Broken Holidays~~

I know that sounds like a REALLY bad title but it's not all so desperate. Just wanted to explain why I haven't had any photos up lately~~I dropped my camera and broke my fabulous Nikon lens! :( I didn't drop it hard, just a little slip and tap and boom....the zoom and focus are broken. I'm waiting to find out where to take it to have it fixed before Christmas. I really wanted to take photos of my decorations for you all. But at least I'm pretty sure that will be the last in a long string of bad luck lately. Let's see...first our air conditioning broke a few months ago (when it was still VERY hot here in Texas), then our Thermador oven broke, then my television bulb busted, and now my camera! LOL Well, it's really no laughing matter but what's a girl gonna do? It tis vat it tis!

So I'll try to keep you all occupied with lots of reviews and raves until I get my camera back up and running or maybe I'll try out the little pocket camera I bought my daughter for her youth group trip a few months ago!! I'm also toying with the idea of putting on vlogs...video blog posts....what do you think? Yeah~~that's the ticket!

Happy Birthday Kyla the Super Sheltie!!

Few things in life bring more joy than the unconditional love of a family dog!! Anyone who has a treasured dog in their life will agree. Our baby girl, Kyla, is all grown up now! Today is her 7th Birthday! Kyla is a Sheltie and is our 3rd child, no doubt!

7 years ago, when we decided to get a dog, I started researching breeds. I went all over the internet learning the different characteristics of breeds. I went to dog shows and spoke with the owners of all the breeds we were considering: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Pomeranians, and Papillons. My husband wanted big and my little girl wanted small. I wanted something that would train easily, be small enough so we could cuddle with it but big enough so it wouldn't get broken easily with young children around! I didn't want a big slobbering mess that would attack other animals as they walked by and I wanted something that wouldn't shed too much to be an indoor pet. Every single person I spoke with said, "SHELTIE SHELTIE SHELTIE!" And oh my gosh, were they right. Kyla is what we lovingly call a "Puppa Person" She's SO smart and full of personality that we know if she had the vocal cords to do so, she would have intelligent conversations with us! LOL She LOVES to snuggle into my neck and under our legs in bed....she's a hugger!

So, Happy Birthday Kyla!! You brings us so much joy!! I love you~~~

Mommy

Key Largo! Montego!! Baby Why Don't We Go?

I'm so happy that summer is approaching!! I've begun looking online for a beach destination to go for a short trip with my hubby for some MUCH needed R&R. I'm looking at St Lucia's Ladera, The Bahamas One & Only Club, and Grand Cayman's Ritz Carlton. We really wanted to return to Turks & Caicos but for some reason the flights are all looking really long and difficult. I was flipping through photos of a family trip we took a few years ago to the Bahamas. We went out at dusk to try and get a good family photo for our Christmas cards. I'm glad we did because it's so fun to see how much the girls have grown in just a few short years. This was before my eldest had her braces!! We're all a little sweaty, wind blown, and sunburned but I love these shots anyway!

Then I always love to capture a few photos of the island ~~ here are a few shots of the landscape.

While we were relaxing on a beach one day, I came across these adorable local children taking out their homemade boat!! I loved capturing their excitement!! What a gift a camera can be~~I'll be able to remember these sweet kids forever now!

Where do you like to vacation for relaxation?? I'd love to know! XOXO

Meet Bob

Meet Bob. Bob was being used by a group of young boys as a football last week when my youngest daughter caught eye of the inhumane games and rescued our little friend here. After quite an exhilarating bicycle ride home, Bob remained tucked into the safety of his shell for quite awhile. We decided to leave him in our back yard to let him calm down a little but and when we returned to check on him, he had traveled all the way across our big yard! It was good to see he hadn't suffered any injuries. We kept Bob for just that one night and then decided to free him in a neighborhood pond where we'd seen many of "his kind" living together harmoniously. We drove to the pond, set him down right at the edge and waited. It took Bob about 3 seconds to jet his head out of his shell, LEAP into the pond, and swim away at the speed of a motor boat! I've never seen a turtle so happy! It was fun to see. So this weekend we had "Free Bob" day here at our home. And as much as I know my little one gets attached to these little critter she rescues and releases...I also know she's excited to see them back in nature. She's got a big heart, that one. :)

Pure Fashion

I'm off this morning to go visit my good friend, Brenda Sharman, as she directs a Pure Fashion show in Houston, Texas. Brenda & I met at Miss USA years ago. (she was Miss Georgia & I was Miss Texas) We formed a lasting friendship & I'm so proud to share with you this wonderful organization she founded. Take a look at the video on YouTube to learn more about Pure Fashion. She has dedicated herself to traveling the country helping girls claim their dignity and purity and to see themselves as virtuous children of God.

Here's a bit of info about the program from their website: "Pure Fashion is a faith-based program that encourages teen girls to live, act, and dress in accordance with their dignity as children of God. Pure Fashion focuses on guiding young women ages 14 to 18 to become confident, competent leaders who live the virtues of modesty and purity in their schools and communities. Through an eight month Model Training Program that covers public speaking, manners and social graces, hair and make up artistry, personal presentation, and much more, Pure Fashion models learn the importance of living a life in accordance with God’s will and fostering a life of grace through purity of heart, mind, and body. The Pure Fashion program culminates in a city-wide fashion show!"

Check it out and share with your friends who have daughters! I'm sure there's a Pure Fashion team in a city near them!

Click here: YouTube - ENG Pure Fashion - A Celebration of Style and Virtue

Turtle Time!!

After stuffing ourselves on Easter, my little girl & I decided to take a walk to get a little post dinner exercise.  As we walked, we came across a baby turtle on a neighbors driveway.  The little gal (we think) was all dried up and crusty and couldn't move~~we both actually thought she might be dead, but being the optimist that  my daughter is, she scooped her up and ran all the way home to get her into some water.  After a few minutes she slowly started to come to life.  My daughter's been asking for a turtle for a long time so, of course, she saw this as an opportunity for a new pet!  She aptly named her "Shelly."  I mean really, how cute is that?!  So after calling the Texas Turtle & Tortoise Conservation folks to get scoop on how to care for little Shelly, we've got her tucked away in a little Tupperware bin filled with water, rocks, turtle food, and leaves.  They explained that due to the water draught here in Texas, the mama turtles are laying their eggs in people's yards and then wandering off to find water.  The babies hatch and then take off looking for mama and water, and then when they can't find either, they die.  So little Shelly is one of the lucky ones as she was found and saved!!  Turns out Shelly is a Snapping turtle...not the best to keep as a pet, so we'll be taking her to the Nature Conservatory that has offered to give her a safe home, in a few weeks.  But for now, my little one is loving her temporary friend, checking out turtle books at the library and becoming quite the little turtle expert!  You never know what a little walk in the neighborhood will bring! 

Hippity Hoppity!

Easter is tomorrow and my little girl asked me last night why the Easter Bunny hasn't brought her the little sugar eggs you can look into for the past few years!?  Yikes!!  I don't remember where I found them?? I'm on the hunt now!!  My house is all decorated but I need to stuff the eggs for the hunt in the morning!  I'm making an English Trifle to take to my sister in laws house!  If it turns out to be fabulous I'll take photos and add the recipe for you!!  Happy Easter!

Is It Just Me?

Why is it that every time that a school break is over, I miss my kids? I know it sounds strange but I actually love the hustle & bustle of when they're home & the house is buzzing with energy!! Today they both went back after a week off & I miss them! The house is eerily quiet. I've got Kyla the Super Sheltie at my side, a little bowl of Kashi Go cereal here to comfort me & I'm deciding how best to plug along with my day. Lets' see~I've got an arms length list of things to do, errands to run, things to return, phone calls to make, tasks to complete, and plans to make but it's just too quiet here. It's weird~I know! I had SO MUCH FUN with my little one last week while my older daughter was off on a mission trip. We went to the Zoo, the MFA, a horseback riding stable we've been wanting to try...we had a girl's lunch out several times, we had a mani/pedi at Bora Bora Nail Spa...it was a blast! My little one is such an easy hang! She's always a go~with~the~flow kinda gal full of jokes & entertaining comments that throw us into fits of laughter!! I mean it...she's a HOOT!
I also know that with school back in session, comes the stress that will certainly rear it's nasty head within a day or 2 for my high schooler...and I'm not joking when I mean STRESS! GPA, Class Ranks, tests, mean teachers, girls drama~~who needs it? These are days I wish I was among the brave souls who opt to homeschool! But that's for another blog post~we'll go there later. :)
Oh well...this is where blogging & nice music or the television come in handy. Is Kathy Lee back from vacation yet?? The Today Show last week was a mess! But I digress~~I guess this is all part of the empty nest syndrome that begins to happen over the course of many years. OK...I'm putting my big girls pants back on. It's OK...I'm OK! Enjoy your day!!

Daily Crush~~Charades!

Since my older daughter has been out of town on a mission trip this week, I've had so much fun bonding with with my littlest angel!  Last night just as I was trying to get her to sleep, she jumped up out of bed with big, wide excited eyes, and said "Let's Play Charades!"  How could I say no?  She wanted to play charades before bed & you know what?  We had the MOST hilarious time trying to figure out each other's books/movies!  The craziest thing was realizing the generation gap...half of my ideas like "Gone With The Wind" (who knew our kids have never heard of Gone With The Wind?) were things she's never heard of!!  And her movies were mostly from the Disney Channel, which of course, I've never heard of!  But to try and figure out just what each other was miming out for the other, was down right, roll~on~the~floor hilarious!
I don't suggest playing right before bed though, as she had a tough time calming down to get to sleep after 15 minutes of charades!  So there you have my daily crush~~a knee slapping game of Charades with the kids!  Give it a try!  :)

Tears of joy in my little girls eyes!

Last week we surprised Chloe with a piano! It's been a dream for many years to have a piano in our home.  I researched and shopped around and found a gorgeous Weber WG-60 6'1'" grand.  It's stunning and sounds so beautiful as she plays.  I'm looking forward to many years of music filling our home!
Here's video of her big surprise~~she's hobbling because she hurt her foot just a few days prior, but she's healed now, so it's all good~~

Growing Pains

Ahh..the last day of school. I remember the good old days when this was a day of excitement and anticipation for the lazy days of summer. But this morning I find myself feeling very melancholy. We've just moved, which means my little one will have to move schools again next year. The 3rd school in 3 years for her. There are times when probably every parent wonders just how much damage they do their children over the course of the 18 or so years we have them at home and today is one of those days. As she walked into her cute little no fuss public school classroom this morning, all her little friends gathered around her with arms stretched open and embraced her with "We're going to miss you, Chloe!" Apparently, word got out that she's not returning. She had wanted to keep it quiet because there's one little special needs child in the class and she was concerned that her leaving would upset him too much. She asked me to keep it on the down low, that way next year Andrew would just think she's in the next classroom. That's my sweet hearted little girl. But today as her friends embraced her, she turned to me with a big smile and looked in my eyes, but all I could think about were her tears in bed lastnight as she thought about leaving all her new friends and starting over again. Oh man, this really sucks. I came straight home and emailed the principle in one last feeble attempt to be allowed to stay even though we've moved a big mile or 2 outside the school zone, and asked her if there are any teaching positions I could fill so she could stay. I'd do anything at this moment to make my little girl happy and keep her life consistent for a bit longer. But I know if my attemps fail, there are some silver linings that I'll grasp for and try to make the transition as upbeat as possible for her. These road bumps sure can feel like mountains at time. But as we all know, this too shall pass. We have them home for such a short time...it flies by. It's my job to take the stingers out of the zingers life tosses our way. So I'm dusting myself off, about to turn of some fun music and juice up my camcorder for the end of year party I'm helping with in an hour in her 4th grade classroom. I know it'll all be fine...I know it.

Smoothie Move~



What a day! The count down is on for the big move to our new home this weekend! And let me tell you...moving is one hum dinger of a time sucker! I'm exhausted from the renovations, just hoping to have enough strength for the crazy week ahead. And to top it off the nocturnal elephant that lives above us has come back in town and seems to be practicing her 3 am bowling lessons...what the heck is that weirdo DOING UP THERE!!? No worries! I was up and at 'em bright and early this morning armed with my AMAZING new VitaMix that my hubby grabbed at Costco last week! Have you seen these things?? They're so phenomenal I think it just may change my life! I can whip up healthy smoothies that rival the younguns at Robeks! So to bone up on all the energy I can muster I made a concoction this morning that consisted of oj, french vanilla yogurt, frozn berries, Emergen-C, and the fabulous All In One vitamin powder. Feeling like SuperMom I crammed my kids in the car with their huge Super Gulp sized smoothies to start the day right! Of course, to make everything very consistent neither one wanted to drink the darn thing and as I was handing it to my precious little one tucked in the backseat, she exclaimed her protest and drew her hand away just as I felt her little fingers around the cup and dropped the WHOLE DARN THING all over the back of my car....we're talking an OCEAN of raspberry seeds, goopy yogurt, etc all down the back of my passenger seat and onto the floor beneath her adorable Converse All-Stars. I looked back in horror and met the gaze of her big brown eyes, as she grasped to one snack size ziplock bag in her hands over the mess, as if she had just narrowly saved the day!! Umm...NOT! I'd like to say I kept my cool and was the model mother but I have to admit that I hit my boiling point and threw quite a little hissy. As if I have time to drive to Bubbles and sit for 7 hours as I wait for a complete detail!! Hilarious...or not. So there you have...not quite the start to tackling this pre-moving day that I expected~but at least we can look back and laugh! Yeah...that's it! :)