Hale Household

 We came home from some Thanksgiving fun (that's another post) to our Hometown Christmas tree lighting and parade.  Lainey Beth had some princess obligations to fulfill for her Duchess role.  She looked pretty cute in her sweater dress! 
 They got the tree all lit on the courthouse porch then loaded up on the float!  It turned out to be a chilly evening but it was fun to have a LIGHTS parade!  It got us all into the holiday spirit! 
Happy Friday! 

We loaded one of the 15 chartered buses with the other All-Americans and their moms and headed towards downtown!  We had a police escort.  The girls were a bit giddy... So cute!!!!
We even got to see Kenton Duty from "Shake it Up"  which got all the 300 cheerleaders screaming!!
They did an AMAZING job!  I'm so proud of my cheerleader.  We had a great time together... It was a great way to spend my 37th birthday! 

It Happened!  On Thanksgiving Day I turned 37!  WOW, REALLY??

It Happened!  My baby girl cheered at the Houston Thanksgiving Day parade and it was GREAT!

It Happened!  I have reached my MAX on pictures for blogger and now I have to figure out how to download more pictures without having to pay?!?! Any advice! 

It Happened!  I am behind at blogging AGAIN and I have so much to share!  Stay tuned. I hope to figure this out soon.  (If you have hints let me know ASAP!)

 Someday I will get "it" all together again and become a regular blogger again!  We are enjoying watching Abbey play basketball.  Her team is now undefeated and so fun to watch!  We are enjoying the beginning of the holiday season!
 I am still LOVING my job teaching preschool.  This past week we studied the letter O and made these cute little octopus.  And how adorable are these pumpkin pies!?!  I giggles when the kids either had a love or a hate for cool whip! 
 This weekend we had a MASS family clean out around the house.  I also put up our Christmas goodies because I LOVE to have it done so we can enjoy it mess-free after Thanksgiving.  So... Charlie also made his appearance this week.  He's already been up to NO GOOD by writing on the girls' Santa mugs. 
 I love this time of year!  Everything is decorated and ready... Now if the cooler temps would arrive...
 Today, Abbey and I are headed to Houston!  She's excited to do some FUN cheering with other girls.  Oh, and if you have seen her in the last month, I'm sure she's told you the dance is to her favorite band's song... One Direction!!!! 
 And Finally,  I did find some time the last few days to do some fun, easy cooking for Thanksgiving.  These yummy treats... Isn't Pintrest the BEST!!! 
Happy Tuesday!  I'll be back... Someday!

Well, what's been up?  Let's just talk it out!...

1.  Abbey had her last game cheering in 7th grade!  It was so fun watching her.  She and her squad did a great job.  She's a natural cheerleader!  I can't wait to watch her in Houston in the Thanksgiving Day Parade next week! 

2.  Abbey has started basketball.  She made the 7th grade A team and is starting.  They have won both of their last 2 games.  They won Monday night 45-7!  Abbey and one of her friends stole the ball 4 times in the first 20 seconds of the game and they were up 8-0.  Needless to say the other coach called a quick time-out :) 

3.  Miss Em has a Durac Pig named "What!"  She plans on showing him in the County show and at the San Angelo stock show.  This is a new phase of life for us.  Emiley and Will are pretty excited about it.  Lots of "pig walking" in the future.

4.  Miss Em also is flip flopping away!  She has mastered it on the mat, trampoline and tumble track.  We are now working hard on the ground.

5.  Lainey Girl got "bucked" off of Jasper this weekend.  She has been a little sore but got back on him and rode in the pasture again.  She said he got spooked by the lawn mower. 

6.  Lainey is busy full-filling her role as the Student Council president and has been asked to do some drawing for some websites.  BUSY GIRL! 

7.  The other day Lainey told me she was "a purple petal in a patch full of daisies!" 

8.  I am really tired of the flies!

9.  I hope to put up my Christmas Tree SOON!  I always put it up before Thanksgiving so we can be ready to enjoy it when we get home from our Thanksgiving travels. 

10.  The laundry, closet clutter, kitchen cabinets, ... hey, lets be honest... everything around here is cluttered is about it make me crazy!!!!  We need a weekend clean-out!!!! 

11.  I think things are finally slowing down now that volleyball, cross country, soccer and football are over. 

12.  We are SOOOOO ready for our week off for Thanksgiving.

HAPPY HUMP DAY! 

 Along the way of our "Ironman" adventure in Florida we had lots of things that made us laugh!  Like this bike.  Never seen anything like it!  Longhorn handlebars and a cowhide seat... I had to snap a picture of it when its owner was in the restroom...
 The hubbies have been teasing that they are getting an Ironman tattoo when they complete the race.  All our girls are so scared that they are really going to do it!  Luke put this tattoo on after race and we texted it to our kiddos.  Lainey informed Will "He should not get a tattoo because when he is old and in the nursing home it will look like a glob of color in his wrinkles!" 
 Pineapple Willie's could not let you take alcohol off their property so this is the way we got our drinks!  Betsy and I got a few giggles from it! 
 We also have an ongoing joke with our workout buddies that the only thing skinny on us is our ankles so of course we had to take a picture of our skinny ankles in the sand! 
 And since I ALWAYS attract the crazies, this guy at the McD's told me all about how he won Ironman Florida back in the day! He also said he rode in the Tour de France.  He also told me his old Tour Bike was parked right outside McD's.  I had to snap a picture...  Yes it was after midnight on the night of the race...
 And finally my BFF took a picture of bloody Mary in the airport!  I didnt know she also took a picture of ME!  YES, she sent it to our friends! 
 Oh yes, and I searched Ironman on Pinterest and this is what I found.  LOVE...
Happy Weekend...

 Ironman, FL has come and gone... It is an experience that Will has trained for for about a year!  It all began last Wednesday when Will, Luke and Shaun loaded up in Will's truck and headed for Panama City Beach with the group's bikes and gear for the race.  Betsy and I stayed in H-town until Friday to get our 6 girls situated a few more days and make sure everything was in line for the grandparents.  Then we fly into Panama City on Friday!  Will and Luke had a limo pick us up from the airport with a bottle a wine... I think it was a little "Thank you" for all the away time we had to endure while they were gone training! :) 
 Then it was off to dinner overlooking the beach with the rest of the people from Hamilton who had trained for the even and their families.  I had some yummy shrimp and Will had the fish of the day!  Neither was a disappointment! 
 We then headed back to our condo and watched the nightly light show over the water that was done to music!  So pretty!  One night I sent a video of it to the girls!  Then it was off to bed early for the race the next morning!!! 
 We were up and at 'em by 4:30 a.m. for the race and heading down for the beach by 5:15.  All of the training about to be put to work! 
 Will getting body marked!  Go #1602!
 All our IRONMEN from H-town! 
 There were lots of spectators on the beach.  I didnt even get a picture to do it all justice...We got the racers off then headed back to the condo to drop off the bags that our guys had left us with...
 When we got to the condo we realized we could see the swimmers in the water from our balcony.   Pretty cool!
 When we saw them come out of water from the swim we rushed over to the transition and saw them bike out.  Here is Luke on the bike.  (My picture of Will wouldnt rotate.) Then we started tracking the racers on our phones.  It was giving us splits at about every 18-20 miles. 
 Betsy and I decided to go lay out by the pool for away since we had about 6 hours before the bikers started coming in.  We were watching them all come in with great times until the third split and Will never came through.  It was a sick feeling.  He finally came through with a time of 10 mph, down from 18 mph.  I was thinking flat tire.  We left pool and got changed to find our H-town group and see if they had heard anything.  Again other racers were coming through check points and Will wasnt.  It was getting scary again.  We grabbed some lunch and NO Will on 4th or 5th split.  Finally we got word that Will had had a bike wreck.  Finally at 5:20 Will came through, finishing the bike portion of the race... He barely missed the cut-off for this portion of the Ironman by 10 minutes.  He had waited for support for a new back tire for over an hour and finally got someone to help him straighten his rim for about 20 minutes.  It took him 2 hours longer to ride, but just thankful he completed it! 
 Then it was off to complete a marathon and get this thing DONE!  I was so excited to see him cross!  It has been a LONG day for Will... but he was an IRONMAN!!!! 
 The girls were able to watch it on the live feed and Abbey snapped a shot and posted it on Instagram.  Makes you love technology! 
 The next day we got to enjoy some time on the beach of Panama City.  It was cooler on Sunday so our time was short! 
Way to go Will, so proud that you pushed through and you are now an IRONMAN!!!!

Yes! Will Hale is an Ironman!


Yes! We have loved our time in Panama Beach!


Yes! It has been a trip of memories!


Happy Sunday!!

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