I'm Still Super Dad!

So we figured out that baby food costs about $.40 / jar. That wouldn't be so bad, but with 2 kids, we are going through about 6 jars/day. That is about 2.5o / day. Yeah, just multiply that over a year!!! Holy Smokes.
So, a friend of ours told me about a website that I must promote:
www.wholesomebabyfood.com
It is a great site and realy helped us out. So, Heather went to the store this last week and said that we would start making baby food. So we started with some butternut squash and sweet potatoes. I cooked them and blended them all up. They are awesome! The girls like them much more than the regular baby food and we found that it only costs about $.10 - .12 / jar. That is about 75% off. And with the economy so bad, we ned that 75%. We sure aren't gonna get it back from any where else!
Well, then we started looking at other foods. So, we got some peas, green beans, avocados, papaya, bananas and mangos. So on Saturday we mixed them all up and got them all into the freezer. It was a working afternoon, but we wound up making over 120 servings of baby food for just about $14. So we decided that we rock at baby food making. But we didn't know for sure until the girls tried it. Well, Ansley decided she didn't want milk any more, so I think that that is a good vote. And Elizabeth finally started eating baby food. Today she ate about 2 jars at one serving. Piglet! So I say that that is a yes too.
So, if you are interested in homemade baby food, give me a call. I may have some to spare (just for trial purposes though - you can't have all of it!)
So, maybe that will get us some more visitors. Come and see us!
Love
EACH Knies

Weights

Well, I meant to do this the other day, but didn't. Sorry Y'all.
Ansley weighed 15 lbs 13 oz
Elizabeth weighte 16 lbs
Now I know that many of you wonder how Elizabeth weighed more - well she got weighed a week later on her sick appointment. She had a little sinus infection - YUCK! She couldn't breath b/c her nose was so stuffy, but she is doing much better now.
Ansley is still doing great and I think she is in a growth spurt right now.
So, girls are doing great.
See you all soon!

Who is your favorite?

I didn't know if you all knew this, but I asked Elizabeth who her favorite was and this was her response. Sorry, no word from Ansley so keep trying...

Elizabeth started saying this yesterday while we were at church. She was sitting with someone down the row from me and started saying it. They all looked at me and I loved it. Of course, who wouldn't with a smile like that. Now, I didn't want to brag until I could get it on tape so you would all believe me. So, I hid the cameral b/c apparently she doesn't like to perform (as you can tell by so many of her pictures!) But, never the less, here she is performing. Hooray for ME! Oh, and Elizabeth too...

Love to All

Each KNIES

6 months old

That's right folks - the girls hit their 6 month 1/2 birthday this past week. No, we didn't do anything fun (I know, loser parents), but we still love them. As for the update, Ansley has been rolling over front to back and back to front for the past couple of months. Elizabeth, as many of you already know, likes to do things on her own time and as slowly as possible. She is the dead-weight when you try to hold her because she likes to be a little lazy and let everyone else take care of her. However, this week she decided to roll on over. Now that she knows how to do it though, there may be no stopping her. She is doing it all the time now. Ansley, not to be out done, has decided that she wants to start her swimming lessons. She can kick super hard and I think she is trying to tell me that she is ready to get moving in a new direction: in the water. I tell them both that we can't do that yet, but all they do is laugh at me! Oh well, it is fun.

So, things are going great here. We have their 6 month check-up tomorrow and I am not looking forward to the shots. BUT, we will have weights. I am betting on breaking the 16 pound mark for Ansley and Elizabeth at about 15 1/2. Like I said, she just does it at her own time. Boy, she is the youngest!

Well, everyone likes pictures from Christmass, so here is a couple just for all of you who asked. I will update tomorrow (hopefully) with all of the weights and new information from the girls. WIsh us luck.

Love you All

Each Knies

Just in case you were wondering

So, I decided to be a good big brother this weekend. You know, there are certain things that all big brothers HAVE to do in order to maintain their "Big Brother" status. Something things are like beating up boyfriends of the sisters, protecting them when scared, etc. Well, one that wasn't on the list, but made it this weekend was not something that I would recommend.
Kathryn decided that she wanted to run the marathon this year because "everyone else was doing it." Her loving husband decided that he would run with her even though he hated the idea. Really, he just said he would do it because he wanted a shirt that said he had run a long way. What a guy!!!
Well, in November, he tore a tendon in his knee making it impossible for him to run in the marathon. Well, big brother says, "I will run it with you." Well, if you didn't know, the marathon is 26.2 miles - that is a long way! So I decided that I would start training, but that was about the time that finals rolled around. So I put it off. I decided that I would run in Colorado on vacation - well you know about my elk hunt, so that was out too. When we got back to Houston, I said I would run for the few weeks prior. Then I started thinking - if I get tired or sore, I am not going to think that I could do it. SO I decided to just put it off till day of. BAD IDEA!!!
So Kathryn and I ran the marathon on Sunday. I did well for about 22 miles and cratered after that. Kathryn, on the other hand, was an animal. She was nailing her times every mile and then finished the last 4 with Dad (after he had finished his marathon just prior). Now I had no business running that thing, that is for sure. But when I got to mile 22, I was out of juice. But hey, I hadn't come all that way for nothing. So, I ran/walked the last four and met Kathryn inside.
It was one of the most fun times I have had in my life with Kathryn though. I absolutely loved spending that time with her and seeing her do so well. She would run up and down the crowd slapping people High-Five and shouting "Gig-Em" every time she could. She did absolutely awesome and I am super proud of her. I must say though, if you are thinking of being a good brother, there are easier ways than volunteering for the marathon - but it still is a great experience.

Our First Christmas

So we went to Colorado for Christmas this year. IT WAS AWESOME!!! One of the worst, early snows that they have seen in a long time. Yeah, and we drove it. Just in case you were wondering if it was fun to drive with the 2 little girls, it wasn't bad. 17 hours - they slept the majority and were awesome the whole time. MY GIRLS ROCK!!!

We went up for Christmas with Pee-Paw and Mee-Maw this year. How great do we look!?!

That one on the far left is our newest cousin - Makenzie. Don't we look like we are having fun? Well, we are.

We also got to spend time making a 4 generation picture with Great-Grandma -

While we were there, we got to spend time with Uncle Beau -

And Aunt JeanAnn and Uncle Scott -

And Aunt Sandra and Uncle Justin - Obviously Justin got confused some times on who he should hold. Sandra got lots of holding time this week!!! And rightly so, look at what she made the girls. -

Now, we have lots more pictures of lots more family, but you will have to see the slideshow for that one.

See you at the next post!!!

Chandler

It was Her or Me - Or BOTH

So this year was my first year to go Big Game hunting. If you don't like hunting, you won't like some of this story, but part of it will make you laugh hysterically. So, read if you dare.

So my Brother in Law was awesome this year and got me a land-owner permit. That means that I got to hunt an elk for the first time in my life. How cool!!! So I was really excited to do it and was a little nervous about shooting since I can't hit the broad side of a barn. But my BIL said I would be fine. So the first day we got there we went over the basics on what to shoot - Don't shoot it if it has horns - end of lesson. So we then drove up and down the highway looking for a target. We found a little herd up at the top of the unit we could hunt in and were really excited b/c there were so many. We then decided that it would be best for us to get permission from a guy to hunt on his land and practice shooting. Good thinking.

So we got permission and started our target practice. We took a .22 to shoot with and shot from about 25 yards. I did great, if I do say so myself. But let me tell you this, just cause you can shoot a .22 doesn't mean that you can shoot a .338 cannon! That will come up again later in the story.

So the next day we went to find our herd only to find out that some other group of idiots had shot a cow in our spot without permission. Dang Texan hunters!!! So we were really mad but we got over it and decided to try again the following day. Next day, we go to find another group of 2 and were beat out by 2 Texan shooters shooting from the highway. Such a No-No. So we called the DOW and got some "paperwork" for our hunter friends. Shouldn't have made Beau mad I guess!!!

So we try again the next day. But this time, Beau made up his mind that we were going to go and look for some. Well, that was code for, "Let's try to kill Chandler." So we hiked up and down these mountains and I was miserable. I couldn't breath and am WAY out of shape. But about 7 hours after the hike started, we finished elk-less. Probably a good thing though b/c I would not have liked draggin it down the mountain.

So on Christmas Eve, we decided to take the snow mobiles back into the National Forest. We saw a small herd and ran up the mountain after them. Well, I say we ran, but it was more like drudging up the mountain and I was sucking wind. By the time I had a shot, it was about 450 yards and not a chance of me hitting it. Oh well. Beau told me that I needed to hurry and run after them faster, but all I could think was, "Don't they have any that stand still and don't run?" We saw another group and the same thing happened again. Chandler out of breath and Beau saying, "Hurry up!"

Well, we were in some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen and all I could think was how happy I was to be riding and seeing nature at its best. So we came upon a 3rd herd and we drove up to where we saw them. We got there and I got into position. I couldn't get the scope to work so I got a little closer. TOO CLOSE! I got a shot and took it. "I hit her! Hey Beau, I think I got hit too!" Yeah, the scope came back and hit me in the head. So that streak of red running down my face is the blood from me! Oh well, I got her on the first shot and it was about the coolest experience of my life. I am going to have a scar, but it was still cool. So, it was a 275 yard shot through the trees - yeah, I am the man and can provide for my family.


So we now have Elk meat and I had a great experience. I was so thankful that I got to go and even more thankful that I got her on the first shot. I don't know if I could have seen through the blood to shot again. But anyway, it was a great experience!! Thanks Uncle Beau-Beau!