and they sang songs about Texas and told a story about our state. Bradley got to play the maraccas and thought that was pretty cool. *ALSO* I must tell you... while we were at the school, we stopped by an art showcase and were happy to see Cody's fantastic artwork. He is quite a talented little artist. I could pick his painting out from a distance without seeing names as his was so much more detailed than the others. Funny thing (Cody always does funny things) all the paintings were of sea life. It was drawn in black marker and then done in watercolor paint. Cody's picture had sharks below the water, and on the water surface line you could see the bottom half of the boat with an anchor hanging down. At the waterline, he had drawn a bottle and the label read "BEER!" Only our child. Crazy thing is, I never drink beer and Charley drinks a 12 pack over the course of a year! He must have been thinking of his Papa while he was in art class!!!

Adoption Update

For all of you who follow this blog, but do not keep up with the adoption blog (www.journeytosamantha.blogspot.com) here is the latest in our adoption journey. Exactly one month ago, we were officially DTV (Dossier To Vietnam) which means all of the documents we have been gathering and preparing over the past six months are finally in Vietnam! Now we are just waiting to get a call from our agency to tell us they have matched us with our baby! That call could come any day, but I am thinking it will probably be sometime in November. We are so excited and cannot wait to get our little girl home with us!

Game Prep!

Kristen, Bradley & Cody are always eager to put up "THE DUDE" on game days, especially when we're playing another Texas team. There are a lot of Texas team fans on our street, and the Field family makes it clear, we are all about OU!

BOOMER - - - - - - SOONER!

We had a great weekend! Our great friends Chris & Lindsey from Oklahoma came down and spent the weekend with us. We had a watch party at our house for the OU vs Texas game. As you can see in the pictures, the guys were proud of their team! Charley, Rich & Chris took down the neighbor's Texas flag and hung our OU flag in it's place! And you can see what happened to the Texas flag!!!

True OU Fans!

Bradley & Cody are ready for THE GAME tomorrow! Can you tell who they're pulling for???

Another Teenager In The House!!!

Can you believe we have TWO teenagers in the house??? Kristen's 13th birthday was August 31st! She got a cell phone and a basset hound puppy. Isn't he too cute???

Our Tropical Getaway!

We had a wonderful opportunity to fly to Florida for an extended weekend getaway! (THANK YOU MOM/GRANNY FOR THE AIRLINE PASSES) Although it was just a short trip, we are so thanful to have given the boys this opportunity. They got to experience their first flight and their first sight of the ocean. We stayed on the beautiful beaches of Long Boat Key Island. It was amazing!

The View From Our Blacony

Lovin' This Pool!

Our resort was beautiful and the pool was no exception! The boys were lovin' every minute of it!

Fun on the Sea Doo!

We rented a Sea Doo so the boys (and Charley) could have some play time in the ocean. Needless to say, Charley now has a new toy on his "Dear Santa" list.

Amazing Sunsets (view from our balcony)

Bradley on the Beach

Cody on the Beach

Tropical Beauty

The tropical beauty of the island surrounded us! Bird of paradise flowers, palm trees & white sandy clear water beaches, it was amazing!

Lunch at the Old Salty Dog

We enjoyed fish & chips at the Old Salty Dog restuarant. Our table was the deck over the bay right by the marina. The boys got a kick out of watching the pelicans, sea gulls and boats while they ate their lunch!

Bradley & Cody's First Flight!

Bradley & Cody experienced their first flight (courtesy of their Granny!) on our Florida gettaway! We did have one long layover in Houston and Cody took a nap with the beach towel! The boys thought flying was too cool! Then when we were getting off the plane, the pilot let them both sit in the cockpit and he gave them a lesson in flying! The were SO impressed! Check back for more postings of our mini vacation with the boys!

The Field Kids!

I thought I would take the kids to get pictures done one last time before Samantha joins our family! They all turned out really cute! ENJOY!

Kalee, Kristen & Dawn

Sisters!

Brothers!

Individual shots

A Day at Hurricane Harbor Water Park!

Today we ventured out to Hurricane Harbor. Dawn & I took Kalee, Kristen, Bradley & Cody as well as their friends Hannah & Austin for a day of fun! The kids had a blast and so did we!

Waterfall!

Tube Fun in the Tornado!

Ice Skating at the Galleria in Dallas

Happy 14th Birthday Kalee!!!

Kalee had a great birthday! She spent the day shopping at her favorite mall, eating lunch at Fuddruckers, having her favorite home cooked meal (chicken noodle casserole) as well as a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake, and opening presents! 14, wow, hard to believe in 2 years she'll be driving! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALEE...WE LOVE YOU!!!

Time With The Girls

SORRY! I did not get any pictures of the girls while the boys were away. BUT... we did have a great time together! We went to Six Flags (no fun to bring your camera there) I took them to see Ratatouille, and we also went swimming & shopping! I will try to get some pics of them posted soon!

Brad & Cody's NEW Room!

While Bradley & Cody were at camp and Granny & Papa's last week, Charley was BUSY BUSY BUSY turning their plain white room into the ultimate boys space! They were so surprised & excited to come home to their remodeled room. Charley built an awesome shelving system in the closet, put up a trophy shelf above the window, installed some cool blue track lighting, and painted the whole room. We also took a trip to Ikea and bought them a new computer desk, and they now have a computer in their room. (Notice the poster above the computer desk, it is them on the starting gate at the Mother's Day race.) They think that is really cool! I know, I know, you're wondering "what did Heather do?" She came up with the ideas and then supervised while Charley slaved away! I took the skateboards to get their names airbrushed on them, and shopped while I waited for them to be done! Hard work, huh???

Happy 4th of July!

We had a fun 4th of July BBQ at our house tonight! We had some neighbors over for dinner and shared a great meal. Then we all went out front and set off lots of fireworks. The boys really got a kick out of it! It was a great night!

* The girls have been at church camp this week and will come home on Friday afternoon. (Incase you were wondering why they haven't been in any pictures lately!) They called this evening to let us know that they are having a great time at camp! I'm glad to hear that as we have had a fun week with the boys. We took Bradley & Cody to a late night movie last night, Ratatouille, it started at 10:30pm and we didn't get home until after midnight! They thought that was very cool. Today we got up and went to Hurricane Harbor water park and then went to Papa's Burgers for lunch. It's been great spending time with just the boys, BUT.....they are leaving for church camp this Saturday and will be gone for a week. We are looking foward to another fun-filled week, but this time with just the girls! *

Cool Firework Picture!

This is what came out of the "BIG BOY" firework! Pretty cool picture, huh?

Texas Style Fajitas???

Well, it rained all day, but that doesn't stop Texans from cookin' out! The girls are at church camp this week, so Daddy and the boys treated mommy to some grilled steak fajitas....yes, in the rain!

In Search of More Frogs!

Rain... Rain... Rain....

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated our family blog! I now have 4 blogs to keep up with (family, adoption, daycare & our church home group) so it's easy to neglect one from time to time! Anyway, nothing much new around here. LOTS & LOTS of rain! If I had to guess, I would say it has rained at least 25 of the last 30 days, maybe even more! I can't complain though, all this rain has kept the temperatures down (which in turn keeps the electric bill down!) not to mention, we haven't had to water the grass very much this year! *The picture above is the latest addition to our front garden.....a lovely pond!

Splish Splash!

Frog Catchers!

Three proud frog catchers! According to the professionals (Ashton, Cody & Bradley) heavy rains bring out the best frogs. Theory proven!

Crazy Boys, Scootin' Barefoot In The Rain!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to Papa Arvin & Papa Steve! We love you guys so much! These pictures should tell you that Charley had a good Father's Day! Our home group through our church meets in our home on Sunday evenings. We decided to treat our men to a special lasagna dinner and four desserts that we prepared while they were out playing golf (yes, in the mud)! Then we washed their feet and gave them a massage. Everyone had a great time, once the feet were clean!!!

The BLEACH Boys!

Check out these wild summer do's!!! Crazy boys! Hopefully we'll be back to normal color in time for the start of school!

Memorial Day Weekend at the Lake!

We had a fun & busy weekend! Our friends Chris & Lindsey from Oklahoma came down and we went to Grapevine Lake, Six Flags & and ate some awesome Japanese food! You'll notice there is no Heather or Kristen in the pictures above, we are just not lake-rats!

FUEL IDOL - "Wind It Up"

I'm sure you are familiar with AMERICAN IDOL, but let me tell you about FUEL IDOL! Kalee & Kristen's youth group at church decided to do a fun activity with their small groups called Fuel Idol. Each group practiced a dance routine or sang a song and performed. The kids get to vote and there are even three judges who try to act like Randy, Paula & Simon. We are now down to the final four groups. Kalee's group didn't make it to this round, but Kristen's group performed today. They have been working very hard and danced to the Gwen Stefani song, "Wind It Up!" It was very cute! I will let you know if they make it to the next round when we get the results!

Kristen's Spring Band Concert

After taking 20+ pictures on every camera setting possible, I have decided that it is impossible to get good pictures at a band concert! Kristen and her friend Hannah both received an award for completing all of their levels this year in band and were recognized for their accomplishments! Great job girls!

MOTHER'S DAY AT THE RACES!!!

Bradley #22 & Cody #24 on the starting gate, READY...SET...GO!!!

Cody cruisin through the whoop section!

Bradley doesn't let #539 by him all race, but it was close!

Bradley placed 3rd & Cody placed 7th! They did a great job for not being out at the track in a while! Way to go boys!!!

Charley took 5th place in the over 30 class & proud Kalee presents the trophy!

Kalee & Papa having quite the conversation!

Basketball!

Kalee played basketball on the 7th grade team for her school. She loves being involved in athletics. Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, she loves it all!

Charley Gets Baptized

I am so thrilled to post that Charley decided to be baptized on Wednesday, May 2nd by Pastor Dustin Boles at our church, The Met! ( www.metchurch.com ) Although he was baptised as a child, he did not recall making this decision for all the right reasons. Living for Christ is our reason for living and this was an act of obedience to honor our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was an amazing night!

Gardening Time!

Once again, we had a busy weekend! Granny came to visit for the day on Saturday! On Sunday we went to church, went bowling, ate dinner at the Olive Garden, then came home and planted our flower beds in the dark! The kids worked hard and did a great job! It looks fantastic! I'm sure they get their green thumbs from Papa Steve!

Kalee's New Room!

In starting our family BLOG, it is my intent to post frequent updates of our family's events so that our extended family and friends can stay close! The hard part is, "where do I start?" So, after some thought I decided to start with the here & now as most of you who will be reading this don't need a background story!

This weekend we went to Six Flags and got season passes. We spent most of the day there Sunday and we all had a great time! We even talked Bradley & Cody into riding the Texas Giant! They were a little freaked out to say the least, but by the time the ride was over, they were asking to ride it again! We also finished Kalee's room this weekend. It is very GREEN! We are almost done with Kristen & Samantha's rooms and will post pictures as soon as they're done!

WELCOME

Welcome to our BLOG! I decided to create a family blog in addition to our adoption blog so that I can post pictures and updates of the whole family! Please check back often for new postings and be sure and leave us your comments, we will read them! ENJOY!