Living A Dream

Brazos Smokehouse

2012-01-25T05:07:00.003-06:00

A quick review on a new restaurant on the square in Granbury. I think Brazos Smokehouse opened around Halloween, but we tend to give a restaurant time to work out the kinks before we try it out! We went with Jason's family last weekend, and the food was excellent. We sat out on the patio, correction- the heated patio! They have a beautiful area in the back with probably as much seating as the inside. On a 40-something degree night, we were very comfortable out there because of the heaters.

The menu had great variety, and they have all-you-can-eat ribs and all-you-can-eat wings nights during the week. I had the rib basket and it was fantastic. You definitely get your money's worth with the large portion sizes! Their cole slaw is good too, just the right amount of red wine vinegar and obviously made fresh.

Go try out Brazos Smokehouse and support some local business!

Ephesians Challenge

2012-01-14T14:30:00.002-06:00

A friend and I are going through a bible study about "walking the walk" instead of just "talking the talk." This version of Ephesians 4:29-32 from The Message is worth sharing (emphasis mine):

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted. Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

Lonesome Dove

2012-01-08T08:50:00.002-06:00

We dined at Lonesome Dove in the FW Stockyards with Sara and Jasen Graham on December 29th. Anytime the Grahams come to Texas we do our best to pick a fine-dining experience to share with them. We are all self-proclaimed foodies. Jasen (Graham) and I are both frugal, but we don't mind spending money on excellent food. Jason (Karnes) and Sara are the seasoned foodies in the group, and we all get along beautifully.

We all ordered appetizers, salads, entrees, and desserts, of which we allowed the others to taste-test each course. Go to the website to check out the menu:
http://www.lonesomedovebistro.com/. My favorites for each course were: Hamachi tostadas, corn/cucumber/Heirloom tomato salad, Elk loin, and Ancho Chile chocolate cake. The wine we chose was Trefethen, a smooth Cabernet. I tell you the truth, this was one of the best meals we've ever had!

Chef Tim Love was present and came around for a quick visit. He is famous due to his appearances on Food Network, and his food definitely lives up to the reputation.

So, on a five star rating system, I give Lonesome Dove 5 stars. There are a few places close by that would compete if I had the choice to go anywhere in Ft. Worth: Bonnell's and Ruth's Chris come to mind! More to come on food reviews because one of our vague resolutions for this year is to go on more dates!

Blog Idea

2012-01-07T07:46:00.004-06:00

I've not been the best updater lately, but I have plans to improve on that! A synopsis of events from the last post about Jason's graduation could go as follows: multiple family Christmas gatherings, two fine-dining dates with friends, too much diversion from the food program, and excellent quality time as a family unit and with friends!

Some of our highlights:

Blokus- a family board game that is challenging, addicting, and a great cognitive exercise!

Santa Brunch- A beautiful Sunday brunch at the clubhouse including pictures with Santa and a live magic show. Landry got to be one of the volunteers on the stage and was part of a great illusion involving a puppy-shaped balloon that was popped and magically reappeared intact!

Christmas Eve- We were proud to host our extended family Christmas with Jason's family. The kids received a special money jar from Pa-paw Frog's stash, something to keep forever that had touched his hands.

Christmas Day- Our family of 5 celebrated Christmas in our home! We all shared how thankful we are that we have moved to DeCordova and how much we love it here!

Lonesome Dove- A foodie post to come later, but this was a special night out with the Grahams at a fabulous restaurant! They also spent the night with us and much of the next day. The next time we see them will be in Hawaii!

New Year's Eve- Bar Louie followed by Bailey's Prime Plus with the O'Conners. Great drink and food, and of course a great time out with friends!

Days off work- I scattered my days off this year, so I felt like I had more time with everyone through the kids' holiday break. Jason, Braden, and I got to play golf one day while the little kids stayed with Gram. Jason has built some awesome fires in our fireplace. General lounging and down time is good for a Momma's body and mind!

Oh, the title of "blog idea" has to do with posting our dining reviews. I also want to get back in the memory bank posts so stay tuned.

4.0 Graduate

2011-12-21T19:37:00.000-06:00

Jason is officially done with his Master's Degree!! We had a wonderful weekend that kicked off with a party on Friday night. Jason is so blessed to have family, friends, and a wife that love him so much!! We toasted him and roasted him, although I'm not sure if you can call it a roast if you just make stuff up! The party was at the clubhouse with a buffet meal and some awesome desserts. I went and got his favorite things from highly rated places: Coconut pie from Paris Coffee Shop, Bread pudding from Chef Point, and cannoli from Bedford Bakery. I also made some lemon bars and brownies for the packed dessert table. We had a fun night full of laughter and a few happy tears!

Saturday morning Jason was hooded in a small ceremony with other Master's candidates. Then, he walked the stage during graduation later in the day. We are so proud of him, and of course we are also proud that he is done with school!

Enjoy the pictures that tell the story better than my words!

A Hunting Holiday

2011-11-29T05:38:00.000-06:00

We were blessed to spend Thanksgiving week with two great families this year! The Gordons have some land in west Texas, close to Sterling City, and they invited us and the Whites to stay there for a mini-vacation. Call me crazy, but a place out in the middle of nowhere with the lack of cell signals and other outside distractions is very appealing to me! We had a great time visiting, playing games, reading, cooking, crafting... and of course hunting. I went out one morning with Jason, and we watched a trophy buck and his doe just dominate the feeder area!

Speaking of bucks, Braden and Jason both got one this year. Braden didn't have the "spot on" aim this year, but he gained quite the experience once he hit his 8-point. He insisted on doing the dirty work, and I'll spare you the picture that shows him cleaning out the insides bare-handed!

Landry had loads of fun with Abigail and Jenna. They made scrapbooks of the trip and printed pictures by the end of the week to fill them up. They made bead bracelets, played hide-and-seek, built fires, etc. The girls also cooked our lunch one day: Minestrone soup!

Tripp was in charge of making us all laugh! That is a gift that the boy has always had! He loves Mr. Gordon's jeep, and he got to go on a couple of rides before it broke down. Tripp also went hunting one afternoon with Jason and Braden. The most talkative boy in Texas was actually quiet in the blind. Jason says he just packed enough snacks to keep him from talking, then he fell asleep on the floor of the blind!

I finished a book on my kindle, with one afternoon of heavenly reading next to the backporch-fireplace in a lounge chair. This said lounge chair is sure to put anyone to sleep if you stay in it more than 5 minutes! I also enjoyed helping with the cooking and keeping the guys fueled with coffee. We ate a traditional Thanksgiving meal this year followed by communion. During communion we took a small piece of paper and wrote a sin, prayer, or worry on it. Then we folded it up and nailed it to the cross to signify that Jesus died on the cross for those things and we need to give them back to him.

Pa-paw Frog

2011-11-16T06:09:00.001-06:00

Pa-paw Frog made a quiet journey to heaven yesterday morning. He basically went in his sleep. He never wanted attention, never wanted anyone to make a fuss over him, and never wanted to feel like a burden. The events of the last week have been full of sad news, shock, and anxiety over what might follow a diagnosis of cancer. Thankfully, God took him before the suffering that we all dreaded had come full force.

Jason's Pa-paw was such a good man. He lived an unpriveleged childhood, and when he was old enough to work and make it on his own he did exactly that. He worked hard all of his life, as many men at his old company will testify. He was strong as an ox, yet gentle in his heart. He leaves a legacy as a man of faith, a family man, and a selfless gentleman who always put others first. Braden has the honor of being named after him (Ernest is Braden's middle name). Frog was how most people knew Pa-paw, and E.K. was his next alias. The grandkids mostly referred to him as Pap, and the great-grandkids called him Pa-paw Frog. Patti and Peggy always called him Daddy, and I know he was proud of his girls from day one!

We are sad to let him go, but there is an overwhelming peace that he was ready. He was so ready to be with Granny. He was tired on this earth, and he knew his place was ready in heaven. We thank God for such a strong man who led his family down the narrow road. May we follow his example and carry on his honorable legacy.

www.mistiwhitephotography.com

2011-11-04T05:46:00.001-05:00

Hob-goblins

2011-11-03T19:11:00.000-05:00

We had a fun Halloween this year at the Bend. They do a carnival and a trick-or-treat trail for the kids, and we had the O'Conners join us with their grandbabies. We did not make it back from a baseball tournament in time for the carnival, but we hit the trick-or-treat trail in full force. We took the golf cart and let the kids jump in and out to go up to the houses for treats.

We're Not the Only Ones

2011-10-15T08:22:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I feel like we are in a busy season, I'll look around and realize- we're not the only ones. We are in the thick of baseball for Braden, Jason helps with Godley's home football games, Landry has a school program coming up, etc. Despite the busy-ness, we have learned to capture family time and keep a little margin in our lives. We are blessed to have the pleasure of drinking coffee and reading the newspaper on a Saturday morning. We can jump out on the golf course and play a few holes on a Friday evening. The kids get to see grandparents at least once a week. And very important to me- we eat supper as a family around our table and have a solid bedtime prayer routine with the kids. That doesn't sound "too busy" after all, does it?

Some things we've done lately:
1. Sara, Grace, and Davis came for a visit on Columbus Day weekend. I made her favorite cookies, and we just talked and talked and talked!
2. Misti took our family pictures... Yay!
3. Braden's team won a tournament in Waxahachie.
4. Braden and Landry got all A's on their report cards!
5. Braden made his first par on the par-3 course.
6. I took a cooking class (Greek food) at Central Market with my friend, DeAnn.
7. Landry had a friend sleep over and we went to see Dolphin Tale.

Coming Up:
1. Jason takes his principal certification test Wednesday, Oct. 19.
2. Braden has baseball tournaments in 3 out of the next 4 weekends.
3. Landry has a school program Tuesday... Fifty Nifty United States will be performed for what must be the millionth time in elementary school history!
4. Tripp is gonna cut the cord. It could happen!
5. I have an appointment with an allergy specialist who I trust will solve my ever-present skin reactions since the initial poison ivy encounter on Labor Day. Yes, Labor Day, as in 6 weeks ago!

So, there's an official Karnes family update... stay tuned.

Honored as Courageous

2011-10-04T07:33:00.000-05:00

Jason received the following email yesterday from a fellow teacher at the elementary school (I changed the other man's named to initials in case he doesn't want his name posted on this):

Jason-
I saw a movie last night & for some reason, all through the movie, God kept constantly & strongly bringing 2 young men to mind. (Jasin Karnes & D.F.) I figured I was thinking of D. because of his occupation & I prayed for you both & tried w/o success to put you both out of my mind & enjoy the movie.
I woke up this morning with you two gentlemen still on my heart & filling my thoughts. I feel like I'm supposed to let you know what a blessing it has been to my life for me to watch the young men you have grown to be over the years. I have often been blessed seeing the roles you both have played out mentoring your children & others. I am especially blessed seeing the parents you have become. I have just really enjoyed watching the two of you grow & mature over the years either at work, Jason Karnes or at church & on FB, D.F. Who ever thought FB could be a ministry tool!?! Watching your life as a parent on FB has blessed me more than once, D. :-D
Thank you both for the imprint you are leaving in this life.
If you haven't seen the movie "Courageous", you need to.

Love & Blessings,
JW

Jason felt honored to receive this email, and we decided to do family movie night last night to go see Courageous. WOW!! What a movie! It has a host of lessons and topics that it covers with the focus being on committed fatherhood! I am so blessed to be married to a courageous man who takes his responsibility as a father seriously. God has molded Jason as a man to reject passivity and cultivate integrity. He left the movie saying, "I will!", and the best part is that me and the kids surrounded him by saying, "You already do!" Go see the movie and you'll understand what I mean.

p.s. Take a box of Kleenex!

3 Up, 3 Down

2011-09-30T05:14:00.000-05:00

Braden made his pitching debut last night in the 3rd inning. He faced 3 batters, striking out the first two and causing the third to fly out! This is the first year for their team to have the kids pitch, be allowed to steal bases, etc. Actually, it's a slower game because of all the stealing and walks, but we've enjoyed watching the boys play all different positions. The coaches are moving them all around (for the past 3 years they've each played pretty much one position).

The fall semester is flying already. The first 6-weeks ends today for Braden and Landry. Jason has received information regarding the time of his December graduation ceremony. Did you just hear that "WHOOP!" for his completion of the Master's program in only 2 more months!! And, much to my dismay, the daylight hours are being shortened quickly! It's hard to see the little white golf ball after 7:00 p.m. anymore!

My pitiful personal situation is maybe going to be mended soon. I got into some poison ivy 3 weeks ago (planting fall flowers), and I am still on steroids to try to get rid of the severe allergic reaction my body has to that dreadful plant! I had two "regular" rounds of steroids and a shot, but the stuff would just re-surface when the dosage was complete. Now, I'm on a 16-day pack that will hopefully rid my body of the itchy, irritating rashes. Besides having the munchies and not being able to sleep from the steroid side-effects, I am happy to be able to function without feeling the constant itch!

More updates to come, and hopefully more frequently!

Daddy Daughter Date Night

2011-09-18T12:51:00.000-05:00

Landry and I went out for a date last night that was simply amazing. StoneWater Church started advertising the first DDDN a few weeks ago and I RSVPed for Landry and me. I am so glad we did, because it was a night we will never forget. We had an amazing evening together. To start, I came to the front door and rang the doorbell to pick Landry up for our date. The rain had just started so I had an umbrella to keep her dry. I opened her door and she was feeling like a lady. We had great conversation and we sang songs from our favorite radio station (88.3 The Journey). When we arrived at the church, there was a photo booth for us to have our picture taken. There were probably 100 dads and daughters in the transformed worship center. Frank Sinatra was singing softly in the background and the tables had flowers or candles that volunteer moms had used to decorate the room. We were served salad, bread, spaghetti, and cheesecake. After dinner, we danced through several songs (Landry likes to spin and dip). Her smile and laughter lit-up my night. Then there was time for dads to share letters they had written for their daughter(s). Landry and I found a quiet place where I was able to express my love for her, what I like about her, and how much I love being her dad. I wrote to her about the importance of her relationship with her Heavenly father and her earthly father and about looking no further than her own mother for the most excellent model of how a Christian woman should live her life as a wife and mother. In the end, Landry was able to feel and experience how a lady should be treated. She knew without a doubt that she is very special and that she offers so much to others through her caring and compassionate spirit. Dads, I encourage you to spend time with your daughters and invest in their lives. The dividends for both are innumerable.

Livin' It Up

2011-09-11T21:03:00.000-05:00

We have been enjoying the cooler temperatures and taking advantage of our neighborhood amenities. The kids have been swimming many times up at the clubhouse pool, and now they can even enjoy the playground by the pool without burning themselves on the equipment! We have also had many golf outings: the par 3, driving range, and even the big course! Braden loves playing golf! It's hard to say who has "the fever" worse: him or Jason! And actually, I have loved playing too! After so many years of competitive golf, I seriously thought I could have cared less to ever play again. Of course, that was 13 years ago, and you might say the break was good for my attitude! I have quite the fever myself. Golf is such a funny game; you can hack it around all day, but one good shot will bring you back for more!

Jason has resumed his Tarleton classes. I know, boo! However, this semester should be a lighter intensity than the previous ones. Not to mention that it is his LAST semester! Woo hoo, party! He is announcing the Thursday night football games at Godley, and he is the game representative for the varsity games on Friday nights.

Landry is off of any official activity, but we are hunting for a piano teacher if anyone has a recommendation. She is the best big sister in the world. She is so attentive, patient, and loving with Tripp. Speaking of Tripp, he is adjusting better to his school. Even though he still he says he doesn't want to go, at least he is not crying at drop-off anymore!

A quick Tripp story. We were getting ready to tee off at the par-3 course this weekend. The fence line backs up to another neighborhood where a lady was hollering across her yard. Tripp thought she was hollering at him, so he yells a friendly "Hi!" to her (not that she could hear him). She yelled something else across her yard (not directing the conversation at us), and he yells back, "You're the man!" We got a good belly laugh at that one, and you know what they say about laughter being the best medicine!

Temptations Anyone?

2011-09-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

We had a funny moment at the supper table the other night...

Landry asks me, "Momma, have you ever had any temptations?"

My mind immediately goes to work: Did they talk about this in their church class? Did this come up at school? Should I give a simple yes or no answer, or should I give an example?

After a bit of a pause I said, "Well, yes Landry, I have."

Without hesitation she said, "I've had regular Jello pudding and it's really good, but I'd really like to try the Temptations sometime."

Jason and I just looked at each other and cracked up! Just when we thought we were about to get into a deep discussion, we realized the question was very simple and concrete!

Jason had to make a Kroger run last night, and he was so sweet to get a package of Temptations for all the kids to try!

Braden's Room

2011-08-29T20:09:00.000-05:00

Braden's room could probably qualify as an efficiency apartment in size! The top picture is what you see as you enter his room. His bed is tucked just to the right as you enter the room. Braden's room is upstairs, and it is the only upstairs living area in the house. He loves to have other kids come up there, and so far it has not been a problem for kids to go up there and hang out in "his space." Essentially, the furniture that we kept from the house in Tolar is up in Braden's room: entertainment center, TV, recliners, bookcase, etc. He also proudly displays the Montana mule deer on one wall!

I suppose this completes the inside house tour. Next, I need to post a picture of the outside of the house. Then, I suppose I will move on to regular-ole blogging!

Landry's Room

2011-08-28T21:10:00.000-05:00

Our princess has the prettiest new bedroom furniture! We were disappointed to find that most of the kids' furniture for girls was almost too toddler-ish for our growing girl. Therefore, we ended up picking from the general furniture, a white suit that is just perfect! We also splurged on her bedding... Pottery Barn!

I love the paint color in her room, it's darker than the other bedrooms. That's one of those things where you pick all the colors and wish you had gone with your instincts... Braden and Tripp's rooms are a lighter color and I would rather have them all the color of Landry's if I could have a "do-over."

Tripp's Room

2011-08-27T19:44:00.000-05:00

Tripp has the smallest bedroom in the house, but the kids say that is fair because he is the smallest person in the family! I love the few decorations we have put in his room so far. Tripp loves cars! We were able to find some car and mechanic decor at Hobby Lobby. We would also love to find a large picture of an old, classic car to put on one wall.

Tripp tries to be so big and so tough. However, he has actually had a hard time with the move. He is coming to our room in the middle of the night most nights, he doesn't want to be anywhere by himself, and he hasn't adjusted well to his new school. I'm telling myself that his 3 year old brain has a hard time figuring out all this change and that he will get out of this phase soon! He's always been such a low-maintenance kid that we are not accustomed to putting extra worry energy in for him! Somebody tell me their little one had the same problem but they got over it real quick!

First Day of School 2011

2011-08-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

Here is the Godley crew. Braden has graduated to the Intermediate campus. Landry now has her daddy for math and science. And Tripp, sweet Tripp has moved to a pre-school in Acton. Jason is still teaching 2nd grade, perhaps his last first day as a teacher. He hopes to be a principal soon!
This is a picture from this weekend when we attended an outdoor wedding. We had fun dressing up in our casual-dress duds and going out for a night with family and friends!

The Master

2011-08-16T22:01:00.000-05:00

We shall share pictures of our Master bed/bath today. Our bedroom suit was not replaced, but we did add nightstands and a stool at the end of the bed. My inversion table (for my back) fits nicely in one corner. We love our bathroom, and we have truly enjoyed the shower. We are mostly shower people rather than bath people, so the shower is perfect! Our master closet is a good size, albeit smaller than the one in Tolar. I think only celebrities have a bigger master closet than the one in Tolar!

By the way, we celebrated our 14th anniversary today!

Break for Fun!

2011-08-15T06:10:00.000-05:00

We were happy to take a break from all of the move-in work this weekend with plenty of fun. We started by having the people that helped with the move come over for Del Norte (mexican food) and Jason's now-famous margaritas. From that party, we inherited two extras: Kayli and Oakley. We had grand plans of swimming, golf cart rides, and maybe even boating for Saturday. We shall not complain about being forced to stay inside because we got a long-awaited rain throughout the day Saturday. It was great to have the cousins over all day, and it was the first sleepover for the kids in their new house!

This is Landry and our little snuggle-bug Ava. She is the granddaughter to one of my friends, and DeAnn really had to twist my arm to talk us into babysitting for a few hours while they went to a movie and dinner ! One of the fringe benefits was that Landry sat with me for most of the afternoon, and I enjoyed the quality time with her too! Ava is only about 5 weeks old, so she just slept most of the afternoon!

And the outing the kids have been so patiently waiting for!! A venture to the golf course. Braden had been to the driving range, but they were ready to try some "real golf." We cruised over to the par-3 course at about 7:00 and knocked the ball around until dark. The kids did pretty good! Braden has a beautiful swing, and Landry uses the Happy Gilmore technique of stepping into it! Tripp also has a club, and he got pretty good at getting his tee in the ground level enough to get the ball to sit on it. Fun times, fun times!

Living Room

2011-08-13T07:06:00.001-05:00

There were two "cons" to the Mission house when we were on our real estate search: a small living room and no office area. We had a decent-sized party last night and I was pleased with how the living room accommodated our crowd. There is a beautiful fireplace with the stone and brick from the exterior of the house. I am the sweet wife who totally doesn't mind 3 skull mounts displayed in the living room! I think they actually look great there! Plus the fact that one of them is Braden's first deer from our trip to West Texas last Thanksgiving.

Patti and Charles gifted us a beautiful arrangement that Patti put together! We liked it so much that we went back and got the pieces for her to make another one. Note to self: If you have a creative gift, beware to share it because it may bring you more work than you asked for!! They also gave us the beautiful print that coordinates with the furniture and arrangements. Need I say more that she has a gift for interior decorating.

Our TV was a Costco find. We got a $200 rebate on the sale price, and then Marcus (Kayci's husband) told us it was on another $100-off sale which they refunded when I took in the receipt. Another note to self: save all receipts when making significant purchases. We also got $83 off a Lowe's purchase when taking back the receipt to redeem a coupon found after the purchase had been made. Anyway, I'm really not into TV so much, but this Sharp has the most amazing picture I've ever seen! Jason is the super-review shopper, reading people's online review on products, and this particular Sharp model could have had 6 out of 5 stars for all the great reviews. We will definitely give it an A+ as well.

The furniture is very comfortable. I love the red oversized chair and ottoman. Jason really stepped out of his box on all of our furniture purchases. He has forever been a beige-and-neutral kind of guy, but you will see plenty of color spread throughout the house! The recliners must be sent straight from heaven... they are so comfortable! And, with the decreased space allowance for end tables, the wooden arms on the chairs make for a great drink/gadget holder. A final note of female importance is that the kitchen sink/counter area is wide open to the living room!

Dining Area

2011-08-12T05:54:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite purchases has been the gigantic fork and spoon hanging on the wall! I wish the picture did them justice, because they are huge- maybe 5 feet tall! We found them at Pier 1 Imports and the whole Karnes family voted a definite "yes" on wall-worthiness. They are definitely unique and will likely be a conversation piece.

This shot is taken from the kitchen. These windows allow great natural light into the room. The table is a bar-height table that seats 6 without the leaf, 8 with the leaf extending the table to a square. We have a mix of chairs and swiveling, backless barstools around the table. Of course, the flowers add beauty and freshness to the picture. One of my hopes is to keep fresh flowers throughout the house. Landry and I love to have our fresh flower arrangements, and of course she is an artist at putting them together beautifully. I might add that I took a Horticulture class my last semester at A&M that was the easiest and most enjoyable class. What better way to gain an education than taking a floral arrangement class!

This sign is at the opposite end of the table from the fork and spoon. I just loved this when we saw it at Decor & More in Granbury. Free ad for them: If you want excellent customer service and a great selection of decor and gifts, check out Decor & More across from Kroger.

The Front Room

2011-08-11T07:15:00.000-05:00

This is the converted formal dining room. So far, we call it the front room due to the simple fact that it is located just off the front entry of the house. We have used a wine theme with wall hangings, corks, and a beautiful oil painting of an Italian villa. These chairs are a robin-egg color, which most of the time look blue, but can also look shades of green or gray. This window will soon be covered with solar screens due to it facing directly west!
The loveseat and oil painting are on the wall opposite the chairs. Although hard to see in this picture, this lamp we found at The Wagon Yard actually matches the chairs. I can see many morning cups of coffee and nice visits with friends and family in this room! It has a very comfortable and relaxed feel to it.

This angle is as if you stepped in the front door and turned left. The room has a wide, arched entry, and we added the area rug to help tie it all together. Jason gets all the credit for this room. He had a vision for it from the first time we saw the house!

We're in!

2011-08-10T06:24:00.000-05:00

We've moved in and somewhat settled into our home! Who knew that selling and buying a house would grow someone's faith so much, but this sure has done the trick! There were times that something would look impossible, but God continued to remind us that he had it all under control. Our process started on July 1, when we got an offer on our home in Tolar. July was packed with real estate duties on both the buying and selling end.

We had great fun "shopping" for houses, which started online and with the awesome Realtor.com app on the Ipad. By the time we signed the contract for Tolar, we had narrowed our search to about 8 houses in Pecan Plantation, DeCordova, and Godley. We referred to the houses by their street name, which has forever pegged this house as "The Mission House."

In the end, we decided on DeCordova for various reasons. We really wanted a 4-bedroom, and many of the 4 bedrooms have massive square footage and quite a large price tag. We feel like we got a good buy on this home, and the price range was more responsible than some of the others we looked at. We didn't want to be "house poor" or feel like everything we made was going toward our mortgage. Also, DeCordova has tons of things for the all of us to do: golf, swimming, lake, tennis, etc. The geographical location is wonderful for both me and Jason heading to work each morning. We have cut about 20-25 minutes off our commute each way! Do the short math and that's almost an hour a day! Last, but certainly not least, my dad and step-mom have a house out here on the lake. It's always been important to me for our kids to be close to their grandparents because I never really got to be around mine very much. Now, they are a short golf cart ride away from Papa and Gram!

My goal is to post pictures room-by-room of what we've done so far with the house. We've had fun finding furniture and decor together since we had sold or given away the furniture we had in Tolar. Jason has a hidden decorating talent that obviously comes from his mom. He came up with the idea to use the formal dining area as a sitting room rather than a rarely-used formal dining. Most people vote it as their favorite room!

We are thankful and grateful to be here. We certainly feel blessed beyond measure and are excited for a fresh start! We would love to have anyone come see us out here, so please give us a call!

Brief Update

2011-07-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

I have not blogged in at least 3 weeks. You might say we've been a bit pre-occupied... We got an offer on our house on July 1! We have been busy getting ready to move, finding a place to move to, and general real estate paperwork. We are set to close on July 29th, and we will move to DeCordova. Our home will be 11 miles from Godley schools, and it is also much closer to my patient-load in Johnson County. We are super-excited, and we praise God for the many provisions we have seen in the past few weeks.

One great story is about this patient that I have. She lives on the grounds of a business, so I asked her what kind of business they run. Funny enough, it is a company that makes boxes and containers. As in cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, and tape. She said, "Oh, if you ever have a need for boxes or anything just let me know, I could get you whatever you need!" I just chuckled and said, "As a matter of fact, we are moving in 3 weeks." She gave us the ultimate hook-up on moving supplies! How cool is that!

Jason has worked super-duty getting things done in and around the house. We are so glad that the move is happening during his summer break from teaching. I can't imagine trying to do this with both of us at work all day. He is still taking his Master's classes, so he is feeling the heat with a never-ending to-do list!

Besides house stuff, Braden is done with baseball for the summer. He had a good season with a final tournament at the World Series in Dallas. We had an awesome double date with the Grahams where we did a crawl or progressive dinner in Ft. Worth. They are great friends who always make time for a date with us when they come to Texas for a visit! I had a birthday thrown in there somewhere with an awesome gift from the kids: $35 gift cards from some of my favorite stops- Mudpuddle, Sonic, Starbucks, and Mr Sparkle car wash!

More updates to come once we get settled in our new spot!

State Champion in the house!!

2011-06-21T16:31:00.001-05:00

Braden and the Pirates are officially the USSSA 8U-AA State Champions!! We had a weekend of hot, windy baseball in Grand Prairie. Braden told Jason at our breakfast Sunday morning that he was giving him a championship for Father's Day! They did it too; the boys showed up and played great ball, winning all 5 games in 100+ degree heat!

There was quite a highlight for us as Braden's number one fans... He hit a homerun in the championship game! We were sitting under a shade canopy in right-center field and he hit the ball directly over our heads and into the parking lot!! Jason and I both thought we might catch it, but it sailed over us by a mile. Well, maybe not a mile, but it was way out of our reach! Here is a picture of B and Dad after the game with the homerun ball.

The championship game was close all the way, and we had last bat in a tie game. The first two batters got out, and the third batter (Caleb) hit it over the left field fence! Can you believe that! Last inning, two outs, tie game... Homerun- every boy's dream!

Foodie Find

2011-06-08T22:39:00.000-05:00

We had a great double-date night last Sunday in Ft. Worth. We love the West 7th development that has become more and more popular of late. It's funny to me that I worked right there for several years, and there was no good place to eat or hang out. Now, there are so many great places all around the old Montgomery Ward building west of downtown.

We tried this restaurant called Terra Mediterranean Grill. Whew! Let me tell you! Awesome! Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, Feta-Pita Bread, Greek Salad. Yummy, yummy for my tummy! Jason and I completely enjoyed our time out with friends. His school schedule has not allowed much time for these fun date nights, but we caught him in a break between semesters!

After dinner we went to the coolest bowling alley ever. Forget the smoky bowling alley that comes to mind. Lucky Strike Lanes is like a combination of a sports bar and high-class bowling lanes. Huge TV screens are at the end of the lane that were televising the Mavs at the particular time of our visit! Fun stuff.

The Long Ball

2011-05-31T05:15:00.000-05:00

Braden has finally conquered the outfield fence! He hit his first "real" homerun, or out-of-the-park homerun on Saturday! I will never forget the ear-to-ear smile on his face as he rounded 3rd for home! Our stoic child was elated! We got to keep the ball, and I'm sure he'll keep it with his other baseball treasures on the headboard of his bed. The boys played a tournament in Glen Rose over the weekend, and they took second place to a ringer team from Oklahoma.

Along with his first homerun, Braden also received his first intentional walk. Yes, they walked him in the last inning, because if we scored one more run we would win the game. The beauty of it was that one of his best buddies came up to bat behind him and knocked Braden in for the winning run! Talk about watching out for the big head. When you get intentionally walked in coach-pitch, you're probably doing alright!

Thursday Wedding

2011-05-26T22:26:00.001-05:00

Jason's sister, Kayci, got married at a beautiful site in Weatherford called Chandor Gardens. If you've never been, you should check it out. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous!

Kayci and Marcus planned a simple, small wedding that was beautiful. The setting really gave it a storybook feel. The weather was perfect for an outside wedding: mid-70's, no humidity, and plenty of shade. That was a minor miracle in itself considering the weather we've had so far in May!

And look at this couple! Jason's mom walked around with us and took several pictures around the beautiful landscape. I almost felt like it was my wedding... it's been a long time since we've dressed up so fancy together!

City Champs

2011-05-25T05:49:00.001-05:00

The Dynamites won the first two games in a best-2-out-of-3 championship match-up against the Frogs. It was a little painful for Nana and Pa-paw to watch because Landry and her cousin Kayli are on opposing teams.

Landry improved dramatically over the season, and she has decided that she loves softball! I had a lot of fun watching her, and I might be accused of getting a little fired up at times! I will say for sure that it's a whole new perspective being on the inside of the fence... especially in my "Dugout Wench" position. I was probably supposed to be the Dugout Mom, but I had to be more like a drill sargent to keep those girls in line!

A Big Birth-Day

2011-05-22T13:55:00.000-05:00

Braden was baptized this morning at the StoneWater Glen Rose Campus. Jason was priveleged and honored to baptize our son in what was a most-memorable birthday for Braden. Braden is 9 years old today!

We were joined by some family and close friends for a lunch at Buffalo Gap to celebrate. Jason gave a wonderful toast, sharing his gratitude for the love and support we've been granted, and of course he shared with Braden what a special young man he is. We gave Braden a "clinging cross" that had belonged to Jason's Granny. It is a small wooden cross that you can hold or keep in your pocket. Braden understands that God has a great plan for his life, and he was humbled today by the celebration and praise surrounding his decision.

Family Weekend

2011-05-16T21:03:00.001-05:00

The Granbury Pirates are back on the win column after this weekend! The boys won a tournament in Irving, going undefeated for a much-needed turnaround! Braden is getting so tall that he needs to start standing beside his coach rather than in front!

This boy literally and figuratively looks up to his daddy in everything! Jason is the best dad in the world! We had a great dinner out then went to see Soul Surfer. If you haven't seen that movie, then you must get to a movie theater and tune in. What a great, inspirational, and values-centered movie!

Tripp would make a good pool marshall. He's not crazy about getting in, but he likes to be all around the action!

The kids were so excited that we stayed in a hotel with an indoor pool! We stayed Friday and Saturday night for a mini-vacation. I think this was our first "trip" as a family since Jason started his Master's program!

Here's our first baseman and slugger deluxe. The boys wore one pant leg up and one pant leg down in the first game, and of course that lasted for the weekend as they kept winning. I guess even 8 year old baseball players are superstitious!

Home Stretch

2011-05-11T05:17:00.000-05:00

Jason has only a few days left of his spring semester Master's classes! He has done so well the whole way through, 4.0 to be exact! After a short break comes a summer semester, then the FINAL semester of classwork in the fall! He will receive his Master's degree in December, and I'm so proud of how hard he has worked to get here! Please pray for him to have perserverence and focus over these next months. I am blessed to be married to the most wonderful man on the planet, and I love to see him succeed and grow the way he has through this process. Our kids couldn't have a better Daddy, and I couldn't fathom having a better man to call my husband!

Take Me To The Zoo, Jerry

2011-04-27T05:25:00.000-05:00

Some movies are filled with great one-liners. "Jerry Maguire" has some great ones: "Did you know the human head weighs 8 lbs?" "Show me the money!" and of course, "Take me to the zoo, Jerry, I want to go to the zoo!" Random thoughts to explain the title, but oh well!

Jason organized a super-duper trip to the Fort Worth Zoo last weekend. 47 people from Godley Elementary took an overnight trip to the zoo, including two tours, scavenger hunt, live animal presentations, food, and arts/crafts! This was a great trip and a great group idea if any of you organize stuff like that at school. You do have to have a minimum of 15 people, and the minimum age is 6. Unfortunately, Tripp didn't get to join us, but it was good to do something special like this with Braden and Landry!

The whole crew

Alligator education at live presentation

Craft time

Smell test during tour

Homerun and a Highlight

2011-04-19T05:32:00.000-05:00

Landry hit a homerun last night in her softball game! She also fielded a groundball that she threw to first, getting the runner out. She is learning and improving every time she takes the field!

A couple of weeks ago, Braden made a triple play in one of his games. He caught a line drive, tagged the runner who left 1st base, then threw out a force at second base! This was an exciting play, something you rarely see, especially in an 8 year-old league.

What amazes me is the different ways the kids reacted to their big plays. Landry is jumping up and down, all smiles, and kind-of doing the girl scream thing! She was literally excited for hours after her game! After Braden's play, he tosses the ball to the pitcher's mound and glove-bumps his coach on the way to the dugout. No celebration, just a little smile and nod. On the way home, we were saying, "Braden, do you realize you made a triple play?" We were definitely more excited than he was!

If you are wondering how Tripp feels about being hauled around to all these ball games, just know he is their biggest fan! He is usually playing with his cars that he totes in a Lightning McQueen backpack, but he does watch the game and cheer them on from the fence. His preschool teacher says he updates her everyday on who had a game the night before and whether or not he got to go play at the park!

Little Things

2011-04-11T05:32:00.000-05:00

It's the little things that warm a mother's heart. Landry and I were driving in the car yesterday when she announced, "This has been a great day! I haven't been away from you all day!" It was a great day! We were running from the start with church, grocery store, ball practice, etc. The beautiful thing is that she appreciated doing it all side-by-side with me!

Softball Time!

2011-04-03T18:36:00.000-05:00

We've started softball season! Landry is excited to be playing a sport again. She played one season of T-ball when she was 6, but she was not terribly impressed by all the boys on the team.

She has watched Braden play enough baseball that she ought to have some skills and knowledge by way of osmosis!

The league is a might-bit disorganized, and we didn't even have a coach until the first practice when someone volunteered! Luckily, it is a mom of a high school baseball player and she does know about the game! Yours truly is the dugout mom- the one that tries to get the girls in the right batting order, keep them from climbing on the dugout bench, and asking too many high-maintenance questions! What would be a high-maintenance question by a girly-girl softball player? Hmmm... "Can I go say hi to my dad?" "Can I go get some chips?" "Will I get to bat again?" Not bad to have that question once or twice, but these chatty girls surprised me in that first game with all their talking!

Landry's team has won their first two games. She is a bundle of excitement out on the field. She has a competitive spirit that comes through every now and then that I love to see! I love to be able to give the kids opportunities to play on a team, learn a game, and get outside and exercise. Those of you who know me know that I also love to win, so things are looking good so far!!

Ta-Da!!!

2011-03-21T21:04:00.000-05:00

And here is the fruit of our labor!

Jason, Braden, and Landry built these 4 ft. x 4 ft. cedar boxes to use as raised beds for gardening! Landry and I put sealant on the wood, and we all got the ground cleared for our boxes. Two pick-up truck loads full of soil, compost, and mulch finished the job. We are super-excited to watch things grow out in our garden. Now I need to get busy figuring out what to plant, how to keep it alive, and when to harvest!

A Really Big Day

2011-03-19T08:39:00.000-05:00

In the hours that made up our Friday, we had a very busy day! Up to this point, we really have not done much during our Spring Break week. I only worked two days, but I sure feel like I've been working the whole time!

Katie had spent the night Thursday, and she left us early Friday. The kids and I met up with my mom, sister, and the cousin kids in tow for an exciting caravan up to Euless. There is a huge pizza place up there that has arcades, bumper cars, laser tag, etc. It's definitely geared for kids older than 3 or 4, so Tripp and Kara mostly walked around watching everyone else play games! Honestly, I think they were fine with that!

Braden's favorite thing was the bumper cars. He and Allen were smiling the whole time!

Landry loved this jump rope game!

Landry looked a little hesitant before driving the go-cart, but she had a lead foot once they said "go"!

After the pizza stop was my beloved trip to Costco. The poor kids did not want to go, but I talked them into it. Remember when you were a kid and your mom would tell you about the starving kids in Ethiopa when you wasted your food. That was me yesterday, telling the kids they should be thankful we can go to a big place like Costco and get food! I know, pretty lame.

The evening consisted of a project that we are all excited about. We are building some boxes in order to have some raised beds for gardening! Landry's 1st grade teacher keeps a garden at their school, and they go outside several times a week and tend to the garden. Her teacher told me how much Landry loves the garden, and I have also wanted to try my hand at growing some fresh vegetables! We are eating so many vegetables these days, so if we can get anything to produce that will be a super bonus to our grocery bill!

Braden was a super-apprentice with the drill!

Tripp was not much of a helper, but he hung out with us all night!

Heidi helped about as much as Tripp, and she inherited his cars after he went inside!

Heidi von Lichtenstein

2011-03-14T17:28:00.000-05:00

I have succumbed to the persistent requests of every other member of our family to get a dog! Yes, me, the not-so-much-of-an-animal-lover has not just a dog, but an inside dog! What is this world coming to?

In all seriousness, our Heidi is precious. She is a black and white Miniature Schnauzer. I will take a better picture when she is not sleeping all the time! Bonus points for the person that can name the movie from which we stole the "von Lichenstein" portion of her name...

Book Review and History Lesson

2011-03-10T07:22:00.000-06:00

I have finished a great historical non-fiction book called: Given Up for Dead: America's Heroic Stand at Wake Island. This book was incredibly interesting and informative, as I had never even heard of Wake Island prior to reading the book.

Geographically speaking, Wake Island is actually a coral atoll comprised of 3 islands that cover only 12 miles of coastline. It is located in the Pacific Ocean, roughly between Honolulu and Guam, and close to Japan. In January 1941, the U.S. Military got the idea to occupy the island to be able to keep an eye on Japan. Mostly Marines, but also a few Naval forces occupied the island and started making-ready to defend against any suspicious activity. This was a monumental task, considering that there was minimal civilization on the island. A construction company out of Idaho had just sent 1,100 workers to "build-up" the island, but they literally had to start from scratch with everything (even water filtration/sanitation).

The Americans were quite suspicious of Japan, for good reason it turns out. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese sent bombers on an air raid over Wake Island. The date was actually December 8, 1941, because Wake is on the opposite side of the international date line from us. The Marines lost 8 of their 12 planes in the air raid, but they fought anyway. They used the 4 planes they had left and the artillery they had on the island to fight the Japanese. This battle lasted a grueling 19 days, until December 23rd, when there was a controversial surrender by the U.S. Marines. Unfortunately, communication was poor and the commander did not have an accurate picture that his Marines were actually winning the battle!

Every American on the island was taken as a prisoner of war: Marine, Navy, and civilian. They were held in various camps for 44 months! For some unknown reason, when they came back to the states, they had to sign a contract saying that they would not speak to the media or give interviews regarding the battle or their imprisonment. ??? What? In the chaos of an ending war in 1945, the economy starting to boom again, and the Cold War beginning, the Wake Island story got lost in the shuffle and has been largely untold.

I highly encourage you to read this book! It was great, and the author did tons of research to tell the story fully and accurately! Sara, you would love this one!

Tournament Champions!!

2011-03-07T07:06:00.000-06:00

The Pirate baseball team is back in action. They entered a tournament in Cleburne this weekend, and after an exciting two days of games they are champs! What a way to start the season! Braden has been getting some hitting instruction from an individual in Granbury, and we saw some great dividends from that hard work. He also made several good plays in the field, and they even teamed up on a couple of double plays. I love to watch our boy play ball!

Birthday Boy!

2011-03-03T06:50:00.000-06:00

Our baby boy is 3 years old today!! Tripp has been a bundle of joy since he joined our little family 3 years ago! He is the funniest, sweetest, most entertaining, and talkative little boy you've ever seen. He is like the Energizer Bunny on steroids- his motor never stops!

Tripp's favorite thing right now is anything to do with Lightning McQueen or any of the other Cars characters. He loves to watch the movie, play with the cars, wear the shirt, and cuddle with the blanket that all have the Cars logo. He talks about "Lighting Uh-Queen", "Gramone" (the low-rider Ramone), Mater and Mr. The King all the time! His favorite part of the movie is when Lightning and Mater go tractor-tipping... that's my boy!

Tripp has so many nicknames that he may have an identity crisis one day! My favorite thing for him to do in his entertainment toolbox is "the Wiggle Biscuit." Don't ask where the name came from, but he can wiggle his little body like a slinky. He can dance with the wiggle, run with the wiggle, or just stand and wiggle!

Happy Birthday to our Tripp today! By the way, he is turning 3 on 3/3 today... guess what his lucky number might be!

This is where I found Tripp yesterday after school- he was on his bed with a binder, scissors, and markers. I said, "What are you doing in here?" He said, "I'm doin' my homework, Momma!" I had been going through the big kids' binders at the table and getting them started on their homework, so I suppose he just thought he needed to do some work, too!

Birthday Girl!

2011-02-24T11:26:00.001-06:00

Landry is SEVEN years old today! I think this picture captures her sweetness! Landry is incredibly artistic, imaginative, caring, creative, and clever! She is practically a 2nd mother to Tripp, and she strives to keep up with Braden in everything. Landry is our only little girl; therefore, she is the only princess of this castle! Happy Birthday to our baby girl!

Wedding Bells

2011-02-20T08:14:00.000-06:00

It's been years since I have attended a wedding! Tripp, Landry, and I went to Alisa and Blake's wedding last night. They will have a blended family with 5 kids! Congrats to Alisa and Blake!! The kids were ready for cake and chocolate covered strawberries!

My sister made the wedding cakes and help with the wedding plans!

Kara was one of the bridesmaids, along with her sister and new step-sister.

Landry was so happy that I dressed up! She is a fashionista and always wants me to be more stylish!

The Busy is Back

2011-02-19T07:15:00.000-06:00

We had a great break from the usual: Tarleton Master's program, baseball/softball, school parties/programs, etc. I suppose we are back to the grind now though. Jason is back in his study cave during the bulk of his waking hours at home. Braden has started baseball practices. And to add to the schedule, we decided to sign Landry up for softball! Last year, she got the idea that she might want to play when she saw her cousin play in a game, so we knew it was coming soon that she would actually commit to a full season! For me and Tripp, I guess we are mostly just the supporting cast for everyone else!

I'm still reading when I can, trying to focus on more non-fiction works this year. I am also elated to announce that I have been able to resume my jogging habit. After the year I had last year with my back injury, I honestly thought my days of running were over. However, after much persistence and caution in exercise, I have finally reached a level of stability that allows me to insanely pound my joints into the pavement again! What sense does that really make? I know, but there is sufficient evidence out there that this repetitive jarring is actually GOOD for your joints! I'm taking that theory and running with it... nice pun, huh?

Better Than Any Valentine

2011-02-14T05:51:00.000-06:00

Jason and I got the best gift we could ever ask for last night: Braden prayed to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior last night!

Braden is a thinker. He takes his time processing things before he even asks a question. We knew as Mom and Dad that he was gettting close. His prayers have really matured, and he has said many things related to salvation that tipped us off that he was almost ready. Braden said he "got that feeling" during the Pledge at school Friday morning.

We did somewhat of an interview last night to make sure he understands salvation, that Jesus is the only way, and our call as disciples. He nailed it, and we sat in the living room floor and prayed with him! I can't tell you what a sweet feeling this is as a parent! We are so proud of Braden. He is really growing up, and I know that God is going to do great things through him!

Memory_7

2011-02-12T08:44:00.000-06:00

My First (and only) Bustin'
Every house has certain rules. Most parents would agree that playing serious ball in the house is against the rules. We throw the football to Braden all the time in our house- a Nerf football! However, when I was probably 10 or so, we had a real soccer game going on in my parent's bedroom. Nothing good can come out of that, so I have no idea what we were thinking.

The actual incident was truly not me or my brother, Richard. One of the neighbor boys kicked the ball straight into the chandelier (not that it was a fancy one or anything), and it shattered everywhere. Neighbor kids scattered like little ants, and me and my brother were left to attempt a quick clean-up. The two of us took the heat and got the belt that night. OUCH! I made sure that didn't happen again!

Looking back, poor Rich took the blame for several mischievous acts. Once we threw pebbles from our driveway at a car that was driving by. Another time, we threw rocks (bigger than pebbles) at the windows of what we thought was an unoccupied house close to where we lived. Big oops! There's more but I better stop in case we haven't reached the statute of limitations on some of our offenses!

Memory_6

2011-02-09T20:22:00.000-06:00

The Dirt Slide
We moved to Texas from Montana when I was 4 1/2 years old. For the first several years we were here, we would drive back up to MT and stay for a couple of weeks each summer. I was infamously car-sick on these trips, but that is not the subject of this post!

Both sets of grandparents had big ranches. We would stay with my maternal grandparents, whose ranch was located in the very southeastern corner of Montana. We would climb up into this mountain up behind the horse barns and build forts. One summer, our cousins were so excited to show us the new form of fun up on the mountain: they had made a dirt slide going down the mountain! I remember getting so tired climbing up, resting for just a minute, taking a deep breath, then bumping and sliding down to the bottom!

This is the first time I recall feeling butterflies in my stomach. On the first time down the slide, there was a slight hesitation after watching the person in front of you go down pretty fast. Not to mention the grade of the hill looking much steeper when you're about to take off! Does anyone remember the Der Stuka slide at Wet 'n Wild? Same kind of feeling in your tummy: fear plus excitement mixed together!

Of course, the Der Stuka was wet and clean and supervised. I also remember that when we would come back from doing the dirt slide all the moms would make us empty the dirt from our boots and clothing before we came near the house! Being a mom now, I figure they dreaded the laundry after a day at the dirt slide!

Promised Pictures...

2011-02-05T07:33:00.000-06:00

Tripp on his favorite outside toy! Not much traction, but he had a blast!

Here are these three munchkins I love! They were bundled and layered in warmth!

Landry and Braden each took several trips down the super-slick slide!

Braden was worn out after a few passing routes with Jason. And who can resist flopping in the snow after playing a little football?

I love this smile!

Tripp is looking at his freezing hand and wondering why he doesn't have moisture-resistant gloves like the rest of the family!

Landry was the snowball-throwing queen. She was chunking them at all of us!

This and That

2011-02-04T07:47:00.000-06:00

We are tackling a little bit of everything during these bad weather days where Jason and the kids are out of school and I have been off of work. We have not left the house since Monday evening, and to my utter surprise, it is not bothering me one bit. I'm a "do-er." I love to be going and doing. But I have loved this time of being somewhat trapped at home!

Tuesday I spent most of the day organizing and cleaning the kids' closets. Landry and I decided to move her clothes and personal items into the playroom closet. She and Braden have been struggling in the mornings about being around each other when getting dressed! She is an awesome helper in this kind of project, too!

Wednesday was a ditto on the type of project, but this time I went through our master closet like the Tazmanian Devil! We are blessed with shelves upon shelves in all of our closets, and they are looking orderly now!

Jason has been doing school projects and book reviews(for Tarleton). One assignment he finished yesterday is due at the end of February, so he is getting a good jump on his spring semester.

The kids have kept themselves busy with movies, the Wii, real toys, and of course our assigned "quiet reading" times! Speaking of reading, I finished The Poisonwood Bible on Monday night, read A Promise To Remember Tuesday, and took Wednesday and Thursday to read Stones Into Schools. One handy feature of the Kindle is that it will read to you, so during the above mentioned projects I was listening to books! Anyone have any stellar recommendations on books? I have several in my "wish list" on Amazon, but I've committed to finishing Forgotten God first. It is one that I've had sitting beside my chair in the living room and typically just read a chapter at a time because it is a heavy read that requires me to stop and let stuff soak in!

Although we haven't let the kids go outside, we've told them they could go out and play in the snow today! Pictures to be posted soon...

Margo and Edith

2011-02-02T20:37:00.001-06:00

Tripp has been hooked on the movie Despicable Me for the past two weeks. Of course, Landry and Braden love to keep him company by watching it with him! In these bad weather days, Tripp and Landry have dressed up as big sister Margo and middle sister Edith! They have gone around the house getting cookie orders from us as we attempt to keep a straight face over Tripp's giddy-up! OK, that's not true, we have not even tried to keep a straight face!

Landry has such a wonderful imagination, and she also has a habit of using Tripp in her schemes. I think it is incredibly sweet and memorable! By the way, that's a baby blanket wrapped around him like a dress, and the headwear is a Hannah Montana hat-wig combo! Gotta love it!

Memory_5

2011-01-31T21:02:00.000-06:00

Shanks at Stanford
There is a term considered to be voodoo in the golf world: shank. When you lose your swing and can't hit the ball right, it's called a shank. Missing your target by a few yards, or putting too much spin on the ball is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the ball squirting off the blade of your club, minimal hang time, and no control of direction.

We were at a tournament in Palo Alto, CA, (home to Stanford University) during my junior year of college. I think I got the shanks toward the end of the front nine, and I became petrified to even stand over the ball. Stanford has a beautiful course, very hilly with lots of trees. My coach was speechless when she came around to check on me. I could NOT hit the ball! Unbelievable. On the back nine I started trying to figure out if I was even going to be able to break 100!

So, on a typical golf day you keep up with your score in your head, and you know exactly how much over or under par you are at all times. I was hacking the ball around so much that I had no idea what my score was. A funny addendum to the story is that my final score that day was a 99 by sheer luck. There was one hole that the officials deemed the pin placement unplayable, so each player was allowed to pick up the ball after 3 putts. (Who's ever heard of such a thing?) Anyway, the ruling was not made until after I'd already played that hole, so when we went back and adjusted my score for that hole I was able to claim the 99!

It was common practice for us to go to the driving range after a round, but I didn't want to swing a golf club for the rest of my life. I was so embarrassed and humiliated! Coach practically drug me out there with a 6 iron. As if I'd never missed a beat, I was hitting the most beautiful, straight, high-arc shots you've ever seen out on the range. She didn't know what to say, so she just sent me back to the van. Headcase, that's what I was thinking too! I'm thinking this might have been what prompted a later trip to the sports psychologist in Houston (that's a whole other story).

One good thing was that I got to pick the restaurant we ate at that night. Our tradition was that low score on the team got to decide where we ate. That was never me because we had some really good golfers on our team! I think everyone felt pity for the 99 that they let me pick the restaurant!!

From a Mother

2011-01-28T20:52:00.000-06:00

Here is an excerpt from a book I am reading, "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. The speaker here is a mother of four girls: at 15 months old the oldest was followed by twins; then a long break of 9 years before she had her baby girl.

"A mother's body remembers her babies- the folds of soft flesh, the softly furred scalp against her nose. Each child has its own entreaties to body and soul. It's the last one, though, that overtakes you. I can't dare say I loved the others less, but my first three were all babies at once, and motherhood dismayed me entirely. The twins came just as Rachel was learning to walk. What came next I hardly remember, whole years when I battled through every single day of grasping hands and mouths until I could fall into bed for a few short hours and dream of being eaten alive in small peices. I counted to one hundred as I rocked, contriving the patience to get one down in order to take up another. One mouth closed on a spoon meant two crying empty, feathers flying, so I dashed back and forth like a mother bird, flouting nature's maw with a brood too large. I couldn't count on survival until all three of them could stand alone. Together they were my first issue. I took one deaep breath for every step they took away from me. That's how it is with the firstborn, no matter what kind of mother you are - rich, poor, frazzled half to death or sweetly content. A first child is your own best foot forward, and how you do cheer those little feet as they strike out. You examine every turn of flesh for precocity, and crow it to the world.
But the last one: the baby who trails her scent like a flag of surrender through your life when there will be no more coming after - oh, that's love by a different name. She is the babe you hold in your arms for an hour after she's gone to sleep. If you put her down in the crib, she might wake up changed and fly away. So instead you rock by the window, drinking the light from her skin, breathing her exhaled dreams. Your heart bays to the double crescent moons of closed lashes on her cheeks. She's the one you can't put down."

When I read this, I thought of my own trek so far in motherhood. I love all my children with the same intensity, but I surely understand her point about the love for the last one being a love of a different name. When you've raised up two kids close together and truly seen the time fly, then you are better able to appreciate the little moments with the last-born!

The Difference One Man Can Make

2011-01-25T20:23:00.000-06:00

About this time last year, I read a book called "Three Cups of Tea." A very short synopsis is that the author, Greg Mortenson, went to Pakistan in 1993 to honor the memory of his deceased sister by climbing the treacherous K2 mountain. He didn't make it to the top, but he did encounter some rural villagers that impacted him greatly. He promised to come back and build them a school to try and give back for the way that they helped him. In the past 17 years, he (now through his foundation) has built 165 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan with the emphasis on educating girls. He has strong beliefs about the importance of literacy, the right to an education, and empowering people.

This morning, Jason and I had the opporunity to hear Mr. Mortenson speak at Tarleton. He gave a wonderful presentation about his experiences in these two countries. He shared statistics such as: in 2001 800,000 children were in school in Afghanistan; in 2010, over 8 million children were in school in Afghanistan! He talked about off-shoot foundations, such as Pennies for Peace and Journey of Hope that also support his cause.

In his book, Mortenson is somewhat critical of the military and politicians for not properly relating to these people. The story goes that many military wives have read the book and passed it on to their husbands. Evidently, the generals and admirals have recently adopted his beliefs about establishing relationships, showing respect, and listening to the people in these war-torn countries. General Patraeus agrees with Mortenson so much that he has made it mandatory for Officers and Special Forces to read Three Cups of Tea when deployed to Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Mr. Mortenson was very humble in his presentation. He has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and I'm convinced that he will win the award one day. He also had a book-signing after the presentation; however, I read it on the Kindle and opted out of him signing that!

Fort Worth Stock Show

2011-01-24T06:01:00.001-06:00

We ventured out to the stock show Saturday. The kids loved seeing all the animals and exhibits! Landry got to ride a pony, and the two big kids were very friendly with the petting zoo animals. Tripp said he'd just rather look at animals from a distance! However, he did love all the tractors inside the exhibition hall!

It was a fun day out to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the good ole stock show!

Memory_4

2011-01-22T19:47:00.001-06:00

Pinehurst with Papa
I'm so bad about remembering years and specific details, but I'm thinking this takes place in the summer of 1995. That would have been after I had completed my freshman year at A&M. As a member of the golf team, I was expected to keep up my game during the summers by competing in tournaments. For the most part, I picked tournaments that were within driving distance. However, there was a tournament called The East/West that was being held at Pinehurst Golf Club in North Carolina. Pinehurst has to be on an avid golfer's 'Top-Ten List' of courses to play in a lifetime. The course is rich in history, beautiful to the eye, and uber-challenging to the short game.

The East/West was different from collegiate tournaments in several ways. First of all, we were allowed to use a caddy. Also, the format was stroke play followed by match play. Quick lesson: Stroke play is conventional golf scoring, where you hear people say what number they shot- like a 78 on a par 72. Match play is one player versus their opponent. You win the hole, you get a point. I win the hole, I get a point. We tie the hole, we each get a half of a point. Whoever has the most points after 18 holes wins. If its tied, go back to hole number one and play until someone wins a hole. Being a fierce competitor, I LOVED match play. If you put me up against someone and challenge me to beat them, I'm all over that!

Back to the caddy part. My dad eagerly volunteered to come with me to NC to be my caddy for this tournament. Now, did he want to be with me, or did he just want to get in a round at Pinehurst? You guessed it- both!! I'll never forget him buying these retro Nike tennis shoes to be my caddy- like the ones Forrest Gump wore! I'm not a fashion Nazi, but he cracked me up in these shoes!

Stroke play didn't go so well, but I did well enough to make the cut. That means I got to advance to match play. It's seeded like you would expect: if there's 32 in the field, #1 goes against #32, #2 against #31, #3 against #30, etc. In my most humble assessment, I rocked out match play. I don't remember those exact details, but I think I lost out in the quarterfinals. I lost to the NCAA runner-up on the 19th hole --Kelly McCall, and she was a Tar Heel!

My parents both gave me incredible support during all of my golfing years. I'm pretty sure my mom kept score at every tournament I played since I was 8 years old, and she kept scorecards and newspaper clippings for a scrapbook! One or the other of them was present at every tournament I ever played until I got to college. They actually made it to a lot of those too, which were frequently out of state. I have a ton of memories about golf, but this one about going to Pinehurst with my dad is vivid in my mind and makes me smile! By the way, Dad did get to play Pinehurst, too!

Memory_3

2011-01-20T22:06:00.000-06:00

The Green Tooth
If you get close enough to my sweet little smile, you might notice "the green tooth." It's really not the tooth itself that is green, but that is what we say around here.

Growing up in Stephenville, TX, in the 80's was quite a sheltered experience. Those were different times, for example leaving your kids home alone was not given a second thought. This might be the first of many stories of what can happen when you leave your kids home alone!

I was quite the obedient child, and for the most part a strict rule-follower. We were always told to walk our bikes across the street instead of riding them across. I'm still not sure why this was the rule, but I was the obedient child who did what she was told. My brother and I would often ride our bikes into town, and we would spend a good part of the day riding around all over the streets of Stephenville. Honestly, I don't remember how old we were at the time, but I know I was not in junior high yet!

Sidenote: We lived about 2 miles from the city limits, but at least 3 miles from a desirable stop such as a convenience store or city park! Not to mention the fact that we had to ride on the shoulder of Hwy 67, then cross 377 to get into town. Yes, these are US highways, not county roads!

On one of these said trips, I was running my bike across Hwy 281 when the front tire bounced off the median and sprung the handlebars straight up to my mouth. I knew right away that it hurt, but I just kept running across the road. When I got to the other side, I realized I was bleeding. I'll never forget the feeling of my tongue rubbing against my newly shattered tooth. It felt like I had knives or nails hanging down from my gums in place of a tooth.

We realized the tooth was not salvageable after several trips to the dentist. I have an implant that matches the others quite nicely. The problem is with the post that goes up into my gum. I guess it's like a gray metal of some sort, but the appearance when implanted into my natural pink gum is a dingy green. This problem has recently been compounded by my teeth somehow separating slightly. There is the tiniest gap between the fake tooth and my canine, and it constantly looks like I've got black pepper between my teeth! I should probably see about a dentist helping me out with this problem because I think I'm getting a complex just by posting about it!

Take-home lesson: Look both ways before crossing the road, then just ride across like a big-girl!

Memory_2

2011-01-19T18:49:00.000-06:00

To Our Kids: How I Met Your Father
1996 was destined to be a good year for me. I ended 1995 with a break-up from a boyfriend that was bad news for too long. This was probably the 5th break-up we'd had in the past 3 years, but I knew this was the end of our relationship... for real! I started going to a weekly bible study (ABS) at the beginning of the semester, and I was meeting really nice, genuine people. More importantly, I had re-committed my life to Christ- something that had weighed on me for quite some time before that. A friend from high school, Misti, also attended this bible study so I felt very comfortable hanging out with everyone around ABS.

Misti was kind-of, sort-of starting to date this guy from the ABS group named Jeremy. I tagged along with them plenty because they were not officially dating (so I wasn't too much of a 3rd wheel). Jeremy was telling me he had a friend he wanted to set me up with. Misti started joining in the matchmaking as well. I repeatedly blew them off and told them I wasn't interested! I really had no desire to start a relationship with a guy!

For those of you who know this Jeremy character, you know he is pretty persistent when he thinks he has a good idea! He showed up at the golf course during the middle of one my golf tournaments at A&M. I'll never forget Jason and Jeremy walking up to #7 green, and I'm thinking, "Oh, no he didn't! He brought the mystery guy to the golf tournament!"

Maybe I lost my focus a little. Perhaps "not interested" was no longer my opinion. Whatever it was, I yanked my drive out-of-bounds on #9. Like, way out-of-bounds... into the driving range!

Jason and I hung out the next day at Jeremy's apartment. He talks about how I just got up and left without saying good-bye to anyone. He was sure he'd made me mad or something! I don't even remember doing that. He called me and asked me out that night from Jeremy's apartment bathroom because he didn't want everyone listening to our conversation! (We didn't have cell phones that gave you the freedom of going anywhere you wanted to talk on the phone.) This all seems hilarious to me now!

Our first date was dinner at Cafe Eccell followed by Breakaway- a huge bible study/worship event in College Station. That was all she wrote, folks! I fell hard, and I fell fast. I was afraid to tell him I loved him because I didn't know if I was feeling that too early or if he even felt the same way. We dated for 8 months, then we were engaged for 8 months. This year we will celebrate our 14-year anniversary, and I can honestly say that our marriage has been pure bliss!

Thank you Jeremy and Misti for the idea, it was a good one after all! In case you don't already know, Jeremy and Misti live happily ever after as well- they got married the same year!

Memory Bank

2011-01-18T19:52:00.000-06:00

This is the beginning of a new blog series: totally random memories from my life. Maybe childhood, maybe adulthood, maybe focused around me or not. The idea is to preserve some memories that my kids can read and smile about someday! I will emphasize that there is no order to these, just random thoughts that pop into my head...

When I was in junior high, I had two friends over to my house. My parents were not home, and we were bored to tears. I lived out in the country and there was just not a lot to do out there. For some reason, we thought it would be a good idea to experiment with matches. In our back pasture was an old, very small building that at one time housed feed for our sheep. My brother and I had converted it to a clubhouse/fort since we had long ago rid ourselves of the sheep! My two friends and I found some old Cabbage Patch dolls in the clubhouse, and here began the experimentation with fire.

Now, this building did not have a door, but we had hung a towel in the doorway as somewhat of a curtain. Somehow, one of the Cabbage Patch Kids that we lit on fire came in contact with the towel. Then, the towel made contact with the grass of the pasture. My friends later joked with me that I yelled, "Cabbage! Fire!" We were in way over our heads, and I could already imagine the entire property engulfed in flames! Life went into slow motion and I was imagining the punishment that would come down if I caught the place on fire. One of us ripped the towel down, and we all put the fire out before things got out of hand. Whew!

Talk about an adrenaline rush! I think I was sick at my stomach for days although I would not have admitted that to my friends. I found reasons to not let anyone go down to the little clubhouse until the evidence of a fire was gone. You can imagine that it was not near as bad as I first thought and magnified in my adolescent mind! We just joked and laughed it away, but I was scared enough to learn my lesson about playing with fire!

Wonderful Weekends

2011-01-17T05:21:00.000-06:00

Can I just say that I have enjoyed literally every minute of these last few weekends! Jason has been out of school, the kids do not have any extra-curricular activities, and the weather has made us want to huddle inside. So, that's about what we've done: huddle up together inside. We have played Monopoly, which is a great money-counting game for a 6 and 8 year old. We watched Despicable Me and Where The Red Fern Grows for family movie nights. Jason and I have done some serious organizing and inventory management around the house. We have played Band Hero- Braden and I love the drums, Jason takes guitar, Landry on the microphone, and Tripp dancing and singing jibberish as he weaves among us all! We've even had quiet times of reading, which was of course instigated by me.

Jason starts back with his school program this week. We can all see the light at the end of the tunnel, and now we can say, "He will have his Master's THIS year!" He will graduate in December!

Answered Prayer

2011-01-12T20:42:00.000-06:00

Landry had another check-up with Dr. Bryan, her beloved ENT specialist in Southlake. He gave us great news that she has air behind her eardrum, which is exactly what he was hoping for. The previous exam showed that it was filled with fluid. What does this mean? #1- She can hear!! #2- No more ear surgery in the near future!

I had such a good feeling as I left the doctor's office. This has been such a long battle for her, and she appears to finally have gotten on the right course. Thank you to all the friends and family who have been praying for Landry and her ear!

Old Friends

2011-01-09T07:26:00.000-06:00

I was able to get together with several old friends from high school yesterday in celebration of another new baby coming along! I may be the worst at keeping in touch with people, but I also think it's just kind of how life goes. I do not facebook, so I'm way out of the loop on most stuff. My cell phone number changes more frequently than I care to admit, so that also makes it hard for people to keep up with me! (That number change is related to work, not because I don't pay my bills... it's a work phone- more on that later.) With that said, we had a wonderful time visiting, laughing, and catching up with each other! We pledged to get together this summer, and not let another 3 years pass before we see each other again... we'll see!!

About the cell phone... Verizon is supposed to announce next week that they are going to start carrying the iphone. We are such loyal customers that we have put off getting an iphone because we didn't want to switch carriers. I actually have my cell phone through my employer, but I have this feeling that if Jason gets one I will want one too! Call me a technology brat!

After getting away from the Holocaust scene (for maybe one month) in my reading selections, I read a highly recommended book in that genre called The Girl with the Green Sweater. This is a memoir about a family- man, wife, young girl (7), and young boy (3)- who lives in Poland during the German occupation. Wow! Again, a story of miraculous survival. This Jewish family hid from apartment to barracks to ghetto until there was nowhere else to run. Where did they go? They lived in the sewer- yes, as in underground sewer- for 14 months with seven other adults. There were 3 sewer workers that they made a financial arrangement with to bring them food and provisions during their stay at what they ended up naming the Palace. The details in this story of survival are incredible. The lessons about family, a mother protecting her babies, a father fighting for his family, terrified children who learn at a young age to be silent at the sound of boots approaching their hiding place, not seeing sunlight for over a year, but most of all their loyal and dedicated helper who cared for them during their time in hiding. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

Job Satisfaction

2011-01-05T19:51:00.000-06:00

I don't think I say it enough that I have an enormous appreciation for my job. For those who may not know, I go into people's homes and give them their physical therapy treatments. I have been doing the home health gig for about 2 1/2 years now, and I just love it! I see tons of joint replacements... baby boomers provide superb job security. There are other post-surgical patients I work with, and of course the deconditioned person is a common one as well.

I work with most people for 3-6 weeks on average, depending on how good my skills are. Just kidding, that was a bad joke! No matter how long I see them, it is truly a joy to meet these people that have an abundance of life experience. I feel like a sponge sometimes, soaking up their advice and suggestions.

I have a new patient that I estimate will need me for a long time. He has had a series of unfortunate events as I tend to call it. Doing his evaluation and coming up with treatment ideas has reminded me how much I love my job and my profession. It's a great feeling to end the workday and know that I've made a difference in someone's life. Do what you love and love what you do, right?

Happy Holiday

2011-01-01T08:57:00.000-06:00

This has been a great holiday season. Jason and the kids' two-week break is coming to an end, and my several days off work are also coming to an end. Jason has been working like a mad-man around the house. He has re-organized, re-arranged, and cleaned out nearly every room we have. My guess is that he was getting some kind of therapeutic release from the months of intense studying by doing physical labor! Whatever the reason, it has sure improved the looks around here! We have also done the annual "inventory-control" purge in the kids' rooms!

We've had several family game nights, including extended family on Jason's side. His parents got us Band Hero for the Wii which has provided some entertaining moments through the week! Jason and I have had two dates... one to see True Grit and one to go out to Bonnell's. True Grit is an awesome movie for anyone who is thinking of going to see it. And Bonnell's, well, we've had numerous posts about the food at Bonnell's; and New Year's Eve dinner there was unbelievable!

So, I started 2010 thinking I was going to try to read at least one book a month. There's just always so much going on in this busy thing we call life, and I wanted to re-adopt the hobby of reading. 40-some-odd books later I'm looking back wondering how I read so much last year!! I've read just about every genre available, multiple time periods, etc. A lasting theme that I take away is that so many different people have endured so much suffering that I have gained a refreshing appreciation for my lot in life. Without sounding totally cliche, we have so much to be thankful for: freedom being one of the most basic ones that we take for granted. Freedom to worship, freedom to marry who we want, freedom to work (as women), freedom to vote, freedom to live where we choose, freedom to educate ourselves, freedom to go out at night, freedom to speak our minds, etc, etc! Obviously I could go on and on!

Here we are, the first random post of 2011! Happy New Year to you all!

Christmas Pictures

2010-12-29T11:14:00.000-06:00

Nana, Pa-paw, and the kids on Christmas Eve

Braden opening his gifts at Papa and Gram's

Landry and Tripp watching Toy Story 3 on Christmas night

Jason and Braden putting together a Lego Hero Factory action figure

All 3 kids on Christmas morning. We spent the entire day in our PJ's... it was wonderful!

Landry got two watches this year! Evidently she told more than one person that she wanted one!

Tripp with his Pa-paw Frog on Christmas Eve!

Nothing Much

2010-12-21T19:42:00.000-06:00

What's been going on around here? Nothing much! Since Jason and the kids are all done with school, we've all been taking a mental break! Somehow, I wiggled my way into that mental break even though I'm not taking off of work yet. I will be off 3 days next week, and I plan to join in the household projects that began yesterday. Jason decided to knock out several tasks like defrosting the freezer, re-arranging furniture, and organizing piles! Note that I did say mental break, not physical break!

We had our first Christmas celebration Saturday at my mom's house. Everyone except one nephew was present, and that is quite an accomplishment with as big as our family has become!

Landry had her follow-up appointment for her ear. Good news: her eardrum is completely healed. Bad news: her middle ear is filled with fluid so she flunked her hearing test! Did you just hear me scream? No, I didn't think so, I'm fine! Please pray for Landry's ear. She has had a 5 year battle with this left ear that obviously needs divine intervention! We go back in two weeks with hopes of the fluid being gone, hearing normal, and no more procedures.

Uncommon Gratitude

2010-12-13T17:35:00.000-06:00

I sit here in my living room completely thankful for my husband and son rocking out to Guitar Hero on the Wii! I'm one of those people who thinks video games are pretty much a waste of time. I might also be guilty of secretly resenting too much time spent tuned in to the magic box! (that's our reference to the tv) HOWEVER... Jason has spent the past 6 months or so locked in the closet with his studies (minimal-to-no magic box involved). He has dedicated himself 100% to this Master's program, and his 4.0 GPA definitely reflects his hard work. THEREFORE, I am happy as a lark to have him hanging out with us over the past few days! I can honestly say that I have gained a new appreciation for his presence! He does not have class again until January 18th!!

This has been a hard semester for me. Selfishly, I have had my own private pity parties at times. I have wondered why in the world I encouraged him to pursue this goal. And, I have probably been less than friendly with people, unintentionally of course, just because I'm in a super-focused mode to get things done! Again, HOWEVER, I have felt incredibly blessed during this journey. The kids are well-behaved, obedient, and super-good helpers. (I would be ashamed to list the various chores they perform around the house!) Despite my whining, I have actually grown a lot personally during all of this. And of course I must mention, all of his study time has given me plenty of time to read my Kindle!

May we have many wrestling matches, Wii parties, tickle sessions, pillow fights, movie nights, and scrabble challenges in these next few weeks!

A Trick You Might Not Know About

2010-12-12T19:48:00.000-06:00

This is totally random, but it will surely prove useful at some point in time! If you ever have adhesive on your skin, nail polish remover takes it off in a flash!! Like I said, random! Landry had tons of adhesive around her ear from her surgery. She didn't want me trying to scrub it off, so I asked the doctor to take it off when we went for a follow-up. He told me the trick about using nail polish remover and a cotton ball!! I can't tell you how many times my own patients are griping about the glue or adhesive left over from a surgical dressing... now I know the solution!

Aquariums of Pyongyang

2010-12-07T21:18:00.000-06:00

This is a book referenced in George W. Bush's Decision Points. It is a memoir of a man from North Korea who was sent to a concentration camp at age 9. He was there with his family, minus mom, for 10 years! There are unbelievable details that make you wonder how on earth he survived. Of course, your gratitude for freedom will also increase exponentially with this book!

I have been hearing about North Korea in the news for several years, but I think I've been blocking it out. Honestly, it's quite disturbing to realize how inhumane and cruel these people are. Scary, scary! Bush makes a typical-Texas observation in his book, saying their leader "might be nuts!"

So, Bush reads Aquariums in his second presidential term and invites the author to Washington D.C. Evidently, it was quite moving for both parties, and there has been increased aid to these suffering North Korean citizens ever since. Check out the book and let me know what you think!

Big XII Championship

2010-12-06T05:38:00.000-06:00

Jason's mom blessed us with our Christmas present a little early this year... tickets to the Big 12 Championship game at Cowboys Stadium this past Saturday night! We had a great time: Jason, Braden, Charles, and myself. OU beat Nebraska in a close game, and we had plenty of other entertainment directly around us. I suppose I had forgotten, or maybe didn't fully realize, the passion and alcohol-induced obnoxiousness that goes along with a live college football game. The couple beneath got escorted out due to unruly behavior!

Cowboys Stadium is awesome. Everyone should find an excuse to go to an event there, just to say they saw the enormity of it all!

Jason has been hitting his studies hard. He has this week left in the semester, then a nice break until mid-January! WHOOP!! I have been reading tons of books on Kindle, of which I need to post some reviews because some of them were just stellar!

We attended the first StoneWater Glen Rose service yesterday. I felt that it was great! The sermon was a video feed from what was going on in Granbury, but everything else was live. The video was great, and I didn't feel like I missed anything by not being on site in Granbury. My guess is that there will be two services in Glen Rose soon because the house was packed! Praise God!

Hunting for Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T16:57:00.000-06:00

By Jason

This was such a memorable Thanksgiving. First of all, I have to give thanks to the Gordon family for inviting us to spend the holiday with them. They have land just south of Sterling City, TX where they have a cabin and lots of deer. The Gordon's were so generous to invite us and let us spend several days with them. They have given my family and me so much to be thanksful for. Jeff invited me out several years ago where I was able to shoot my first deer. Now, Braden has been able to shoot his first deer there, too. In fact, he shot it out of the same deer stand where I got my first several years ago. I even took Landry out one evening. She got bored fairly quick, though.

For our Thanksgiving meal, we had steak and baked potatoes. Don't get me wrong, I like turkey and dressing, but steak and potatoes it's not. Other than hunting, we enjoyed great food, fellowship, and fun. Jeff has a Jeep and we rode all over the place. Tripp absolutely loved riding in the Jeep. That was all he wanted to do. We played Farkle, 42, and drank coffee by the fire. Jen and I spent a beautiful evening together Wednesday night looking at the stars under a blanket. There were many shooting stars that were big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas. Tripp came out, of course, and we told him to look at the stars. He quickly asked if Jesus turned them all on. How cool is that? Anyway, there was no television or computer, and phone service was spotty, at best. We loved being unplugged for a few days. It was good for the heart, soul, family, and friendships.

This was Braden's first attempt at a deer, but with his small caliber rifle and buck fever, he only clipped him. I guess I figured that might happen and I was ready. So technically, this is my deer, but we're sharing the credit.

This is Braden's first official deer. It took two shots, but Braden took him down. It was so cold that morning and we had to wipe the frost off the glass just to see. We both thought it was worth it, though. I can't tell you how excited I was to be with my son when he shot his first deer.

Before Braden shot his first deer, he shot his first Javalina. There was a group of four that came into the feeder we were watching and they ran off the deer. We took 'em out. Braden made a great shot on a piglet and we really hooted and hollered over this hunt. Totally unexpected. This really boosted his confidence.

Here we are in the Jeep. Little man Tripp is in the front with me all bundled up in his yellow coat. He wants us to get a Jeep.

Tympanostomy with Graft

2010-11-23T07:47:00.000-06:00

Landry had her ear surgery yesterday, with the fancy medical term above. The ordeal was long, but very successful according to Dr. Bryan. She was in the operating room for about 2 1/2 hours, and she was out of it most of the day. Thanks to her family history of serious nausea after anesthesia, baby girl was sick anytime she woke up!

Dr. Bryan explained the procedure: He harvested a section of cartilage from her outer ear to seal the hole in her eardrum. Before that, he repaired the tissue and cut away the skin that had grown between her eardrum and skull. Talk about precision work! He did this all through the ear canal, so she only has a small incision at the graft site. She does have more pain than we expected, but she is one tough cookie!

Our hope is that this is the last big event for her infamous left ear!

It's A Wonderful Life

2010-11-13T14:41:00.000-06:00

Landry is proud to be in the musical adapted from "It's A Wonderful Life." Remember the old Jimmy Stewart, black-and-white film that always comes on around Christmas? The production is a mix of professional actors and community members, and it is at the Granbury Opera House for the next two weekends.

Here is a pic from their first performance Friday:

The Big Muley

2010-11-09T05:14:00.000-06:00

The clarity of this picture is horrible, but you can still appreciate the size of Jason's buck! He and my dad went up to Montana at the end of October. They lost one hunter for the trip, Russell, due to the early arrival of his daughter!

Jason had a great trip! He enjoyed being out in the great wide open of Montana. If you don't already know, that is where both my mom's and my dad's families live.

He's getting a European mount this time, and they came back with the meat already processed! The rack from his other mule deer easily fits inside this one.... he is so wide!

The Great Pumpkin

2010-11-06T09:03:00.001-05:00

Here is Landry, as Patty (green shirt/kneeling on the floor), in "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." She was quite curious to see who came to watch her play, so she used her hands as binoculars to see the audience. This was the most precious thing, I laughed for days about her doing this in the middle of the play!

She has located her fan club in the audience! Big wave!

This shot actually went into the Hood County News, our local newspaper. This was another exciting first, as she made the paper!

And, is this not a picture of pure delight! She was so happy to be on stage in a real performance! They had a light reception after the show, and then Mimi treated us at Braum's for an ice cream cone. What a day for my baby girl. How gratifying it is as a parent to see your child in their element like this!

Coming Soon

2010-11-02T20:37:00.001-05:00

This may seem a bit like a movie trailer, but it seems time is not on my side these days! I will give more details later about each: Jason got a big mule deer in Montana, Landry performed in her first play at the Opera House, Tripp got strep throat, Landry has surgery scheduled for her ear, the oven is dead, and needless to say I need to update this thing more often!

Another Good One

2010-10-26T05:33:00.000-05:00

I read a great book this weekend, Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn. It's a realistic fiction on the persecution of Christians in China. Good story, great message! This one was recommended several months ago by my brother-in-law, Scott. He is a missions pastor in Weatherford, and after reading these recent books I can see why he would choose that path! How much closer can you get to seeing the face of Jesus up close than to go and serve the ones who don't have everyday opportunities to hear the gospel!

Can you imagine not being able to get your hands on a bible? God's word is so precious to them that they memorize whatever parts of the bible they get to read because they are not sure when they can access one again! How many do we have in our house? Probably at least 5, then 5 more of the new testament-only version. Between this book and Chris's sermon Sunday, I'm more motivated than ever to turn the pages of my bible and soak it in!

PTO Program

2010-10-21T05:45:00.001-05:00

Here is my handsome Braden in his patriotic attire! His 2nd grade class actually performed "50 Nifty United States," which I clearly remember doing myself in about 5th grade!

I've been such a non-blogger lately that I wouldn't even know where to start in catching up. I've been reading several books, of course. Shuttling Landry to theater school is a 3x/week affair. She performs next Wednesday! Honestly, I rarely get on this computer so I feel quite out of the loop! Jason is busy, of course, with his job at school and his studies for school. He has written a million papers since starting this program, and he's gotten many positive remarks from his professors!

Braden has one remaining baseball tournament for the fall this weekend. And Tripp, well he's learned how to throw a bonefide FIT! Nobody believes us because he is so sweet and quiet, but I may install a hidden camera so I can prove the temper this boy shows at times! He loves driving the battery-powered 4-wheeler in the backyard, and he has actually worn a path in the grass due to overuse! I must admit that the fits often come from someone getting on the 4-wheeler when he didn't grant them permission! Of course, he grants permission to nobody but himself!

Bed Buds

2010-10-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

Tripp has become a night wanderer! He often climbs in bed with Landry during the middle of the night. Sometimes he comes to our bed. And lately, it seems that he rarely stays in his own bed!

Tripp and Landry have the sweetest relationship! It just warms my heart to watch them play with each other, to see her take care of him, and to watch him look to her as a second momma!

Most of the patients I work with are older, and they often have their adult children around to help them during their health problem. This makes me wonder what our adult childrens' relationships to each other will be like. I know that I'm jumping ahead like 40 years or so, but it's just something I think about every now and then! What a treasure it would be to have them remain close!

Bookworm

2010-10-01T05:20:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else do the bookworm challenge as a kid? My mom would make us a book worm every summer to try to get us to read on our own. If you imagine a simple s-shaped worm with several dividing lines along his body. When you fill in all of those segments with a completed book, then you get some kind of cool reward. Braden has taken the bait! He enjoys reading so much, which makes me just as proud as any baseball achievement!

He has read 3 big books- like 200 pages- since the beginning of school. Granted, his books do have pictures, but this is still a great accomplishment! I think it is ironic that he wants his reward to be a video game for the Wii! Hmmm?

Double-Take

2010-09-24T05:11:00.000-05:00

Braden was telling us something that happened at school the other day with one of the kids in his class. We'll call him the standard name of John to protect his reputation! After Braden gives us the details of poor choices and bad behavior that John made, he said, "That's sure not the John I used to know!" Jason and I did a double take because he said it with such maturity and matter-of-factness in his voice! We actually clarified to make sure- was it a different kid literally, or had he just changed in behavior! He straightened it out for us by saying, "The nice and friendly John from 1st grade would have never done that stuff!"

Anyone subscribe to the strong-willed child stuff by Dobson? If so, we may need it for the little man. He is so stubborn about saying yes ma'am. Not so much about yes sir, but he is a bit stubborn about that one too! When Jason gets after him about saying 'yes ma'am' to me, he'll never say it seriously. He turns it into a joke or says it under his breath! Could this be a birth order issue? Hmm!

Landry LOVES her theater school. She will play the part of Patty in Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin. Her left ear is in bad shape, so please pray for my baby girl. She will see the ENT again Wednesday to decide on a plan. Thankfully, we have a wonderful doctor that I trust- and of course a God that will walk us through whatever we have to do to get her better!

Great Wall

2010-09-13T05:09:00.000-05:00

Braden has a new nickname. His baseball coaches give each kid multiple nicknames, but this one has stuck for now: Great Wall! He plays first base more than any other position, and his second duty is at catcher. Both positions have a job description of stopping anything that comes his way, aka being a wall. Add his size factor and you get the aforementioned nickname!

He played two great games yesterday. They won one and lost one. The one they lost had an exciting finish where they came back from a nine run deficit. What usually happens in that case though? They ran out of gas in the end! Fun stuff, though, I'm sure proud of our boy!

Super Shortcut

2010-09-08T05:31:00.000-05:00

For those of you out there that need a little help in the time management scene, I have a simple cooking solution! If you don't eat chicken, stop reading now because you will be wasting that precious time. However, we cook with chicken frequently for enchiladas, casseroles, pasta, quesadillas, and many other dishes. Costco has cooked rotisserie breast meat that is already pulled off the bone, packaged and ready to go: 2.5 lbs for about $10! The secret is that you have to ask for it at the meat counter. (I think the one time they had them on display they must have sold out in record time!) You can't imagine how much time/energy this saves a working mom who doesn't particularly plan a menu each week. I can get home and literally throw something absolutely scrumptious together in 30 minutes! Hope this helps decrease your stress and increase your family time!

Dress-Up Victim

2010-09-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

Tripp has had multiple occasions of dress-up by Landry. Our nieces, Reese and Kara, came over last weekend and joined in the fun. Kara will be 3 in October, so she and Tripp have fun together. Landry and Reese decided they needed to go on a date and get married on this particular day. Here are the 2 year olds waiting patiently for their dinner to be served! My mom told me a few days later that Reese and Landry had them kiss and hug in the closet after they had performed the wedding!

Then, on a different occasion, Landry thought Tripp needed to learn about tea parties! Here is his "etiquette" book and risque outfit! I had him put the book there to cover his nothingness underneath!

Great Series

2010-09-03T05:57:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a good book, try Vienna Prelude, by Bodie and Brock Thoene. Just beware that it is the first in a series of nine, and you won't want to put it down to tend to your normal duties! I just finished the third book last night!

I also started reading Radical, by David Platt, as recommended in church. Good read, but altogether different than a novel. This one is a sit-and-ponder book, where you read small bits at a time.

Baseball Opener

2010-08-31T05:20:00.000-05:00

Braden played his first two games of the season Sunday afternoon in Burleson. They are playing at a new baseball park, which is very nice! They have bleachers with back support, and built-in shade for the dugouts and the fans! I always thought Burleson should have had a nicer park, and it was being built and manicured all that time!

About the ballplayer... He did awesome! Of course we had to get some new equipment due to growth. New pair of cleats, and he's almost out of youth size. New pants, he wanted to try the long-pant look. I've always been a fan of short pants with your socks showing, you know, old school. I must admit though, my boy looks good in long pants. He looks about two years older than everyone else, but hey, we can't help that! If he looked great, then he played wonderful! He looked like a confident young man out there! I love to see him look sure of himself. I don't mean conceited or arrogant, just confident! So, the season is off with a bang, Pirates are 2-0! Stay tuned...

Weather Change

2010-08-26T05:22:00.000-05:00

I would like to put my vote in for more days like yesterday! Did anyone else just thoroughly enjoy our weather? The timing worked out that DeAnn and I were due our weekly coffee date Wednesday morning. We skipped the Mudpuddle and decided to sit out on her back porch since it was so nice outside! Honestly, I felt like I was on vacation! She had a tray of yogurt, fruit, and granola... and of course a pot of coffee. We slowly eliminated the coffee and the food while we solved the world's problems! What a great start!

Braden had baseball practice at 6, so I took Tripp to the playground at about 5:30. I was perfectly comfortable in my scrubs- not too hot, not too cool. I read my Kindle while he played on the playground equipment. Like I said, it could have been mistaken for a vacation day!

Braden randomly asked me what the word "morsel" means last night. This morning as I write, I'm thinking God threw us a morsel yesterday in the form of beautiful weather in order to stop us all from heading north next summer!

First Day of School

2010-08-23T19:39:00.000-05:00

A picture is worth a thousand words! These are the 4 most important people in my life! Jason and Braden will be doing 2nd grade together. Landry is in 1st grade. And Tripp is holding down the fort at the Wee School!

We are all excited about this school year. Jason's plate will be overflowing with lead teacher duties (including 3 new teachers) and his Master's program. As a friend recently claimed, it's no longer a plate- it's a platter... and it's FULL!

Landry is registered for the Granbury Opera House Theater School. They will perform The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow late this fall.

Braden is playing fall baseball. This consists of double-headers on Sunday afternoon and one practice per week. Very do-able.

Tripp and I just plan to play taxi and best supporting role to Team Karnes!

Lucky Number 13

2010-08-17T05:19:00.000-05:00

Jason and I had our 13th wedding anniversary yesterday! We tried at different points during the weekend to get in a date, and we finally got it worked out to do a movie followed by coffee on Sunday night! The movie we saw was Eat, Pray, Love, which was a book I had read earlier this year and scored poorly on my rating system. The movie is way better than the book, and I'd even call it theater-worthy.

Our coffee date was the best part of the night, of course. We were the only two people in Starbucks, and we just talked for a solid hour (until they closed). Talking together may not seem like a big deal, but when you have 3 kids and busy work schedules... it is a HUGE deal to sit and have an uninterrupted adult conversation! We still love to dream together, and we spent much of our time discussing what some of our upcoming life plans might be.

For example, we've got the itch to move from Tolar, although now is NOT the time for various reasons. We tossed around the idea of living in Pecan Plantation vs. our previous thought of having a country place on acreage. Our work lives seem to be drifting more toward Johnson County, but we wouldn't do anything permanent until Jason gets a principal position.

Another dream we have is to travel. The first travel spot for the main character in Eat, Pray, Love was Italy! By the end of the movie, I think Jason had the dates set in his mind of when we would leave for Italy! He's ready to go! I was thinking we might go back to Napa for our 15th anniversary, but he has his mind made up that we need to experience the food of Italy!

And, of course, we talked about the kids: how each one of them was doing, our expectations for them, and ways we can parent each of them better. We are so proud of our children! I don't know how to put this part in words. They have made our lives more complete! I thank God for the last 13 years with Jason, and for the last 8 years with the kids! We have been blessed with a beautiful marriage relationship, and it just seems to get stronger with each passing year!

San Antonio!

2010-08-15T08:10:00.000-05:00

We had what some people might think was an awkward lineup for our mini-vacation to San Antonio: Me, the kids, and Jason's parents. Did you notice, no Jason? It's a long story, but essentially we have to blame it on school! Might I add, though, that he got his grades on the day we returned... and he nailed a 4.0 for the summer!!

So, we stayed at an RV resort from Tuesday to Friday. Jason's parents are the most generous people with their time, efforts, and money to haul us down there and hang out with us all week! We went to Sea World one day, which was a wonderful experience for the kids. They got to feed and touch the dolphins, see the Shamu show, and rides tons of water rides. The climax of the day is when Braden rode one ride that earned him $23 on a double-or-nothing bet with Jason! (Landry rode it too, but her adventurous-ness was never in question.)

Another day we spent some time at Malibu Castle, which is a bumper boat, mini-golf, go cart, batting cage, and arcade place. The place was actually pretty old and run-down, but I don't think the kids even noticed!! Much of our time was spent in the pool at the RV park. It is a huge pool with plenty of shade, and it was right across from our RV spot. What a fun trip! And definitely something the kids will remember!

Notice that Braden's feet are way up by his head as he falls through the tube!

His goal right now is to look like Maverick from Top Gun!

Truly, this is our treasure!

Tripp "drove" this car at poolside.

The kids with Nana and Pa-paw at the Shamu show.

Landry was quite the putter. She had a hole-in-one, even with little man standing in her way!

Let's Eat Critique

2010-08-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

We had dinner at Let's Eat in the big city of Bluff Dale with my parents. This little place rocks! If you've never been, find time to get over there. But if you do, get there early. They open at 6pm Fri & Sat night. It only seats 30 or so people. We arrived about 5:45 to be first in line. Within 5 minutes, we were joined by another 15 people or so. By the time they opened the door, it was enough to fill all but 2-3 seats. Several more parties came in a little after 6:00 and had a long wait. Hopefully soon, he will have a larger place to seat more people. The kitchen is open and the chef will talk to you while he's preparing your meal. Curren Dodds used to be the chef at Rough Creek Lodge near Glen Rose before he broke out on his own.

Jen had a salad and I ordered the black bean soup for starters. The soup was good with a semi-rough texture and a little kick of spice. Jen and my folks ordered the New York strip with chipotle mashed potatoes and asparagus. You will be hard pressed to find a better steak anywhere; tender, juicy, and most flavorful. The chef cuts the steak right in front of you, and he is not stingy about cutting a large, beautifully marbled piece of succulent beef. If you like wine with your steak, it is "bring your own." I tried the tenderloin with swiss chard tart. The tenderloin was, of course, incredibly tender, and served with a silky smooth brown gravy. It was very good, but not with the same flavor of Jen's strip. The tart was very nice, with the dark greens, bacon, and a flaky crust. Following our steaks, we tried the deep fried PB&J with cinammon ice cream. I had never seen this on a menu and just had to try it. Boy am I glad I did. A slight crunch from the fry and then warm peanut butter and jelly oozing. What's funny is, is that is only a smucker's uncrustable. Tripp loved it and the chef thought it was reaaly neat and took his picture. He asked to put it on facebook, so you'll have to look and see if he put him on there (assuming you facebook)But served fried with the cinammon ice cream, made it a whole different animal. What this little place lacks in ambiance and style, the food more than makes up for it. I loved watching the lamb shank, quail, and sea bass over risotto leave the open kitchen. I was trying to think about what to order next time. Chef Dodds mentioned that he changes the menu every three months. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. We give the food 8.5 out of 10 stars. Good bread and a better dessert menu, and this place will move to the "10" category.

Granddaughter Day

2010-08-06T05:23:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't already know, my mother-in-law is also known as SuperNana! She spoils all of the grandkids rotten every chance she gets, and she loves every minute of it. A challenge to any of us with multiple children is to spend quality time with each of them... consistently. To cover the girls' QT needs, SuperNana took the girls for an afternoon of girly-girly stuff! (Girls plural would include Landry's cousin, Kayli, who will turn 8 next month.)

Nana got these Mexican dresses for them in San Antonio earlier in the summer.

She looks like she could be a flower girl or a model in this dress.

She is so excited for the tea!! Look at the happy all over her face! They are at Storiebook Cafe in Glen Rose.

Here is my diva!

They also went to get their nails painted.

And they ended the afternoon at Big Rocks in Glen Rose! What a day! Thank you, Nana... she will remember this day forever!!

Couldn't Put It Down

2010-08-04T06:11:00.000-05:00

You hear people use this old cliche about a book, and this was definitely the case for Vienna Prelude by Bodie and Brock Thoene. This is a great piece of historical fiction set in Germany/Austria in 1936. Even if you are not a history buff, you know that this was a scary time for Jews that were anywhere close to Hitler.

The story is about a German family- an Austrian woman married to a German Jew- they lived in Berlin. He fought in WWI, was a decorated "hero for the Fatherland," and a very successful business owner. All the same, the Nazis were happy to chase his family out of town and take all of their stuff. Elisa (the main character in the book) is the daughter of this couple, and she is a concert violinist in Vienna. She has to witness her father being captured by the Gestapo as they were trying to get out of Germany by train. The book is gripping with the fight to get the Lindheim family safe and in one place. I suppose I better not tell anymore details, but it is SUCH a good book!

The next book on my list is for the Book Club at StoneWater. "Never judge a book by its cover," right? I would not pick this book up in a bookstore or a library, even if it was on the clearance rack! It looks like mushy, gushy romance- but I'll give it a try. The books they pick are usually very good reads, so I should trust their judgment on this one! I think I just sounded like a book snob! I could be hard to live with if I was a food snob AND a book snob!

Food Critics

2010-08-01T09:47:00.000-05:00

Jen and I are professed "foodies." We love going to new restaurants and finding gems that become our favorites. We have come across some, like Bonnell's, la Familia, and Let's Eat, that will forever be regular trips. We were talking last night and while critiquing our food and the restaurant, decided that we should be food critics and write about our foodie adventures. Here is our first critique:

Brownstone - 840 Currie St. Ft. Worth, TX. (817) 332.1555
http://www.brownstonerestaurants.com/

The restaurant is located in the 7th Street District that has really become a hot-spot with multiple dining options, a movie tavern, and other entertainment. Parking is easy with a garage within short walking distance. Parking is also available on the street if you arrive early enough. Our reservations were at 8:30pm, but we arrived 10 minutes early and were seated right away.

Upon entering, you immediately notice the "library" which is a lounging area with oversized, fluffly chairs and couches where you can enjoy a drink and conversation while listening to live acoustic music. On cooler nights, there is patio seating avalable, as well. Our table for two was next to the window with a great view of the 7th street area and the restaurant. One of the first things Jen and I noticed was the volume. It was fairly loud for such a nice establishment. There needs to be some acoustical adjustments to lower the noise level. As far as the food goes, there were some good eats and some disappointments, as well. First off, they were out of salad (???) but the server recommended a bowl of beans for an appetizer. He claimed they were delightful and a favorite of his. We also ordered a bottle of wine, but guess what...they were out of it, too. They did however give us a different bottle of higher priced wine (Tresor) for the same price of the one we ordered. It was fantastic. Thanks. Our food was brought out and the beans were brought out with our entrees, rather than as an appetizer. The beans were in a small dutch oven with three tiny cornbread muffins. The beans had a great flavor but were undercooked and rather hard. They needed another hour or two to simmer. Another concern is that they did not have bread. No Bread? What's up with that? Jen ordered the flank steak medium rare which was cooked to perfection and thinly sliced over scalloped potatoes and mixed greens with a delightful vinegarette. The potatoes were rather dry and without any kind of dipping sauce. The steak was tender and flavorful, but there are certainly better steaks out there. My selection was the Kobe Cheeks over succotash. The succotash would remind you of a squash casserole, to some extent, only slightly drier. The beef was amazingly tender and reminded me of roast like mom used to make. But again, roast without bread to "sop-up" my gravy? For dessert, we ordered two separate dishes to share. First came the vanilla custard cheesecake. This was worth the trip by itself. It was served in a small mason jar with blueberry topping and a lemon cookie. The presentation was very nice, but the sweet, smooth goodness in the jar was even better. It was perfectly complemented by the cookie. Awesome. Next was the peach cobbler with buttermilk ice cream. Parker County peaches were used and they were very fresh, but with a definite "twang." Add the "twang" of the buttermilk ice-cream and it was a little too "twangy" for us. We also felt like they needed to use more butter as the sauce in the bottom of the pan was watery. The Pioneer Woman would be highly disappointed.

All in all, we would give a rating of 6.0 out of 10. It was very trendy and fun, but the food could have been a little better. The executive chef, Casey Thompson, was the runner-up on the tv show Top Chef, so I guess we expected more. Either that or they need us as judges. We realize the restaurant is in the early stages of establishing itself and it should improve and have lasting power. They were even taking suggestions for improvement.

Let us know of your favorites.

J&J

Family Game Nights

2010-07-28T06:03:00.000-05:00

We've had two consecutive nights of family bliss. Monday night, Braden helped me cook our supper: baked tilapia, steamed broccoli, cucumber salad, and rolls. This was all on his initiative- he saw me getting started and asked to help! He made the wet rub for the fish, cut up the broccoli, peeled the cucumbers, etc! Last night, Braden and Landry both helped tremendously in cleaning up the kitchen/table after supper. I was amazed at how much they were offering to help, and it is GREAT how much they can do to help!

Motivation helps... We told them we could play a family game after supper! No Wii, no TV, no movies- just an old-fashioned board game- Scrabble. It was actually very good for getting two little brains in gear for school! Spelling words, counting points, doubling/tripling scores, etc. I wouldn't want to brag or anything, but I do have some mad word skills!

On a sad note, we got some news of a person at work that has colon cancer. Picture a healthy, fit-looking, just-turned-40-yr-old guy getting this news, and that's the beast of cancer. It is an unbiased, devastating disease that can pop up in anyone at anytime! This is one of those things that hits close to home and reminds us that we are not invincible! I remember hearing about cancer when I was young, and it was always a story about someone's sister's friend's cousin or something like that. Now, we have virtually all been close to someone going through something like this. We need a cure!

Abrupt Realization

2010-07-26T06:56:00.000-05:00

The last book I read on Kindle was called Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers. I now have a joint Kindle account with two other people so that we can share our books. And yes, this is allowed by Amazon- we asked them if it was legal before we did it! Anyway, this was a book that one of the other ladies had purchased, so I didn't know anything about it. Rivers has an awesome talent of character development, so I loved the book immediately. What I did NOT know is that it is the first in a series, and the next book is not out yet! I was so surprised to be left completely hanging! Maybe next time I'll read the book description before I dive in!

I was content to spend the majority of the weekend at home. We tackled the trip to get school supplies Saturday morning. Talk about a chore!! I also spent great deal of time organizing "stuff" in the house. This would include: weeding through out-grown clothes, cleaning closets, filing papers, inventory management of different varieties!

We had the Graham kids with us most of the weekend, too. Grace and Landry play very well together. Davis is stuck in the middle between our two boys' ages, but he seems to be entertained by each of them in different ways! Sara gave us thank-you gifts for helping with the kids- food and wine that we were obligated to sample (wink-wink)! To top it all off, my husband actually took a study break on Sunday afternoon! We were all surprised and elated to have him come hang out with us! Please don't get your feelings hurt if you come see us and Jason only peeks his head in to say hi, then goes back to his study cave. That's only par for the course! Last night's QT was much needed by all parties, and we were grateful for every minute!

Errands with Extras

2010-07-23T05:54:00.001-05:00

We are enjoying some bonus time with the Graham kids (and Sara here and there) while Sara is being with her mom during medical stuff. This was a planned thing so I taken the day off yesterday. In my energetic and optimistic mind, I was thinking we could get a few to-do's crossed off the list while I was off of work. The kids desperately needed to go to the dentist. I was glad to know that we were not the only multi-kid bunch trekking into an office! All 5 kids got balloons on the way out, but only one of the five was well-behaved with his balloon throughout the course of the day! That would be Davis!!

Next, we got the oil change and inspection done on the van. I chose the place that I knew had popcorn and a Keurig coffee machine! That was a short wait with no issues. Kids got to choose next: lunch before swim or swim before lunch. You guessed it- let's go swimming! The O'Conners were nice enough to let us raid their pool for a couple of hours.

We had to go to Ft. Worth for another appointment, and I knew Tripp needed a snooze so we killed two birds with one stone by letting him sleep on the way to lunch. The kids chose to eat at the Purple Cow Diner on Landry's recommendation of a purple milkshake! Tripp had a nice little nap on the way to Ft. Worth, so we didn't have an angry bear the rest of the afternoon. I love it when things work out like that!

We finished the appointment and made it home a little after six. The kids played around for a couple hours, and they were bathed and in pajamas by the time Sara made it home. I had a glass of wine in one hand and my kindle in the other when she walked in the door! No sweat, I think I convinced her that it really was a good day. And for those of you who take extra's around sometimes, I think you would agree that when they are around the same age it doesn't make getting all these things done any harder.

The next post may be about the adventures of taking a 2-year old all of these places in one day. I'll sum it up by quoting what Grace said at the final stop, "I don't need any outside entertainment when Tripp is around!"

New and Improved

2010-07-20T05:19:00.000-05:00

We finally have our new laptop in our possession. There were a few frustrating moments as they installed the necessities, attempted to transfer our old hard drive, etc. This is a very nice computer, although I don't get my hands on it much because my hubby is always logged on to his school stuff! The good news is that they saved all of our pictures from the Toshiba that bombed out on us. I'm thinking some more diligent data back-ups will be in order now!

Things have been absolutely hopping over here in Tolar. We had one of those weekends where I feel like I didn't have 5 minutes to just sit and be quiet. Quiet is so valuable to me, but I wouldn't trade the noise around me for anything! With the help of Jason's mom, we put up 3 boxes of peaches in the freezer. We had a beautiful assembly line: shocker, peeler, halver, slicer, and fruit fresh/sugar adder. I wanted a picture of the process, but my camera battery was dead when I went to take one. Oh well, picture a few hours worth of peachy fun! Jason and I were talking about needing more of that in our lives. By the end, we had his parents, aunt, uncle, grandfather, and our party of five working together in the kitchen area. Talk about making memories, that is good stuff!

Another part of the weekend was taken up by visiting the Bluff Dale Winery with two friends. Was that me who said I didn't have 5 minutes to sit and be quiet? Sorry, I guess I wasn't counting our little wine/fruit/cheese picnic! Mark your calendar for 3rd Sunday at 2-ish. Good wine, live music, and beautiful scenery.

A post wouldn't be complete without a kid story. We've kept the ladder to the bunk bed under the bottom bed since Tripp reached climbing age. "Where there's a will, there's a way." More than once he has been found on the top bunk, getting into Braden's stuff! Landry caught him in the act, and she reported that he climbs on her bed, over to the changing table, then up/across to the top bunk! Hmmm! When I caught him up there he immediately said, "I just getting lotion on me!" He had used the pump lotion and lathered his entire body and some of the sheets with baby lotion!