DiStefano Daily Diversions

Where to start?

2010-08-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in our lives since my last post I don't even know where to start! Most importantly, Jacque graduated. We are so proud of her...she was in the top 5% of her class and received quite a few scholarships to help pay for her college. She is so very excited about moving on to this next phase in her life. I can't wait to see what it has in store for her too! Graduation was at Reliant Stadium this year instead of the Toyota Center. I so wish they would start having the ceremony at the high school stadium. They are so far away from us at these large venues. Lucky for me though, there was a school district employee who grabbed some shots for me while on the floor. {Thank you Craig!} Here is our baby girl waiting her turn to walk across stage. These kids in the top 10% received lots of scholarships!

Being congratulated by Superintendent Dr. Mark Henry:

and receiving that hard earned high school diploma from school board President Jeff Miller!

I am so grateful to have these close up photos. Even though I had a zoom lens I could never have captured these expressions like Craig did!

I love it when the ceremony is over and all of the grads throw their hats in the air...talk about make a girl cry! It is bittersweet my friends...bittersweet! Proud of all of these kiddos and I wish a bright future for every single one of them!

Baby girl walking out with the top brass :-)

When we got outside of the stadium a storm was rolling in so we only had time for a couple of pics. Darn! Jacque and her big sister:

and all four of my babies all grown up! Kinda makes a girl sad, you know? Little man will be the lone DiStefano in high school this year. I'm sure he will be just fine...not so sure about momma...

Nana, PawPaw and Aunt Pam were all in town to help us celebrate so we headed out to Jac's restaurant of choice for dinner. Here we all are except Jacque's beau (who was the photographer for this shot) and Jacque's sweet little daddy...where did you go daddy?

Jacque and her Aunt Pam. They are planning a big trip together for college graduation!

We celebrated with a party too! Jacque wanted a slip and slide and pinanta. We had a lot of fun and wonderful food shared with friends and family who make our life complete! I do love how her party invitations turned out.

I love the quote she chose for the back. She adores the Harry Potter book series and it is just so appropriate.

It is rare that I step in front of the camera and I am so glad that I remembered to do this. All of us in one photo...WOW!

And last, but not least, a very proud Grandma!

Once all of this was behind us it was time to head out to our favorite vacation spot for two weeks.

It was time for a little relaxing...and relax we did!

I was wrong...

2010-06-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

she wasn't Cinderella...she was Aphrodite...I hope that her prom was as amazing for her as she was beautiful in her dress...

Our little girl graduates from high school with honors tomorrow and I just can't believe how grown up she is. She is beautiful on the inside and out and I know that the world has great things in store for her. She will be attending the University of St. Thomas in the fall and is already registered for classes and has spoken to her advisor about studying abroad...something she really wants to do. How fun would studying in London be?! The other night we were laying on her bed talking and she told me that she was destined for great things and I told her that I knew that. And I do...

Jacque's best friend since preschool called her down to her house for some photos before leaving for prom and I am so glad that we went and took pictures with Emerie. Emerie wants to be an art teacher, Jacque a high school English teacher and I just thought their dresses represented their personalities so perfectly. I love these two girls!

I look forward to seeing you blossom, sweet, baby girl as you start this next chapter in your life and I know that you will do great things...no doubt about that.

Thought I would share Jacque's senior year book ad...some of the many faces of our girl!

Congratulations to our brown eyed girl! Now go out and set the world on fire!

XOXO

Momma

Someone Over Here...

2010-05-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

is gearing up for a Cinderella night.

and I'm wondering...

how long it will be before these shoes...

take a hike!

Gonna be fun...stay tuned!

One for the road...

2010-04-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

After a day filled with picking strawberries and being a compulsive shopper in the fruit stand we stopped off at a bluebonnet field for a couple pics...love this one!

Just a playin' and a pickin'!

2010-04-18T00:54:00.000-07:00

WOW! They let my little man play ball! How about that? Pitch too! You see, Leighton WAS the starting first baseman for the junior varsity team but he wanted to play catcher. That is the position he has always played, but, because he also plays football he isn't involved with the baseball team all year. When baseball season rolled around he started asking the coach if he could play catcher. Coach said no...Leighton kept at it. I told him, "Leigh, your coach is going to play you in the position that he thinks best helps your team. Baseball is a team sport and you just need to play the position your coach wants you to play." Logical right? Team spirit and all of that. Listen to your coach, etc. But, Leigh is the baby and he, well...he likes getting his way. So, one day the JV coach took this issue to the head coach. What did the head coach say? "You really want to play catcher Leighton?" Leighton answered yes...coach says, "You know there are two other catchers right?" Leighton: "yes sir..." Coach: "give him some gear then..." So you know where that left him...riding the pine. And then...then...in their infinite wisdom...the coaching staff decided to make him a pitcher. Go figure! I think he has done a great job going out and having a good attitude and having enough confidence to get the job done and Friday he got his first win.

We are proud of you Little Man but hope that you might have learned something from this experience. And hopefully if you are ever in a position to be a coach you will remember what your Momma told you and not your baseball coach! :-)

Remember this guy?

That was his game face. This is Leighton's...so close to his brother's style, lol!

So, today I said I was going to stay home and clean house...but, I thought it might be more fun to go pick strawberries!

This is at Froberg's Farm in Alvin, Texas. I had been hearing about it a lot lately on the Michael Berry show and it just sounded like so much fun. Lots of berries to pick + a fruit stand with frest fruits and veggies and not to mention a smoke house! How could you go wrong? It helped to have a willing pickin' buddy!

Beautiful berries and oh, so yummy!! It was so hard to leave all those unpicked berries behind, LOL!

Yum!

And of course there were a lot of strawberry photo ops too!

We done good girl!

All the proof you need to know that it is possible to be a compulsive shopper at the strawberry patch! Guess what everyone is getting in their stocking this year for Christmas? You got it...strawberry jam it is!

Turns out I was right about the pickin' being more fun than the cleanin'! It was a great day!

Life is good!

Black & White Wednesday...My Brown Eyed Girl

2010-04-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

Trying to get your own children to allow you to take photos of them is about as difficult as it gets. I have been bugging Jacque about getting started on her senior pics because time slips by so quickly and I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head for her! I finally got her to agree to head over to a location I had picked out that is fairly close to home so at least it is a start. I think this one is my favorite from that group...I just love it!

August agreed to be my "reflector boy" and it was his idea to have Jacque get down in this stairwell and oh, my goodness what a wonderful idea it was! And this is pure natural light...August assisted in this photo by jumping down with her so he could help her get out, lol! Sometimes he is a great brother after all! He prides himself on being my best assistant and he just might be right! :-)

And I can't just show you this pic in black and white without showing off the color version too. Jacque has the absolute most gorgeous brown eyes I have ever seen. She used to complain about the color of her eyes but to me they are just so special. Not only are they a beautiful shade of brown but they just sparkle and I don't know, I think they could have been the inspiration for that song written so long ago, well...okay, not that part about behind the stadium...haha! She gets those beautiful eyes from her daddy you know...

I love everything about this picture of you my little brown eyed girl and I think it is so representative of where you are in your life...looking outward and moving onward...to a wonderfully bright future!

We also managed to find a lovely field of bluebonnets and we didn't have to drive far! How cool is this? And in town too! Yippee!

We will be going back to this location because then I found this! I hope the owner doesn't mow all those glorious weeds before we get back there!

More pics of sweet baby girl are posted on my photography blog if you want to check them out!

If you want to join in on the fun hope on over to The Long Road to China and grab her button and start posting!

Until next time!

In the midst of my slacking...

2010-04-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

Jacque Dee turned 18! or Jacque Khan as she calls herself! I can't believe our little baby girl is all grown up! Jacque wanted to have a Harry Potter birthday and as usual she planned everything and I just had to help her make it happen. She made the invitations herself and they were so cute!

And I loved the way her cake turned out:

These chocolate covered pretzels were magic wands that she gave to her friends as party favors. They were supposed to have Pop Rocks on the end but all I could find was Nerds. :-( Still cute though!

There were little dishes of lemon drops from Dumbledore's office...

A few gift bags filled with goodies for the game winners...

Jacque planned a feast just like the students of Hogwarts have on their annual return to school each year. I made Shepherd's Pie for her guests and she asked everyone to bring their favorite dish. There was lots and lots of food! She also asked her guests to dress as their favorite character. Not all of her friends are Harry Potter fans but a little innovative thinking can render a great costume. Her friend Jenice came as Hedwig...see what a few feathers and a vivid imagination can get you? How cute is that?!

Hedwig actually did make an appearance at the party!

And Harry Potter too!

Not everyone had a costume but we had ordered these scar tatoos from The Noble Collection so we could have instant Harry Potters! This is Jacque's friend Emerie. They have been friends since pre school and are graduating together this year...both with very bright futures I might add!

Jacque channeled Bellatrix LeStrange...one of her favorite characters from the books...

I guess Bellatrix is a little on the grumpy side, ha!

A few of her friends are as enthusiastic about Harry Potter as she is...this is Jose, her FWW (Friend With Wand!) Jacque has Snape's wand, Jose has Voldemort's!

A few word games to break the ice...

Jose is fluent in Harry Potter spells...

Johnathan too!

Jenice...not so much, lol!

I think we have a winner!

Lots of fun stuff from her friends...Burberry...always a favorite!

This was the sweetest gift from Johnathan...a Harry Potter snow globe...she loved it!

A Spanish Dictionary for Dummies....YAY! maybe she will learn more than snow cone stand Spanish!

One of those things your kids ask for because they think it is cool and you say no but then end up tucking them in their birthday gifts or stockings! Great for people who wear retainers!

Mommy and Daddy gave their baby girl boots!

cuz she looks so good in boots! See!

Happy birthday sweet Jacque Dee!

My wish for you is that all of your dreams come true!

Remember way back when I said I had some wonderful news to share about Jacque? Well, she has applied to a few colleges (and been accepted)! :-) She made her decision just last week to attend the University of St. Thomas here in Houston. Of course it helped in the decision making process that she got a very generous academic scholarship offer from them. But she wanted to stay in Houston and I can't think of a better place for her to be. We went to open house this weekend and the average class size is 17 and I just really think it is the perfect fit for her. We are very proud of you Jacque and know that you have lots to look forward to! Love you sweetheart!

Until next time!

Black & White Wednesday

2010-04-07T21:32:00.000-07:00

Thought I would join in on the fun...maybe it will at least get me back in to the swing of things and start posting again. I took my daughter down town for a photo session in honor of her 25th birthday. We got some great shots of her and really had a lot of fun even if she was an hour and a half later getting ready than I wanted her to be! It was a good thing that we took these photos too because they helped to land her a job as a Houston Amp girl! The job opportunity kind of fell into her lap courtesy of my dear friend Laura, but she was very lucky to have had a head shot to send to the modeling agency! One of my favorites:

For more Black and White Wednesday hop over to The Long Road to China and join in on the fun!

Cheers!

GREAT GIVEAWAY !

2010-03-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

Color Inc. is hosting a great giveaway for some terrific actions compliments of MCP Actions. Contest ends today! To get in on the fun head on over to enter! Just click the link below!

MCP Action Giveaway at Color Inc.!

And So The Saga Continues...

2010-02-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

The saga of "I am a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad blogger!" I just felt the need to get that explanation out of the way. The explanation as to why in the world I would still be blogging about Christmas 2009 in February of TWO THOUSAND AND TEN! But I must...I must finish what I started and since I promised it tomorrow and tomorrow never came I just quit blogging altogether, lol! But it was a good Christmas...a fun Christmas and I like to look back through my blog and reminisce and so...the story continues!

So, once breakfast and Aunt Pam's birthday are celebrated we move to opening stockings and then gifts. We did keep the Santa tradition alive for quite a while but finally admitted the kids were old enough a couple of years ago and we came clean with them...much to their dismay!

I had some fun goodies for my mom's stocking this year. She had a necklace she had bought from a local artisan when they lived in League City that had broken. She had given it to me, oh...let's just say long enough ago that we had both forgotten about it...and asked me to restring it for her. I had agreed to do it and then promptly placed it out of sight and out of sight is definitely out of mind around here. When we were digging around looking for trinkets to go on Cam's Christmas sweater I came across it and decided I'd better get it done! Afterall, it had only been about 3 years ago that she had given it to me. She was very pleased!

Another fun stocking stuffer was given to my mom by the kiddo's. Back when the movie Shrek came out in theaters my mom and sister were brave enough to take all of them to see it. They came home reliving some of the scenes from the movies and laughing especially about the Puss N Boots character. Leighton told me that he wished he could find a little Puss N Boots to give to his Nana and I came across one that was a nutcracker. I haven't ever been overly fond of nutcrackers...none of us had until it was the last gift my sweet Bingo (my grandmother) gave to my mom on her last Christmas with us. I thought it would be a nice addition to my mom's collection of one and also spark a fond memory.

I wish I had a better picture of little Puss N Boots out of the bag but it's hard to open your own gifts, see what everyone else is getting and take pictures too. When I see a nutcracker I always think of my Bingo. Not necessarily because it was the last gift she gave to my mom but a different Nutcracker moment. One year, back in the era of "Cameron was an only child" we decided that all of us girls would go to see The Nutcracker downtown. Me, my mom, my sister, Bingo and Cameron...we got all dressed up and were ready for an exciting time at the theater. And it was fun! Fun and exciting and the performance was magnificent. During intermission I went to the bathroom with Bingo and while I was in the stall and she was in the stall next to me I looked down and saw her shoes. She had on one black shoe and one blue shoe. I quietly chuckled, wondering if I should draw it to her attention. When she came out I just couldn't help it and I told her, "Bingo, you have on one black shoe and one blue shoe." She looked down at her shoes, looked up at me and said "Oh, to hell with it!" To hell with it! Oh my goodness, we all had a good laugh about that! I mean rolling in the floor kind of laughing! Oh, how funny...here we were at the Houston Ballet, living the high life and my grandmother had on one blue shoe and one black shoe and she didn't even care! Hilarious!

We were blessed this year with being able to give our children nice gifts and oh, how I love giving gifts! Love it! Of course, they all ask for things, but they never know until Christmas morning if their wishes will be granted! Many of them were this year!

Jacque wished for a Harry Potter wand and her big bubba granted it...

and an Ipod Touch...

and she kept dropping subtle hints about boots...

and she adores Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen...

Leigh had his heart set on a ViewSonic TV which is what every "real" gamer uses...

And yes I know that is a monitor and not a TV...don't even get me started on that! Just suffice to say don't ever buy electronics from Office Depot if there is even the slightest possibility that you may have to return or exchange them! I have decided to take my business elsewhere because of this little slip up and the way they handled the return.

And this is what happens if you can't make up your mind about what you might want for Christmas...

you get notes!

I joked that I would get him some real gifts if he would just get a haircut. I'm sure you have all noticed the hair and just for the record, I hate it! He is growing it for a good cause and I have tried to keep my mouth shut but I just have to voice my opinion every now and then. He has a long way to go and I miss my clean, cut Bubba. I asked him today if he was really just growing his hair for Locks of Love and he said, "mom! Do you really think I would do this to myself if I wasn't? I mean I don't even like the way my hair looks unless I wear a hat and I only have one hat!" I guess maybe I should help out the cause and buy him a few hats for his wardrobe!

Batman made an appearance...

No Bubba, I didn't get you those headphones...remember? I just got you some notes!

He really did get a nice accessory for his car that he terrorizes the neighborhood with. Boys! Hmmmm...what else? Well, I bought my mommy a camera and my daddy some warm crocs and a super charged toothbrush. :-) Cameron worked all night Christmas Eve on a dream catcher that she told her Aunt was for someone else but it was really for her coffee shop. I just love the look on their faces when she opened it...

Do you know what a dream catcher is? Cameron thinks everyone should have one...it's one of her missions in life!

Poor Zoe couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about...maybe she couldn't see through all of that hair...talk about someone else who needs a haircut!

Probably the most fun we had opening gifts was when Cameron and August gave their gift to their Nana and PawPaw. You see, they couldn't decide what to get their grandparents and so they re-enacted a little Christmas scene for them. My parents have always given our kids money for Christmas. The first year they gave them money they were pretty young and oh, how excited they were to have Christmas cash to spend! In subsequent years, mom and dad liked to act as though they weren't giving them money and once all the gifts were opened they would come in and say, "well, did you have a good Christmas...did you get everything you asked for or wanted?" Of course, the kids didn't want to seem ungrateful and they always said they did but inside you knew they were wondering if "that was all?" One year, PawPaw kept asking them and finally Leighton blurted out..."no! we didn't get the BIG BUCKS!" It was pretty funny. So, when all of the gifts were opened this year August and Cameron stood in the middle and asked their Nana and PawPaw, "well, Nana and PawPaw...did you have a good Christmas, did you get everything you wanted?" and they had a little Christmas cash for them. They had a lot of fun with that!

Maybe a little too much fun...I told them they couldn't have any more mimosas! HA!

Once the gift giving was out of the way we enjoyed a delicious meal of rib eyes, baked potato casserole, squash, and so much other yummy stuff...we ate ourselves silly. It was hard to muster the energy to head out with the kids to take our annual Christmas picture but we did. We had to wait a while for Cameron to get dressed but we should all be used to that by now and at least I have my annual Christmas picture even if it didn't make it's way into cards this year...it's just so darn hard to get them all together at once!

A good holiday was made even better when we got to visit with family. My Bingo's sister, Aunt Audrey (who is 92 years old), came to visit and my cousin's Jim, Bea and Gail too. If I live to be 92 years old I want to be just like my Aunt Audrey! She is the best!

One sad note concerning my sister's dog Baylee...

Shortly after we left to go home, Pam ended up in the animal emergency clinic with Baylee who has recently had a yeast infection and she was diagnosed with thyroid disease and congestive heart failure. It was quite an ordeal because Baylee is terrified of the vet and has quite the anxiety attack. She is on medication and doing better but I know that her time here with us will come to an end maybe sooner than we would like. So sad for all of us because our dogs are such a huge part of our family!

And last but not least, it is hard for me to write of what a wonderful holiday we had without thinking of all of those who were less fortunate. Times are tough for so many and we do know how blessed we are. We did participate in quite a few "pay it forward" activities this holiday season and continue to do so even if it is just to give a homeless person a dollar or two...which I did just last night even though the friend who was with me told me to roll up my window and lock my door! :-)

I'm glad I've gotten Christmas behind me! I have so much more to share...like how this little girl...

grew into this big girl...

and all of her good news!

Until next time!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

Life is good!

More Christmas...

2010-01-27T22:17:00.000-08:00

It was off to my parent's house on Christmas eve where everything is beautifully decorated and no detail is left to chance. Don't believe me? Let me show you! My mom is such a wonderful decorator!

I can almost see the twinkle in her tree...

I love her new Santa pics...

The card table and tree...

Lil' bits of Santa in the kitchen...

mmmmm....peppermints...

The Christmas flower...

The puppy stockings...a dog's gotta have her rawhide! My daddy calls them haha's...

Pretty, pretty, pretty...

The bar...

The buffet...

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Lot's of presents for good boys and girls...

Jesus is the reason for the season!

We spend the night at my mom and dad's house on Christmas eve and just visit and eat some of our favorite finger foods. My mom gives everyone their one gift to open on Christmas eve and it is pajamas. I don't have pictures of that because they are in my mom's camera and I am afraid she doesn't know how to get them out! Cameron loved her PJs so much she has worn it as a dress with Ugg boots! That girl is crazy and can make anything look good! My sister's birthday is Christmas day and sometimes we celebrate her birthday on Christmas eve. The kid's were so excited about the gift they had for their Aunt Pam. My sister has done so much for our kids it's nice to see them so excited about giving back to her. Pam has taken Cameron to Colorado, August on a rafting trip and they stayed in Las Vegas, Jacque went to see Harvard University and up to Maine to eat lobster, and Leighton has been to Green Bay twice...once to attend a football game on what was supposed to be Brett Favre's last season to play. Pam loves Brett Favre and has shared that love with the kids. They had a blast and it was sooooo cold! Another thing that they have enjoyed together are the Harry Potter books. They read them together, attended midnight release parties, waited anxiously for the movies and enjoyed them together! She even pre-ordered the last book and had one shipped to both Jacque and Leighton. So, while August was online shopping for his sister (who desperately wanted Snape's wand) he came across a pen set where each pen represented each of the houses in the book and a sorting hat pen holder. He asked his brother and sisters if they would each buy a pen and he would buy a pen and the pen holder. Perfect gift...she loved it!

Jacque gave her the Slytherin pen because she loves Snape! I have to admit he is one of my favorite characters too. We love us some Alan Rickman!

I am so very proud that they know the joy of gift giving and that they used their own money to buy their gifts. They were very generous with their gift giving! They have big plans for next year's gift for their Aunt Pam!

Christmas morning we open stocking stuffers and have our traditional breakfast of fruit, quiche, and croissants and once again my momma out does herself. I just love this little gingerbread house that sits on her island in the kitchen. It is from Williams Sonoma and she just pops it in a plastic bag and places it in the freezer and uses it from year to year. Works out perfectly!

These rolls are absolutely to die for. Oprah featured them on one of her favorite things shows and my mom decided to order some from Williams Sonoma. They are melt-in-your mouth goodness like you have never tasted before. I highly recommend them!

My sister, mom and Cam putting the finishing touches on breakfast...

Breakfast in all it's yumminess!

I will share more Christmas fun tomorrow! Hard to believe we enjoy it as much now as we did when Santa made his annual appearance!

Still Working in Reverse...Thanksgiving 2009

2010-01-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was spent at my Mom and Dad's house in Gruene. It was good to see them since we haven't been out there since the summer. We had a day filled with great food and company and football watching...

street watching...

card playing...

and just relaxing...

The food was wonderful...my momma can cook now! Cameron helped her Daddy with the turkey carving...

and then she and Jacque broke a wishbone together...making a wish...

well, you see who got the short end! I thought it was the long piece who's wish came true but my momma, the WBOK (Walking Book of Knowledge) and knower and believer of all things superstitious, set me straight. It's the short piece...

and here's Cameron with her "I told you so!" look...

Once our food digested we headed out to snap some photos of my mom and dad with their girls. One of which landed on their annual Christmas card.

Then it was off to the coffee shop...

to decorate the tree...

watch some more football...

play some more cards...

and do some puzzle working!

All in all it was a great time with an occasional deer sighting :-)

and so thankful to have my family to spend it with!

Playing Catch Up!

2010-01-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

Finally sitting down to catch up on all of our Christmas activities. For some reason I just can't make myself sit here and blog...I have a very short attention span and there is always so much to distract me and it really doesn't take much!

Our Christmas festivities begin with our annual family tree trimming party. It is something we have done for as long as I can remember. The kids have always loved it but as they get older it is hard to get everyone together on the same day. But I hold out, even if it means our tree goes up later than I'd like. I suppose the day will come when everyone is married with their own family and our little party will come to an end. Every year I get a new ornament for each of them and we have finger foods, play Christmas music and decorate. Well, it starts with everyone decorating and then everyone sits around and watches me decorate, ha! It has been fun watching them with this task. When they were little they would grab ornaments as fast as they could and put them all on the same limb. I would redecorate when they went to bed. It took several days, lol! They didn't seem to notice then but now they always ask me, "Mom, are you going to redecorate the tree when we go to bed?" Our tree is just such a hodgepodge of memories, but I love it! Almost every ornament that goes on our tree has a special memory attached to it and I wouldn't change that for the world.

When the kids were little they hated these ornaments:

They called them the "fat ornaments" or the "ugly ones" and told me innocently that they did not like them. I loved them...of course I did...I made them. I started on them when I was still in high school. I had been dreaming of my family for years! These days they have a different perspective and I think it is safe to say they are one of our family heirlooms. They have been on our tree for at least 25 years now!

I also painted these cute little gingerbread ornaments and I love them too. I am glad that my kids will have these handmade ornaments to cherish when we are gone and I hope that they will pass them down to their children.

And of course there is the assortment of ornaments they have made. I love the Sesame Street characters. David and the kids made these together one day when I was out. The snowman ornament was made by my niece, Annie and it is one of my favorites!

Of course there are cars, airplanes and boats...there are boys in our home!

And for the girls, Barbie, Scarlet, Pocohontas, Lucy and Jasmine...

Lots of Santas because I collect them...

I think that my favorite ornaments on our tree are the Polonaise ornaments that a good friend told me about. They are hand blown and just so beautiful. This set is always the first to go on the tree...Baby Jesus and his mommy and daddy...

And then I have this Peter Pan set which I just love! It is one of our favorite stories...

I got the Peter Pan ornaments at a Christmas store in Lubbock one year while visiting my sister. I haven't seen any of these boxed sets since then! If you know where I can get more please leave me a comment. I would love to add to my collection. These ornaments are just the neatest thing and come in their own little box for safekeeping...

Aren't those just the coolest ornaments ever!

There are times I think I would like to change our tree. I love trees with a theme but unfortunately our house is not large enough for more than one Christmas tree and I'm not willing to give up our tree full of memories! There is just nothing better than sitting around your living room, listening to Christmas music, drinking virgin Pina Coladas and eating little smokies in barbeque sauce with your family, lol!

And who in the heck takes pictures of their ornaments but doesn't move back and take a picture of the entire tree...that would be me! I guess there is always next year!

Crafty Christmas

2009-12-22T00:21:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we celebrated Christmas with David's family. David's family is BIG so handmade gifts are in order! I love doing crafty things and each year try to come up with something that everyone will enjoy. This year I decided to make my mom's sugared pecans for the men in the family. They are yummy and soooo easy! I found these cute Chinese takeout boxes at Target that were the perfect size.

I have also recently discovered the most amazing scrapbook artist (Kristin Aagard) who helped me out tremendously by giving away these free gift tags on her blog. Even though I had purchased the Merry and Bright kit, having these gift tags, saved me a ton of time! Thank you so much Kristin! :-)

Aren't they so cute!

mmmmmmm...yummy cinnamon and sugar pecans!

Here they are with their cute little tags! I think they turned out great and the guys loved them!

For the ladies, I made soap...fun!

I think my favorite was the green tea...I love that scent!

Saying grace before the meal has it's own little challenge. This year we decided to stretch around the pool! Lots of new little ones this year...so precious and cute!

David's sister bought all of the little ones matching sweaters! She said all those years in Catholic school make her think that everyone should be dressed alike. By this time the kids were partied out and we had a few pouters, lol!

And the one who started it all...my sweet mother-in-law Bernice!

My crafty oldest daughter decorated her sweater for an annual Christmas sweater party...now that sounds like a fun party!

Complete with a Santa ornament on the back! HA!

And here is the recipe for sugared pecans just in case you would like to make some for your friends and family.

SUGARED PECANS

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Beat one egg white and 1 tsp. cold water with wire whisk or fork until frothy but not stiff. Add 1 pound pecan halves, stir until coated well. In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Add egg coated pecans and mix well until all are coated. Place evenly on buttered (or Pam sprayed) jelly roll pan. Bake at 225 degrees for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes. You can do two batches at one time but rotate pans after 30 minutes.

I filled 12 of the takeout containers with about 2 1/2 pounds of pecans.

I hope you are enjoying your holidays and spending time with those you love!

Cheers!

One Semester of Piano...

2009-12-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

...and she sounds great!

Fun at the Horse Lots!

2009-11-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago I took Jacque D up to the horse lots to photograph the horses for a school project. We had such a great time and Jac got some really great pics of the horses. While she was taking pictures I was taking pictures of her! Some of them seemed to really like her...

Especially this little girl...

She was down for some close ups...

Hello there...

What 'cha got?

Look, mommy...he likes me!

Ok, now...let someone else have a turn...

Told you she liked my baby girl...

What are we...chopped liver?

and oh, the light was so beautiful!

Off to the next adventure!

I Think She Is In Love!

2009-11-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

Cameron Doo got some new wheels yesterday! I think it is safe to say she loves it! Thanks to Laura Ann and I hope Cam takes as good of care of the "B" as you did! She says she loves it and it's a boy but she doesn't know his name yet! We have a habit of naming things we love, lol! It'll come to her!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-21T22:24:00.001-07:00

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

Because it's been a while...

and I just can't help myself...

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2009-08-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

Big Baby Girl turned 25 today! It's so hard for me to fathom that 25 years ago today I became a mom! And oh, how happy and proud we were of our little baby girl! Twenty five years later we are just as proud, even though there are occasions that she still makes us want to pull our hair out! HA!

I remember my pregnancy, labor and delivery as though it were yesterday...it's no wonder that Cameron was the strong willed child with all that I did when I was pregnant with her. Let's see, I performed gymnastics while pregnant, taught gymnastics, painted our house, swam every day, walked every day, and once when my doctor started ragging on me about my weight I rode my bycycle 10 miles the day before my appointment (and did I mention it was during my 8th month of pregnancy!) Well, he did tell me that I could continue my activities as usual!

Never one to cry wolf and not wanting to arrive at the hospital and be in false labor we waited until we knew for sure before leaving. David loves to tell the story of our drive there because I made him stop at a car wash so I could walk a little. I had terrible leg cramps and couldn't even sit down in the car. I rode to the hospital on my knees while hugging the front seat. When we arrived at the emergency room the nurse who escorted us in asked me if I was in labor and I said "I think so." I THINK so!!! Once settled in to the birthing room and checked I was actually 1 cm away from being fully dilated. YIKES! Cameron showed her stubborn side during labor too as I quit having contractions and she had to be delivered with forceps. When Cameron was born we did not have health insurance because David was out of work. I chose my doctor by calling around in the phone book asking what they charged to deliver a baby! Oh, I laugh about it now! My doctor was Spanish and although he spoke English it was with a very heavy accent. He was truly a wonderful doctor but when he leaned over me in the birthing room and told me that we were going to have to go into the delivery room because he was going to have to use forceps and I said, "Oh, great...what is that going to cost?" I can only imagine what he thought of me! A few moments later I was holding my beautiful baby girl and the world changed forever for us! We began our journey in to parenthood totally smitten and the last 25 years of my life being a parent to all of our children has been a wonderful ride!

I love you baby girl and wish you the best birthday ever on this, your quarter century mark! I know that great things lie ahead for you sweetheart!

I love you THIS much and to the moon and back!

Momma

Sharing a Little Vacation...

2009-07-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

On our way to Garner State Park this year we took a little detour to New Braunfels to Gruene Grind Coffee Company! This is the coffee shop that my sister just opened right down the road from Gruene Hall. I am so happy and proud for her...she has combined two of her favorite things in life...coffee and music.

I totally love the look of the place! Isn't it so cool?!

Aunt Pam was nice enough to come back up after closing hours to fix us all a drink. They were all yummy! I had the caramel latte cuz my sweet little daddy recommended it, plus I needed the caffeine for the trip, lol!

Can you see how proud my mom and dad are? They are loving their new jobs helping Pam in the shop! (I think they are anyway, haha!) Pam (aka Doodle) has always been the musical talent in the family and she can play any instrument. She took piano lessons as a child and first learned to play the guitar from a show that was on PBS when she was just three years old. My daddy played in a band when we were little and there was always music in our home. Mom told me that Pam and her friend Geri would be playing the next Saturday and asked if we would drive back in as a surprise. So, on Saturday, one week in to our vacation, we made the drive back and I'm so glad that we did. It was great to see my sister up there doing what she loves and does best!

When we arrived my mom was at the cash register taking orders and my dad was helping out making drinks and washing dishes. I offered to help but they told me no to just enjoy the moment but it quickly became apparent that they really needed my help. I got in the kitchen and started washing dishes while still enjoying the music. Daddy was rushing around waiting on customers, making drinks, helping my mom and trying to quickly train me on the specific way in which dishes were to be washed. They get washed, rinsed and then rinsed in bleach water for sterilization purposes and placed in a drain rack. Have they never heard of a dishwasher...I mean a mechanical dishwasher, lol?! While Daddy was out front I changed the wash water and the next time he was back in the kitchen he said, "Ewww, Winnie (my nickname)...that's too much soap." I said, "Don't worry Daddy...I won't work here long!" He was so funny! I was trying to dry some of the dishes to place back out on the counter and then my mom came back and said, "Oh, you can't dry the dishes...they have to drip dry." I said, "Well, how 'bout if I hide and dry them?" Are you getting the picture here? They are rule followers, I am a rule breaker, lol! We have had a lot of laughs about this whole thing getting off the ground. My mom says my dad is afraid of the cash register (it's a touch screen) and the espresso machine, my dad complains that mom won't let him just do what he is good at which is making smoothies! So, if you stop by and want a smoothie...he's your man, lol! Don't ask him to ring you up though!

An extra special surprise was when Doodle asked Jacque to share the stage with her and she accepted!

See that look of pride on Aunt Pam's face?

Thank you girls! You made my night!

Well, Gruene Grind was not the only fun we had on vacation. Garner is something we do every year and it's just always so nice to get away and relax and visit with friends on the best river in Texas. Although no one ever says this I am sure they are wondering why in the world we go back to the same place every year for vacation. There was a t-shirt in the gift shop one year that said "It's a Garner thing...you wouldn't understand" and if you have never been to Garner then you don't understand. It's just one of those traditions that if you don't continue it, your life just doesn't seem normal! The river, skies, stars, landscape are all just so beautiful! It is truly God's country! Can you blame us for going back every year?

One of the highlights of our stay are the annual frisbee football games (it's a Garner thing!) that the kids play. I love to go down to the pavilion and watch and take pictures but the games can get pretty intense. After a near face plant by Nick, Leighton almost running into a stone wall and August diving as if he were on the football field I suggested that they play down in the grassy area instead of on the dance floor. Leighton let me know that it wouldn't be the same there because of all the people who hang around just to watch them. It is true...they draw quite the audience! and I get great shots like these:

A couple pics of our campsite...and wow, we had a trailer this year!

This is my all time favorite piece of camping gear. David made it from a sink that was tossed in the trash. It makes washing dishes so much easier!

At night we head on down to the pavilion to dance under the beautiful starry Texas skies!

The annual tree picture

No trip is ever complete without stopping at Neal's for a home cooked meal...

Shopping at The Dry Fifty...

Taking pics at some of the hot spots...

and this year we added a stop...pig shopping on the way back home! Check out their plastic boots, ha!

It was another great year even though some friends and our oldest baby girl were missing...hopefully next year they will be able to join us again!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer too!

Where I've Been...

2009-07-18T20:32:00.001-07:00

We are back from our annual sojourn at Garner State Park. We had a great time but it's always good to be home. It was very hot this year and the Frio River was not even enough to cool us down. The drought that the area is experiencing is considered to be the worst ever on record. Haven't had much time to catch the news since we got home but I am hoping that the area got some much needed rain as we did.

One of the first things that we did upon returning was head to the barn to check on our animals. My friend, Christy had told me that our Momma Cat at the barn had been attacked by a pit bull and had been missing for three days. Can you believe that a parent would be foolish enough to bring a dog to the barn knowing that there is a Momma Cat and her kittens there? I am just appalled that someone would be so thoughtless. I retrieved my keys from Christy, fed our animals and went home. A few hours later Christy called to tell me that she had found Momma Cat and that she was pretty tore up. She asked me to come back to the barn to have a look at her. Bless her little heart...she had been hiding amongst some wheelbarrows. She was extremely dehydrated and was dragging her back legs. She had a wound on her bottom which had become infested with fly larvae (I can't bring myself to type the "M" word!) We gave her some water and Christy felt like she was beyond helping and thought that we should have her put to sleep. I said, "Now, wait a minute...maybe Rusty can fix her up." Rusty is our vet friend in Nome and if anyone could save her, he was our man. She called Rusty while I called August and Leighton to come up and help us with her. August and Leighton washed out her wound and flushed it with iodine and peroxide and gave her water. Rusty told us to take her home and keep her cool and try to get some antibiotics in her and to bring her out in the morning. Poor little momma cat...when we brought the kennel out she tried to crawl right in as if she knew we were trying to help her.

Do you remember Momma Cat? I have blogged about her before...

She seemed to rest peacefully yesterday and I actually held out some hope that she would be able to pull through. Even though she was unable to walk I knew that she still had feeling in her legs. I loaded her up in my van today and headed to Nome and the news was not good. Rusty said that her rectum was completely torn out and that the best thing would be to put her to sleep. Oh, it just broke my heart! I stayed with her through the procedure and tried to reassure her that she had been loved.

I know all of this may seem so silly...afterall, she was only a barn cat. But, I am, and will always be an animal lover. Blame it on Miss Twiggley's Tree, a favorite childhood story of mine. I had aspirations of my own to live in a tree house and rescue stray dogs. Or perhaps it was my Pappy telling me about the farm he would have some day...I just wish that the person who thought it was a good idea to bring a pit bull to the barn (and apparently without a leash) would have realized that it was not a good idea at all before this had to happen. I would like to snatch their heads off right about now!

My two sweet sons buried her at the barn tonight...I have the best kids ever!

Feeling very sad tonight ...

It's Been A While...

2009-06-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Not that things aren't going on or that I don't have anything to say (I always do, lol!)...just not much inclination or time to blog as of late. We went to the barn today to take pictures of Leighton's steer with his sponsors but we got stood up, lol! I'm sure it was because of the short notice they were given not that they didn't want to be there. In any event, I grabbed a quick shot of Little Man and Studlee (as he is now known). They are both growing like weeds!

And both looking mighty fine if I do say so myself!

Ciao!

hmmmm....

2009-05-13T20:54:00.000-07:00

does this count as a manicure...or pedicure??? The hoof trimmer made the rounds at our barn. Looks a little scary but it's not all that bad. At least for us...that's quite a contraption on the back of that trailer!

Peaches isn't all that sure about it...

Kinda reminds me of a ride at Astroworld, lol!

Okay, I'm going to go with, ummmmm....pedicure...

That's one powerful fingernail grinder thingey...

Leighton tried to offer his support...

Doesn't look too much like it is working!

Look at the fingernail dust flying!

Almost done...

Time for a bath and blow dry...

And look how purdy you are now Peaches!

Just loverly!

On to the next adventure!

Jacque D Goes to Prom!

2009-05-09T13:52:00.001-07:00

This was kind of a last minute thing but she was so excited to get to go to prom because so many of her friends are seniors this year. Thanks to Jac's bestie, Emerie, for doing makeup and nails and to Ms. Britney for the hair! So pretty girlie! Mommy loves u cuz you are as pretty on the inside as you are on the outside!!!

Jacque and Emerie have been friends since preschool and I went to school with her mom! Emerie is an amazing artist so it is not surprising that she is good with the makeup!

I'm glad you had a good time baby girl!

By Observation

2009-05-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

As my children grow older I realize the things I have taught them through observation. Our oldest daughter, Cameron, works in a restaurant and recently she learned that a co-worker's father had passed away. Cameron wanted to make food to take over for the family. This is something she has seen us do many times and lately it seems it is a tradition that is falling "out of style." I'm not sure if this is just a southern thing, but I do know that it only takes one experience of losing a close family member in the heart of a close knit southern community to understand what I am talking about. In any event, Cameron spoke with her boss and told him that she was going to cook for the family and he told her that she was welcome to raid the restaurant's pantry for any of the ingredients that she needed. She had decided to make her grandmother's Chicken Tetrazini, and let me tell you, it is delicious! On Sunday, she called the restaurant manager to let him know that she would be on her way and that the owner had told her she could pick up some stuff from the kitchen. He told her that was fine and asked what she was making. "Chicken Tetrazini," she said. The manager began laughing and Cameron asked, "What's so funny about Chicken Tetrazini?" Well, it seems that Maury Povitch had a guest on his show who had a specific complaint about chicken tetrazini. Just click on the link below and watch the clip! I promise you won't be disappointed...pretty funny stuff!

Chicken Tetrazini

I must admit there are occasions where I get caught up in Maury. I usually watch Family Feud when eating lunch, or it is sometimes just on here during the noon hour. Not that I really sit down and watch it. But...Maury airs right after Family Feud and so I sometimes find myself wrapped up in whether or not Antwain is the father of Shenequa's baby, if you KWIM? Or if Jamal cheated on Chantelle. Funny, one day David came home and wanted to know, "Why are you watching THAT?" I hardly noticed...hey, I'm the mom of four and you can ask anyone who knows me...I do know how to tune a lot of things out. But, still, from time to time, like I said...I get caught up!

In any event, I'm glad that the tradition of cooking for folks who are dealing with the loss of a loved one will continue with my children. And just in case you are in need of a good recipe for Chicken Tetrazini, I'm sharing mine with you. Just don't go seducing anyone's man with it, ya hear!

CHICKEN TETRAZINI (Grandma style)

1 whole chicken (we use boneless, skinless chicken breasts...about 4)
2-3 celery stalks

Boil chicken with celery, salt and whole peppercorns until chicken is tender. Cool and cut chicken in bite size pieces.

Save broth.

Melt 1 stick margarine in 2 quart saucepan. Saute 1 whole chopped onion, 1 small bell pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup flour and then 1 quart milk. Cook until sauce thickens. Add 1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese, 1/2 lb. grated American cheese, 1/4 lb. grated Mozarella cheese, fresh parsley, 1 small can button mushrooms, 1 small jar pimentos, and 1 small can sliced black olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook 1 1/2 lbs. spaghetti noodles in chicken broth and drain. Pour sauce over chicken and noodles and mix well. Feeds an army (well 12-14 people AT least!)

Enjoy!

Leighton's First Steer Show!

2009-04-29T12:46:00.001-07:00

This weekend was so, so busy with us cooking for the FFA BBQ Scholarship fundraiser, a senior session in Livingston and a steer show in Crosby. It was fun to finally watch Leighton in the show ring with his steer...and he and the steer did a pretty good job!

This is Leighton getting ready to go into the ring. Check out the country boys in the background. I love this picture!

More waiting...

My friend Christy giving Leighton a pop quiz on his steer's weight, feed, etc. Sometimes the judge will ask these questions in the arena and it's best if you know the answers, lol!

We can do this, kid!

See, I told you the judge sometimes asks questions...he wanted to know the weight. 877 pounds! WOW!

Leighton was second in his class...so, pretty good first outing!

Setting up...

Waiting to go into the arena for the grand champion drive...

Grand champion drive...Now it's time to see what we can do to improve and change things up a bit! All in all it was a great experience and I'm looking forward to the next outing!

Until next time...

Gallery Wrap Contest by MCP & Color, Inc.

2009-04-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to MCP Actions and Color, Inc. Lab for this opportunity!

I am entering this photo in the MCP Actions/Color Inc. Win a Gallery Wrap Canvas Photo Contest at http://mcpactions.com/blog. I certify that I took this photo and give both parties permission to use this photograph on their blogs/sites.

Wish me and Baby Gavin luck! :-)

Finally...

2009-04-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

My website debut...

Darla DiStefano Photography

It's about time...I'll be the first to say it! There are still a few holes to fill in and lots more pics I could have posted but just wanted to get it LIVE! Hope you like it!

In case you were wondering...

2009-04-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

how the Astros won tonight? Well, they had a little help from us! I mean, seriously, how could it happen...Roy O wasn't pitching, two runners left on base in the ninth, the Tejada throwing error...I could go on. You don't really think they did it without a little help from us, do you?

That's right, live from our very own living room, we worked our magic. Here, the Astros were moments away from having their second home game slip through their fingers, when my quick thinking son (the genius that he is!) rallied us together and urged us to put on our "rally caps." "Mom, put on your rally cap!" he said.

"I don't have a cap," said I! "Just put something, anything!" he cried! Luckily I had my handy, dandy "rally" phone and quickly placed it on my head. We were all doing our balancing act while we waited with bated breath as Jeff Keppinger knocked in the winning run! Thank goodness for extremely high heels, gold plastic cups and telephones laying around our house! It may just turn out that "these" Astros are worth watching afterall!

And, so, now you might be wondering, "hmmmm, did she photoshop her face." Well, hell, yeah, I did! It's my face isn't it? I can photoshop it if I want to! :-P Hey, I look good in black and white, lol!

Sure do miss you Brad, Craig, & Jeff! Boo Hoo...but did you see the amazing play by Berkman at first? Wow!

Go Astros!

I sure do miss this...

2009-03-25T22:24:00.001-07:00

No, not David's hair, silly...

I miss watching my Bubba play football!

Yes, Virginia, there really are Bubbas in Texas! ;-)

I'm setting the world on fire...

2009-03-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

one text message at a time!

So, I got a new phone the other day. This one:

And with my new phone, I got a new plan. A plan that allows me to text. Unlimited text! Wow! I've never had that. My kids have, but not me. So, anyway, I have discovered, texting is fun. I love texting my kids. You know the typical parent/child text messages like: where r u? when r u coming home? where r u? i luv u! come bring me a pillow! did you brush ur teeth? where r u? Well, you get the picture. My kids love texting me too! They send me messages like: what's 4 dinner? where r u? i forgot my lunch money. i luv u. what's 4 dinner? come get me. what's 4 dinner? K, so, now you really get the picture.

I've made a few mistakes along the way as I'm learning to become an expert at texting. One of my first mistakes was when I thought I had Little Man's phone number memorized and I typed it in and then wrote him this text: where r u? Shortly thereafter I received a call from a young lady saying, "uh, yes, I just missed a text from this number. Who is this?" "Oh," I said, "I am so sorry, I was trying to text my son and I guess I put in the wrong number." To which she replied, "uh-huh." as she abruptly hung up the phone. I guess I got someone in trouble! Oops!

Second mistake was made today when I sent a text to my daughter. I mistakenly typed in one wrong number as I sent her this text: I took ur car 2 get a haircut. I think daddy has my keys. Be home soon. She was asleep and not wanting to wake her I thought I would be clever by sending her a text. That way if she woke up, she would know where her car was. It wasn't long that I realized my mistake and wondered if I should send some sort of "correction text". While I was forwarding the original text to my daughter a new text came in. Yep, it was from the number I sent the original text to. The text read: Who is this? I wrote back: I'm sorry, wrong number. Soon, another text arrived: But who is this? Yikes! I didn't answer. Then another text: Who is this? Gives you head! What the hell? What is that supposed to mean??? A friend of my son's was with me and quickly looked up the area code to which I had sent the mistaken message and told me it was in Iowa. Crazy corn farmers, I thought! Back the heck off of me...I'm new at this! The next text arrived and now they were shouting at me: WHO IS THIS... Persistent little corn farmer! Leave me alone crazy person, I think to myself. Sitting at my computer later, a call comes in. Don't you know it was from none other than the crazy corn farmer in I O W A! Dang! This person was not going to go away. Well, I showed them...I just didn't answer. HA! Later I was telling August about it and he said, "oh, you have some girl thinking that their boyfriend or husband is cheating on them?" Good gosh! Who thinks like that??? Well, I guess it is a lot more people than I would ever imagine. Who has that kind of time on their hands? I haven't heard anything more since the phone call and I'm hoping someone doesn't crawl through my window tonight with a scythe in their hand wanting to know who I am! But, like I said, I'm setting the world on fire with my new texting capability, lol!

Until next time...

Leighton Lands a Steer!

2009-03-09T22:11:00.001-07:00

Yep! Leighton was selected to receive the steer for the GP FFA chapter! I am really proud of him. The interview went very well...he did a great job. Now the work begins!

We have had the steer since February 11th and still don't have a name for him. He is from Kinsel Ranch in Beaumont and they called him Peaches but August and Leigh think that sounds too girly. He does have a pretty peach tone but we are still trying to figure out what to call him. Any ideas?

He is actually pretty good on a halter...much easier than Allie was!

This project is definitely going to be an adventure!

We went to the San Antonio rodeo with Leighton's pig February 17th. He didn't place but we had a pretty good time. It's always good to spend time with our kiddos...can't go wrong there. Even if that time is spent in a barn, lol!

Until next time...

How Lucky Am I?

2009-02-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

We had a time consuming dish on the menu tonight. Well, actually I should say "I" had a time consuming dish on the menu tonight. I don't really do too much cooking around here. David does most of it. So, yeah, that in itself makes me a lucky girl! One of my favorite meals is our beef enchiladas. I got the recipe from my YaYa Y in Goliad, who got it from her mother in law. Everything is made from scratch (except the corn tortillas) so it takes a while to make. David didn't really want to undertake enchiladas tonight so I told him I would do it. What was I thinking! I decided to see if August wanted to learn how to make enchiladas. To my delight he did! We spent the next hour and a half in the kitchen with me showing him how. All of our kids are good cooks. How could they not be with a Dad who is such a wonderful cook. Plus we've been baking and cooking together for years and years! It was fun and I passed on a recipe to him. He also made the Spanish rice. We are still trying to figure this one out. Who would think something that seems so easy would be so hard for us. We have tried many different ways. This was the closest we have come to REAL Spanish rice but still not totally there yet. So, yeah, how lucky am I to have my 18 year old son in the kitchen with me on a Friday night!

The finished pan of enchiladas! Yum!!!! Definitely fattening!!!

I think we did a good job! Look how pretty!

On another note...meet Buster, our pig who is headed to the San Antonio Livestock Show in a week or so. He is such a sweetie, even if he does like to eat dirt!

Until next time!

It's a Wrap!

2009-02-03T09:16:00.000-08:00

And I enjoyed every second of all three performances!

The very talented cast and crew...

Cameron attended the final performance with me and she joined the cry baby club! HA! When Jacque sang her first solo I peeked over at Cameron and saw tears forming in her eyes. So funny because remember when I said she asked me how in the world I was going to sit through that show three times...well, maybe now she gets it. My tough girl Cameron who followed her question with "Ugh, I don't think I'm having kids. Diapers, bottles, throw up!" Yeah, and sitting through three performances of your baby girl singing in a beautiful voice and hanging on to every minute...yeah, I think she gets it now. A few more pictures, just for fun!

Little Shop of Horrors

2009-01-30T08:38:00.000-08:00

Last night was opening night of the musical Little Shop of Horrors at Jacque's school. She plays the part of Ronette and she did an awesome job! Actually, everyone did! Our Seymour and Audrey are great, the dentist was hilarious, the musicians were terrific and our choir director, Mr. Ponce was amazing as the voice of Audrey II. Everyone just did a super job! I can't wait to go and see it again tonight and Saturday. When I was getting ready to head out my oldest, Cameron, asked me, "Mom, how can you go and sit through the same show three nights in a row." I told her, "That's just what mommies do!" Yes, mommies sit and watch and beam with pride and there were a lot of us in the audience last night. Daddies too! Come out and watch the show! You won't be disappointed!

From Heifers to Steers

2009-01-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

We are about to embark on ANOTHER animal journey! When Little Man returned to school after the holidays he was told of an incredible opportunity. Mr. Rountree and the GPISD Education Foundation were sponsoring two students for a steer project in FFA. When Leighton first told me about the opportunity I told him that I didn't think he should apply. We have kind of stuck to pigs and goats in the past...and with good reason. As you know, I have that affliction of being struck by cupid's arrow when it comes to our animals. But then I thought it was just too good of an opportunity to pass on and perfect timing as well. Leighton won't have a heifer until he is a junior in high school and so I encouraged him to fill out the application. He and another student from GP were selected for the interview process. He was interviewed by two of the ag teachers and a GPISD administrator. Quite intimidating but he did very well! Friday we were told he was selected to receive the steer which will arrive sometime around February 10th! So, we are excited but a little scared too (at least I am!) Leighton isn't afraid of anything that I know of (unfortunately!) Here he is all dressed up for the interview.

One of the requirements of the project is to scrapbook the experience so I started with the interview!

Wish us luck!

Free Day at the Zoo

2009-01-20T20:44:00.000-08:00

Lions and Tigers and Bears and Humans, OH MY! Yesterday was the annual choir field trip to the zoo. Jacque asked me to chaperone and reluctantly I agreed. You see, she adores the zoo. I do too...most days...except when it is FREE ADMISSION! Free admission equals scads and scads of people. I don't do crowds very well. Never really have. Avoid them at all costs. That may sound mean but it's really that it's harder to have things your own way when there are lots of people around. Especially at the zoo. You know, I like having my way. I like being able to stand AT the rail to watch the sea lions for as long as I please. Not standing on my tippie toes and weaving back and forth just trying to catch a glimpse. And then there are the people who do just that. Stand at the rail for as long as they please, like they don't see me in their peripheral vision weaving back behind them. The audacity! Grrrr....!!! Anyway, the rhinocerus died, the hippo is gone...so many things have changed. Well, with all the people there it didn't take me long to start thinking about how I really hate big crowds. Heck we had to park in the medical center by TIRR for pete's sake! So when I start thinking about my distaste for crowds it always brings to mind a book my mom and dad used to read to my sister and I. The name of it is "The Three Billys Go to Town" by Nancy Howard. I love that book! I think it is out of print now but it was our absolute favorite. It's a story about three country possums. "They were all named Billy because they looked so much alike that almost nobody could tell them apart. They almost couldn't tell each other apart. Inside they were different, but only their mother knew that." One day their mother decides that they are going in to town. "Won't that be exicting?" she asks her boys? "She watched her boys to see how they would act." One of the Billy possums is so excited. He can't wait to go to town and see the "wonderful, wonderful world!" The second Billy possum just wants to stay home and play with his tractor. He likes to build things and take things apart and put them back together again. The third Billy possum ran and hid in a corner because he was afraid that the people in town might have "purple feet and rings in their noses. And maybe they dance on their toes all day and maybe there was nothing to do there." Mother loads her three Billys in their old jalopy and they head off. I won't bore you with the entire story but I bet you can guess by now which Billy possum I identified with as a child. I didn't realize that until I pulled this old book off the shelf when our children were young and I read it to them. I was always the shy one. People who know me now would probably never think that, but back when I was young, boy, was I shy! I even had to go to kindergarten! Imagine that! I remember one day my mom dropped me off for school at the sidewalk that lead to our classroom. It was a cold winter day and I was very susceptible to ear infections. She had bought me a white hat that had a white braided yarn ponytail hanging off the back. Maybe some of you remember those hats? You know the ones that had the wire in the front and looked kind of like a bonnet instead of a winter hat. And then there was that hideous ponytail hanging off the back. I hated it! I didn't want to wear it! But my mommy made me! Reluctantly, I got out of the car and walked towards my class. I decided right then and there that I would just stay outside all day. I huddled up against the wall in a little alcove and put my hands over my face. I wasn't about to walk into my classroom where I just knew everyone was waiting to make fun of me in my new hat! I would just stand outside all day and blend into the scenery I thought. Well, my mom looked in her rear view mirror and saw me and she came back to rescue me! Needless to say she wasn't happy but she did let me take that hat off! My sister? She's the first Billy possum. She wants to see the wonderful, wide world...and she has! Maybe not all of it but she's been to more places in her lifetime than I probably ever will. The second Billy possum? That would be David. I guess that's why I married him. HA! HE is the missing Billy! That's what I call him sometimes...Billy! He likes to fix things and take them apart. He'd probably rather stay at home and play with tractors than go on a trip too. Well, maybe not, but he is the mechanical one of the bunch. I see a little of my kids in all three of those Billys and it just makes me laugh. I guess that's why I like that silly book so much.

And speaking of purple feet...there wasn't any one at the zoo with purple feet but I did see these...who wears this?!?

I have another story about designer brands but I'll have to save that for another day!

Today's word to the wise? Don't go to the zoo on FREE day!

Cheers!

Praying for Baby Harper

2009-01-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

and all the other little ones in NICU! Please read the story here and whisper a little prayer!

Bob Goes Bye-Bye!

2009-01-04T23:05:00.000-08:00

Bob took a ride in the back of the truck today.

"Baaaaaa, Baaaaa," he said, the whole way to Baytown.

"What the hell?" said Bob, "wasn't Grand Champion good enough for you people?"

"Oh, forget it! I'm not talking to you anymore." Bob huffed!

Yes, Bob...Grand Champion was good enough. I will miss you and Leighton does too! I promise! I will miss you following me around the barn and feeding you hay and petting you. You were a good goat! The best evah! It's just that, well...you have to go be Grand Champion for someone else now! I know you can do it! We'll see you in May!

XOXO

A Little Bit of Christmas...DiStefano Style

2009-01-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

Ever the procrastinator it should come as no surprise that it takes me until the new year to blog about our Christmas. This has been a very busy year for me and it also happened to be our year to host DiStefano Christmas. Acting as host comes seldom but is a task none of us particularly relish, only because our family has grown so large. David comes from a family of nine children and there are now many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Since our home is rather small we chose to have our gathering at a local church. My SIL Gwen added her special touch which helped make the fellowship hall feel more like a home. The food is always plentiful and delicious and it's always nice to see everyone.

This year, I had a bright idea...at least I thought it was a bright idea, lol! Before we said our blessing over the food I announced that I would like for everyone to share a favorite holiday memory after our meal. There were some groans and some naysayers. I explained that "back in the day" I remembered traveling to relatives and my parents would sit around the table, drink coffee and visit. With text messaging, e-mail and all of the other technology out there I felt that we didn't do enough "just sitting around and talking" and I wanted us to all gather around and do some sharing of our own over coffee and dessert. How else would we pass our history on to our children? There was a little more groaning but one of my SIL's spoke up and said, "hey, it's her year to host, she can do what she wants." "That's right," I said, "I can do what I want." As if they hadn't figured that out already! :-)

It took some coaxing but we all gathered around the table after dinner. There were still those who didn't want to participate ("that was okay," I said), a few good natured complainers, and even some who said they couldn't remember anything (an apparent DiStefano malady, it's contagious too!) We started our little round of stories with Grandma who told of her and Sam's first Christmas. They had little money, but Sam was determined to have a Christmas tree. He went out, cut one down, brought it home and nailed a stand to it. As they had no money for ornaments they folded candy wrappers and made their own decorations and placed them on the tree. Grandma said it was very pretty and I am sure that it was! What a wonderful beginning!

Next, came one of the naysayers...David, my niece, Stephanie's husband. David told a hilarious story of one of their first Christmases after their son DJ was born. They had decided not to have a tree and decorations due to financial circumstances. One night while Stephanie left to run errands David decided he wasn't having Christmas without a tree and decorations! Because Steph is allergic, he couldn't just run out and buy a real one. He went to a local hardware store in the small Texas town they live and found an artificial tree still in the box but it was marked "BAD". He asked the salesman, "what's bad about this tree?" The salesman answered, "I don't know, it's bad." "Well, I can see that, it's written on the box...but what's bad about it?" David asked. "Uh, I don't know, it's just....uh, bad," the salesman answered again. Frustrated but determined, David asked to speak with a manager. The same question was asked of the manager and the same response was given, "I don't know, it's just bad." Now this story might not seem funny in the retelling but just imagine a 6 foot tall cowboy with a thick Texas twang telling it...well, trust me it was funny! The store manager ended up just giving the tree to David and it turns out that the "bad" was one branch missing. David then put lights on the house and was in the process of blowing up one of those huge yard Santas when Stephanie turned down their street. She drove right past their house...didn't even recognize it with all of the decorations! One of the sweetest stories I've ever heard!

My niece Lauren was ready with her story. Her story was one from her childhood and involved a certain Santa mishap. Her mom (my SIL Celeste) was an evening shift x-ray technician at a local hospital when she and her brothers were young. Mom had to leave to be at work by 11:30 on Christmas eve. Excited to see what Santa had left for them, she and her brother, Brian rose early on Christmas morn and ran down stairs to take a peek. To their surprise, there was nothing! They ran back upstairs to tell their older brother Matt who was still asleep. He assured them that they were just up too early. They should go back to bed and not worry he told them...Santa would come, he was just running late. Now you can imagine what they were thinking...had they really been that bad? Lauren said they were so sad and were sitting at the top of the stairs with their chins in their hands when the door opened and their mom came in. "Mom!" they cried, "Santa didn't come!" Celeste did a quick look and said in an angry voice, "Where's your dad?!?" Too funny!

Celeste went next with a very touching story. She and her husband, Russell, were high school sweethearts. One Christmas when they were dating she happened to be at his house when his dad was putting Christmas lights on their house. She commented on how beautiful they were and how she wished that they had lights on their house. Mr. Evans asked, "Y'all don't have lights on your house?" and she said, "Oh, no, sir...we could never have anything like that." Mr. Evans boxed up their lights and took them over to her house and told her, "well now you have lights." This story brought tears to some of our eyes. Of course, August began counting the crybabies!

One of my favorite holiday memories involves a similar theme. David had been one of the many casualties of Armco Steel closing. It was Cameron's first Christmas and he was still without a job. Jobs were very hard to come by. I had just gone to work and just two days before Christmas received my first pay check. I remember very vividly going to K-Mart by our house and buying Cameron's Santa toys. The toy department was so picked over and I remember buying her a yellow dump truck, a big headed baby, a top, and a few other small things. But we were so proud that we were able to buy these things! David and I use to say that our song was the old Anne Murray tune whose lyrics are, "even though we ain't got money, I'm so in love with you honey..." and we were...in love, not only with one another but also with the little family we had created. Good times!

It just goes to show you that some of the best memories come from some of the "not so best" times. It is the challenges and experiences we face in life that shape who we become. There were many other stories shared and I hope it is a tradition we will continue.

Picture time is always last. Why we save our photo ops until the end when we have all fattened up on so much good food is beyond me. In any event, here's our group. A few were missing this year. Hopefully we will all be there next year. I know for sure of three new little ones joining the crowd...two baby boys and a baby girl!

And I'm only sharing this one because we had a bit of a laugh. Notice the hold Grandma has on Lexi sitting next to her. She was hanging on a little tight to a few of the little ones only because some had gotten cranky and were trying to make a hasty getaway. Well, my boys were behind me saying, "look at the choke hold Grandma has on Lexi! Tap out, Lexi! Tap out!" I swear those boys crack me up!

I'll try to share Wille Christmas before the next new year!

Cheers!

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-18T23:25:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't go to bed without first sharing some photos from a party we went to tonight. It was the most beautiful party I have ever been to. Michael from Darryl Murchison's, a florist here in Houston, brought Karen's (our cousin) vision of a Winter Wonderland to life.

The food was yummy too! The Houstonian does a wonderful job!

Off to catch some z's!

What the ????

2008-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Friends, Romans, er....country women! I ask you, what is this?

This, my dear, dear friends is why I stay the HELL away from giblet gravy on Thanksgiving and Christmas! Yep, it's turkey neck and turkey something-or-other. August just tasted it and assured me it was amazing! I'm not buying into that!

Christmas Card Carousel

2008-12-17T11:11:00.001-08:00

Thought this Christmas Card Carousel hosted by Faith would be fun! I haven't sent my cards out yet but will be mailing them by Friday...so it won't be a surprise for anyone who sees it here but I wanted to have some fun too!

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Holiday Cheer!

Who knew?

2008-12-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

That poinsettias had 9 lives like a cat! I swear these are the same poinsettias from my previous post. They came back! Not as glorious as they once were, but alive none the less!

I'm at it again...

2008-12-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

I mean I'm being AMAZING again...amazingly stupid. Why did I listen to my husband when he said it wouldn't be necessary to bring in my pretty poinsettias that I just bought on Tuesday! Ain't we smart in Texas! Yes, it did snow and yes, my boys did go outside and give each other eye washes with it and yes, I do have a few pictures but I'll have to post them later. Off to the dentist just now. Just had to share my lovely (former) holiday decorations with all of you!

I'm Amazing!

2008-12-04T20:44:00.000-08:00

Wait, wait! Let me explain! Cameron had her final speech to present for her speech class today. It was supposed to be an awards speech and she came to me today and asked, "who can I write an awards speech for?" "Me!" I said. Hey, I knew it would require absolutely no research and would be easy for her to write. She agreed. It was just a two minute speech so it didn't take long. See below for the content. Cameron has speech class with August and he had not read or heard her speech before class. When they came in from school this afternoon I was sitting at my desk in the other room and I heard them talking about class. Cameron was telling Jacque that August had said he teared up when she gave her speech and that when she passed by his desk he asked her for a hug. I thought that was so sweet! Leighton came barreling through the door shortly after that and they were telling him about it and Cameron told Leighton a little of her speech and he said, "yeah, mom is pretty amazing." Wasn't that so sweet! All I have to say is thanks guys, you make ME feel amazing!

The most amazing woman I know has lived in the same neighborhood her entire life. She hasn’t traveled the world or saved thousands of lives but rather given life to four very lucky people and has dedicated her life to them. The most amazing woman I know has always been on my team, to teach me, to defend me, and to encourage me. She doesn’t get paid for the hardest job in the world and has never expected a dime for all her hard work. She does the laundry, cleans the house, wakes me up for school, takes care of me when I’m sick, sees me through tough times, and can kiss me on the cheek and make a horrible day disappear. The most amazing woman I know taught me my favorite life lesson “When faced with your enemies just smile, it’ll leave them wondering what you’re up to.” The most amazing woman I know has always been my best friend, and the one person I can truly trust. The most amazing woman I know has shown me what unconditional love is like, and for that I am very thankful. Countless days go by that I don’t thank her for all she does, so today I’d like to present her with the award for the most amazing woman in the world. My friend, my mother...

Yep, Yep...me! See I told you...I'm amazing! Seriously! Don't believe me? Well, just look at the picture below as proof. I mean it just doesn't get anymore amazing than this!

Here I am in my AMAZING turquoise jumper and I was AMAZINGLY afraid of Santa. And check out my AMAZING haircut. It seems that I might have been about to give Santa a gesture that would have left him AMAZED as well! HA! Nah, I would never do that. I just love that I am a child of the sixties. We did wear some pretty crazy clothes, didn't we? I think I will dig around and find more photos from Christmases past. Why? Because it's good to laugh! Especially at yourself!

Cheers!

Show Update!

2008-11-30T22:15:00.000-08:00

It was another great year at our annual livestock show! Thought I would share some pics before too much times gets away. Things are uber busy here! Leighton and Jacque both entered horticulture projects this year. Leighton was first in class and reserve champion horticulture and Jacque was second in class. I think they both did a great job!

Leighton's pig (Clover) was fourth place overall. Not the grand or reserve champion we are used to having but Leighton did a good job with her. Our friend Robby was grand champion and I'm really happy that he won our show. His mom has always been a great help to me and he works so hard with his animals! Yeah Robby! Our other friend, Vanessa, was reserve champion and she worked really hard with her pig too. We have a lot of people to be proud of! :-)

And then there is Bob...the goat I have fallen in love with, lol! I like Bob...can you tell? I will be so sad when he goes bye-bye. He was GRAND CHAMPION...YEAH! He was also donated back to us after the auction so we are busy finding him a good home. Hmmmmmmm....where will he go????

He was such a champ in the arena...look how calmly he walked with Leigh Leigh!

And finally, the food projects. Leighton made this yummy apple pie. The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman's cooking blog and it is the second year that we have used recipes from her site. If you haven't checked out her cooking blog you really should. There are some wonderful recipes there. You might recall that last year when Leighton was in the kitchen he was eating cookie dough off the floor. Needless to say, he has a tendency to sling things around in the kitchen. It is for this reason that I asked David to oversee his cooking session. Leighton was busy cooking while I was on the phone with a friend when David came to me and asked "where is the recipe for the crumb topping?" I said, "Well, I thought he was just cutting the flour into the butter." David (who is a wonderfully talented cook) said, "well, that made a paste." I said, "that WAS the crumb topping!" Leighton had mixed it into the apples and filled the pie crust and was ready to pop his pie into the oven. "Oh, gawd!" I moaned! I had high hopes for this pie. I had made it before and it was absolutely delicious. Suddenly I saw my aspirations of having another grand champion food entry dashed. "UGH! Just put it in the oven and bake it I said. It is what it is," I said. "It will probably taste better anyway," I added as I tried to remove the worry I had created for my son. Well, would you believe that the pie that was made totally not by the recipe was, afterall, GRAND CHAMPION! I told you this pie is GOOD!!!

Jacque made these dipped gingersnaps and they are wonderfully tasty too! She does such an excellent job in the kitchen. No one needs to watch her...she knows what she's doing. She's a big Food Channel junkie and has apparently learned a lot from watching Paula Deen and all her cooking friends, lol! Jacque was first place cookie. And these cookies taste as good as they look!

Last but not least, Jacque's photo was 3rd place. I was disappointed for her because it was really a beautiful photo. The photo was the instrument panel of a very old Case tractor that sits in front of one of the feed stores we frequent. She did make auction with her photo though so I was glad of that!

It was a very good year for us and I am so thankful for the opportunities that FFA provides to our family. I love watching our kids compete and learn new things!

Until next time!

Bob Goes to the Barber

2008-11-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

We are busy getting ready for our annual school show so today was haircut day for Bob the Goat. Fortunately, we had a person that was more than willing to help us out and show Leighton how it is done.

Our new goat friend, Kenny...thank you Kenny! We learned a lot!

Leighton did a really good job. Especially considering this is the first time he has ever clipped a goat.

I think it is quite possible that Bob has fallen out of love with us...I can see it in his eyes.

I love the look of concentration on Leighton's face as he works...

We meet cute dogs everywhere we go. This is Roxie. She likes french fries.

Finishing touches...

Yep, yep, I think it might be possible that Bob doesn't like us anymore...

I think Leighton is very proud!

Bob, for his part, was thankful for his bed jacket!

Jacque is entering this picture in the photography division. Can you guess what it is?

Isn't this just the cutest little piglet you have ever seen. He is so tiny and belongs to Christy & Robby at out barn.

And then we have a new member of the family. The kids swear they saved this kitty's life. I have my doubts. They have been wanting a cat for a long time. I, however, haven't. What are ya gonna do? She has to stay outside, I am allergic and Jacque is too. Her name is Cotton. She has a middle name but I dare not say it. You might be wondering why a black cat is named Cotton. Well...I'll leave it to you to figure out! :-)

We have to finish horticulture projects and bake tomorrow and then Tuesday is the show!

Wish us luck!

Going Home...

2008-11-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

This is kind of a photo journal of the day we took Allie home to Buffalo, Texas. We actually took her the week before Hurricane Ike hit but I haven't really had time to look at the pics. Allie is (or was) August's heifer (she is now a cow) that he bought during the summer of his sophomore year in high school. August participated in the Fort Worth Stock Show calf scramble and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo calf scramble. I think I am going to try and tell all of that on my blog soon, but, first we will have the end of the story.

The time had come for Allie to leave the school barn where she made her home. August had graduated from high school and we were told she had to go. I knew this day was coming, but I was just biding my time and trying to extend her time with us as long as I could. You see, I loved her! Heck, we all did in our own way. She was part of our family, part of our daily routine. So, when the ag teacher e-mailed me to tell me that she had to get out of the barn it made me really, really sad! I talked to August about it. The options are many at the end of an ag project. Most of them involve a "little money changing hands." I wanted Allie to go to a place where I knew she would be loved. Silly, I know...but, as I said, I felt she was part of the family. I mentioned to August that it sure would be nice if we could get the breeder that we bought her from to take her back (Ed Phillips) along with her calf and to my surprise he agreed. August knew that meant he would not see any gain from his 2 year project but he assured me that he was totally okay with that. "I want her to be happy too, Mom," he told me.

I contacted Ed to see if he would be interested in Allie and her bull calf. I was a little uncertain about Ed wanting the calf, Cassius. I was worried that Cassius would be too closely related to the stock he had on his property. He asked me a little about both of them and asked me to send pictures. I let him know that we didn't want any monetary compensation but just wanted a good home for both of them. I sent the pictures to him and he e-mailed me a few days later saying that he would take them and was willing to compensate August. I was so very excited that we had found a home for them and the compensation was just an extra bonus that he certainly didn't have to offer. The next few days we began to make plans to deliver them. It was going to be hard for me to part with my little farm animals. They were beginning to eat us out of house and home but I knew this was going to be the most difficult for ME!

Allie had been "halterless"for a while but she slipped back into it easily.

Cassius, on the other hand, had a completely different idea. He hated halters and in fact would just fall out on the floor if you tried to walk him on one. We had been working with him to get him accustomed to the idea but he wasn't real happy about it this day! See what I mean...

Okay, up and at 'em, boy and let's go!

He did pretty well until we got out of the gate.

I guess you could say he was afraid of the unknown which happened to be a big white trailer waiting for him in the parking lot. Allie walked and loaded like the pro she is.

Cassius was still hanging back, even though his mother was already on the bus!

David was really struggling getting Cassus to walk. Meanwhile, Lily, the other Brahman heifer at the barn, came over to see what all the trouble was about.

She wasn't real happy to see two of her own packing up and moving out!

It was looking like David would need some help...

Cassius was definitely living up to his name of Cassius and being a fighter!

August got Allie loaded and came back to help. Cassius didn't care...he just dug in deeper. All the while this is going on while I am flitting around taking pictures and saying, "don't hurt him, don't hurt him!"

"Be nice to him," I say!

Help a brother out, Lily," I order!

"Stop bending his poor baby tail like that," I chide!

"Stop pushing on him," I yell!

August decides to get a running start...

"Oh, noooooooooooo," I screech in my best Mr. Bill voice! I've had enough. "Give me that rope," I tell them! "I'll get him on the trailer." Which, AHEM, I did! Mind you, no one got a picture of that now, did they?!? My momma always told me you can catch a lot more flies with honey, lol! Thankfully, loaded at last!

Now, let's hit the road! Ed lives in Buffalo which is a small town a couple hours up north from Houston towards Dallas. Allie was going home! Once we got to Ed's I told August I wanted to be sure and get a picture of him unloading Allie off of the trailer. I had taken a similar picture when he brought her into the barn and she had certainly grown. August had done some growing of his own. Gosh how time flies!

That was then...

This is now...

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of Cassius leaving the trailer...he jumped off of there like he was a reindeer! Once they were off the trailer they immediately started checking out their new home.

And, yes, Ed is an Aggie so I guess that makes Allie and Cassius Aggies too. I'm okay with that...

There were lots of other cows mooing at them. I love the way Brahmans move their ears forward so they can hear better. Kind of reminds me of a puppy dog!

Is that not the most beautiful bull calf you have ever seen?!

David goes over for one last scratch. It was his job every day to go to the barn in the afternoon to let Allie and Cassius out of their stall to graze in the evening. He always spent a little time petting on them. We used to call it their "afternoon massage session."

Goodbye sweet girl!

I love you and your little bull calf!

I'll be seeing you!

I promise we'll come and visit soon!

Once we left Allie and Cassius at the barn, Ed took us on a little tour of his place. He is a hay farmer too and it just so happened that they were cutting hay. Now, I could watch that forever. Check out the cool tractor they get to drive!

That thing on the back is the baler and it was making the hay into these really big round bales. Is that not the coolest?! Yeah, it doesn't take that much to impress me!

Okay, alright, enough with the tractor pictures already! Oh, look...look at Ed's dog! He was cute too! He's even smiling at us!

We rode around in the back of Ed's truck and I took some pictures of what will soon be Allie and Cassius' new friends. I think they will like it here! The dog's ran along behind us. Heck I like it here...I think I could definitely live here!

There were these new friends...

and these new friends...

and these ones...

and then I snapped this picture and I thought, "Ack! Is that what Allie will look like one day. Poor baby, she'll only be eating hay and grass! But then I saw her number. Number 72????? Allie is Number 509. Why this must be Allie's great-great-great-great-great-grandmother! Awwwww...she's going to just love it here!

I just know it!

Proud I Am!

2008-11-02T22:29:00.001-08:00

Two more votes for McCain/Palin! I am so proud that my voting age children went to the polls! I have been voting since I was 18 years old in every presidential election and many others. It's an important right that we have and we should all let our voice be heard!

Love It!

2008-10-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

EARLY VOTING ENDS TODAY!

2008-10-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to go and vote today! The polls open at 7:00 A.M. and close at 7:00 P.M. Check this link if you are not sure where to go. You can vote at any of the listed locations. All you need is your driver's license. I hope that you will join me in supporting John McCain and Sarah Palin!

Have a great day and a fun and safe Halloween!

I Love It When The Little People Speak Up!

2008-10-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you Tito the Builder! Please do watch, and enjoy!

BOO!

2008-10-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

We have a sort of Halloween tradition around here as you can see above. We've been creatively carving our pumpkins for many years now. When the kids were little I was a member of the Better Homes and Gardens book club and ordered a book filled with patterns along with carving tools. We had the coolest pumpkins in our neighborhood! Everyone marveled at how talented we were while trick-or-treating. Little did they know how very easy it actually was. That was before the patterns and tools were available everywhere. Now it's fun to see so many creative pumpkins! Usually all four of our kiddos carve one up but this year Cameron and August said they were okay not carving. I had bought two pumpkins from H.E.B. the other day and planned on buying two more but just hadn't gotten around to it. I would have bought all four at once but I would have had to crawl into those huge cartons they keep the pumpkins in at the store. Once the carving is done we roast the seeds. This year I am trying the recipe on Pioneer Woman's blog. The seeds have to dry over night. Hopefully we will have yummy pumpkin seeds to munch on tomorrow night while passing out candy to trick-or-treaters! We also save the pumpkin that is scraped from the inside and make pumpkin pies. Lot's of pie for neighbors, friends, family and teachers over the years. Mmmmmm...you should try it too! It's a great tradition that our family looks forward to each year!

A Little Recession...

2008-10-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

goes a long way...

I'm just saying...

They're Coming For Me!

2008-10-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

I just went outside to move the car and I spied with my little eyes members of the Kingdom Hall making their way to my front door. Why, oh, why, do they keep knocking on my door? I thought telling them "I'm Catholic" would scare them away forever. Not so...they continue to want to welcome me into their faith as they insist I read their literature. But, here's the thing, I have actually read some of it and I don't agree! I've told them this too, but yet, they still continue to knock. I've tried being nice but now I've just decided to "hide out!"

My mom and dad have long told stories of the Mormons recruiting in our neighborhood years and years ago. That was when my sister was a little girl. They also took the "hide out" approach, even going as far as hiding in the closet, so the story goes! It was entertainment and great fun as my sister held her tiny finger to her lips and whispered "shhhhhh, mormons soutside, mommy. Mormons soutside."

I do admire the tenacity of these religious warriors, but, I wish that I could somehow mark my door in such a way (like Gandalf in "The Hobbit") to let them know I've already made up my mind on this topic. I suppose though, that eventually, I may have to take up residence in my closet!

Oy!

Just a Dog

2008-10-29T07:49:00.001-07:00

My sister sent this to me this morning. I liked it so I'm sharing here. How many times do we hear this phrase from people who just don't get it. It's "just a dog!" And the author, though unknown, speaks to my heart! Click the image to get a better view. Enjoy!

Hmmmmm.....

2008-10-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Watched a report this morning on The Today Show on NBC. The reporter stated that early voting was going on in what could be a "historical election." Obviously he was talking about America possibly electing the first African American President in history. My thoughts? Uh, hello? Is not the opposite outcome equally historical? The first woman Vice President would also be a historical election. But, nah, there is no media bias going on, right?

And then there is this Halloween display in West Hollywood, CA. But it's okay because it's October and it's Halloween, so it's fair game, right?

Stay classy West Hollywood...

Get Thee To The Polls Or Else!

2008-10-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Cha-cha-ching!

MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT

2008-10-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

I love Charles Krauthammer! Enjoy reading his sensible approach to who is the best candidate in this election. Shake the fairy dust and get with the program people! :-)

By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, October 24, 2008; A19

Contrarian that I am, I'm voting for John McCain. I'm not talking about bucking the polls or the media consensus that it's over before it's over. I'm talking about bucking the rush of wet-fingered conservatives leaping to Barack Obama before they're left out in the cold without a single state dinner for the next four years.

I stand athwart the rush of conservative ship-jumpers of every stripe -- neo (Ken Adelman), moderate (Colin Powell), genetic/ironic (Christopher Buckley) and socialist/atheist (Christopher Hitchens) -- yelling "Stop!" I shall have no part of this motley crew. I will go down with the McCain ship. I'd rather lose an election than lose my bearings.

First, I'll have no truck with the phony case ginned up to rationalize voting for the most liberal and inexperienced presidential nominee in living memory. The "erratic" temperament issue, for example. As if McCain's risky and unsuccessful but in no way irrational attempt to tactically maneuver his way through the economic tsunami that came crashing down a month ago renders unfit for office a man who demonstrated the most admirable equanimity and courage in the face of unimaginable pressures as a prisoner of war, and who later steadily navigated innumerable challenges and setbacks, not the least of which was the collapse of his campaign just a year ago.

McCain the "erratic" is a cheap Obama talking point. The 40-year record testifies to McCain the stalwart.

Nor will I countenance the "dirty campaign" pretense. The double standard here is stunning. Obama ran a scurrilous Spanish-language ad falsely associating McCain with anti-Hispanic slurs. Another ad falsely claimed that McCain supports "cutting Social Security benefits in half." And for months Democrats insisted that McCain sought 100 years of war in Iraq.

McCain's critics are offended that he raised the issue of William Ayers. What's astonishing is that Obama was himself not offended by William Ayers.

Moreover, the most remarkable of all tactical choices of this election season is the attack that never was. Out of extreme (and unnecessary) conscientiousness, McCain refused to raise the legitimate issue of Obama's most egregious association -- with the race-baiting Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Dirty campaigning, indeed.

The case for McCain is straightforward. The financial crisis has made us forget, or just blindly deny, how dangerous the world out there is. We have a generations-long struggle with Islamic jihadism. An apocalyptic soon-to-be-nuclear Iran. A nuclear-armed Pakistan in danger of fragmentation. A rising Russia pushing the limits of revanchism. Plus the sure-to-come Falklands-like surprise popping out of nowhere.

Who do you want answering that phone at 3 a.m.? A man who's been cramming on these issues for the past year, who's never had to make an executive decision affecting so much as a city, let alone the world? A foreign policy novice instinctively inclined to the flabbiest, most vaporous multilateralism (e.g., the Berlin Wall came down because of "a world that stands as one"), and who refers to the most deliberate act of war since Pearl Harbor as "the tragedy of 9/11," a term more appropriate for a bus accident?

Or do you want a man who is the most prepared, most knowledgeable, most serious foreign policy thinker in the United States Senate? A man who not only has the best instincts but has the honor and the courage to, yes, put country first, as when he carried the lonely fight for the surge that turned Iraq from catastrophic defeat into achievable strategic victory?

There's just no comparison. Obama's own running mate warned this week that Obama's youth and inexperience will invite a crisis -- indeed a crisis "generated" precisely to test him. Can you be serious about national security and vote on Nov. 4 to invite that test?

And how will he pass it? Well, how has he fared on the only two significant foreign policy tests he has faced since he's been in the Senate? The first was the surge. Obama failed spectacularly. He not only opposed it. He tried to denigrate it, stop it and, finally, deny its success.

The second test was Georgia, to which Obama responded instinctively with evenhanded moral equivalence, urging restraint on both sides. McCain did not have to consult his advisers to instantly identify the aggressor.

Today's economic crisis, like every other in our history, will in time pass. But the barbarians will still be at the gates. Whom do you want on the parapet? I'm for the guy who can tell the lion from the lamb.

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!

Am I The Only One?

2008-10-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get e-mails from Mailer Daemon? Cameron and I were talking about this today because she had sent an e-mail to the Sean Hannity show and she said she got a Mailer Daemon e-mail back. Got me to thinking, what in the heck does that mean and how in the heck do you pronounce it?!? When we first got the internet many years ago I was kind of afraid of it. You know to let our kids freely roam out there on the information super highway. That was so long ago and the internet was still so new to us. We've come a long way since then! I still insist on them being careful and our family computer is in a family room but that Mailer Daemon sure did scare me in the beginning. I thought the Devil himself was e-mailing me! So, today, I decided to Google it. This is what I found:

MAILER DAEMON

So, I hope I helped you clear that up. I feel better...no need to call an exorcist afterall. Whew!

Ciao!

Tito Knows His Rights!

2008-10-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Way to go Tito Munoz! Please read the article below:

John McCain and an Army of Joes

What I've Learned (well some of it anyway!)

2008-10-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

When my journey into motherhood began I had a completely different view on many things than I do today. I took the investigative approach when interviewing preschool directors about the degrees their teachers had obtained. I was also intent on saving my girls from the evil that was Barbie. And my boys? Well, suffice to say "my boys would never play football." All of this has shaped the advice I sometimes offer to new parents...which is to say "never say never." What have I learned you might ask? Well, for starters, 1) it doesn't take a college degree for someone to lovingly teach my children their ABCs. 2) Barbie isn't evil at all. She grew up quite well here in our home while suffering the indignation of bad haircuts, amputated limbs, and almost constant nudity while residing in her town built from wooden blocks. And 3) Football is a helluva lot of fun! See evidence below...

Getting ready to rumble! Leighton sports his brother's #33...he has big shoes to fill.

This tackle netted a fumble and recovery by little man!

The helmet tap from his coach says "job well done."

Waiting for more action...

Comraderie exists between players and coaches too.

As for me...well, I'm still learning...and happy to do so!

Until next time,

While the Boys Are Away...Momma Will Play

2008-10-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

and eat Mexican food! Oh, my goodness...all three of my boys are off hunting in Cotulla with Cousin Kevin for the weekend. Now to decide what to do with myself. Oh, I could eat some more Mexican food. That's already started...a yummy Maria's Special from El Potosinos. It just doesn't get any better than that! And on the menu tomorrow, my favorite mexican casserole. David cringes when I make this but it's free game around here when he is gone. I may gain 10 pounds before they get home.

I actually like to have a little time at home without any boys here trying to boss me around. I'm kidding really. I'm glad that they get to go have fun and do some male bonding, you know, kill animals and eat them...all that stuff. And there are truly so many things I could occupy my time with while they are gone. Jacque has already started needling me about going to the mall. The truth is, I loathe shopping. I can think of about 25,000 things I'd rather be doing other than shopping. Including scraping the pig poop off the five pairs of shoes that are piled on my front porch. But, baby girl wants a new dress for homecoming next week and I'm sure I will drag my big butt to the mall and buy her one. Baby girl deserves a new dress. She's doing a great job in school and fulfilling all of her obligations in the extra curricular activities she is involved in. Maybe part of the reason I hate shopping so much are the stores we must visit in search of the prize. Seriously...here's a little run down on the stops we will make. Number 1 could possibly be The Gap. We saw a cute dress there the last time we went shopping. I really have no complaints about The Gap...I can handle this store so maybe it is a good starting point. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just stop here? Number 2: Charlotte Russe. UGH! I hate this store. Have you ever seen so much cheap, crappy merchandise crammed into one store. They rival Palais Royal! Occassionally we will find something that works so it is an obligatory stop. Number 3: Claire's. Too many people and too much plastic jewelry crammed in too small of a space. I'll wait outside! Number 4: "Welcome to Hot Topic! All of our dog collars are half price today! Let me know if I can help you!" Alright, I'm not going to be judging here, but seriously, who wants or needs a dog collar, okay?!? But what really bothers me about this store are the sales associates that are so committed to stretching their ear lobes. I can't stand to look at that! Why on earth does anyone want to stretch their ear lobes?!? Number 5: Hollister. Is it just me or is it really dark in here? Do you have the lights turned down so low so we can't see the outrageous prices on these little bitty clothes? Number 6: American Eagle. I can live with this store but I promise you we won't find a dress here. Number 7: Abercrombie & Fitch. Not going to find a dress here either but it's sometimes fun to shop the clearance rack. Smells good too! Number 8: Forever 21. More cheapie clothes and why are all these 40 something women in here shopping for themselves? Didn't they get the news bulletin...no mini skirts after 40, lol?!? Number 9: Express: We might actually find something here but will pay a pretty price. At this point, I won't care because I will be ready to head home to eat Mexican food!

And just in case you want to join me in the Mexican Food Free For All that will be going on over here this weekend, here is the recipe for one of my favorite casseroles. It is from the Galena Park Cook Book and is Diane Foshee's recipe. It is wonderful but oh, so fattening...you've been warned!

Diane's Mexican Dish

Soak 12 corn tortillas in 1 cup water + 2 T picante sauce. Drain before using.

Brown 2 pounds of hamburger with chopped onion; drain. Add small can of tomato sauce. Add: 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp cumin, 1 T chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 3/4 cup sliced ripe olives. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.

In another skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter and 2 T flour. Stir until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups milk; stir until thick and bubbling. Remove from heat and add 16 ounces sour cream. Put 1/2 tortillas in dish. Pour 1/2 meat, then 1/2 sour cream. Sprinkle 1 cup cheddar cheese. Repeat. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Do not overbake.

Yummy, I promise!

True Story...

2008-10-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

twine-thirty (or something like that!) Laura, please tell everyone what twine-thirty is! On to the story (a true story at that!) Most of you know that we raise pigs for FFA. Hey, it's fun and I love pigs. They are smart and sometimes sweet. We are currently raising a pig for our school show which takes place in November. Her name is Clover, she likes to eat and she can open her stall gate all by herself. I don't have any great pictures of her yet...I'm working on that. Anyway, I have a friend that I met through FFA. Her name is Christy. (I call her my pig friend and she doesn't even mind!) Christy and her son, Robby, have two pigs for the school show. Each FFA member can only show one animal in each breed which means one of them has to go. Christy and Robby have decided exactly which pig has to go and she is going to be made into tamales. I can't believe I just said that! OMG! That whole "going bye bye" thing is the part I hate the most about raising animals. Yes in the end they are, well...made into food. Okay, so, guess what? I have a friend (Anaida) who, it just so happens, has a sister-in-law who makes tamales. Christy spoke with Anaida about this the other day but she forgot to ask Anaida what part of the pig that her SIL would need to make the tamales. That was my task. Ask Anaida just exactly what cut of meat her SIL would require. The conversation went something like this:

Anaida: Hey Darla, I called my SIL about those tamales. She said she uses the head and the leg...you know the part above the thigh. Do you know what I'm talking about.

Me: Uh, well, no, actually you lost me at "head".

Anaida: (laughing) Well, that's what she said she uses.

Me: (gagging) Oh, Lord, Anaida, and all this time I thought I was eating roast in my tamales. That's what David said (the liar!) You mean to tell me I have been eating PIG HEAD!!!???!!!

Anaida: (laughing so hard she can't speak!)

Me: Uh, do you think that maybe a roast would do? I really can't imagine Christy carrying a pig head over to her! Ewwwww, seriously, Anaida....PIG HEAD???????

Anaida: That's what she said!

Now, I'm just going to tell you, I love (or loved) tamales! Love em! I can eat a whole dozen all by myself. Somehow...somehow...I don't think I am going to be eating anymore tamales anytime soon! Pig head...seriously????????

UGH!

How Do I Love Thee, Dear Internet...

2008-09-28T22:24:00.001-07:00

Let me count the ways!

Oh, my, I'm back...and I couldn't be happier! We came through Ike virtually unscathed...one tree limb down "by" our house and our power was restored less than a week after the storm but, our cable services just came back online tonight. And, oh, how I have missed it! Not having access to the internet has made me realize just how dependent I am. I go to the internet when I need a map, a phone number, a word defined, a recipe, an election update, check my e-mail, inspiration, traffic reports, weather updates, blog reading, homework help, to learn how to feed a pig, cow and goat...okay, you get the idea. I'm totally addicted to it! I should find a support group! Not only were we without our beloved internet but cable television as well. Which means that we have been seeing only bits and pieces of the actual destruction of Hurricane Ike. While browsing my favorite blogs tonight I came across this website posted on my friend Laura's blog. Words cannot describe how sad I am to see the total devastation of our beloved Galveston and the other coastal areas. I knew that it was bad but seeing these pictures has my heart breaking tonight. I know there are many who criticize Galveston with it's brown, sandy water but, it has always been a special place to me and my family. For years it has been a frequent diversion for us in the summer and in fact, we had planned a visit for the very day the storm came to town! I have no doubt that the city will be rebuilt smarter and more beautiful than before. My thoughts and my prayers are with those who begin the healing and rebuilding process and with those who have lost loved ones.

We took a short "hurrication" after Ike to my sister's house in Gruene. Although she was out of town on a business trip in Tennessee we stayed in her beautiful new home and got to visit with my mom and dad. The boys took a very short rapid ride on the Guadalupe River (it was cold!) and we visited the shops and just enjoyed the time spent with family. Leighton and August holed up in a kind of closet like space upstairs where my sister has exercise equipment and a TV and played video games. Cameron got a much needed haircut, our puppies got to visit with their cousins, we ate too much Mexican food and I scored a McCain/Palin sign for the front yard. On one of our shopping sprees Bubba bought me a new t-shirt. The slogan on the back is one uttered by Davey Crockett and exemplifies the spirit of Texans:

You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.

and this is how I know Galveston will be back...bigger and better!

Much love to all of you,

"Representin' the Devil"

2008-09-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

This is a "Leigh-Leigh" share. Tuesday night Leighton and I were on our way to the first FFA meeting of the year. As I turned to head to the barn he thought he saw our FFA president walking to the barn and said, "Mom, that's Kain. Turn around and pick him up. He's walking." The distance to the barn is very short from where we turned and I said, "No, Leighton, I've already turned. It's not that much farther...he can just walk." "Plllleeeaaasseee," he begged. "Oh, alright, I'll turn around, but, I really don't think that is Kain." He insisted that it was but as we approached he realized it wasn't and said, "Oh, you're right. That's not Kain, that's one of those kids representin' the Devil." "What?" I said, as I giggled out loud. "You know, one of those devil representin' kids," he said. "Oh, I see," I laughed. I thought it was funny that Leighton had this impression of this boy, who, from what I could see, didn't have any reference to the Devil on him at all. Maybe I was missing something? I mean, yes, he did have long, black hair...he was wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans (I think) and a variety of bracelets...maybe black Chuck Taylors, black rimmed glasses. "What makes you think that boy is representing the Devil?" I asked. "Oh, you know mom, just one of THOSE kids." "Well, I'm not sure I do know, Leighton." This is where I give the speech I have given them time and time again. You know the one...don't judge people on their appearance, what they look like, the color of their skin, don't judge people on first impressions...sometimes people are just projecting onto you how they feel about themselves, be nice, blah, blah, blah. But I do think it is funny that here my son is...maybe not passing judgement on someone, but definitely making an assumption based on the image this kid was projecting. Coming from kids who sometimes admit to thinking tattoos and piercings are cool, I just thought it was funny that his conservative side was showing! And this guy did actually show up at our meeting, so I'm hoping that Leighton will reserve his judgment until he actually gets to know him. At least that is my plan! :-)

my momma told me: pretty is as pretty does!

Until next time...

Breaking Ground on Technology

2008-09-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have to tell this story even though you will probably think I am a meanie when I'm done. First let me explain that my wonderful husband is not so...oh, what's a nice way to say this...hmmmmmmm....technologically advanced? Oh, not to worry, it doesn't bother him much. He just shrugs his shoulders and laughs when we tease him about discovering a text message on his phone that is three months old. Heck he didn't even know how to send a text message until a couple of weeks ago. He even told us that he could GET text messages but that his phone could not SEND text messages. Nonsense, I said, as I showed him how. Imagine my surprise when one day I actually got a text message from him! The kids and I could hardly believe it! WOWZERS! I'm a fine one to talk...I text in Abc mode...I've yet to figure out T9 (whatever that means, lol!)

Anyway, this story is about our handy, dandy VISA check card. You know the ones...you probably have one and know just how to use it. I have one (and I definitely know how to use it!) and David has one too. However, it does say VISA on it and I'm afraid that David thinks that means it is a credit card (something he is adamently against). Today we were in need of dog food and I had foolishly let us run out of checks. We write checks most of the time because there is carbon copy proof that you spent money, lol! David asked me if I wanted him to go to the bank and get cash and I said, "no, you can just use your check card." "Huh" his expression told me he was saying. "Just use your VISA check card," I said again. "Oh, I have one of those, that's what I have???" he asked. "I didn't know it worked at PetCo." Now here is where we start to tread on dangerous ground. We are on the "paycheck to paycheck" budget around here and it's all I can do to keep up with recording the checks that we write much less if he actually started using that thing! YIKES! So, what did I say in response..."Uh, yeah, I T-H-I-N-K it works at PetCo." Lord help us if he figures out any other places that take that card, lol! I don't think David reads my blog too often (and hopefully if he does it won't be until this post is buried somewhere, heehee) but, David, if you are reading...and you decide to use that VISA card in your wallet, will you please bring me the receipts? Love ya honey! :-)

Cheers!

Out of the closet...

2008-09-04T16:04:00.001-07:00

I've tried to be quiet over here but this is just too much! Now people are comparing Barrack Obama to Jesus...

Daily Kos

And then there is this from Planned Parenthood:

Life News

So, now who is out of touch...

This article sums up exactly how I feel about this year's election:

How Obama lost the election

No matter who you are voting for or who you think you are voting for this election cycle, I hope that you are at least keeping informed!

Cheers!

Baby Girl's Turn

2008-08-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

My baby girl had an assignment in English tonight to write a poem. The poem was to follow a certain style of a certain author (forgive me, I'm not exactly sure of the author but will update later.) I thought she did a wonderful job so I'm sharing it here with you...it is titled

WHERE I'M FROM

I am from Barney,
from sharing and caring.
I am from picking four leaf clovers
(short and green, they tasted like the earth).
I am from fearless feats,
jumping out of a tree
arms flailing, legs bent
into the water like glass.

I'm from crayons and Play Doh,
from carousels and ponies.
I'm from goody-two-shoes and cross my hearts,
from stove top baby and brown eyed girl.
I'm from whispered reprimands
in hard wood pews
and giggling through sermons.

I'm from David and Darla's branch,
lasagna and chicken nuggets.
From the pilot wings my grandfather left us,
the reassuring hug from a favorite cousin.
In the closet a plastic box
Filled with achievements grade one through ten,
the true tale of time passing.

I am from those moments,
a mere speck of pollen in a single rose,
waiting for my honey bee to find me.

Good job Jacque D, my little brown eyed girl!

So, you may be wondering, what in the world is a "stove top baby"? Well, let me explain. When Jacque was an infant August was very attentive to her. He liked to straddle her and rip her socks off while she slept peacefully in her bassinet. He loved her so much he would pinch her little cheeks and hug her just a little too hard. In an effort to keep her out of his reach I would strap her into her car seat and sometimes put her on top of the stove while getting the others ready to go somewhere or while preparing lunch. We started calling her the "stove top baby" and used to joke that the vent hood fan was her mobile. Poor little Jacque...she turned out pretty great in spite of it all!

Until next time...

Just one more day...

2008-08-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

and our summer vacation is over! I really hate for school to start. i will miss my babies being here with me during the day! Even though sometimes they drive me straight up the wall it is always sad for me when we start a new school year. We went shopping today to pick up a few last minute things...one of which was a pair of shoes for Leighton. He was in desperate need since his foot has grown yet again. He picked out a pair of black Puma's after shopping at several stores. When we were on the way home Jacque pulled them out of the box to look at them and to lace them up and she told Leighton, "now, I told you Leighton, you can't be running around acting crazy in these shoes." I asked her why and she said, "well, these are nice shoes!" She then commented on the shoe laces and how she thought the shoes would look better with another pair to which Leighton countered, "huh, I can just wear them without shoelaces." "No you can't!" she replied, "these are not Etnies!" Etnies are a brand of skater style tennis shoes and Leighton has owned a couple different styles. In fact, he had stuffed his size 9 feet into an old standby pair that were his favorites. He has worn the heck out of these shoes (sans shoelaces) and they are old, ugly and stinky. Don't ask me why i haven't thrown them out...I have no idea why. They do come in handy to wear to the barn I suppose. I told Leighton, "you know, maybe you should have gotten another pair of Etnies. Those have certainly held up well." He turned to Jacque and they gave each other that "ewwwwww" look and he said, "no, I kind of don't like Etnies anymore. They're too fat." Big sister Jacque put her two cents in as well, saying, "yeah, mom, Etnies are ugly and besides, Leighton needs some grown up tennis shoes now. It's time for him to grow up." We had a good laugh about that.

Later when we got home, I shared the conversation with August and he started laughing and said, "Jacquelyn is the one who needs shoes without shoes laces. Remember those curly ones you used to make her wear?" Now that really got us to laughing! Remember these?

Jacque was terrible about taking the time to tie her shoes and when she grew out of the Velcro shoes it was a constant battle between us. When I found the curly laces it solved our problem...they didn't need to be tied! I remember at one open house at school the teacher told me, "I have no problems at all with Jacquelyn. She's a wonderful student and such a sweet little girl. If I could just get her to tie her shoes!" I couldn't have agreed more. I could just hear the other kids at school whispering to one another about my baby girl..."see that girl over there, she NEVER ties her shoes!" as they rolled their eyes to the back of their head. Jacque has always marched to the beat of a different drummer when it came to clothing. Perhaps she was just making a fashion statement! When she was little she changed clothes all day long and it was usually something straight out of her brother's closet or drawer. Yep, she liked his clothes better than hers and if it was winter she wore tank tops and shorts. Summertime? Expect to find her in a sweat shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots. I did more laundry in those days than I care to remember. She had another odd trait too. She hated the bed sheets. Well, maybe she didn't hate them, but, she did love taking them off the bed. Everyone's bed! It drove me crazy! She even took other people's sheets off their bed. I remember one day I picked her up at a friend's house after a play date and the mom asked me, "Why does she take the sheets off the bed every time she comes over?" I had no idea then and I have no idea now. Maybe I should google it one day. There might just be some hidden meaning. Who knows!?

In any event, all of them will be starting school on Monday. Two in college and two in high school so I guess it is appropriate that Leighton will start school in his new grown up shoes and thankfully, Jacque has learned to keep her shoes tied, lol!

Until next time...

Lost in Translation

2008-08-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

I should start this post by explaining the title. It is an attempt to explain what happened at our home in the wee hours of the morning today and also my hope that in the telling of this story that it will not lose it's eventual hilarity.

Around 5:00 this morning there was a very frantic knock on our front door. No, let me correct myself...it was frantic banging and yelling. I woke up and asked David what it was and he said, "someone is at the door." Duh! I don't think too clearly when I first wake up! Anyway, as we both made our way to the door Cameron had already answered it. It was still dark outside and all I remember is a lady yelling and I heard the words "fire" and "old man". As I looked out I could see a blaze across the street and I quickly turned around to grab the phone to call 911. As I turned around, the rest of the family was behind me as we were all now wide awake. I didn't realize the lady at our door was a neighbor from down the street. I don't know what I was thinking at the time...I actually don't do so well in times of crisis. I kind of have a tendency to pant and hyper ventilate! I guess I thought that someone was driving by, saw a fire and was looking for someone to call the fire department...which I did. The 911 operator informed me that it had already been called in and that she had just seen the fire truck pass by on their way.

Now, here is where I have some explaining to do. I should explain that we are not a 1950's type of family who slumber peacefully every night in our pajamas. So here we have AT the door and tumbling OUT of the door people in their t-shirts and underwear, tighty whities and totally nude! You see, some of my children are not very modest and upon hearing the screaming and panic this morning one among us had actually stepped out on the front porch wearing only his birthday suit and that SOMEONE was none other than our very own Bubba! and like me, he had heard the words "old man" and "fire". Knowing that we have a very dear neighbor across the street I guess he was racing out the door to save him. In the confusion, I thought she was saying that there was a truck on fire and there was an old man inside. In any event it took Bubba a couple of minutes to realize he didn't have any clothes on! As I put the phone back on the charger and turned to face outside I saw his very bare bum! He must have realized it at that moment too because he turned around and said, "Oh, crap, I need to get some clothes on!" Meanwhile, Cameron was standing at the corner on her cell phone with a 911 operator in her t-shirt and underwear! Sheesh!!

Eventually we figured out what Norma (the knocking neighbor) was saying. She had heard the fire when it started and called it in, but 20 minutes later still no fire truck. She had been trying to wake our other neighbor who lives in the house next door to where the fire was because she was afraid his house was going to catch on fire. The bedroom where he and his wife sleep was very close to where the fire was. I am sure she was having a difficult time getting him to the door because he wears hearing aids which I doubt he sleeps in. In defense of the fire department, they are a volunteer force and most of the time when a fire occurs they are called from home and that is why the response time is a little longer than usual. David did manage to wake our neighbor and his wife to alert them, the fire department arrived and quickly doused the flames but it was pretty scary! No one was hurt but our neighbor did lose one of his trucks and possibly a second truck parked next to it. His carport has some damage too, but thankfully no one was hurt.

When we got back inside everyone decided they were going back to bed (except David). That was easier said than done...we were just a little hyper. Leighton came in my room and got in bed with me and he said, "man, Mom, I could just see Bubba on the front page of the newspaper with no clothes on holding an old man in his arms. The headline would read "ELDERLY MAN SAVED FROM FLAMES BY NUDE BOY!" Bubba's take on this? "Man, I'm mad...I thought I was going to get the key to the city!" Uh, I don't think so!

All is well and thank goodness for alert neighbors. I just hope everyone was as distracted to Bubba's nudity as we were but somehow I doubt it!

Until next time...

Congratulations Stacey Shay!

2008-08-19T15:05:00.001-07:00

Houston Rockets Power Dancer,
3 years in a row!
We knew you would do it!

What would you do?

2008-08-17T23:24:00.001-07:00

I was grocery shopping today at Kroger. As I walked down the chip/soda aisle I passed a woman who was trying to get the lid off of a can of Pringles. I thought to myself "hmmmm, wonder why she is doing that. Is she trying to see if they are sealed?" As I walked over to the dairy section I continued to watch her as she took out a chip and ate it? WTH?! I thought. She stood there a little while, holding the can, as if she was trying to decide if she liked that particular flavor. I suppose she decided they were worth the dollar as she placed the can in her basket. But, wait...she wasn't finished. I guess she decided she didn't actually want to purchase the can that already had a chip missing, so she put it back on the shelf and got another (leaving this one intact.) Can you imagine? I wanted to say something sooooo bad. The only reason I didn't is because she was an elderly woman. I suppose I should have told someone in the store but I was so stunned!

Last week when I was in Walgreens shopping one of the other customers struck up a conversation with me. She told me that when she was shopping at Sellers Brothers (another grocery store) that there were customers in the store that were swapping the large or extra large eggs out with the medium eggs that were on sale that week. She said, "Now I nose how other people are keeping ahead!" Geez, who knew the groceries we buy were so manhandled! I really can only imagine how difficult things must be for those who are surviving on social security alone. Makes my heart break!

On a happier note...I got carded today! Isn't that so cool! Well, it turns out that they card at Kroger if they think you are not over 40, but still...I told the cashier he could be my new best friend!

Until next time...

Tagged for a MeMe!

2008-08-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Carri at Sixteen Sisters to do a meme as follows:

The Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (See above.)
2. Mention the rules on your blog. (Here they are.)
3. Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the six blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Fellow bloggers I am tagging: (hope they play along!)

Laura
Tedra
Cassi
Lianna
Jill

Let's see what quirky, unspectacular things we can uncover!

1. I carry (in my purse) a list of the winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. I would really like to read all of them but haven't gotten very far along on reaching that goal. Unfortunately, our library has very few of them. In fact, on a library visit I could find not one on the shelves. Isn't that pathetic! I suppose if I ever get serious about this endeavor I will have to break down and buy them or find a better library.

2. I hate public restrooms! If you ever see me in one don't be surprised if I have my shirt over my face. I can't stand the smell!

3. I have a serious pen fetish. This one goes way back. I'm kind of picky about pens I use. I guess it stems from the days of copying things down. When I was in middle school I spent my lunch hour in the library feverishly copying quotes out of Bartlett's. I collected them! I also liked to transcribe albums. Even going as far as copying down the words from the Nixon/Kennedy debates from an album I checked out at the downtown Houston library (now that's a library!) It's all about the way the ink flows baby!

4. I (like Carri) have the problem with leaving my house for a trip without cleaning every nook and cranny. The refrigerator, polishing furniture, hell, once I even organized my recipe book. I'm getting better though...really, I am!

5. I have a little bit of a problem with throwing towels out. Seriously, I have some towels that are about 25-30 years old! We use them as hair towels but honestly you could watch TV through them.

6. And finally...oh, yes, I could go on...but I won't bore you any longer. Last unspectacular quirk of mine...I would love to own and operate a petting zoo. It just keeps getting weirder, right?

I'm voting for her!

2008-08-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

I told you this election was going to get interesting...and funnier too! I saw this over on Becker's blog. Watch it...it's too funny!

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

And, just in case you are wondering...no, Becker is not a personal friend of mine. I just stalk him. Well...I'm not the only one! Other people do too! I stalk him because he is amazingly talented, funny, cool, hip, likes baseball and poker, loves his nephew and he's cute too...so there! Plus, he found this hilarious video and I think you should watch it now! :-P

On another note, why are they talking about John Edwards affair on Nightline? Seriously...Nightline!?! Oh, Ted Koppel, where are you?

There's a new kid in town...

2008-08-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! David and Leighton picked up a goat today north of Brenham. Isn't he a cute little guy! His name is BAAAAA-B (that's pronounced Bob). heehee!

Well, actually, he's not a kid...he's a wether. Do you know what a wether is? It's a castrated male goat. Now, see, you learned something new today!

Ever wonder what the inside of a goat's mouth looks like?

Well, now you don't have to wonder anymore!

I don't know why he settled right down once David took over. Maybe he heard about the afternoon massage sessions!

There are lots of new animals in the barn as we gear up for our fall show. These cute little kittens live at our barn too. Aren't they just the cutest things ever? If you would like to have one, let me know. They will be ready to leave their mother soon. You do want one, don't you?!????

Momma kitty...

Stick around...some day I am going to tell this little guy's story.

Stirring the pot...

2008-08-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

Today, because I was terribly bored of all the talk of Edouard, I switched over to a news channel and caught a little bit of political news. Pretty damn funny if you ask me. I caught a couple of clips of John McCain and Barack Obama bashing one another. Oh, this one is going to get interesting. Points scored by McCain today as he took jabs at Obama regarding his comments at a St. Louis town hall meeting. Obama suggested that steps such as inflating tires to the correct levels could make a difference. Now, I'm sorry but while, yes, it may be true...you have to admit it's pretty damn funny! I do know that posting something political here I run the risk of being bashed myself but I usually do have an opinion about EVERYTHING! So, in the spirit of "who's blog is this anyway?" I'm going out on a limb. I kind of can't get past this anyway:

Response from the Obama camp on this one was that sometimes he puts his hand over his heart when the national anthem is playing and sometimes he doesn't. Hello! When you are running for the Democratic nomination or for president you might want to try to remember to do it ALL of the time! Being a Photoshop user myself I checked out the validity of the e-mail that the above photo was a part of at snopes.com and yep...it was true. Not necessarily that he REFUSED to put his hand over his heart but, yeah, well...he forgot. Oops! Check this out though (pause the playlist over there on the right and listen to this):

Have mercy...who the hell is that singing?!

GSP

2008-07-31T08:25:00.001-07:00

We spent two weeks at Garner State Park recently and had a blast. David and I both vacationed at Garner as kids and have been taking our children for many years. We are as enchanted now as we were when we were younger and the park is still just as beautiful! Getting to Garner is always an ordeal, as packing and actually "leaving" for vacation are not my strong suits. David usually leaves a day ahead of me and the kids so he can get in line to get a good spot. This year it was raining on the day of check in and he had a difficult time to say the least! Setting up tents in the rain is not an easy task. And, yes, I said tent...we are still tent campers. That is not to say we do without air conditioning...oh, no, we bring the air conditioning with us. We added a new tarp to our camp this year, complete with sidewalls and it was wonderful. The kids dubbed it their "cabana" and at night we caught up on our movie watching after the dance. Here are a few "great" and "not so great" moments from our trip.

Not so great...arriving on the first night in the rain. David had the tent set up and one tarp (minus the sidewalls). He was asleep in the tent (exhausted I'm sure!) on our raised air mattress bed. It was pretty obvious that it was losing air when I peeked in so I decided to sleep under the tarp with the kids on a cot. It was raining and the wind was blowing rain on us but we just covered our heads with blankets and went to sleep. Definitely not the best night's sleep I have ever had.

Great...not getting sick after sleeping in the rain!

Not so great...the river was really low this year due to a lack of rain in the area.

Great...the river was great because, well...it's the Frio River baby!

Not so great...a day at the laundromat washing clothes.

Great...A day at the laundromat made better because your oldest daughter volunteers to help and after doing laundry all day allows you to take pictures of her like this:

Not so great...we really missed DJ this year. :-(

Great...being asked to photograph the annual frisbee football games. I almost feel like I am part of the gang. Thanks guys! "you like me, you really, really like me!" :-)

Not so great...the flies, bees and skunks were out in full force!

Great...ping pong was fun this year (compliments of Curt and Teresa).

Not so great...the guys not getting to play washers because it is too loud (according to our handy, dandy park ranger). That is why y'all didn't play isn't it? You guys aren't getting old are you???

Great...horseback riding in Utopia. There's this really great place to ride horses in Utopia that we learned about a couple of years ago compliments of Danny. It's great because it is less of a nose to butt guided horse ride and more of a "here, take my horses out on my property and ride them. Stay an hour to an hour and a half, or as long as you like." The kids really love it! I just kind of like going to see Billy, the proprietor, so to speak. Billy is an old cowboy who is a little on the cantankerous side, tall and skinny and he doesn't mince words. I think he was a little impressed that I could get on a horse unassisted though. HA! So impressed, in fact, that he asked me to be the guide. It seems that he had given the day off to the two young caballeros who work for him. I was actually planning on sitting on his front porch and reading while the kids rode, but, much to my dismay I was chosen to be the guide. And let me just give you a piece of advice, okay? Go to the bathroom BEFORE you set out for your ride. Okay, that's probably too much information, but, take my advice, okay? You'll be glad you did. :-)

Not so great...the dead horse we saw on Billy's property. We asked him about it and he said, "I been tore up about it all day." I'm so sorry Billy!

Great...seeing old friends. We always run into people at Garner, usually people we went to school with that we haven't seen in years. It's always great to see George and Diane Foshee, Garner's iconic couple. Another great friend we see every year is Billy and Ruthie Rogers and their little dog, Maddie. Isn't she the cutest thing ever!

Here's a funny story about them too. When we left this year we decided to leave our barbeque pit behind because it was kind of on it's last leg (literally) and it was a cheapie. Not wanting to put it in the dumpster and thinking that the next group of campers might put it to good use, we just left it at the campsite. Ruthie was camped a couple of spots over and stayed a week longer than us. Apparently, she thought we had forgotten it because one week later I got a knock on the door and it was Billy (her husband) wanting to know if we had left it intentionally. I said, "well, David did, but, hey...I'm glad you brought it!" Now that's a great friend and a great husband too!

Great...dancing under the hill country skies with my boys!

Not so great...Luci and Zoe really don't like camping...or swimming either for that matter!

Great...having Luci and Zoe on vacation with us.

Not so great...no mexican food while camping! Boo hoo!

Great...lots of other good food, including s'mores and our annual seafood night!

Not so great...showering. Need I say more. I hate public facilities!

Great...the sink David constructed for us. At least we have a great place to brush our teeth, wash our hands and do the dishes!

Great...Boxer night at the dance.

Not so great...someone complaining about boxer night at the dance. Of course these guys had on slider shorts under their boxers. Seriously folks!

Great...seeing our good friends, the Galbans.

Not so great...we really did miss you this year, Tim! :-(

Great...our very own infomercial performed by Mo with his slicer/dicer/chopper thingy. I still gotta get me one of those!

Not so great...no place to erect the volleyball net!

Great...Lauren's volleyball serve and Travis' sunglasses! HEEHEE!

All in all it was another great year...even though there were some things (and people) missing. One of the best moments was something I overheard one night. Cameron and Jacque were sharing an air mattress to sleep. Jacque was complaining about how Cameron had her knees in her back all night. Cameron and Jacque are eight years apart and have always loved one another but I have to say, I'm not sure they've done a lot of sisterly bonding over the years. I have always wished they were closer to one another. One night they were kidding around and I told them "you guys need to get in bed if you are going to get up early and go hiking." Jacque said, "yeah, come on Cameron, come put your knees in my back already." They went off to bed and I heard them giggling and laughing together. It was music to my ears.

Tent: $150.00
Air mattress: $49.00

Listening to your girls giggle and laugh under a starry, Texas sky: priceless!

Until next year!

BTW: If you want to swipe any of my photos from Garner feel free to do so. You can click on the slideshow in the sidebar on the right and it will take you to Picasa where you can right click and download all you want! I'll leave it up for a while.

Vacation and lost dogs

2008-07-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

We are home from vacation and I'm trying to catch up on everything, including visiting the daily blogs I read. I was so very sad to see that Pioneer Woman's dog had disappeared...I mean really, really sad. Just go take a look at her precious Nell and you will be sad too! I just knew that she would come home, but no such luck as of yet. Maybe if we all pool our powers of positive thinking she will return. I sure hope so!

The lost dog story has me reminiscing of two occasions that our family rescued dogs who had apparently lost their "people". The first was an adorable Dachsund Cameron encountered one evening as she walked home from a friend's house. This was also prior to Zoe and Luci joining our family and our children longed to own a dog. I am allergic to dogs and cats so this was always a hard topic for me. I am a dog lover and at this time did not know there was such a thing as a "hypo allergenic" dog. In any event, Cameron walked in that evening holding the young dog close, saying she had found him and, of course, wanting to know if we could keep him. I agreed with her that he was a cutie and that I would love to keep him but reminded her of my allergy to dogs and told her that he obviously belonged to someone else. He was well cared for and he was wearing a collar. The collar gave no indication as to who he belonged so I told Cameron we would have to post signs in the neighborhood to help find his owner. The usual begging and pleading ensued but I stood my ground and told her she would have to make signs the following day. "It was the right thing to do." She made a good argument as she countered, saying, "well, if his owners don't care enough about him than to let him roam the streets at night then they don't deserve him!" I told her that, yes, that might be the case but maybe he just got out and to imagine how sad someone must be to have lost their dog, especially if it was another child. I did allow that if no one responded to her signs that we would "consider" keeping him. She stomped off to her room. The next morning I told her it was time to make signs. She went into her room and dutifully made the signs and even rode her bike around the neighborhood with a hammer and nails, nailing them to telephone poles. She came home and we began our wait. I was quite surprised that we did not receive a phone call right away. I'm not exactly sure how much time had passed but I could tell that Cameron was beginning to imagine herself the proud new owner of a Dachsund puppy. Hmmmm...I was puzzled. The mystery was solved when I set out to run errands one day and came across one of her signs. They were written in yellow HI LITER! Yes, yellow hi liter! I couldn't help giggling to myself at her attempts to keep this little puppy. He was such a cutie! Long story short, someone did decipher her signs (and actually before I got around to writing over the yellow hi liter) and the puppy was reunited with his rightful family. They were very happy and grateful, even rewarding Cameron for her good citizenship with a cute little stuffed wienie dog. It was of little consolation to her but at least she did learn a valuable life lesson.

The second "lost dog" story for your enjoyment (you are enjoying this, right?) occurred about two years ago. I was driving home from the feed store when Jacque called to say that there was a little puppy on our front porch. "Oh, my goodness!" I said, "where did he come from?" She said she didn't know, that he was just lying by our front door when she got home. I asked her what he looked like, if she recognized him as one of the neighbors' dogs to which she replied no. I told her I would be home in a few minutes and we would talk about it more when I got there. It was raining and she told me that he was cold and shaking and that she had put a cover over him. She also threw in how darn cute he was. Great, I thought to myself. They are going to want to keep him. Not that I am opposed to dogs, but two are definitely enough. Our oldest Maltipoo, Zoe, is not too fond of newcomers anyway. I started lecturing myself, saying in my head "no matter how much they beg and plead you cannot keep this dog!" When I got home all of the kids were on the front porch huddled around the little guy. They had him wrapped in a towel and were saying things like, "awwwww, look momma, isn't he sooooo cute, poor thing, he's cold." and the inevitable "can we keep him? He's so cute!" "No, no," I said, "we already have two dogs and I'm SURE he belongs to someone and besides, you know I am allergic to that kind of dog. We just can't keep him. We'll put up signs and if no one claims him then we will try to find him a good home." I sat down on the bench outside to check him out. My kids know how soft hearted I am and started pleading again. "PLEEZE, momma, can we keep him, please?! We already have a name picked out for him!" "Oh, gawd! No guys we can't keep him. I'm sure he already has a name AND an owner." "PLEASE!!!" they cried in unison. "What did you name him?" I asked as I felt my resolve weakening. "GOLD WIENER" they shouted. "Gold Wiener?" I asked incredulously and a quick look to the referenced anatomy explained the name. The dog did in fact have a gold...well, errrr....wiener. "Ewwww," I said. "I don't even like boy dogs. No, we can't keep him." I should probably explain that the propensity for naming animals in such a fashion is something we have always done. After all, we had Hefty the cat who wiled her way into our home via our trash can. Hefty came to us pregnant and died a short time after giving birth to three adorable kittens which we bottle fed and named Houdini (because he escaped the kennel frequently), Evinrude (because she purred like a motor boat) and Norman Bates (because he acted so crazy when nursing on his bottle). There has also been Piccolina (the Italian word for small) the pig; Bluebonnet, our cat with incredibly blue eyes, a white puppy named Desdemona and of course our Brahman calf, aptly named Cassius Clay because he had to put up a good fight to enter this world. I could go on, but you get the idea!

Anyway, I really have always had a diversion to boy dogs. Maybe it's because they hike their legs on things or maybe I just can't get past that day so long ago when Cameron asked me, "Mommy, why does that dog have a red crayon?" So I knew in my heart that even if someone didn't claim this dog, we weren't keeping him. After all, he had that gold wiener! :-) I told the kids they could bring him in and put him in the garage. We fed him and made a bed and as I suspected, Zoe hated him. I would open the garage door to check on him and feel so guilty about not letting him in the house. Gold Wiener, on the other hand, was just grateful to be in out of the rain. The next day we put out signs and began the wait and that's when GW started working on melting my heart.

As time went on I told myself how mean I was being by making GW stay in the garage. I mean, he went outside to potty but he KNEW there were two other dogs living inside. Gradually I began to allow him in the house for small amounts of time. He was sooo sweet and so unassuming as Zoe promptly bossed him around. And much to my amazement, he didn't seem to bother my allergies. Gold Wiener was a good listener too. He wasn't offended that he wasn't allowed on the furniture or that I insisted on keeping him within my field of vision. Eventually, GW was spending more and more time in the house instead of in the garage. Why, I am quite sure he felt as though he was a member of our family. I even let him lay on the couch with me at night with the other dogs to watch TV. Honestly, I thought, if he keeps that gold wiener to himself, I just might be able to live with this dog!

I'm sure David suspected this because as quickly as I was becoming accustomed to the idea of having three dogs he began an intense quest to find GW a home. Oh, don't get me wrong, David liked GW too, but, he knew we didn't need yet another animal to care for. I conceded as our neighbor showed an interest in him. That would be perfect, I imagined. Gold Wiener could live next door and we could visit him. But, alas, she decided against it. The next candidate was a co-worker of David's named Manuel. David said Manuel would be stopping by to see Gold Wiener and to decide if he wanted to have him as his very own. A couple of days went by and Manuel didn't come and once again I was secretly happy to be the owner of three dogs. I had become quite fond of GW. I remember one night in particular. I was laying on the couch watching movies. I had allowed GW to lay on the covers with me and dozed off only to wake with not just one dog lying asleep beside me...but three...and I thought, "Oh, what a lucky girl am I!" HA! Just as I was beginning to think Manuel had forgotten about GW, David came home from work with him. Manuel came in and I sat in the chair, holding GW and petting him, trying to fight back the tears, telling Manuel that if he needed to go home and think about it that I was totally okay with that. "No," he said, "I'll take him." Can you believe it? Here I sat crying over a dog I wasn't going to keep, wouldn't let in the house, thought I would be allergic to, absolutely hated his gold wiener and yet...somehow, I had grown attached! I handed Gold Wiener over to Manuel with strict instructions on how to be a good pet owner and turned to go back in the house. David came in trying to comfort me but I have to admit I had a good cry. The next day David came home with news that Gold Wiener had been renamed as Biscuit (perhaps it was for the best) and had taken his first shopping trip to Pet Smart where his new owners had bought him a dog carrier, new bowls and collar, treats and a t-shirt. Well, I did feel better and I really don't think we could have found a better home for him. Biscuit is Manuel's wife's constant companion every where she goes and they love him very much. So, now instead of being Gold Wiener the Garage Dweller he is Biscuit on a Pedestal. I suppose it was a job well done on our part and I know that he lives in a happy home.

Here is a picture of Gold Wiener at the annual company picnic which he attended with his new family.

And here he is with his new family:

Last but not least, the house dwellers, Zoe and Luci on vacation this year at Garner State Park. Can you tell who is the boss? See Zoe's protege over there on the left...she won't even look at Zoe but she does believe in fair and equal treatment, especially when it comes to food!

Now, if only Nell would come home I would feel all better. I'm not throwing in the towel just yet!

I'll talk about vacation later. It was another great year on the Frio, enjoyed with friends and family and filled with fun and laughter.

Graduation Day

2008-06-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

We have another high school graduate in our midst. Our very own Bubba! You might say that lately this blog has kind of been an "all about Bubba" blog. I suppose it IS because I know our little boy is growing up. I think it would be safe to say that it makes me a little melancholy. We've had a great time this year...Friday night football, the baseball games, the boy's beauty pageant, the school play, livestock shows, road trips, skiing, pigs, cows and baby calfs. August has definitely had a wonderful senior year. I know he is glad to be done with high school and on to the next phase in his life but for me, well, yeah, I'm a little sad! I wanted to share the senior yearbook ad I put together for him. There's a little story that goes along with it...naturally, lol! When August was a little boy I would read a book or two at naptime to he, Jacque and Leighton. The two little ones would drift off to sleep but August always wanted "just one more story, Mommy?" So, I began to make up stories about a little boy named August. The "make believe" August went on many adventures and August loved the stories I told him. When I started gathering photos for his ad I decided to incorporate that memory. This is what I came up with: (click on the photo for a better view!)

And a few pictures of graduation:

As they all marched in I immediately started to get teary eyed. And then...I noticed that August had not tightened his tie. For heaven's sake boy, button that top button! Not to worry, I ran down the aisle and shouted it out to him. I'm sure he loved that!

I couldn't help getting choked up when the kids joined hands and sang the school song. Why? Well, it might be because this is MY school song too. You see, David and I both attended Galena Park High School. Or it might be that I remember when most of these kids were in kindergarten, or junior high and I wonder how time went by so quickly. Or it might just be because I like to hold hands and holding hands with your friends and singing your school song on this day of great accomplishment is just more than I can handle. :-)

Yeah, you might just say we are all just a little proud...

Reach for the moon Bubba, if you miss you will land amongst the stars! We love you!