Pittman Paradise

Sarah's $500 Giveaway

2011-04-04T18:30:00.003-05:00

One of my Mama acquaintances in Dallas has a really awesome blog! I have been following her blog for a while now, and this week she has an awesome giveaway for a $500 gift card to Bassett furniture. It is free to enter and open to any legal resident of the US. I was going to link you directly to the post about the giveaway, but I thought you all should read her most recent post first. It's about her son Charlie and the road to recovery he has been on during his first journey around the sun. After you read about Charlie and how you can help him, scroll down for information on entering her giveaway. It's as simple as leaving a comment. Thanks and good luck! Ooops! I almost forgot to give you the link to her blog. Here it is.

http://maisonboheme.blogspot.com/

Finding My Tribe

2011-04-04T17:43:00.003-05:00

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

Let me start by saying that in my 32 years on this Earth, I have been blessed with more friends than many people have in a lifetime. I'm not counting the casual acquaintances, though I have many of those as well. What I'm talking about though are those people that really know you; the people you can be yourself around and they still love you. There are my two soul sisters from high school who I may only speak to a few times a year, but each time it is as if no time has passed, and I guess I really measure all other friendships against these ones. I have been friends with these girls for twenty years. Holy $hit! I'm getting old, I guess. The next friends that come to mind is my mama tribe in Dallas. I forged some pretty amazing friendships with a wide variety of women when I entered the world of a stay at home mom. We started in an online community reaching out to one another via our keyboards and computer screens, often while NAK -that's short for "nursing at keyboard" for those of you not in the know. It was a way for many of us to keep our sanity during days filled with house chores, nurturing children and overseeing their overall well being and psychosocial development..And thank God those kids had psychosocial needs because it got us out from behind those computer screens and brought us to malls, playgrounds and eventually one another's homes for play dates. Later we began ditching the kids and having some Mom's Night Outs where we could be ourselves and take off our wife and mommy hats for a few hours. I have been through a lot with those Mamas as we have all had the pleasure of leaning on one another in times of need and turning to one another in times of joy and triumph. They are women who will forever be a part of my life. So, moving to Indiana in 2009 left me wondering if I would ever find "my people" in a town of 13,000 where many of the residents have been with their tribe since kindergarten or before. I've been around enough women to know that they can be verryyyy territorial. There was a group of people we hung out with for a period of time, and really felt like we had developed some meaningful friendships with those people, but every now and then if we got too close to a member of that group one of the others would remind us in jealousy, "We've been friends for 5 years. You guys haven't even known us/them a year." That group believed in quantity of time over quality of time as a rule of friendship. I'm pretty sure they've all missed out on making some pretty great friends because of this, and I know for sure a lot of their friendships were very shallow with little or no substance to hold them together. So, now onto the good news. The good news is.... I have found my tribe in Indiana! I have met so many awesome people here these past two years and consider many of them to be my friends. However, not only have I got friends..I've got my tribe. There are a couple women in particular who I wonder how I went so long without knowing them. They make me laugh until my face hurts. They are the kind of friends that you can talk and laugh with for hours, or you can sit around and watch TV for hours and not say a word. They get my husband and his crazy sarcastic humor. They love my kids--so much that they would happily spank them if their behavior called for such. When I say that I believe I am living the life I was meant to live and loving the people I was meant to love...When I say there are no mistakes--it was all in the plan.. I mean that. I truly believe that. And this new tribe of mine is just one more reason why I believe in those truths.

Remember when...

2010-12-22T12:53:00.009-06:00

Do you remember when I used to blog on a regular basis? That seems like a lifetime ago now. I see that there have still been folks coming to visit my blog, and I appreciate that. To say that our lives have been hectic is an understatement. I have completed and passed my first semester of Nursing school. Woohoo!!! Only 3 more crazy semesters to go until I'm an RN!! Having Mommy in school full time has been an adjustment for all of us, but Daddy has really stepped up to the plate and we've had some pretty awesome friends who have also stepped up and helped us out. There was Shauna who watched the kiddos during Fall Break, and Kathy who often fed my family on clinical nights when Mom was at the hospital until 10 pm, and Amy & Laura who watched Grace when she was sick, and Lesley who gave me rides to clinicals, and then Laura(again) who took my kids to play rehearsals for the X-Mas play, and the list goes on and on. I cannot thank you all enough for all that you have done and continue to do for our family. I am just in awe of the quality and caliber of friendships that we have developed in our short time here. The weekend before Christmas we moved (for a second time in 2 months) to a lovely home that we should be living in until we buy a house here. Thank you to the Strouse families for all of your help in this less than desirable moving weather. It's no fun carrying furniture through the snow, up the icy steps, into a house, and up a flight of stairs.

Hunter and Grace are both doing great in school. Grace's reading skills have really taken off this year, and Hunter is loving being top dog as a fifth grader. I can't believe this is his last year in elementary school. Football season has come and gone, and we couldn't be happier that this bummer of a season is over. Of course, we're looking forward to having an awesome season next year, and despite a pretty miserable regular season, Hunter had the opportunity to play on the all star team in the off season. He lead our league in interceptions this year with a total of 6 this season! Grace also had the opportunity to cheer doing football season and really enjoyed that (until it got too cold and then she was no longer interested-LOL!).

Hudson came to visit us over the Christmas break and we had an awesome time with him. In fact, we have a really big announcement to make! Hudson is moving up to Indiana this week to begin living with us! We are so excited, and hope you will keep us all in your prayers as we go through this time of transition in our family.

Of course a post of mine wouldn't be complete without some pictures. Here are some of the highlights from the past few months. Enjoy!

Hunter's baptism on 09-12-2010

The Pittman Clan following his baptism

MOOSE!
Wes' grade school friend Nathan came to visit- twice! :)

Date Night!! X-Mas party at Belterra Casino!

Letters to Santa

My favorite picture of 2010. Christmas can be magical!

The Pitt Kids on X-Mas Eve

Our first white Christmas!

Sibling Rivalry! Gig' Em & Hook Em' (Thanks for the cool Snuggies Granny & Papaw!)

Grace & Daddy getting a workout with the X-Box Kinect that Santa left.

Fun in the snow at our new home.

The view from our back porch.
Once the snow melts, the deer are out!

Nursing School Here I Come!!!

2010-06-24T21:42:00.004-05:00

I will officially start nursing school this Fall along with 23 other students who were accepted into the program!!!! If everything goes as planned, I will graduate in December of 2011!!! So, now I need everyone's help. I've entered a YouTube Scholarship contest for my school. The video that recieves the most views will win the contest. So, watch this video (over and over, and over) and pass it on to all of your friends and family via Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Blogger, and e-mail. Thank you sooo much! Oh! And here's the link to pass it on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s9qAMgKi2g

***UPDATE*** I won a $500 schoalrship to be applied towards me Spring tuition! Thank you all soo much! Every little bit helps! ****

A Year of Change

2010-06-06T19:11:00.014-05:00

June 6th marked one year since we left the Lonestar State, the only home we'd ever known, and set out for our new life in the Midwest. Life in Indiana has been a lot different. For instance:

Grace looking at a creek on January 7, 2009

Grace with a creek behind her on January 07, 2010

February 11, 2009 in front of our house (notice the flip flops)
February 11, 2010 view from my living room window
Not only is the weather different, but our home and yard are a lot different too. For instance:

Here is a view of our backyard in Mesquite that shows our shed.

Here is our "shed" in Indiana. It's actually called a pole barn.

And then there was that cramped living room in Texas.
(Although, I do desperately miss our hardwood floors.)

Now, we not only have room for a game of Rock Band, but..

we could fit a marching band in this living room.

The kids really wish we had a skating rink in our town.

They always loved going to parties at the skating rink.

But they've found other things to do to keep them busy.

We still miss our friends in Dallas, but are also so grateful for the many friendships we have made here. I know that this past year wouldn't have been near as good without all of the amazing friends we have made. So thank you to the families in Madison who have welcomed us with open arms. Thank you for wheel horse rides and late nights on patios. Thank you for taking us sledding, and for plowing out our driveway. Thank you for spending the holidays with us, and for listening to me say, "Well in Texas, we...", without rolling your eyes. Thank you ALL for making the biggest adventure of our lives turn into something better than we could have ever imagined. We know we are living the life we were meant to live, and feel like we are home.

Happy 10th Birthday Hunter

2010-05-24T21:36:00.009-05:00

May 25, 2010 marks the tenth trip that Hunter has taken around the Sun. It marks a decade since my journey as a mother began. I am overwhelmed by emotion tonight as I think back on the last ten years of his life--of our life together. When he was a baby I hung a poem on my fridge that said:

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

For babies grow up as we've learned to our sorrow

So quiet down cobwebs

Dust go to sleep

I'm rockin' my babies and babies don't keep.

I'm so thankful that even though, he's too big to cradle in my arms, he is still more than willing to snuggle up next to me for a meaningful chat, and always asks for a hug and kiss goodnight. I can clearly remember the flood of emotion the day he was born. How did I get so lucky? I would think about all of the women in the world, and how blessed I was that God had chosen me to be his mom. As I held that sweet baby boy in my arms, I never could have imagined how quickly these last ten years would sail by.

When he was little I started a nightly bed time routine that included a quiz. I would say to him, "Do you know what my favorite part of today was?" And he would ask, "What?" And I would tell him, "Getting to be your mom." Then I would ask him, "Out of all the little boys in the world, how do you think I got the best one?" He would giggle and say, "I don't know." There are a million little moments wrapped up in these last ten years that I cherish and yet that little quiz fully sums up the emotions of my heart when I think about him.

When he was five, I made a photo montage to celebrate the milestones that he reached that year. At the time, I couldn't believe how big he was, but when I watch it now, I see a little guy who had only begun the journey of getting big.

There are so many things that I love about Hunter. He is a kind and loyal friend. He is honest. His gentle side is balanced out by his competitive nature. He sticks up for the underdogs. He is his sister's protector. He is witty. He is empathetic to the point that at times his own heart is full of aches for those that he loves. He is bright, and always strives to give 100% in all that he does. And while I wish I could take credit for all that is good in him, the truth is, along the way he has taught me so much about love and about life. These last ten years have truly been the time of my life, and so much of that is because of him.

So happy birthday Moose. And remember that no matter how big you become in the decade ahead of us, you will always be my little man.

I LOVE Free Stuff!!!

2010-04-27T19:48:00.002-05:00

And I bet you do too. Those who know me, know I love a good deal. I may have even gone by the name Coupon Cami at one point. ;o) So Christine, who is a member of an online forum I'm a member of, is giving away a $40 gift card. All you have to do to enter is go to her blog and leave her a comment. What's the catch you say? That's the best part! There is no catch!!! Hurry over there for your chance at $40! Oh and while you're there check out Christine's amazing creations!

http://www.jazcreations.com/2010/04/choose-what-you-like-super-giveaway.html

WTW: Poor Steve

2010-04-21T18:35:00.004-05:00

My friend Laura shared this video with me today. It is imperative that you turn on your speakers for this video, as the audio is the best part.

Hillbilly On Riding Mower Tasered - Watch more Funny Videos

Autumn is Here!

2009-10-28T08:54:00.010-05:00

So, a lot has been going on, and clearly I haven't had time to blog. So, I'm going to try and get everyone caught up, with as little dialogue as possible, and as many pics as I can handle with this not so high speed internet.

Football season is almost over. The Madison Red Cubs have won 6 games and lost 1 game. They will play their last regular season game this Thursday at the high school at 7:15. Moose is soo excited to get to play at the stadium under the lights. Not only have they won 6 games, but they've had several shut outs, which means Coach Wes has had to pay up on his promise for several pizza party's. :o)

In September, I had the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. to photograph my dear friend Lauren's wedding. I hadn't been to D.C. since I was 16, and I was so excited to get back and do a little sight seeing. More than that, I was excited to get to share this special day with my life long friend.

Speaking of D.C., Hunter has become our very own little politician. Here are some pics of him watching President Obama's address to the children of America. He was in awe when President Obama talked about J.K. Rowling's story of Harry Potter being rejected by the first 12 publishers, she sent it to. That part of the speech was very inspiring for him. Not only did he enjoy the president's speech, but he wrote and delivered a speech of his own to the 4th graders at his school during his campaign for student council. We are so proud that he was brave enough to run for student government at a new school. Not only did he run, but he was one of the four students in the 4th grade that was elected!!! GO MOOSE!!

Gracie is doing so good in kindergarten. She loves her teacher Mrs. Burnett, and has not had to move her apple from the apple tree behavior chart once this year. She is also learning to read and write. I haven't had a chance to scan any of her writings but will try to do that soon. I absolutely LOVE kindergarten. It's such a fun year of growth and learning! Below are their adorable school pictures, as well as Hunter's football pics.

And now, we have entered a season that I have never experienced in real life. It's called Autumn, and it is simply stunning. Last week the kids were on Fall Break. Yep! We get a Fall Break out here. I took the kids and two of their friends to Clifty Falls State Park for a picnic, a hike, and some photos. It was a lot of fun. Another day, we met up with some friends to see the movie Where the Wild Things Are. It was soooo good, and has sparked some really creative imaginative play in our home. I'm actually almost done with a Max costume for Hunter to wear to school on Friday for "Favorite Book Character Day". I will definitely be sharing pics of that later, as this is my first adventure in crafting a costume for one of my kids.

Thanks for looking. Hopefully, I'll be back to post more soon.

Camera Bag Give Away

2009-09-28T19:59:00.002-05:00

Yes...I am really behind. I promise to give updates later this week about football, my trip to Washington D.C., and everything else that has been going on in our crazy lives. In the meantime, go check out this blog and enter for a chance to win one of her awesome camera bags...or just buy a camera bag from her, and skip entering the contest so that my chances of winning are better. ;o) http://blog.wickedstitchdesigns.com/2009/09/25/september-giveaway--all-new-camera-bag.aspx

Oh...and to hold you all over, here's a pic of Moose at football practice. I just love that big old over sized jersey hanging on him....

School days, school days, Dear ol' golden rule days..

2009-09-06T20:19:00.006-05:00

On August 19th, both of my kiddos headed off to school. Grace was sooo excited to finally get to start big kid school. Hunter was excited, but also nervous about being the new kid. Grace wore a special outfit that my friend Susie made for her. The shirt says, "Kindergarten Rocks!". Grace also told me to pose for my photo with her.

Open House was held the second week of school, and we had a chance to visit with their teachers and look around their classrooms.

The kiddos with their principal. They both just love him. He is a father of 4 girls, and clearly loves children. He comes out to recess on some days and will play kick ball with the boys. He has also given Grace the nickname "Fashion Princess".
Grace & Mrs. B

Hunter and Mrs. D

The first 8 days of school, Grace only went for a 1/2 day. This past Monday was her first full day, and their first day to ride the bus home. The bus pulls right up to our driveway and they arrive home about 15 minutes after school lets out. Grace had never been on a bus before, and thought it was the coolest thing ever. We'll see how long it takes for the novelty of it to wear off.

WTW- Lazy Links...

2009-08-27T14:27:00.002-05:00

Busy week..or few weeks. The kids started school last week. I started school this week. Football practice.. Gymnastics.. You get the idea.

So, eventhough, I've got two stops on my "to do list" of WTW photos to take, I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Instead, please enjoy the photos and captions on these two sites. Props to my friends Geneva and Susan #2 for passing these links along to me.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

Oh, and Beth shared this link with me the other day. It's not WTW material, but you may pee your pants reading it. If you do pee your pants reading this, please send me a photo to post on next week's WTW.

http://twitter.com/shitmydadsays

Our Lonestar Friends..

2009-08-25T19:44:00.011-05:00

On August 14th, the kids and I drove down to Louisville (about an hour away) to meet up with Chris, Meranda, Jake, Jephery, and Sadie. They were in Northern Kentucky visiting Meranda's dad and step mom. Hunter didn't have a chance to say an official goodbye to Jake before we left, and had asked about him several times since getting here. The two of them play so well together. We had a great time at the Waterfront Park watching the kids play.I wish I had known about that place before the last weekend of Summer. Oh well! Definitely a place we'll revisit next Summer.

After some fun in the sun, we headed to Applebee's for dinner. There is only one chain restaurant in our town, and it's not one that we have in Dallas. So, going out to eat at a familiar restaurant is now a real treat for my kids.

Chris and Meranda ended up letting me bring Jake and Sadie home with me. The kids were so excited to have their friends over for the night. Jake (who isn't used to cool Summer nights) and Hunter got busy on the scooters.
Sadie and Grace decide to settle down and watch a movie.

The next morning Sadie had fun straightening Hunter's hair with Grace's beauty shop supplies.

Then we headed to Clifty Falls State Park for some swimming.

After swimming and a picnic lunch at Clifty, we went into downtown for some Coke floats. It was at this point that Jake announced, "This is the best vacation EVER! I wish I could stay here for a week or two!" Hunter looked at him very confused and said, "Even better than the beach?" (Jake's family came with us on our beach vacation last Summer) It was soo cute.

When we got home, the girls napped while the boys headed out to the pond to do some fishing.

Jake ended up catching three fish. Of course, I'm sure he did so well since he made sure to kiss his first catch for good luck. ;o)

Then the boys decided to set up some obstacles to jump over with the scooters. Once they had their jumps down, they asked me to take pictures of them catching some air.

Before we knew it, the day was over and it was time for us to drive back to Louisville and hand the kiddos back over to Chris and Meranda. It stunk having to say goodbye, but we were so thankful to have the chance to spend some time with them while they were nearby. Hopefully, we'll see you guys again soon.

Camp, Sleepovers, & Friends

2009-08-20T10:47:00.012-05:00

The first week of August, Hunter headed off to sleep away camp with his friend Dillon. I was a nervous wreck in anticipation since he has only ever spent one night away from us at a time, and always with family or close friends. The night before he left, Dillon's mom, Amy, our friend Brook, and I all went out for a few drinks. We had a really nice time getting hit on by some drunk guy, and watching all the people shake their groove thang to a local band.

The next day we headed off to Westport Baptist camp to drop the boys off. Hunter was happy to see that it was a "real" camp with cabins. He was also pleasantly surprised to see some familiar faces from one of the vacation bible school's he attended in July.

Hunter was thrilled to know that he would not be receiving any vaccinations at camp. When he saw this sign he said, "Yes! We don't have to get any shots here". I , on the other hand, was relieved to know that they do not allow drunk wine bottles sporting the old school Michael Jackson one glove attire and a chef's hat to frequent their camp.

Hunter & Dillon outside of their cabin.

Mom & Moose
Moose and Grace on his bunk.

While the boy's were gone, their sister's got to have some fun girl time. Grace just adores Dillon's big sister, Liz. On Sunday night they invited Grace over for a sleepover. The girl's had fun making up plays and putting on performances for Liz's parents and grandparents. Wes and I even stopped by to check out one of their shows. Grace also had fun on Liz's pink tractor that she and her dad have worked hard to restore.

The next evening, we had Liz over to our house for a sleepover. She was excited to go fishing in our pond and was hoping to catch her first Indiana fish. She told me she had only ever caught one fish and it was during a trip to TN. She even showed up to our house with her own live bait. Grace wasn't too sure about the worms.

The live bait wasn't working out too well for Liz, so we suggested that she give the rubber worms a try. And Voila!!!
After some fishing we headed inside to play hair and make-up. The girls each did their own make up and I straightened their hair. Then, they did my makeup. Liz drew a line down the center of my face, and they each took one side of my face to make over.

That following weekend, our new friends Brook and Darrin came over with their 4 kiddos. We ate tacos and hung out. The kids all played together really well, and two of their kiddos ended up spending the night I didn't take any pics of their other beautiful children, b/c I just couldn't keep my lens away from these adorable rolls.

Check back tomorrow for pics from last week when we met up with some TX friends, and also for first day of school pictures and stories.

WTW- No lifeguard on duty

2009-08-12T08:41:00.003-05:00

This week's photograph was sent in by Susan. She recently took a day trip with her family to Glen Rose, TX, which is where she snapped this photograph. As I did some google research this morning, I found that there really have not been that many advances in life preservers over the last 50 years. And frankly, after seeing this picture, some might conclude that we have even taken a few steps backwards. However, it appears that safety is still a priority for the good folks of Glen Rose, otherwise there may have just been a big chested woman named Rhonda Sue with a sign around her neck, similar to this one, standing at the edge of the river.

Please e-mail entries for White Trash Wednesday to: pp_wtw@yahoo.com

WTW- Back by popular demand!!!

2009-08-05T12:51:00.003-05:00

Well, I've decided to bring back White Trash Wednesday, since so many of my loyal followers have let me know that they miss it. I will include pics of people and things that I see around town, and submissions that my blog readers send to me. You can send submissions to Pittman Paradise e-mail: pp_wtw@yahoo.com .

This week's submission comes from my friend Jackie. As Jackie so poignantly pointed out to me, it appears that this woman removed the part of her pants that really should have been left in place. Let's be clear, my legs are not free of hail damage. However, I also have never framed my hail damage in order to bring more attention to it. Oh and another good rule of thumb--when your fanny pack is longer than your shorts, it's time to let out that drawstring on the side of your shorts and bring them down a few inches. Also, you shouldn't wear fanny packs unless you qualify for senior discounts or are working at a yard sale.

~Hugs to Our Eagle Friends~

2009-08-04T21:32:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to take some time and write specifically to our Eagles family. I know football season is in full swing down there, and we definitely miss being with all of you on the field. I can't tell you how much all of your recent phone calls have meant to us. I'm so glad that so many boys have returned to the field to play together despite last year's shenanigan's. I hope the boy's whose families we specifically encouraged to return will stick it out, and that your boys will enjoy another season surrounded by their friends. Despite the Pittman's being the politically incorrect family last year, we always did our best to make the experiece enjoyable for the kids, and your heartfelt words of, "We miss you." and "It's just not the same.", let us know that all of our efforts were not in vain. We have missed having a house full of stinky boys, but Hunter is making friends, and I'm sure our new home will be full in no time. Please continue to call and e-mail with updates, as we truly love your kids, and want to know about their successes both on and off of the field. I would have paid to see the look on Little Liggins face last weekend when he made his first touchdown as a tackle player. I'm pretty sure he was grinning from ear to ear for the remainder of the day. Send us some pictures and videos too. As for Moose, he will be starting practices out here in a few weeks. Then, after football season ends, he will be doing wrestling!!! He's super excited about that. Grace will be doing gymnastics, and then dance team practices will start for her in September. We love you guys and hope you all will be raising the roof a lot this season.

Help Send a Photographer to Antartica

2009-08-01T07:47:00.002-05:00

I recieved this message from my friend Chera today. She is the one who took our awesome family pics in Deep Ellum right before we left Dallas. You do have to register to vote, but it's a quick process with no spam involved.

Jeremy (Chera's husband) has a hockey friend who's also a 'storm chasing photographer' & he's trying to get enough votes to go to Antarctica for photography... he's an awesome photographer & a really nice guy. He's kinda stalled in 7th place, so I thought I'd seek out some help!You can only vote once, but you can vote once with multiple emails! His name is Mike Mezeul II, just in case his name doesn't come up in the link (it should lol)...http://www.blogyourwaytoantarctica.com/blogs/view/269Thank you!

Summer Fun

2009-07-31T11:11:00.010-05:00

Well, we have been keeping very busy since arriving in Indiana. The kids have attended two different vacation bible schools. Hunter has attended a sports day camp two days a week for the month of July. Grace has been doing storytime at the library on Thursday's. We've been swimming (when it's warm enough), and going to some of the free Summer movies at the Ohio Theater. Grace just finished a 3 day cheerleading clinic at the high school that was taught by the varsity cheerleaders, and recieved her first trophy last night. She will also get to cheer at one of the varisty games this season.We've also had a few playdates, and one sleepover. We made the trek out to Clarksville last week--about an hour away--and found the Target, Old Navy, and a mall!!! Woohooo! We've got some more fun things coming up--like sleep away camp for Hunter next week, then a much anticipated visit from some of our Texas friends, and we just signed Hunter up for football, and are looking to sign Grace up for gymnastics and dance. Enjoy some of the pics taken over the last few weeks!

We've had some uninvited guests. They were fun for the first few days, but they've made a mess of our driveway. So, the kids decided to encourage them to pack their bags and move on.

Daddy's helper

A video from the first VBS they attended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGkv1ohtXig&feature=player_embedded

Singing songs they learned at Community VBS at a nursing home.
Grace's first motorcycle ride with Daddy's friend, Carl.

As she was waving to me she said, "Look Mama!! I didn't fall off!" LOL!

Moose's turn. He was pumped.

Grace showing off her new "big girl" outfit.

Grace in front of a Mammoth tusk at Hanover College during our playdate with Perry. Hanover College has a ton of fossils, and bones on display in their science building, and it is open and free to the public during the school year. Perry's mom is a professor at the college, so we were able to get in eventhough school isn't in session right now.

Hunter & Perry in front of the tusks.

Grace performing at the Ryker's Ridge VBS finale.

Do you see the way that little girl is looking at my son? She was completely smitten with him. Aggghhhh. My baby boy is growing up. I kind of wish that little girls still thought he was a groddy boy with cooties.

Grace at the 2009 Madison Cheer Clinic

She's really good at the yelling part.

Here she is with her shirt and trophy. She was so excited that she would be recieving a trophy. That morning at breakfast she said, "Raise your hand if you're getting your first trophy tonight!", and raised her hand up as high as it would reach while giggling that neither Hunter nor I had our hands in the air. Silly girl.
On the way home, we spotted--a bird, a plane---NOPE!! It was Daddy! The kids love that for the first time ever, Daddy works in our town. So, sometimes we will pass him on the road, or see him drive past the house on his way to a job. Sometimes, he even gets to stop at the house for lunch.

Fun 4th w/the Family

2009-07-08T21:21:00.018-05:00

Well, there were activities here all week long in preparation for the Regatta and the 4th of July. A block of Main Street was shut down in front of the courthouse to allow for the races. There were 8 teams, and each team had decorated their bed with a different cartoon theme. After each decorated bed paraded past the crowd, they removed the decorations and lined up to race 2 beds at a time. It was hilarious! Four people would push the bed while 1 person rode on it. When they made it down the first stretch, the person on the bed would hop off and one of the "pushers" would hop on for the ride back and the original bed rider would become a "pusher". Does that make sense? If teams did bad on this turn around/switch off, it almost always sealed their fate to lose the race.

Late Thursday night, Wes' family arrived in town after driving all day from Texas. I couldn't believe they made the trip in one day with 3 adults, 3 dogs, and 1 infant. Crazy!! The kids were so excited to see them, and we were excited to share our new home with them. Wes' dad is an avid fisherman, and participates in lots of tournaments, so he really enjoyed the pond.

On Friday morning, I headed into to town with Wes' dad so I could set our chairs out for the parade that evening. A Madison local had told me to head down to Main Street early Friday morning and set our chairs out. I was really nervous about doing this, even after she reassured me that everyone did it, and nobody would steal our chairs.

When we got home, I did a few chores and Grace joined me in the garden.

Grace played some Go-Fish with Granny and got some belly sugars from Pappaw.

Later in the day we headed into town to get milkshakes at Roger's Corner. YUMMY!! The boys headed down to the river to look around, while I browsed the little shops in downtown.

Then, it was finally time for the parade to start.

All branches of the military were represented at the parade, as well as the National Guard.

The mayor was there. I said, "Look Grace! There's our mayor!" She said, "Oh cool! What movie is he in?" LOL! She was not impressed when I gave her his job description and it did not include TV or movies.

Our favorite float was the Flinstones float put together by the drama department at the high school. The volcano would shoot confetti out of it. Grace has also now decided that she wants to take gymnastics, and Hunter wants a pogo stick. I, however, am hoping that Wes will become a Shriner and we can get one of these awesome mini-diesels. How cool would that be? You know you want one too.

Of course, you can't have a Regatta parade, without an appearance from Miss Madison, the hydroplane boat that represents our town. I couldn't believe how big the boat was. During the races, these boats reach speeds of more than 200 miles per hour!!!

We all had a great time attending our first parade.

More pics of the good life

2009-06-30T11:18:00.005-05:00

Hudson flew into Louisville on Saturday and is spending the week with us. He seems to be enjoying the house and property just as much as Hunter and Grace. The kids and I had a great time last week at VBS, but I didn't take any pics. There are a lot of fun activities going on this week in anticipation for the 4th of July and the Madison Regatta. I'll definitely have a lot of pics to share by next week. In the meantime, here are some that I took on Sunday.

Some things to check out..

2009-06-21T18:23:00.003-05:00

I shared a few sneak peaks the other week from our family photo shoot in Deep Ellum. To see the rest of the pics, follow this link. http://chera25.com/galleries/53109Cami/

And this is a picture of me on Friday morning doing one of my new chores.

This is the first time in my life that I have ever enjoyed mowing the lawn. Now all I need is someone to pimp my mower. It could use a cup holder and a sound system.

And finally, go check out this site and vote for the best duct tape prom attire. I've got to admit, some of these creations are pretty incredible and all are deserving of some scholarship money.

http://www.stuckatprom.com/contests/...s_finalist.asp

She's officially a handful!

2009-06-19T20:52:00.005-05:00

Well, with all of the hustle and bustle that it required to pack and move my family across 4 states, my kid's birthdays kind of got glossed over. And well Gracie's birthday was one of those that I consider to be a milestone. So, although this post is late...Well, it's still better late than never. On June 4th, the day before our big move, my baby girl turned 5.

We have a tradition in our home that on your birthday, you get to eat whatever you want for breakfast. The kids have always looked forward to this yearly custom. This year Grace chose a Dr. Pepper float for her celebratory breakfast. She and I had a few special moments together that morning before the boys woke up as she drank her float and I presented her with a gift. We had already given her all of her gifts at her party....except for this one. I had been hanging onto it because I knew it would be her favorite. It's the beautiful maya wrap sling that she is holding her baby in for the above photo. Many of you know that Grace is very pro-attachment parenting. In fact her views on breastfeeding can be downright militant at times. LOL! For several years, she has used an old baby blanket with a hair tie around it as a soft carrier for her babies. There are no pictures of the look on her face when I gave her the sling, since it was just she and I in the morning glow of the gentle Texas sun...but I saved a photograph in my mind, and let's just say..it's a good one.

I cannot believe it's been 5 years since she came into our world. I feel so blessed that I have had the opportunity to be at home with her during these formative years. She is so different from her brother. I thought I had being a mom down to a tee. But..there were lessons in life and in motherhood that Hunter couldn't teach me, and so by the grace of God, she was sent to us. She is assertive, and she has taught me that I don't always have to be the one in charge. It's nice to have someone else around sometimes who brings new ideas and likes to lead. She is determined, and willing to persist in the face of difficulty. At age 3 her persistence was most often seen during times of struggle--like when I would tell her, "No!", and she wanted to hear, "Yes!". Now days, her persistence shines through in moments like yesterday when she decided she would finally like to tie her own shoes, and mastered that skill in less than 10 minutes. She has always been very opinionated, especially about what she will wear. When I was 13, I shaved the underside of my hair. When I wore my hair down, you couldn't see it, but when it was in a ponytail, you could see my half bur. I remember my dad saying, "Well, it's your hair, and if you want it to look dumb, I don't care, because it's not my hair." LOL! So much for rebellion..These words of his, though I don't repeat them aloud, often echo in my head. I used to voice my own very opinionated feelings to her about how she should dress...She has taught me to just keep my mouth shut, and let my father's words echo through my head. So, happy birthday to my baby girl. I can't wait to see what the next 5 years bring for us. Keep those big brown eyes open wide and full of wonder, because they make us all want to see the world the way that you do.

The Journey

2009-06-16T07:25:00.003-05:00

Warning: This post will be more "wordy" than the last, and then there will be a photo slide show at the end. I found out yesterday, that it takes a REALLY long time to load pictures to blogger with our new rural internet.

On Friday, June 5th, we left Dallas around 7:30 a.m. and headed out on the first leg of our trip. About 30 minutes outside of Mesquite, Grace said, "When are we going to be at our hotel?" I was hoping that she would be a better road trip passenger this year. No such luck. However, since the kids are older now, we really didn't have to stop that many times which made the drive go faster. We finally stopped for the night around 6:00 in a town between Memphis and Nashville. Immediately after getting a room, the kids put on there swimsuits, and we headed to the hotel pool. They had been eagerly awaiting to do this all day. Then, we walked across the street and ate dinner at Loretta Lynn's Diner. It was adorable, and they sold all kinds of Loretta Lynn memorabilia. We didn't buy anything, other than our meals, but we had a good time looking around. That night, I think I actually slept for the first time in 3 weeks. It was EXACTLY what I needed.

We got up earlier than we had planned to, but I think we all slept pretty good that night. Of course, we chowed down on the continental breakfast before heading back out on the road. We drove into Nashville and parked the truck for about 30 minutes while we walked around and took some pictures. We are definitely going to have to head back there soon for a weekend trip. After a little bit of sight seeing, we set out again for our new home. As we drove through Kentucky, we noticed that the adults sure do like to read there. There were lots and lots and lots of stores that sold "Adult Books" and I apparently they also like movies. LOL! Finally after about 4 hours of driving, we came to the beautiful bridge that crosses the Ohio River. The bridge connects our town in Indiana to Kentucky. Once you cross the bridge, you enter our town's historic downtown. There are 130 blocks of historic homes and businesses. Our house is about 3 miles outside of the downtown area. The location is FANTASTIC!!! If you go 3 miles in one direction, you are in historic downtown, and if you go about 2 miles in the other direction, you are at the more modern shopping area (Wal-Mart, Kroger, Dollar Tree, JC Penney, Gamestop, etc..).

So, when we first arrived at our new house, we opened the massive garage/storage building and saw an old tin sign hanging up. It has a picture of an oil rig and says, "Little Dallas". We were in shock, but it was just another sign (literally), that let us know we were home. We believe God has had a hand in this entire move, and paved a path for us that left us with very little doubt. He showed us in numerous ways over the past few weeks that this is where He wanted us to be.

So, here are some of the highlights from our first week in Indiana:

-Hunter has caught several fish in our pond, including a 5 pound bass.
-We saw two wild turkeys at the state park (only about 10 minutes from our house), while we driving to the free swim day at the park pool.
- We met the principal and toured the school the kids will be attending next year. There are only 188 kids for Kindergarten- 5th grade. They have recess everyday!!! (Hunter's last principal had done away with recess before he started school there) And the kids are super excited, because the bus will pick them up everyday at the end of our driveway and take them to school.
-We went to Roger's Corner located in historic downtown for milkshakes and coke floats. It's an old timey soda fountain, and is soooo cute!
-Wes LOVES his job. He is soooo happy to finally be outside again. Also, since he accepted the position, 5 guys have retired, putting him at the top of the seniority list!!!! Oh, and there is more than enough work. He hasn't had a day off yet. So, with all this overtime, we should have no problem getting new Winter wardrobes, and some new things for the house.
-The kids used some gift cards from their birthday to buy a slip n' slide, and have had a blast playing on it.
-We went to free swim day at the city pool located on the riverfront. Hunter had a blast going down the big slide, and Grace had fun on a slide in the shallow end.
-We went to a free concert in celebration of our town's bicentennial. At the end of the night, they had a laser light show and fireworks. It was AWESOME!!!! Hunter also found a group of boys to play football with there. We all had a great time.
-We went to church on Sunday. I had already signed the kids up for community bible school earlier in the week. There are about 6 churches in downtown, of all different denominations, that come together to put on one vacation bible school. I was sooo impressed with that! I will be volunteering at the bible school, so we decided to visit the church it is going to be held at. The kids had a great time and made some new friends.

So, things are going really well for us here. Hudson is coming to visit us in a few weeks, and Wes' parents are also talking about coming up here for the 4th of July. We miss you all, but are settling in nicely to our new surroundings.

The See You Laters

2009-06-15T19:51:00.010-05:00

Well, the hardest part about leaving Texas was definitely saying, "See you later." to so many friends and family members. And of course, with such a quick move, there were many people that we did not have a chance to say this to in person. Thank you though to all of you who dropped by, took us to lunch or dinner, sent emails or phoned before we left. We are going to miss seeing so many of you on a regular basis, but we plan to make every effort to keep you all up to date on what's going on in our lives. (((HUGS)))

The kids before their b-day party. Thankfully, this had been planned before we knew about the move. So, it turned out to be a birthday/ going away party for them.

Well, I learned my lesson during the first "see you later" gathering that make up wasn't the best idea. It just didn't go to well with the tears. Not only that, but in our final weeks in Texas, I didn't have much time to take care of myself--hence the darker than normal circles under my eyes. I cried a lot, but this last goodbye was by far the hardest. Demaris or "D-Man" as we call him is Hunter's best friend. He is really the first best friend that Hunter ever had. They have been inseperable for the last 2 years. I have kept him every day after school for the last 2 years. He has spent countless nights at my house. What made this goodbye the hardest for me was seeing and hearing the heart break that Hunter was feeling. It was gut wrenching. He had been upbeat an optimistic about the move until that final night. As I drove Demaris home, Hunter began to sob. He said that the day he met Demaris was the best day of his life. Demaris just comforted Hunter in the backseat as we pulled up to his apartment. Before we left his home that night, he gave Hunter his football jersey and a pair of his shoes that Hunter has always liked. It was one of the sweetest things ever. They have told numerous people over the last 2 years that they are brothers. And, they are..No distance will seperate the bond that these boys share.

2009 Deep Ellum Photo Shoot

2009-06-01T08:56:00.005-05:00

Well, we couldn't leave Texas without one last family photo shoot. Thankfully, I had already booked this shoot with Chera before we planned the move. The photos were taken in Deep Ellum. Here are a few sneak peaks from yesterday. I absolutely LOVE them. Grace skinned her knee while trying to twirl around a street sign--hence the tears..My brother came with us, so she snapped a few with him..And I came with some sidewalk chalk and a vision of a photo of me and Wes. Chera did a great job of putting my vision into print. Oh--and yes--that's Hudson--my step-son towering over me. He's grown 2 and a half inches since December. He turned 12 on December 1st and is now 5 feet 7 and a half inches, and is wearing a size 12 men's shoe.

Wes' shout out to Texas...

2009-05-31T21:53:00.002-05:00

My Shout Outs to All Things Texas (in no particular order)...

2009-05-30T01:02:00.006-05:00

-Shout out to the kitties and the Brees. I'm a better person for having known you.

-Shout out to The Grapevine. You changed my life.

-Shout out to the hill country. You have given me great times- from Stubbs BBQ to Barton Springs, to the final resting place for my daddy.

-Shout out to the Chuychanga and queso compuesto. Oh, how I love you.

-Shout out to The Whiskey Bar, The Old Crow, and a dozen other Dallas parking lots. I know my secrets are safe with you. ;o)

-Shout out to big hair, and big boobs. Not sure that I'll really miss you.

-Shout out to itchy fields of bluebonnets along the highway.

-Shout out to the Texas twang. Here's hopin' my kiddos don't lose theirs.

-Shout out to Wranglers and the men who can wear them. My sincerest thanks.

-Shout out to ladies in the bathroom at Billy Bob's during the David Alan Coe concert in 1999. You confirmed my suspicions of what western bars were really like.

-Shout out to 6-35--where I am certain I have wasted at least 5 years of my life sitting in various traffic jams for invisible wrecks.

-Shout out to Starplex and Kappus..Oh the memories...

-Shout out to the Saucer and Goodrum...Oh the memories...

-Shout out to mullets and Safeway feet, neither of which are going extinct--thanks to Texas.

-Shout out to David Johnson of Alabama and your family. You helped me realize how outdoorsy I am..and by outdoorsy, I mean, I like getting drunk on patios. (stole that line from http://www.someecards.com/)

-Shout out to Dublin, TX. I will always be a Pepper.

- Shout out to the 2008 Eagles E Team. Y'all are a special group of boys with some pretty amazing parents. You brought us a lot of smiles.

-Shout out to Dr. Cole. I wish I could take you with us.

-Shout out to "fixin". When I'm fixin' to fix some fixins' in Indiana, I'll think of all y'all, and wish that y'all might could come and visit us. ;o)

-Shout out to South Padre Island. You're a dirty, dirty beach, but I love you still.

-Shout out to tumbleweeds. I can't believe I never went to West Texas to see you in person.

-Shout out to Richardson, Addison, Oaklawn, Uptown, Wylie, & Mesquite--the only places I've ever called home.

-Shout out to the snake. I hope I never meet anyone like you again. I am a better person and learned a lot by being exposed to someone so deceitful and manipulative. They'll all figure you out soon enough. Alcoholic is just another word for liar, and we both know what you are.

-Shout out to Big Tex.

-Shout out to Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Charlie Robison, The Dixie Chicks, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, The Toadies, and Deep Blue Something. All of you have at least one song that brings forth a good memory for me--and you're all from Texas.

-Shout out to my family...and to the friends who are like family. We love you all very much.

So, I'll probably think of a few more shout outs, and add them later. In the meantime, check out this video that my friend Lea sent me. No, we're still going to Indiana-not Ohio, but I thought this was great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45DFVyriVI0

Peace Out Texas

2009-05-23T20:49:00.003-05:00

For those who aren't on my e-mail list, or a part of our immediate family, this may be some surprising news for you. On June 5th, 2009, we are leaving Texas and moving to a small town in Southern Indiana. We will be about 45 minutes outside of Louisville, KY, and just a day trip away from other big cities like Chicago and Indianapolis. We are so excited about this new adventure and for the way that God is opening doors for our family. We truly feel blessed and are excited about the life that awaits us. Of course all of this excitement is mixed with other emotions as well. We are nervous. Dallas, TX has been my home my entire life, and Wes has been here since he was 5. We are scared--because as you know..change can be scary. Here are some answers to some of the most frequent questions, I have recieved. If you have more questions, please leave a comment and I will try to respond.

What do the kids think?
They are sooo freakin' excited. I thought they would be more upset, but they aren't. They are both Gemini's and seem to thrive off change, and are always looking for an adventure.

What about Nursing school?
There is a great nursing school in the town we are moving to. In fact, the local hospital is the largest employer in the town. It is also the largest hospital in a 50 mile radius.

Do you have any family there?
No. Check this out though. My friend Sherry (her daughter takes dance with Grace) is a corporate headhunter. One of her co-workers and friends lives in the town we are headed to. She has gotten us in touch with one another, and Karen has beena HUGE help in helping us find somewhere to live.

What about your house?
Honestly, we're not sure about the house. If you know anyone interested in a good "as is" deal, let me know. Also, let me know if you know interested in renting in this area. We are also selling my car. I think we may have it sold. My friend is comiong for a 2nd look and test drive tomorrow, but in case she passes, there is an ad on Craigslist. https://post.craigslist.org/manage/1177921518/gwesf Pass it on.

What about Romo?
He will not be coming with us. First, we will be renting when we first get there and most properties only allow pets under 25 pounds, and then of course a pet deposit. Second, he does not do well in the car. He will not get into a car by himself. We has to lift him in the truck. When we took him with us to White Rock Lake last Spring, he was so anxious that he vomited in the car twice. Those who know him, know that he is a sweet and loving (though sometime humpy-LOL) dog. He never humps us, but will sometimes do it to people he doesn't know well. He has not been neutered yet. He is half lab and half basenji. If you or anyone you know might be interested in provinding him with a home, let me know. He does great around kids, and other dogs--not sure about cats. Oh and here is a pic of his complete cuteness. There's one of him kissing my little sister's boxer Bradie during their playdate. Then a pic of one when he was very embarassed and didn't want to look at the camera after Grace had "painted" his nails with a marker. She tried telling him to look at the camera and smile. He refused to smile, but he did finally look at the camera.

When did you say y'all are moving? June 5th--which is now less than two weeks away. YIKES!!

I will be back in a seperate post to give my shout outs to Texas. We are going to miss SOOOO many people. We have some wonderful friends in the Lonestar State--and only a handful of people that we will be thrilled to no longer run into an the grocery store. LOL! If you think I'm talking about you, then you are probably right. ;o)

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-12T23:09:00.008-05:00

I had an awesome Mother's Day weekend! First of all my wonderful husband and kids surprised me with some fantastic gifts. I got a new lens that I have not so secretly been coveting for several months!!!! It's the Canon 50mm 1.8. It is a must have for moms, since it takes GREAT portraits and can be used in low light settings.

They also got me a really pretty necklace and ring from James Avery. The necklace is on a black leather cord, and can be worn with more dressy outfits or with casual stuff.

Saturday evening we joined the in laws for dinner at Red Lobster to celebrate Mother's Day and my father in law's birthday.

After dinner, Wes' family came over for a little bit, and Kim let me use her daughter as a model while I played around with my new lens.

Isn't she adorable?? We are all so in love with her gummy smiles and chubby cheeks. On Sunday, we went to church to watch Serena's dedication. Her mommy had her all dressed up in a pretty yellow dress.

After church we headed to Mommy's favorite cafeteria--LUBY's!! It was yummy. Then, I came home and took a nap. A NAP!!!! After my nap, I got up and took Hunter and Grace to the park, where I was able to play around with my camera some more. So, I've got to share a few more pictures that I've taken over the last few days. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, and I think these pictures sum up pretty well how awesome it is to get to be Hunter and Grace's mom.

Mother's Day Give Away's

2009-05-07T09:43:00.009-05:00

Go check out some of these blogs and websites for some Mother's Day Give Aways and May Freebies from some of my online and real life friends.

***Win a Scrabble Tile Pendant***:

http://bagbybunch.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-first-giveaway-scrabble-tile-pendant.html

***SAVE THE BOOBIES & ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN a PHOTO SESSION***
My amazing friend Jackie is doing the Susan Komen 3 day, and she is trying to bring in as much money as she can for this awesome cause. Jackie, or ahem...Jacqueline..is an AMAZING photographer. Check out her work here: http://www.jacquelinereitzphotography.com/
Below are the details of what she is doing and how you can enter to win. Oh! And keep in mind as you donate that any contribution you make is tax deductible! Here's what Jackie has to say about entering this contest:

I am giving away two free mini-sessions OR 2 free full sessions.Here's how it'll workTo be entered:visit http://tinyurl.com/3dayjr and donate $5.00 to my funraising before May 21st (that gives you 15 days!). Every $5 you donate counts as one entry. Donate $20 and you get 4 entries. The prizes will be determined this way:If I get less than 30 entries, I'll give away 2 free mini sessions! ($50 value each)If I get 31-50 entries, I'll give away THREE free mini sessions! (50 value each)If I get 51-70 entries, I'll give away 1 free mini session, and I'll upgrade the 2nd mini session to a full session! ($50 value/ $300 value)And if I get 71+ entries, I'll give away 2 free full sessions ($300 value each)So at a minimum, you will win a free mini session... but at a MAXIMUM, you will receive a free full custom session ($300 value!)Now why is this so complicated? B/c the more entries I receive, the bigger the donation to Susan G Komen, the closer I am to my fundraising goal, the more generous I will feel SO, Go place your donation (remember, EVERY $5 = 1 entry! So if you donate $50, That's 10 entries and we are already 1/3rd of the way towards going to Level 2!) Also, be sure to blog about this contest, that way more entries will be submitted, and your prize will increase!

***FREE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY*** An up and coming wedding photographer is looking for some weddings to photograph this month in the Dallas area. Here are the details from Carole:
I am an up-and-coming photographer, in need of wedding photos to round out my portfolio. I have done several bridal and engagement sessions, and assisted at one wedding. You can see those pics here: http://hisandherscreative.smugmug.com/Included in this offer is a cd of web-sized images, for sharing online and through email. (All pics will be fully edited.) If you like any of them enough to want them printed, you can order them from me for a reasonable price. I can even order a magazine-style album for you, at a lower cost than you could order one for yourself.Please note:I have never done a complete wedding on my own, so if you can afford a photographer and were thinking of accepting this offer just to save some money, you may want to think again. I believe I'll do a great job, and I don't anticipate missing any shots or messing up the ones I DO get, but there are no do-overs with your wedding so, if you can afford a pro, please use one!

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree...

2009-05-06T17:18:00.004-05:00

So, Grace has had this thing for headbands for a few months now. And quite frankly, I had begun to contemplate taking my friend's advice and "losing" them...Until today...when I came across this picture.

So, instead of throwing away one of her beloved headbands. I'm simply going to savor her unique style and thank my lucky stars that she isn't too much like me--and doesn't insist on wearing cowboy boots with sweats and the headbands.

Texas Bluebonnets & The Cast

2009-04-07T22:51:00.005-05:00

So, Gracie went and saw an orthopedist on Monday. He was GREAT! He looked over her x-rays and had 3 other doctor's review them as well. They all agreed that she should be put in a cast first before doing any surgery. The dr. told us that eventhough she has a displaced fracture (meaning the bone has moved out of place) that often times in children her age it will reallign itself. They will do more x-rays in a week to see if it is doing just that--so cross your fingers and say some prayers. Sooooo, casts have come a long way since I was a kid, and now you get to pick what color csat you want. She told the dr., "I want a camoflauge one. My brother will be sooo jealous!" LOL! Unfortunately, they don't carry the camo casts in the size she needed, so she ended up getting a purple one. And, I'm so glad she did, because it matched the Texas bluebonnets perfectly when we stopped for some pictures today.

Now, I've got some BIG bluebonnet news. Growing up, I can remember being told that it was illegal to pick bluebonnets. I have never questioned this "fact", because afterall, they are our state flower..And well, "Don't Mess With Texas" is another one of those things drilled into the minds of little Texans. So, I have NEVER EVER even dreamed of picking a bluebonnet, and I have passed this law of the land down to my own children. But, guess what folks! There is no such law! http://www.texastwisted.com/reports.bluebonnets/ So, in light of what I believe to be life changing news for this girl born and raised in Texas, I decided to let my kids do this today.

And, I just want to end this quick post by saying how thankful I am that my kids are friends. They're not just brother and sister, but they are friends. It just melts my heart to see how much they love each other. They might argue and fight with one another, but they also give each other deep belly laughs and genuine hugs that are full of love.

April Showers by: Debbie Downer

2009-04-04T10:16:00.004-05:00

Well, when it rains it pours...but hopefully these April showers will bring some May flowers.

So, let's see.. First of all, I did not get into the Nursing program I applied to. I found out last weekend and was REALLY bummed, and cranky all weekend long. This week did bring a little bit more hope for me. My letter said I had been placed on the alternate list, and that because of my place on the list, I was required to attend orientation in May. One of my friend's was also denied admission and placed on the alternate list, but was not invited to orientation. I realize that wishing anything ill on another person is bad karma--so my prayer is that "my school" is the 2nd or 3rd choice for some people that were admitted to other schools, and when they don't accept the offer to attend "my school", I will then be accepted into the program.

Money is tight. This recession SUCKS!

My car broke down yesterday. We finally got it home (via Wes pushing it with his truck about 5 miles while I steered with it in neutral). Wes determined that it was the alternator after talking with a few of his friends about what it was doing.

While I was making calls to try and get the best price on a new alternator, Grace and Wes went for a quick bike ride. She crashed on the wooden bridge on the trail by our house, and broke her thumb.

She's in a splint for the weekend and will see an orthopedist on Monday to find out if she needs a cast. My prayer is that it's a simple fix that doesn't require any pins or surgery--cuz the bone looks crazy on the x-ray. I definitely have to agree with the radiologist that it is a displaced fracture...and this is what I found googling in regards to displaced fractures:

displaced fracture: a fracture in which the pieces on either side of the break are out of line (which might require surgery to make sure the bones are properly aligned before casting)

I hope to bring you your regularly scheduled broadcasts of Pittman Paradise with decent humor and wit very soon...

We are sooo NOT the camping type...

2009-03-23T21:28:00.004-05:00

but we were invited on a last minute camping trip with some friends, and thought, "What the hell! We'll give it a try." I am sooo glad that we did. They had rented these screened in shelters, so there was no need for a tent. The shelters had concrete floors, and we were able to fit 2 full size blow up mattresses in ours (for the 4 adults), along with 6 sleeping bags (for the kiddos).

We definitely want to go again, after having such a good experience. Also, Wes and I have been talking for a while about buying bikes for ourselves, and this trip also convinced us that we need to do that ASAP. We had brought our kids bikes, and our friends had bikes which that let us ride some.

Some of the highlights of the weekend get away

Funniest thing one of my children said on the trip: While going for a morning bike ride to look for deer, Grace says, "Mama, what are we doing? We're looking for deer?" To which I responded, "Yes, Grace. We're looking for deer." Then my daughter who lives in a home with no guns and has a father that doesn't hunt says, "Oh..Well, we should've brought a gun Mama. We need a gun." O-M-G!! She is soooo country! I about fell off of that bike laughing. I told her we did not need a gun, because we were not hunting deer, we were simply looking for them because they are pretty to look at in nature.

Scariest moment of the trip: Hunter was leaping across some boulder/ rock things. He had been doing it throughout the day, and it made me nervous, but I didn't make him stop. Well, he continued to get braver and braver until he was no longer stopping between each leap. So, he was doing this and I guess he had too much momentum and when he got to the rock where he intended to stop, he couldn't--and he fell...at least 6 feet onto rocks that were below him. It was without a doubt that scariest Mama moment of my life. I froze...I was in shock..and when I did move, I was scared to go to him. He wasn't yelling or crying.. He was silent..And I was just so terrified of what I would see when I did get to him. Thank God for our friends who sprinted down to him in what looked to be lightning speed. So, he has some scrapes, and bruises, and some swelling..but NOTHING like I thought it would be. He told me that Grandpa Doc was watching out for him. I think he might be right.

And before I share some pics, I just want to give a shout out to David Johnson of Alabama. It was great to be in your in presence.

Siblings

2009-03-12T23:33:00.003-05:00

There's no other love like the love for a brother.

There's no other love like the love from a brother.

long time..

2009-02-22T22:05:00.009-06:00

Alright, well it's been a while since I blogged, and I have really missed jotting my random thoughts down for random people to read. Of course, many of you are not random people at all--you are my friends.

So, the last post I put on here about my niece was when she was still in the hospital. Thankfully, after 2 weeks in the NICU, she was able to come home and has been doing soooo good. She is growing so fast, and is now a month old and about the size that my munchkins were when I brought them home from the hospital. I got to babysit her briefly the other day while her Mommy ran to the store. When I showed up she was wearing this adorable onesie.

Gracie is so in love with her. She talks so sweetly to her and kisses her little toes any chance she gets. She came along with me that day to "help" me babysit.

Wes and Hunter also think she's pretty great. Kim brought her for her first visit to our house on February 17th. Wes has always loved snuggling the tiny babies and Serena (or Wes-erena as he likes to call her) is no exception.

How sweet is that? Makes my ovaries a little sad that there will be no more babies of our own in this house.

However, I am really beginning to enjoy this new stage in our lives. Our kiddos are becoming so grown and independent. It's a time of mixed emotions for me as my "baby" will be in school soon, but it sure makes outings a lot easier when there are no real preparations needed to get out the door and go somewhere.

We took Daddy with us to the skate park the other week so Hunter could practice his moves. I think he is definitely ready for a better quality sk8board. We all enjoyed the outing and I'm super thankful to my little brother who told us about the place. (Quick shout out to Trey who just got his driver's permit! WTG!) Hunter has been working up his nerve to really give the half pipes a decent try. He really concentrates on what he's doing. I know the half pipes don't look that big in the pics, but they are probably about 6 feet tall, maybe taller. I'm not really sure. Anyways, they are much more intimidating in person. The key seems to be figuring out how to keep his front wheels on the ramp in order to have a successful decent.
When his front wheels come up...bad things tend to happen. (and yes, shame on us..we forgot to make him bring his helmet. ) Like this..

And this...

He finally did manage to keep those two front wheels down. I was sooo proud of him!

Grace had fun playing on the playground while Hunter skated.

On our way home, Wes stopped the truck when we got onto our street. He pulled Grace's bike out that we had brought with us to the park, and let her ride it home as he walked by her side. I snapped these pics in the mirror as I drove Hunter and myself the
rest of the way.

The following day, Grace went to her friend Haley's birthday party. They have known each other since they were 2. Grace had tons of fun and I did too. We will definitely be heading back to that place soon for a family day.

Playing indoor black light miniature golf with a little help from Haley's grandpa. The golf room was super cool!!

And here's a cute pic from the other week of me and Grace "dolled" up and posing. My friend Kiki gave me this shirt and the earrings for my birthday. Grace and I have been having a lot of disagreements about her clothing choices, and I told her that if she wore something that I wanted her to wear, then I would wear something cute too. LOL!

seems like forever...

2009-02-08T23:05:00.005-06:00

seems like forever since I posted... and honestly I don't have time to post much right now. Just wanted to drop by and say hi. for those that don't know, I'm 30 now..There I said it. The actual day was pretty uneventful by most standards--but hey there's always next year--I hope. So, here I am at 30...with wrinkles, and dark circles, and imperfections...and that's okay..i've earned every line and those gray hairs that are showing up as well.

i just started a new job last week (for the first time in 4 years, I am working almost full time), and so far i really like it. the hours are perfect and it's very close to home. since i have a job now, i've got to get my butt to bed at a decent hour. i ususally blog about the interesting events of my mostly boring life at night. so, i'm going to have to work out this whole balancing act..and it may take a little bit of time.

so, since i haven't got time to give you any details on the last few weeks...and a picture of me in my bathroom without any makeup on isn't too much fun (unless you are a member of the haters that check up on me via my blog--shout out to my haters!) ...i'm going to leave you all with a photo that definitely would qualify for white trash wednesday--if i actually had enough time to still do WTW. i spotted this lovely lady in her sports bra and dress at a local pizza/game place, where we were attending a child's birthday party.

We have a new family member!

2009-01-20T15:26:00.006-06:00

Serena Sage arrived early (35 weeks gestation) at 11:47 a.m. weighing in at 5 pounds 10 ounces, and a whopping 19 inches long. Not too shabby for a preemie!! My mother in law was in the room with my sister in law for the delivery.

Since she showed up early, she is going to need to stay in the NICU for a little bit until her lungs have developed a little more. She is super duper cute though and I got to back and see her for a few minutes. She even took a peek at me when I was messing with her scrumptious feet, but I didn't get a picture of her with her eyes opened.

We would all appreciate any thoughts or prayers that you have to give, as we are all eager to get to hold that pretty baby. Please send thoughts of strength and comfort to my sister in law, Kim, as she travels back and forth to visit her daughter.

WOW!!! What a week!

2009-01-15T22:31:00.008-06:00

I am so excited to share so many things. I have had an AWESOME week!! Like really, really, really awesome. So, put on your speed reading goggles and join me. I think it will be best if you do it that way and imagine me talking 90 miles per hour, as I'm prone to do when I'm overjoyed.

So, first off I took the HESI A2 test on Friday. It is essentially an entrance exam for nursing school. Different programs have different requirements regarding how many sections you must take and what is "passing" for their school. The school I am applying to requires you to take Reading, Math, and Grammar and to pass each section with 75%. It is not passing to have an overall combined score of 75%, unless you have scored at least 75% on each section. Make sense? So, I had some practice books and I was feeling pretty confident until I sat down to take some practice tests...That's when I got worried. Like, really worried. So anyways, I headed out to the testing site in Kaufman with two girlfriends that I met in Microbiology and prayed for the best. As I was looking around the testing room it occurred to me that all of us in there would be applying to the program, and not all of us would be getting. My stomach got all jittery...As we began registering our computers to take the test, hands started going up in the air. It seems a few people were confused about the combination of both capitol and lower case letters in their test number. They asked for help on entering the information. This helped calm my nerves as I assumed that those were 3 people I would not have to worry about taking "MY" spot in the nursing program. After you complete each section, you are given your score on that section before moving on. I had already decided I would just walk out if failed on of the sections..No point in finishing the whole test. So rather than just having one ball of nervous energy tumbling within my stomach at the end of the test, I was forced to face this nervous ball three times within an hour and 15 minutes. Okay..enough of the rambling already. That's what you're thinking right?? So, on the Math I scored 94.00%. You want to know the funniest part about that? Well, Algebra was my big hang up in regards to returning to school. I was so terrified of getting through the developmental math courses and making it to Algebra. Turns out I only missed 2 of the 15 Algebra questions. However, apparently my four years at home cooking and cleaning have taught me absolutely nothing. I missed 3 out of 4 of the Household measurement questions. Seeing that actually made me laugh out loud, and I had this short lived thought of how, "I better not let Wes know". I mean what's he going to do? Fire me because I don't know how many ounces are in a cup? Next was the Reading Comprehension. I scored a 95.74% on that section. Not too shabby. Finally, it was time for the Grammar section. Raise you hand if you wanna know what I got. I bet from reading this blog, you will never guess, because I use words like wanna and stuff. I got a freaking 100%. Boo-Yah Baby!!! So, my overall score was a 96.58%!!! It was such a relief to not only pass, but to do so well. My application was mailed in on Monday, and was received (according to the USPS) today at 10:15. I should know around April 15th if I have been accepted into the program. Hoping to share some good news with all of you then.

Moving on..Sunday morning Grace asked Wes to remove her training wheels. He happily obliged, and Hunter set off to teaching his little sister what he knew about bike riding. That only lasted a few minutes. While he and I were chilling on the porch talking --that little stinker took off on her own. She was so proud of herself, and we were all so excited for her. Wes says he was also 4 when he learned to ride a bike. Bring me the proof buddy! I didn't do it until I was 6 and Hunter was 5 and a half. I think there may be a trip to France in her future. The Tour de France to be exact.

So, shortly after Grace mastered riding her bike, my friend Denny and his wife Jessi arrived. Denny and I were great friends in high school, and for a few years after. We began chatting again through e-mail last year. He and his wife live in Colorado and just recently returned from Vietnam where they spent six months (I think it was bout that long) teaching English and traveling around Asia. It was so great to see him in person after all of these years and to meet his wife. She is beautiful, and kind, and smart. He has really done well for himself, and I am so proud of him. He always dated ...well...typical Dallas girls...and hmmm... I guess guys just have to go through that to figure out what they really want and need. And let me just say..Jessi totally fits the bill. She's the whole package. Here are a couple of old skool pics of me and Denny as well as one from Sunday.

The night of my high school graduation (May 1997)
Denny & My High School Boyfriend's Senior Prom (1996)

This next story was definitely the most exciting part of my week. And I guess this story really begins back in 1992. That's when I met Lauren. She is not only a lifetime friend, she is one of my very best friends. We no longer live a few blocks from each other or talk daily on the phone, but when we do talk...well, it's like no time has passed at all. So, first here are some pics of us through the years. As I was scanning them, I was thinking they should be titled the many hairstyles of "L" and "C". LOL!

1993- NJH Freshman Rule!

1996- Juniors in high school

1998 at Club Dada in Dallas
1998 at my first place~ The Biltmore condos in Addison
1999- Club Dada again.. ( right before I met Wes)

I can remember being with her at the Jane's Addiction concert back in 1999, and thinking, "This will be one of the best memories we share together." I was wrong. On Monday, I attended the birth of her second daughter as her friend and her photographer. It was amazing!!! I had never been to a birth--other than my own--and well, let's just say this was a lot more enjoyable. Lauren was amazing and she surrounded herself that day with some great people, including Tim, her mom, and her midwife. I just never could have imagined as I was sitting on her bed at 13 talking about boys and school that someday- 15 years later I would get to sit by her side on a bed as she brought a new life into this world. I was so honored and grateful to be there. She has graciously given me permission to share a few photographs from this beautiful day.

Congratulations Lauren! I love you and am so proud of you!

2009 Challenge- 52 photos

2009-01-07T23:15:00.006-06:00

So, as many of you know, I am in an online mom's group. I've been a member of the group since April of 2005. This group has offered me a wealth of information over that past few years, and has also afforded me and my children the opportunity to make some friends that we may have otherwise never known. The women there offer advice, comfort, and most importantly have helped me to navigate my world as a stay at home mom with a lot more ease. Tonight, Sara, who I have never met in person, shared something with the group that took my breath away. It is so simple, yet so brilliant...She has given me permission to share it with all of you. My hope is that those of you that can relate to her like I do, and are the primary picture takers in your family, will make a conscious effort this year to record your life with your children. Many of you either commented or sent me e-mails in response to my blog last month about my dad. I have some wonderful pictures of he and I together, but not near enough. My children are growing so fast, and our daily adventures together will be over in a blink of an eye. I want them to have proof that I was there not only during the milestones, but that I was there for them day to day as we navigated through life. I have been so good about recording the lives of those I live with, but often don't take time to make sure that I am a part of that record. So, without further ado, here is Sara's project and what she had to say about it.

As the primary photographer of our little family, I don't have many pictures of me with Julian and Layla. And so, in 2008, I challenged myself to take one photo each week of myself with Julian and/or Layla. The exception is week 44 (Halloween) when I have two, because I couldn't decide between them. This project was something I was always thinking about throughout the year. It challenged me to see photo ops in the little things (lunch at Sonic). To do big, fun things (sliding at the State Fair) and be sure to capture it. Some really great things that would have been perfect for the 52 project (decorating our Christmas tree) were not photographed, because it would have meant being distracted from the moment and missing out.There were weeks when I barely eeked in a photo op. I used the timer a lot, sometimes I used Daniel, and sometimes Julian groaned in protest at having his picture taken. But I'm proud of myself for sticking to it! I would sorta like to continue on through 2009, but I was so glad (and relieved) to have finished, I'm not sure I could commit again so soon.I plan to print the pictures in book form. I can't wait to see that! But for now, I've created a slide show to satisfy my desire to see this in some sort of finished form right now!

***Pause the music on my blog as her slideshow has beautiful music of it's own***

52 photos of my kids and me from sararas on Vimeo.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T13:12:00.002-06:00

White Trash Wednesday~ 2008 Finale!!

2008-12-30T23:47:00.006-06:00

Well, I wasn't able to focus my efforts on snapping great pics for WTW these past few months, but as I was going through my files I found some pics that never made it on here. Only one of the pics actually qualifies under my terms as WT, but the others are still funny and definitely blog worthy.

The first picture is an unidentified woman on a Saturday morning at a pee wee football game. I snapped this picture back in December. Now don't get me wrong, I realize that these games often start early in the morning. Most of us dread the alarm clock going off on a Saturday morning and I know that it was rare that you could find me wearing any make-up at 8:00 a.m. However, I always managed to at least show up with some clothes on--for my kids sake of course.

Now in my own mind, I tried making excuses for this woman. Lots of times at the morning games it was a bit chilly...The thing is, that's a freaking silk robe..and let's be clear, silk doesn't exactly warm you up. That excuse would only be good if she had on a plush cotton robe. Then I thought...Well, maybe it was their teams "Crazy Spirit Day"... However, as I looked through the other photos I took that day, there was nobody else on their side of the field dressed "crazy". So, I can only imagine that like the woman who was photographed at the spray ground in pink sponge curlers...her children must have really pissed her off..and this was their punishment. I sure hope they get their act together so that she doesn't have to show up to the field in her silk robe again.

This next photo is of a car that I spotted in the parking lot at the zoo back in April. Now, I have never denied being a Christian. a cussing Christian..but a Christian none the less. However, talk about a holy roller. This person is definitely rolling around town in the ultimate condemnation car. For some reason when I look at this car AC/DC's song "Highway to Hell" plays on repeat in my head. http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=erJc4dzZ3IA Remember that you can always double click on the photos to get a better view.

And here's another fabulous car. However, this one has a more professional paint job and was in fact paid for with your tax dollars. My dirty disgusting mind of a 10 year old boy trapped in a still 20 something woman, made me laugh hysterically when I saw this one.

And finally, this last photo was snapped at the mall with a camera phone by someone on my Dallas mom's board while she was out holiday shopping. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think it is. I'll post the answer in a few days. If you are on the mom's board.. please no cheating.. The guessing game will be a lot more fun.

Christmas Chaos

2008-12-29T12:32:00.011-06:00

We've been pretty busy the last few days, but had a very enjoyable holiday. We kicked off the celebration on Christmas Eve when Wes' parents and sister joined us for chicken enchiladas and gifts. They gave Grace an awesome bed for her baby doll along with a whole new wardrobe for her babies. She loved it. Hunter got a cool Eagles football neon light and a cool looking football player to hang on his wall. He was also very happy with his gift. They gave me a tri-pod which I desperately needed that can hold either my camera or the camcorder, and they gave Wes a VISA gift card. We were all very excited about our presents. Oh! And Kim gave us a board game.

After they left, we continued with our X-Mas Eve traditions. We all opened up our new pajamas and the kids opened up their new ornaments. I had bartered for some of their gifts this year including their pj's, which my friend Jackie made for them in exchange for some board books. They LOVED their new pajamas--both the print and the comfort. We tried to watch Polar Express, but it seems our copy is scratched up, so instead we watched the last half of Santa Claus starring Tim Allen before the kids headed off to bed.

While they were sleeping, Santa Claus snuck in and left them some gifts. I can't tell you how blessed we have been this holiday season by the generosity of others. Santa was a collective effort this year, thanks to some very special people. Not only did Santa leave some gifts, but Gracie awoke to 6 boxes from her friend Jasani's mom packed to the rim with some beautiful new clothes and shoes. Hunter is friend with Jasani's brother, Gary, and he and is dad had shown up a few weeks ago with the drum set for Rockband as a gift to Hunter. He has been playing that game non-stop since he received it. Thank you to all of our wonderful friends for making this year extra special for us.

After presents, Daddy fixed everyone breakfast on his new griddle. Then, we headed to my grandparents house for lunch. We all had a fun time hanging out and the food was delicious, as always. My kids had fun playing with Trey's new drum set, and I had fun goofing off with my brother and sister during picture time.

Hunter ended up staying at my grandparent's house so he could spend the night with Trey. We headed home for some rest, then went over to Ashana and Chocolate's for a while. Grace had a blast playing with all the kids that were there and riding around in Jasani's new Corvette. Hopefully, I'll have some pics to post later. My camera was dead, but Ashana took a lot of pictures.

On Friday, we went and picked Hunter up, then went and picked up Hudson so he could spend the weekend with us. There is absolutely no denying that he has officially passed me up in height. He just turned 12 on Dec.1st and is not only taller than me now, but he is also wearing a size 11 men's shoe!! Hunter had talked to Hudson about skateboarding and so Hudson ended up asking for a skateboard for X-Mas. Paul, his mom's friend, gave him one, so he brought that with him. On Saturday, I took the kids (along with Hunter's friend Gary) to a local skate park.

Later on Saturday, Wes' family came over so they could see Hudson, and we gave Chloe, our niece, her gift. I'm not sure the last time that all of the cousins/grand kids were together, so Loyd and Mary wanted some pictures.

On Sunday morning, we all got up and put on our "fancy" clothes, as Grace calls them. We were invited to Friendship West Baptist Church for the baptism of one of Hunter's team mates. We really enjoyed the sermon, as well as the entire service. Congratulations Derrian! We are all soooo proud of you and your commitment to serve God.

Holiday Wishes

2008-12-24T10:59:00.004-06:00

I just want to take a minute to thank Beth for introuducing me to the wonderful site http://www.someecards.com/. Over the last year I have frequented this site on a regular basis, and they always seem to have the perfect card to express exactly what I'm trying to say. So, here are a few holiday cards compliments of them.

Oh and here are a couple pics of my kids at Hunter's class party.

WOW! That sugar high didn't last long. LOL!

The "C" Words

2008-12-21T22:16:00.005-06:00

So, today's post will be about 3 different things...Class, cookies, and cancer

CLASS: This semester I finished up my coursework at Eastfield with a computer class, and Microbiology. I am sooooo excited to report that I ended the semester with an "A" in Microcomputer Concepts and a "B" in Microbiology. I am way more excited about the grade in Microbiology, b/c I truly worked my a$$ off for that "B". It was a really interesting class, but super hard. Then combined with all the ridiculous drama that had taken over my personal life during the semester...Well, you get it. I'm so happy with my grade and really proud of myself for pulling it off. If anyone is interested in reading my term paper on my Unknown Bacterium (I know most of you are already snoring..LOL!), let me know and I will be more than happy to e-mail it to you. And now for the really exciting news. On January 9th, I am signed up to take the HESI, which is the entrance exam for nursing school. I will be given my results immediately following the test..Provided that I pass all three sections, I will then turn in my application for the nursing program. The application is due by January 31st. Eeeekkk!!! I finally feel like there is an end in sight.

COOKIES: Yipppeee!! It's baking season at the Pittman house. Now normally if Wes smells sweets when he walks in the door, he gets nervous. STRESSED is DESSERTS spelled backwards. And frankly, I tend to bake A LOT when I'm stressed or upset. Now, I don't eat all the sweets, I just enjoy making them. BUT....At this time of year, the oven is almost always on, even when Mama is calm and relaxed. I went to an awesome cookie exchange last week with Grace. For those of you who don't know what a cookie exchange is, here's the scoop. Basically, you get about 10-15 women together. You each bring a half dozen baked treats for everyone that will be attending. For instance, the one I went to had 14 people (including myself). So, I had to make 6 and a half dozen treats and package them into 13 bags filled with a 1/2 dozen of my goodies. The best part is, that you then leave with 13 different kinds of goodies. Oh!!! And it's best if on the packages you include your name and the recipe so that if people like what you brought, they can make some more later. The cookie exchange was also a potluck. So, we all enjoyed lunch together and hung out, then headed home to dive into our delicious treats, hiding the good stuff from our husband's before they returned home. Kidding..

CANCER: Now for the ugly "c" word. Back in December of 2006, this ugly word entered my friend Melissa's life. She and I were (and still are) in a local online mom's group together. I had never met her in person, but still remember reading her post when one of her identical twin boys was diagnosed at 10 months old with Stage III hepablastoma. It was a one in a million cancer diagnosis, and poor Brandon was that one. Melissa is an amazing person...an awesome wife, a good friend, and the kind of mama most kids wish for. On Mother's Day of 2007 many prayers were answered and Brandon received a life saving liver transplant. Melissa and her family have been on quite a journey these last few years--one that frankly I can't even imagine. Late last year, I began forming a pretty special bond with Melissa and some other mama's, and she is now someone I definitely consider a friend for life. Though I've had the chance to hang out with Melissa, I had never met her boys until this past weekend. And O-M-G!!! They are the cutest little munchkins EVER!

So, here's the deal..There's a reason why I'm telling you all about this family..As you will see from the pics, Brandon is quite a bit bigger than his twin brother. For one, he was on steroids for a year. That's right, an entire year. He also takes a variety of medication including drugs that he will be on for the rest of his life to keep his body from rejecting the transplanted liver. Melissa was telling me how she gets sick of the stares and the even the questions. She really just longs to be a "normal" mom again and not have to talk about her sick baby--or not have people think that she's some awful parent that stuffs her baby full of ding dongs all day long. (I made up the ding dong bit...but you get what I'm saying..what she's feeling)..And you know..I just think that the holidays are a great time for us to reflect on our actions--on our own thoughts--and think about how we can make this world a better place..a more peaceful place. I know I am guilty of casting judgement. (don't think this sappiness I'm spewing will bring an end to White Trash Wednesday 'cuz that ain't happening)..I'm just more or less saying..as moms, we tend to judge each other, rather than giving each other the benefit of the doubt. When at all possible, I just think it would be so much better if instead of a whisper, we offered a helping hand..instead of judgement we offered empathy. Now without further ado, I present to you my new buddy Brandon and his adorable sidekick Aiden, along with their gorgeous mommy Melissa.

I also just love these two pics that Melissa snapped of me and Brandon. He loved my camera and kept requesting more pics. LOL!

You can read more about these two boys and their adventures at: http://www.doublestroller.blogspot.com/

Gone, but not forgotten.

2008-12-14T10:18:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was the four year anniversary of my dad's passing. I still miss him like crazy, but it does get better in time. I know the song "Better In Time" by Leona Lewis has brought one of my lifetime friends a lot of solace in these last few months. I listened to the song then read the lyrics to it last night and understood why. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrNoDUblAtE This song speaks to anyone who has lost someone they love--no matter who it is or how they lost them. It's a beautiful song.

My dad taught me a lot of things in the 25 years I spent with him, and I could never share them all in a simple blog. So, I'll share a few. First of all, he definitely believed that anything worth having was worth fighting for. He believed in the innate goodness of others. He believed that honesty was always the best policy. He taught me how to be a good listener, by always listening to me whether I needed advice or to simply share my heart. He taught me how to love completely, by loving me completely-- without terms or conditions. I never once questioned his love and dedication to me. I hope that the ones I love never once take pause to question my love for them.

And as much as it sucked to feel like an orphan at 25..there were lessons to be learned from that. Life is too short to spend it with people who can't give you in return what you have given to them. If I give you my heart, my trust, my love, my friendship..then it is not selfish to ask for those things in return. I deserve those things as much as you do. I know that anger and resentment are things that I should never carry around with me. Life is too short to live with regrets, so I choose not to. I do not need a basket full of friends to show off as a trophy, but a few quality friends, including my husband, are more than I could ever ask for, and certainly all I will ever need.

If you press the pause button on the blogs music, you will be able to hear the music that goes along with this slideshow. It is a slideshow of our final goodbye to dad as we set his ashes free.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

10 YEARS

2008-12-05T13:52:00.005-06:00

November 28th was the ten year anniversary of the day Wes and I began our life together. I get that most people celebrate their actual wedding anniversary, but Nov. 28, 1998 holds so much more signifigance for us than the ceremony we had 3 years later. We didn't have some long drawn out courtship. We had one date, and we knew that we were meant to be together. Within weeks, we had already set up "house" (or at least he had moved his stuff into my place-LOL!). Knowing that I've been with someone for 10 years kind of make me feel old. Of course there is nobody else out there that I could imagine getting old with. Wes is my best friend..my best friend forever. He brings out my "smiling eyes", and he brings out that kind of laughter in me that radiates from some where deep inside. He has been my strength at times when I couldn't stand on my own, and I hope that I have given that to him in return. He has seen me at my very best and at my very worst, and his love has never wavered. I am blessed beyond words to have such a stand up man at my side on this journey through life.

We had our first date at Daddy's Jack seafood restaurant on Lower Greenville, where Wes was friends with the owner. It is seriously the best seafood I've ever eaten in Dallas. We then headed for drinks at The Old Crow, where Wes worked at the time and then for more drinks at The Grapevine, where we knew the entire staff.

A year later we celebrated out anniversary at Daddy Jack's, then moved on to The Grapevine to visit with friends and watch others drink as I was 3 months pregnant with Hunter and stuck to water as my celebratory drink that night.

So, this last weekend we made the rounds again. It's nice to still have friends in the restaraunt and bar industry as we had a great 10 year celebration compliments to some of them. A big thanks to Ronnie at The Grapevine for the champagne toast (even though I passed on it, b/c it gives me a headache), and the open bar tab under your name. We had a wonderful time, and look forward to celebrating with all of you-- where it all began-- for many years to come.

You're more than a lover. There could never be another

To make me feel the way you do.

Oh, we just get closer.

I fall in love all over, every time I look at you.

I don't know where I'd be without you here with me,

Life with you makes perfect sense.

You're my best friend.

Moose Mania

2008-12-01T22:32:00.012-06:00

So, I've got so much to blog about, but I have decided to break it up into a few different posts. Tonight I want to focus on the Moose. For those not in the know, "Moose" is Hunter's nickname. Yes, I realize that my thin (some may even say scrawny) boy seems to have nothing in common with a moose. However, that has not always been the case. I've included some pics of Hunter from about 6 months old, when Wes and my dad decided that he was "as big as a moose". And judging from the size of Wes, we were certain that there would be no slowing down his imminent growth. Turns out, we were wrong. The name has stuck though, and he loves it. He actually prefers to receive personalized gifts that say, "Moose" rather than "Hunter".

Alright so on to the Moose Mania. I just can't tell you how proud I am of that kid. Lately, it seems like every time I turn around, he's doing something else to impress us. Of course, there are his two report cards this year. Both of them had straight A's, including some 100's (Spelling & Science). His teacher this year seems to really enjoy him, and has spoken very kindly to me about Hunter and how he is one of the ones she can "count on". Then, we received a letter from the principal last week stating that based on his recent Math evaluation, they expect that he will receive a commended score on the TAKS test this year. Hunter was grinning from ear to ear when I told him. He has been having some real test anxiety lately, and I hope that news helped to lift an undue burden off of his chest.

So, on the 21st, Grace and I bundled up and headed to Rugel with my friend's daughter in tow to watch Hunter run in the one mile Turkey Trot race. Now, Hunter is no sprinter, but last year he had fared quite well, coming in 4th at the Turkey Trot, so I was excited to see what would happen this year. He was aiming for 2nd place. Well, guess what... HE WON!!!! That's right people! Out of all the 3rd grade students at his school (probably close to 70), he came in first place. He beat his own record by 45 seconds, finishing the mile run in 8 minutes 30 seconds.

He was so excited. He couldn't wait to call Wes and tell him all about it.

Grace and Addison were good sports, braving the cold to cheer him on.
Proudly posing with his blue ribbon.

So, let's see that was Friday. Then, that weekend he had two school projects to work on. The first project was for Math. He had to plan a Thanksgiving meal using a $100 budget. He had to go through weekly circulars, and price food items. He also had to make a guest list, and prepare a menu. He presented all of his work on a poster board, and used stencils and stickers for the lettering. I think it turned out awesome!

The next project was a family project. His teacher sent home a picture of a turkey that we were to all decorate as a family. We really had a good time with this project. Wes used scotch locks and telephone wires to decorate his feathers--both tools of his trade. Grace contributed some black and hot pink tulle (for tutus and bows) to be used on her feathers. I added some flower and yarn embellishments to my feathers, and Hunter chose some cut out pictures of footballs for his feathers.
So, here's to the Moose. You never cease to amaze me. I am so proud of you. I can remember holding you in my arms when you were first born, and feeling so lucky. I just kept thinking, "Out of all the women in the world, God chose ME to be your mom!! How blessed am I?" And, I have to say that after 8 and a half years, I still feel exactly the same way. You inspire me Moose, and I feel privileged to have someone as cool as you wake up everyday and call me "Mom".

Laughter is STILL the BEST Medicine

2008-11-17T16:24:00.004-06:00

It's been a rough few months...But, I am blessed to have an amazing group of women in my life who are supportive and kind, and way beyond the sort of back stabbing and gossip that can still be found in many inner circles of adult women. The laughter I shared with these women on Saturday night was just what my soul needed.

Photo compliments of Jackie: http://www.reitzphotography.com/

Autumn is here!!

2008-11-14T22:51:00.008-06:00

Well, as everyone knows we only get a week (maybe two) of Fall in Texas. It's hard to find trees with beautiful warm colors as most simply go from green to brown. But, right now I would say it is Fall in Texas, and I LOVE this time of year. I had a chance to do some cleaning on Wednesday. I got out my olive colored table cloth, and pumpkin container filled with potpourri, and lit some baked apple scented candles. It was wonderful! As I type, a cold front is moving into town and I can hear the leaves rustling outside my window.

So today Grace and I headed out for a walk along the trail by our house and to play at the park. I dressed her in a cute outfit composed of hand me downs and second hand finds, including the adorable shirt made by Susie. We've walked this trail a zillion times, and yet today was the first time we discovered this little nook with big rocks. I don't know if it's new, or if there was overgrown grass and trees hiding it before. Either way, we were thrilled to find it. I think Grace had more fun climbing and jumping off the rocks than she did at the park. It was also the perfect spot for me to snap some pictures of my pretty girl.

Chillin'

Don't worry about her on that swing. Despite her look of fear, she did that on purpose. She loves to do flips off of the swings. Before heading home, we stopped at the corner store where she got a cherry Icee. She was awfully stingey (sp?) with it, but I snuck a few sips and it was tasty!

Making a dandelion wish.

Her treasure from today--a leaf that looked like a feather.

So after our adventures, we came home and ate lunch. Grace took a brief nap, then we headed up to Hunter's school for the Third Grade Mini Mall. They have been studying money and the economy and today was their chance to put what they had learned into action. All the third grade students made items to sell. The kids in 2nd through 4th grade have been earning money with good behavior, and were able to come spend their money today. It was really cool, and Hunter sold out of his product within the first 5 minutes.

Demaris' friendship bracelet shop.

Amari selling Christmas ornaments.

Isaac was selling scoops of homemade goo.

I just loved the fact that she was standing underneath an "Atittude" poster. LOL!
His first sale.

Out of product, but trying to convince Ms. Aston she should buy a bag from him to put her stuff in that she buys from others.

Halloween & The Playoffs

2008-11-07T12:00:00.006-06:00

So Halloween landed on a Friday night this year. As much as we wanted to hang out all night with friends, the big playoff game was the following day, so we all needed our rest. Wes wasn't feeling too good, so he headed to bed early. The kids and I went trick or treating, then joined the Brown family for some yummy food and drinks, and some wonderful company. Hunter dressed up as his favorite wrestler, John Cena and Grace was a pink flamingo.

Trick or Treat!

Abrianna enjoying the queso.

Abri posing with Jesus. She kept telling him to smile. LOL!
Uncle Fred after scaring the piss out of everyone inside.

Coach Willy busted with his hand on the "cookie jar". LOL!

Saturday afternoon we headed to Berry Middle School for the quarterfinals game against the Jags. The game was announced (like they do at high school games), which was really cool. It was fun to hear Hunter's name being announced when he made a tackle.

Hunter and his team made a valiant effort, but ended up losing the game. One thing I have to say about his team and his coaches is that they have always lost with grace, and more importantly they have always won with grace. Unfortunately, we witnessed an awful showing of sportsmanship from some of the children on the Jags following their win. I am so proud of my son, his friends, and the men who coach them for always being a team with a lot of heart and plenty of class. The boys received some nice trophy's at the end of the day for making it into the playoffs.

Football Fever (part 2)

2008-11-07T11:07:00.006-06:00

Okay, the last post I made was all about our bye week during the weekend of October 17th. Part 2 of football fever is from the weekend of October 24th.

Friday night was the Eagles Homecoming Dance. Due to some grown up b.s, my husband was uninvited to all Eagles activities, so we decided to spend time together as a family doing something fun . Two boys that Hunter plays football with joined us for the Mesquite Skeeters football game. We met up with Renee and Hayden and some of their family to watch the game. Since Renee's husband Sam is a coach at Mesquite, the kids got to go slap hands with the team and follow them out onto the field. We had a great time!

The following day was the last game of the regular season for Hunter's team.

We saw a lot of this...

and this....

The final score was: Eagles-32, Vikings-0. This victory landed the team a 7th seed spot into the playoffs! They were so excited! Last year the E team only won 3 games, and this year, they only lost 3 games!!! What a difference a year can make.

Football Fever- Part 1 (bye week..)

2008-10-26T23:14:00.009-05:00

So, last weekend was the Eagles bye week. (meaning they didn't have a game) So, I organized some fun outing for us to go on as a team. We have such an awesome staff of coaches, who have been involved throughout this season, and this weekend was no different.

We started the fun off Friday night, by meeting at our practice field for some dinner, thanks to Coach Willy. He made hot dogs for everyone, and some parents provided chips and brownies. After we filled our bellies, we headed to Memorial Stadium to watch West Mesquite High School verse Forney High School. For some of the boys, it was their first time to see a high school game.

On Saturday night, we met over at Coach Wesley and Ms. Lori's house to go through their haunted house. They spend a lot of time and money every year to put this haunted house together, and each year it seems to get bigger and better than the year before. Hunter and Demaris both made up their minds before we got there that they wanted no part of it, as it scared both of them pretty bad last year. Wes had fun being the "Gate Keeper" for the evening, especially when Kiki walked up and then quickly ran away in fear. Here is the scene as we waited in line to get in.

After all of the boys had been through it, I went through it with Kiki, Coach Roger, his wife Kathy and Ms. Pat. I'm usually a really big fraidy cat, but I didn't even get scared at first because I was too busy laughing at how scared Kiki was. I wish I had a camcorder with me as we went through it.

On Sunday morning, we got up bright and early and headed to Texas Stadium for a tour. The boys had a chance to go into the locker room, run down the tunnel, and play some football on the field. It was a lot of fun for the kids and the grown ups.

Vote For Abigail Minks!!!

2008-10-20T17:00:00.002-05:00

My friend entered her daughter into the Kissable Baby Contest through 106.1 Kiss FM in Dallas. Abigail has made it into the top 100, for the second round of voting. Please click the link below to vote from her. http://www.1061kissfm.com/pages/cont...aby/index.html She's the 3rd baby, top row with the adorable red head of hair named Abigail Minks. Please don't forget to confirm your vote by clicking on the confirmation in your email. Her family could REALLY use the prize money. Thanks!!

~A Big Congratulations~

2008-10-17T23:23:00.005-05:00

In 2005, I joined an online mom's group. It gave me a way to talk to other mom's in the Dallas area who had children the same age as mine, and also helped me to find play dates for Grace and Hunter as well as myself. LOL! Over the last 3 years, I have met some really amazing people through that group, and even made a few lifetime friends.

Jen, is one of the people that I met there. She is a local photographer http://www.sugar-photography.com/ and I admired her work immediately the first time that I saw it. In 2006, I had the rare opportunity for her to photograph my children as they were models at a photography conference that she was attending. I was SOOOOOO excited when I found out she would be one of the people photographing them, as her talents, though WELL worth the cost are something I could never afford. She captured some of my favorite shots to date that I have of my children.

And though Jen, is not a close personal friend of mine, she is really an amazing person. She is involved with several non profit organizations, including NILMDTS http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/start.php and Heroes For Children http://www.heroesforchildren.org/, both of which have helped friends of mine in the past.

Anyways, I have been following the journey her family of four has been on for the last 8 months to add one more child to their lives, along with the rest of the mom's in our group. Well, today that journey was completed as her family welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their home. I just wanted to send a special congratulations out to her and her family tonight. For anyone interested in reading about their journey, she has journaled about it beautifully both in words and in pictures on her blog called Waiting... http://www.weintribe.blogspot.com/

If you're happy and you know it....

2008-10-12T23:11:00.004-05:00

clap your hands!!! Well, we are certainly clapping our hands over here after Hunter's team soared to victory yesterday with a 39-14 win over the Buccaneers. I had dropped my zoom lens several weeks ago and it had to be sent off for repairs, but I finally got it back on Friday and was able to get some great pictures this weekend at the game. All age levels of the organization Hunter plays with won on Saturday, making this our second sweep of the season. Good stuff! Uncle Jim and cousin Chloe came to see the game and then hung out at our house for a while afterwards. I can't believe I didn't snap any pictures of them, but Jim said they would be back to see the final game of the season in two weeks, so I'll be sure to get some pics then. Next week is our bye week, and then in two weeks we will have our final regular season game. There is still a chance that Hunter's team could go to the playoffs, so we are crossing our fingers that all of the right cards fall into place. The coaches and kids on this team have worked extremely hard this season and have continued to give 100% in spite of others trying to bring this team down and shatter their morale. They definitely deserve a shot at the playoffs. And honestly, we could not have asked for a better group of parents this year. There are some amazing kids on Hunter's team, and that is mostly in part to their amazing parents. We have truly been blessed to get to know these families and have them not only be a part of our lives, but also our children's lives.

The Moose snapping the ball at center.

A victory dance by Big Lucia

Way to go Coach Roger!

Okay, so let's get back to the "If You're Happy and You Know It..." song. Wes began his new inside position with Verizon a few weeks ago. As we were watching one of our favorite shows, "The Office", he told me that his new office is a lot like Dunder Mifflin. I went into hysterics when he started telling me about the "Friday Song". Apparently the managers walk around to different areas of the office to get everyone to join in with them as they sing, "If you're happy that it's Friday clap your hands...." then, "If you're happy that it's Friday stomp your feet", then, "If you're happy that it's Friday say 'I am!'", finally ending with, "If you're happy that it's Friday, do all three!" I was totally picturing Wes sitting amongst the cast of "The Office", joining in with Michael and Dwight clapping his hands and shouting, "I AM!!!". LOL!

Okay, and now for a few more funnies. I have been writing down quotes from my Microbiology professor during lecture. I must preface this by saying that my professor is brilliant. He has several degrees and is soooo incredibly smart. However, he's kind of socially awkward and goofy and his favorite word is "utterly". My favorite quotes from him all are in regards to sex, and the lack thereof in the world of microbiology. Definitely some points to ponder though.

"This is not true sex. It's like mating redwood trees with elephants." (as we were discussing endospore formation)

"You could have giraffes mating with snails. That's how bizarre bacterial conjugation is."

Someone is going to have a new cousin....

2008-10-06T00:20:00.003-05:00

I had the honor of photographing my friend Ashana's baby sister today. She is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her first born--a baby boy. Jasani came along for the shoot and was all too eager to get in a few "Cheese's" with her sweet Aunt Rae-Rae. Talk about a glowing mom to be.

Searching for Fairies..

2008-10-02T09:15:00.005-05:00

The weather has been beautiful lately, and Grace and I have been taking advantage of it with walks along the trail by our house. This week she built a house for the fairies that she is sure live in the forrest.

"I think that people who can't believe in fairies aren't worth knowing" ~ Tori Amos

Go Cowboys!!

2008-10-02T08:59:00.006-05:00

Well, we have had fun the past few Sunday's cheering on America's team. We met some friends up at Sports City on the 21st to cheer on the Cowboys. Then this past Sunday, we went to the Brown's home for some yummy food, some great company, and a sad ending to a close game.

New Candidate for President!!

2008-09-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

Please be sure to vote!

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Dbnj&altl=Qjuunbo

Oh boy is right...More like oh boys...

2008-09-23T08:16:00.008-05:00

I'm here to give you a peak into what really brought us to be so involved in the world of peewee sports...the kids. Wes and I along with the rest of the staff for Hunter's team had a blast Saturday night during a team sleepover. The boys swam, ate LOTS of food, watched a film of Saturday's game, and the best part--had a dance off. As the team mom, I got to have the fun job of actually sleeping in the pool house with the boys. I slept on a futon that had six legs underneath it. I laid down at about 3:00 a.m. shortly after the last boy fell asleep, and was awakened about every 30 minutes as a different boy would roll over and kick the underside of the futon. Good times. Then at 6:53, the first boys tried to get up...Ummmm..No way!! I asked them nicely to lay back down and rest a little longer. By 8:45 everyone was up binging on donuts and juice, then heading back into the pool. Big thanks to Coach Wesley and his wife Lori for opening their home to 19 boys and the entire staff. We missed a few boys who couldn't make it, but the kids had an awesome time bonding as a team.

Time to party!

Dance Off ("P" in the background doing the truffle shuffle.)
Let the break dancing begin.
The head spin!!! Go B!
Coach Roger showing off his moves.
Did you know Wes could break dance? Yeah, me neither. LOL!

Ashana, Jasani, & Grace jumping
Our gracious hosts, Coach Wesley & Ms. Lori
Time to watch the game film
And the first one is out...1 down, 18 more to go...
Ice cream before bed..And we wondered why they wouldn't fall asleep.

Thanks Coach Wes!
Video games (the morning after...)
See...Eagles really do fly.

A Quick Note: Thank you to all of those who have offered your hugs, prayers and support during this past week. We have learned a lot in the past week about the characters of others, and realized that the phrase, "Who needs enemies when you have friends like this?" applied to us. We also realized during this time that there are some pretty amazing people in our lives--people who put honesty and integrity at the forefront of their lives. They not only talk the talk, but they walk the walk. I want to give a special thanks to the Brown family for your uplifting words of encouragement, and also to the Judkins. Mrs. Brown, I read your e-mail last night right before heading to bed and it brought me some much needed peace. You and your husband have not only been wonderful mentors to us, but also wonderful friends, and of course you know how I feel about your daughter and grandson. I am so thankful that Wes has some honorable men in his life to look up to like Coach Roger and Coach Willie, who show him daily through their guidance and actions what it is to be a real man.

Sooo far behind...

2008-09-07T23:21:00.006-05:00

Okay, it feels like forever since I've updated. Life is crazy with me and Hunter back in school and the kids rigorous practice schedule. So, this post will be short and sweet, but hopefully bring you all up to speed on what's been going on. First of all....back to school. Hunter is now a 3rd grader!! I can't believe how freaking big my baby boy is getting. Here are a few pics of him with some of his best buds on the first day of school.

Grace was really upset that she couldn't start school this year. She said, "It's just not FAIR!!! If they won't let me go to school this year, then I'm just not even going to go next year." LOL! She did pose for a picture with her friend though, as Gabriella started her first day of kindergarten. Oh and I almost forgot the pics of all of us posing with the Moose on his first day.

Now, on to football. Hunter's team is 3 and 0 right now!!! They are doing so awesome this year. He is having a blast. Last week, he caught a pass for a 2 point conversion. He was grinning from ear to ear. I was so proud of him. Grace is also doing really well the drill team and having a blast learning her dance and new cheers every week.

Drumroll Please....

2008-08-20T00:01:00.009-05:00

Gracie made head cheerleader!!!!! There was an error in the announcements Friday night after drill team officer try-outs. Basicly Ms.Becky said one little girl had made head cheerleader, and it was suppose to be another little girl. The little girl she announced had a score that was 11 points lower than Grace and another girl...so they also awarded Grace and the other girl that title as well. Confused yet?? Make sense??...Anyways, title or no title--we were sooo proud of her performance Friday night. My friend has some video footage, and as soon as I get it, I will share it with you guys. In the meantime, try not to die from the cute when you see these pics.

My friend Susie made her that super cute shirt. It has a sheep appliqued on it and it says "Our flock ROCKS!" Grace's drill team is doing a Little Bo Peep theme. The highlight of her try-out was after her cheer. She had to do the dance for aprt of her drill routine, then she had to say a cheer. "California oranges. Texas cactus. We think your team needs a little practice. Put 'em in a highchair. Feed em' with a spoon. We can beat your team any afternoon!" Then when they finished the cheer, they could do anything they wanted to show their spirit. We had encouraged her to say "Go Eagle's! We're #1!" and kick her leg in the air. Instead, she busted out with a Mary Katherine Gallagher routine.

She tried her damndest to do the splits. Then she did a Y-Scale. Then, she started blowing kisses, waving to the crowd, bending over her box with her legs in the air. It was a riot! You can see one of the assistant director's laughing in the background of one of the pics. She also picked her wedgie about 57 times during her try-out. Finally her director had to get her to stop with the spirit portion by saying, "#15, Please have a sit. Okay #15....Please sit down." LMAO!!! It was the cutest thing EVER!

After try-outs, Derrick gave her a dozen roses. She also got a charm bracelet from Mommy and Daddy and Ms. Charis also gave her some flowers. The girls also got gifts from their director Ms. Becky.

Hunter has been doing really well this year with football. The boys played in a bowl game this past Saturday against the Gators. They ended up losing, but they did score on the Gators which was quite a feat in anf of itself. They have their first regular season game this Saturday against the Texans. Watch out! The Moose is loose!

White Trash Wednesday #14

2008-08-07T11:40:00.003-05:00

Okay, well I've got a few things to share. One pic makes my perverse mind laugh, though it doesn't fall into a white trash category. I'll share that first. My friend Cheryl snapped this picture with her camera phone while at a bounce house party with her son.

The other thing I want to share is a blog that is sure to bring you more laughs than mine. http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Aghhhh. The Sweet Smell of Sweat.

2008-08-04T13:47:00.008-05:00

Did I mention that football and drill team practice is in full swing? Okay, yeah I know I mentioned it already. The kids are having sooo much fun--and so are we. Wes made it home late Friday afternoon--just in time to be out there for practice and get those boys pumped up. Of course I forgot to bring my camera to practice on Friday, but I have other pics from this past week that I believe are blog worthy.

On Thursday night Hunter's friend Amari and his mom Kiki came over and joined us for dinner. Then the boys rocked out on the Guitar Hero for a while. I was falling over laughing while they put on a show for us. It was soooo cute! I mean cool. So cool! Hunter hates when I use the word "cute" in reference to him.

On Saturday, the Eagles organization had a fundraiser at Applebee's. We served pancakes and sausage and ended up making about $1,000 to go towards our organization account. It was a ton of fun and we had a GREAT turn out.

Saturday evening we headed to Hayden's 6th birthday party at Laser Quest. Hunter had a blast playing laser tag. Grace--not so much. She was going to go in and do it with me, but she got scared when she saw how dark it was in there. So, she just hung out playing limbo and catching up with old friends while Hunter played laser tag.

So, now I've got some sad news that I want to share with all of you. On Friday afternoon, a little boy that had played flag football with the Eagles last year, died in a tragic accident. His cousin Gabbi is on Grace's drill team and his cousin Manuel is on Hunter's team. The little boy, who was seven and attended the same school as Hunter, was at his teenage sister's softball game playing around in his dad's truck. The truck began to roll backwards and he got scared and jumped out of it. The truck rolled over him and he died from the injuries he sustained. The family did not have life insurance on him so The Dylan Stevens Memorial Fund has been set up at Colonial Bank in Mesquite to help off set costs the family is now facing. I have also organized for meals to be delivered to the family through the end of this week. Please keep the Salazar and Stevens families in your thoughts and prayers this week. They could sure use any good vibes that you have to spare.

White Trash Wednesday #13

2008-07-30T15:31:00.004-05:00

I have to thank my dear friend Jake (http://www.jakekerr.com/) for passing this link along to me. You'll be thanking him soon as well. Please be sure you have your speakers on so that you can get the full effect of this wedding slideshow. I'm warning you: you may want to watch it more than once. It's kind of like Star Wars, in the sense that each time you see it you will notice something new. For instance, the first time I saw it, I didn't see that one of the flower girls had her finger shoved up her nose while the bride was holding her. However, I did catch that endearing moment on the second go around.

http://video.ap.org/v/Legacy.aspx?partner=en-ap&g=9cef7047-3625-48e5-ab37-a81ba406c692&f=GALAW&mk=en-ap

And just because I really love my readers, and football season has arrived (which affords me more opportunities to snap WTW pics), I am also including these photos that my friend Britney allowed me to snap with her camera at a birthday party this past weekend. I spotted this lovely lady standing in the concession line at a public pool in Carrolton.