More Christmas Cheer...

Here are a couple of MariCagle and Nate's pieces of work in the last couple weeks. They have Christmas on the brain. Don't we all? It's a the 'most wonderful time of the year' after all.

Nate's teacher helped him to make this wish list for Santa. He made it Friday morning and that evening we had already planned to watch 'Star Wars' episode IV that night for family movie night. After enjoying the movie, his list has expanded with all things Star Wars. Notice he is attempting to write his name in cursive. Cursive handwriting is MC's new obsession. She has some time before she actually begins this feat in school, but I guess it seems like a grown-up thing to do. And as usual, Nate likes to try everything MariCagle is trying.

MariCagle still enjoys drawing and writing a great deal. Her work now centers around Christmas. Below is one of my favorites that she's done recently. Hope everyone is having a very blessed Christmas season!!

Merry Christmas!

In honor of our last Christmas in Gainesville, we took Christmas card pictures in our Gator shirts complete with our family mascot Albert.

We wish everyone a very
Merry Christmas
and a
Happy New Year!!

Go Gators!

I have to say that the Gators have made our time here quite unforgettable or perhaps we have been their good luck charm. Since our arrival in 2004, they have won one football national championship, two basketball national championships, and barring any BCS computer mess-up, will vie for a second national football title!!! Wowwee! I hope we bring the same luck to the Cornhuskers.

Check out our Gator good luck charms through these 4 1/2 years...

Happy Thanksgiving Indeed!!!

As if we weren't thankful enough this year for our two wonderful, healthy children and absolutely fabulous family and friends...BRANDON GOT A JOB! We got the call Tuesday evening in route to visit the family for Thanksgiving festivities when the University of Nebraska called to make Brandon the offer. We were very pleased (that is an understatement) and Brandon was able to work out all the details making it official by Saturday. So come summer we'll be moving to Lincoln, Nebraska. It's a good thing we have plenty of time for all of this to settle in. But again, it was an especially blessed Thanksgiving for the Lockhart clan.

Below are a couple shots from our Thanksgiving fun (sorry I didn't take more)...

This is at Nate's 'mini feast' at school. The children all dressed as pilgrims or Indians (their choice) and we enjoyed a 'mini feast' that they had prepared for everyone. Nate was so proud of himself as he helped snap the green beans, wrap plasticware, make placemats and tablecloths, make homemade biscuits and roll up turkey for the feast. I told him I was going to let him start cooking every night!

Nana saved the wishbone for MariCagle and Nate to snap. Above they are ready to battle. Below you can see that Nate won. Though MariCagle swears that he used more than three fingers. :)

We are excited to get ready for Christmas. It is truly a wonderful time of the year! MariCagle and Nate have been working on their lists for Santa. With our news of Nebraska, they have added 'big fat coats,' mittens, scarves, and rolling suitcases. Go Cornhuskers!

School

I think I'm going to have to let MC start writing her own blog. She loves writing stories and her spelling is getting better and better every day. Here is her own account of 1st grade....

Despite her lack of enthusiasm for math, she is doing quite well, learning to add and subtract. And she is spot on with her 'love, love, love' of reading and writing and she is doing great at that too. We are so thankful that she likes school so much thanks to her fabulous teachers and friends.


Nate is loving school too. He's learning all about letters and numbers and really enjoys book club each morning. Book club is when the children bring a book from home each morning and share with their classmates their favorite parts. He has fantastic teachers and is doing all kinds of fun things with great friends. Here is one of his works from letter F week...

Pumpkins and Halloween

We had lots of pumpkin fun this halloween season. The church at Nate's school had a pumpkin patch so he got to visit almost daily to jump in the bounce house. We also had the chance to enjoy a trip to a pumpkin patch in Georgia. Pumpkin patches make for beautiful fall pictures so check them out....

This shot was taken at the pumpkin patch at Nate's school. I got to walk over with his class and watch them pick out small pumpkins. It was lots of fun.

Aunt Kim had the fun idea to visit this pumpkin patch in GA and found it online for us. Thanks Aunt Kim!

I just love this one of the two angels. It's always great to catch those angelic moments. They each got to pick out a pumpkin. (We never got around to carving them until the week after Halloween seeing as how the carver in our family was out of town on a whirlwind of interviews that week. But they didn't seem to mind.)

Hanging with Uncle Britton even though he has on a bulldogs t-shirt.

Quinn wasn't in the mood for pictures but I had to include one of her anyway. She's too cute even when she's not looking at the camera. And we had lots of fun with her and Payton over the weekend. Family fun at Grammy and PopPop's is always special.

Halloween was a packed day for us. Both MariCagle and Nate had costume parades and parties at school. (I only got to go to Nate's parade since I was working that day, hence more pictures of the son this time.) They both looked fantastic in their 'Pirates of the Carribean' costumes...Nate as Captain Jack Sparrow and MariCagle as Elizabeth the Emperess. After school, we headed to Nana and Pa's for a weekend of baby showers to help Aunt Stacy and Uncle Jim prepare for James. It was a great weekend!

Nate was in full character throughout the parade shouting 'Argh!' and 'Where's that treasure?' It was quite amusing and a testament to his far-reaching imagination.

Here is another angelic moment as they waited to trick-or-treat at Nana and Pa's house. They got to knock a few times to trick-or-treat for aunts too. And needless to say this wasn't the typical stop with one or two pieces of candy, rather the entire basket between the two of them!



Not directly related to Halloween, but part of the weekend fun included baby showers for MC and I. And Nate got to hang out with Pa for much of the weekend. I got some cute pictures at the showers, but not so many of Nate and Pa. But Nate had all sorts of fun at the park, Burger King, Walmart, movies, and fishing. And that was just in one weekend! As always we had lots of fun at Nana and Pa's.

October

So it's looking like a post a month is about all I can handle these days. Hope that's enough to satisfy everyone! :) October has been fun...we've even had a little fall-like weather which isn't necessarily a given in our neck of the woods. MariCagle and Nate continue to enjoy soccer and violin. Soccer seasons are winding down so I'm not sure what we'll do with all our extra time!

Brandon has been traveling a great deal in October and will be into November as the job search is in full swing. We're rooting for him and are very excited anticipating where we might move come summer. We will certainly keep you posted as the search narrows in on that special place!

Enjoy these pictures and short videos of violin and soccer action...

Here's a nice brother/sister shot before one of MC's games.

Here Nate celebrates a goal. You can just sense his excitement. Now if only that had been during the game instead of during warm-ups. :)

I think what I like most about this soccer clip is MC's pose at the end of the video. :) Here she's playing defender (no true goalie at this level, but one player stays behind near the goal). They rotate in and out at different positions with 4 players in at a time. It is a real learning experience! MC's team won only one game according to the score, however, she truly took the coach's words to heart..."If you had fun, then you are a winner." By that standard, she won every game!

Nate is a beginning violinist but he enjoys practicing, especially when MariCagle plays along with him. Here they are playing 'Pop Goes the Weasel.' We fully expect Nate's parts to lengthen over time but he's having fun with even the smallest part.

MariCagle played in a concert the week of Halloween for beginning musicians. This piece is called 'Andantino.'