Reflections . . .

KITCHEN - before

2012-01-01T18:38:00.000-06:00

NEW KITCHEN!

2012-01-01T18:26:00.000-06:00

Contracted Work:

Demo of walls, ceiling, & cabinets
Installation of sheetrock (mud, tape, & texture)
Installation of Rock Veneer in Living Room
All Electrical Work
Cabinet Installation
Countertop and Sink Installation
Staining and Sealing of Concrete Floors

DIY Work:

Removal of old tiles, linoleum, and glue from floor
Paint walls and ceiling
Plumbing
Gas line for stove
Backsplash (install, grout, & seal)
Paint and install pantry cabinets
Install sliding shelves
Sew curtains
Stencil rug
Create shelves over microwave
Trim out chalkboard

KITCHEN - the process

2012-01-01T17:45:00.001-06:00

LAUNDRY/PANTRY - before/during/after

2011-12-31T10:53:00.001-06:00

BEFORE

The pantry was a narrow space bewteen the kitchen and the living room.

One of our main concerns was the pipe in the pantry that was half buried in the concrete foundation. The pipe was located in the middle of our new kitchen design.

Our old laundry room was a disorganized waste of space.

DURING

AFTER

The taller wall cabinets were the unfinished stock cabinets from Lowes that I painted. The countertop and smaller cabinet were saved from the original kitchen.

I bought the pull out shelves from an online company. There is now plenty of room for our storage.

The other side of the pantry/laundry room. The shelves aboce the washer and dryer are from the old pantry. The hotwater closet is made from reclaimed wood.

LIVING ROOM - the process

2011-12-31T10:18:00.000-06:00

We began actual construction October 10, and we finished 6 weeks later (the week before Thanksgiving). The major changes to the living room were:

scraping the popcorn texture off the ceiling
make the entry to the kitchen wider
create a pass through to the kitchen
rock the wall for the new placement of the wood burning stove
fix the non-working electrical plugs and switches
paint ceiling and walls

This is how we lived in our living space for 6 weeks.

LIVING ROOM - before and after

2011-12-31T09:53:00.000-06:00

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

FRONT PORCH

2011-12-28T16:18:00.006-06:00

I redid the entry way to our front door. We had a tree in the front yard that had died a couple of year earlier, and a flower box in front of our door that never got used. The brick flower box was always in the way when coming in and out the front door.

BEFORE

AFTER

Robert removed the dead tree and replaced the screen door. Jacob made an address for me from his laser cutter.

I painted the front door brick red, and remortered the brick to leave a smaller planter. The entry feels so much more welcoming now.

SANDBOX

2011-12-28T15:59:00.009-06:00

This summer I decided to make a sandbox around the large mulberry tree in the backyard. Not much grass will grow under the tree because of the shade and the dogs. I still need to find some sort of material for the dirt part of my yard.

Of course, a sandbox is no fun without children. Hudson and the great niece and nephews broke it in when they came to visit at Thanksgiving.

Braydon - "This is the coolest sandbox ever!"

Later that day - "The sandbox is cool, but this tree is WAY cooler!"

What can I say, Braydon. I can not compete with Mother Nature.

THE EXTRA BEDROOMS

2011-12-28T15:11:00.008-06:00

In a post I made back on 3-22-2010, I showed the guest bedroom make over. Here is a before and after shot as a reminder.

BEFORE

AFTER

I never followed up on the office/3rd bedroom that we have. I still have not finished this bedroom because I am not sure what color to paint the walls.

Here is the office BEFORE I switched out the beds. (You can see the shelving material stored on the floor.)

Here is how it currently looks. I added a pop-up trundle I found on craigslist so the kids would have more places to sleep when they all come for a visit.

I did frame the kid's artwork. If you look closely, you can see some color samples painted on a board on the floor behind the weights. I was thinking of painting the room some shade of gray, but I haven't completely decided what to do.

SHELVES

2011-12-28T14:23:00.012-06:00

In a blog I wrote on 3-23-2010, I showed pictures of upcoming projects. One of these projects was the built-in bookcases in the living room. Below is the finished product! We finished the shelves in the summer of 2010.

Below is the BEFORE shot of the wall. One of the main reasons I wanted shelves by the door is so the table would not become to catch-all for everything that comes through the front door. I wish I could say that the shelves have solved my problem, but sadly my table still looks like this most of the time.

I found a place in Ft Worth that sold a variety of plywoods. I liked the Knotty Alder because the natural look. Robert and I picked up the wood on a trip to see the kids.

I tried several stains, but in the end I chose the natural look and sealed it with several layers of polyrethane.

THE DOORS

2011-12-28T13:09:00.021-06:00

The idea of renovating our living space began with replacing the door that led to the back porch. There were several problems with the French doors. First of all, they were taking up precious wall space in the laundry room where I wanted to put a pantry. Second and more importantly, you had to go through the laundry room (which was usually in a state of mayhem) to get to the back porch.

The solution was to replace the laundry room French doors with a plain steel door, and add a door with a view to the kitchen where there was a window.

We adding Duet 6:3 to the header as a reminder of everything the Lord has blessed us with. This was to be covered up with drywall as the kitchen was finished. We ended up at a standstill at this point because:

1. We wanted to be sure we had the money to complete a kitchen overhaul.

2. We were scared to death of what we might find when we began opening up wall.

3. I was concerned our marriage might not survive the make-over. Robert and I put in the doors ourselves. And we basicly disagreed with HOW to do everything.

The kitchen and laundry room walls stayed in the following condition for two years. (This project was actually done Spring Break 2009.)

We did complete the outside of the doors. One of the problems we ran into was having enough of the original steel siding. We created a built-in fire box to conceal the problem.

The finished porch. Robert and I had actually overhauled the backporch in 2008 with new decking, covered columns, and a better drainage system

2011 - The Year of New Beginnings

2011-12-28T13:02:00.002-06:00

My daughter asked me today what my New Year Resolutions were for 2012. Funny, I haven't even had a chance to think about the upcoming year because I was very busy in 2011 finishing up some much desired goals that I have had for many years.

2011 has been filled with many renovation projects. I have somewhat documented some of our projects, but have been too busy to actually post them. So the next few post will be an attempted to recapture 2011.

Hudson's Quilt - Finished!

2011-01-04T11:25:00.008-06:00

HUDSON'S QUILT (day 1 and 2)

2011-01-02T13:30:00.010-06:00

I started making Hudson a quilt during my Christmas break. Here is my progress after two days.

I only have the top pieced together, but as they say ... It is not a quilt until it is quilted. I am hand quilting it because I am having serious issues with my sewing machine. I will post pictures after I have finished quilting and binding it together.

LAST NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS

2010-11-06T11:48:00.010-05:00

On the last night of our stay, we bought $20 tickets in the nose bleed section to watch an NBA game. New Orleans Hornets vs. Colorado Nuggets. Biggest lesson learned - unless you are a devoted fan, always choose the home team to cheer for. I decided to be a rebel and go for the Nuggets. You get a lot of dirty looks when you hoot and hollar at the wrong time. Then, when the home team starts to win in the end, you can't even join in all the fiestivies because now you are a turn coat. Very complicated and probably why I don't watch much sporting events. Even still, I still had a blast.

SUPERDOME & THE NEW ORLEANS ARENA

ENTERTAINMENT - Part 2

2010-11-05T20:55:00.010-05:00

THE BAYOU CLUB - notice the first game of the world series on the TV

Texas was up two at this point, then came the bottom of the 5th.

ALEIDA'S BIRTHDAY PRESENT

We finally got Melody up to play for the crowd. I was actually the first one up to play the washboard. Luck for me, it was before the cameras came out.

Out to save the lost souls on Bourbon Street

ENTERTAINMENT - Part 1

2010-11-05T20:19:00.009-05:00

The taxi driver turned off his meter and gave us a free 15 minute ride around town in search of his true love. He had met this woman online and had never seen her face to face. She was in town with her job with Homeland Security. She was on a city tour bus, and she kept calling his cell to say she was at this place or another. He had bought I rose to give to her, but alas, he never did find her. He was heartbroken, and we were entertained.

Upper Wards

2010-11-04T19:30:00.011-05:00

New Orleans is divided into wards or voting districts. The pictures in the previous post were taken in the lower wards where the recovery process from Katrina is slow and depressing. Most of the following pictures were taken in the upper wards. The restoration and repopulation of these areas are at 90%+ pre-Katrina.

The houses in the pictures are of "famous people", but for the life of me, I don't know what house belongs to which person. The bus driver would say, "There is a home that belongs to _____ coming up on the right. Get your cameras ready for a perfect photographic opportunity." So being the all out tourist that I was, I did what he said. Some of the celebrities that own homes in New Orleans are Sandra Bollock, Pete Manning, Nicholas Cage, Anne Rice, Fats Domino, and of course Brad Pitt.

The best homes of the celebrities were the ones I couldn't get a picture of because they were on the LEFT side of the bus. Brad Pitt owns a pink home one block off of Decater St. I got the adress so I could return later. I don't think the bus driver was too hip on Angelia Jolie according to his comments. I got the address so I could return later. My plan was to tell Brad I was the cleaning service, or better yet, a masseuse.

Anne Rice's home fit her personality the best. It had old twisting oak trees with Spanish moss hanging everywhere. There were vines woven through the wrought iron balconies. Fats Domino's home was in an area that had been badly damage by the storm. It was small and flashy - painted yellow and black with large initials "FD" on the side of the house. He decided not to evacuate during the storm because of his wifes bad health, so he was rescued by helicoper after the storm did its damage.

CALLIER - famous New Orleans architect's tomb

I don't really know who he is - but maybe Jacob does.

KATRINA

2010-11-03T19:05:00.014-05:00

On the city tour, we had a chance to see the part of the city that was most devastated by Katrina in 2005. The bus driver is a native to New Orleans, and was one of the many who choose to stay behind instead of evacuating. Because he was a bus driver, he helped many of the elderly residence move to higher ground before the levees broke. He is also an artist, and he lost most of his work to the flood.

The holes in the roofs were made by the home owners after the flood. They would climb to the roof to wait for the rescue workers. The numbers on the front of the homes were a way of marking which homes had been checked, and how many occupants were still inside (some said things like "one yellow cat"). Even five years later, about 50%+ of the houses in this area still have the numbers on the outside and are abandoned. The third picture shows that many of the people are still living in the FEMA trailers.

Look closely at the next picture and you will see just a door standing. Most of the homes within the first five blocks of the broken levee were completely wiped away. The second picture shows just the steps. The bridge is the distance of the levee that broke.

KATRINA MONUMENT - shows the rising water level and the frame of a home

MUSICIANS' VILLAGE

80 homes built for musicians in the area. The homes are sponsored by a corporation or a family ($75,000). The new owners are given an interest free loan and pay payment of about $550 a month. The money is then used to build other Habitat homes in the area.

BRAD PITT'S ORGANIZATION "MAKE IT RIGHT 9 HELPING TO REBUILD NEW ORLEANS'S LOWER NINTH WARD"

50 homes designed by 21 architects. The architects' design was to be green, affordable, and durable. Most of the houses' electric bills are bewteen $8-$20 a month.

The new houses in these pictures are within sight of the levee that failed. I don't know about you, but I would have a hard time moving right back to the spot that had the worst destruction and flooding???

SPIRITUAL REALM

2010-11-02T18:50:00.011-05:00

Let me start by saying that we visited New Orleans during the weekend of Halloween. It was also during the VooDoo Festival. The first picture is of a "mock" voodoo alter that I saw on the city tour. The bus driver also drove us by an actual certified voodoo temple where a real priestess would do a reading for you. Later that night, we located the temple (set up just like any other tourist shop right off of Bourbin St.) because one of the teachers wanted a "real" voodoo doll. I stood across the street and refused to go in. There were dolls hanging all over the ceiling of the shop. The teacher changed her mind about buying anything after a tour of the place.

The LaLaurie Mansion - one of the MOST haunted places in the city.
(I think everything was haunted on some level.)

The following three pictures were taken inside the St. Louis Cemetery #3 (there are 42 cemeteries in all). New Orleans is below sea level so the caskets will float if they are buried below ground. If you family is well off, then they can purchase a tomb to bury their family members. Most tombs only hold one casket at a time. So when one person dies, the last person's remains are removed from their casket and placed at the back of the tomb while the next body is placed into the casket spot. It takes one year and one day before anyone's remains are composed enough to be moved. So what are you suppose to do if your uncle dies today, and you die tomorrow? Not to worry - your casket will be placed in one of the wall vaults around the perimeter of the cemetery until there is room for you. The wall vaults look like apartment buildings for the dead.

Jackson Square with St. Louis Cathedral in the background.

Saturday morning before we left (the morning I had the beignet) I talked to the sisters at the Cafe where they had just come from morning mass. They were teachers at the elementary school. The friend from New Orleans had gone to school at one of the Catholic schools in the area. After talking to the sisters, we went over to the Cathedral. Mass was over, but they were still chanting in the back. So Mom, I went in a knelt down to say a prayer for you.

New Orleans - ARTS DISTRICT

2010-11-01T18:48:00.012-05:00

We stayed in the Warehouse/Museum/Arts District two blocks from the river. There were murals painted on most of the buildings. The first two murals were inside the Embassy Suites where we stayed. This was the view just outside my room. My picture of the mural on the Holiday Inn does not do it justice. The clarinet looked 3D. Even the shadow is painted on so it seems as if it is not attached to the building at all.

This statue was another math lesson in proportionality. :)

The title of this figure was just called "Mother and Child". Someone please explain to me the signifigance of her standing on her poor husband???

Many artist would sit up their work and just paint all day. What a life!

I found the owner of this bug about a block away. He was wearing jeans so filled up with patches that you could not even see the jeans. I asked him if the bug down the street belonged to him (it had to). He told us that he was restoring the bug. My friend asked him if he was putting in a new engine because it was being pulled by a trailer. He said, "No, I am RESTORING it. It doesn't need an engine. That would mean I would have to buy tags and pay taxes."

NCTM Conference - THE FOOD

2010-10-31T18:50:00.011-05:00

I attended the NCTM Conference (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) this last week in New Orleans, LA with a group of middle school math teachers in the west Texas area. Although the conference itself was inspiring, I felt that I learned so much more about fine arts than math.

Besides attending the conference, we had a chance to:

eat some really good food
experience New Orleans night life
take a tour of the city
attend a Hornet's NBA game
see the distruction and rebuilding of the city caused by Katrina
eat some really good food
play some slots (a math lesson on probability)
see a lot of art
hear a lot of music
eat some really good food

I decided to break the trip up into categories, and post one each day this week.

Today, I will get the "eat some really good food" out of the way. I do not have tons of pictures of all of the food I ate because my fellow math teachers thought I was out of my mind every time I took a picture of my food. But I did get to eat jambalaya, shrimp gumbo, black beans and rice, and crawfish ettouffee. I did not find anyone who served boudin, so I am a little bummed about that.

The first night we ate at the Grand Isle Restaurant two blocks from our hotel. I had grilled blackened bass with steamed vegetables. Delicious!

The last morning before we left, I got up at 6:30 to go to The Cafe Du Monde on Decatur St. in the French Market. I went with a teacher who grew up in New Orleans. The Cafe was established in 1862, and serves Biegnets (French donuts) and beverages. That's it, just Biegnets and whatever you want to drink. The Biegnets reminded me of the homemade donuts my mom used to make. They were SO GOOD!!!

Upcoming Projects

2010-03-23T18:14:00.008-05:00

These chairs were a great bargain. I bought them at a second hand shop when I was visiting my mom at Thanksgiving for only $25.00 for the pair. I found the fabric I used to cover the seats at a Crate and Barrel outlet store when I went to Austin on a conference in February. The material was only $2.00 because it was the remnant off the end of the roll. The chairs are part of my new computer/workout/extra bedroom.

Robert and I are building built in shelves in the living room. The plywood that we are using is Knotty Alder and is extremely hard. It already did some serious damage to our table saw. But we finally have most of the cuts made. We just need to finish assembling all the bits and pieces, then stain and seal the wood. I am very happy with the way it is turning out.

Spring Break Project

2010-03-22T17:38:00.014-05:00

Robert and I finally decided to finish the tiling job we started 3 years ago. The only room not tiled was the guest bedroom. Well, before, it wasn't actually a guest bedroom at all. The room did not have a door and it was decorated with make shift book cases and plastic tubs of "stuff" that we have not found a place for.

Before:

I wish I had taken a picture before I moved everything out of the room, but you can still get an idea of the space from these pictures.

During:

Check list of jobs accomplished:
Remove boxes, books, weights, and furniture from the room
Remove base boards and trim
Remove and dispose of the carpet and padding
Remove and dispose of the old asbestos tiling under the carpet
Scrape up tar adhesive from the cement
Prime lemon yellow walls
Paint walls and trim
Cut and lay tiles
Grout tiles
Replace base boards
SHOP for new bed linens
Furnish room
Add door to room

After:

I think I will call it "The Bride's Room".

Something old: Most the furniture in the room is over 20 years old (each with its own special story that I will not bore you with)

Something new: paint, flooring, bedding plus the fact that the only thing that is the same about the before and after is the curtains.

Something borrowed: Corey's chair that she wants back. :0

Something blue: I haven't put in my blue item yet, but I do know what it is. My grandfather collected old bottles and glass. I have a beautiful cobalt blue piece from his collection that is in the shed that I haven't unpacked yet.

Faith of a Child

2010-01-07T06:28:00.001-06:00

Happy 27th Birthday!

If you know Jacob, then each of the photos above will no doubt bring a smile to your face. He still seems to have the same obsessions today. He has always had a never-ceasing glorious imagination.

I remember playing charades with the kids when they were very young. We would take turns acting out various animals. Not as easy as it may seem when you are playing with Jacob. A guess of a "snake" as he hissed and slithered on the ground was only considered a category. He was actually acting out a Reticulated Python from the jungles of Indonesia, which should have been obvious from Jacob's point of view.

Christmas time always resulted in a list to Santa of invented toys that were not even made in the real world. Just a word of warning to parents of children with overactive imaginations. You must be extremely careful with abtract ideas such as Santa and his magical elves.

But one of my favorite memories is of Jacob's fifth birthday. His only request was for it to snow on his special day. I told him that he would have to ask God for this gift because this one was out of my hands. And he did - And it did snow on his birthday. Well, it was more of a winter storm that hit a large section of east Texas. It covered the ground with 4 inches of sleet and ice causing havoc and chaos for his dad, the firefighter, as well as tens of thousands of others. But it only created awe and wonder in my own heart. This must be the type of faith that Jesus is speaking of in Matthew 18:3.

So, happy birthday Jacob, and may you never lose your sense of wonder or your ability to believe in what others can not even understand. You are amazing!

Love, MOM

Congratulations New Texas Tech Graduate!

2009-12-30T19:17:00.000-06:00

A beautiful spirit
Born to fly
The apple of her
Daddy's eye

Her daddy wanting
To protect her
From any peril
Or impending disaster

Her mom pushing for
Greater things
Wanting only the best
That life can bring

She could not wait
For Kindergarten
Fun and games
And other children

She made it though
The paste and glue
Flower projects, Research
Papers, and Algebra II

She started college
With a sigh
Hoping the years
Would not drag by

Now comes the road
That is unknown
Free to choose
Out on our own

So spread your wings
And enjoy your years
Challenge yourself
Overcome your fears

Be yourself
And always remember
You are special
And like no other

We love you,
MOM & DAD

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T20:21:00.008-06:00

I have decided that my holiday tradition is to be nontraditional. We never seem to do the same old thing the same old way.

This year, Robert, Corey, and I had a small Thanksgiving on Wednesday. The menu consisted of herb roasted turkey breast, fresh Bambi (Robert went hunting this past weekend), roasted vegetables, beer bread, pumpkin cheesecake, and Caribbean fudge pie. Corey and I then went on a walk around the big city of Wink. We ended the day with a tour of the Wink Sink Hole. (sorry Jacob that you had to miss this).

I am leaving tomorrow morning to travel to my mom's with my little bro, Daniel. Jacob, Laura, Heath, Christina, and Becky will all meet up on Saturday for the more traditional Thanksgiving. I am excited to get to see my sister because it seems like an eon since the last time we got together.

Here are some pics from today:

Before and After

2009-10-19T19:42:00.004-05:00

Robert had surgery today to remove some basal cell cancer from his nose. We were concerned about the extent of the cancer, so I thought I would show his before and after pictures. I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who was praying for him today. Please continue to pray that he will heal completely without any complications.

Before:After:

On a more serious note, Robert's surgery took most of the day. We left for Lubbock at 6:30 this morning. They began the Moh's procedure of removing a section at a time, then waiting about 45 minutes in between to biopsy the tissue. They took a section about the circumference of a thumbnail before leaving only good tissue. It then took another hour to make a skin graph from one part of his nose to fill the gap they created on the bridge. They then put a bandage they jokingly called a civil war bandage over his nose. His scar is about an inch long in the shape of the big dipper. His right eye is already swollen and black. He scared some poor kid on the elevator when we left the building without even trying! :)

He will go back next Monday to have the stitches removed. He is not suppose to bend or lift anything for the next 48 hours. The fact that he cracked two ribs on Tuesday might actually aid in the healing process since he is already having a hard time moving around. Thankfully, he does not have to be back at work until next Wednesday or Thursday. He is planning on going hunting this weekend with Jacob. If he behaves himself, he should be just fine by Saturday.

WELCOME

2009-10-18T20:44:00.006-05:00

Congratulation Carra on the arrival of your beautiful baby girl.

Bleven Riley Haynes
Born Thursday, October 15, 2009

Bleven giving the peace sign. She has the longest fingers and toes ever ---just like her momma.

On another note, I wanted to post a video of Sassy playing with Rocket for Heath and Christina. I know they miss her very much, but she is enjoying her visit. Just a few more weeks and they will be out of the military. YEAH!!!!

Family Gatherings

2009-09-20T16:50:00.006-05:00

Robert and I have spent the last two weekends with the extended Haynes family. We took Wanda out for her birthday on September 11, and then Carra had her baby shower Saturday September 12.

Then Braydon celebrated his 3rd birthday this weekend. I love this video! He wanted to lick the cake. I don't know if you can hear him or not but he said ," I don't have anything in my mouth." because he was afraid that he would get in trouble. So, yeah, that was Aunt Karen giving him permission to do what he wanted to with HIS birthday cake!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

2009-09-07T17:30:00.017-05:00

I had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Jacob and Laura drove in Friday night and got up way too early on Saturday to go to work with Robert. You can see the full moon in the photo. I slept in!!!! Robert, Jacob, and Laura got in some target practice for an upcoming Muzzleloading hunt.

Corey drove in from Lubbock Saturday afternoon. We cooked the Redfish that Robert and I caught on the coast back in May. (YUM) Then we had steak and potatoes the next night. We always have plenty of good food when the kids come home. Corey made tres leche cake and some awesome chocolate cookies over the weekend. I probably will not eat for the next two weeks!!!!

We (minus Robert) packed a lunch and went on a day trip to Fort Davis. The weather was perfect (75-80). We went to a picnic spot that Wanda and CA took the kids to all the time when they were little and climbed granite boulders.

I am not as graceful as I once was, lol

Jacob was so happy to climb to the top because he was never allowed to when he went with his Gran and Grandad.

We just hung out at the Wink Park that evening with the dogs. Overall, we just relaxed.
I can not even begin to explain the feeling of having my kids visit. It feels me with an unmatched satisfaction that nothing else can match. They all make me very proud.

I did miss seeing Heath and Christina, but God willing, they will be moving back to Texas in a few short months. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin a new chapter in their lives as Heath leaves the military world and enters the civilian world.

New School Year

2009-08-24T18:29:00.013-05:00

Today is the first day of class for the 2009-2010 school year. I thought I would start the year off on a positive note by listing the reasons I love being a teacher.

Being around children keeps me young at heart
It helps develop a great sense of humor
My students always teach me more than I teach them
HUGS
I love a challenge --- and the thrill of victory
My students do not complain when I sing off key, or act crazy, or wear mismatched shoes...
If you have a bad year, you can look forward to a "do over" the next year

y

I love this pen! it laughs when you hit it on the head.

My collection of stress balls for my students and me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA

2009-07-31T08:56:00.001-05:00

Today is my daughter-in-law's birthday. I don't know about everyone reading this blog - but have you noticed all the birthdays we celebrate in the summer in my family?

Laura has been a part of our lives now for 6 years. She met Jacob when they both were working at the Riverbend Baptist Camp. They have been married for the last two years. I don't think I would describe Laura's first impression of Jacob's family as shock. It was more of a slow immersion of acceptance (or tolerance) on her part. Kind of like someone easing into the cold water instead of jumping in head first. I mean, she didn't even flinch this year when Robert gave her a muzzle loader as a graduation present in May. Wow! What a trooper she is!

Happy Birthday Laura and thanks for everything you bring to our family!

Walk Down Memory Lane

2009-07-19T19:30:00.020-05:00

Robert and I celebrated our 27th year of marriage this month. The above picture taken by Brian Franklin shows that I am still am deeply in love with Robert after all this time. I went through our pictures and tried to put them in chronological order. I used two things to help me. Number one: the place we were living, because we have moved more than our fair share. Number two: the length of Robert's mustache - notice how it seems to get longer with age.

In Good Hands

2009-06-21T07:22:00.001-05:00

Happy 24th Birthday Heath

We were living in Mt Pleasant and in the process of moving to Comstock when this picture was taken. Robert had gone ahead of us to start a new job leaving myself and the kids behind to pack up and sell the house.

Because this house was located right off the highway, I felt uneasy about being alone with three small children. I soon realized that I had no need to worry, when one night the dogs started barking outside. Before I knew what was happening, Heath jumped up off the couch, grabbed his toy rifle from the corner, and headed out the door to check things out! Even at three, he was ready to protect us against all odds.

Who could have known at that time that we all would trust him to protect us when he volunteered for the Marine Corps. Many people have asked me how I could sleep at night when he was in Afghanistan. It was not always easy, but I would remind myself that I was in good hands.

"Courage, above all things is the first quality of a warrior."
Karl von Clausewitz

Happy B-day Ma

2009-06-16T18:51:00.001-05:00

I love this picture of my mom.

When I think of birthdays and Mom, I immediately think about birthday cake and ice cream. Mom makes the best buttermilk pound cake ever. The texture is sinfully dense, and the crust that forms on the bottom is crunchy and sweet. Yummmmm!!! She also makes the best homemade vanilla ice cream on the planet. I love it when it first comes out of the ice cream machine, when it is semi-soft and melts the minute it touches your tongue.

If I could Mom, I would make both your buttermilk pound cake and homemade vanilla ice cream and send it in the mail to you for your birthday. But even if I hand delivered them to your doorstep, they still wouldn't be the same because you wouldn't have made them yourself.

Thanks for being my mom. Nobody but you can even begin to understand the magnitude of this statement. So, take it easy today --- and spurge on some cake and ice cream!!!

"I Told You So!"

2009-06-14T07:13:00.006-05:00

Twenty-one years ago today, I gave birth to a tiny adorable baby girl. After having two rambunctious sons, I was so excited to have a daughter!!!

But as much as I wanted her to be "sugar and spice and all things nice", she was into "frogs and snails and puppy dog tails. She pulled out all the bows I put in her hair. When I put a dress on her, she would hold it up over her head and scream.

When she was three, she told me that she was going to be a boy when she grew up. I tried to explain that God made her a girl. "Well", she said, "I was a boy when I was born, so why can't I be a boy when I grow up?" I asked her why she thought she was born a boy and she promptly brought me this picture from the dresser, and said, "SEE!"

Well, I could not convince her any different no matter how I tried.

So, I take great pleasure in saying, "I told you so Corey Lynn!" You are now all grown up and nobody will argue with the fact that you have become a beautiful, creative, intelligent, independent, opinionated woman!

But, to me, you will ALWAYS be my baby girl!

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday Christina

2009-06-08T14:11:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet daughter-in law, Christina, from the Georgia coast.

I still remember her first trip to Texas to meet the parents about 3 years ago.

I am not sure if she was more shocked by the barrenness of the West Texas landscape or the overbearingness of Heath's family. Kind of like a Blue Collar version of "The Family Stone". Except, of course, we think she is just perfect for Heath.

She definitely has a great sense of humor because she agreed to marry Heath two years ago EVEN after meeting the family.

Happy Birthday Christina!

We love you and appreciate all the love and laughter you bring to our clan.

ROBERT'S SURVIVAL OF HIS FIRST FIFTY YEARS

2009-06-07T16:55:00.021-05:00

Robert turned the big “5 – 0” this year. No one was as surprised as he was to actually make it to this milestone. He told me when we were married that he would not live past 30. This was probably one of the factors that helped me decide to marry him. He was 23 at the time, so I figured I would only have to put up with him for a maximum of seven years. The little trickster.

On the first weekend in May, I rented the Wink Community Center and invited some of our close friends and family. His brother Mark smoked some brisket and BBQ some chicken. Everyone else brought a side dish.

Now anyone who knows Robert should understand how HARD it is to keep a secret from him. He is so nosey, I mean observant, that it was nearly impossible to pull this off. We scheduled the party for 3:00 in the afternoon because Robert had to work on this Saturday. He got off work early and decided to drive around town to see what was going instead of heading for home like he should have done. So of course he spoiled his own surprise.

But, I had an even better surprise waiting for him. Corey had spent the spring semester in Spain through a Texas Tech program, and had been abroad since January. She was not scheduled to come home until the middle May. We flew her in early. Jacob & Laura picked her up in Dallas earlier in the week, and drove her down to Wink for the weekend. He was so happy to see her that he almost cried.

He told me a week before that all he really wanted for his birthday was for Corey to be back home safe and sound. Well, what do you know? I finally got him a present he actually wanted!!!

Stalker or Social Networker ???

2009-06-06T11:55:00.007-05:00

Okay, I admit it – I’m a stalker. I check on my friends and family daily via their social netting working sites.

Now I admit that I generally against the idea of putting yourself out there in cyberspace. I remember when Instant Messaging was new – and strongly discouraging my kids from talking to strangers online. I will not even play online games because I am afraid of who I am playing with. I am probably more scared of what they will think of my playing skills. But, why should I??? I mean, they don’t even know me – right? Here is the problem – whether they know you are not, they are REAL people. Why would you want to let a complete stranger judge you?

So why am I so obsessed with checking up on my family (mainly my kids)? It’s about change. You either have to keep up with the world, or let the world pass you by. I am pretty sure that the majority of my kids already think the later. The ever evolving cyber world is their mode of communication, so I choose to keep informed.

I have invested so much of my life into raising my children to become happy, healthy, & independent adults. I just want to see where my investment leads. When I get a glimpse into their world, I feel like a stock broker whose stock just shot through the ceiling. “For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34)

So, yeah, call me a stalker – or just call me a parent. Either way, I am unabashed and will not apologize for the honor of either title.