YMCA Winter Wonderland

Our family found out about a YMCA family day at a YMCA camp that is literally only one mile from our house. We went and had a lot of fun. Both girls went on a horse trail and it was the first time that they had ridden a horse all by themselves. We also paddled a canoe on a very small lake, played pin the nose on Rudolph, horseshoes around candy cane sticks, and practiced our roping skills with a real lasso. The girls were fed cookies by Mrs. Claus, went on a hayride, Kaytlynn climbed a rockwall and Delaney bounced around in a bounce house. They also pet a goat...that was part of a petting zoo, but we showed up late, and he was the only one left.

Todd missed most of the day because he was meeting the insurance adjuster and roofer. We have been trying to get the insurance to cover our new roof...instead of them choosing to just "patch" the two large holes on the west side of our house. 2 previous adjusters said that the rest of the roof looked "terrific" and "great". We felt that the lifting of the shingles proved differently. Our prayers were answered when this new roofer showed the 3rd adjuster, shingle by shingle why we needed a new roof. We are so excited and thankful. It is sad to say and see first hand that the insurance people really aren't fair and have no problem taking advantage of you...I guess Ill post more this later, because this was post was actually supposed to be a "Hallelujah, it's finally over" post.

I hope everyone is having a great Christmas break!

Things I've Done...

So, I am wanting to create a bucket list...just haven't done it yet. Maybe that is something I can do over Christmas break...but I probably will just put it off again.

Anyway...I think that "want" caused me to like this list. It might not be filled with all of the things that I personally want to accomplish in my life, but it is a way to see that I've done a lot and still have a lot to do.

Put the items you've done in bold. I've italicized things I want to do.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon (ok, maybe a half, or just a 5K)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (do home movies count)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (I am counting Discovery Toys)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (but I have had a story published)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

SNOW DAY

Some of you aren't that familiar with Houston, Texas. The quick run down of the weather in Texas is that it is Hot and Humid. We are talking Africa hot. The summer starts in April and temps stay in at least the 90s until the end of October most of the time. The real zinger though is the humidity of it all. The heat index is above 110 a LOT of the time. Winter is not so constant. Winter is lovely most days, but there are MANY days that you flip the thermostat monitor of your home from A/C to heat IN THE SAME DAY!!!! Yesterday was in the 70s and we were wearing shorts outside. Today it is in the low 40s and will get down to the 30s by this evening.

Well...2 weeks ago we had snow. Ive seen it snow in Houston...I'd say it has happened 5 or 6 times in the 34 years I have lived here. But never like this. It started at about 4 when I was at my school getting ready to leave. I take Kayla to church each Wed. night for AWANAS and her mother called me about 5 minutes after dropping her off to tell me about it. We went outside, played and Kimmie took pics. with her handy camera. It was very small flurries and they would melt as soon as they touched you or the ground, but it was still fun.

We went to pick the girls up for Carmen's and they had already played a little in it, but did so again when Ms. Kim took them out there for some fun. By this time, the snow was starting to stay on the ground and cars. I didn't watch this, but Kim said they were making snowballs from the snow off of the hood of people's cars. Delaney got whacked in the eye accidentally, but was having so much fun that she didn't cry about it until that night! Then they started eating it and then....they gathered it off the outside of a trash can and ate it.....yep...kimmie said it was done before she even knew it was happening. So my girls mouths and tongues are going to fall off, but they got to play in snow. (We had a BIG discussion about germs that night ) Kimmie decided it was best, at that point, to go back inside!

We took a few pics of the girls outside again. It was Kayla's first snow, and it was also Baby Evan's (which is why Kimmie always has that camera with her). We left and had dinner at the church and then, instead of going to AWANAS right away, we skipped the first 30 minutes and let the girls play in the snow again. By this point the snow was nice and heavy and was gathering quite nicely. It was beautiful and the night was filled with innocence, giggles and wonder. I think I enjoyed that more than I did the snow.

Of course, it was all gone by noon the next day, but I think it will be a day the girls remember it for a long time.

Thanksgiving...

Last week, I stayed home from work 1/2 of Wed, and all of Thursday to take care of Delaney. She had a really high fever...104 at times. She had no other symptoms.

We were planning on going to Denton today so that we could enjoy Thanksgiving tomorrow with my parents, sister, etc. I woke up to someone coughing this morning. Its Kaytlynn and its November, so that isn't that big of a deal. I give her some cough syrup and that was the end of that. Only it wasn't the end. At about 2 today, I feel her and she is burning up. I take her temp and it actually isn't that high...101. I still plan on going up there, thinking...it will go down. Ummm, it didn't. We are at 103 at 9:00 tonight and holding.

So, it doesn't look like we will be headed up there tomorrow either. Maybe we can get there by Friday. Poor baby is sleeping a lot and she doesn't want to eat anything but apples! Not that I am complaining about her wanting to eat apples, but wow...she has only eaten 4 apples and drank water today.

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful Thanksgiving! Id be more bummed than I actually am, but I get to go to Dallas for 2 weeks for Christmas...so I really can't complain!

Joyland Christmas Concert

Todd, Judy, Delaney, and Kaytlynn in the gym after the program...

Kaytlynn and Delaney up on stage during the program...

Kaytlynn during her movement part

Last night, the girls performed in their very first Christmas concert at church. It was called Joyland Christmas. It took place in an old toy store so the kids were dressed up as toys. Kaytlynn and Delaney were both Tinkerbell fairy dolls. Kaytlynn had a "movement part". She danced around with large ceramic plate that had an O on it....put the plates together and it spelled JOY! She thought that she was just too cute up there twirling with her plate. We were quite proud of her. Delaney sat nicely and sang her little heart out. Every once in a while, people would be swaying as they they were swinging, and I guess she just got caught up in the "spirit"of things and started twirling round and round. It was hilarious. Then towards the end, Delaney was sitting cris-cross on the floor like all the other children and her head started to nod. She finally was asleep up their sitting straight up and then you see her fall forward so hard that her head bounced twice on the stage. But even that didn't wake her up. Within about 5 minutes, she was out of her uncomfortable criss cross position and just sprawled out on the stage asleep. Todd and I laughed till our sides hurt.

We had cookies, cake and punch after service in the gym and it was fun talking with everyone afterwards!

Cooper Fricks...

I don't think I have blogged about Cooper on here. Cooper is the love of my little Delaney's life. She is my shy, quiet thinker, who really doesn't have a lot of time for friends. She is usually on her own and very happy to be so. Last year she started talking about playing with Cooper at church. We were quite happy to hear of her block building and story reading adventures with him. Then it became...can we go to church today to see Cooper (on a Tuesday or Thursday). We were really happy about this, because until then...church had not been her "thing".

She still has no idea about boyfriends or even love, and we try to have her tone her affection down...wondering what in the world she tells this poor child. Well, we found out today...Cooper feels the same way. His mother Leila is my friend. We go are in the same Sunday school class and we go to the occasional weekend scrapbook getaways together. Leila informed me that Delaney is the only reason he will go to choir on Sunday nights! Otherwise, he doesn't want to go.

Im editing this because tonight we had the Christmas program. Cooper was dressed up as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. His costume had built in muscles and as Leila looked in on them, she said Delaney was pinching his muscles while oooing and ahhhing at their size! Wow do we have our hands full!

Little People and Weebles Rock!

This is just my opinion, but I believe that The Little People Toys and Weebles have to be some of the best toys EVER made. I started buying Little People when Kaytlynn was about 1 and soon found Weebles as well. She loved them. Delaney loved them. Actually they BOTH STILL LOVE THEM. They don't play with them in the house anymore, but we keep them in the garage in a large bin and they pull them out and set up a large town in the driveway. I mean...they are 61/2 and almost 5 and they are still playing with the same dang toys they were playing with 5 years ago. Its great imagination play. They act out books or favorite scenes from movies or just make up their own story line. We sometimes have 5 or 6 kids from the street sitting in our driveway playing with these toys.

So if you have a little one and don't know what to get them for the upcoming Christmas holiday...you might look into them on the web. In FACT...Little People actually have a terrific SINGING nativity set up...stable, animals, shepherds, wise men, and Jesus Mary and Joseph...Tres Cool!

Shake Shake Shake Senora

Okay...I think that Saturday Night by the Bay City Rollers has now been surpassed. My girls love Harry Belafonte's Shake Shake Shake Senora. I told someone yesterday that if they only knew what a Las Vegas show girl was...they would know their life's true calling.

BUSY CHILDREN ARE HAPPY CHILDREN

Ive been meaning to share this with those with little kids that can do simple crafts. My sister and I recently just made a shared order with Oriental Trading Co. Most of their cute little crafts come in packs of 6 or 8 or 12. They are so darn cheap and cute, but who needs 12. BUT she has 3 kids and I have 2, so we split things and shared the cost. We are making foam teepee's and log cabins, along with pilgrim and Indian friends. We are making Thanksgiving trees. We are playing with glitter glue, making Christmas ornaments, necklaces and bracelets, etc. I can't tell you how much fun the girls are having will all of this stuff. We do an activity just about everyday and it is keeping them busy and happy. Also, if you have one that needs to work on fine motor skills, its a great way to do it.

So next time you see an oriental trading magazine, take a look and see if a friend wants in on it!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH

That is Kaytlynn's theme song this holiday season. She lost her first top tooth about a month ago and now her second top tooth is gone. She lost it 2 nights ago. It was dangling by a thread. She still wouldn't pull it, so when I told her I was going to, she flipped out! The last time I pulled her tooth, she bit down, just as I was getting ready to pull it. That made the jagged tooth go up into her sore gum and didn't feel that great, but when I convinced her to open it, it popped right out. No pain at all...in her words, not mine.

I thought that would make her calmer this time. NOPE! She started screaming and in the process, bumped her head into my shoulder and made the tooth turn sideways (Like I said, it was really dangling). This made her lose it. We got the whole thing on video tape. The funniest part is she goes from scream to laughter, the SECOND that I pull it! She loves how she looks (probably because we brag on her so much.) You will find her admiring her smile in the mirrors in the bathroom. It is quite adorable.

Penguin Day

This past Wednesday was Penguin Day at Kaytlynn's school. They have done a 2 week unit on penguins including each child doing a report and life size artwork on a specifically assigned penguin. Kaytlynn was given the King Penguin which happens to be 36 inches tall (who would have guessed). We pulled out the tape measure and marked where it's head should be and feet should be, opened a book to a good picture of a penguin and let her go. I made sure to draw the details of the special markings for her, but other than that, she was on her own and did such a good job. All the kids wore black and white for school. Kaytlynn got a sparkly penguin shirt and got to pass goody bags out to all her friends. I had Kaytlynn and Delaney decorate plain white lunch bags with penguin stickers and stamps and sparkly snowflakes. Then I placed a penguin ornament, a black velvet pencil, stickers, peppermints, penguin finger puppets, and a small wooden penguin to paint inside. Kaytlynn thought that she was just too smart.

I just can't say how much I love Kaytlynn's teacher this year. She is a good teacher and really tries to bring fun to each and every lesson that she does with the kids.

Trick or Treat

Yesterday was Halloween. For school I dressed up as Mary Poppins. The kids loved it...even though the ones that didn't "get it" thought I as a witch. Don't all witches wear a hat with daisies all over it?

I went to pick the girls up from Carmen and she said the girls had been asking her "when is mommy coming" all day long, because they were so excited about going to the fall festival at church.

We went home and got all dressed up. Kaytlynn was dressed as a movie star and Delaney was dressed as Alexa from Barbie and the Diamond Castle (although she could never remember Alexa's name, so when people asked who she was, she just smiled and looked up at me!) I put both their hair up in a bun. Todd came home and dressed up as a Hershey Kiss. The girls love the fact that we dress up and it makes the inconvenience and expense of it all worth it.

We got to the church at about 7:00. The girls played a few games for candy and then went to ride the "train" which is a small tractor that pulls little barrels behind it that the kids sit in. We went to the petting zoo to play with rabbits, chickens, goats, sheep, and a llama. We went to the bounce house, played a few more games and went home exhausted. The girls had a great time and were busting at the seams from all the sugar. I think they were most excited about the 2 liter of coke they both won at a ring toss.

We came home and let them walk to our next door neighbors, Felix and Barbara, to say Trick or Treat, and then went to bed. I think everyone was asleep by 9:30, which is a huge rarity around our house. It was a great family evening.

Noah Found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord

My Momma and Daddy were HUGE Southern Gospel Fans. Most of my memories of Sunday mornings, aren't necessarily of going to church (although many are since we faithfully went every Sunday). No, a lot of my memories of my mother making a warm breakfast (monkey bread being my favorite), and the Gaithers, The Blackwood Bros. or the Statler Bros. literally BLARING throughout the home. My dad and I would sing along while getting ready to go to church. My favorite was the Statler Bros. I learned all 12 disciples through these songs, and many other bible stories and verses. I can still give you all 12 disciples names...although, you would have to be prepared for me to sing them to you...its the only way I can do it!

Anyway. My favorite song was from The Statler Bros. Old Testament album called Noah found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord. I remember waiting with eagerness for God to scream out "Noah, Hurry Up and Shut the Door! and giggling over how funny that part was.

This week, Kaytlynn's verse was Genesis 6:8..."But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." You can guess how thrilled I was. I had a ball downloading it right off of Walmart.com and letting Kaytlynn and Delaney dance to it. They don't listen to country very often (because we don't) so it was funny watching them "square dance" to it. It made me want to share all of those songs with them.

And what a wonderful opportunity to be able to teach Kaytlynn about what Grace is, and how we have received God's Grace since Hurricane Ike hit, even though we don't deserve it. That he has the whole world in his hands, so to speak! And that the rainbow is here to remind us of that!

Just in case you are interested...below are the words. The videos can be found on Youtube.com with the Statler Bros. singing it, and also with Berl Ives giving it ago (but his is definitely a different version!


Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
That is the reason the Scriptures record
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Well, the Lord looked down from His window in the sky
and saidI created man but I don't remember why
Nothin' but fightin' since creation day
I'll send a little water and I'll wash 'em all away.

So the Lord came down to look around a spell
And there He found Noah behavin' mighty well
And that is the reason the Scriptures record
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
That is the reason the Scriptures record
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

The Lord said Noah there's gonna' be a flood
And there's gonna be some water and there's gonna be some mud
Take off your hat Noah
and take off your coat
Get Ham, Shem and Japheth and build yourself a boat.

Noah said Lord I don't believe I could
The lord said Noah get some sturdy gopher wood
Ya never know what you can do till you try
Build it 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
That is the reason the Scriptures record
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah said there it is, there it is Lord
The Lord said Noah it's time to get aboard
Now take a creature, a he and a she
And of course Mrs. Noah
and the whole family.

Noah said Lord it's gettin' mighty dark
The Lord said Noah get these creatures in the ark
Noah said Lord it's beginnin' to pour
The Lord said Noah hurry up and shut the door.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
That is the reason the Scriptures record
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Well, the ark rose up on the foot of the deep
And after 40 days Mr. Noah took a peek
saidWe ain't movin' Lord where are we at
The Lord said you're sittin' on a Mount Ararat.

Noah said Lord it's gettin' mighty dry
The Lord said Noah see My rainbow in the sky
Take all the creatures and people to earth
And don't be more trouble than you're worth.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
And he landed high and dryAnd he landed high and dry.
And he landed high and dry...

Cute memory...

I am typing this post because I don't ever want to forget that Delaney's favorite place to shop is Home Depot. Both of my girls LOVE to shop, which is pretty normal for the average female human, but when you ask Delaney where she wants to go, she will answer HOME DEPOT!!! She goes nuts when we are driving around and spots that orange sign on a billboard, or spots an actual store. We don't even know the reason why...we just know she has a grin from ear to ear when she is in there.

Post IKE

We are still in the whirlwind aftermath of IKE. Yesterday, we moved into a hotel. The kids think it is just the coolest thing because it has a pool. Who cares that it is only about 2 ft. wide, high and deep, right? They also think it is cool to sleep on a couch that rolls out into a bed. Don't you wish you had expectations that high!!! We are staying at the Comfort Inn and Suites in the Woodlands on I45. Its only about 6 miles North of where we live right now. We don't know how long we will be there, since we are still waiting on an estimate from the insurance company!!! You know how in Galatians you read about the Fruit of the Spirit. I am learning that I am in great need of some patience! I guess I am learning to have some through this...its just not so fun being in limbo all the time. I do want to say though, that I am still so grateful that EVERY need of hours has been taken care of up to this point. Which means, I really need to not care about it and just know it is going to happen when it happens. Its easy for me to say and even think that way. Its just hard believing and acting on it. That old bumper sticker applies to me that says..."Don't give up on me...God's not finished with me yet."

My friend Cheryl has TAGGED me! So here it goes..........
10 Years ago I:
1. was attending SHSU to get my Masters degree in Reading Supervisory
2. was teaching reading at Twin Creeks Middle School.
3. was living in my apartment...21717 Inverness Forest Blvd. with Todd.
4. was lucky and blessed in getting to meet Jeanne-Marie Tamez and teach with her.
5. was enjoying my first year of marriage.

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. Make an Oriental Trading and Rainbow Resource order
2. Do some laundry.
3. Finish Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth with Kaytlynn.
4. Find out if I have to go to work tomorrow...and if so, then I have to pack and drive home.
5. Clean up around my sisters house.

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Ice Cream
2. a perfect banana
3. White Chunk Macadamia Nut cookies...either cooked or raw
4. 7 up Cake
5. chips and black roasted salsa

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Give 10% to the church
2. Pay off my house
3. quit my job and homeschool my babies and volunteer to tutor low readers at the local school.
4. have another baby
5. save save save....cause a million just isn't what it used to be.

5 places I have lived:
1. New Caney, Texas (3- 22)
2. Nacogdoches, Texas (19-21) college town
3. Spring, Texas 1998 -2001 in the apartment and 2001 - present in our house on Single Pine
4. San Jacinto area in Houston (birth - 3)
5. My mothers womb??? sorry...I haven't moved much .... and all but Nacogdoches is the only one that is not in a 45 mile radius of where I am now. Nacogdoches is a whole 2 hours away.

5 jobs I have had:
1. Bridal dress sales consultant (loved this job)
2. babysitter
3. reading teacher
4. English teacher
5. librarian

I am tagging: Jeanne, Kimmie, Marie, Penny...everyone else seems to already have been "gotten" so I will have to settle with only 4.

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

My Husband Loves an Adrenline Rush

I think testosterone pumping high, must make one's IQ drop down low. IKE hit its hardest, with winds above 100 miles an hour, from 2 am - 3 am. At about 2:30, while laying on the mattress under Dana and Jeff's dining room table and watching the storm, we hear a horrible noise banging up against something over and over again. In the middle of this excitement, in walks both Crenshaw's...and they are looking out the window that is in the same direction as the noise. After a couple of moments, Jeff says "Yep, Dana, you were right. That thing fell over by the wind." Well we find out that Dana had asked Jeff to put the Bar-B-Q pit into the garage and he didn't think it was necessary. So there is a PROPANE tank FULL of GAS and it is thrashing around the fence and brick in the backyard.

Jeff scares us all, by going out there in the hurricane and moves it all to the garage. Then I find out Todd has made the same mistake. They scare the bajeebers out of Dana and I by WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN THE HURRICANE. They move our pit into our garage and they walk back into the house with big smiles on their faces. It really amazed me...in a bad way, what a man will do...I mean really. Can you imagine walking out in the same Hurricane that flattened Galveston???? They're only reply when we are griping was "it really wasn't that bad. It sounds a lot worse inside than it does outside." WOW. Wow is all I can say.

The Best Day of Kaytlynn's Life...but not ours!

So, we learned that Kaytlynn doesn't have very high expectations in life. She's just happy getting to spend the night over at a friend's house. Who cares that it is because a hurricane is blowing through town. When we finally went to go check out the damage at our house, we were expecting to find some branches all over the place, a really messy lawn and we were actually pretty worried about our fence holding up. Well, we were so happy to see our fence did really well. Only the gate was needing to be replaced. The rest of the fence was in tip top shape! We lost our beautiful Bradford Pear tree in the back yard and I was really sad about that...but what really amazed me...were all the shingles that were scattered all over our yard. Yes...1/2 of our roof shingles blew right off of our house!

We went inside to discover that the girls' room was a mess. The sheet rock had become so water logged in the ceiling that it gave and there was a huge hole in the ceiling. It also happened to be perfectly placed right on top of the girls mattress. The carpet was soaked. Water was dripping from the fan, the light switch, the light in their closet, the electrical outlets. The sheet rock on all 4 walls was soaking wet. The room was absolutely totalled. The guest bathroom had water in several places on 2 walls and the ceiling. The study, hall, playroom, and foyer were all fine. The living room....was fine if you just looked at the east side of the room. The kitchen and dining room were looking pretty good too! What we were concerned about was the ceiling that was dripping water from all the recessed lights on the West side of the family room. Also, there was a 15 ft line of water dripping down from the "step" in the ceiling and also about halfway down that wall...another line of water on the sheet rock that was going left to right about halfway up the wall. The carpet was soaked a good 5-6 inches away from the baseboards and the fireplace mantel was not happy down at the bottom.

Our bedroom was fine. Our bathroom...wet. Our closet...SOAKED!!!!! Nothing was dry in there. It was pretty awful. Again...if it had to do with anything electrical, water was dripping from it.

Our refrigerator stopped...and we have no clue why, since we flipped the breaker before the storm hit.

We will get to speak to the adjuster next weekend. (Lord, please let him be in a cheerful, giving mood). Our neighbors father owns a state farm office and he came over yesterday to take a look. He said that there is at least 28,000 in structural damage, and assets would add to that. So we are looking at a good 35,000 - 40,000 dollars. Not bad for a measly little category 2 hurricane, right?

So, maybe when our house can be lived in again...say 4-6 months down the road...I will have some nice pretty pictures for you! In all seriousness, we are so thankful for so many things.

1. We are so happy that our girls were not there. They were quite sad that their kitty kat room was ruined, but they would have freaked, had we not decided to have a "game night" at the Crenshaw's.

2. We are happy this happened to us and not someone who didn't have home owner's insurance.

3. We are so surprised that in all of this...we really lost nothing of huge sentimental value. This could have been truly heartbreaking and its not. My pictures are fine, and all those precious little nick knacks that my kids have made, etc are all just fine. We hate losing anything, but some items would be missed forever...and nothing like that was taken.

4. Can I tell you how much I love air conditioning!!!! We have been at my sister's, since Day 2 after the hurricane. Those first 2 days...were HOT. I can do without TV, lights, microwaves, etc. I could not believe how miserable I was without ice or a/c. Wow...it blew my mind how crazy I felt just because I didn't have those 2 things. I walked straight into my sisters house, maybe took the time to say hi, went straight to her kitchen and made me are REALLY ICY Dt. Dr. Pepper and sat down to enjoy her cool 74 degrees house. I didn't have a livable house, but life was good at that moment!

5. We are blessed to not only have 1 set of friends to invite us to come stay with them, but three. We love you Jeff and Dana, Kim and Chris, and Robbie and Kelley. I couldn't be happier that God placed you in our lives! I can live without a house, but without friends like you, I don't know what I would do.

6. We have the best family. My parents and sister were here for me, just like they always have been when I have needed help. We have been staying at my sister's in Corinth and she has been making sure we are well fed and entertained. She has let me sleep in every morning while all 5 kids run wild in the mornings. I think I am going to miss that almost as much as I am going to miss her when I leave in 2 days.

7. We are most thankful that no one in our family was hurt! We are all in one piece and so are all of our loved ones.

Pray for us going through this yucky, but definitely not unbearable time. We hope all the insurance stuff goes smoothly and of course, we want them to pay for as much as possible and that everything be fixed in a timely manner. We also pray that the girls continue to take this in a positive way...but more importantly, please continue to pray for the people in our area that lost all of their belongings, and even their loved ones. I can't even imagine what they are going through and hope that they are surrounded by friends that shower them with love the way that we have been through all of this.

Ike Came to Visit Us!

Last week, we realised that a hurricane named Ike was brewing out in the Gulf and as the days passed by, it occurred to us that he was going to blow right through Spring, Texas. We were worried and were going to head North to Denton because he was a 3 and possibly a 4. I didn't want to hang around for something like that. Well, the school didn't even close down until Thursday afternoon at the regular release time, and teachers were still responsible for moving things away from windows, picking computers up off the floor, covering things with plastic, etc. That is not too much for a regular teacher, but the library is a pretty big room, with lots of computers and windows, etc. It was down right ridiculous. Anyway, by the time I got home the storm was surprised to find out that A. The storm was to hit Friday night as a Category 2 storm (great news) B. Spring would be on the clean side of the storm, or the eye would go right over us. and C. The drive to Dallas would take us over 10 hours. We decided to stay and "hunker down".

We weren't too worried about a 2...but it was a storm that literally covered more than 40% of the Gulf of Mexico...it was almost the size of Texas so he was a really big storm. We decided to keep the kids busy during the storm, so we met up at our neighbors, the Crenshaw's, so that our kids could play with each other and the parents could sit around and play cards. It worked well. The kids were elated to have their very first sleepover!!! We slept under their dining room table on Peyton's mattress. Kaytlynn, Delaney and Peyton close by. We also gave all the girls benedryll so they slept like babies while the storm lit up the sky. It was an amazing sight. Transformers were going off about ever 20 - 30 seconds and they would turn the sky a bright eerie green color. I had never seen anything like it before (and hopefully won't see it ever again). We lost power at about 3 a.m. and we stayed up through the worst of it and then went to bed. Ill have to post later about Jeff and Todd walking out in the storm in the middle of the worst part of the hurricane....they are nuts, but we love them.

We woke up the next morning to Kaytlynn saying it was the best day of her life...it was so funny! We found out later that morning that our house had quite a bit of damage!

I am off to my mother's house for dinner, so I will post the rest later...but we are all fine and feeling so thankful. I am sure you, as the reader are a bit tired of this long post as well, so I guess I am doing both of us a favor. I am posting this, not so much for everyone to see the ins and outs of it, but for us to be able to look back on all of this in a few years and remember the good and the bad and be able to count this as one of our many blessings.

God Meets EVERY ONE'S needs...

So Kaytlynn and I were at Sam's on Sunday and we are walking past the doggie treats that we bought for Wally, our dog. As you know, Wally died a little more than a year ago, and the girls talk about him less and less, which is why this little comment sort of blind-sided me.

Kaytlynn said very matter of factly, "God feeds Wally now".

Not knowing what to say, I smile at her and say "that is a really happy thought, isn't it Kaytlynn"?

She then says, again with a very serious tone..."Yeah, I bet he doesn't miss us at all, because he's so happy."

It was so funny and sweet to hear her say that!

So, yes, according to Kaytlynn, God really does meet EVERY ONE'S needs!

Kaytlynn's Birthday Party...

Kaytlynn turned 6 on August 15. My parents came down on the 14th, Lisa and her crew came down on the 15th and her party was on the 16th. Can you say full house???? Luckily, none of the kids mind sleeping on the floor in the sleeping bags. I should have taken a picture of them all under the dining room table with their sleeping bags playing house. They are so lucky to have one another!

We had Kaytlynn's birthday at Basel's Gymnastics. She doesn't take gymnastics, but she has her mommy's flexibility, so she has learned to do quite a few things just playing around at the house...and lucky for us, there have been no trips to the ER. I think the Olympics in Beijing, China that are on right now, have also spurred her interest. Either way, it was a great choice. It was a small party. Jacob, Emily, Gracie (the cousins on my side), Lexi, Marcela (the cousins on Todd's side), Baby Evan and Kayla Green were the kids that came to the party. They all had a blast doing all the stuff, but the big trampoline was the hit. Especially with Todd and Chris Gonzales. Kaytlynn had a Barbie cake again this year, along with a different Barbie theme. She came home saying it was her best birthday ever.

As far as gifts...My parents got her a bigger bike because they feel she doesn't need training wheels anymore, but scared little mommy doesn't think she is ready until she asks! My sister's present ended up being pretty funny. She opens up a bag with a gift card from Chuck E Cheese. Emily is screaming "It's for 50.00" over and over, while Kaytlynn politely smiles and says "thank you." Someone tells Kaytlynn that there is something else in the bag, so she digs deeper and she screams "OH MY!!! Its Chuck E. Cheese coins!!!". It was maybe like 5 dollars worth of coins, but it was enough to get the message across that she was going to one of her favorite places. It was so funny that she had no idea what a $50 gift certificate was, but those jingling coins had her in a happy place!

Todd and I got her about 20 puppets and a Polar Express Snow Globe (she is very into snow globes right now). Todd's parents got her some girly Lego's, a hat, and a bracelet. Kayla got her a barbie and 5 new Barbie outfits that are Zebra print with hot pink accents (so now all her Barbie's look like they are ready to work the night shift).

Everyone went home on Sunday. It was a great visit, and a great way to end the summer because I went back to work that next day!

Ill post more about the month of August soon. It is just so dog gone busy around here that I don't get the chance to sit down and right enough!

Kaytlynn is smart...

I have a few things I need to blog about, but don't have the time or energy to do so. I had to get this quick one down though, before I forgot it in the hustle of the new school year.


Kaytlynn just had her 6th birthday party and my parents came down to Houston to celebrate with her. Kaytlynn had somehow "showed off" to my daddy and this is what was said.

Daddy (Papa) : "Kaytlynn, I think you are smart to know how to do that.

Kaytlynn : "Well, of course I'm smart. I'm six.

Delaney's new accomplishment...

I'm sort of an unusual reading teacher. Most people I know have their kids doing flashcards, writing letters, etc. at a very early age. Not me. Anyone that knows me, knows I take learning seriously, but my mom told me before I was even a mom, that they only get to "just have fun" for a few years. I took those words to heart. So if they ask, I tell them. If they don't...I don't.

Delaney asked me 2 days ago how to spell her name...I chanted it to her a few times and she would chant along...missing most of the last 3 or 4 letters.

Yesterday, as we were driving to the Children's Museum...she started singing her own tune...and for words she sang out "D-E-L-A-N-E-Y...those are letters and that's my name". I started cheering while steering and she was so proud of herself. Now she starts singing it at the drop of a hat. She is so cute! And growing up.

On a side note. Kaytlynn and Delaney are playing babies and doctors, and she just informed Delaney...all babies die, except mine, okay?

And I guess the unusual thing is that Delaney is pretty much fine with that. Wow...to have a 5 year old brain!

What Would Jesus Do?

So the Northrup family got together with our neighbors, The Crenshaws, as is usually the case on a Friday night, for a good game of spades for the adults, and a Barbie and movie fest for the kids. People warned me that having the girls so close together would cause me to deal with them bickering and fighting all the time. Fortunately, that isn't the case at all. They are each other's best friend. Really, they adore one another and hardly ever argue. Notice I said hardly ever.

Last night, during Barbie fest, Kaytlynn and Delaney decided they wanted to play with the same Barbie doll. They had a tug of war that ended with Delaney "hurting" herself and running to Daddy for sympathy. Was she really hurt? Not at all. She just wanted the Barbie and thought getting hurt was the way to go. Of course, dear ol dad didn't see it this way...but I promise I'm right.

They both get time out. After their time out is served they are happy campers and it is time for me to talk to them about their choices...and why it was a bad one.

I talk to Delaney. She gets it...she should love her sister and not fight with her.

I talk to Kaytlynn. She is a little older...so I pull the "What does the Bible say a friend does?" card out on her.
She quickly quotes..."a friend loveth at all times...Proverbs 17:17".
Mommy thinks "good girl", but mommy says "Now were you loving Delaney when you were fighting with her over the Barbie?"
Kaytlynn whispered almost silently "No, mommy" I am sorry.

I should have stopped right there....but I didn't.
I ask Kaytlynn, "If Jesus was playing with Delaney and wanted the same barbie she did, what would he have done?"
Kaytlynn replied with eyes wide "probably torn the Barbie's head off or something".

I tried my best to hold it in...so did Dana and Todd...but eventually we are all turning away trying for Kaytlynn to not see our giggles behind our stern faces.

I quickly tell her to go hug her sister and apologize. They did, and went upstairs to play like they should...while we all laughed so hard that our sides hurt.

We have NO IDEA really what she was talking about. I guessed that maybe she was talking about how powerful and big God is, since she talks about that a lot. Dana thinks maybe God was going to tear barbie in half so that they could both play with her. The jury is out on that one. Wouldn't it be great to be able to read their minds when they say things like that?

4th of July Weekend

My parents came into town on Wed. evening and left Thursday morning to Cecil Lane's and then to Aunt Barbara's. Todd, the girls and I went to Barbara's on Friday afternoon. It was the first car trip that we had problems with Kaytlynn asking "are we almost there"? a million times! Drove us crazy, I tell ya!

We went to the skating rink that night and Kaytlynn skated for her 2nd time in her life and it was Delaney's first time ever on the skates. Kaytlynn takes to it naturally. At first, she would fall over and over and over again. Each time saying "I'm okay" and giving a thumbs up. As the evening progressed, she just fell less and less.

Delaney likes it, but is much more timid at it and it doesn't come as easy to her. She finally realised everyone was passing her up and told my mother she didn't want to do it anymore. So she hung out at the edge of the rink and would put her hand out for people to give her a high five as they skated passed. At first, only a few people did it, but after about 5 minutes...EVERYONE was doing it and it gave her so much joy! My mother finally spotted a toddler that was about 2 years old, out on the floor, and told Delaney "you can skate WAYYYYY faster than her"...Delaney didn't say anything and just smiled and started skating again. She ended up calling herself Lightning McQeen!

Todd and I actually skated on Saturday. It took us a while to get used to it...since the last time I skated, I broke my arm in about a million places. Wow, it made me feel old! We were so tired that we went to bed at about midnight that night and slept in till 11:30 the next morning. I told everyone that I think it was the first time I had done that since I got married!

We went back to the rink on Saturday and the girls had a ball again. We left on Sunday morning and came back home. We stayed up late playing bowling on the wii. Daddy caught some bug and spent the night dozing on the couch...I felt bad for him.

Its Monday now and Momma and Daddy just left about 30 minutes ago...without waking the girls to tell them goodbye. I told my mother that I am going to be in big trouble when they see that they left. She gave me 2 dollar bills and said to give it to them...as if that will work!!!! We shall see!~

Just a Girl and Her Umbrella

Delaney...my fashion Diva, is seen by our neighbors on almost a daily basis with her pink Hello Kitty umbrella. She uses it like a parasol. I don't know how she knows to do that...instinctively I guess. She rides around on her tricycle with it. She rides her bicycle with it. She has someone chauffeur her around in the Disney Car while she sits in the passenger seat...holding the open umbrella in one hand and waving to everyone on the street with the other.

Her umbrella died this month. I don't really know how, but there are spokes poking out, and we would rather someone not lose their eye, so Todd bought her another one today. He took the girls to Payless to buy Kaytlynn some cheap white dress shoes...he walked out buying 4 pairs of shoes and an umbrella. They are sneaky creatures, aren't they!!!

So she now has a black High School Musical Umbrella. We will see if she still feels like a princess with this one.

My Parents Just Had to Buy a White Car...

So...here's the story...

In 2001 My parents bought a brand new Blue 2002 Toyota Sienna Blue mini-van. In 2004, I had Delaney, and my Corolla died on I-35 North, so Todd and I bought a 2002 Blue Toyota Sienna. In 2005, my sister bought a Blue 2006 Sienna when she had Gracie.

I am assuming you are bright enough to see the pattern here. It was actually all by accident. We happen to be a "Toyota" family. My sister also has a Toyota Avalon, and we have a Corolla. My dad sort of "raised" us to like Toyotas.

Now the color...was really a coincidence. My parents liked the color blue, so they got it. We bought ours used...so we didn't even choose. My sister actually wanted a different color, but for some reason couldn't get it when she wanted the car...so blue was her second choice.

The blues are even different hues...and we didn't notice it, until one day we look out in my driveway and see 3 blue Toyota Sienna's. My neighbors probably think we are pretty wacky, but we thought it was hilarious...and would joke about it each time the family got together.

My parents don't like to drive cars with more than 100,000 miles on it. They think it is going to break down on a lonely highway and a gang of thugs are going to do who knows what to whom when they see them stranded on the side of the road. Their van has not been giving them any problems, and I tell my dad that is why you buy a Toyota...so it will go and go and go. His response. It has gone and gone and gone! So my dad went and got a brand new...you guessed it!!! Toyota Sienna. Except this time, it is WHITE!

The only thing I can guess here is that maybe we are starting a new pattern, because our relatively new Corolla is white, as well. But I am going to miss the see of blue parked in the driveway.

My Sister's First Long Visit...

For anyone that knows me well, you know that either I am sick, my girls are sick, my sister's sick, or one of her babies are sick. My kids LITERALLY know and love my mother's emergency room Dr....sad huh? One or both get bronchitis or pneumonia every time we visit (except for this past Christmas...YAY!)

Well God blessed us and made sure everyone was feeling well and Lisa, Jacob (9), Emily (6) and Gracie (3) came for 10 solid days of fun. We went to the Children's Museum, The Aquarium, hung out and watched movies, did crafts, and had a VERY Belated Birthday party for Delaney (they weren't able to come). We took the kids to get their pictures taken, and took them all to Target and let them all choose any toy they wanted. We let the kids swim several times,and we went to Lisa's old neighborhood on Brockhampton and ate at the pizza place named Pizzini's that our family used to eat at when we were little. We also went to look at her old Elementary school.

We went to New Caney and looked at the house that I grew up in and just drove around...everything had changed! I hope to go to Corinth and Denton in late July!

We really had a ball. It was exhausting, but so much fun. Both sets of kids were so sad to leave...even after 10 days, so it was definitely a success.

My Birthday and Kaytlynn's Graduation

May 29th, 2008 was a big day at our house.

First of all...I turned 34. I woke up to the phone ringing at 6:45 and listened to my dad sing Happy Birthday. I don't quite know how I feel about it. Sometimes, in fact most of the time, I like my life more now that I am a little older. I did the math though, and realized I am probably middle aged now. I will be pretty lucky if I make it to 68, so its a little depressing to think that its half-way over!

I only worked until Noon so that I could go and see Kaytlynn's graduation at Spring Baptist. They were so darn cute! They sang their favorite songs...Oh Won't You Be My Valentine(Kaytlynn's favorite), Jesus Loves Little Me (my favorite) and a cute little song called A Tuti Ta! They also performed a cute short musical called "Obedient Bee" and then left the stage and came back in their cute little cap and gowns!!! They looked so adorable! Before they received their diploma they said what they learned in Kindergarten. Kaytlynn learned about "seasons". Ms. Lopez, her original teacher, came to give them their diplomas. It was really nice to see her again, since she left mid-year to fight breast cancer.

After the ceremony, we went back to their classrooms for a class party and boy were the kids WILD!!! As we were walking to the car, Kaytlynn smiled at me and said "Today was a really good day at school...we didn't have to do ANY WORK!" Out of the mouths of babes!

We went home and took a 2 hour nap, while Todd went back to work. Later the girls gave me my cute birthday card and Kaytlynn gave me bath salts and Delaney gave me a bag full of goodies from Bert's Bee's. They sang Happy Birthday to me. I also got to speak to my sister and mother.

It was really a great day.

My Mother and The Birthday Song...

My mother has a tradition of calling at midnight on my birthday and singing me the birthday song. The funny thing is, I never think about it, so it is always a happy surprise when she does it.
So the other night I am fast asleep and the phone rings. I look at the clock and get scared to death that someone is calling with bad news. I answer it...and my mother starts singing "Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to you"...Relieved and Groggy I say...
"Mother...its not my birthday"
Her reply "Yes it is. It is 12:04"
"No it's not"..."Todd, is it the 29th?". You then hear my mother speak to her friends at work...asking them if it is the 29th.
She then sheepishly said "oh, well, I guess Ill call you tomorrow."

She actually called me at midnight on the 28th. It was so funny! I giggled all day the next day thinking about it.

The Girls Finally Won!!!

For the past 3 weekends, our family has gotten together with the Crenshaw's (our neighbors) to eat dinner and play spades. It has been fun to do...but last night was a little more fun than usual. Dana and I lost the first two weeks...We won by over 100 points this time. I just felt the need to document it...or brag to Todd, one of those two. ;o)

On a side note. We usually get done at about midnight, and each morning after, I wake up feeling old and wondering how I ever survived college!

I am so ready for school to be over!!!

I was able to take the kids over to see Kimmie's beautiful baby. He was all scrunched up on her shoulder when we got there. He is just adorable!

I woke up to a horrible crick in my neck yesterday morning, so I can't move it...at all. I turn my body when I need to look at someone and I know it looks strange when I do it, but oh well. If its not staph its a crick, right?

Kaytlynn had game day at school today. All the kids were supposed to bring their favorite game to school so that they could play it with their friends. She brought Elefun... She happens to call it Ellie the Elephant and gets quite frustrated when anyone else calls it that as well. She also got to read her favorite book to her classmates. She chose Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea. She said she had a good time today...(she also happened to add "We only had to do 1 worksheet). She might be more ready for summer than I am!

I Have Staph...

So I finally went to the Dr. about these cysts/nodules that keep popping up on my chin near my mouth. I also had one on my upper leg. The Dr. confirmed that it was indeed staph and put me on some mega antibiotic and face cream. So now we are playing the sit and wait game. I get really dizzy and light headed on this med and it makes me nauseous. The strange thing is...I have a stomach of steel, so who knows what most people feel like on this stuff.

I also got an email stating that my dad is about to have some skin cancer removed from his neck. I don't really know anything other than that, since I haven't even spoken with him about it. So keep those 2 things in your thoughts and prayers please.

On a brighter note, my friend Kim is officially 3 days overdue with her baby and the Dr. will induce tomorrow morning at six AM, so here is praying for an easy delivery for you Kim. I hope Baby Evan just falls right out of you.

I met Jenna and Laura Bush...

The librarians are having a bookfair at Barnes and Noble in the Woodlands this whole week. We signed up for this ages ago, and just last month they called and said that a signing with Jenna and Laura Bush would be occurring during our weekend at the bookstore. Each librarian got 3 wristbands for the engagement, so I took Kim and Chris Gonzales. We got a few pictures and I came home with several books signed. They were both pleasant and something that surprised me is that the First Lady Laura is much prettier than pictures paint her to be. The librarians were so happy that this happened because we were able to get some unexpected profit for the bookfest coming this fall! We take in 10% of everything (books, coffee, gifts,)that is sold if the customer shows them the Spring ISD coupon. We won't know how well we did until next Friday, but we are hoping that this will be our only fundraiser needed for the year.

Saturday Around Here

There isn't a lot going on, but I thought I would post what we do on usual days, rather than just big outings or funny stories. Kaytlynn has already done most of her homework...we work 10-20 minutes at a time, until it is all done. I have been doing laundry and Todd took the girls to the barber shop with him. They like going there with him! I have an Island Black Bean soup on for dinner. For the rest of the day, we are just going to sit back and relax. We rented Enchanted from Netflix, so we will probably watch that.

I do with Chris and Kim's baby would hurry up and come out and play already. It has been an anyday situation for about a week now. If I am this impatient, I can't even imagine what it feels like to be them. I did tell Kim that I have my bets on this weekend though! I'm crossing everything I can cross for them right now!

My I-Pod is Home, Safe and Sound

Yeah...I lost my I-pod. For those of you who know me...you aren't surprised, are you. I didn't ask for an I-pod. I was quite content listening to my audiobooks on my little rinky dink MP3 player, and then came Christmas. Todd got it so that I could have several audiobooks on it at one time and load pictures. I thought...nah, I don't need it. BUT...I changed my mind. Really quickly. I ended up loving the fact that I could show off pics of my girls, and I wasn't always having to load a new book on it, since it holds like a million on there (its the 80 gig one). I always leave it on the circulation desk in the library. The kids pass by it...ooooohhhing and aaaaahhhhing over it, which makes me smile and quickly put it away. Only this time it wasn't there. I listen to it in the car, in the halls at school, at duty, waiting in lines, shopping. I was not able to do it for a WHOLE WEEK.

It was found in a lunch bag today....along with 2 old bananas and a sandwich that was a week old. Anyway,I am happy I found it because like I said... I was wrong, and Todd was right...I really do NEED an I-pod.

Kaytlynn Counts to 100 and Other Things...

Yes, Kaytlynn can now count to 100, and her favorite song is now "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy"...and let me tell you...the title of that song should be..."This is the Song That Doesn't End". Delaney is quickly learning it, so we have some joyfully happy kids running around the house today.

We did our bi-monthly trip to Sam's today and ran into Kim and Chris! She is progressing really well, so she might be lucky enough to have the baby a week or 2 before her due date! While we were at Sam's, Kaytlynn decided that she needed to try EVERY SINGLE free sample of food...on top of the hot dog that we had already bought her and Delaney! Delaney only wanted to eat free food that had sugar in it (stinker!)

I got some acrylic nails put on this week because I went to TLA. I have not had any on my nails since I had Delaney. I like them, but I am not too fond of the color I chose. TLA was pretty fun. It always is fun walking around talking to vendors, looking at all the new stuff out there, and occasionally running into one of your favorite authors! It was the 2nd time I have gone and I was lucky enough to get to stay with my parents, so I got to spend time with them, and my sisters family.

Field Day at the Farm!

My neighbors, Dana and Jeff Crenshaw, invited our family to go with them to visit a farm. It was a small farm (140 acres) in Cameron, Texas. The owners allow you to have a picnic on their property, show you their dairy, let you gather eggs from over 300 laying chickens, feed pigs, plow a field, ride a wagon, pet their very large sheep dogs, and just sit back and enjoy nature. Well, it sounded like a great time, and also, my mother's family just happens to be from Cameron. My great-grandfather helped build the Baptist Church in town. My maternal grandmother was raised just a few miles outside of town in Ben Arnold and a lot of my family is buried in the Little River Cemetery. I thought it would be neat to see this place since I have not visited since I was a child visiting my Uncle Hal and Aunt Ula.

The girls had an absolute blast. They ran and played with my neighbors kids, chased chickens and gathered their eggs. They pet 2 horses, and played on their tiny jungle gym/swing set. Todd and I bought some milk, eggs, honey, salami, summer sausage, rib eye, and some morning finger sized sausages. I look forward to eating all of it...as they had samples, and it was all delicious.

I forgot the sandwiches I made and Todd forgot the sunscreen, so we ate at McDonald's and got burnt to a crisp.

On the way home, we stopped and got pictures of the girls in a patch of bluebonnets. I hope some of them came out well. Dana's littlest, Ethan, got in ants when he was getting his picture taken. I felt so sorry for him.
We have Ethan Crenshaw's birthday party tomorrow so we will be busy bees this whole weekend. I am so thankful for weekends like this, where I get to spend a lot of time with friends and just enjoying quality time with my family.

The girls are in the bathtub right now and they are either laughing or crying, so I better sign off for now!

I Had a Bad Day, But I Have a Great Daughter

Life has not been too fun at my school lately. People have been catty and selfish. Today...was more of the same, and I had told Todd this, via email. He picked Kaytlynn up, as usual today at 2:30 and she called me on his cell phone to tell me she was so sorry that I was sad and that people were making bad choices. She told me that Daddy and her had prayed for me. It made everything better for the day. I am so blessed to have such a sweet heart of a child. I know that Todd told her and probably even suggested that she call me...but I see on a daily basis, how concerned she is for those around her. She is so empathetic and sensitive at her age. I can only imagine the wonderful mother, friend, sister, and wife she will be one day.

On a good side note. I am also thankful for my aide...she also knew I was having a bad day. She snuck off on her lunch and bought me roses!!! How awesome is that!

Precious Crystal...

As a child, I grew up hearing "Be careful. You'll fall and break your crystal." I don't quite know if that is "country talk", "Gasch talk", "Bell talk", or just "old people talk". My friends think it is funny. They laugh that about it, debating whether its dirty or silly and ponder the deep meaning of a person's crystal.

Anyway, I use the same phrase with my daughters. And they take it as seriously, as I did as a child. I mean, who would ever want to break their crystal, right?

Last night, the family was saying their nightly prayers....God bless Mommy, Daddy, Nana and Papa, Jacob, Emily, Gracie, Grandma and Grandpa, our friends...etc. etc. etc. You get the picture...these heartfelt prayers can last forever. Well, Kaytlynn, Todd, and I had already prayed. Delaney started in...Thank you for ______ and ______. You get the picture. Then she goes into, "please help people not break bones or their crystals...We love you and Jesus, AMEN.

Todd and I grabbed each others hands so hard and we were both shaking in the dark, from laughing so hard, trying to keep quiet, so that poor Delaney wouldn't hear us. I hope I never forget Delaney praying for every one's crystals...whatever they are!!!