Happy Anniversaries

I realized I had missed 2 very important "moments in history". I am sorry to be late but I do pray that Titus and Mia,  Nadia and Justin will have beautiful years ahead. You are all 4 such wonderful examples of wonderful people. At the risk of sounding so repeticious, I am very thankful and proud of you all.

Broken toe

Well, I am finding out just how much can get done in extenuating circumstances. Since I had my toe mishap, I have been able to bike quite a few miles. I am not 100% sure if it is broken but all I have to relate to is the 2 times I broke my tail bone. IT hurts like that- just in a different location....
Anyway, I have been doing some swimming too. I just to experiment with just how to place the foot and still get somewhere.
 It is a bit embarassing to limp into the gym and hop on a bike and peddle away. I just look like nothing bothers me at all, pull out my book, and get started. Maybe I just feel like all the "perfect specimens in their designer exercise garb" are staring me down.  Just my imagination?
I just have to wear flip flops everywhere I go and it's beginning to look funny-  not just at the gym. I am thinking I need to invest in sequins or something and spruce up my foot gear. Someone suggested oversized steel tipped boots.
I am hear the nick names coming on now.
I can pretty much do everything, just very slow and carefully. What angers me though is when my clumsey Golden  Retrievercomes barreling up to greet me and knocks me off balance and then the his partner in crime, Bella, grabs my flip flop and takes off. No way I can catch her  and to her it is all great fun. It's raining  around here now so I have a sloshing good time and feel like wringing a few necks.
I am beginning to hate stairs. I am brainstorming ways to over ride the need to go upstairs here.
Oh well, the puzzle of everyday life is just a lot of fun with all the new factors the Lord keeps passing my way. My life is never really boring.

Talk about new mindsets....

My one free day goes like this-
I go to the Arboretum and walk. I think of who I can talk to to enjoy the flowers and trees and explain all the names too. There is just something about Latin.
I might go to the Library but I always end up in the kids section ooing and awing over all the new stuff for kids. I have to remind myself NOT to check it out.
I check out the books and mags for sale. The Parenting mags are so upgraded and full of fun things to check into doing with kids. I usually but these anyway as they are just 25 cents but it makes me sad I can't use them so I put them under my bed in a plastic box.
Then I buy a few Consumer Report magazines to check out adult stuff.
On the way out the door, my eyes fall upon the free publication shelf and the KIDS  in HOUSTON magazines jump out at me. I know what's in it so I force my hands deeper into my pockets and race out the door, regretting I ever entered the library.
So, I go to the Nature trails for a walk. It just isn't the same  without somebody racing ahead of me, trying to get me to speed up. The vines just don't look the same as they just hang there and don't have kids swinging on them and me glancing around to make sure the park people don't see. The turtles are still there in the bog but it was just fun to run all around and count them and step on the cypress knobs.
I stop by Home Depot for an air filter and the Garden section beacons to me.  Hey, the kids would love these flowers and we could start a veggie garden, raised beds of course. We can google how to make a stone path and birrd bath etc. Everything about Home Depot says "kid fun". They even have Saturday classes.
Somehow, no one in my house gets very excited by my crazy ideas anymore. Things have gotten a lot more sophisticated and I just haven't caught up yet..
Cooking-I can't eat sugar now and if I make these cute little cookies-they just don't have the same effect. I just get a hmmmmm. response. I could make all kinds of fun breads, and a pizza or two. Kids love doing that.
I can't sew anymore as there are just so many fun things to make but adults just don't seem to need costumes and singing skirts for Christmas caroling. My sewing machine is gathering dust.
I love going to corn mazes and pumpkin patches, going to farms where you can pick your own blueberries, getting excied over junk at garage sales, swimming in cool rivers and hunting for crawdads in the mud, gathering shells and hermit crabs at the beach and the list goes on and on.
I think of all the wonderful things I did with my kids and I thank God for all the times we did have. I never thought I would be a mom. As a teen, I only had grand visions of lofty goals and it never included children of my own.
Now I can't seem to easily shake the thoughts and change gears.. It's better than it used to be but it is so funny how things just jump out at me. I need to just sit down and make a whole new plan.

I just pray that young families have as much fun (and exciting learning moments) as I did and value the rare and precious opportunity to raise a family. Some of the comments I have heard lately sadden me as when I look back, I see "richness" and I have a real hard time letting go and moving on. It is so ingrained in my heart.
With all the emphasis on "change" I pray the simple beauties of childhood, life and parenthood, don't get smothered out by trying to achieve, get ahead and be successful in "whatever". So much of what surrounds us  is transient but the things that are eternal shouldn't  ever come as an afterthought.
I just wish I had done more with my kids.....

Some of us girls at Yosemite this summer.

When I saw this picture and all of Maya's, it gave me such a BUZZ. That was such a happy trip we had . It was something I had really wanted to do and Yosemite took my breath away! Having the kids all there was so nice. They are such a lively bunch . Take a moment and notice my hiking boots. They were just a tad bit too small but I was having so much fun that I didn't notice until later when my toes were totally numb. There are so many wonderful things about Texas but nothing can beat those California mountains.

What Allen did for his 3 year old birthday last year and Hurricane pics.

I just wanted to put in these few pictures of our famous hurricane last year during Allen's birthday. It was one to remember.

He's now 4 so let's have a real party this year!

And.....this year- not even a drizzle. Clouds yes, but no rain!

Teri's done it again

Allen just turned 4. Last year he celebrated his birthday by helping in his small way, to help clear hurricane debris from the street.  Hurricane Ike hit the day before he turned 3 last year, with the eye passing right over our sub-division. Allen was so cute with his rake, out doing what he could with his dad and the other men. Without electricity and the city generally shut down, we just couldn't do much to make it special. This year we wanted to give him a nice shindig. It actually took Teresa all day to put together this firebreathing dragon. She named him Steve and he was a hit with the kids. She really ought to go into the business. We did have a special guest. Little Max (5 days old) showed up but slept through the entire party.  It was his second party  that day. He and his mom Mila,  also had a baby shower in their honor just a bit before. Allen did have a lot of fun  and kids had plenty of fellowship and running free time. Jesse Jones Park is beautiful in the Fall.

An yet another birthday.....

Today I was thinking about Tim and all the excitement surrounding his life. Hmmmm. I was just enjoying  daydreaming about the pastoral landscape of the Peruvian border with Chile.We were stuck there once many years ago. It was dusk and I was sitting on the sum total of all our wordly possessions with 4 kids and a baby Tim.It was just us, our suitcases, and the sheep in a big field. We were just watching the sheep graze and the sun go down while it looked like all the people that could help us get across the border had gone home or were still on their usual extended government sponsored siesta.. It was an amazingly peaceful moment.
At a location somewhere back on the road, dad was busy bribing a lazy government official to give up Tim's birth certificate. A short time later, with the help of the Chilean border guards, we were all safely on our way into the interior of Chile with our blonde and blue eyed EX- Peruvian.
I did a quick little mental run down of just how many of those tense times we had with Tim (before and after birth). Just what is it with this kid? I think he mainly tries to peg all the blame on the Pina Colada  problem. Truth is, it is still going on.
Just when I was daydreaming about guarding my luggage and watching kids and sheep at dusk, Tim calls me and breaks the spell. I have a few minutes to wish him Happy Birthday before  I suddenly I lose contact. I try to call him but  there is no answer. 5 minutes later I get this call with a warbly voice I can barely understand. Well, somehow he was at this lake in Oklahoma and dropped his phone in the lake while we were talking- end of call. No worries. I at least could understand that he needed a new phone anyway.
So, in case anyone was wondering what to get Tim  for his birthday- I suggest a few different options- a bigger boat, a waterproof pager, a box of ziploc baggies for him to keep valuables in, dog training classes so Ed can learn Retriever skills and get busy retrieving, miniature bungee cords to attach to important things (a variety of colors so they blend in with his clothing).
And do I feel rotten. I haven't even done any shopping!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM! I LOVE YOU!
We all wish you were here....