Saturday in the Sun

This Saturday was a fantastic day! We started the morning with a garage sale that was supposed to happen last weekend, but was rained out. The kids wasted no time jumping into the sprinkler! We didn't make it through the time that we originally set for the sale. We ended it about three hours early, it was exhausting and hot outside. I wanted to get rid of all that stuff we had, but not that bad! So, we packed everything up and Mark and the kids washed the cars and the dogs instead!!! Once Abi got the water hose, she found it hysterical to chase Mark around spraying him!

Mommy's day, a done deal!

Abi wrote me a song for mother's day this year. Here's the translation: You're the pumpkin pie to my heart. You have the prettiest smell in the world. You can dance lovely. Nothing can stop you from dying. [another word/sentence I can't read] You are like a queen to me. She also gave me a little porcelain snowman that  she painted. Austin gave me the new Fireflight CD, which I love!!! Mark gave me the Francesca Battistelli CD, which hasn't made it into my CD player quite yet!

Austin and Abi both made me a multitude of cards. Another mother's day in the books. Another day I was and am so blessed to be a mommy. I often try to remember things from when they were smaller. They both always ask Mark and I to tell them stories from when they were little. One of Austin's favorite stories is from when he was about 9 months or so. We came home from work, Austin was hungry so I put him in his high chair. I warmed up a gerber graduate container of spaghetti and meatballs. I went to change out of my BDU's. When I came back, there was no spaghetti on his tray. The dog was licking the container clean. I threw my hands up in disbelief. As I looked up, I noticed that there was spaghetti strung across the ceiling even to include around a corner into the front hallway!!!

This past weekend, Abi and I went to have our hair done while the boys went to a shooting range. Abi wanted desperately to color her hair pink. As a compromise, we let her cut about 4-5 inches off. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about the end result. But wouldn't ya know it...she looks so darn cute with it short too!

In exactly 20 days, Mark and I will celebrate our 9 year wedding anniversary. The kids are going to Grammy's house for a few days, then Mark and I will celebrate. I am REALLY excited about the big 10 because we are planning on going on a cruise. Our original plan was to go alone, but the more we thought about it, the more we have thought about how much fun we would have with some of our friends! So far, we have at least three other couples that want to come with us. I can't wait, it is going to be so AWESOME!

A Five Year Plan

I'm sitting here watching 'Life' with the family. We are watching the episode that details the camera men filming the animal encounters; in particular, the episode of a komodo dragon attacking a water buffalo. As several of the dragons snacked on the dead buffalo, Abi declared that she will no longer be eating meat. You have to understand that she reminds me daily that she is a meat eater because she is a tiger. I will keep you posted on how long this protest last. I myself dissected a fetal pig in biology my freshman year of high school. The same night for dinner, my mom made pork chops and pork 'n beans for dinner. That was the day that I stopped eating beef, pork, and any other meat. I went two years without eating any poultry. But then my dad fried a turkey for Thanksgiving, and that was all she wrote. I still do not eat any beef or pork, and probably won't anytime soon. 

Since Mark's promotion at work, he has been caught up in making many changes to the shop and how it operates. It has got me thinking about my "job". What changes would I like to see in our family, where are we headed in life? From watching 'Life', I realize that plans do not always work out. Surely, that water buffalo didn't wake up that morning thinking, 'gee, I think I'll be some one's lunch today'!!! But I would like to have some idea of where we are headed. I know that I will be homeschooling. After some not so great occurrence's in our neighborhood recently, I would like to move. There are also things about our house that I would like to change. Maybe it's just me dreamin' (as usual), but Mark and I are in the process of developing a five year plan. It has me really excited. Who knows, maybe some of the things we've thinking about will work out. I guess there is only one way to find out...proceed to the future!

Birthday Boy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY PUMPKIN PIE!!!!

Austin and Daddy- HOOK 'EM HORNS!
Austin before riding his first bike! Austin and Grammy mid-nap!
Austin brushing his chompers!

Austin with his first Astros hat and ball!

This year for Austin's birthday, he decided to do the same thing that Abi did. He had the choice between having a birthday party, or choosing one friend to go to dinner and a movie. He chose to invite Becca (I'll give the 411 on her in a moment) to go to the Aquarium for dinner and then to see Shrek 4 when it comes out in theaters. Becca is about 2 years older than Austin. When we went camping for Abi's birthday last year, Becca and her family went with us. Although Austin knew who she was, he had not really played with her. On the way home from camping, we asked Austin if he had fun. He said he really liked his new friend Becca. He said every time he looks at Becca "he just thinks about marrying her"! When we picked up Becca before dinner, she had the biggest smile I think I have ever seen. Austin and Becca sat in the third row of the truck and giggled and whispered all the way to the restaurant! They stared at the fish all through dinner. I didn't realize that fish could be so entertaining! Dinner was delicious. We rode the Farris wheel after dinner, then came home.


Abi and the sea turtle she named 'Spot'
Becca, Abi, a really big fish, and Austin

Becca and Austin celebrating his 8TH birthday