Flighty thoughts... :)

This morning, Mr. Murphy, a friend of ours that has a 2 passenger Luscombe and an airstrip in his field, invited Samuel and I out to take us flying!!! Faith and Andrew went with us, and we had a total blast!!!!
He was able to take all of us up, but gave Samuel a longer flight, and while we waited, we chatted in the warm with Mrs. Murphy. Thank you very much Murphys for having us!!!!!!

Showing Samuel a motor for one of his cars

looking at the engine

fueling up

About to take off! 

right before Mr. M and Samuel took off, another small plane flew right over the runway! 

Andrew, Samuel and I after Samuel's flight

:)

right before I went up

Mr. M. was teasing us....just a little! :)

flying over I-30

our farm from the air! :)

the 13 acres we the guys have been clearing

the five acres Daddy just bought this week! :)

L-3 in the distance

Faith :)

A few videos of taking off and landing:

Mr. Murphy and Samuel taking off

Mr. Murphy and Samuel landing

Mr. Murphy and I landing

Celebrating Christmas at the Hales House! :)

This year, because Christmas fell on a Sunday, we decided to do our family Christmas on Saturday - and of course, none of us minded doing it a day early! :)

Friday night, while Mommy and Daddy went to Dallas to see a Canadian Brass concert with Mr. and Mrs. Davis, and Daniel and I hung the stockings :)

Sarah was finishing up her gift for Grandma, and knitted toboggan

Christmas breakfast - 14 people around the table, 15 if you count R&J's baby! :)

looking in the stockings

reading the Christmas story :)

:)

opening gifts.... 

Peter's new hat from Daddy :)

David had to try it on!

Andrew's hat.... :)

Mommy opening a gift for her and Daddy from Rachel & Jack.....

♥ ♥ ♥

after all the gifts had been opened, they guys and I went out to were they had been working in the woods, and started some of the brush piles on fire! :)

two of the puppies followed us out

Andrew had carved his initials in a stump with a chainsaw :)

the creek

Andrew in his natural habitat! 

I thought the erosion from the trees roots looked kinda neat!

Samuel and Daniel crumpling newspaper to start the fire

There is something very cheerful about a fire!

the ensemble of books I got from Mommy and Hannah! ;)

my gifts from Samuel - I'd say he's figured out what I like pretty well! :)

My gifts from Hannah! :)

(we draw names to give gifts, and she drew me! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas morning, we had church in our basement! 

It was more like an extended family get-together than church, though!!! 

Mr. Davis reading part of the Christmas story from Matthew

After lunch, we played volleyball - but I didn't get any pictures of the games...but we had boatloads of fun!!!