Good News or Bad News?

We had a great time in Colorado! Here are the boys before the St. Patrick's Day Parade down the mountain. This is after the first day of skiing.

Day 2 is not on record because I had a bit of an accident! As I was coming down the mountain with the boys I twisted my knee. The doctors are saying it is a partial to complete tear of my ACL. I thought that only happened to athletes. Clearly not me! I was taken off the mountain on a stretcher and then to the ER in a make-shift ambulance. I will know more about the prognosis on Monday. (this is the bad news!)

Day 3 Vacation Continues! Mommy's bum knee did not stop any fun, just slowed things down a bit. The boys were skiing blues by the end of the third day. Here they are at lunch. This was a beautiful day on the slopes. I went shopping!
Tyler turned 8 on this trip! He invited us to his GUN SHOW!!

My athlete!

When did they get so big? I love them so much!

We Made IT!

Colorado is beautiful! I will add some pictures later today. The drive was very easy and the kids did great. We have seen tons of deer and snow. Love Yall!

Spring Break

One perk to being a teacher is Spring Break! Summer is good, but Spring Break is fabulous! Bill and I are taking the boys to Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the morning. We will drive there, 17 hours, ski Monday-Wednesday and drive home Thursday and Friday. I am so excited to be in the mountains with my boys! Talk to you all when we return!! (I am sure we will have plenty to share!)

Update on Mom!

After a night of clueless nurses the first night, Mom is on her way to recovery! Thank you for your prayers!

Prayers for my Mom

Mom is going in today for knee replacement surgery. Please help me pray for her anxiety, a safe surgery and a quick recovery! I am realizing the immense pressure on the "only child!" There have only been a few times in my life that I wish I had a sibling, now is one of those times. So send a hug to your sibiling and be glad there is always someone that can share your feelings. As for me I have my blog-buddies! Love Ya'll!

What a week!

I really do not know where to start with the description of our week. I guess I will start with Monday. (Beware this could be long!)

Monday- Tyler had his end of year Upward Basketball Celebration. It was lots of fun! They had brought in a guest speaker (some Aggie!) that could spin 10 basketballs on his body. The kids think he is amazing, me ...I think he is a little weird. Anyway, he did an invitation at the end of his performance. It was real traditional, all heads bowed all eyes closed kind of invitation. Apparently, Tyler was hanging on his every word (see previous blog) and he prayed the prayer of salvation along with the now "Wonderful Aggie Basketball guy." (who is still a little weird in my book) Awesome night! As we leave the celebration we are greeted with huge snowflakes falling from the sky! We have had NO WINTER WEATHER all year, so this was a great surprise. After a few snowballs we all went to bed.

Tuesday- Those boys came beeboppin' out of their room earlier than normal singing "It's a snow day, It's a snow day..." only to have me totally burst their bubble and say "Yes, but we still have to go to school!" That was met with simultaneous "WHAT!" Yes, just because there is snow on the ground does not mean we do not have to go to school. Too bad! I knew full well that we would never get a snow day on TAKS week. So my disappointment was limited! Tyler looks outside and says, "Mom, I think this snow is so pretty! Maybe is is God showing me how happy he is of my decision last night." Now I am crying and I say I think you are right buddy! A friend of mine said it was confetti from heaven!

Wednesday- (Are you still with me??) I will try to make this short. We visited with our Children's Minister before church so she could talk to the boys about some questions they had been asking. We told her that Tyler had prayed the prayer on Monday, only for Travis to pipe in and say that he did too. She asked all the questions and they BOTH had all the answers. Travis ended up praying with us to accept Jesus. It warmed my heart about as much as it did the first time I held them. My boys are growing up and this was a true glimpse of the fine young men they will become. AWESOME! The story of Wednesday does not end here... Bill and I let the boys go play in the gym before their class and we head off in our different directions. About 10 minutes later Travis comes running into the nursery to say that Tyler has fallen, hit is head and is bleeding. GREAT! I sprinted, ok jogged, to the gym (thank goodness we have a small church). He is laying on the ground with the same minister wiping the blood off his face. This is a vision no mother ever wants to see. To spare you all of the details, we go for x-rays and nothing was broken and no concussion. WHEW! He is pretty beat up and bruised, but nothing that slowed him down for too long.

Thursday- I was dreading a meeting that I was supposed to go to and Guess what it was SNOWING AGAIN! No meeting!! HOORAY! Bill drove through about 8 inches in Frisco, we only got 1-2 inches. More confetti from heaven!

Friday- NO SNOW NO DOCTORS, lots of sleep to recover from this crazy week we had!
If you are still reading, Thank you for sharing the adventures of my world!

The Great Invitation

Have you ever had those days when you feel like your name has officially been removed from the "Mother of the Year" ballot? Today was one of those days. Travis has a best buddy that he talks about constantly, Michael. Well, today was Michael's birthday, only the biggest day of the year so far! Party started at 3:00, we get there at 4:00! ( Jennifer Lambert deleted from ballot!) Travis was able to play one game eat a piece of cake and tada, the party was over. I felt awful!! Luckily he is my easy going child and just said, "Wow, that was a short party!" WHEW! However, it did not make me feel better! The funny thing was all the other five year olds were asking him what road he was stuck in traffic on! HA! He said my mommy was napping! (delete delete delete!) Anyway life goes on! As I am wallowing in it, God found a way to bring me out of it.
During the course of conversation in the car Travis asked about the party in heaven that Ms. Jennifer talked about today in the Children's Message at church. You see, Jennifer (our Children's Minister) had a great analogy today prior to our sermon on the Great Commission. She talked about sending invitations to a birthday party and how important it is that you accept your invitation in order to come to the party. Well, this really hit home with my boys. Tyler asked question after question. Something that I have prayed for daily, but that he has never done. The surprising thing is how well Travis, who is only 5, understood things. Tyler says I am ready I want to go to the party! Amen! After talking off and on all night about it and praying for guidance, I feel awesome! Funny how God works like that, huh!

Jacobus Twins

Some friends of ours just had twins and my boys are already in love! They had never held babies this small. In these pictures they are each holding Hallie. She weighed 4lbs 14 oz and her little brother Hudson weighed 5 lbs 9 oz Everyone is healthy and happy! I just had to share these great pictures!!

SO Unfair!

I am not one that believes in Karma, however I am beginning to think about things I have done wrong lately to deserve such punishment. "Why?" you ask. Well, you see Friday I started feeling sick AGAIN! I went to work for numerous reasons, the main one being that I WAS NOT GOING TO BE SICK! If you have not read my previous blogs I had the flu exactly a month ago and was sick for seven days. By 2:00 on Friday I was in full swing fluness! What the heck! I rushed to pick up the boys and then headed to my doctor. You see last time I was too late to take Anti-flu medicine. Not this time!! I told him I really really did not want to have the flu and that I really really did not have time to be sick for seven more days. He said ...."Maybe that is why you are sick?" He is lucky I felt so bad! (or else) After twenty short minutes in the office I was leaving testing positive for Flu A now! Yes, I improved my grade from a B to an A! My mom is so proud! Life got worse before it got better that night, but the medicine really seems to have worked. I am among the living after only two days instead of seven. I am taking every vitamin I can right now. Too bad I can not stay away from germs...I must teach them instead. The flu stinks!!

Happy Spend Too Much Money on Things That Make You Fat or Die Day!

Don't get me wrong...I loved the smell of my living room as I walked out this morning to find my beautiful Red Roses. I just hate the fact that men feel forced to buy something for their ladies! I think we should make Valentine's Day a floating holiday. This way we can just spring up and say "Surprise! Today is Valentine's Day, look what I got you!"

Any comments on that bitter blog? Ha!

What a weekend!

Don't you love those weekends that end and you feel like you need a weekend to recover? This was one of those. Just busy from the get go! Don't get me wrong it was fun stuff that we did, but there was a lot of it. In the last 24 hours I have attended two 3-D concerts, and I have decided that if this technology is going to take over the "real" experience I am goin got be sad. Bill and I saw the U2 3-D concert on Saturday night. I love U2 and can sing almost every song. We have also seen them in concert three times so I had great expectations. The concert was great, but the people in there...they just sat there like they were at the movie. Can you believe it?!? I wanted so bad to stand up and sing and cheer, but oh-no. I kept looking around in hopes to see at least a toe tapping, and NOTHING! Anyone that saw bill and I must have thought we were total dorks. I felt like the Star Wars junkie that knew all the words and wore the T-shirt to the movie. Yeah, that was me! So if that wasn't enough I took the boys to see Hanna Montana last night. What you need to understand about my boys is that they are not at all concern what other people think about them. If they think something is cool they are going to do it. I love this about them! Rarely do they say YUCK that is for girls! (Unless I threaten to take them to Libby Loo, we are not quite that liberated! HA!) Anyway the Jonas Brothers are their big thing right now and they were a part of the concert. So basically I spent $45 to hear the Jonas Brothers sing two songs, and to my boys it was worth every penny! Kinda makes me reevaluate the $100 for tickets to their entire concert. Good times in Lambert world!
*Side note- after reading this I feel the need to enter the fact that we did attend what is called Ticket Stock this weekend. The Ticket is a talk Radio Sports station that the boys listen to with Bill. They begged to go all week. I had no desire to see sports sports and more sports then talk about it all day, but I went anyway. Once I got over the fact that every 20 year old size 6 was there, wearing less than I wear at the swimming pool, and trying to get my 5 year old to come over and take a picture with her I realized that it was not that bad. Basically we collected enough koozies to cover a case of "water" and the boys had a blast!
So that was just a few things we did, I will add pictures of the Musk Ox that I built for Tyler's project later this week. Yes, his valentines will be stored in a Musk Ox made of recycled materials. (Don't get me started...)

Is January finally over?

Why is it that January seems like the longest month of the entire year? I really think February is short just so we can recover from January. Man! Think about it...it has only been 30 days since we watched the ball drop and said hello to 2008. It has not even been a month since we took down our Christmas stuff. So far this month I have had a week off, went back to work, had an inservice (oops sorry "Professional Learning Day"), went on vacation, went back to work, and got the flu for seven days. AND the calendar still says January! I don't know maybe it is just me, but for heaven's sake can it please just be February? I need something new! Maybe I will go shopping for a cute RED Purse, it is about that time...hee hee!

Who got a flu shot?

Tyler, Yes! Travis, Yes! Bill, No! Jenn, No! Why do I ask such questions? Oh that would be because I am sitting here on day four of the FLU! Apparently getting your children their flu shots is responsible and very wise, yet does not help you at all. My dad started all of this last weekend while we were in Vegas. Mom got it Sunday! Neither of them got flu shots either! I saw my mom for all of 15 minutes last Sunday and low and behold she gave it to me! How contagious is this thing? Luckily Bill was able to start taking Tamiflu before he really started to show many symptoms. He has successfully been avoiding me all weekend! I could go on all day about my bitterness to sicknesses like this, but it would all come down to one thing...Get a flu shot you moron!!
Next year the whole family, WHOLE FAMILY, is having a Flu shot party. You are all invited!

Seeing Stars

So if you know me at all you know that I am a bit of a stalker when it comes to celebrities. I do come by this honestly, however. My mother stole a brick from the future house of Troy Aikman on one of the many trips completely out of our way to his house. We have stalked people like Deion Sanders, Troy, OJ Simpson (big mistake), Meg Ryan (worked out with her once; ok in the same gym with her once), and a few others. So naturally while in Las Vegas my eyes were peeled for just a mediocre sighting. I would settle for K-Fed, Stalone, or even Paris if I had to. A couple years ago Bill and I hit the mother load when we were walking through the Paris hotel and saw a huge crowd only to see moments later, about six feet away, Micheal Jackson. That was cool! I get a little crazy and am not at all afraid to chase them down and pretend to be paparazzi(sp). Now to the point...as Bill and I walked out of our show Friday night, "O" it was AMAZING, we see a large group of people standing outside of a club called The Bank. Not one I have heard of in US Weekly so I did not think much of it. That is until I saw about ten camera men waiting for someone. PAY DIRT they are paparazzi! I start dragging Bill with me to follow them, he does not share my enthusiasm so I quickly leave him behind pull out my camera and join the crowd. Low and behold here he comes right past me Vin Diesel. Oh Momma! He is a blessing in so many many ways! I start flashing my camera and he is posing for "me" and the other 100 people standing around. After what seems like forever he enters the club with a wave. My heart is beating 100 mph and I am so excited! The next thought is oh crap Bill! I just ran off, I hope he is not mad!! I find him standing away from the crowd by a wall. As I run up to him to share my stories he says "I shook his hand!" WHAT??? He tells me that right after I ran off Vin Diesel walked right in front of him with his entourage and shook Bill's hand. THUNK! Too bad for me see if I ever follow the crowd again. Who cares we just saw him!! I quickly text anyone that I think would care, then delete half of them because it is 3:00 am Dallas time, not quite that important. It was great!
So do you think I am crazy??

Is it ADD?

It is currently 9:29PM and I am sitting at my computer thinking of all of the things I HAVE to get done. However, I have found every possible thing I could do instead. I have three lists outlining all of the things that need to be packed, prepared, and set out for our trip but I have not done any of them yet. The boys are in bed so I can not pack their stuff, too bad. Is it ADD or just plain procrastination? I do not know! I did go to Starbucks and get a Grande "Skinny" Mocha (that was supposed to be peppermint, but they forgot). This means that I will be up for many more hours contemplating what to do first. Am I alone? I think not!!

The Road to Vacation

I know you are thinking "vacation? didn't she just start back?" Well yes and yes! Bill and I leave for Las Vegas in just 5 days. I am so excited I can not even explain it to you. My excitement is not because of where we are going, just that we are going. I honestly think that we could be going to Nowhere, New Mexico and I would still be excited. I am looking forward to being irresponsible! Ha! That sounds bad, what I mean is I am looking forward to not having to be responsible for anyone else, but me. Bill and I are not huge gamblers, mainly because I do not like to give them my money when I could go buy something with it, but we do enjoy playing here and there. If we win we play longer! Heather and Jeni, Bill's sisters, are now Vegas junkies as well. This will be the second year we have vacationed together. It was tons of fun last year and we are all counting the minutes. However, my question is...Why does it always work out that the week of vacation ends up being the BUSIEST week in history? I normally can come home at four and bring little with me. Not this week! I am training on Monday and Tuesday nights, Wednesday I am planning for a training I have on Monday when we return. If I make it to Thursday I will need a vacation, because I wil have already put in my 40 hours!

Hopeful but Discouraged

Well, this week I got on the scale after working out 5 out of 7 days and changing my eating habits. Before I tell you the results let me explain why I am discouraged. I went to cheesecake factory with my Grandmother and ate the small, vegetarian, pasta dish, and did not have ANY cheesecake or bread. That should equal a pound! Then the next day I said no to a whole "Sprinkles" cupcake that was calling my name and only had two bites, giving the rest to Travis. Between kickboxing and step class alone I really hoped to lose weight. However, when I got on the scale it said no change! I was so sad! However, I am not changing my plan! I am drinking more water this week and trying to stick to my small regular meals. Yesterday the people at Wendy's tempted me by giving me fries and the side salad I ordered. I did not eat the fries as much as I wanted to, and do you know why? So that I could have the satisfaction of blogging about it! HA! I am trying, this is a goal I know I can accomplish!
*Vegas next week will be the hardest part yet!*

Back to Reality

Tomorrow officially ends the holidays for us. Yes, it is back to school for the Lambert family! I am actually ready to go back, ok let me restate that...I am ready for the boys to go back. If I could have a few more days I would love it. Really I am ready! The sooner we start the sooner it will be summer. (one can dream) Travis has not enjoyed this break all that much. He had surgery to remove his adenoids on December 27th and then one week later he got the stomach flu and missed out on another day of vacation. Poor Guy! Luckily he got all of that out of the way during vacation and we do not have to use any school days for that stuff. It was nice to "play" sick along with him Thursday. I might have needed the rest as much as he did. Now we will all head back to the business of life. It was fun!

What's happening in January?
*We are reading the book of Proverbs, one chapter a night. I am really enjoying this!
*January 17-20 Bill and I are going to Las Vegas for a much needed vacation.
* Tyler starts UpWard Basketball this month, stay tuned for updates. Bill is the coach and Tyler is the "Shaq" of the team. Ha! Ha!

What are you up to?

A Few Funny Videos

These videos made me laugh so hard I had to share them with you!

Not a Resolution, Resolution!

How can I say that I have made a resolution without sounding so completely cliche? I am "embracing" the American tradition of starting a fresh goal on the first day of the year. Ok, that does not sound any better! Why did I wait until today to decide? Who knows? My goal for myself is to change the way I think about food, to change the relationship that I have with it! I do want to lose weight, who doesn't after the holidays? However, that is not my only reason to set this goal. I want to relearn what food is and why we need it. I want to know that if someone makes a cake I can have some, but I do not have to. If I want to eat I can, but I do not have to eat fast junk at 8, 12, and 6. You see I have the mentality that if it is "meal time" then I should eat. Hungry or not I better eat because you never know what might happen later and I get hungry and can not eat, because that happens so often in my life, being somewhere without access to food. WHATEVER! I am changing! It will take some real training and a lot of subconscious redirection, but I know I can do this. I am hoping that since I have put this on my blog that I will be held accountable, whether verbally or not. You see I am leery to tell people if I start a diet because if I screw it up they might find out! Well, world it is time for you to know! I weigh about what I did when I was 4 months pregnant and that is just sad! I can not claim baby weight anymore, he is five! (almost six) The time is now, so here I go! I hope to update my tracker every week. If it disappears there is a problem and I have fallen off the wagon. Consider me the alcoholic that is taking a drink and please say a prayer for me or give a gentle reminder. I need you!

A New Year Approaches

It is amazing how fast Christmas comes and goes. Bill and I had a Lambert Family cleaning day on Saturday, and like a flash the decorations were gone and the garage was all cleaned out. Ok, the flash really took about 8 hours and one very large trip to the dump! Yesterday I cleaned the carpets and today I sit here ready to welcome the new year with a clean organized house! HOORAY! Now if you know me at all you know that this only happens once a year, but it does happen!!

As I reflect back on 2007 I could talk about so many things so I thought I would do my best at a Davis Letterman Top 10 (this writer is not on strike!)

Here goes!

Top 10 Most Memorable Moments of 2007 Lambert Style!!

10. Travis John starts kindergarten and we all survived! He has not had any behavior problems at all since the 3rd week of school. (go Trav!)

9. Tyler discovers his passion for acting and is cast in two plays, Oliver! and Miracle on 34th Street. Musical and Acting lessons start in January.

8. I got a new car and said good-bye to the mini van!

7. Travis decided that having a girlfriend that is 16 when you are only 5 is perfectly acceptable. He even told her she was Hot and wanted to date her. (Excuse Me!!!) This is the result of teaching 11th grade Sunday School!!

6. This year we added a new doctor to our list; right beside the "Cast Doctor" is the "Sinus Surgery Doctor." Oh-yeah! Travis had is first of what could be more surgeries to clear up sinus problems.

5. Tyler makes straight A's! YEAH!!

4. I left the classroom and loved every minute of it!

3. Vacations to El Paso, Port Aransas, Houston, and San Antonio brought fun times for all of us!

2. All of our family and friends are again HEALTHY and HAPPY at the end of another year.

1. God is so good, though we do not deserve it we have all that we need and our blessings are endless. HE is an AWESOME GOD!

Happy New Year!

It All Starts Tomorrow!

Well, I guess the "Big Guy" has loaded his sled is is ready to set off for the 24 hour journey around the world. Too think I have been stressed! I love Christmas Eve, it is the day that my family would get dressed up and travel to my Grandmother's house, eat (I never remember what, I was so excited for the presents), and open the zillions of presents under the tree. I have vivid memories of tons of presents filling the room beneath the tree and over flowing into the living room. Good Times! As soon as the meal was over we dove right into those gifts. I think the gift I remember getting the most was my Barbie Dream House. you know the one with the elevator and the hard pink bed. I know my dad and uncle spent half the night putting stickers on that house, only for me to get it home and rearrange it all. When the night ended we would pile the gifts into the car and I would fall fast asleep on the way home. I wonder how many times my dad carried me inside on Christmas Eve?? So many special memories of family members that I would rarely see took place on this night. So as we go out tomorrow for our new Christmas Tradition I hope that my boys are building these same quality memories. They are already saying first we go to church and hold candles, then we go to LeeLee's house (my mom) and eat dinner (sandwiches are much faster than the tamale dinner I had to sit through), and finally they get to open presents. Only again to fall asleep on the way home and be carried inside by their dad. I love Christmas Eve!

Long Time No Blog! (Miracle)

I must agree with my friend Erin when she apologizes for the lack of blogs. I did not even realize how long it has really been. I get on frequently and read about everyone else, but then something happens and I must move on to "life." So I am thinking about what has been going on since the end of November. So many things....I guess the main thing to mention is the production of Miracle on 34th Street.
As many of you know Tyler has been rehearsing for Miracle on 34th Street since October. This is our second production, the first and last production that will take place during the school year. This play almost killed all of us! Tyler was required to be at rehearsals from 6-9 each night the week before the play. The week of the play rehearsals moved from 6-10 every night! I bragged on my child and how strong he had been. We did not have any meltdowns or complaints. (very surprising!) That is until the show began! Show times were to be Thursday - Sunday one show a day. (Keep in mind we are still in school!) Thursday and Friday went smoothly, and then Saturday came. We had ten tickets to Saturday's show and Tyler's body began to show signs of his exhaustion. He was very lethargic and started running a low fever. GREAT! I am now put in the terrible predicament that mothers get in occasionally. Do I keep him home and suffer the consequences of half the family's loss of ticket money? OR Do I give the boy some Motrin and hope for the best, THE SHOP MUST GO ON! Reluctantly I gave him some Motrin and hoped it would work. ---side bar---What you might want to know is Tyler is a drama king! The slightest thing can become huge on a good day, when he is sick it can be 10 times worse. ---ok that being said---I watched him very carefully until time to go, he rode the Motrin High (what is in that stuff anyway, it is amazing?!) for the rest of the night. The show hand a minor glitch, but it was not my son! He did great! Only to be totally whipped that night. Sunday morning came and I did not even recognize the boy that came out of that front bedroom. I learned my lesson and realized officially how far I can push my kid. I felt awful!! Am I that mom from Highland Park that pushes her kid for her own fulfillment? Lord, I hope not! We stayed home Sunday and he slept almost all day! Monday my son was back and all was right with the world! WHEW! I am glad that is over!! (you are probably glad that story is over)
WEAK STOMACH FOLKS STOP READING HERE!!
Ok, I have to tell you all what happened on Saturday night at the show! Tell me if I am crazy or deserve a medal. Another family in our church had two children in the play, both younger than Tyler. Crazy I know, but besides the point. They have a third in a play in Dallas at the same time. Even Crazier! So they decide to drop all of their kids off at the plays and they go to a Christmas Party at South Fork Ranch, maybe not so crazy after all. Things are going well through the first Act. During intermission the children's choir is to come out and sing a few songs. Their kids are in this as well as Tyler. This is the third time I have seen this so I know what to expect, the kids look more tired but are doing a good job. Faith, their youngest, is unusually grouchy up on stage. I told Bill to look at her, it was almost humorous how mad she looked. Just then BLAH! She threw up into her hands and all over the stage. Keep the image in your mind of 25 kids up on stage singing and they never missed a beat. Two moms quickly jump up and take Faith off the stage, but leave the mess there. It is at this time that I am struck...what to do? I have to do something! I jump up and run to the bathroom to grab as many towels as I can. As I reach the back of the stage I notice a dad has followed me. I run to the stage only to realize that I do not have nearly enough towels. KIDS ARE STILL SINGING!! He comes up behind me with must have been a truckload of towels. As the kids sing we clean up the stage and run off. The show went on without a hitch! I washed my hands and then held Faith until her sitter took her home after the play. What a night! I guess being a teacher you see enough kids loose it in front of you that you just get immune to it!
YUCK I know! I am still waiting for my Academy to call to give me my award! Bill says I that I get is a qualification to walk behind the horses in the next parade. WHOOPIE!!
If you are still reading this good for you!
Good bye for now!

Busy Times!

http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/xmas_cnt.htm

(click here to see a countdown to Christmas)

I realize that I have not posted in a while, but I have been reading and anxiously awaiting the posts of others. Things here are in the normal pre-holiday chaos with the addition of Tyler's next play. Tyler is a choir member in the production of Miracle on 34th Street this weekend. Therefore, he has practice every night this week until 10:00pm. Not Fun! It does not seem terrible to think that we just have to drop him off and then we are free until 10, however it has turned the whole family upside down. Travis has a hard time falling asleep without Tyler and is bored to tears all night long. Bill and I take turns staying up and dressed to go get him. Tonight is my night so here I sit. I want so bad to put on the new silk jammies I got and lay in bed, but no. Instead I went to aerobics, showered and got dressed again. YUCK! Now keep in mind none of this would be happening if my son complained just once about these practices. Instead he lights up each and every time I take him. Tonight was the first time he saw the marquee which advertised the play! His words were "WOW! Now that is officially the coolest thing ever!" The Plaza Theater is in old downtown Garland so it still has the old fashioned movie theater feel. Flashing lights and a bright sign with removable letters! I will keep you posted on the shows. Take care!
*Prayers for Cody and Kristen as they move!
**Praises for Ryan and Vicki, they are there!
**LeRay completed a half marathon, YOU GO GIRL!

A Gift for Kristen!

Sometimes we all need a "Wave of the Magic Wand!" I hope it helps!

Black Friday

So my first question for you is... Where were you at 4 a.m. on Friday morning? Were you sleeping off that second piece of pumpkin pie? or possibly dreaming of the football games that were to come? Or were you among the "Crazy People" that woke up at four to go find the deal of a lifetime? There are only a few people that read this blog that I know I could have called at four to say, "We are nuts!"
Yes, at four a.m. you would have found me standing in line at the mall waiting for the doors to open at GameStop. I know I am crazy, but my adrenalin was pumping and I had a blast! I opened two stores Friday morning and got everything I wanted. I was a smart shopper that had the ads ready and knew where to start and what direction to go to get the items I needed and get out. I understand that my overseas friend might not understand the insanity to which I am referring to! I think this frenzy which is now referred to as Black Friday has gotten much more intense over the past few years. Stores around here opened as early as 4:00 a.m. People crowded around to get deals on flat screens, laptops, game systems, and various other forms of technology. Being the shopper by trade that I now claim to be this day is my "Super Bowl." I love nothing more than getting a good deal on something! Trust me you will know about it if I have gotten a good deal, have I told you about my $5.00 fresh turkey? Ok, Bill told me I could not Blog about that, everyone already knew. (not everyone...) Back to the point...Friday was a day that true bargain shoppers have grown to anticipate. No matter how early I need to wake up or how alone I might be in line, I will be there next year. Anybody want to join me??

Thanksgiving Lessons

Thanksgiving has been a great break from the business of life. We began our celebrations on Wednesday. Bill and I decided that the only problem with going somewhere else for Turkey dinner was missing out on the leftovers. So as you can tell we went all out and made green beans, sweet potatoes, and Bill fried a turkey. YUM YUM! As we sat down to eat we all thanked God for the ability to have such a nice meal with our family. The boys told us all of the "things" they were thankful for, we have not gotten to the deep abstract meaning of the holidays quite yet. It does bring joy to my heart to hear their little prayers thanking God for their webkins and dogs. To think of how innocent we begin! Lesson #1... We can survive a Thanksgiving away from family if needed! Good to know!

Thursday brought us a wave of cold winter weather, finally. We woke up and got bundled up for a family bike ride, opting out of the Trot with 35,000 other North Texans trying to justify the 5000 calories they are about to consume. It was a very nice ride, luckily the snow held off until later in the afternoon. Yes, you read correctly SNOW on Thanksgiving. Only 5-6 flakes, but snow nonetheless. (As I write this El Paso has 4 inches on the ground!) We watched plenty of football and headed over to Bill's Aunt and Uncle's house for dinner. We were scheduled to eat at half time of the Cowboy game. (I wonder how many other people base their meal time around the GAME. I was in one and then married into one so I know it is not just me.) Anyway, Bill left early for his family's house so that he would not have to miss any of the game and Travis decided to go with him. When Tyler and I got there at halftime Travis walked up to me and said "Mom, my eye itches!" Keep in mind that I have not even set my purse down. I look down at Travis to see a swollen version of what seems to be my child. His entire left side of his face is red and puffy! My first thought is "How long have you been like this?" and my second thought is "Where is your father?" Don't forget the game!! Nancy and I quickly jump into MomMode and run to 7-11 to pay twice as much for benadryll and eye drops. As we return to the festivities we learn that Bill's Aunt has 9 cats! 8 of which I assume Travis is allergic to! We quickly eat and watch Travis carefully, he is getting better, very tired but better. Only to look at Tyler and see his eye swelling up! Great! Dessert is gobbled up and we say our goodbyes! Lesson #2 learned...boys are allergic to cats! Good to know! Positive...boys fell asleep (thanks to benadryll) at 7:00 and Bill and I had the evening to ourselves.

I'll Take Thanksgiving!

I can not take credit for this, but I thought it was worthy of posting!

I'll take Thanksgiving!
You can have Halloween, New Year's, Christmas, the Fourth of July, Easter, Hanukkah and any day dedicated to presidents. You can stack them all up on one side, and the turkey and I will stand on the other.

I'll take Thanksgiving!

It is, to me, exactly what a holiday should be. For one thing, there are no gifts. You never have to worry about what to get someone for Thanksgiving or how much to spend. There are no lectures about "greed" or "commercialization" or how we're "forgetting the spirit" of Thanksgiving. No way. The spirit of Thanksgiving is eating. Who could forget that?
Secondly, it comes with football. What other holiday does that, New Year's Day, but at least with Thanksgiving, you don't have a hangover.

There is no "right" place to go on Thanksgiving except home. There is no church or synagogue. No graves that must be visited. No trekking out to watch fireworks.
You just sit on the couch, or sit at the table, and you laugh and eat and laugh and burp and ta-da you are credited with knowing the "true meaning" of the holiday.

Also, it comes with a parade. Did I mention the dressing? Not the turkey dressing; the human dressing. There isn't any! Oh, sure, maybe you put on a nice pair of pants. Maybe. But who really dresses up for Thanksgiving? You can celebrate in a sweatshirt. Can you say that about New Year's Eve? Not unless you're a lonely, pathetic loser.

And Thanksgiving doesn't require some smarty-pants history known only by your geeky cousin from Baltimore. Uh-uh. There's no quoting Lincoln or Washington. No reading from the Declaration of Independence. What do you need to know about Thanksgiving? The Pilgrims and the Indians had dinner. Pass the gravy!

Thanksgiving never moves. It is always on a Thursday, strategically placed so that you might as well take off Friday also, since Saturday and Sunday are next, and, while you're at it, maybe half of Wednesday just to pick up everyone from the airport. Thanksgiving gets you half a week off. What's Labor Day get you, Monday?

And there is no shopping on Thanksgiving, unlike Memorial Day or Presidents Day. Sure, there are Thanksgiving sales, but you do them on FRIDAY! How cool is that?

Also, there are no masks. You don't beg for candy from strangers. And nobody eggs your house.
Have I mentioned stuffing? There is no more celebratory food short of dessert than stuffing. Be honest. When you were young, you couldn't get enough of it, right? Maybe you hated cranberry sauce, but all kids loved stuffing. It was everything great about bread and pudding and hot, mushy food wrapped into one. Tell me you don't still feel that.

Tell me there's anything better than a meal that goes all night, that doesn't have an event tied to it, that doesn't come with a bill at the end.

Tell me there's anything better than only having to catch up with your aunts, uncles and cousins to feel like you did the holiday proud.

Tell me there's anything easier than passing plates.

Tell me there's any better place to appreciate what you have than in a kitchen filled with good smells. Especially Sylvia's "homemade" yeast rolls! or Pat's fruit bowl!

Tell me there's a better invention than "the kids' table."

And what holiday not only condones but pretty much expects you to fall asleep on the couch?
So let's sum up. No costumes, no presents, no services, no tuxedoes, no time limit, no guilt trips, and all the food, naps and football you want.

I'll take Thanksgiving! After all, no one tries to sit on the turkey's lap and ask for an X-box!

Yes, I'll take Thanksgiving!

My Elf Family

We are gearing up for Christmas!
hee hee
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9548696393

My New Toy

This is a picture of my new toy. I am now the proud owner of a Red Pacifica, as the boys are calling it "Mommy's Hot Rod." So funny to think that anything not a minivan is considered a "Hot Rod!" I am glad Tyler likes it, because it might be his first car. Yes, this is really what we were considering. I can not believe the fact that I might have bought my son's first car. CRAZY!

On a completely other note...I am an Houston this week on my own. I am attending the TAGT, Texas Association of Gifted Teachers. I am learning some really neat things. Right now we are talking about avatars and Second Life. I feel so dumb because I am just not into the virtual world, but this is really what are kids are into and we need to stay ahead of them. Can you imagine my posting in a virtual world? What would I look like? HMMMM!

Farewell Old Friend!

Well, it is with deep sadness that the Lamberts say goodbye to Hardy Soccer Ball Lambert. Hardy was a great friend that spent his days in a fishbowl! I must say that washing dishes tonight was not the same without his bubbly grin looking back at me. Hardy lived a nice long life that started out swimming among the roots of a plant in a pre-k classroom. Two summers ago we adopted him and made him our own. He loved his Grandma LeeLee and thanked her for fish sitting him one summer. The boys knew it was coming after we watched Hardy suffer these last few weeks. We can only hope that he has arrived at the fish bowl in the sky. Farewell my friend, you are missed!!

Halloween Fun!

As you can see Halloween was quite a family affair. Our neighborhood goes all out and everyone participates. It is a blast! I am always reminded of the scene in ET where the whole block is out together, well that is us. Bill and I look forward to it every year. This year we were Rock Star Groupies! FUN TIMES!!

Techno-Num Nut!

Ok, I hope this title did not offend anyone. I am not speaking of anyone in particular. You see today I am sitting in a workshop called "The Native are Restless: Reaching the GT student through technology." Sounds interesting, I am sure, to those of you who are not in education, to me however it sounded great. "Right up my alley" However, we have been in here for two hours and all he has taught me was how to use MySpace.com and now how to Blog. I am not lying or stretching the truth at all. So as I use my time wisely I decided to update my blog. Now this is where my bloggin brain starts to gripe! Why is it that advertisements never state the truth. Would it be so hard in our fast paced culture to just come right out and say... this is a boring class on stuff you already know, or this car is really not a good deal. Why!?! Don't we as consumers want the truth? Or Are we so fascinated by pretty words and hype that we still buy into this nonsense? Stay tuned this might get better!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Being an only child I had the blessing of growing up to be best of friends with my mom. We are very close and talk numerous times a day. I thought that since she just celebrated her _ _ birthday that I would give you the Top 10 things that I love about my mom.

#10 My mom has forgiven me for stealing her car when I was in the 8th grade and taking it on a joy ride. (right mom?)
#9 My mom has a heart of gold. I can only hope to be a genuine and kind as she is.
#8 She is the best LeeLee in the world! As the boys say her house is made of fun!
#7 My mom is the type that would stay up until 3 AM talking you through your problem, even if it had no effect on her, and she had to go to work the next day.
#6 Do you know how many times I volunteered this working mother to bake cookies, brownies, or cupcakes for my class and then told her at the last minute. (I know those paybacks are coming!) She would always do it and they were perfect!
#5 Class- my mom has so much class! She lights up a room when she walks in, whether it is with her beauty or her smile you will not miss it.
#4 My mom is a pillar of strength. No matter what trial she is going through she sees the silver lining, pulls up her "big girl panties" and makes it through!
#3 Her love for my dad is unmatched! I challenge anyone to beat the love my folks have for each other. Just to think that they have been together since they were 13...AMAZING!
#2 She is a PRAYER WARRIOR! My mom wakes up with God and they talk, just the two of them, every day. Her prayer life is something that I look up to and strive to emulate. Everyone that meets her knows it. No matter what you are going through she has words of encouragement to help you through it. I know that I can trust her to be praying for me and my boys.
#1 She is my best friend! I can yell and scream and know that she will be there for me when I change my mind in ten minutes. I also know that she will set me straight when I need it, doesn't matter if I want to hear it at the time or not. She is patient and kind, caring and considerate, and she is AWESOME!!

I feel like an idiot!

Ok, Bloggin Buddies I have a bone to pick! I decided today that I would update a few things on my site, notice picture, and I found it! What is IT you ask? I found two misspelled words on my welcome note. If you took the time to read it and thought, OH MY! I apologize! But I ask if you saw it why didn't you tell me? I am going to declare some blog rules, like Man Law.

Blog Rule #1: If a friend misspells or mistypes a word correct her immediately.

Blog Rule #2: If a friend writes something in a rage that might be misconstrued please help her out gently. Gently is the key for fear that her blog did not release all of her rage and you might be the next target.

Blog Rule #3: If a blog offends you, know that we are sorry and did not "really" mean it to. Note our feelings could have changed by the time you read the post.

Feel free to add new rules of your own! I love Bloggin!

Do you know this child?

Travis has decided that he loves to have his face painted. At school his after-school-care-teacher brought paint and made him into a scary pumpkin, the 1st picture. It was hilarious! The second picture was taken at the Baylor game this past weekend. Travis and Tyler have met some boys that are also at every game and they look forward to sitting on the first row and watching the game with them. The one joy of Baylor football is it is not crowded! (There is emphasis on the ONE JOY!) Anyway, these boys decided to paint their face so of course it was not long before Travis was asking me if he could too. So yes I allowed a stranger to paint his face! I just think it is so cute! The real surprising thing is that he will sit still long enough to have this done!!!

I Love Fall!

Well, even though it does not feel like fall yet, it is! I just love this time of year. I love the colors, the clothes, the TV shows, and it is finally the time of year when we are settling into our routines. The boys have already bought their Halloween costumes, however I think that we will be buying another one just for fun. You see...Travis decided to be a knight. My mom took him to Target where he found a costume complete with the sword and shield. Only one problem...the costume does not come with pants! I am assuming that we are supposed to buy black sweat pants, but Travis will hear nothing of it. He came running out of his playroom declaring himself the "Knight of the Full Moon." Absolutely hilarious! This is one thing that my son does best...makes me laugh! I hope you have the picture in your mind of my little one, OK not so little, running down the hall and from the waist down he is pantless. It was great fun! Anyway from Texas to Ohio to Japan, Happy Fall Ya'll!

Why am I so busy?

(This picture makes me laugh! So I had to share!)

Well, it is that time of year again... the time when I wonder where did the day go? The boys are both in baseball right now as well as our many other activities. Tonight we rushed home from work/school to quickly get a little homework done, make dinner, eat in record time (all around the table at the same time, which should get us extra points), clean up while getting Travis dressed for his game. (Why are cleats so hard to put on?) Then we load up, and I mean this in the literal sense. Three of us in one car with bats, helmets, gloves, hats, the scooter because heaven forbid Tyler have to sit still for five minutes, and off we go! Yes you read correctly THREE of us! You see ALL of my BOYS play baseball on Tuesday nights. Bill stayed for the first half and then he was off to his own game. Thank goodness we are far enough into our marriage that he understand I do not need to go to every single game. Heck I am lucky to make it to one a season! The game was fun, but then the race was on again. Quick stop at Sonic for a celebratory sundae, home, shower, read, bed! WHEW! Now it is almost 9:00 and I have sat down for the first time all day. So I ask myself Why do I create this insanity? The answer is ...because I love it! I love the smile on Travis's face when he hit a home run for the second time in two games. I love hearing brisket for dinner, YUM, that is the best! I love to smell the clean little boys (not so little anymore) run from the shower to their bedroom. AND I love to sit here and not hear anything except the snoring of sleepy boys getting ready for tomorrow's adventures!

Mom is sick, Oh No!

A good friend of mine posted about her family's recent bought with the flu and how she learned for the first time that Mom does not get to be sick. You see dads can get sick and lay in bed all day just miserable, while the whole house will cater to his needs. It usually includes tiptoeing around so as to "not wake Daddy!" Where is that when Mommy is sick? What I have learned is that voice or not I still must clean the house (yes, the cleaning lady comes tomorrow) make dinner, get the shopping list ready, create a scrapbook page for Travis (not by choice, it was homework), make sure the boys are at baseball practice on time, etc....
Ladies we should rally up and demand change! Ok, so much for that burn your bra attitude that I tried to have. Even if Bill said, "Honey, you just lay down and relax. I will cater to everything that needs to be done. AND never mention it again." I would still get up every ten minutes just to make sure things were ok. We are mothers first! So no matter how sick we are or how bad it hurts we push on. We can be sick between 8 pm and 6 am, assuming no one else is sick. (Right Kristen?)
To all moms, YOU ARE GREAT!

Ponder This...

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today!
Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us.

Sometimes we do not feel equipped for the job that we are given, but we must remember that when we are following in HIS footsteps we have all the tools we need.

There have been times lately that I have wondered just why I am in the place I am. Then I am presented with a wonderful sign of HIS perfect plan for me. I feel so blessed to have friends that I can share this with.
I hope you see HIS blessings today!

The Good News or the Bad?

The Good News

The first day of school started off great! The boys walked right in and were only slightly nervous, you would never know it though. I only got teary eyed in the school, when I got in my car alone I did let the tears fall a bit. The hole in my heart was repaired when I picked them up and realized how much they loved their day. Tyler had so many great things to tell me about. Travis loved getting to be the "boy leader" for the day. Since he knew his way around the school he was sent on many errands. My job was fabulous! Just enough freedom to make the day go by quickly. I met with students today and had a great time learning all about them. I really am thinking I made the right choice. I know there will be tough times, but so far so good!

The BAD NEWS

It will be interesting to see how you read this blog...bad then good or good then bad. If you read the good first I hope I left you with a nice warm feeling about the first day of school, because I did not get to the second day. Yes, my little one has had a run in with the "LAW" Out law that is. (Heather Outlaw is his teacher.) As I am basking in the glory of my new job a get an e-mail from Mrs. Outlaw. POP! that was the sound of my happy bubble popping as I read..."He's had a really tough time sitting on the carpet, being quiet and following directions." Great, could he not just pick one thing to do? So I quickly respond and reassure her that it will be dealt with. Speed Forward to 4:00...I pull up to get the boys and they happily jump into the car, not noticing the grimace on my face. I immediately open Travis's backpack and folder.

The conversation went like this:

Mom: Travis did you move your clip?

Travis: Yes...How did you know that?

Mom: I got an email, what happened?

Travis: I don't know, I was just sitting there!

(I roll my eyes, I was expecting that!)

Mom: So you are saying she is lying?

Travis: Yes, she told me to move my clip for nothing...

Mom: What else did she say? (wait for it)

Travis: I guess she does not like it when I roll my eyes at her. Am I in trouble?

Mom: YES!!

(crying starts...)

Rolling his eyes! I am not sure of how it all transpired, but all he fessed up to was the eyes. It is only the second day of school!! What will the next 175 days be like? All of this is going round and round in my mind and I am slapped with a memory of kindergarten.

Very early in the year when I was five I was sent to the principal for ...spitting on teachers' cars while walking in line. I am positive that if we had e-mail my mother would have been notified immediately. Instead they let me be in control of telling my mom. She found out ...when I was in the sixth grade! (No Lie! Sorry Mom!) Luckily, I straightened up while keeping my secret! Hopefully my son will straighten up, if not it will be a long year with the "LAW."

A New Season

Tomorrow I embark on a "New Season" in my life. Yes, tomorrow I am officially the mother of "School-Age children." This might not seem like such a big deal, however it has been HUGE to me the last few weeks. Beth Moore explains a woman's life as a series of seasons that we all go through. Some transitions are easy and you welcome the change, and others are harder. I know that God has prepared me for this new change. I am also starting a new job tomorrow that has me very excited. You see, I did not want this job. I only applied because it was pushed on me and was a way to get out of the classroom. Well, little did I know that it would be molded to suit my every passion! Only God's Hand could have done that! This job will give me some freedoms that a classroom teacher would not have.

Tomorrow is an important day, I get to walk Travis into his class, turn and walk down the hall and get in my car, where I am sure I will break down into a pile of Maybeline Mess. (Aunt Lisa that could be Bobby Brown, if I had a hook up??) Anyway, I am sure that this season will bring amazing experiences that I never knew I could have. So I say good bye to the season that started 8 years ago in a small bathroom where I first found out that I was pregnant; and hello to a new season, one that does not require diapers or daycare, sippy cups or sleepless nights.

I am a JUNKIE!

OK, I know that title got your attention! I feel the need to make a confession and I think my blog is the best place to do it. You see for the past year I have become a junkie! Totally consumed by this one thing and everything about it. I wake up thinking of it, recite it in my head over and over all day until I can sneak away to my car for a little fix, and then at night I truly get my real dose. Well, it is time that I admit I have a problem and try my hardest to correct it. I do not think they have a 12 step program for me, however I hear that there are over 17 million other people that suffer from this same addiction. My fear is that it is too late for my children, I have already got them hooked too. (what kind of mother am I?)

Well, before any of you decide to disown me or delete me from your favorites I will tell you...I am a High School Musical Junkie. Yes, I know...you are thinking "how old is she?" I love it! I was one of the 17 million that set my DVR to record the premier only to learn that it was released on ON DEMAND the day before. (for shame!) I have downloaded the CD to my Ipod and I am sure that I am the oldest on the treadmill walking to Summer Vacation. My friends feed this addiction as well, Kelley will be bringing me the latest edition of Rolling Stone where Zac Efron is on the cover, don't worry I do not have him hanging on the ceiling...yet.

I agree it is a problem, and I should get some help, but those darn WILDCATS are just so much fun!

Any help for this 30 year old mother of 2?

Join me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F6lNN1cPY4

Farewell Summer 2007

This has been the longest summer since I graduated college and I can now say that I have enjoyed every moment of it. Every year I dread this day...The Last Official Day of Summer, this year is a little different. I really feel like the boys and I are ready for school to start, we have done all that we can do (well maybe...). I have compiled a list of the things I will miss most about this summer.

1. Sleeping until 9:00 am! I love that the boys are old enough to entertain themselves in the morning.


2. Sitting at the pool with Kelley go through our to do list, trying to decide what we can put off until tomorrow.


3. Seeing the joy in Travis's eyes when he learns that he can play outside all day. It was never too hot for him!


4. Napping in the afternoon (what a life...)


5. Staying up late with the house to myself reading and watching soaps, having nothing that I really "needed" to do.


6. Playing with the boys and watching them play with each other.


7. Travis's belly laugh when Tyler acts silly.


8. Answering the question "How many more days of summer?" Knowing that they are excited for school to start.

9. Seeing the little white bottoms go running from the shower to their bedroom. (hee hee!)

10. Hearing the words "Thanks mom that was a great summer!" from Tyler!





Well, it is a short list but has a lot of meaning to me. We have had a great time... me and my boys!!

New Trainee

Apparently I have the sign on my forehead that says "Please train your new employee on me". I hate it, Can we not set a register up in the back of the store and require these "trainees" to at least know the menu or whatever before we give them the main register on a Saturday. Not that I disagree with people getting out into the workforce, however do you see me coming and put the newbie on the register?

Yesterday I was at Walmart for my weekly grocery shopping. Sunday afternoon in Wylie is the BUSIEST time to be at walmart. All of us grab a basket and carefully merge into the traffic going from isle to isle. For goodness sake do not try and get out of the herd! Well, I had already put up with the "herding" of moms with shopping carts and was finally ready to go home. Of course I have one more hurdle in this glorious walmart trip and that is the register. As I pull up I notice that every line is out into the main aisle. Usually this is a signal to the management and they will quickly send out the troops to open more registers. So I stand in the middle lane just watching to make eye contact with any "associate" that has the ability to open a register. Do not laugh you know you do it too! SO I wait....and wait....nothing! I stood there and read an entire People magazine and still could not put my stuff on the belt. Now I am getting frustrated, this is walmart, I could scan the stuff faster than this lady is. And then it hits me...there is another person standing at the end of the lane clearly providing assistance...OH NO a TRAINEE! Why am I not surprised? 30 minutes after I got in line I hear, "Good afternoon, thank you for coming to walmart. Did you find everything you need?" Now I am at a fork in the road. I can say oh yes and drop it or I can say what I really think... "No this has been a terrible experience, first I was herded along aisle by aisle with people that have screaming kids and could not write a list if they wanted to, then I stand in line for 30 minutes to meet you who do not really care what I think but your new associate handbook told you to greet every customer like that so I am telling you what I think." Of course I did not say what I wanted to, I just smiled and said "Uhuh" and waited the 15 minutes it took her to scan my $80 worth of groceries. I left in a rage! I think a good training exercise would be for me to blow off some steam to one of these trainees and see how they handle it. (hee hee) Can you imagine me...(crying saying) and then last week my dog died and then yesterday there was nothing in the cookie jar...? That will teach them. Ok, I feel better, anybody else have "trainee ready" on their forehead?

Countdown is on!

Every year I get to this point of the summer, 5 days left, and I feel the need to cram everything I have procrastinated into a few days. I have now instilled this into my boys. They want to do something fun every day this week. Travis has decided that we can go to Hawaiian Falls, Chuck E Cheese, and the Museum today. Then tomorrow we can go to Six Flags and Cheesecake Factory. HA! It is a good thing I work, I think he spent my August paycheck in two days. Little do they know I am planning on painting, cleaning the closets, redoing the bathroom and steam cleaning the carpet on Monday. (hee hee) Really it is 10:30 and I have eaten breakfast with boys and now I am talking to my friends about all the things I should be doing. Now that is productive!

I do have a bone to pick with my bloggin' buddies...I hear rumors of numerous people reading this blog yet I only have one or two comments each time. I think if you read and do not leave comments you are snooping! HA! Caught you! I am making a new rule because I want to know you were here. If you read you must at least tell me Hi! You do not have to comment on my post but at least let me know that you were here. Deal? Well, we will see! Love to all!

Motherhood (A love hate relationship.)

When I became a mother I had no idea the intense emotions that I would feel. How could you love one person so much that it hurts? My aunt just sent her oldest daughter away to college, that is something I can not even imagine going through right now. The gamut of emotions that she is feeling is huge. Sad, joy, proud, lost, excited, hurt... WOW!
Isn't it amazing how we can look at our little ones and love them so much, even with their dirty feet and faces. Then in a blink of an eye Travis can bang the hammer into my kitchen floor leaving a huge divot in the linoleum and I feel completely different. GRRR! Then he comes into the bathroom, after being in time out, and gets down on all fours to help clean up with a smile so bright it can light the city. Immediately my anger disappears and me heart is filled with love for him.
Motherhood...I love it right now, but might change my mind in five minutes. (The boys are screaming...gotta go!)

Needing Some Motivation

I am feeling like a Bloggin' Slacker lately! I have two great friends that find it possible to blog almost daily. I love reading their posts and then find myself sitting there thinking, what can I possibly say that needs to be heard. (This is when the silence falls over the crowd and the pin drops, blink, blink, blink)

Is it bad that all I can think about writing is about people that should be the focus of some self-help book. I will not be tacky! However, as I was sitting with some neighbors yesterday we decided to buy an island (figuratively of course). On this island we can either vote you on forever or simply assign you a temporary pass to correct your actions. Think of it as a Hollywood style rehab! As we laughed last night at the number of people that should be voted on our island we realized that life would be much easier if we made the rules. HA! I know that surprises some of you, Jennifer wants to be in charge!

I was just wondering if any of you have people that you would like to send to us and what rules shall we add to this new democracy we are forming?

(WOW! I need to go back to work!)

I LOVE VACATIONS!

What a week! We returned today from a 7 and a half day trip to one of the most relaxing places I have found in Texas. I feel like the song, "I've been everywhere man..." Port Aransas, for those of you who do not know, is one of Texas's best kept secrets. It sits just south of Corpus Christi and north of South Padre. Three years ago some friends asked us if we wanted to join them for a couple of days on the beach. After realizing that it would be pretty affordable we took them up on it. Now we are hooked! The blue house on my previous blog is now our "beach house" according to the boys. It is three blocks from the beach, we always walk down there on the first day and on the way back we quickly realize that driving is worth it. This year we arrived on Sunday and left on Sunday. These were the only 7 days to not receive measurable rain in the last 45 days. Can you believe it? We swam, played, shopped, and just sat in the sun from 8 am to 10pm every day. I swear you would not recognize my children, they are little brown beach bums!

The very first day we were there I sat on the porch and did my quiet time while I looked up at the full moon above me. I could hear the seagulls and crickets in the background and could not help but marvel at the wonderful blessings we have around us. I get so caught up in the day to day hustle and bustle that I rarely take time to thank HIM for the little treasures so often taken for granted. I made a promise to take note of the things that would normally get overlooked. What an amazing world we live in! The intricate detail of every sea creature is nothing less that awe inspiring.

I am so lucky to have a family that loves to play together. Each day the boys woke up with a smile on their face ready to jump into the latest adventure. On the last night as I tucked them into bed I brought out a spiral notebook and titled the very back page "Our favorite things about vacation." Before they went to bed we filled the page with things we did. So many of their ideas included just being with family (The Foresters our an extension of our family now.) I was so proud of them at that moment. I think we all slept good knowing that we had fun together!

Good night friends!