Congratulations Nathan

Fred's nephew, Nathan, graduated from Marine bootcamp and the family had a dinner for him tonight.

Nathan with his cake. Nathan told me he is in the Marines now and can't smile, ugh!!

A few of the family, not everyone was in the photo and not everyone was there...

I love this photo I took of Michael. He was playing hide and seek and he was supposed to be counting, instead he was sitting there watching the other kids hide...He is tired and looks so sad and forlorn!

This is Michael with all his younger cousins. (Zeke, Xavier, and Zack)

Michael is still there and is spending the night, YEA!! He is having a GREAT time and I am so tickled that he decided to stay the night. Now if I could only get Fred away from the TV for a bit, HA!! NOT going to happen....so off to bed with a book!!

~ Misc. photos from Today ~

Misc. photos that I took today in between rain showers...

Turkey Vulture

Fred playing with his tractor...he calls it work but since nothing is accomplished I call it PLAYING!!!

Property looking at the dry creek bed drive and beyond....

Michael checking out the rocks!

Huisache ~ Sweet Acacia

This one of our native bushes/trees. It is considered a nuisance but after reading about it I also see the benefits...The techinal stuff is for you Mom, lol...you can go to class and tell them your daughter is teaching you about native Texas species.

Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd.

Family : Fabaceae

Longevity : Perennial

Origin : Native

Season : Cool

Huisache is a tree or shrub which respouts readily when disturbed. The branches have paired thorns at the base of each leaf. This plant can be ten to thirty feet in height. Huisache grows in the South Texas Plains and Edwards Plateau. It flowers from February to March with numerous small yellow flowers. It is quite similar to twisted acacia but can be distinguished by the position of the glands on the leaf stem. Huisache has glands that are below the first pair of leaflets while twisted acacia has glands above the first pair of leaflets. White-tailed deer and javelina eat its fruit and quail eat the seeds. Quail, doves and other birds use this plant to nest, loaf, and as cover and small mammals sometimes forage Huisache. The flowers provide nectar for insects. It tolerates drought conditions and is used as landscape plant in xeriscapes. Wood uses include: firewood, posts, tanning, dying, ink, glue, and perfume.

A few scrapbook layouts ~

I managed to do 3 scrapbook layouts today, YEA!!

1 digital and 2 paper...Enjoy!!

~Digital Layout~

Photo Journal ~ July 16, 2007

I was playing with the color accent on my camera and took this photo of Julie. I'm not sure what it is about this photo but it is one of my favorites of Julie. She is 20 yrs old in this photo and enjoying retirement.

It doesn't get better than this > Big Toys for Big Boys

July 4, 2007

Momma started shooting photos not really paying attention to what Michael was wearing while playing with sparklers, Oops! He is in everyday normal attire (rubber boots and underwear) and enjoying his freedom!

God Bless the U.S.A.

And I just noticed a typo on one layout in the journaling, Ekkk....

Book Tag

I saw this tag at Helens It looked like fun. So here is mine.

Here's what you do. . .

1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people & post a comment here once you post it to your blog, so I can come see what you're reading. (I am not going to specifically tag anyone....but if you feel like doing it go for it!)

My book: Eldest by Christopher Paolini

It took a few chapters for me to get into this book. Eragon was much better. But after I got past about the fifth chapter it was pretty good and I was lost...I love getting lost in a book...

"At the gate to each tier, a guard waved them through without comment. They soon left the buildings and found themselves crossing the barren fields at Tarnag's base. Beyond those, they reached the stone quay that edged the still, gray water."

Believe

If you work hard enough and BELIEVE in yourself, you can accomplish any great endeavor.

Another 2007 layout bites the dust....

Sore and Tired...

We worked and worked today....and finally finished the easement for the Electric Company, YEA!! I'm sore and tired...A tree branch that I was cutting came down and slammed into me, ugh!! Thank goodness I had my barn coat on and I was able to use my arm to sheild my face and shove it away...Fred had bigger problems...just as we were on our last tree he broke a valve stem on one of the front tractor tires...I heard it snap and then the air whisking out....UH OH!! Thank goodness it was a front tire and only a valve stem...we used the bucket to hoist the front end off the ground and took the tire off...off to the repair shop tomorrow...We have all the trees cut down and just that last one to shove into the burn pile...what a good feeling...

I took photos of the biggest one we cut down today...we have few large trees on our property and then we have to cut one down, neither one of us were to happy...but what are you going to do when you need electricity and it's in the way of the lines coming in....bye bye tree...I did make Fred move the trunk over to an area where we work on equipment so when we are down there Michael has a tree trunk to climb on, lol....The tree didn't die in vain!

Michael playing on the tree before we cut the top out of it and moved the trunk.

A balance beam.

Jake checking things out. He was down there with us all day and did a great job of staying with Michael. Jake is exhausted and asleep for the night, lol...

Fred taking a break, Jake watching everything as always...and if you click on the photo and look closely you can see Michael hiding over behind the bucket on the tractor...he had had enough of me taking photos of him, lol....

But little did he know Momma was going to get one more, lol...He kept peeking over the bucket arms of the tractor and I laid in wait until I got his photo....

I'm A Big Boy

Michael has always had a fascination for tractors. Sometime during his 3rd year he spotted a John Deere loader tractor for children in Walmart. He wanted it. We explained to him that until he was a "Big Boy"; wore underware and went in the potty he couldn't have it. Every time we went into Walmart he would drag us over to "His" Big Boy tractor. On June 30, 2007 we were in Walmart once again and of course Michael had dragged us over to "His" Big Boy tractor, looking at us questionably. I discreetly told Daddy, Yes. Michael and I wandered over to another part of the store while Daddy made the purchase and secured in in the truck. As Michael took a nap later that day we put it together for him and left it set out in the yard. When he woke up we took him outside and even though he was half-asleep he was thrilled. He told us "I AM A BIG BOY" and we laughed and said yes you are. After receiving that tractor, other than a few mishaps, he has officially been potty trained and we are so PROUD of him!! Michael was officially potty trained at 3 yrs 10 months!

I am soooo EXCITED!!!!!

With Fred being home we are in town most everyday, ugh!!

That Boy just can NOT sit home...

Today I decided we would run by the School Administration offices and see if we can transfer Michael to a different school district, what the cost would be and what it entails...

The secretary was very nice and told me when they do it and then she asked me what school I was looking at and when I told her she said OH that shouldn't be a problem at all!!! YES!!!

The K class at the elementary I want him to go to has a teacher ratio of 1 per 16 students, YES!! We fill out the transfer forms on April 15th and then we won't know until June whether or not he is eligible but she said with the school we've chosen chances are good that he will be accepted!!!

That means instead of driving him 19 miles to school I will only have to drive him 5 miles...YES!! I have heard nothing but good about this elementary school too and I am so excited for Michael and pray he can go there.....He'll be able to make friends close to us too!!

Crawly ~ Scrapbook layout

Another 2007 layout bites the dust...you just gotta love that face!!

Circle flies, Texans and respect...

A Republican cowboy from Texas goes to a social function where Hillary Clinton is trying to gather more support for her nomination. Once she discovers the cowboy is a Republican, she starts to belittle him by talking in a southern drawl and single syllable words. As she was doing that, she kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around her head. The cowboy says , 'Y'all havin' some problem with them circle flies?' She stopped talking and said, 'Well yes, if that's what they're called. But I've never heard of circle flies.' 'Well ma'am,' the cowboy replies, 'circle flies hang around ranches. They're called circle flies because they're almost always found circling around the back end of a horse. ''Oh,' Hillary replies as she goes back to rambling. But, a moment later she stops and bluntly asks, 'Are you calling me a horse's ass?'' No, ma'am,' the cowboy replies, 'I have too much respect for citizens of New York to call their Senator a horse's ass. ''That's a good thing,' she responds and begins rambling on once more. After a long pause, the cowboy, in his best Texas drawl says, . . . 'Hard to fool them flies though !'

Another Quilt by Mom

My Mother has been very busy these past few weeks trying to finish a quilt for my sister to give to her friend...and here it is....She did a beautiful job!!

You do beautiful work Mom and we all appreciate it!!

I am also glad you are on the internet once again and you can send photos!! Yippee!!

Semper Fi

Fred was in San Diego at Camp Pendleton this past week for a few days. His nephew Nathan graduated from MARINE bootcamp...Here are a few photos he took with his mobile phone. Not a great job but it gives you an idea...I sent Michael's click and shoot digital with him but he didn't take any photos with it, grrr....Nathan might be in one of these photos but they are such small photos and of poor quality I can't tell, lol....

Sunday ~ YeeHaw!

I had a date this morning with a nephew to go riding. Andy got a new horse, Cayenne. He brought her over so I could see her and we could go riding. It is beautiful out today and we had a really goodtime. We didn't ride long as Julie and I are not in shape, lol...

Andy riding Cayenne.

Saturday ~ Wedding

Saturday we were invited to a wedding, a former co-worker and friends daughter was married. I honestly didn't take too many photos but here are a few. Fred, Michael and I were still not feeling up to Par from last week so we didn't stay long...

Jeremy (Fred's oldest son) with his new Truck.
Jeremy is sooo Proud of his New Truck!! Jeremy was a groomsman in the wedding.


Michael trying to get Daddy out of the truck, lol...

Michael climbing the Rodeo Arena fence...

Since my friend Helen is playing around with B/W photos I thought I'd try a few...above Michael is talking to Daddy. Below is My MAN all cleaned up and looking good!! I just wished he'd smile...