GET WELL SOON, PAW PAW!

We are sending Get Well wishes to PawPaw--
we love you and hope you feel better soon.

Hang in there, Mammy!

Straughan Christmas Pictures 2007

GEAUX TIGERS!

Last night Chad and I went to our favorite bar and grill, Wings-N-More, to watch LSU beat Ohio State! We had a good time, except listening to some of the TRASH TALK by Ohio State Fans! Watching the game was fun, but I will say that they sure don't party like we do back home! I would have liked to had partied with some TRUE BAYOU BENGALS!!!

Home for the Holidays

After a wonderful Christmas Day, we packed up the car and headed for Louisiana. We spent a lot of time with our families opening presents, playing, EATING and celebrating. It was great to be home to see everyone. Thank you so much Nanna, Mammy and PawPaw for letting the Straughan Crew crash your homes. The food and company were excellent! Chad and I were even lucky enough to sneak off to Sal and Judy's to celebrate out 11th wedding anniversary. I apologize to our friends for not being able to visit--we had a VERY busy schedule! After a smooth ride back to Texas (THANK GOD), the kids are now trying to decide where to unload all their presents!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas to everyone! We had a very busy morning today. The highlight of the morning was when Callie put on her "Hannah Montana" wig and danced for us---it was priceless! Callie also got a new bike and rides it like a champ. The boys were excited to get their new golf clubs and TV's for their rooms. Daddy was VERY happy to get a new 3 wood and I was surprised to get a new cell phone--a JUKE; I feel so 'hip'! Tomorrow evening we will be heading home to visit with the family--it was tough being away. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.
Happy Birthday, JESUS!

Waiting for Santa

Today we went to a Christmas service where the kids acted out the nativity and characters (sheep, donkeys, etc) walked around--Callie thought that was cool! Then we came home and had our big Christmas meal. Chad carved the turkey and I made my first oyster dressing and baked macaroni---thanks to Mom and Nanna for all the advice!!! The kids are ANXIOUSLY awaiting Santa; hopefully they will go to bed soon!

Date Night

Last night Chad and I used a neighborhood sitter for the first time so we could enjoy a night out. We went to dinner at Pappadeaux's (WAY overpriced seafood) and had drinks at Fox and Hound. We had a nice time---but babysitters sure do charge A LOT more now than when I was a kid!

As you can tell from the angle, the boys took the picture of Chad and I.

Our Little Ballerina

We recently enrolled Callie into a ballet and dance class--hoping she'd stop pole dancing! She absolutely LOVES it! Her teacher said she was a 'natural'----Chad and I are quite confused--neither one of us have any natural dancing abilities!

Busy Weekend

This weekend was pretty busy for our crew. We spent Friday evening decorating the tree while a wonderful roast cooked in the oven. Then after dinner, we decorated Christmas cookies and watched the movie "Elf"---it is one of our favorites!!

On Saturday, we went to Katy, Texas, or "Megan's Texas" as Callie calls it, to celebrate Michelle's "Miguel" 3rd Birthday. After a few technical difficulties , the kids had a blast in the jumper--which by the way, was only made for small kids.

On Sunday, Chad and I took the kids to Extreme Pizza. So by Sunday night, Chad and I were completely exhausted! I think this weekend we are getting a SITTER!

'Tis the Season

The Straughan Christmas Season has now officially started. Last night, we went to take pictures with Santa. Today, we are going to get our Christmas tree. Of course the season couldn't possibly begin without the traditional "McJoseph."

Long Story Short: We lost our BEAUTIFUL nativity scene in Katrina. The boys then bought me a new scene with their own money---it was plastic, but who cares! Anyway, during the move to Mississippi, we lost Joseph's head. And of course the only object we had PLENTY of was McDonald's Happy Meal toys. Use a little glue, then McJoseph was BORN!

Latest Happenings

On Saturday, Mace and Jake's school performed at a local holiday Kick Off Celebration. We had a really good time. They had SpaceJumps EVERYWHERE, a petting zoo, train rides, and Christmas Characters (The Woodlands Pinecone Guy and The Chick Fil-A guy.) There was plenty to do and the best part was that the entire event was FREE!!! We ended up spending most of the morning there and then rushed home for the SEC game. I will take this time to apologize (AGAIN) for not updating the blog, answering email, etc---our computer is VERY moody! It'll work for a couple of hours then shut itself down for no reason for weeks! We blame Mammy :)
I hope I will get to my email soon--I miss hearing from all of you!

Enjoying the Town

This past week has been quite busy. We have finished a full week of school and Chad is adjusting to his new job. This week we also joined the Y.M.C.A in the Woodlands. It has so much to offer and we all love it! The boys even tried to rock climb at the Kids' Center. On Saturday, we went to the "Lighting of the Doves" ceremony in town. All of Town Square was lit up with pathways of trees, decorations and activities. They even had an indoor ice skating rink! Chad decided he would be the one to try it with Callie---they didn't get very far! The boys used the 'walkers' to get around the rink. Well, several bruises later (and only THREE trips around the rink) we decided to hed to the Pavillion. Santa arrived on a boat and lit up the park. They also had a "Snow Machine" for kids to tube down a hill. The boys thought that was really cool!
I apologize for not having more pictures---of course the batteries in my camera died!

Look Out, Texas! The Straughans are Here!

Well, we did it! We are residents of Texas! Things have been quite hectic, but we are starting to get settled. Mammy came and stayed the weekend with us to help, and the Goodnight girls came to visit, too! We spent the weekend sightseeing and unpacking. However, there was one downfall---we didn't get the Saints game on T.V. (I don't think we missed much!) On Monday, the boys started their new school and Chad started his new job. EVERYONE was a nervous wreck, but all boys returned with good reports of their day! Callie and I are trying to adjust to staying home together--you can imagine how that is going!
We'll keep you posted!