End of Summer Blog

It's Facebook's fault!

I could just go ahead and relent that I'm not going to keep up with my blog, so instead, I will try to commit to a quarterly post. Maybe more. Let's start with quarterly.

School starts in two weeks. Julia will be in fourth grade. She says she's not looking forward to it, that it will be too hard. Apparently someone told her that fourth grade was the hardest grade in elementary school. I'd like to find that person so that I can slap them for telling a kid that. She will continue with Drama Kids this year. This is her third year, and she is now a Foundation Student. The only real thing to that is that she gets a bigger trophy at the end of the year, but even better, our tuition is cut in half. Sweet! She has also informed us that she wants to be in choir, so we will look into that as well. We are hoping to hear this week who her teacher will be. If she's half as awesome as Miss Lubojasky was last year, we'll be happy.

Hayden is our big first grader. He's really looking forward to going back. We are praying for a good teacher this year. He really struggled last year, and that was really disappointing. We hope his new teacher recognizes his need to be challenged, and can look past behavior that might be triggered by his boredom to recognize what a really, REALLY cool kid he is. Give that kid the proper encouragement and he'll give you the world. He will play Fall Ball again, and Michael has signed up for a head coach position. Keep your fingers crossed because Mike will be an excellent coach!

Brandon goes with the flow quite well, thinking he can do anything and everything his brother and sister can do. I must say that he is the orneriest kid of them all! He is SO very set in his ways. I try to comfort myself by saying it will serve him well someday. But for now... whew.... It's a good thing he's so dang cute!

Julia and Hayden attended the school district's Extended Day Summer Program. Their activities included a Astros game, Children's Museum, Houston Museum of Natural Science, and finished up two solid weeks of swimming every day. The geniuses there have determined that the program should end two weeks prior to school starting. I guess the assumption is that ALL parents can take two solid weeks off during that time.

So, we have planned our vacation for a little over a week, and we're looking forward to getting away next Friday. We've planned a Camping Texas Road Trip. In a tent. With all three kids. In August. That said we are forging ahead with high hopes!

We are camping in three different spots, each point making a large circle that boomerangs back to Sugar Land (because I'm not fond of road trips!) Our first stop is Perdenales Falls. We are still planning activities around that area, but on our way there we are stopping at the Blue Bell Ice Creamery for a tour. The kids are especially excited about the free samples. (So are Dad and I...) Our next stop is Garner State Park, and the final is Krause Springs. Michael did a lot of research on these parks, so he really should be updating this blog in regard, but we know he's done a good job and they will be really nice.

We wanted to do a trip that allowed the kids to run, yell, and explore. Something that doesn't require us to keep a hand on them the whole time. I wouldn't be surprised if both boys come back home with a preference for peeing in the woods as opposed to the facilities... (that would be kind of funny, though) Michael has made the two big kids journals that have a good description about the places we are staying, each complete with a place they can draw pictures and write their own stories about their experiences. What a cool thing they can take to school when their teachers ask what they did this summer!

We had a hitch installed on my new (sexy) truck so that we can tow the small trailer behind us. That way we can take our bikes with us. It should be... quite an adventure!

Best. Prank. EVER.

Before I begin, let me just say that I have no allegiance to Texas A&M or the University of Texas. I think they are both stellar institutes of higher learning. Several members of my family attend or attended both Universities, and while it makes our weddings, reunions, etc. very interesting, I personally have no preference. So please, take my prank for what it is, and don't barrage me with hate mail. Kay?

Ok, here we go!

My dad thinks he's an Aggie. He did not attend A&M yet he feels a strong allegiance to the school. Nothing illustrates it better than the guest room at his home. This room is AGGIE'd OUT! Maroon and white EVERYWHERE! A&M bedspread, curtains, pillow shams, bath rug, shower curtain, lamp, wall banners, etc. You get the idea.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike stayed with them while he attended a class for his chiropractor license. He came home, shook his head and said "We have to do something about his Aggie room. We have to get him!"

We totally did.

We bought a large number of vinyl UT Longhorn stickers and hid them EVERYWHERE. He will be looking for weeks. Stickers are under things, inside things!

About 30 minutes after we left, my dad called. We were expecting this. He said "Kathy went upstairs, and a minute later she called down and said 'Glynn, you need to come look at your Aggie room...'"

I will never tell him exactly how many stickers we hid in the room. I think we will just enjoy the paranoia!

Holy Cow! A BLOG POST!!

Yes, Dawnie, I'm finally posting a blog.

As I told my cousin last weekend at Dennis' wedding, I've become so enamoured with Facebook that I've totally neglected my blog. I guess I'm hoping that she will join, but maybe it's better that she keeps up her blog. That way I can feel guilty about it and eventually make a new post now and then.

Now, yes, I know, my decoration is a bit outdated in that it is no longer spring, but hey, one thing at a time...

Anyway, the reason for my renewed interest in my blog today is because I've had too many great things happen today that would be too long for one status update on Facebook. And at first I thought, well, I could just post something different every hour, but since I know you all are SOOO interested in everything Masters-related, you might miss something... so here goes...

As usual, Sunday mornings for us now start off with our anticipation of a morning at River Pointe Church. Most of you know that we started going to River Pointe back in March, and we've been enjoying it ever since. We have met so many fantastic people, had the pleasure of meeting with a very dynamic - and normal, relateable Senior Pastor (HI PATRICK!) and the kids love the River Kids Children's Ministry. Mike and I are excited about a marriage series coming up called "Happily Ever After" that we started last week.

So anyway, we look forward to Sunday mornings are very much. Our routine is to get there a few minutes early because you just never know what JJ is going to start with. JJ is one of the Music Worship members and he's just amazing. One morning he started out with an electric guitar driven song that really woke every one up and got the blood pumping. Another time he played a rousing instrumental version of "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz. Yes, in church. My very first visit to River Pointe he opened the service with "You Found Me" by The Fray, and from then on, the music had me. But this morning was the icing on the cake! He had a special treat for me when he opened with "Show Me What I'm Looking For" by Carolina Liar, which is quickly becoming one of my new favorite bands. (And for those of you who know how much I love Keane, that's really saying something!)

I leaned over and told Mike now I can add this song to my playlist! I've created a playlist on my iPod called "The Best Of River Pointe" and on it I've added every song I already have in my music library that has been played at church, usually led by JJ. They include "Love Story" by Taylor Swift, "1-2-3-4" by The Plain White T's, "You Found Me" by The Fray to name a few. Now I get to add Carolina Liar! And then Chad Strader took the mike to play "Saved", an awesome song off of his "Roots and Wings" CD. (You can find it on iTunes, check it out!)

Lots of music this morning and I almost didn't want it to end!

But there was more good stuff coming when a friend of mine had his daughter dedicated at the church. Devyn is so delicious I could just eat her up!!!!

A nice surprise is that Patrick was there this morning to lead the service. I don't know why I thought he was going to be gone (maybe because he posted on Facebook that he was thinking of driving in from Austin for the service today??? I LOVE FACEBOOK!!!!!) but it was nice to see him there. Like Mike said, I don't really like for things to change much!

The service was fantastic. I went from smiling to laughing, to swallowing a lump in my throat as Patrick challenges us to look carefully at ourselves and our relationships with Jesus.

Next week is very exciting, because all of our dads are joining us for church! We've invited them to come for the service and then stay for an early lunch. The kids are looking forward to having them come with us.

After church, we took off immediately for Moody Gardens. Michael's parents had asked us to bring the kids down there to see the Dinosaur exhibit that is currently showing. Figuring this is a shoe in success as far as Hayden is concerned, we were in!

Well, we got there, bought our tickets and walked over to the exhibit. But about ten steps in, Hayden totally lost it! Something about the life-sized robotic dinosaurs with the realistic grunts and growls wasn't sitting well with him, and he dug in. It was hard not to laugh hen he wails loud enough for everyone to hear "NOOOOOO!!!! I DON'T LIKE THE MEAT EATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Daddy finally had to take him out for a while, talk with him, and then carry him back in again. He hadn't moved too much from where he was before as far as his willingness, but FINALLY, he warmed up. Although at first he still wouldn't get too close to the robots, he did get comfortable enough to fully explain the characteristics of each dinosaur. Correctly, too. Although since many of you know Hayden, I know you're not surprised.

We went back and forth through the exhibit three or four times for the kids to get their fill of the dinosaurs. Once that was finished, we made our way over to the Kids Zone and they had a chance to dig for fossils with little paintbrushes. They really liked that!

We left Moody Gardens and drove the Seawall looking for some ice cream. Reluctantly, we stopped at Ben and Jerry's. (Typically, I will avoid contributing to the business of HUGE libs...) I could almost forget as I enjoyed my cone of "Chocolate Therapy"....

So a very full, contented day today. Right now, we're sitting, having jambalaya, and the kids are already bathed!!!

Dawnie, I'll try, I promise, to keep up better with my blog, okay! Have a great week everyone!

No posts lately - I'm sorry!

I'm posting a post to say sorry for not posting and I hope I can post soon!

Busy day today with laundry, kids outside (Brandon has new roller blades he wants to try out - Daddy can help him....). We had his birthday party yesterday and I hope to get the pictures posted later today.

I'll try to be better!

Easter Weekend at Coushatta

We are home (doing laundry, sigh, of course) from a really great weekend! I did manage to finally post pictures to Smugmug (the link is in the right column, down a bit. Once in, click the "Spring/Easter 2009" folder)

Friday morning the kids woke us up. They were fully dressed, had eaten cereal, teeth brushed, and informed us they were ready to go to Louisiana.

I'm not sure who briefed them on Louisiana, so I'm not sure what they were expecting. But in any case, they were very excited about the trip. Perhaps, like Mike and I, they were just eager to get out of town for a couple of days and go do something different.

So we left around 9 am and arrived in Coushatta at about 11:30 AM. Nina and Papa were not there, and we couldn't check in until 2:30, so we killed time by exploring the lake, the playground, the casino (although they kept chasing us out since we had the kids) and picked up a few supplies at the grocery store.

Once Nina and Papa arrived, they had brought fishing poles for the kids so we set right to it. We didn't catch anything more than a couple of lilly pads. Three bobbins later, we were finished. We dropped the kids off at Kid Quest at the resort and hit the blackjack tables.

After playing for a couple of hours, it was about even, so we decided to try our luck on the craps tables. Yeah, big mistake. For anyone who has ever played craps, when it's fun and you're winning, it's FUN! But, WOW, you can really lose your shirt fast. Then it's not so fun anymore. So we left the casino Friday night $100 down. Sigh.

Saturday morning, Troy and Mike left to go play golf. My mom wanted to do a bit of work, so I took the kids fishing again. More lilly pads. I basically went from kid to kid untangling lines from the lilly pads and recasting it out. The funny thing is I didn't bother with bait. They were having enough fun reeling it in to worry about it.

Then mom and I took them to the park for a while and then let them ride their bikes. Hayden had been working with Michael a bit on his new two wheeler, but still needed the "run beside me" technique. After running with him a couple of times, all of a sudden, everything clicked into place for him. He was off!

I worked with him on braking. That took a while. And the last thing was taking off. By the time Daddy got back from golf, he was amazed to see the boy zooming all over - proudly - on his bike! Yeah Hayden!

Again, the kids were all too happy to return to Kids Quest. The night before, they didn't want to leave! It's nice to be able to leave them somewhere that caters to them so much. They even FEED them!

This time we stuck to blackjack, and we got on a great table with a dealer named Taka. He must have easily been 80 - 85 years old, yet he had more personality than any other dealer in the casino. By the end of the night, Mike and I had won back our $100 we lost the night before - plus change! After some late night gumbo at "Gumbeaux's", we headed back. I was quite happy.

Then it was time to play Easter Bunny and a few hours...

Yep, kids were up again, wondering where the eggs were?? (FLASHBACK FOR ME!) So we went over to Nina and Papa's chalet and had a fun egg hunt and Nina's famous French Toast. Then the pack up and head home.

Now, for those of you who have children and hate road trips (like me) you MUST invest in a DVD player for the family vehicle. Nice, peaceful trip!!!

We stopped for a scrumptious meal at Cracker Barrel in Baytown.

A wonderful weekend... HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

A New Church Home?

After five years in Sugar Land, I believe we may have found a home in River Pointe Church. Never a fan of huge, contemporary styled churches, this community has really changed my mind. I feel like everyone who goes is there because they want to see their friends, hear some FANTASTIC music, and have a great conversation with the pastor. And the children's ministry is simply amazing. Julia can't wait to go back.

I can't wait to show you all the work that Michael has done in the front yard. He is putting together, piece by piece, gorgeous landscape stone around the flower beds. Those of you who know him will realize how particular he is about things, so you can imagine how long it's taking him. But it will totally be worth it.

Spring, Facebook and A New Cousin!

Spring has sprung folks. How do I know? Because my husband is as giddy as a kid with Christmas approaching about working in the yard. Last weekend when the weather was so ugly, he was downright grumpy. He stood looking outside, shoulders slumped, hands stuffed deep in his pockets, pouting that he couldn't go outside and work. Late Sunday evening, he could stand it no more. "Hey" he said, with a smile, "You mind if I go plant those variegated gingers?" Knock yourself out, my love.

So out in the misting cold rain he went, happy as he could be.

This weekend he missed his opportunity to buy the lava rock he's been eyeing because the place closes on Sunday. So he decided he will buy all of the mulch and topsoil. I will be a yard widow next weekend, folks.

He has grand plans! This morning, with that Masters determination, he announced, "I WILL win yard of the month DAMMIT!"

I am a Facebook Junkie! I kid you not, I had three different friends request that I join in one day. So I figured, what the heck. I had once tried MySpace and wasn't blown away. Unlike my blog, it seemed really cumbersome to update, and I never fully figured out how to navigate it. But WOW, Facebook is so much easier! And I've found a ton of friends. I'm really enjoying it.

Via Facebook, my cousin's fiancee announced that my other cousin, Dawnie, was in the early stages of labor! Cade Walker was born last night. We are planning to attend Dennis and Erin's wedding in June, so not only do I get to meet my new cousin by marriage, but also squeeze on my new cousin Cade!

Idol Watch

Here's my "duh" moment, but does Paula look especially weird tonight? There's something strange going on with her eyes (besides the glitter eye shadow).



Here's my assessment...

1. Lil Rounds - Eh........ Her blouse was cute! You know the singing was so so when all Paula can talk about is her outfit and make up.
2. Scott MacIntyre - Started out good. The piano playing was great, but as usual, IT WAS PITCHY, DOG!
3. Danny Gokey - GO DANNY! Yes, the dancing was dorky, but he made up for it. Loved it!
4. Michael Sarver - Ummm, divided. There were good moments, but he clanged it on some of the notes. Is it just me or has he lost a little weight?
5. Jasmine Murray - Solid beginning! Gosh she's cute! I think her nerves got the best of her in the second part of the song, though. The ending was better than the middle.
6. Kris Allen - There's something "Corey Haim-ish" about him - before he got strung out. I thought he did well, he took the song and put his own spin on it and looked like he was having fun.
7. Allison Iraheta - She seems so much older than she really is! And MAN does she have a set of lungs! Great control on a hard song to sing. And she got rid of those awful extentions! YAY!
8. Anoop Desai - "ANOOP DOOOOG!!!" I liked his take on "Beat It" and he looked very confident.
9. Jorge Nunez - Once he gets rolling he's good, but he started off kinda - eh....... Bummer because I liked him.
10. Megan Corkrey - I'm glad she finally took the mic off of the stand for a change. But, to borrow a phrase from Simon, it was very karaoke-ish....
11. Adam Lambert - Questionable song choice - he sounded kind of shrilly! He might have been a little too theatrical tonight. I'm not sure the judges heard what I heard....
12. Matt Giraud - I liked his performance, but wasn't crazy about the ending. You can tell he's really confident behind the piano.
13. Alexis Grace - I liked it but she kinda clanked it on some of the notes. She repeated some of the phrases too many times I think.

Seriously, Paula's eyes are freaking me out.....

Don't Ask!

I have a request for all friends and family. Please don't ask if Hayden is behaving at school anymore!

I'll explain!!!!!!!

I know you guys ask because you love him - and us - and you just want to hear us say that he's doing awesome. But, each and every time he begins to behave, get good marks in conduct, I don't get an email titled "Hayden" daily at 4:15.... someone will ask... "So, is Hayden doing better with his behavior at school?"

I always cringe a little and look around for a piece of wood to knock on before I say, "Yes, he's doing great!"

Up to last Wednesday, he was doing fantastic. He was getting all stamps in his folder, and he even got to be a special helper for his teacher, which he was very proud of. But Wednesday, my mother asked the question and I answered her.

And sure enough.

I won't go into details, but please, PLEASE don't ask anymore!!!!!!

I Can Blog About American Idol????

My cousin Dawn has pretty much introduced me to the world of blogging. I'm sad to say that when she visited this past July, it was the first time I had to guts to ask the question "What is a blog" out loud. She explained it to me and warned me that it can be addicting.

For the most part, this is true. It IS addicting, but for those of you (you know who you are, and I LOVE YOU) who actually read my blog and comment to me about how long it's been since my last post, I feel I've let you down. By the time I get home from work, rounded up kids, figured out something of sustenance for dinner (Mike does a lot of that - Bless him!) complete and check homework, and bust up the sibling rivalry that is rampant at my house, I hit the hay as soon as Boo is in bed. So I'm sorry. I'll try to do better.

But back to Dawn. Reading her last post about The Bachelor (which, by the way.... why???? I mean, I know I don't have much room to talk because I really love The Surreal Life, but that show seems to be so devoid of morals! AND there was a CHILD involved this time!!!!!!) it dawned (get it) on me that HEY! I can blog about American Idol!!!!!

I'm relatively new to that format as well, with last season being the first season I ever watched the whole way through. Usually, we always watched the open auditions and cracked up non stop at the people who thought they could sing. But that was it. After that, we'd lost interest. So last year, I just kept watching, and WHAMMO. I'm totally hooked. I didn't really have a favorite, I just loved to see who was going to bomb and who was going to shine. But based on the fact that I just downloaded David Cook's CD to my iPod, it's safe to say that America did pretty good. He sounds very "Daughtry-ish". (Yep, have Daughtry too, and nope, didn't watch his season. Dang it.) I love Carrie and Kelly, too.

SO! THIS YEAR!!!! I'm predicting this guy is gonna run away with it.

One gripe I have though is the producers of AI are driving me nuts with bringing up his back story. Yes, I feel for Danny Gokey losing his wife. Gosh, he's so young. BUT. Don't they think it might be a tad painful to keep hearing about it in the press and on the show? PLUS, I don't want anyone to say he won the competition because of his back story. This guy has an amazing voice. Kinda rough, very soulful. He's cute too, so he could pull off the rock star thing. (I mean, if Clay Aiken is a star.... come on!)

I also like Anoop Dog, Kris Allen (Oh, he's cute), Matt Giraud and Adam Lambert. None of the girls are really rocking my world.

I'm only going to appease Tatiana Del Toro with these five words. Oh My GOD GOOD RIDDANCE!

And let me bring up one more thing here about the producers and back stories. I've already given my opinion on Danny's, and here's my opinion on Scott MacIntyre. Scott should not NOT win because of his blindness (I didn't type "not" twice accidentally, read it again if you're confused), but he shouldn't win BECAUSE of it either. Yes, he is a good singer, but he was not as good as some of the guys who didn't make it. (I'm not talking about Nathaniel either!) I am really going to be ticked off if one of my guys doesn't make it because Scott is still in it. In order for me to cheer for him, he's gonna have to be MUCH better than he is right now. He's got some really stiff competition IMO.....

MAN! That was FUN!!!!!!!! Now I'm REALLY hooked!!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tonight, my best girl her dad attended the Father/Daughter Dance for Valentine's Day. Julia looked lovely, Daddy looked handsome! She was very surprised and pleased with her corsage.

In the meantime, I stayed home with the boys and made Red Velvet Cupcakes - from scratch!

A Necessary Blog!

Okay, so those of you who know my oldest son know he's a pretty sharp little guy. He routinely makes observations that leave us stunned. But yesterday he said something that had both Mike and I left with our jaws hanging open.

"Jurassic Park" was on and Hayden was watching, of course. He wanted to know why the movie was called "Jurassic Park". He went on to tell us that the "tyrannosaurus rex shouldn't be in the movie because that dinosaur didn't live in the Jurassic period; he lived in the Cretaceous period".

Yeah.

Mike and I looked at each other, where I then commented that when he is looking at his many dinosaur encyclopedias, "he's obviously not just looking at the pictures".

Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with President Obama on TV. He would like to sell me some pork.

Picture Website Finally Updated

YESSS!!! It took a week but I finally updated SmugMug with pictures from Hayden's birthday. Sorry it took so long.

So click over on the right for SmugMug and look in the January 09 folder.

And as an added bonus, take a sneak peak at my new baby..

Busy January

Judging by this picture, doesn't everything look peaceful at the Masters? I have actually named this picture "A Quiet Moment", because it was.... just a moment....

The first of the year always seems to catch me off guard!

Just when you feel you can heave a sigh of relief that the holidays are over, the tree is put away, the house is put back together - somewhat - and the kids are back in school....

You'd think after six years I would remember that my oldest son's birthday is two weeks after New Year's Day! Right now he is perfectly happy with what I manage to throw together at the last minute, but if I don't get my act together, he may figure it out.

Anyway, Hayden's birthday was Wednesday. I woke him up with the iPod playing "Oh, What A Night (December 1963)", one of his favorite songs. I wish I was a tech-y person, I would change the lyrics to "Late January back in 2003!" and make it sound right. He doesn't seem to mind. I brought cupcakes to school for his class. Later he told me that was his favorite part of the day. (Does he know how to work his mom or what?)

For dinner we had leftover spaghetti. Not too exciting right? Oh, you're wrong! Picky Hayden LOVES spaghetti, leftover or not. And cake! He was really excited to get his Eye Clops handheld microscope. A perfect gift for a Young Scientist (as he refers to himself daily). It's a cool little gadget! It's got a light and you simply point it at something you want to see up close and it displays on the screen. It can magnify up to 400x. I haven't had the guts to look at my living room carpet yet.... He loves it.

Yesterday we hosted his birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. Not very fond of Chuck E Cheese, although I must say, it was the first time we had ever been there at 10 AM, and it was not as crowded as it usually is. Like I said, last minute planning landed us there, but again, he didn't seem to mind. He had actually been asking, so now I've got that one out of the way - at least until Brandon asks.

We had 7 of his friends come and join us, plus his brother and sister. They ran around like crazy! I think they all had a pretty good time.

Since I have the family arriving in three hours to give a final happy birthday celebration for Hayden, I'm not sure if I will have time to post the pictures on Smugmug today, but I will try my best. Check back with me if I don't get them up right away. I'm trying so hard to keep up with it all!

Two birthday parties this weekend, and a wedding last night! We were invited to my friend Jamie's wedding. She went to school with Mike and I - and was our drum major in band. She looked beautiful and so happy! We visited with another friend, Jennifer. She is still as lovely as she was so long ago in high school. It was a fun date night for Mike and I - and even better because my sister came to babysit the kids for us. You can't beat a free babysitter, you know?

More Christmas!

Today we visited Aunt Di's house. It was lovely because Granny and Papa were there! Also, Lauren is home to visit from Washington D.C.. She brought her boyfriend Ryon as well. And Beck and Ted and the twins joined, and we had a big old fashioned Christmas.

Only we forgot to do the traditional kid chant of "WE WANT THE PRESENTS!" in front of the tree. We just kind of dove in!

It was great to get to see all of my family and visit with Granny, Papa and Lauren. I posted all of the pictures on smugmug (link is to the right) but I'm sharing a couple here.

....and I still haven't taken my tree down yet....

Whew... we made it!

It seems like it just started, but Christmas is actually over!

As usual, December kicked off with Clara's Tea. The event where Julia and I get to dress up and go to a tea party - just for girls! We get to enjoy some finger foods and sweet desserts at fancy tables, and then watch a story book performance of the Nutcracker. In this feature, the story of The Nutcracker is read while the dancers give brief dancing performances. Afterward, the girls are able to get autographs from all of the dancers. We were lucky to have Julia's best friend Megan and our friend Marissa go with us. Neither of them had ever been before, so we were happy to introduce them to the tradition. I took lots and lots of pictures!

Although I covered this topic in my last post, it snowed in Sugar Land the following week! It was a huge deal, and the kids are still talking about it. It amazes me to hear all of the stories from everyone about the inches of snow they got! Even though our snow didn't stick enough to pile up it was still very exciting to us.

The next weekend was the actual Nutcracker performance. Our babysitter, Kelly, danced Snow Queen this year. It was so exciting to see her dance the part, and she did such a great job! Julia brought her some roses.

We hosted a party at our house the same weekend for Mike's staff at the Wellness Center. We had a lovely weekend with his group and their spouses and children. We got our chocolate fountain going - which was a huge hit with the kids. The party concluded with a fairly polite White Elephant game!

We spent Christmas Eve at Michael's parents house. It was so nice to eat a yummy rib roast dinner, visit with our family - including James and Maly - and introduce them all to the "A Christmas Story" marathon on TBS. Yes, I know! They had never seen it! My favorite part is still when Ralphie says the bad word while helping "The Old Man" change the tire...

Unbelievably, we had to wake the kids up on Christmas morning! And we only did this because we had to get the show on the road since we were hosting the family at our house on Christmas Day. We had such a good time watching the kids tear into their gifts.

My mother's family came over mid-day for the Christmas celebration. I made the turkey this year, and it turned out very well. I put it in a brine mixture for 14 hours, and it really did make it a nice juicy turkey! Aunt Theresa stayed late with us and we played Boom Blocks on the Wii. Brandon never did get a nap, so he crashed - in the middle of the playroom floor - by 6:30 pm!

I'm so tickled about the response from my Christmas cards this year! Each year I get very busy at work since it is benefit season, and I've found it hard to find the time - or be creative - when it comes to my annual greeting, so this year I called in for help. Michael's cousin, Diane, runs a printing business in Idaho, and I loved her cards last year so much that I decided to hire her - in August! I sent the pictures and the text, and she sent me proofs. The cards were shipped, so all I had to do was stuff the envelopes and mail them! I started getting lots of positive feedback immediately. So I must give a shout out to Diane. THANK YOU!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We've counted our blessings this year and look forward to a wonderful 2009. I took lots and lots of pictures this season, so if you'd like to check them out, click on the link on the right side of my blog. (You may have to scroll up a little!)

Weather That Can Only Be Seen In Texas

Hello. It's snowing.

I think that phrase, next to "it's just not humid enough" is something you don't regularly hear 'round these parts.

BUT IT'S SNOWING!

I had to run an errand for work today, and as hectic as it was, I couldn't resist sticking my tongue out like a kid to catch a snowflake!

And what a sight to see driving up to pick up Julia and Hayden from the District Extended Day. Each and every kid was outside near the bike racks, running frantically in circles - yes, tongues sticking out - enjoying this white stuff! I know the teachers were loving it, because the kids were literally entertaining themselves.

To think it was 78 degrees yesterday evening, and our house was stifling hot. When I got home I opened both the front and back doors to get some cool air, as the cold front was just starting to come through. Needless to say, I didn't have them open all that long...

And we will be back in the mid seventies by the weekend.

As the post title says - Only In Texas!!!!

AAAAANNNNNDDDDD we're off!!!

Nanner Nanner NAAAAANNNER!!!!

Okay, that's out of my system, but COME ON! I have to gloat a LITTLE that I'm at least a tiny bit ahead of the game here... I mean, there are even presents under there! Which means, yes, we ventured out into the dangerous jungle called... BLACK FRIDAY!

But I'll back up some.

Julia is in on the big secret now. You know, the BIG one. Yes, she knows the truth about Santa Claus. It didn't come as much of a shock to her. Last year, I had a suspicion the jig was up when she said, "Mom, can I ask you a question, and do you promise you'll tell me the truth." Of course, my love, I said. Thinking before speaking, she said slowly, "On Christmas Eve, do you and Dad get up after midnight and go to the store, buy gifts for us and pretend they are from Santa Claus?" Heaving a huge sigh of relief, I answered, "Julia, I promise you that on Christmas Eve, me and Dad do NOT get up after midnight and go to the store." She looked skeptical. "Pinky promise!" I said, extending my fourth finger out. Good enough for her. "You got off on a technicality!" laughed my husband.

So he thought it was time to let her in on the big reveal, thinking she should know about it before kids make fun of her in school. So since Hayden was safely across town, we brought her down and told her. I figured she would fall apart (I did!) but she was really cool with it. She's excited to be in on the joke so she can have fun watching her brothers now.

Yesterday we had a great time at my mother's house in the Woodlands for Thanksgiving. I spent a great deal of time squeezing on my nephew, Jackson. Don't tell my mother, but he was more delicious than the turkey! He is such a good baby! He cracked a big grin at me a couple of times, but mostly, he was happy just to lay or sleep with me holding him. We were able to visit with my dad and Kathy, my grandparents and more family. And for those of you who are dying to know, Julia loves pumpkin pie. Go figure.

We got home rather late and got the kids into bed. I don't think I moved all night long, I was so tired. And my good night's sleep was complete since Boo decided he wouldn't come get in bed with me between the hours of 3 and 6AM! So Mike and I woke up at 7AM, looked at each other and said "What the heck. Let's go."

We hit Starbucks first, but then on to Target, the mall, lunch, Sam's, Wal-Mart, and back to Target. Then home, nap with Brandon, wrap presents and put the tree up. And it was truly a team effort. This year Brandon loved putting the ornaments on the tree, and three hours later, he hasn't taken a single one back off!

While we're certainly not finished, we're off to a better start than I thought we would be. I would say we're about 70% there. And the deals, oh my, I love a good deal, and there were LOTS of them!

So as they say, LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!! It's time for Christmas!

BONUS BLOG!

I saw this on another blog and had to do it!

Everything you wanted...and didn't want...to know about Michael!

Where did you meet?
We didn’t officially meet until two months after summer band started in August of 1988 at Sam Rayburn High School. I had to practically stalk him before he approached me and handed me a note in the hallway at school.

How long did you date?
6 years

How long have we been married?
15 years this August. Whoa.

What does he say that surprises you?
Can’t think of anything in particular, although he loves to say things that bug me. He says he does it because he loves me.

What is your favorite feature about him?
His eyes, his smile, and he has nice hands.

What is your favorite quality of his?
He is so patient.

Does he have a nickname for you?
He calls me “Honey”.

What is his favorite color?
Mmmm, green or blue, I think.

What is his favorite sport?
He loves football.

What is his favorite food?
I can’t really say he likes a type of food more than others, because he eats a variety of things… as long as they don’t have onions in them.

Where and when did you first kiss?
HA! I love this question because it’s a source of debate. The first actual kiss was in the foyer of his house with my mother waiting in the car outside, October of 1988. I know because I felt it for days afterward. While he says he remembers that kiss, he insists that our second kiss was our first kiss. We argue about this regularly.

What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
I suppose aside from the obvious : ) we like to watch our favorite shows together: The Office, The Amazing Race, The Soup, Lost….

Do you have children?
Some of the most gorgeous ever, yes. Julia is 9, Hayden will be 6 next month, and Brandon is 2 ½.

Does he have a hidden talent?
SOOO many! He’s a great cook, landscaper, carpenter, doctor….

How old is he?
34, but a year and a half younger – which he loves to remind me of quite often.

Who said "I love you first?"
Well, probably me. He was so shy, and I’m so…. not shy.

What is his favorite type of music?
Alternative, although he listens to a broad range often.

What do you admire most about him?
He is every woman’s dream as far as a husband, friend and father. He is nuts about his kids.

Do you think he will read this?
He’ll pretend not to, but I know he regularly reads my blog. BUSTED!

Where did you go on your first date?
HA! To Rayburn’s homecoming, which was actually just the football game. We were in band. Little did we know my parents sat right behind his parents and trash talked about Michael the whole time – which they heard!

Thanksgiving Eve

Ahhhh....

Four consecutive days off!!!! EVERYBODY SAY "HAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!"

It is so blissfully quiet at home right now. Could it be my rowdy kindergartner is in The Woodlands with my mother? Why yes! He's getting some quality one-on-one with Nina and Paw Paw tonight before we join them and the rest of the family for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to the holiday this year, particularly because it will be the first time I've spent the day with my dad in I don't know how many years. He and my step-mother Kathy are coming to my mother's house. Some say that's weird, but in our case, it's not.

Talk about a minimal week! Mike and I tag teamed this week in regard to care for the two big kids. Since school is closed all week for the Holiday, our alternative was to put them both in Kids R Kids for 3 days. But given that they wanted a full week of tuition, $140 each, well, an alternative was necessary. So I took Monday off, Mike took Tuesday off. Today they drove all over Houston with Michael's dad in his big wrecker! That leaves me working just two days this week.

So a great day tomorrow will start with Julia and I preparing our sweet potato dish, all while watching the Thanksgiving parade on TV. Does anyone besides me and Julia LOVE that parade? It's such a tradition!! They were cracking up the other day at the commercial where big balloon Stewie...and the other one, (that, for some reason has escaped me at the moment...) battle over the balloon Coke bottle, ultimately to end up with Charlie Brown. So cute.

Julia has also informed us that she wants to try pumpkin pie. This I just don't quite understand...? Pumpkin pie is just the most perfect Thanksgiving treat, so undeniably yummy, I can't fathom anyone needing to get their gumption up to try it? I bought a huge one at Sam's today and am secretly hoping that no one else wants any so that I can have as much as I want!

And Friday, the tree will go up. My husband has told me that he thinks he needs to be somewhere.... The punk.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you. May you enjoy your time with your families and give thanks!

A Nine Year-Old Girl and a "Clipping Up" Boy

Well, its officially official now. We have a tween.

Julia's birthday was Friday, and even before then, it seems we had celebrated her birthday at least 5 times already! In any case, her party was Friday evening at Sweet and Sassy, where she and 7 of her friends enjoyed "A Night on the Red Carpet". What's that? See the pictures by clicking the link to the right of this post and look in the "November 2008" folder. (Our beautiful pictures from Wurstfest are in the same folder. )

And how's this for a change? Our Hayden has clipped up to blue two days in a row! I know most of you don't know what that means, but let's just say it's a good thing. He is very proud of himself.

I know my posts have been short and not as frequent - sorry - but I barely have time to sit these days, and the time that I do have to sit, the creativity just isn't coming. Tired, tired and more tired. Funny how I always say this time of year gives me energy, but at the end of the day, I feel sapped of it more than ever!