High Five for Friday (11.21.14)

1. Mockingjay!!! I saw the movie (for the first time) last night with friends. I will see the movie (for the second time) tonight with Tom. I plan to see the movie (for the third time) over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with my sis-in-law and whoever else wants to join us. I just can't get enough!

2. I watched my first game of a laser tag last weekend - Will played a round at a friend's birthday party and the staff let Hallie and I hang out in the arena during their epic battle - and now I can't wait to give the game a try myself. (And not just because the whole deal felt very Hunger Games-ish.) Laser tag couples date night? Laser tag family competition? Who's in?

In case you can't tell, that last picture is of Hallie shooting an imaginary bow and arrow Katniss-style.

3. This year we plan celebrate Thanksgiving at home in College Station, and Tom's parents, along with Tom's sister and her new hubby, will join us. I'm pleased to report that as of today I have my Thanksgiving menu solidified and 90% of my Thanksgiving groceries purchased. It feels great to be a little ahead of the game!

4. Tomorrow is my 30-something-th birthday. To celebrate, I'd like to: sleep in, drink coffee, work out, play soccer, write, read, watch football, drink beer, unpack the Christmas decorations, set up the Christmas tree, not cook, watch a movie, eat cake, and eat cake again. If I work really hard, I think I can make it all happen…I'll let you know how it turns out.

5. Happiness Highlights

When we let Tux outside for the first time
he climbed the house. The kids had never
witnessed anything funnier in their lives.

Tux wouldn't join Hallie for a tea party (he wouldn't sit in a
chair) so she set him up with his own "tea" under the table.

Hallie and I CRUSHED her first set of perler beads. 

We had family pictures taken this fall. (Hallie
was a baby the last time we all took pictures
together, so it was about time.) Here are a few I
like, but that I'm not using in our Christmas card.

Hallie especially seems to have inherited
my squinty-even-in-the-shade eyes...

I wish my eyes opened more...

I like this one except for my right hand, which looks
like it got confused about what it was supposed to do.

When Hallie's natural smile appears, I catch
a glimpse of not only her outer beauty, but
also the beauty she carries inside her.

The time has come for me to accept that "cute"
no longer adequately describes my first baby. And
while this makes me sad, seeing what a handsome
boy he's become lifts my heart right back up again. 

And last but not least…
Her face says it all.

Happy Friday, friends!

Linking up with High Five for Friday!