December

Well, crazy though it is - I am amazed it is December. I have photos to load and of course, need to upload.

All are well.

Sam was horribly sick right before Thanksgiving and we missed the Cole Thanksgiving. I hate that. It is such a fun time!

One DECADE!

I can't believe today is our TEN year anniversary.

Here was are back in 1988! Man, we we that young?













Here we are last year! We are still young and hip, right?




10 years, 2 cats, 2 daogs, 1 house, 5 vehicles. Where is the disconnect? LOL! I am still mad for him. He makes me smile, laugh out loud and cry. He will always be there and can read my mind, what more can I ask for.

Well, I ask for 10 more years and then 10 more after that!

Wow, I have been gone awhile

I am LAIVE, truly. I have been busy. I will try and post some pictures of work I have completed soon.

Yawn, Sam is killing me with these late night visits to our room!

New job and what?

So, you take a new job and you are looking forward to it. Difficult adjustment and then in trying to assimilate into the borg-type world, you hit a speed bump.... what in the world.

Focusing on the end picture... what we desire....

Organized and mess

Why is it when you are trying to become more organized you create a huge pile of crap that sits there.....

I am talking piles!

I decided to organize my closet, which of course, means I needed to rearrange my drawers. So, now there are two piles. I will get to them, I have to but dang, people! I need a professional.

I pulled out the Julie Morgenstern book and checked out the book on tpe: Organizing for the Inside Out...that could help right?

I'll let you know!

Weekend of scrap work

I just started my LSS university and have my homework from over the weekend.

There is a big ole blank on the right of the first set.... that is where a picture from Nicole should live... she is SUPPOSED to send it!







I just love the fact that UCM is near us. He so adores the kids and spoils them often. I realized doing this, I don't have many pictures of him and the kids. Will have to fix that.






Messy for me, but trying to work out of my box. I have a page for Sam but it is not ready yet!

Sam and his women

On the last weekend of water sliding, Sam, his 'wife', Erin and his new woman, Trinity (on his right) hung out a bit at the base of the slide. I am not sure but I think he enjoyed himself a great deal. I also think we may be in trouble!

Work over the weekend.

We took some great pictures on Easter and I so wanted to scrap them. I think they turned out great. I love the totem pole. Wish my hair weren't so gigantic!

My cool new bike

I must say, it is 'da-bomb' and weighs 18 pounds, which is very light for a bike!

I love it. I have ridden everyday but today!

Patience

I am struggling with this word and the actions required to achieve it. I want to sell our condo. NOW! I know, we need to finish working on it, but I just want it gone and away. I wish we'd kicked my bils out earlier, but that wouldn't have been kind. Maybe not kind, but I could be out from under that thing. We bought it to help them out and have received little to no help from them to fix it up so we can sell. Gotta love that.

I am sad by the lack of brotherly assistance we have been receiving. I guess the All For One and One For All motif does not carry over into the new millennium and into the hearts of American boys. Sad.

Remiss

I know, I know I have been remiss and the last posts are blah.

I am still blah, but.... FOOTBALL season begins this weekend, so I will feel much better soon.

But, what about us? Well, crazy is a small word to describe my world. I have changed jobs officially. DH is changing jobs in a few weeks. Anna is in public school, shocking to us, I must say. She loves her teacher but still is struggling on the attitude and mouthy-side side. Sam is Sam Cole and that says it all! He is no longer SamBoy, I guess that is a good move.

We are biking each evening. DH got me a lovely new bike... it kicks a$$. He is jealous and may get something similar. Sam is almost too big for his bike but we hope to stretch is until Christmas. We raised the seat and handlebars last night. I have never seen such short little legs go so fast as watching Sam pedal. He is amazing with that little bike. Anna is also riding faster and faster. I so enjoy watching them grow.

As an aside, my dad had knee replacement surgery yesterday and is doing well.

FAT

It is such a mean word. I don't like it. I am that word. Or is that word me? I dislike this word because of me or that I am the word? I know, makes no sense. But, so does the fact that I can so lose weight but can't seem to quit eating. I even eat alot of healthy stuff but too much of anything(except celery) is a bad thing.

I have a nutritionist. She is awesome, amazing and wonderful. But, I am not losing. It is not her fault, it is my own. I am angry at me.

I need to exercise more. Excuses are the key to this failure. I have the best. Laundry, kids, dark, hot.... you name it.

When will I worry more about my health that the issue of the moment. I need to walk, to move.... to something.

Who else I might have been: Sunday Scribblings

What if I had been born in a different country to different parents….

I have a strong imagine in my mind of a young boy, maybe five or six, the same age as I when I saw him.

I was driving by with my parents in the car on the way to a family friend’s house in Rabat. I was sitting behind my dad in the back seat of the old jeep, can you call that little thing a seat? We were past the bazaar and in an older part of the city, Omar lived there.

I don’t know why we were going only I remember being so excited to sit on the floor and eat with my hands.

The lamb and couscous were delectable, but the image of the boy is stronger, sharper, more poignant, utterly surreal for a 5 year old girl from the US; a boy dressed in a small dirty Arab outfit, no covering for his head, no cup, no plate by him to satisfy him, no emotion on his face, save hunger and acceptance. Hunger not simply for food and drink but life, love, acceptance of him and his worth have meaning and quality.

A smallish boy with eyes so old, I still have not seen similar in my mirror. I don’t look for those eyes, afraid I will find them. Knowing if I do, I am lost; lost not only for the moment but to society, friends, family, and all that is human.

The sun was high, not noon but still scorching in the Moroccan summer, as it is wont to be. I was in the jeep, with the top up but the sides are open to catch the breezes, I wonder if there was a Beach Boys song on the 8-track, or simply I have put one there in my rememberings. So in appropriate, yet, Hotel California is a place in which you can never leave once you enter, so perhaps more meaningful now that I know more of the meaning of the lyrics.

I remember it was hot and the smell of the bazaar was pungent, sweet, sweat and refuse mixed together, heavy in the steamy afternoon. I had sweat on my back although protected from the high sun and the beating it was pounding on the earth and the boy.

I wear clean clothes, drink clean water, have food to eat (too much) and have family, friends, purpose, drive, ambition, life. He was alone, utterly and completely. When our eyes met and held for a moment or two, as I turned, leaned out and watched him as he followed my progress down the street - he was not alone. Not then and never again.

We did not stop; I doubt my parents even saw him, the waif and unwanted.

There is much of that in all countries, not simply third world, I know it is here, too. But he, this boy has been branded upon me. I pray for him often, although I doubt he is of this earth any longer, I pray he is a happy adult with a lovely wife, children, home, food, water, and clean clothes. But, I feel in my soul he is not here. I believe he stays with me and helps me in some deep and unknown way.

This one boy, sitting alone and unwanted was not alone after that moment, he is with me. I don’t remember details of yesterday but I can see his dirty face and dark skin, the tear stained cheeks. He had more dirt on the right hand side of his face and on his clothes, like he had been cast to the ground and landed on that side.

He had made no effort to wipe himself off; he sat alone and chained to his door.

Just us girls

OK, I know it is an awful picture, but I like the randomness of it... I think it fits us well





Laura and I at the bats:






Laura and Casey on the way to dessert at Manny Hattan's, all you need to know is The Carnegie Deli Cheesecake with Topped w/ Fruit Strawberry or Blueberry (get it on the side and get both) and Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake. Just yummy!



And us, after dessert and 15 pound heavier but happy, very, very happy:




Thank you girls, I had a wonderful time and can't wait to see you both again. Sooner this next time!

Austin City Limits

No, I didn't go to a show, but I had a fabulous time in Austin!

I stayed with Laura and loved the new house! We went to Threadgills for dinner and then down to see the bats.

My only decent bat picture:



Some random bat facts:

*The bats provide a valuable service to the Austin community by consuming between 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects nightly! There was no mosquito in site, I loved that!
*Bats can live to be 30 years old.
*Mother bats give birth to a single pup each year. The pups birth weight is nearly 1/3 that of its mother.
*Bats are mammals and nurse the pups from mammary glands. Each female recognizes her pups voice and smell and will nurse only her pup.
*During migrations to Mexico and back, bats may reach an altitude of 10,000 feet and velocities of 60 miles per hour.




I would LOVE to live there. I was even offered a desk from some of the big-wigs there. How is that for AWESOME!

The Grand Opening was fun. I have a couple of shots from there:

This is me and Abby Grace - isnt' she a dream. She worse a little classic pooh dress:


























Here is Laura, not so sure about the Abby Grace thing....


















We had ice cream at Amy's, can you say AWESOME!

Davis shows it best:

Going Back to Austin

Heading to Austin for the weekend to work at a Grand Opening and visit some of the mommies..... I have met Laura and am so excited to see her again. Also, get to actually and finally meet Casey. Almost hate that I have to work in the middle of all that, but it is the reason I am flying over.

Leaving for the airpport soon. I have and will be running some serious roads: New Orleans yeterday for training, back to NO to fly out to Austin today, Virginia in two weeks for a few days and then Dallas for a day. And all for work.

I really need to drive over to ATL, perhaps next month.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.


Muriel Strode

Utube - Hurricane Katrina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS1gxkGn29E Long Beach, MS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvoEiBnpCc8&mode=related&search=


Breaking my heart. Seeing it again and again, I simply can't Fathom the loss. The strength these people have found within. I am simply amazed at that. The support they have found and the love they have shared and the faith they have and spread. They continue to share of themselves.

Friday

TGIF could not be more true this week. An awful work and just hectic family week. I hate when that happens. Nothing seems to fall well.

I am struggling to transition into a new position at work and that includes wrapping up my current position and signing over all my knowledge.... not as easy as I thought.

Home, just not home enough to really settle. Tomorrow, we are off to MIL's for the day. I am hostessing a baby shower at an aunt's. MIL will watch the kids. Thank goodness for her.

Be all that as is may, NO progress on the condo. I am anxious. Truly! I can't express enough how importnat it is for us to put the thing on the market.

Motivation for today

No one has a corner on success.
Pay the price for it and it's yours.
No matter what you want from life
you've got to give up something to get it.

Nothing worthwhile will come easily to you.
Hard work will accomplish results that last.
There is no easy road to success.
You've got to work harder than most people to get it.

You pay for what you get, and get what you pay for.
Pay for success and it will be yours.


Another reminder to me is that I truly deserve weight loss and my efforts shall be rewarded.

New Orleans still sad

There last week....

These happen to all be in the 9th Ward







Such a sad, sad place. My co-worker drove us down and around the 9th ward and then down to Chalmette, where she is from.

Continued prayers to all those afflicted in some way by the storms.

Tuesday, Rainy Tuesday

I am on a mission. A mission to procure red socks. Why red socks, you ask? Because that is the silly color sock that my school requires of little girls. I have to do a whole separate load of laundry for the silly socks, for goodness sakes.

And then there are the shoes:

Not only that but also ALL white shoes. No trace of any other color. Crazy and dirty in a week. Granted with a girl, I can get KEDS (of, the little blue tab is ok)


So: this is bad:



























this is ok:


















and this:















Ridiculous!

New page - Old pictures

For my class.... I had the paper set-up from a crop a few months ago and no idea where to use it. I like the end result. The assignment was rub-on. The brown letters are as well as the fresh. I love that she was trying to eat the flowers..... I have such trouble remembering my SIX year old was so small.







It was a quick layout. Although, Indy was leaning heavy, my big thunder chicken. I think he was looking at his picture, too!

I love how sweet Mack looks holding A. It is sad, too, since we have since lost Sadie. She was such a pretty thing, so white.

favorite pictures

Two of my favorite pictures right now:






Aren't they precious!

for Sarah

As 'payment' for keeping the little monsters this week, I made these for Sarah. She needs some for her classroom, so I thought I'd help. She liked the one I made for my LOM class.

She is SIX

Where did the years go. My sweet angel is SIX today!



We had her party over the weekend at the Arts and Science Museum. It was really cool: volcano's, space shuttles, space slime and rocket blasts.


Anna and her best buddy, Emily:









Sam with his 'wife', Erin and his best friend, Jake.
















And the cool cake Albertson's made. Anna picked out the image from google images. It is the moon. A NASA picture from March 16, 2002.















The party was a blast even if only a few kids. I think with all the hands on that was done the number of kids was good. I think We shoudl wait before havign Sam on there. The 3 year old were fine, but as usual full of energy.

Week Four Challenge

Ok, so this week was chip board. I have TONS! But what to do. I pulled out some leftover chipboard letters and pieced and parted together this title. I didn't have a c (from a ?), k (from several letters I and R) or a Y(J and H). Anyway, it turned out ok.

Kids GONE?

Can you beleive, no one EVER takes our kids and my wonderful, lovely, sweet sister took them BOTH for a week. Thank you thank you Sarah! Maybe by the end of the week, Sam will even remember your name. But, I still think LadyBug is very cute!

Woohoo! Whatever will we do with ourselves?

Happy Bastille Day

http://www.bry-backmanor.org/holidayfun/bastilleday.html

Bastille Day is a National holiday in France. It is very much like Independence Day in the United States because it is a celebration of the beginning of a new form of government.

At one time in France, kings and queens ruled. Many people were very angry with the decisions made by the kings and queens.

The Bastille was a prison in France that the kings and queens often used to lock up the people that did not agree with their decisions. To many, it was a symbol of all the bad things done by the kings and queens. So, on July 14, 1789, a large number of French citizens gathered together and stormed the Bastille.

Just as the people in the United States celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence as the beginning of the American Revolution, so the people in France celebrate the storming of the Bastille as the beginning of the French Revolution. Both Revolutions brought great changes. Kings and queens no longer rule. The people rule themselves and make their own decisions.

Found some great French Cocktails for the event:

French Revolution

1 oz. brandy
2 oz. framboise
3 oz. Champagne

Mix ingredients in a flute. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Marie Antoinette

1 splash strawberry liqueur
1 splash Cointreau
1 splash calvados
1 splash fresh lemon juice
4 oz. Champagne

Combine all ingredients, except Champagne, in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into a flute and slowly add the Champagne.

Cafe de Paris Cocktail

1 1/4 oz. gin
1 tsp. Pernod
1 tsp. Half-and-Half
1 egg white

Combine all with cracked ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into chilled cocktail glass.


not bad!

OMG

There was an animal, which I do NOT feed in my house. Betsy found it. Now, I can't! She said she captured it but it is NOT in the cat carrier. Hello..... here.... beasty.....

I so hope Betsy came back and got it!

Its been awhile

Sorry to be away so long. I have done plenty but not alot to show for it.

I have been working on scrap stuff.... still organizing and trying to get stuff in some semblance of order and cohesion. We shall see, if and when I make it.

The family is great. We went off to Ferriday for a Cole gathering and it was lovely. Couldn't stay long enough but the short time we were there was wonderful!

I got on the scale. I have avoided this little menace in my life... it plagues me and hates me, obviously. I will resolutely get on each day and see progress.... in some degree and in hopefully a more downward trend. I will try and joy down more of what I eat. I have become lax in that and lax in what I AM actually eating. My own fault, I am good with that, but will strive for the better.

Happy Fourth of July

One of my favorite holidays, being Shannon's birthday eve celebration and all.



Loving google and all its holiday changes so cool!

Lady in Red

Those random songs on the radio. Amazong how quickly you ar transported to another time.

Superman Returns

Saw it tonite with Audrey and Latham. I loved it. Of course, almost 3 hours watching Brandon Routh and James Marsden..... yummy.

Brandon was remarkable as Clark. He really resembled Christopher Reeve and sounded so much like him it was lovely. Kevin Spacey plays such an excellent villian. You must enjoy him!

James Marsden is such a sight for sore eyes. I loved him as Cyclops in the X-men series.

I can't get enough of John Williams and he could compose for me anyday!!! John Ottman did a superb job matching Williams' orignal.

Week 2 Product Playground - Hot Stuf!

My princess learning to weld last summer.....

She is actually pretty darn good. She asks periodically to weld stuff. Gotta love it!

Swim

Anna... she is doing so great! I am so excited for her.




A dive? Well, sorta!


Jake's version




Cute group:

Swimming

Sam and Anna are doing so well in Swimming. I am still so impressed with Crawfish Aquatics and what they can do with children in two weeks.

Anna is into stroke classes and actually will have to be teacher approved for future lessons.

Sam has progressed greatly; he floats and does an underwater froggy type swim. Next summer, he will begin actual strokes. I am putting him in a one week swim class the last week of July as a final lesson before fall.

Since we can swim so long in the year, I find it so important.

I am sad by it all, too. Sam and his best friend, Jake, were/are in the same class right now. Chris is their coach. Jake is not were Sam is swimming-wise. Jake was actually scared yesterday and removed from Chris' class and given individual lessons with a pair of women coaches (he told his mom, later, they were mean)...lol. This saddened me, since just the day before he was jumping off the block to Chris.

Anyway, Kay is going to put Jake in another 2 week session later in July. She is right in that Sam and Jake can't do lessons together right now, since they are not on the same level, but it saddens me. They absolutely love each other. Here is a picture from Halloween. They hold hands (they are still young....) and hugs and roughhouse all the time.



I know they will continue to be buddies, and I will be patient for when they play sports.....