Charlton Family Circle

New adventures

2011-05-19T17:06:00.000-05:00

I have lots of pictures to share, but that will have to wait for another post. :) I just wanted to post quickly to tell you all what I've been up to.

I opened my own store! Momma's Boytique

(click here)

I'm pretty excited about it. :) There's not a lot of stuff listed yet, but I've got some big plans. If you'd like to see what's going on with the store, please check out Momma's Boytique on Facebook, Twitter, or on the Momma's Boytique Blog.

I look forward to sharing this next step in my life's journey with y'all, my friends. :)

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

2011-04-14T22:40:00.001-05:00

I should preface my remarks here by saying that I have not read the Harry Potter books. I know. I know. I was just never interested. Doug and I watched the first movie when it came out on DVD. We weren’t impressed with the movie. I know. I know. I’ve heard that the first movie wasn’t the best. The books are always better. I was just never interested. The sign says, “Please Respect the Spell Limits.” This section was not just crowded; it was packed. It became difficult to maneuver the stroller through the crowd. There’s a roller coaster called Duelling Dragons that the kids weren’t tall enough to ride. There’s another ride called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Timmy is barely tall enough, but decided that a wait of over an hour wasn’t worth it. There was a line to enter a gift shop in one area, and apparently Butterbeer is a big hit because there were two carts selling it, and the lines stretched on and on and on. Doug and I took turns riding the Flight of the Hippogriff with the big boys, and it was a fun ride. Did I mention that I don’t like roller coasters? I don’t like roller coasters. I think it’s the control freak in me… But, I actually enjoyed this little coaster. It was fun. I would actually ride it again. That’s really saying something. :) Add this picture to the outtake reel… Way to focus on the window instead of the object behind the window, huh? Oh well… It was crowded. It’s not easy to take a picture quickly with a manual focus lens. I took lots of pictures. The ones I took in the morning are a little grainy because my ISO setting was way high. I didn’t figure that out until lunchtime… I wandered back into this area while Doug and the kids rode the roller coaster in Jurassic Park, so I took some more pictures there, but by then the sun was glaring, and those pictures are a little washed out… Anyway, not so great photographs aside, the architecture of Harry Potter’s world is incredible. I love the random leaning chimney stacks the most, I think. :)

There were stands selling various magic wands, and lots of people wearing cloaks – some work at the park, and others were guests. The photographs make it look like it’s cold there, don’t they? I think the temperature was the single reminder that this was part of a theme park and not a real wizarding community.

After spending some time hanging out in Harry Potter’s neighborhood, I want to know more about him. Timmy and I started reading the first Harry Potter book yesterday. So far, I like it. I knew that I would, if I read it, but I had to wait for the desire to read it…

I’m glad I waited. I don’t have to wait forever for the sequels to be published. And, as many of my friends know, I’m not a big fan of series books… so we’ll see how it goes. Am I really the last person to read these books?? I think I might be.

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Jurassic Park.

2011-04-14T20:41:00.001-05:00

Do remember watching Jurassic Park when it was a new movie? I don’t remember watching it in the theater. I probably didn’t. It came out before I had friends that worked at the one local movie theater. But, I do remember watching it curled up with a blanket and a snack on the couch at home. I read the book not long after I saw the movie, and I read the sequel, too. It wasn’t long before I had read every book Michael Crichton wrote.

Anyway, the Jurassic Park section of the park was fun. The kids and Doug rode the River Adventure ride while I wandered around with the baby. :) The line was about 45 minutes long, but they were excited to ride it, so they were good in line. Doug was seated in the middle of the row with the kids to one side of him, so he was sitting next to a stranger. Apparently, this twenty-something female was really scared at the final drop of the ride, because she grabbed on to Doug’s arm… I wish Doug had purchased the on-ride photo, because, as he tells it, he’s got a stranger clutching his arm on one side and the boys are more terrified than he has ever seen them on the other side of him… good times. Both the boys have overcome their fears, and they can’t wait to ride this ride again next time.

At the Dinosaur Discovery Center, there are some large models of dinosaurs, and lots of educational stuff about dinosaurs. The kids got to touch a casting of a t-rex claw. That was pretty cool… Tanner was pretending to be terrified. :) Sorry for the awful picture… This was indoors, without a flash, and I tried to lighten it up a little so you could tell what it is. Whatever… At the Discovery Center, this girl introduced the guests to the newest dinosaur, who had just hatched that morning. Cool, huh? Tanner thought it was awesome. Timmy had a difficult time convincing Tanner that dinosaurs are extinct. He had seen one that just hatched, so how could they be extinct??

I took a few more pictures in the Jurassic Park area, but they really didn’t turn out well. There was just too much sun.

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. More.

2011-04-14T15:48:00.001-05:00

Woody Woodpecker welcomed us into the park. Sadly, my boys didn’t really know who he was. Don’t get me wrong; they know their cartoon characters. Tanner loves to watch Tom and Jerry and Popeye and Huckleberry Hound and the Pink Panther… They just weren’t familiar with Woody Woodpecker.

We were all sunblocked up and ready to go, and this little guy was so happy! We got a new stroller just in time for this outing, and Travis loves to face forward. He even got some shut-eye when the time came… Hooray for a comfy jogging stroller! :)

We spent a little time in the Lost Continent area of the park, not a lot. Here are a few random pictures from that area: This is from the Poseidon Adventure, I think. I’m not sure, really. This is a talking fountain. I think there’s a camera in the opened mouth… Very cool. It actually reminded me of some of the gags that Jay Leno has done on his show, except this wasn’t really a gag… Cool.

Somehow, I didn’t get many pictures of the superhero section. Maybe because Doug and I split up. He took Timmy to ride a ride that Tanner wasn’t tall enough for. So, I was wandering around with the Tanner and Travis… Timmy decided he didn’t want to ride that ride. He was a little scared. I don’t blame him. I can’t remember the name of the ride, but it’s one of those that takes you straight up and then drops you straight down… Doug and the big boys rode a different ride instead. Anyway, we were going to go back to this section to see a Spiderman show or something (this part is all blurry now in my memory… It was right after lunch, and I was tired…) But, we never made it back over there.

Speaking of lunch, we saw a few special people on our way to CityWalk. As we walked through a souvenir shop, we saw this guy looking at the postcards: Sorry about the blurry picture… I realized at lunch that my ISO was super high, so lots of my pictures weren’t very good. It’s a good thing I took a lot and I know a little (a very little) about photoshop. Oh, and I really could use a lens that will autofocus, if you’re feeling generous. (hint, hint) Anyway, Tanner had to really concentrate on his web-throwers. That’s what he calls them… He was puzzled that web-throwers are actually sign language for “I love you.”

Tanner was beyond excited to meet Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat. They were at CityWalk near the food service areas. It doesn’t really show on his face as excitement, but he has loved Curious George for years, and that’s saying a lot when you’re only five years old.

I loved the comic strip section of the park. There’s nothing like walking through the Sunday comics. I wish I would have taken more pictures there… Here are a few: Inside the gift shop…

Oh, I wish I had gotten more pictures! The kids had lots of fun playing on Popeye’s boat, and I just loved Beetle Bailey’s tent and Cathy’s ice cream stand… and… and… and… Why didn’t I take more pictures here? It was stinking hot, and crowded. We were trying to find something the kids could do to cool off (water ride or splash pad or something). We found ourselves in the Jurassic Park area before we found a water ride that the kids could go on that didn’t have a two hour long line…

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Seuss Landing.

2011-04-14T14:08:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Doug’s employer had a company picnic at Universal Studios. The picnic part was at CityWalk, which connects the two Universal Studios parks. With our tickets (a mere $15 per person!), we received admission to one of the parks, parking and a catered lunch at CityWalk. We chose to use our tickets to visit the Islands of Adventure park. We had a blast! I must say that, after numerous trips to Fiesta Texas and Sea World, and a trip to Disneyland forever ago, I have never been to a theme park like this. They really got the theme part right. Walking from one part of the park to another was like walking into another world… a very convincing world.

The first and last part of the park that we visited was Seuss Landing. I love Dr. Seuss. Who doesn’t? The Cat in the Hat ride was way fun. The big kids rode it once in the morning and again in the afternoon so that both parents could ride it. :) Are you hungry? What do you think? Try Circus McGurkus for great food and drink! :)I love the Truffula trees. Sadly, some had been chopped down… (name the book!)

Travis got to ride the Caro-Seuss-el. He giggled the whole ride, and his big brothers were excited that he got to ride with them. This is the sign that hung on the street lights. :) We had lots of fun in Seuss Landing. I just love Dr. Seuss. Love.

Tanner decided that he wanted to buy a Cat in the Hat hat as his souvenir of the day. He loves to dress up in costume, that boy. :)

Spring Break Wrap Up

2011-03-19T23:38:00.001-05:00

On my family’s last day here, we went to Tarpon Springs. The Sponge Docks were very fun. There were some great shops. We bought gifts for them to take back to Texas. I bought some shells and a way awesome locally harvested sponge for my bathtub. :) Then, we had awesome Greek food. We went to Hella’s Restaurant. Awesome. Huge. Gyros. So delicious. Somewhere between the shops and the restaurant, we lost a binky. So, after a quick trip to Walgreens (or was it CVS?), we came back to the house. Then I went to sign all the paperwork for the sale of our house. That’s another post. We are all anxious to go back to the Sponge Docks when my family is here again in October. I’ll be back before then, for sure. :)

Our visitors left early on Wednesday morning. It was way early. Too early to be really sad, at least for me, because I got to go back to bed after Doug, Mom, Dad and Ian left. Don’t get me wrong, I miss them like crazy, but in that moment, I really just wanted to go back to bed. I’m not a morning person.

After I woke up again and made breakfast, I took the kiddos to the doctor for check ups. Tanner is super healthy. :) His ear infection is completely gone. He only had to get a flu shot, no vaccines this time. :) Travis has been really congested and is fighting an ear infection. He’s still my little boy, weighing in less than 18 pounds, about 10th percentile. He’s a happy little boy, and I adore him.

The next day, we went to the grocery store, quite an adventure with three kids. Then we went to Busch Gardens. I’m so grateful for our season passes. We had lots of fun. We visited the Sesame Street Safari of Fun, watched the Sesame Street show. I even got a hug from Cookie Monster. :) The big kids played in Oscar’s Swamp and another splash pad area while the baby napped. Then we went to Timbuktu so they could ride the Scorpion roller coaster. They love that ride. :)

That was Thursday. Thursday night, Travis had a fever. I’m not sure if it was because of the ear infection or the vaccines he had. He was still not feeling well on Friday, so we spent the day at home. Rather than watching cartoons or playing the Wii or watching Star Wars, we decided to paint. I had some wooden picture frames and a birdhouse. The kids had a good time painting them. I was surprised how well-behaved they were with their paint brushes in hand. Maybe we should paint more often. :) I do love to paint. We could do that. :)

Tanner’s Early Birthday Party

2011-03-19T22:57:00.001-05:00

We decided to have a birthday party for Tanner while my family was here. (His birthday is on the 28th.) I can’t believe he’ll be FIVE soon.

He had fun opening a couple of gifts from Nana, Grandad and Ian. And even Mom and Dad, too. Here’s what I made for him: It’s a bandolier to carry all his Star Wars toys, Chewbacca style. There’s even a little pocket to hold extra blasters and light sabers. :) I love how it turned out.

Happy Early Birthday, Tanner!

Fishing with Grandad

2011-03-19T22:44:00.001-05:00

Dad’s is not a fan of pier fishing. However, I do not own a boat, or waders… so we went to the piers, instead of a more ideal place. We went to Sunshine Skyway Piers. We caught some bait. That’s it. But Timmy and Tanner had a blast. They really don’t care about the size of the fish. They just wanted to catch something, and they did. :)

We gave the bait to some older ladies that drove up in a big dually truck as we were getting ready to leave. Yep four older ladies wearing skirts, driving a dually, getting ready to fish.

So, we didn’t catch any edible fish, but it was a gorgeous day. I got some fun pictures of some of my favorite people. :)

Siesta Key

2011-03-13T23:05:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we had a blast at the beach. My parents are in town, so we, of course, took a trip to the beach. I can’t have my parents come to Florida for a visit and not go to the beach now, can I? :)

So, we chose to go to Siesta Beach. Some of Doug’s coworkers were also planning on going there, so we met up with them when we got there. I have never seen sand like this. Gorgeous. The finest white sand I have ever seen. I really can’t wait to go back when it’s warmer. The high yesterday was in the low 70s. Not exactly warm, especially with the cool sea breeze.

We were cold, so we didn’t stay for the sunset, but it was cool to see the cute old couples arrive as we were leaving. They got their beach chairs and a blanket and sat along the beach to watch the sunset. I love to watch old couples, especially the ones that still hold hands. I like to imagine that they’ve been married for 50+ years and that they still argue over silly things like where to squeeze the toothpaste tube. Anyway, I digress…

The kids made a fun sandcastle, but I forgot to take a picture. A group near us sculpted this:

Doug, Ian, and a few of the other guys did a lot of this:

Football on the beach is pretty much mandatory, right? I totally would have played too, if I wasn’t holding a sleeping baby almost the whole time. Doug had a good time playing catch. :)

I didn’t get in the water. It was too cold, and I was holding a sleepy baby most of the time that we were there. (I’m not complaining, just explaining why I sat in my chair most of the time…) The temperature didn’t stop the kids from having a great time splashing in the frigid salt water. Mom and Dad even got their feet wet. Even that was too cold for me.

Timmy pretending to surf. :)

Tanner was having lots of fun, until he got out. Then he was frrrreeezing.

Once he dried off, Tanner had a good time chasing sea gulls and Timmy worked diligently on his sand castle.

So much fun!!

Ok, friends, who is going to visit next? Let’s go to the beach! :)

Spring Break 2011 – Florida Aquarium

2011-03-13T10:57:00.001-05:00

Spring Break started a little early at our house. My parents and Ian arrived on Thursday afternoon, so I kept the boys out of school on Friday so we could spend as much time with my family as possible. We decided to check out the Florida Aquarium. We even got half off since we have memberships with the San Antonio Zoo. Score!

When we first got there, the place was literally overrun with school field trip groups. It was ridiculous. It was loud and crowded, and quite frankly, it wasn’t much fun. Until the school groups left. Then the aquarium was a really nice place to hang out for the day. Do you want to see some pictures? I thought so. :)

A Leaf Dragon. Have you ever seen anything like this? Totally looks like leaves and just kinda floats in the water like leaves would. I just thought these flowers were pretty. :) Check out this sea horse and then read the wall plaque in the next picture. How lucky is the female of this species of sea horse??? A Florida Spiny Lobster A Striped Burrfish. It’s a kind of puffer fish. These are weird. Upside Down Jellyfish. No joke! They are jellyfish that got confused with anemones, I guess. They just hang out on the bottom and wiggle like – jellyfish. Turtle. Gator. With crazy weird reflections on the glass. Blurry picture of some cute yellow fish. I call them kissy fish. They did this for at least a minute. Maybe I should call them make out fish… Tanner checking out the reef aquarium.

There’s a splash pad here too, but there was no water in it, so the kids just ran around and played on the pirate ship. They also do dolphin tours, but we didn’t want to pay extra for that on this trip. We weren’t supposed to bring outside food, but, whatever. I’m a rebel. We brought our lunch and enjoyed it. We sat in a little pavilion picnic area next to the water. While we ate, we saw a couple of dolphins swim past us and we watched the birds dive for fish. It pays to be a rule breaker sometimes. :)

Busch Gardens

2011-03-13T09:33:00.001-05:00

We got passes to Busch Gardens so we can go back all year long. We went twice in February, and I’m looking forward to going again. I didn’t take that many pictures, so I’ll be sure to take more next time.

The boys had an eye opening experience the second time that we went. I took the kids to the park with some friends since it was a school holiday, and we had lots of fun. :)

The kids rode fun roller coasters. This is an image of the Scorpion, a roller coaster the kids really enjoyed. I’m still in shock that my little boys are big enough for a coaster this big, but of course they were thrilled. In fact, Timmy only needs to grow like three inches and then he’ll be big enough for the big roller coasters. Like this one: Sheikra. It has a 90 degree drop. I think Doug is excited to ride it. I’ll pass. Someone has to stay with the kids that are too small to ride, right?

It was a nice warm February day (don’t be jealous!), so the kids had fun playing at the splash pad too. And there’s a cool Cirque du Soleil show. I didn’t think my boys would like it, but they loved it.

**Those with weak constitutions or easily aggravated gag reflexes are advised to stop reading here.**

We also enjoyed seeing lots of animals. While touring the Orangutan exhibit, we watched them play and climb and swing. Just before we moved on to the Gorilla exhibit, one orangutan sat on a cliff edge within the habitat and proceeded to – ummm – do his business. The kids were fascinated watching the ape poop. Their fascination soon turned to disgust when the animal grabbed his poop in his hand and took a big bite. He walked over to another area, picked up some lettuce. He had lettuce in one hand and feces in the other. What a snack. GROSS! The kids thought it was pretty cool. I thought it was disgusting.

Last Weekend

2011-03-13T09:09:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Doug and I took the kids to the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. It’s a facility adjacent to and operated by a power plant. Manatees like the warm water that comes off the power plant, especially during the winter months when the rest of the gulf and bay are too cold for these aquatic mammals. We saw a few swimming around, but were a little disappointed because the manatees were so far away from the viewing deck that all we could see was a fin here and a fin there.

There’s also a walkway through some mangroves, a dense shrubbery type plant that grows along the beaches in some places. At the end of the mangroves, there was a sandy beach area, covered in tiny crabs. Here. Check it out.

It was fun to watch them do their cool sideways walk from the water to the mangroves. There were hundreds of these little guys.

After running down the pier at the viewing center, we took the kids to Steak n Shake. They have good burgers and of course milkshakes, served in a diner setting. The boys loved the milkshakes the best.

Travis

2011-03-13T08:53:00.001-05:00

A few days ago, okay, more than a few days ago – it was February 26th, I charged my camera battery. It took me a while to find the charger after the move. It had been over a month since I took any pictures, so I found the closest and cutest subject I could find, and here’s what I shot.

He’s 2 days shy of 8 months old here. Such a cutie. :)

You asked for it!

2011-02-03T15:44:00.001-06:00

So, a few of my friends have asked for pictures of our new place. I’m prepared to share a few pictures, but not without a caveat. This house is not clean. I’m trying my best to keep up with it, but by the time I get a room clean, it’s time to dirty up the kitchen for dinner time or cut up some fabric or it’s too dark to photograph for you… So, please accept my apologies (and excuses) for the messiness of the house. It is what it is.

As you can see, there are lots of plants in the front yard, including a giant palm tree. Thank goodness for the sprinkler system. :)

This is the front living room. We don’t use it much. We’d rather watch tv in the back living room. It’s more comfortable, and the tv is bigger. :) It’s rest time here, so Tanner’s hanging out on the couch watching Looney Tunes on netflix.

Plus, the back living room is open to the kitchen.

Speaking of the kitchen… It’s a mess. Did I mention that earlier? Yes. I’m showing you my house in its current state. I’m not happy about it either. No, the drawer is not missing – it’s getting some wood glue right now. And the stuff on the counter above the dishwasher? Most of that stuff belongs in the drawer… And it’s laundry day here, and the kids haven’t put their clothes away yet. This is no model home, people. I live here. :)

Here’s another messy countertop and a pretty awesome refrigerator, next to a roomy pantry that I didn’t photograph. Sorry ‘bout that.

The back living room also has a huge sliding glass door, which opens up to this lovely view. Yes, my friends, there are gators living in that pond. So we’re told.

Here’s the big boys’ room.

My shower. It is pretty much amazing.

And, this is pretty awesome too.

I’m not showing you my bedroom, because it is too messy. Our bed broke a couple of days after we moved in. (It’s a long story.) We haven’t fixed it yet. Maybe this weekend we’ll get that done.

I didn’t take any pictures of Travis’s room since he’s taking a nap. It’s the only bedroom without a vaulted ceiling.

So, last but not least:

my sewing space. It’s a work in progress. But I’m having fun figuring it out. There’s an IKEA trip in my future to get this organized…

Catching Up is Hard to Do

2011-02-03T14:21:00.001-06:00

So, as many of you know, there have been more than a few changes for the Charlton family.

In November, Doug accepted a promotion at work, but the promotion required that we move to Florida. So, in January, we moved. I have never lived outside of Texas, so it’s been a big adjustment for us.

So, rather than going over EVERYTHING that has happened since Halloween, how ‘bout a bunch of photos? If you want the story on any particular photograph, let me know. I’ll be happy to oblige, but in the interest of catching up with what’s going on NOW, I’m posting the following pictures with minimal editorial interruption. :)

phew! That’s a lot of pictures!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-07T15:06:00.001-06:00

This Halloween was the first time that I let the kids choose their own costumes. Timmy was a vampire:

I made his cape, and I LOVE the way it turned out. I think it looks so awesome.

Tanner wanted to be a cowboy. I didn’t have to make anything for his costume. It was all hand-me-down from Ian. :)

I was really undecided about the baby’s costume. I think babies in costume are super adorable, but I didn’t want to pay lots of money for a costume either. Time was running out… As I played Pat-A-Cake with Travis, it hit me. He could be a baker’s man. Or a chef…. Whatever. I made his costume in less than an hour with no pattern. The pants don’t fit great, but it’s not like he’s going to wear them again or anything… He looks awesome!

May the Force be with you…

2010-10-10T00:30:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe Timmy is seven years old! He chose to have a Star Wars themed birthday party this year, and he was so excited to have his friends come over to play.

We had some fun activities:

a secret code to decipher

coloring pages and stickers

We decorated paper x-wing fighters. This is Timmy’s friend Tyler showing off his.

Then we destroyed the Death Star. (In only two strokes! Dad forgot to blindfold the Jedis!) That’s okay, because everyone got a chance to beat the death star with their light sabers… And, yes, at this point, all the candy is already on the ground… These Jedis were focused! I had to remind them that there was candy on the ground… :)

Timmy opened his gifts, and we had cake and ice cream. Check out this cake. It took HOURS to create, but it was so worth it. The look on Timmy’s face when he saw his cake was priceless.

Tanner is already asking when his birthday party will be. His birthday is March 28th. He wants a Tom & Jerry birthday party. I better start planning now. That one will not be easy!

Soccer x TWO

2010-10-09T23:39:00.001-05:00

This is Tanner’s first season of soccer, and it’s the first time that I have the boys on different teams. They were on the same t-ball team in the spring, but I don’t think we’ll ever be that lucky again.

Oh well. I enjoy soccer, but this schedule is not easy! Timmy’s team practices on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Tanner’s team practices on Tuesdays. Games are always on Saturdays… So, I’m at the soccer fields 3-4 times a week. The boys are having a blast, and they are both learning so much.

It is both entertaining and frustrating to watch Tanner play. He doesn’t listen well sometimes. Sometimes he’s too busy playing with the string on his shorts. Sometimes he plays with a frog he finds in the grass. (Dumb frog!)

It’s fun to watch Timmy play. His team is starting to learn more about strategy and offense and defense. He’s having lots of fun too. And they are both getting lots of exercise, never a bad thing. :)

Go Outlaws! Go Warriors! :)

Travis’s Blankie

2010-09-28T14:38:00.001-05:00

All three of my kids have a quilt made by a sister in my parents’ ward, Sister McHorse. They love their quilts, their special blankies… Here is Travis with his blankie:

photoshop

2010-09-28T14:33:00.001-05:00

Carl visited for a long weekend in August, and while he was here, he showed me a few tricks in photoshop. Awesome.

straight out of the camera:

enhanced:

The difference is really subtle, but I love how the enhanced picture has more depth…

Thanks, Carl. :)

more pictures

2010-09-28T14:18:00.001-05:00

These were taken at the family cemetery in Fowlerton, TX.

Mom and Travis

Tanner

playing with my camera

2010-09-28T13:45:00.001-05:00

Here are some random pictures I took after Casey’s funeral… No one is happy about the occasion, but it is nice to hang out with family and friends that we haven’t seen in a while (and those we have seen too)…

my cousin, Christian Bailey

my aunt, Linda Anderson

my nanny, Wanda Marley

my papa, CW Marley

my uncle, John Marley

a friend of my family, Donna Spears

my daddy

my aunt, Betty Bailey, and my mom

daddy and Travis

my cousin Willie’s kids, Alexa and Ty

the Birth Announcement

2010-09-28T13:20:00.001-05:00

School and soccer started, and now I’m behind on blogging and laundry and cleaning and crafting… I’m still trying to find my new normal. Here are the birth announcements that I should have sent out in July:

Isn’t he a cutie? :)

the eulogy

2010-08-11T16:26:00.001-05:00

Casey and I played all the time as kids. No, really. ALL the TIME. Since I’m the only girl in my family, Casey, for many years, was the closest thing I ever had to having a sister. We fought like sisters, at times. We got into trouble together. She laughed at me while I cried because her mom pulled my hair too tight when she was braiding it…

And now, she’s gone. I have so many fun memories, and more than a few regrets. We haven’t been close in more than 10 years. Her life took a different direction than mine, and neither of us tried to bridge the gap. Writing her eulogy was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do, partly because I missed her so much, and partly because I realized how little I knew about her life.

Ian is so much like his “Momma Casey.” He even laughs like her. He has the same stubborn attitude sometimes. I hope that her death is not hard on him. He had not really seen her since his adoption by my parents, over four years ago. Ian is fragile, and I hope this tragedy doesn’t break him.

Casey had a troubled life. She had simply chosen some of the wrong things. It still amazes me to think how my choices led me one direction, and her choices led her quite the other way. Choices do that, you know. They set you on a path, and if you’re not careful, that path may lead you away from your goals instead of toward them.

Regardless of the distance of the last decade, I loved her. I loved her, and it took her dying for me to really realize how much. How sad.

A eulogy is meant to honor the deceased and help the mourners remember. Here is Casey’s eulogy, which was read yesterday by my dad at her memorial service… Let’s remember the good times and learn from the bad…

Eulogy of Casey Diane Anderson Hoffman

I could easily stand here and read to you a list of important dates in Casey’s life – her birth, her baptism, her death, but if I did that, her story would remain untold. It is true that she was born on February 17, 1981 in Odessa, Texas, the second child of three. Within a few months, as all children do, she learned to smile and to laugh, and THIS is, perhaps, the beginning of the Casey that we all knew and loved. So many of us remember how her smile lit up the room.

If I just read a list of dates, you wouldn’t know about the games she played with her cousins: freeze tag in the front yard at her Nanny and Papa’s house at Thanksgiving, a game all the kids enjoyed, until they lost; or racing her siblings and cousins across the front yard of my home when we all lived in west Texas. She almost always lost to Willie and Carl because they would go after “Ready, Set..” but before “Go!” You wouldn’t know about the trouble that she and Kara would get into for talking and playing games in bed instead of sleeping. You wouldn’t know about her love for Barbie and Ken. They always lived happily ever after. Casey had a childhood full of smiles and laughter.

If I just read a list of events, you wouldn’t know much about Casey’s school years. Her family moved from west Texas to Corpus Christi in time for Casey to start Kindergarten, but the majority of her school years were spent in Jourdanton schools. Her talkative nature and her contagious laughter frustrated more than a few teachers there through the years, for sure. But, if I just told you the dates she attended school, would you know much about her first prom? It was held in the high school cafeteria… mardi gras theme… Or would you know that she nearly drove a car into the Frio River when she was learning to drive? She loved children, especially my son Jared, who is 10 years younger than Casey. If I just read a list of important dates from Casey’s life, you wouldn’t know how her laughter mingled with his as she pushed him in a swing on the front porch of the very apartment building where she died.

If I listed only the most important dates of her life, I would certainly include her marriage to Christian and the births of her children, Ian, Nia and Christopher, but these dates wouldn’t tell you how much she loved each of her kids. You wouldn’t be able to see her eyes light up when she talked about her kids.

You wouldn’t know how she loved to be a tourist on the riverwalk. She loved to show her friends around her city, riding the river boats and taking pictures, usually funny pictures on the paths and bridges downtown. You wouldn’t know how she loved the beach. You wouldn’t know how she drove 70 miles out of her way to help a stranded cousin. The night ended with lots of laughter along with a changed tire.

If I just read the important dates, you wouldn’t see that Casey was like all of us in one way or another. She felt lost at times, as all of us do. She was distracted, at times, from her future goals by the importance of the everyday. But she knew that she wanted to help people in her life’s work. She trained as a massage therapist, but that wasn’t exactly right for her. She had plans to attend nursing school. She would have been a caring nurse. Her smile could have worked wonders.

The milestone dates don’t tell the story of her life, and they don’t tell the story of her death. Yes, she died on August 4, 2010, but the date alone doesn’t tell you that she died a hero. She went back into the burning apartment to save her baby, her precious Christopher. She did make it back to him. She was holding him in her arms when they died.

I could easily stand here and read to you a list of important dates in Casey’s life – her birth, the births of her children, her death, but would you know that she died a hero? Would you, like all who loved her, long to hear her laughter once again?

Casey Diane Hoffman, age 29, of Jourdanton, Texas, passed away with her son Christopher James Chavez, Wednesday, August 4, 2010, in Jourdanton, Texas. She is survived by her father and mother, Allen and Linda Anderson, her son, Ian Hancock, her daughter, Nia Ramos, brother, Willie Anderson and his wife Amanda, sister, Kathy and her husband Joe Garcia. She is also survived by her grandparents, C.W. and Wanda Marley, and Dorothy Anderson, and her honorary grandma, Edna Hitt, as well as nieces and nephews, Alexa, Ty, Xavier, Kia, Justice and Alyasa. She is also survived by Christopher’s father, Juan Chavez, Jr. She is also survived by her aunts and uncles, John and Patricia Marley, Henry and Lee Marley, Jim and Novella Hancock, Betty Bailey, J.B. and Sue Green, David Bailey and Donna Marley Spears. Many cousins and friends also mourn her loss.

How does your garden grow?

2010-07-29T12:49:00.001-05:00

This year, my garden grows lots of leaves, lots of blossoms, and not much else. It’s beautiful, just not very, umm, fruitful.

Today, we enjoyed a rare harvest from our garden, a juicy cantaloupe.

Why have I never planted cantaloupe before? I don’t know. Because home-grown cantaloupe is delicious. :)

So, what else is growing in our little backyard garden?

Squash – with lots of blossoms, but something out there thinks that squash blossoms are pretty tasty. I agree. :)

Peppers – several varieties. We’ve gotten several jalapenos, a couple of poblanos, and this is the first bell pepper.

I’m very excited to try this beauty. If this watermelon is as tasty as the cantaloupe, then we are in for a nice summer treat. :)

There are a few more cantaloupes on the vine too, and maybe a few more watermelons will show up before the season ends? We’ll see.

And who knew that chive blossoms are so beautiful?

Tanner’s New Friend

2010-07-12T10:07:00.001-05:00

Loves green.

Likes to jump.

Likes to swim.

Not afraid of bugs.

Lives in our backyard.

Independence Day

2010-07-08T21:13:00.001-05:00

How many Charlton’s can close their eyes in one picture?

How many Charlton’s can NOT look at the camera in one picture? And, what is up with the mean face, Tanner??

Timmy: Tanner’s a little weird

Tanner: What? What did I do?

Ok, so maybe all the Charlton’s are a little weird… :)

These kids are adorable, though. :)

Yes, Tanner is wearing boots. He likes them. He wears them alot, and he doesn’t care if they match.

This is Timmy’s latest version of a silly face… Silly kid.

Happy Independence Day, y’all!

Bath Time!

2010-07-06T20:27:00.001-05:00

Travis had his first bath on July 4th. We’re still waiting for his umbilical cord to fall off, so sponge baths only… He’s not a fan.

He does have hair… it is just really blonde. :)

Mom’s favorite picture

2010-07-06T20:15:00.001-05:00

Introductions

2010-07-06T20:14:00.001-05:00

Day Two. Time for Travis to meet the rest of the family.

Welcome to the family, Travis! :)

Travis Edward Charlton

2010-07-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

Dr. Hilliard had pity on me. When I was at 37 weeks, he scheduled my induction. I’m not sure why having a scheduled induction six days before my due date was so comforting—I mean, it’s only six days—but it was so comforting. Travis’s eviction notice was signed. The end was in sight. :)

Monday, June 28th, we arrived at the hospital at 5:30am to start the induction. I was finally hooked up to the Pitocin at about 7am, and about 30 minutes later Dr. Hilliard broke my waters. By 9:30, I was READY for the epidural. I have lots of friends who choose to have their babies without the aid of pain meds, and I completely respect their decisions, but I want the drugs. Pain sucks, and if there’s a way to avoid the pain, then I’m all for it.

I took a nap after the epidural. :) My nurse kept coming in to adjust my monitor because it wasn’t picking up my contractions at all. About 11am, the monitor situation was resolved, and my contractions were coming on pretty strong and regular…

Mom and Doug went to get some food. Not more than 10 minutes after they left, I started feeling pressure. I was a little worried. I had my cell phone next to me, but the call button for the nurse was not in reach… Thankfully, it didn’t take them long to come back. When they returned, the hospital people prepped for delivery and called my doctor. I was at 9cm, almost ready to go.

A few good pushes later, Travis was born. Can I just say again how much I loved my epidural? It was awesome. I felt more with this delivery than with Timmy, but really with Timmy I didn’t feel anything at all. With Tanner, my epidural only worked on half my body for most of the labor, evening out just before delivery (thank goodness!). I had no significant pain with Travis’s delivery (after the epidural, anyway), but I could definitely feel the pressure.

He was born at 12:23pm, weighing in at 7 lbs. 2 ozs, measuring 19 3/4 inches long.

We had a fairly uneventful stay in the hospital. Travis was a bit jaundiced, so we had to supplement his feedings with a chaser of formula, but once my milk came in, the formula was no longer necessary. :) He’s a good, healthy baby!

Soon-to-be Big Brothers

2010-06-22T21:36:00.001-05:00

Cute kids. :)

And, can I just say that I love lazy Sunday afternoons? :)

Other baby stuff …

2010-06-22T21:02:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the other things that I’ve put together for our new little one:

crib bedding: bumpers, sheet, skirt

I’m pretty happy with the way they turned out. Here’s another view:

Changing pad cover (sorry for the fuzzy picture):

Car seat cover and canopy:

I still have a couple of things on my to do list, but I don’t know if they are going to get finished. We’ll see. :)

Made in the Shade

2010-06-22T20:46:00.001-05:00

I’ve been slowly working on decorating the baby’s room. Now that he’s due to arrive in only 6 days, I’m feeling the deadline inch closer and closer. Many of the things I want to do are not done yet, but the curtains are done. :)

They really shouldn’t have taken me as long to finish as they did. I have lots of excuses and “reasons” for taking so dang long to put them together, but whatever… I guess it doesn’t matter how long it took. It’s done, and I think it looks pretty good.

The windows in my kids rooms are a bit awkward, at least I think they are. They measure 60 inches wide, and 36 inches tall. To put up blinds in these windows, we would have to order custom blinds, and I don’t like blinds enough to pay for custom ones…

So, I made some roman shades instead. Here’s the shade in the baby’s room. It’s my favorite. :)

Please excuse the many, many fingerprints on the window…

Honestly, the shade for the big boys’ room is complete but not hanging just yet. we keep procrastinating. Maybe this weekend we’ll get it done. :) Maybe.

Friends

2010-05-13T22:58:00.001-05:00

Timmy and Annie have been the best of friends for a couple of years now. Aren’t they cute?

Katie and Annabelle also have a fun time playing together. They get along so well, and are so super cute.

Ok, ladies. When is the next play date? :)

Some flowers

2010-05-13T22:50:00.001-05:00

The wildflowers have been amazing this year! I absolutely love Texas in the spring specifically due to the wildflowers. I didn’t get as many pictures of them as I would have liked, but I took a few. Oddly enough, my favorite pictures are not bluebonnets or Mexican hats or Indian paintbrush… Just random flowers. :)

I wish this one had been focused a little better, but I still like it. :)

No more training wheels!

2010-05-13T22:41:00.001-05:00

Timmy asked to have his training wheels taken off of his bike. He wanted to try it out, he said. Check him out! These pictures were taken on his very first attempt!

What will Tanner do for a marshmallow?

2010-05-13T22:31:00.001-05:00

He’ll help my mom wash the dishes. :)

Later, Timmy volunteered to vacuum her living room so he could also have a marshmallow. Why doesn’t this work at my house??

Kindergarten Showcase

2010-05-13T22:25:00.001-05:00

Timmy’s school held a showcase night in April. It was a lot of fun to see the fun things that the art, music and pe teachers do with the kindergarteners. Timmy’s class showed off their artwork. Timmy loves to draw and paint and color, so it was fun for him to show off his art. What do you think?

Tanner had fun at the showcase too. :)

The First Rose

2010-05-13T22:13:00.001-05:00

When we replanted our flower bed, we put in a rose bush. Isn’t our first bloom beautiful? :)

Easter

2010-05-13T22:08:00.001-05:00

Why am I just now blogging about Easter? I didn’t realize I was so far behind!

While Doug was at his priesthood meeting, the kids and I made Easter cookies. The kids were a bit disappointed that they didn’t get to eat any cookies until the next day, so I let them go nuts with the beaters and scoop.

Sunday morning, I made Easter bunny biscuits and gravy for breakfast.

We watched conference on tv with my family, and then we had an egg hunt in the backyard. Timmy, Tanner, Ian and Anna had a lot of fun!

There were a few very well hidden eggs. Tanner found this one, but it wasn’t easy to get it into his basket.

It was a great Easter!

Finishing a project

2010-05-13T21:34:00.001-05:00

I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this: I get excited for a new craft project, but it takes me forever to actually finish it because I start a new project or get distracted…

Case in point

I started sewing a pair of shorts for Timmy way back in August (see here). They were completely constructed, lacking only the bottom hem when I got distracted by some other project. ( I wonder if I finished that one?) By the time I got back to them, it was too cold outside for shorts. So, the shorts were shelved yet again.

About a week ago, I pulled out the shorts. Would they still fit? I sure hoped they would, but I wasn’t optimistic. The bottom hem, still unfinished at this point, wouldn’t need to be as wide as when Timmy last tried them on, but the waist was still too big. Much too big. How did this happen? I’m not sure about the waist. I know he’s grown taller, but I’m not sure why there would be so much extra room in the waist.

I’m not great at alterations. The pattern includes a belt, but Timmy doesn’t really like the belt, so he wouldn’t wear the shorts, even with the belt. What to do? If I wait for him to grow in to the waist, then I’m sure they will be too short.

The Solution

Many of the shorts and pants that my kids wear have adjustable waistbands. I wondered how difficult it would be to put an adjustable waistband in these shorts. As it turns out, it’s really easy!

Required materials:

shorts too big in the waist
two buttons
buttonhole elastic (found here)
sewing machine
safety pin or bodkin

First, I made a buttonhole on each side of the shorts just behind the first belt loop. Then I stitched a button next to the buttonhole on each side. Since these shorts didn’t have a closed waistband, I stitched around the waist of the shorts to create a casing that would hold my buttonhole elastic. Cut a length of buttonhole elastic long enough to go from one button all the way around to the other button, without stretching. Button one end and attach a safety pin or bodkin to the other end. Feed it through the buttonhole, around the waistband, out the other buttonhole. Have the kid try on the shorts and adjust evenly on each side.

That’s it! The adjustable waistband took less than 20 minutes from start to finish, and now Timmy will actually wear the shorts that I made. Don’t they look great?

(Please excuse the stray thread hanging out… I removed it. I promise.)

Feeling crafty

2010-04-26T22:44:00.001-05:00

I’ve wanted to make one of these for a long time. I have a case that holds all my crochet hooks, but I just think this roll-up case is super cute. :) So, I made one for a friend’s birthday in March. It came together so quickly, and I love how it turned out. I hope she likes it too. :)

Here’s the pattern that I started with: http://craftydaisies.com/2007/03/14/crochet-hook-case/

I didn’t follow this pattern exactly, but it was a great starting point. :)

Tanner is FOUR!

2010-04-26T22:35:00.001-05:00

We had a fun family-only birthday party this year for Tanner’s birthday. :) His cupcakes were delicious, and he’s loving his birthday gifts, especially this one:

I can’t believe my little guy is already four years old. It really wasn’t so long ago (was it??) that Tanner looked like this:

The time has flown by!

Happy Birthday Tanner!

Little League

2010-04-25T16:32:00.001-05:00

We signed the boys up for t-ball for the spring. Since neither of them have played before, they are both in t-ball, even though Timmy is old enough for coach-pitch baseball. So, they are on the same team, the Cardinals. I must say that little league is much more demanding on my time than soccer was. We are either at practice or a game three times a week. But the kids are having a good time, so it’s all worth it. :) Here are some pictures from their first game.

Timmy broke his glasses the day before the game… He looks so different, doesn’t he?

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-25T16:07:00.001-05:00

Every year, I buy a little swimming pool for the backyard, and every year, I feel that the little swimming pool is the best $10 I spend all year long. The kids absolutely love it. We’ve used it a couple of times already this year, and I think I’ve already gotten my money’s worth. :)

Space Center Houston

2010-03-30T22:29:00.001-05:00

Doug’s Birthday Weekend Continued:

After a nap in the hotel, and playtime at Incredible Pizza Company,

we went to visit Space Center Houston, the visitor’s center for the Johnson Space Center. Warning: I took a lot of pictures.

Once we arrived, we went straight to the tram for the tour of the Johnson Space Center. The boys were pretty excited to see where the astronauts work.

As we rode over, we saw this:

a giant warehouse with the picture of a rocket on the side. The rocket takes up the WHOLE warehouse. It’s huge.

Tanner loved this flag in the space center training facility.

He said it was the biggest American flag he’s ever seen. And he notices every flag, American or Texan, anywhere we go.

I can’t remember what these things are, but I thought they looked cool. :)

Back on the tram, headed to the next stop on our tour, the kids got a little restless, so we took pictures of their tattoos. Aren’t they cute?

Next stop: Rocket Park

This is inside the warehouse from earlier, and the pictures don’t do it justice. This thing is enormous!!

The kids wanted to take pictures with every set of astronauts.

I love this picture. I love these boys. :)

Okay, so the tour ended. We went back to Space Center Houston, and the kids had a BLAST.

Timmy on the bed of nails. He was a little scared.

But not Doug! He’s not scared. Check him out!

This exhibit was about the risks that we all take in life, and the risks that people in certain professions take. It was eye-opening.

In the food court area, they have these emblems from every mission all along one wall. Here’s the emblem for the Challenger expedition that exploded. Do you remember when you first heard about that?

Bye Astronauts! We’ve had fun!

Blue Bell Creamery

2010-03-24T22:56:00.001-05:00

For Doug’s birthday weekend, we took a long weekend vacation to Houston. We took a little detour on the drive, stopping in Brenham, TX to tour the Blue Bell Creameries. It was so fun!

“stop taking my picture already, mom.”

Doug’s 30th Birthday

2010-03-23T14:43:00.001-05:00

A few days before Doug’s birthday, I made him a wonderful Filipino meal. He served his mission in the Philippines and I enjoy making food that reminds him of his time there. Plus, the food is really good! I made pork adobo with potatoes to serve on top of steamed rice. I made pandesal, Doug’s favorite breakfast bread, and I made lumpia. Lumpia is pure heaven. I love that stuff. When he walked in the door from work, he said that the house smelled like the Philippines, and I took that as a huge compliment! It was a fabulous meal, and I should have taken more pictures of the food, but here’s a picture of Doug enjoying his pandesal and lumpia. :)

On Doug’s birthday, I invited a few friends to come over for cake and ice cream with us, and I didn’t tell Doug that they were coming! Timmy isn’t great at keeping secrets, so whenever Doug would come in from work, or whatever, Timmy would say, “Don’t tell Dad about the party!” Stinker. I wanted to do some kind of kids’ theme since so much of the stuff we enjoyed as a kid is coming back into popularity now, so I bought a bucket of GI Joes to top the cupcakes with (the kids are thrilled about this now…) and GI Joe plates and napkins. Here’s Doug with his cupcakes:

After the cupcakes and ice cream were devoured, we played a little RockBand, and then opened up Doug’s birthday gift, Beatles RockBand. The kids had a blast…

For the next several days, Tanner sang “I Want to Hold Your Hand” not the whole song, of course. Just that line. Over and over again. Then, he made up his own words:

I want to hold your hand.

If I don’t hold your hand, then I won’t be safe.

I want to hold your hand.

cute kid. :)

Happy Birthday Doug!

Exhaustion.

2010-03-11T21:36:00.001-06:00

I should begin by saying that this whole thing started last night after I got home from church. The missionaries called to confirm our dinner appointment. Doug had signed us up for a meal several weeks ago. I promptly forgot all about it. Anyway, they called to confirm, and I, being tired from yesterday’s long day, forgot about the boys’ tball practice. Tball was at 6pm, and so was the dinner appointment. By the time I realized my mistake, it was after 11pm, too late to call and reschedule or make other arrangements. Oops.

I haven’t slept well in a week. I have a stupid cold. My doctor has me on several medications, but nighttime is absolutely the worst. I’m up at least 5 or 6 times a night. Last night, all I could picture when I did close my eyes were the missionaries sharing a Ramen noodle (gag!) meal because I was so absent-minded to confirm a dinner appointment that I couldn’t keep.

So, this morning. Tanner and I took Timmy to school, went to Lowe’s and Target. When we got home, I headed outside to pull weeds. Our yard looks like a jungle. It’s awful. We even got a letter from our HOA telling us to get the weeds pulled and the dead stuff out of the flower beds. It isn’t pretty. And we’ve been busy! And sick! Anyway, I pulled weeds for about an hour yesterday, and about 2 hours today, and we still have a long way to go. The plan is to pull the weeds in the front, weed-eat in the backyard. Then we’ll put down some Weed n’ Feed. I really think that some A&M botanist or horticulturist or whatever they are called should figure out a way to genetically engineer bermudagrass, so that it thinks it is a weed and grows accordingly. Where did all these weeds come from??

I took a 20 minute power nap. Timmy got out of school, and we drove to Supercuts (Tanner calls it the Hair Cut Store). The boys desperately needed haircuts. They look so much better with short hair!

Called the missionaries to arrange to drop off a meal for them since we wouldn’t be home when they were planning on arriving…

I forgot one of my meds at home, so we had to drive back to the house for my medication. The boys got their stuff ready for Tball practice. We drove to HEB, picked up a rotisserie chicken, a loaf of hot French bread, a bag o’ salad, broccoli slaw and potato salad from the deli, and two custard filled doughnuts. We dropped the goods off at the missionaries’ place. (No more Ramen!!) Drive through dinner for us, then off to Tball practice.

We arrived at practice early, on purpose. There is a playground next to the field, and the boys really wanted to play there before practice began, but right as I parked the car, Tanner announced that he needed to use a potty. There’s no bathroom. So, we drove to a nearby gas station and back. The 30 minutes that they could have played was now 10 minutes…

Practice started. I called Doug to find out if he would be meeting us at practice… Nope. He was still at work. Bummer. Tball practice isn’t very fun for the spectators.

When I got Timmy from school, I found out that Open House was tonight. So, after Tball, we drove to the school for open house. I’m glad we did, because Timmy had a great time showing off the stuff that he has made and the classrooms. All his teachers had nothing but good things to say about him. What a nice confidence booster for him! :)

We came home. The boys got ready for bed, and now I’ve told you why I’m exhausted. I think a bubble bath is in my future.

I Posted a Poll

2010-03-01T09:11:00.000-06:00

Check out the right side of the page and participate in our baby name poll. I'm interested to see which name you all like best.

:)

New Car!

2010-02-13T23:28:00.001-06:00

Doug has been car shopping for months. We knew that we would need to buy a vehicle before the baby comes… Our current vehicles can’t accommodate a car seat and two booster seats in the back…

We got our tax refund and we paid off the Camry, so it was time to shop.

Here’s what we got:

Now, I just have to get used to driving a taller, longer vehicle. :)

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-12T18:11:00.000-06:00

Aren't these valentines awesome?! The idea came from here: http://24-7-365.blogspot.com/2009/02/lavish-me-with-praise.html

I think they turned out so cool. Timmy wasn't allowed to take candy to his class valentines exchange, so we're saving these for friends, neighbors and family. I just love how they turned out. :)

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

Super Bowl Party

2010-02-04T09:53:00.001-06:00

Every year, Doug and I have a Super Bowl Party. I love to cook, and we both enjoy watching football… So why not?

I’m having trouble making the menu this year. I don’t know why.

I know we’re having pulled pork. We’re going to smoke a pork butt on Saturday so it will be ready to go. I can’t wait to taste it.

Other than that, I don’t really know yet, and I really need to get to the store before everyone else goes. I hate the crowds at the store before a big cooking day.

So, hopefully this menu will come together. It’s driving me crazy that I can’t make up my mind. There are just too many things that I want to make. I just can’t seem to narrow it down to a reasonable amount of food…

Happy Super Bowl everyone!

Walk with me…

2010-02-02T19:45:00.001-06:00

down memory lane.

A dear family friend passed away on Saturday. I miss him and I feel for his family. It can’t be easy to say goodbye to such a wonderful husband and father. I wish that I could attend the funeral, but I just can’t. It’s too much money to fly to Utah on such short notice…

Eddie was my parents’ bishop not long after my mom joined the church. My parents and the Jacksons became good friends when I was still in diapers. But I don’t remember ever living close to them. My earliest memories of the Jackson family are after they moved away from Texas to Colorado.

I don’t have any memories of Eddie as a healthy man. When I was very young, he was in a horrible car accident, followed by another horrible car accident a few years later. The Eddie that I knew always used either a wheelchair or walking canes. That said, he was never handicapped to me. Never have I known someone so full of happiness and love. Never have I known a better example of overcoming adversity.

I remember traveling with my family to Denver after one of the car accidents. Eddie was doing rehab there, and I think my only memory of the whole trip was hanging out by the swimming pool Eddie used for exercise. I was amazed that a swimming pool could be indoors. My dad got in the water with him, and I wanted to, but I wasn’t allowed.

When we would visit, we would all pile into the large bed in Eddie and Barbara’s bedroom and watch movies together since that’s where Eddie could be most comfortable, and I always got to be next to Eddie. I was his special little girl then. At the time they had 6 boys. Rachelle came later to complete their family, and she took her rightful place as the apple of her father’s eye.

He was always Uncle Eddie to me. Uncle Eddie and Aunt Barbara. I don’t remember how old I was when I found out that we aren’t really related. But, I was crushed. I felt like I had been lied to. I remember talking with my dad, and coming to terms with the Jacksons not really being family. I later came to understand that honorary family members can mean so much more than a blood relative. Related or not, he is my Uncle Eddie, and she is my Aunt Barbara. Of course, if my parents had been able to arrange my marriage, the Jacksons would be my in-laws, but it just wasn’t meant to be. I’m married to the right person for me, and Roger is married to the right person for him.

The summer that I turned 14, we took a family vacation to Utah, with a stop in Colorado to see the Jacksons. Eddie had been called to be a Patriarch in his stake, and I wanted him to give me my patriarchal blessing. So, while we vacationed there, he gave me my special blessing. I’m grateful that I got to share that event with people who mean so much to me.

I visited the Jacksons several years ago, before I met Doug. I stayed with them for a few days, and we had such a good time. We played card games. I really wish I could remember the rules to Hand and Foot. That was a fun game. :) We watched movies in bed, just like when I was a kid… Les Miserables. I remember watching Les Mis, several versions. I love Les Miserables.

Eddie made the best tapioca pudding. I know he just followed the recipe on the package, but mine doesn’t taste as good. Or, maybe it just isn’t made by the right person. Tapioca pudding with strawberries – always reminds me of Uncle Eddie.

Every time I hear the hymn “There is Sunshine in My Soul Today” I think of Eddie.

We went for a long drive one day. I don’t remember the exact route, but I know that we drove to Heber. We stopped at the temple in Logan. We took pictures of elk in Brigham City. Eddie watched from the truck as I played in two-foot deep snow near Bear Lake. This Texas girl had never seen so much snow. It was white as far as I could see. We drove to Evanston, Wyoming, and then back to American Fork. Eddie loved to take drives through the country, stopping to take pictures all along the way. I love his photography. From the driver’s seat of his truck, he captured some really beautiful pictures.

Throughout the day, we talked as he drove. We talked about fun things that had happened in my childhood and in his. I asked him how he helped his children learn to choose the right. He and Aunt Barbara sent their six sons on missions, and all seven of their children have married in the temple. They are a Mormon success story for sure, and I want my family to be like theirs, just not with as many children. Three is enough for me. :) I asked him about his experience as a patriarch. We talked about my parents when they were younger, and the fun things that they all did together when the Jacksons lived on the farm in west Texas. I think that day was near-perfect, certainly one the most memorable days of my life.

A few years later, I met Doug. In December 2001, Doug met with my father for permission to marry me. My dad gave permission, but suggested that Doug also ask Eddie. Eddie asked Doug all the “dad” questions. He asked Doug about his family, about his mission, his callings in the church, his testimony of the gospel. Thankfully, he gave his permission, and Doug and I were married a few months later.

Two years ago, we visited Utah, and it was great to introduce my husband to Uncle Eddie and Aunt Barbara. We had a great triple date. We got a babysitter for the kiddos and saw a wonderful play at this cool theater-in-the-round with Eddie and Barbara as well as Carl and his then-girlfriend, Dana. What a great evening that was!

Eddie had lived a large portion of his life limited and pained by his injuries. When my mom called on Saturday to give the news of Eddie’s death, all these memories began flooding my mind. I cried, but I can’t be sad for Eddie. At last, he is free from pain.

Honestly, never have I personally known anyone as good as Eddie. Eddie influenced my life in ways that I can’t fully explain. He inspired me with his undying faithfulness to the gospel, with his cheerful attitude smiling through his many trials, with his love for me and my family, and with his wonderful example. What a legacy he has! I’m so glad to be a part of it.

Sorry for the really long post. Some things just need to be said.

Cowboy Tanner

2010-01-26T15:53:00.001-06:00

My mom brought some boots for Tanner to wear. They are too small for Ian, so she thought they might fit Tanner. They don’t. They are too big. But that’s not stopping him from wearing them all the time.

As you can see in this picture, he is wearing them (on the wrong feet, no less!) with his pajamas. Silly kid. :)

Making Cookies

2010-01-26T15:44:00.001-06:00

I wanted some cookies. I’m pregnant. I’m allowed to want cookies, right? Anyway, Tanner helped me make chocolate chip cookies one day while Timmy was at school. He loves to help in the kitchen, especially when he can wear his fun apron. :)

He loves to dump all the ingredients in the mixer and turn it on, usually higher than I want it to go… and he LOVES to lick the paddle. I think he might love cookie dough as much as his daddy, and that is quite a lot.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering… I used the recipe on the back of the Toll House chocolate chips… :)

Impromptu Play Date

2010-01-26T15:30:00.001-06:00

Doug’s sister was in a bind and needed a babysitter one morning. I gladly watched her cutie daughter Isabella on short notice one day. It was so fun to have her come over and play with Tanner and me. Isabella just celebrated her first birthday in December, and she already loves the camera. What a cutie!

Thanks for coming to play, Isabella! :)

Sparkling New Year

2010-01-26T15:13:00.001-06:00

For New Years Eve, we bought a bunch of sparklers for the kids, and a few roman candles, too. The Haessigs came over and we all had a good time.

At first, Tanner didn’t want to participate in the action. He was content to hang out in the garage with Timmy’s Charlie Brown toy. But, then Eugene and Albert walked by with their dad. They did a few sparklers with us before finishing their walk. Albert was able to get Tanner to come out of the garage and get busy with a sparkler.

I love it when friends are a good influence. :)

Even Gretta got in on the action…

When the sparklers were gone, we went inside where it was warm and talked and watched tv until we were too tired to stay awake anymore.

Happy 2010!

The First Picture

2010-01-24T20:34:00.001-06:00

Just a few days before Christmas, I had a sonogram, and we got our first little peek at the newest Charlton. At this point, I wasn’t far enough along to see any indications of the baby’s gender, but it was still nice to see that I’m not nauseous and uncomfortable for no reason.

Family Picture

2010-01-24T20:19:00.002-06:00

Since both of my brothers were visiting from Utah for Christmas, we all attended church in Pleasanton so we could go to church together, and hopefully get a family picture. My mom has been waiting (patiently?) for me to post said family picture. Here you go, Mom. :)

While we were waiting for all the members of the family to assemble (mostly we were waiting for Mom, and then Dad, and then Mom again…), I took a few pictures of Jared. I don’t know if he knew I was photographing him. My boys and Ian love Jared. Can you tell?

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Christmas 2009

2010-01-24T18:07:00.001-06:00

I know I’m a little behind in posting our Christmas…

Since I got a fun new camera, I took a ton of pictures, so I decided to put them together in a movie. Enjoy!

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas!

2010-01-23T20:23:00.000-06:00

After story time and bath time, the boys put on their new Christmas eve jammies and headed off to bed…

Timmy was very excited for his Longhorn pjs. I bought a fun soccer patterned fabric first, but he didn’t really care for it much, so I found this Longhorn fabric in the closet and made a pair for him and a pair for Ian. Tanner’s are Mickey Mouse… He didn’t want to wear them at first because he said they didn’t fit. But they did, and he finally warmed up to wearing them. And don’t they look cute?!

Camera lessons

2010-01-19T15:30:00.001-06:00

My brother takes cool pictures with his way-nicer-than-mine camera. He does mostly landscapes and stills, but he took some time when he was here for Christmas to show me a few things about my new camera. Like this picture, when he showed me how to move the focus point around. I kinda like the way this one turned out… :)

Thanks for the lesson Carl. I’m practicing… I need more work, but I’m getting better, I think. :)

A Sea World Christmas

2010-01-08T15:15:00.001-06:00

I took the boys to Sea World a couple of days before Christmas. We had so much fun! They played on the slides and climbed through all those really high tunnels at the pirate ship. (I always get so worried that I won’t be able to find my kids again once they go in those tunnels… Am I just a paranoid mom?)

We visited the penguins and the sea lions. We watched Polar Express in 4D. Actually, when we were standing in line for the movie, we saw some friends. Sea World is always better with a friend. :) Here is Timmy with his friend Eugene. Eugene’s little brother, Albert couldn’t stand to be left out of the pictures, but I couldn’t get Tanner to join in any of them. little turkey… Oh well. We all had a fun day!

Christmas with the Charltons

2010-01-08T14:48:00.001-06:00

We did Christmas with Doug’s family a week early since Darlene and Gil were planning on traveling for Christmas. Unfortunately, the post office screwed up their mail, and they didn’t get their passports in time to make the trip to Monterrey. They were not happy at all! At least we all got to have a little Christmas before Christmas. :)

Also, before Christmas, Doug got a new HP laptop computer, and I got my camera. :) You just can’t have Christmas without pictures, so I needed a camera, and I got a nice one! :)

Timmy’s School Christmas Party

2010-01-08T14:15:00.001-06:00

He was so excited to wear pajamas to school! They had a fun Polar Express party as a class after watching the movie earlier in the day. They decorated cookies, drank hot chocolate and played a game: a relay involving gloves and Hershey kisses… It was fun to watch. :) And Timmy really enjoyed taking pictures with some of his friends. It was a good time!

Enjoying Christmastime

2009-12-21T18:29:00.001-06:00

I am so glad that the semester is over, and I was surprised to get A’s in all three classes. I expected an A in two classes, but I was surprised to get an A in Romantic Lit. I had a rough time keeping up with all the reading in that class. Oh well, I got the grades, and I’m overjoyed with my 4.0 gpa.

The first weekend in December, we went to a Christmas tree farm to pick out and cut down our Christmas tree. Last year, we used an artificial tree that we had had for about 2 years, I guess. Half the lights on the darn thing didn't work, even after changing literally every bulb and every fuse on that string. Nothing worked. I can’t remember if we donated the tree or trashed it, but I was so frustrated that we spent that much money on a fake tree that only survived 2 years. Ok, so it wasn’t that much money… but the whole point of a fake tree is to keep the tree from year to year, right? That and not having to put lights on a tree… So, last year we resolved to get a real tree this year, and when I found out about this Christmas tree farm, I couldn’t resist taking the family there to select our tree.

(I should mention that this was also my first day with my new camera. There’s a learning curve, and I was at the bottom of it. Forgive me for the strangely colored pictures. Some are better than others…)

Mom, Dad, and Ian came too. They didn’t buy a tree since Nanny is allergic to pine trees…. But, they had a fun time with us. :)

We picked out our tree, cut it down, and then we jumped on the hayride that carried our tree back to the front.

After they measure it, shake it an bag it, we went to play. The farm has a fun playground, a horseshoe pit, a fire pit for roasting marshmallows, a petting zoo, duck races ( a big hit with the kids!) and more than I am probably forgetting.

This is a shot of the duck races. Little rubber ducks are placed in a little trough, and then the kids pump water to see whose duck can get to the other side the fastest. Timmy, Tanner and Ian had so much fun here. :)

Just so you (crazy) Aggie fans know, there’s a similar Santa dressed in maroon right next to this awesome Longhorn-fan Santa.

We had a fun day at the farm, and I look forward to going there again next year. :)

I know it won’t help you this year, but here’s the info for the farm…

Devine Acres

944 FM 2200 W, Devine, TX 78016

www.devineacres.com

The Cold Last Day

2009-12-04T10:47:00.001-06:00

Finally, today is my last day of classes. One final next week. Two finals the week after that. Then I’m DONE. Well, I’ll be done for this semester anyway. I can’t wait.

It is COLD today. Snow in the forecast. In South Texas. How absurd is that? I was a kid the last time it snowed during the day here, like Timmy’s age. That was A LONG time ago.

This Texas girl doesn’t like being cold. Today, I’m grateful for my warm coat, my scarf. Can you believe that I have seen 3 people walking around campus today in flip flops? Really? There is snow in the forecast, and you are wearing flip flops? And you’re in college…

Those of you who live in colder climates can laugh at me all you want, but I think it is stupid to walk around practically barefoot in freezing weather. Socks, people. Shoes. It’s COLD outside!!

Thinkin' about . . .

2009-12-03T19:28:00.002-06:00

So, I'm thinking about making this blog private.
What are the pros and cons? (I mean other than keeping creepy strangers away...)
Please share your thoughts. :) I'll let you all know what I decide.

Avoiding Homework

2009-11-20T15:09:00.001-06:00

I’m so ready for this semester to be over, and I’m almost there. I have 2 papers to write before Wednesday and an oral presentation the Monday after Thanksgiving. Then finals. I can’t wait for this semester to end!! Did I say that already?? :)

Yesterday I was sitting at home. Tanner was grumpy because he didn’t get enough sleep the night before, and I was feeling icky with morning sickness. (Why does morning sickness have to last all day?!) I really had no desire to write about The Question of Hu, a book I had to read for my history class. So, I decided to make something.

Usually, my desire to make something translates into cooking something, but I’ve been reading a lot of craft blogs lately, and I really wanted to sew something. So I did. And I love it.

Here, check it out!

Sorry for the horrible pictures. I broke my camera just before Halloween, so these were taken with my cell phone. Not so great, I know. (But now you know what to get me for Christmas, right? wink, wink)

I’m not typically a gift card giver. I think they are impersonal and frankly, they are cop-out gifts. (Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George give Elaine cash for her birthday?)

I’m just not a fan of a gift card as a stand alone gift. Make this cute wallet, and the gift card doesn’t have to stand alone! :)

I made this as a test run, and I’m happy with it, except for the stripes that didn’t line up properly, but whatever. It fits very easily in my back pocket, very nice for trips to Sea World or the zoo…

I’ll be making several more of these before Christmas…

Here are the instructions! http://verypurplestuffs.blogspot.com/2009/10/mini-wallet-tutorial.html

(Keep in mind that all the measurements are in CENTIMETERS, not inches!)

more busy-ness

2009-11-09T12:18:00.001-06:00

I’m done with class for today. I’m sitting in the library, about to start writing my paper for my Romantic Lit class. I guess I should update this little blog so I can get to work on the stuff that matters, right? Have I made any progress on my growing to do list? Not much, but I’m getting there.

I had my history exam this morning. Thankfully, the professor posts the grades pretty quickly. I got a 90. I did better than I thought. :)
My Romantic Lit professor pushed back the due date for the paper that I’ve been stressing out over. It was due on Wednesday, and now it is due on Friday. Hallelujah!! I hope to have a solid thesis and outline, and maybe even introduction by the end of today.
Next week I have another historical source analysis due. The professor hasn’t handed out the info for that yet.
And the book review is due on The Question of Hu, which was one of the most boring books I have ever actually completed. I think that is supposed to be 5 pages, but it will come together really quickly, I think.
After all that, then it’s Thanksgiving break. I’ll have an oral presentation to do for Romantic Lit. I’ve got to figure out a topic for that still… yikes.

Are you all overwhelmed yet? If anyone wants to come over to clean my house, play with my kids, cook me dinner…. {wink,wink}

I’m looking forward to Dec 16th. That’s the day after my last exam. I plan on staying in my pajamas all day long. It’ll be great.

Accountability

2009-10-27T22:27:00.001-05:00

Sorry if this post is a little on the boring side. I need to post this for myself. I’m not trying to stress out all my friends or whine about all the things I need to do. I just know that if I publish my To Do List, there had better be improvement in some short measure of time. Or I would be embarrassed.

History source analysis due November 4th.
Romantic Lit paper (6-10 pages) due November 9th.
History exam November 9th.

I’m behind in my reading for my history class, but I’m doing okay staying current with the other two classes. So, my goal for this week is to get caught up in History, and pick a topic for my Romantic Lit paper. I’ve got some ideas, but I need to see what I can find in the library before I can start writing. In case you’re wondering, I just had an exam in my Structures of English class on Monday, and I feel pretty good about it.

More stuff on the horizon:

another Source analysis due November 20th.
a book review on The Question of Hu also due on the 20th.
an oral presentation in Romantic Lit, topic and date TBD.

And of course, there’s the never-ending laundry, dishes, meals to prepare, housework stuff; the mom stuff ,like Timmy’s homework and soccer practice; the church stuff for YW, all coupled with the fact that Doug is in school too…

Life is a little insane here…

Pipsqueak

2009-10-21T22:25:00.001-05:00

Today was a crazy day! I feel like I should begin by telling you that I did a spin class last night at the gym. (I’m loving it, by the way!) So, today, my legs are a bit sore, to say the least. They were especially sore this morning… Doug took Tanner to grandma’s house. I took Timmy to the bus stop and then I left for school, but first I had to get gas… School was pretty uneventful. I’m feeling lots of stress. I’m a little behind in two of my three classes. It won’t take me long to get caught up, though…

After school, Doug and I had a Panera lunch together. Then I had a parent-teacher conference with Timmy’s kindergarten teacher. All good news. He’s way ahead of the rest of his class since he can already read without much , if any, help. She’s going to start giving him some first grade sight words to learn. He’s pretty excited about that. :)

Then, Timmy and I went to Supercuts for his haircuts, and we got some supplies for the church fall festival this weekend. I bought him some Pipsqueaks. Have you seen these?

He was so excited to get a box of so many markers. They are about the same size as crayons, and it comes in the same flip-top box.

Timmy came with me to mutual tonight, and he brought his new markers with him. He stood at a table with notebook paper and his markers for about 90 minutes. He drew six pictures, and he is so proud of how they turned out! I was just amazed that they kept his attention for 90 minutes. That’s a long time for a 6-year old kid! I do love my pipsqueak Timmy!

Slacker

2009-10-12T16:16:00.003-05:00

I'm such a slacker. I just can't keep up with everything. Does anyone else feel that way??

Some things I refuse to slack on. Other things, though, almost always get the backseat... How do you decide what to accomplish, what to give all you've got, and what to let slide?

Six days a week. Six days a week. Six days a week. I get to be a priority to me. Six days a week I get at least 30 minutes to myself. 30 minutes of sweat... :)

And so I slack on some other things. My house isn't as clean as it could be. I'm not up-to-date on this little blog. I don't get to hang out with friends as often as I would like. I don't get to cook big elaborate meals as often as I would like, but I do find that I'm cooking more. I can cook healthier than any restaurant. :)

So, I'm a slacker. What can I say? It's true. I'm a slacker.

But this slacker lost five pounds last week. Maybe being a slacker isn't such a bad thing.

Back in Action

2009-10-01T13:49:00.001-05:00

September was a rough month. Timmy is loving kindergarten, and I’m enjoying my classes for the most part. I had to drop Shakespeare. I just couldn’t keep up with everything. Also, we had some stress over a small possibility that we were going to be moving out to Phoenix. I’m so glad to be staying here! But it was so stressful not knowing about such a big life change! With all that going on, and more that I won’t bore you with, I fell off the wagon.

Until today. I hadn’t been to the gym since before school started. I hadn’t done any meaningful intentional exercise at all. Today, that changed. :)

My friend Mandi has an awesome blog (found here), and it has become such an inspiration to me. She is a certified personal trainer, and she writes about fitness and wellness in a way that makes it easy to understand. Knowing that she’s a busy mom too makes it easier to believe that I can do it too. (You are awesome, Mandi!)

Here’s another resource that I love: SparkPeople. My friend Julie turned me on to this website at least a year ago. It reminds me a bit of the weight watchers website, but this one is FREE! The website was the best part of weight watchers for me (all those years ago), but now I don’t have to pay for it. :) It’s got a great user-friendly page for your food journal and another to track your exercise. Even videos of how to do exercises correctly are easy to find on SparkPeople. So, before I went to the gym today, I looked up a workout for beginners (I am starting over again!) and it told me what exercises to do, how many repetitions and how many sets… Anyway, I love it.

If you join the website, list me as the person that referred you. I don’t get any money for referring you, but I do get SparkPoints… basically a meaningless motivator. :) My username is karacharlton. :)

So, TODAY, I’m back in action. I went to the gym. I did 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights. I’m feeling good now, but I know I’ll be a little sore later. How do you deal with muscle soreness?

Where has the time gone?

2009-09-25T14:59:00.003-05:00

My baby is not a baby anymore! He has to use two hands to indicate his age! It really wasn’t that long ago (was it?!) that I married his dad. It really wasn’t that long ago that I endured such a miserable pregnancy. It wasn’t so long ago. It really wasn’t. At least to me, the time has flown by. It is so fun to be his mommy, even if he won’t hug me or hold my hand in public anymore. Join me on a little stroll down memory lane. Please?

a few days old – hanging out in the sunlight with Nana. He was a little jaundiced when he was born.

about a year old – before the first hair cut. His hair was so much redder before his first haircut.

about 15 months old – loving his spaghetti-ohs.

two 2 years old – that bag was so full of candy that he couldn’t even lift it!

almost three years old – he just melts my heart!!

almost four – sitting outside the Salt Lake Temple. I love how his “take the picture already” smile looks like he’s in pain or really angry… It was so bright that day!

five years old – we waited in line forever so the boys could ride the horses. Timmy was so excited that he was the biggest one in his group, so he got to ride the biggest horse.

I feel a little like I’m playing hide and seek. Maybe if I hide in these pictures of the past, the future won’t find me. Maybe he won’t really grow up…

But who am I kidding? I’m always IT in hide and seek, and I am horrible at hiding.

Six Years Old

2009-09-22T22:38:00.001-05:00

Timmy was so excited on Sunday. He keeps a small calendar on the refrigerator and he checks it every day. He likes to know what day it is and who has the next birthday.

“Mom, in six days, I’ll be six years old!”

“You’re right, Timmy! Are you excited?”

“Yep. I get to go bowling on my birthday.”

I’m not throwing a large birthday party for him this year. I’ve done some really fun birthday parties over the last couple of years. There was the Incredibles party when he was two; the Jungle Expedition party when he was three; the Car party when he was four; and the Superman party when he was five… but it is so much work to put together such a big, fun birthday event, and it’s expensive too.

It took him a while to get used to the idea of not having a big birthday party, but he decided that he would like to go bowling with all the family. Soccer at 11am. Bowling at 1:30. Cupcakes and presents at 4. It will be a busy day. But we will have a blast. :)

Back to School

2009-09-05T22:07:00.001-05:00

So, Timmy started school on August 24th. I recovered from the much-too-traumatizing first day. I love the quiet at home with just me and Tanner. I absolutely love it. When Tanner was a newborn, I felt very guilty about wanting to have one-on-one time with him. Of course I love Timmy, but at the time, it was really hard to give him the attention he deserved when all I really wanted was to hold my new baby and get to know him. Now that Timmy is in school all day, I feel like I finally get that precious bonding time with Tanner. It’s beautiful.

Not only that, but Tanner is such a good kid when he is by himself. When the boys are together, they fight. They are both a bit headstrong, and so they disagree often, and Timmy usually gets his way because Tanner doesn’t fight back as long… Anyway, it’s fun to see what Tanner chooses to play with or talk about when Timmy isn’t around to influence him. He loves to pretend and role play. Timmy would much rather race cars or have his toys “play kung-fu.” Tanner likes to pretend to be a cat, or to have his toys pretend to be families – a little interesting with toys like Mickey Mouse, Shamu, Super Why and his favorite kitty.

Doug is also back in school. He finished his undergraduate degree in March, so now he’s starting him MBA. Just as he did for his undergrad work, he’s doing his classes online through the University of the Incarnate Word. We love the convenience of the online course, and he only has to focus on one class at a time since the classes are only 8 weeks long. So far so good!

I’m back in class too. I’m enjoying my classes so far, but I’m sure the stress level will increase as the semester goes on. I’ve got Structures of English, Shakespeare: the Later Plays, World Civilization since 1500, and Romantic Literature (and that’s Romantic as in from the British Romantic Period – think Shelley Keats, Wordsworth, Coleridge, not romantic as in romance smut novels… )

Tanner’s Special Day too

2009-08-25T21:40:00.001-05:00

Since Timmy got to pick out new clothes, and shoes, and a backpack and a lunchbox, Tanner was feeling a little left out. We told him that when Timmy started school, Tanner would get to have a special day with Mom. Not only was it good for Tanner to get a whole day of attention, it was great for me to have something to think about besides leaving my son with strangers.

We took Timmy to school, then we went home for some cartoons. Cartoons are important. Super-Why and Clifford. Important stuff. We went to Target, shared a giant pretzel and an Icee,

because Tanner loves giant pretzels and Icee’s.

We visited the toy section and had lots of fun looking at all the fun toys. And we bought Tanner a new toy, one that he has wanted for quite some time, at least a week. :) He loves Wyatt from Super-Why. And now he goes with us everywhere.

We drove to the library, but I always seem to forget that they open late on Mondays, so we didn’t get to get any new books or look at the fish or anything. Bummer.

We had lunch at Sonic (Tanner’s choice) and I let him sit in the front seat while he was eating. He thought that was super cool. After lunch we went back home and watched a movie together before going to the bus stop to wait for Timmy.

We had such a fun day just the two of us!

Day One

2009-08-24T22:08:00.001-05:00

I have been dreading this day since the Kindergarten round up in April. Timmy has been counting down in excitement since then. We’ve been getting things ready for him: buying supplies, talking about following instructions, making sure that he knows how to open his fruit cup without help and without a mess. He has been doing “homework” for months, practicing his letters, reading stories, playing with his flashcards. He’s so smart, and I’m so excited for him to learn more, and he’s so eager to learn. I hope that enthusiasm remains with the newness of school has worn off.

Today was hard. One of the hardest days. I knew that it would be hard to send him off to school, but it was so much harder than I thought it would be. I should mention that my kids have never gone to a day care center. If they weren’t in my care, they were in the care of close friends or family. It was so hard to leave Timmy with someone that I really don’t know. I didn’t let him see me cry, but I couldn’t hide my tears from Tanner. In fact, Tanner probably made it all a little harder.

We woke up early in the morning, dressed, ate some yummy oatmeal, packed lunches, and off we went. I drove him to school today, but tomorrow he will take the bus. We arrived at the school, walked to the cafeteria to meet up with his class, but his class had already left the cafeteria, so we had to navigate the crowded halls to Timmy’s classroom. Once there, we found his seat, snapped a few photos, and said goodbye for the day.

It was so hard to leave that room! Timmy was nervous, and I was trying to keep the tears from falling in front of him, so I was as brief as I could be. Tanner didn’t want to leave and began to cry as we left the room. “I want to stay at Timmy’s school!” “I miss my brother!” “Mom, Timmy will miss us!” Once we got outside the classroom, I couldn’t hold back the floodgates anymore. Tanner buried his head in my shoulder and cried, “I miss Timmy!”

I felt the hallway closing in around me as I raced to get outside, tears falling …

Tanner and I sat on a bench outside the school for several minutes and just cried together. I cried all the way to the car, and it took a few minutes in the car before I could clear away the tears enough to drive.

Tanner and I had a wonderful day together. We really tried to hype up a “Special Day” for Tanner since Timmy was getting so much attention. I’ll tell you all about that in a separate post.

Timmy came home on the school bus today. The bus was late, and after all the other kids got off the bus, Timmy still hadn’t gotten off. I was panicked, but I asked the bus driver if my son was still on the bus. They called for Timmy, but he didn’t respond. I stepped into the bus. He was sitting in the second row, and he saw me, smiled and said “Hi mom.” Crisis averted.

When I asked him what he did at school, he said, “I can’t remember. It was a big day Mom.” Silly kid. :) After a popsicle, he remembered fun things, like sitting “crisscross applesauce” during PE. That was his favorite. That, and the “giant spider web on the playground that you can climb on or hide under, and when you are under it, it’s a force field.” No joke. That’s some big stuff for a big day.

I hope I can do it again tomorrow. Wish me luck!

poetry, sorta

2009-08-13T22:14:00.003-05:00

I have never claimed to be a good writer, but I write anyway. :)

Timmy is counting down the days until the first day of school. He has been looking forward to kindergarten for over a year now. August 24th has been on his calendar since we registered him in April. He is so excited!

I'm excited for him. He will have so much fun. He will learn fun things. It will be so good for him to play with other kids his age. He is accustomed to playing with younger kids, but he really likes it when he gets to play with kids his own age.

He has been testing me lately. So many temper tantrums... so many power struggles... On one hand I can't wait for school to start.

But on the other hand, he's my baby. He may weigh close to 60 pounds, but he is my baby. Am I ready for this? I don't know.

So, here's what I wrote while thinking about sending my baby off to school.

School Supplies

paper & pencils

notebooks & rulers

crayons & folders with brads

Did I do all I could?

Is he prepared?

Will he miss me and his dad?

one door is opened

another door closed

a young man soon he will be

Am I prepared?

Did I do all I should?

I will miss my little baby.

After the Salt Lick, Cabela’s

2009-08-07T16:13:00.001-05:00

After we finished gorging ourselves on the absolute best all you can eat barbeque, we drove a few minutes to Cabela’s in Buda, TX. Cabela’s was our salvation on a road trip. We were on our way home from Austin or Dallas or something… The kids were driving us crazy, so we stopped in Buda and played at Cabela’s for a while. Then we finished the drive home. It was so fun, and I got a camelback for $20. That’s pretty awesome. :)

We pulled up in the parking lot and as soon as we got inside, I realized that Tanner had brought his toy Shamu into the store with him. Normally, all toys must remain in the car when we go into a store because as soon as my adorable second-born child sees something of interest, he puts his beloved toy on the floor or on a shelf or wherever so that he can satisfy his curiosity. Then, he forgets about the beloved toy for hours. This has happened so many times. There was the Nemo/Target incident. The Buzz Lightyear/Zoo incident. And many close calls.

So, I noticed that Shamu accompanied all of us into the store, and I commented that I bet he would get lost. I know my son. I know his curiosity. I know Cabela’s. There are many interesting things inside this wonderful place.

do you see Shamu?

Sure enough, Shamu was left behind. We didn’t notice it until HOURS later. I’m not driving back to Buda, especially not for a stuffed animal. BUT, Shamu was not cheap. He was purchased within the last month at Sea World, and I really didn’t want to buy another Shamu. Sunday morning (the next day), I called Cabela’s to see if Shamu had been turned in to Lost and Found. Would they maybe, possibly, perhaps, be oh-so-kind, and please mail Shamu home?? Puh-lease.

No begging was required. I only had to hold while the nice gentleman got a packing slip to write down Shamu’s address. He acted like it was no big deal. Kids leave Shamu in the shooting gallery all the time. Of course I’ll mail Shamu. Hooray for Cabela’s! I’ve got a thank you letter coming your way.

We told Tanner that it would take a few days but Shamu was going to go on an adventure in the mail, and then he would be home. You have no idea how excited Tanner was to get Shamu back. It was adorable. He was thrilled to have his friend back. And I was thrilled to receive such awesome service from a store that I visit less than three times a year. Awesome!

THE Salt Lick

2009-08-07T15:32:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we drove to Driftwood, TX with some friends for some awesome barbeque at the Salt Lick restaurant. This restaurant has awesome reviews and has been featured on a few Food Network shows, most recently “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” where Bobby Flay raved about beef ribs, and Duff Goldman (the Ace of Cakes) raved about the combo plate.

Doug and I have been drooling over this place for years, but just never made the drive. We finally made the drive, and it was SO worth the trip.

We didn’t order the beef ribs since they are only available on Sundays. We ordered family style, all you can eat. Sausage, beef brisket and pork ribs. Potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and white bread. Barbeque sauce. Habanero barbeque sauce. My mouth is watering. I didn’t really eat much of the sides. I think they were just okay. Nothing spectacular. The meat was another story. Memorable. Amazing. Flavorful. I didn’t know that pork ribs could taste THAT good. Wow.

I was too excited about the food, and my hands were a little messy, so I didn’t get very many pictures of the food. Actually, I didn’t get any good pictures of the food. But I took some cute pictures of friends and family while we waited for our table. Cutie pie Tanner.

Timmy. Yes, his hat is almost always crooked.

I knew I should have worn makeup.

I love him. He’s hot. :)

Timmy likes being in charge of the pager.

Tanner loves to look at his reflection in Daddy’s sunglasses.

The Haessigs. Super fun friends. They love food as much as we do. :)

Tanner found a feather. Annabelle wasn’t impressed.

Esther and Annabelle. Cute!

Craig and Annabelle. She was ready for a nap, but there was just too much excitement.

Brandon, how did you avoid every single picture I took?! Thanks for coming with us! It was so much fun!

We had so much fun, we’re already planning our return trip. October. We’re taking my dad there for his birthday. Oh, I can’t wait!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-08-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

For the last three years, Doug has volunteered to bake my birthday cake. I think it is the only thing he cooks inside the kitchen all year long, honestly. Outside the kitchen, actually outside the house, the man can cook, or grill. Whatever. He can grill a mean burger or some killer ribs, but that skill doesn’t translate indoors for some reason, probably just lack of practice. I blame myself. I have a nasty habit of kicking him out of my kitchen when it’s time to prepare a meal. Yes, it’s my kitchen. If he wants to cook something, he’ll have to just go outside. :) Of course, I’m kidding, a little, but back to my birthday cake. With what little practice he has, the man makes awesome cakes. The first year, he made a chocolate layer cake. Last year, a two layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. This year was italian creme cake. oh yum!

Some pictures of my husband in action:

separating eggs. He didn’t really know how to do this properly, but his improvisation was very effective. Break the egg in a bowl, and carefully lift the yolk out with your fingers… not bad.

The kids LOVE to help in the kitchen. Tanner didn’t even want to walk away long enough to get a stool, and he’s such a monkey that he just climbs up anyway. Tanner loves to dump ingredients into the Kitchenaid for his daddy.

Timmy got the stools, and they both helped Doug with the recipe, which really means that they got in the way and made it harder for Doug, novice baker that he is, to figure out what to do next. What did I do while the boys slaved in the kitchen? Well, you can tell from the picture that I didn’t help much.

Sorry for the blurry photo. Out of three takes, this, sadly, was the best. In one take, Doug is mid-sneeze. In the other, all three of them have their eyes closed. So, blurry wins… Sorry. I just love these guys, so I just had to put this picture in. :)

Are you curious about the end result? So was I! This was, by far, the most challenging recipe Doug has ever tried. But he did a great job, and my cake was awesome!

And don’t even think about counting the candles. I’m definitely too old to be concerned with the accuracy of the candle count. And, one box of candles doesn’t cut it anyway. What? Once you turn 25, you become SO SPECIAL that it takes more than one box of candles to grant you a birthday wish? I wish that I could get by with one box of candles for my birthday. Wish not granted. Bummer.

my latest project

2009-08-03T16:38:00.003-05:00

After finishing a baby blanket for my friend Krista, who delivered a beautiful baby boy a few days ago, and in between working on a baby blanket for my friend Esther, who is due in September, I decided to make two pairs of shorts for Timmy. I found a pattern that I really liked, and I've been working on it today while the boys are at Grandma's house. What do you think?
I have a few more steps to go, obviously, since this is just the front of the shorts. :) It's not a quick pattern, but I think the finish product will look nice, not like a cheap, homemade pair of shorts... There will be side pockets and a belt before it's all done. Your opinions are welcome! :)

More pictures to come!

CCTX – part three – sand & jellyfish

2009-08-02T12:17:00.001-05:00

Mom, Dad and Ian left after we finished up at the Lexington, but Doug and the boys and I decided to stay one more day. We hadn’t been to the beach yet! My parents didn’t really care about visiting the beach. My mom grew up in the Corpus Christi area, and just doesn’t like to get sand everywhere. We haven’t visited the beach since Tanner was a little guy, so we really wanted to go.

We were feeling kind of lazy though, and didn’t want to drive all the way out to Mustang Island, so we just went to CC beach instead. We found a jelly fish washed up on the shore right when we got there. Timmy was freaked out and didn’t want to get in the water after that. We were able to get him out into the water a little bit, but not much. He preferred digging in the sand.

We all played in the sand for a little while. Doug had gone out to get the sand rinsed off. Timmy was going to stay on the beach while Tanner and I rinsed sand off of our bodies. I was about 5 feet from the Timmy, holding Tanner’s hand, when a jellyfish stung me on the back of my right leg. It felt like one tentacle had wrapped all the way around my knee. At first, it just felt like something had brushed up against me. Then it hurt a little bit. A second later, I was in tears. I had dragged Tanner back to the shore. He wasn’t too happy about that. I was trying to get Doug’s attention, and my leg was killing me.

I didn’t have a clue how to treat a jellyfish sting. (No, I would not, could not and did not pee on it!) My leg was in so much pain. It was red and blistering and I didn’t know what to do. There were some people near us who were watching the jellyfish swim in the water. While Doug called my mommy for advice, I asked them if they knew what to do for it. Ice water. Ok. I have iced-down bottled water. I dumped three bottles of water on it. I wrapped ice in a towel and kept that on it. Once we got back to the hotel, I put some rubbing alcohol and cortisone on it. And finally, it felt better. That hurt so bad!

And I didn’t get any pictures at the beach. :(

CCTX – part two – USS Lexington

2009-08-02T12:01:00.001-05:00

On day two of our long weekend, we went to see the USS Lexington. I’ve been there with my family before, but the boys and Doug hadn’t been there before.

If you go see “Lady Lex” be prepared for LOTS of walking. Lots of stairs, very steep stairs. Ok. They are more like ladders.

The boys didn’t have as much fun walking through the ship as the adults did. Maybe they just needed to be a little older. They weren’t even excited to be standing next to torpedoes and bombs. I was a little disappointed in their reactions…

They did enjoy playing with these wheels. They pretended that they were steering the ship.

Tanner liked this wheel better. :)

Not only do you see the inner workings of the Lexington, but they have exhibits about other Navy ships of the same era. Dad was particularly interested in the USS Hancock. I thought it was pretty cool too. I am a Hancock after all. :)

Tanner wanted to play with the toys in this case.

Doug couldn’t stand up straight for most of the time we were there. I think he was glad to get outside! :)

The boys REALLY liked looking at the airplanes and the helicopter on the flight deck. There was so much more room to run too, which is a good thing for any boy under the age of 8.

Tanner was a little tired, though. Something about not getting a nap for several days in a row…

There was a pretty cool view of the harbor bridge.

Doug stole my camera.

I think the boys had a good time, overall. But we’re going to wait a few years before we try this again! :)

CCTX – part one – Texas State Aquarium

2009-08-02T10:38:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we went to the coast with my family, and we took the boys to the aquarium and to the Lexington, and the beach.

Timmy and Ian have become such good friends. Aren’t they cute?

Tanner didn’t really like to stand in line. He was running all over the place because he was so excited.

We were so ready to go under the waterfall arch, into the building. It was hot outside!

They boys had a good time watching other people touch the stingrays in this pool. Tanner enjoyed splashing in the water, but they didn’t really want to touch any of the rays.

There was an otter in this aquarium. The boys loved watching it swim around so fast.

Or just climbing on the rails could be exciting too, I guess. There was a lot of that going on. :)

Eagles are so cool. I just love how majestic they are. It looks pretty small in the picture, but they have a huge wingspan.

We could have put a quarter into this scope, but Tanner had just as much without spending the money. Love that!

It was really fun to see the dolphins from underwater. And it was air conditioned in there. It was a very nice break from the heat.

We’ve had lots of trips to Sea World, but even there, you don’t really see the dolphins from underwater. Not like this. It was pretty cool.

The boys also had a fun time looking at the fish in this aquarium. Dad recognized most of these fish from his many fishing trips. Apparently, many of the fish in this tank would be pretty tasty. :)

Or sometimes, the boys were just silly. It was a fun day!

RAIN!

2009-08-02T09:38:00.001-05:00

I realize that this isn’t a great picture. Rain is not a common thing here lately. I was pretty excited when I saw some… :) I really want more. Remember that summer two years ago when it rained almost every day. That was awesome. I could go for that right now. How ‘bout you?

Independence Day

2009-08-02T09:35:00.001-05:00

We went to Sea World on July 3rd. We had so much fun hanging out at the water park and seeing a few shows. We went home for a few hours to rest and then went back in the evening for the fireworks show. Wasn’t it nice of the Sea World people to do a fireworks show on the 3rd AND the 4th?! :)

We had a decent view, and we had a great time. Tanner fell asleep right after the fireworks ended. Poor tired little guy.

On July 4th, we went to see the fireworks at Six Flags. Except we don’t actually go to Six Flags. We just want to see the fireworks, we don’t want to pay to get into the park. We have season passes for Sea World, not Six Flags. So, we park at the Shops at La Cantera, hang out with friends and watch the show. We’ve watched the Six Flags show for five years now. Before La Cantera opened, we went with our friends to the Costco parking lot… La Cantera is much better. I believe that we have a better view than the people in the park. They may get to hear the music that goes with the show, but I think we get a better view of the actual fireworks. This year’s show was spectacular. The finally was one of the best I have ever seen. It was definitely the best show of the last 5 years. Hands down! Thanks, Willdens, for starting a fun tradition. Let’s do it again next year! :)

Family Reunion

2009-08-02T09:15:00.001-05:00

Every year my mom’s side of the family has a reunion in Tilden, TX. We didn’t get to go last year since I was in Colorado, but we were excited to go this year. We have a potluck lunch and we just hang out and talk to family members that we really don’t know that well because, well, we haven’t seen them in a year! This year’s turnout wasn’t great, but the food was outstanding, and we all had fun. Timmy even won a calculator in BINGO. He was pretty excited about that. :)

Vegas Food

2009-07-09T11:12:00.002-05:00

Hello. My name is Kara, and I’m a foodie. I love to cook. I collect cookbooks, and I’m addicted to the Food Network. When we went to Las Vegas last month, I took pictures of lots of food. I know there are at least a couple of my friends that are anxiously awaiting the pictures of the food. So here you go! (If you’re not as interested in the food as we foodies are, scroll down, the trip log is posted below!)

Before I show you pictures of food, please keep a few things in mind. I’m not a great photographer. I had a brand new camera. I’m still trying to figure out the settings. Food photography is really hard! But, lousy pictures aside, I think you’ll get the idea. :)

Ghirardelli

I could have spent so much more money here. Wow. The smell alone put inches on my thighs… We had an ice cream sundae called the trolley car, I think. Oh so good. And just the trick to get you through a three and a half mile hike from the NYNY to Treasure Island.

Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House

We went here on our first night in Vegas. It’s located in the MGM Grand, not too far away from Tom Colicchio’s restaurant Craftsteak. Wolfgang Puck has a beautiful restaurant close by… Ok, so there were several NICE places to eat. We loved Emeril’s restaurant, NOLA, in New Orleans, so we made a reservation on our way through the hotel from the monorail station. When we arrived back at the restaurant about two hours later, we were not disappointed.

Waiters in fine restaurants always seem shocked when we place our drink order. We don’t drink. Nope. Not even in Sin City. Our waiter was surprised, but he also offered to make us a mocktail. Cranberry juice, pineapple juice and 7-up. So good. I’m feeling inspired to host a mocktail party of my own. How fun would that be?! :) Sorry, no picture of the fabulous drink.

After a bowl of Fall River Clam Chowder for me, and the gumbo of the day, shrimp and andouille sausage, for Doug, (sorry, soups are not photogenic) we enjoyed some amazing fish entrees. From the menu I ordered:

Emeril’s Sweet Barbecued Scottish Salmon
Andouille Sausage & Brabant Potatoes with Spicy Onion Crust and Emeril’s Homemade Worcestershire

I was a little disappointed in the presentation, since there wasn’t much variation in the colors, but the taste didn’t disappoint. I don’t think I’ve ever had homemade worcestershire sauce before. Oh, it was good! I wouldn’t normally think of fish and worcestershire as the ideal combination, but it was awesome!

Doug’s selection was:

Herb, Sea Salt & Pepper Crusted Ahi Tuna
Homemade Sopressata Sausage, Italian Cheese & Spinach Ravioli with Basil Pesto, Tomato Olive Stew and Balsamic Extraction

It was visually more appealing, and I loved the clean flavors of the pesto with the ravioli. I really need to recreate that tomato stew. It was so flavorful, but not overpowering. Even though both dishes were spectacular, Doug’s choice was a better dish. :) Oh, and don’t ya just love the shadow of Doug’s arm across the plate? I told you we’re not great at food photography. Sorry!

Bellagio Lunch Buffet

What’s a trip to Vegas without a trip to a buffet? :) This was the second day of our trip. You may be asking, where’s breakfast? Honestly, we had a Starbucks breakfast most days. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on breakfast. I would rather spend my money on lunch and dinner… Ok. So, I’ve never seen a buffet like the one at the Bellagio, and it was a little crowded, so I didn’t take a ton of pictures of the food in the service line.

This display case was in the middle of the dessert section of the buffet, and my photography does not come close to how fabulous these cakes were. Yes, the stack of boxes on the right was a CAKE.

What were some of our choices, you ask? Leg of lamb, seared flank steak, duck confit with an apricot glaze, buffalo sliders, sushi, stirfry, shrimp cocktail, spring rolls, artisan breads, salads, sauteed baby patty pan squash, marinated mushrooms, bbq ribs, fresh fruits, pastas and homemade raviolis with different sauces…

Oh, and the desserts! Oh, well, see for yourself!

Let’s see from the top left, that’s a cream puff, lemon tart, and an apple something or other – I can’t remember, and cheesecake. This was Doug’s dessert plate. Here’s mine:

The top one is chocolate pie. The red thingy is colored white chocolate. The bottom one is a chocolate hazelnut torte. I also had a little taste of some raspberry sorbet.

Wow, was I stuffed!

Mon Ami Gabi

We didn’t eat again until almost 11pm. We were pretty stuffed from too much food at the Bellagio. We visited Freemont street and saw the sights there, then stopped at this French bistro. It sits right in front of the Paris Las Vegas with a delightful view of the Bellagio water show. We didn’t have patio seats, but we could still hear the music and see the water from our table. :)

I know it’s not the best picture, but the white stuff is the water show. :)

This restaurant was decidedly more casual than some of the other restaurants we visited, but the food was outstanding. I had the Lemon Chicken Paillard with green beans and lemon butter.

The picture doesn’t do justice to the flavor. It was divine. Doug ordered the Pork Tenderloin with date-glazed bacon, mashed potatoes, and a port-wine cherry sauce.

So good! The bacon was so flavorful from the glaze. A taste of that with the mashed potatoes… oh my goodness… The only negative: I wish the greens on the plate had been dressed with some kind of vinaigrette.

Mesa Grill

Thursday, we ate at Mesa Grill, Bobby Flay’s restaurant. I’m glad that we went for lunch since we could actually afford the tasting menu for lunch. I’m sure we wouldn’t have done that for dinner. This was my favorite restaurant of the trip. Doug preferred Emeril’s so we’re calling it a tie. I took lots of pictures. :) Here we go!

This was my favorite selection from the bread basket. A cornbread muffin with blue and yellow cornmeals. A little spicy kick, but not too much.

Tomato Tortilla Soup. Nice and spicy, but not overwhelming. The heat was nicely balanced with some sweetness and some richness from the avocado. This was my appetizer on the tasting menu. Doug had something different:

A blue corn pancake with braised duck breast inside. The orange and green sauces on the plate were so flavorful and delicious.

The tasting menu offered two different entrees as well. Doug had the Buffalo burger, served with fries and jalapeno ketchup. Have you ever tried jalapeno ketchup? Oh, I need to figure out how to make some. It was really yummy.

And, my entree was this:

Oh. My. Goodness. Seared scallops with jalapeno pesto, guacamole and homemade tortilla chips. There are no words to describe how amazing this dish was. Wow. So. Good.

And dessert. Profiteroles. Banana ice cream inside. With crispy caramel-ly crunchies, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. What an awesome ending to an amazing meal!

It took almost two hours to eat lunch, so when we left we were definitely satisfied, but not feeling heavy at all. There was a nice 10 minutes or so between each course. It’s so nice to be able to slow down…

The Rest

Well, that’s the last of my food pictures. We also had some smoothies at Ben & Jerry’s. We had great fast food at In-N-Out Burger. We ate our last Vegas meal at the Hard Rock Cafe…

What a fun trip! We had a blast! :)

Our Vegas Vacation

2009-07-07T12:38:00.000-05:00

Doug has wanted to go to Las Vegas since we were married. We discussed it as an option for our honeymoon, but we chose New Orleans instead. So, Doug finally got to take me to Vegas for a few days in June. It was so nice to get away for a little while, especially without the kiddos. I love them, but a little break was nice. Check out some of our pictures!

View Full Album

The first day we were there, we watched Mystere, a Cirque du Soleil production at Treasure Island. We didn’t think it would be that far to walk since we could see Treasure Island from the New York New York, our hotel. It was THREE AND A HALF MILES!!! We were so exhausted when we got there. Once we picked up our tickets from the will call desk, we discovered the monorail. Monorail tickets were, by far, our best purchase of the trip. We went back to the hotel, had dinner (at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House – more on the food later) and then took the monorail back up to Treasure Island to see the show. The plot was a little strange, but it was an amazing show! Click here for a preview. By the time we made it back to our hotel, we had logged more than five miles, I’m sure. I should have brought a pedometer. :) And, since I have trouble sleeping on a plane, I had been awake for 21 hours. I was beyond exhausted.

On the second day, we slept in, had a Starbucks breakfast, and visited the Stratosphere, Paris Las Vegas and the Bellagio. We decided, after reaching the Stratosphere, that we didn’t really want to pay that much money to see Vegas during the daytime. Nighttime might have had another response, but it just didn’t justify the price of the elevator ride. Neither of us had any intention of riding the rides up there. So, we left. We walked back to the Sahara, through the casino to the monorail station, and then rode the monorail back to the Paris Las Vegas. We found some fun shops inside Paris. I got some new bracelets (3 for $20!!), and then we went to the Bellagio for lunch. The buffet is pricy, but it was outstanding. After lunch, we played at M&M’s world, bought a bunch of stuff there and then went back to the hotel for a nap. Wednesday night, we took a bus to Fremont street to see the light show there. We got there too early, though, and since we still weren’t hungry, we just had some Starbucks and listened to some live music before the show started. The light show was great! They did “Bad to the Bone” first, and then about 20 minutes later, they did “American Pie.” When we were done on Fremont Street, we took the bus back down to the Strip, and had a very late dinner at Mon Ami Gabi, a French restaurant in front of Paris. We wanted to sit on the patio, but there were no tables there, so we were just slightly indoors. We had an amazing meal and and pretty good view of the Bellagio water show. What a fun day! Oh, and on our way back to the monorail station, we saw this:

Only in Vegas!! :) Apparently, it’s a crane game for dinner. For only $4 per attempt, you can try to catch your own lobster. If you catch one, the restaurant will cook it up for free. I wonder if the odds are better here than in the casino. :)

Thursday, after riding the roller coaster at our hotel (yes, I even rode it), we visited Caesar’s Palace. We ate at Mesa Grill, the Las Vegas incarnation of Bobby Flay’s popular New York restaurant. Wow the food was good! We can’t decide between us if we preferred Emeril’s or Bobby Flay’s restaurant better, so we’re calling it a tie. They were both amazing! :) We picked up a rental car in the evening, and we watched a variety show called V. We felt a little ripped off when the show was over. It wasn’t a horrible show, but it wasn’t worth the price. The juggler was pretty awesome, but you can see most of his stuff on YouTube for free. After the show, we had a fabulous fast food dinner here:

We checked out of the hotel early on Friday morning and drove our rental car, a red Ford Mustang, to the temple. It was so nice to get away from all the filth on the Strip and enjoy the spirit of the temple. We did a session and then drove around North Las Vegas for a little while. Doug was born in Las Vegas, and he lived there until the sixth grade, so we found the houses that he lived in. Here’s the first one, 1901 Bassler street:This neighborhood was SCARY! And it was still not even noon. I can’t believe that my husband walked to school in this neighborhood when he was in kindergarten! Yikes!!

They moved to this house when Doug was in the fifth grade: It was hard to get a good picture because of all the vehicles parked in front of the house. There were at least four cars. Apparently, the cars make a great fence for the playground in the front yard? I know. I’m confused too. I’m told that the backyard WAS just fine.

We made our way back toward the airport, had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and then went to return our rental car.

Did I mention that Doug was so thrilled to be driving a mustang? He was almost giddy he was so excited. We gassed up at a 7-eleven, and then the lovely mustang would not giddy up. It would start, then sputter and die. So, we called the rental car people. They called a tow truck. We were less than a mile from the rental car return facility. But they told us that it would be 45 minutes for the tow truck to arrive. We had been planning on arriving to the airport early… We were having a pleasant, leisurely kind of day. That instantly changed. Would we make our flight on time? We still had to wait for the tow, return the car to the rental car people, wait for the shuttle bus to the airport, get through airport security, and find our gate. It was looking like we wouldn’t make it. The tow truck didn’t take 45 minutes. It was more like 15 minutes. So, he dropped us off at the door, we grabbed our bags, and we made our way to the counter to finalize the rental. We had to wait until they checked out the car to make sure that it wasn’t our fault that it was broken… Anyway, we made it to the airport with time to spare. :)

And it was so good to be home!!

Jared

2009-06-26T10:23:00.001-05:00

Jared graduated from high school! I was a senior when he was in kindergarten, so I’m feeling a little old, but I’m really proud of my baby brother. He’s accomplished lots of fun and impressive things in high school, and I’m excited to see what the future brings for him.

It was also fun to see Carl for a little while. He came to visit for a few days for Jared’s graduation, and he took a bunch of great pictures with his fancy camera. It was fun to chat with him and catch up. He needs to visit more often, or better yet, move back to Texas! :) Here’s a picture Carl took of Tanner. I love it!

OK. And, because I’m WAY behind on my blog, it has taken me a month to blog about Jared’s graduation, and now, today is his birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JARED!! I think he’s pretty stoked to be 18. I was too when I turned 18, but I think I sighed a deep sigh of relief when that year was over. It was one of the hardest, if not THE hardest year of my life.

Jared is leaving in a few weeks to attend BYU. He’s going up a little early to start his job, which is basically Carl’s old job, working in the IT department at the Y. His boss is Michael Ralls, a guy my family has known forever, whom I dated when I was 17-18. It’s good to have connections. :)

I hope Jared enjoys college life and all the new adventures that come with the freedom of living on his own. Jared has had it pretty easy at home, so I think he might be in for a bit of a wakeup call when he realizes what real life is all about. But wasn’t it a little shocking for all of us? :)

Jared, I’m proud of you and the great person that you’ve become. I hope your birthday is great, and I hope that you succeed in your future, just as you have in your past! I love you, bro!

Camp and the Camera

2009-06-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

I got a new camera within the last year. Nothing too fancy, just a decent point and shoot with a nice big display screen. Well, apparently, that camera cannot handle any moisture at all. I had it in my bag at Sea World, and it got too close to a damp towel, or something, because it just quit working. It wouldn’t even turn on. So sad. It was a good camera. Did I mention that this happened about ten days before I left for Girls Camp? Yep. I didn’t have a camera to take to camp. My friend Esther loaned me a camera (thanks, Esther!!), but I didn’t really know how to play with the settings, and I had so much going on while at camp, that I just didn’t take any pictures at all. Thankfully, there were others that got some pictures. I hope they share! (hint, hint!)

The Monday before camp started, I hurt my back again. I was drying my hair with a towel, and my back just gave out. I’m lucky I caught myself, because I almost fell. And I was in so much pain! I’ve been visiting a chiropractor several times a week since April, so I called the office and told them that I needed to come in. I went to the chiropractor twice a day all week before camp. I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to go to camp or that I would be in a lot of pain when I was there. I borrowed Mom’s back brace to take with me just in case. I used it once, and only because I was hurting a little bit and didn’t want it to get worse.

Camp was a blast! The girls in my ward are awesome. I think this is amazing: I took 14 girls to camp, and they all get along pretty well. We had so much fun together, and I loved getting to know the girls a little better. :) We had great devotionals. We played fun games. I hope all the girls had as much fun as I did! :)

Timmy’s new favorite snack:

2009-05-22T09:10:00.000-05:00

Ants on a Log. And he makes it by himself! That’s just awesome. :)

He loves to help…

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and I don’t complain.