Life in South Texas

You are Awesome - digital scrapbook layout

2012-01-27T21:21:00.001-06:00

Michael made a deal with me. He said if he read 4 AR books
in a week and got a 100 on each books test that I would take him to Red
Lobster. I told him Deal! I was so proud of him when he did it!! He is awesome!
Way to go Michael, I knew you could do it!
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I love mornings at our house!

2012-01-27T09:47:00.002-06:00

Meadowlarks

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Whitetail Doe
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Cardinal

A group of does

Bluebirds

I also saw my first Robin this morning, which means they are starting their migration North. Spring is in the air!!

Red Lobster here we come!! WooHoo!!

2012-01-27T08:36:00.003-06:00

Michael made a deal with me at the beginning of the week. If he read 4 AR (Accelerated Reading) books for school this week and scored 100 on each of the tests I'd take him to Red Lobster for dinner! Normally he reads two AR books a week and lately he's been reading chapter books and this is a struggle for him to just finish 2 books a week and he doesn't always score 100 on the test either. Well he did it! I am so proud of him and just beaming! I called the school to see if they'd send him a note to let him know We are going to Red Lobster, woohoo!!

Way to go MICHAEL!!!

A Birthday walk for a cousin...

2012-01-26T14:22:00.002-06:00

Today is my cousin, Susan's, Birthday. I wished her a happy birthday on facebook and she said she was looking forward to some photos...I wasn't sure I would find anything as it is rather windy and cold out but I said a little prayer and...

I captured a photo of my beautiful Jakers...

And as always I had company on my walk...KitCat and Jake...

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Then I spent a few minutes chasing this butterfly around...
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And then I found this one that had just come out of his/her cocoon...

Drying the wings...

And after carefully looking about as I walked I found this tiny little bloom, just for Susan!

A Mighty Oak with the wide-angle lens...

Jake and KitCat waiting patiently for me...

And a big Wet dog nose just for Susan too....

I quick grabbed the camera...

2012-01-24T22:37:00.001-06:00

and took a photo of a jasmine bloom before the sun set!

Family...

2012-01-21T19:47:00.002-06:00

Criste, Fred's Mom, wanted a photo of Fred with his kids...Fred has 5 siblings and I took photos of them too with their kids. We printed out the photos and put them in a very nice frame for Criste.

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I had one of our nieces take a photo of Fred and I...
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The funeral and Rosary were very nice and it was good to see Fred's family. Pretty much everyone has gone home and now the time of adjustment comes...
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May he Rest In Peace...

2012-01-16T22:46:00.002-06:00

Fred's Dad passed away tonight.

He will be missed dearly and I am so glad Michael was able to give him a hug tonight and tell him goodbye.

Playtime at the Property in the Afternoon

2012-01-15T16:18:00.003-06:00

I decided Michael needed to get off his computer and I needed to go check on the property. We grabbed some toys to take with us...

Swing batt'a batt'a...I was having a hard time pitching and holding the camera, lol. But he was swinging at every pitch!

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Okay so maybe some golf instead?
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Flying hair shot...Strike!
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Unloaded...

Targets...yes we got a little target practice in too!

Birds in the morning...

2012-01-15T11:22:00.002-06:00

After finishing up chores this morning I sat on the front porch and watched the deer (saw a nice buck with 13 does) and the birds. After a few minutes I decided to go grab the camera and get photos of the chipping sparrows and cardinals.

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Female Cardinal
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Chipping Sparrow on the sidewalk fighting with a piece of corn. Not sure if this sparrow had a death wish or not but the cats were watching him intently!

Male Cardinal

You look'in at ME!

Female Cardinal on watch.

Chipping sparrows at the feeder.

Hope y'all have a great day, it's gorgeous here.

2012-01-12T07:31:00.001-06:00

Good Morning!!

(40 degrees with a Wind Chill of 32, I think it's time to hibernate for a bit)

Hope y'all stay warm and have a Great Day!!

Sgt Reckless - Korean War Horse Hero

2012-01-11T22:05:00.000-06:00

Truly amazing...

A photo shoot of my Niece...

2012-01-11T21:16:00.003-06:00

She wanted to make a calendar for her boyfriend who is being deployed so today we spent a good 2 hours taking photos...so glad the weather was gorgeous!

March

May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
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November (my favorite one)
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December
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A few of the months were ones I won't post, a bit personal, but we had fun. I'm exhausted and hurting but I enjoyed the practice taking portraits. Goodness knows I need the practice, I still prefer bugs, critters and nature photos, lol. She also came out here to the house which was so much better, easy on my gas tank :o) I think he's going to be happy with the results. Tomorrow we make the calendar and hopefully I'll remember to get some photos of the finished product to share with y'all.

There's a story here...

2012-01-10T18:47:00.003-06:00

I had an idea this evening...Since walking hurts and sitting with my feet on the ground isn't to comfortable either I thought I'd put a blanket down on the sidewalk, feed the birds, lay down on the blanket and take photos. I was trying to get photos of the chipping sparrows that are frequenting the yard lately...Well after I got all situated and thought I was in a good spot and position to get photos...everyone shows up but the darn chipping sparrows!!!

Julie came over to check me out when she realized her crazy owner was okay she then turned to check out the cows and deer that were standing off in the distance...

Then Lydia came to join me, sigh! This idea of mine is NOT working!
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Then KitCat came to join the party!!
Sometimes it's nice to know I am loved...grrr
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Still no chipping sparrows, can't say as I blame them when a cat is sitting next to the feeder!!
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Okay the Cardinals showed up!!
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But they weren't leaving their perches in the tree.
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Ekk and here comes the darn chickens!! Everything but the chipping sparrows!! When I had my bright idea there were no other animals in the yard, nope not a one...I suppose they know who feeds them and wanted to make sure I was okay, lol...It was getting a might bit chilly as the sun set so I just gave up and came in the house. And yes after I came inside the chipping sparrows came back, sigh! Ahh well there is always another day!

Where Are You Christmas? Jon Schmidt & Steven Sharp Nelson (Live in conc...

2012-01-10T10:42:00.000-06:00

I love Jon Schmidt and thought I'd share this...

Poor little Pug

2012-01-10T10:09:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting here laughing...you'd think this dog was being tortured!!

talking funny cat says no no no

2012-01-10T10:05:00.000-06:00

To darn funny....Enjoy!

An evening walk with Michael...

2012-01-08T19:20:00.006-06:00

I had planned on going for a short bike ride (tired of sitting here) when Michael spoke up and said he'd go for a walk with me. So a walk was the plan...I had to laugh, when I opened the door to go out Michael had the Red Flyer wagon. Said he was going to take it just in case I couldn't make it back. He's so sweet, but I explained to him there is no way he could pull me back to the house and that I would be fine...

Before we left Michael decided to feed Julie, he's such a big help!

I had the Canon with the 50mm lens (to lazy to changes lens, as this is the lens I had on the camera last night for the glow in the dark chalk) and decided to see what I could come up with on our walk...Above Lydia sighting in on her prey!
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Attack!! (Poor KitCat, he didn't have a clue)
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Hisss...spppt!
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Grrrrrr....(Tag your it!)
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Uncle! I said Uncle!!
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And sweet Lydia gives in and acts like an angel, Ha!
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It's a "Where's Waldo Photo"...do you see what I see?
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Grass is coming up in the lowlands
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My friend, John, has been playing with Black and White photos so I thought I'd give it a try. The 50mm lens is not one of my favorites but I was trying. It's not that it isn't a good lens, it is, I just don't know how to use it properly, lol...practice makes perfect? Each lens has it's little quirks. Above is one of my favorite Black & White photos from the day.
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Michael exploring, he loves this spot with the huge grape vines! (I like this in Black & White, but think maybe a little more contrast?)
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Walking...He left me, as I had to stop, and continued up the driveway without me!
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One of my favorite photos from the day! Blue sky, fluffy white clouds and green trees!
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Almost home...

Ahhh there's blue sky and fluffy white clouds again. Michael and I were enjoying the gorgeous weather, tomorrow another cold-front comes in, ekk...
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Checking out some rocks! He wanted to go to the water tank/pond but I just couldn't walk that far, poor little bugger. He's just not use to Momma not being able to go, go, go...
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We saw an American Kestrel (sparrow hawk) attack some doves. The Kestrel missed, Michael enjoyed checking out the doves as they flew for cover. I love that he's using my binoculars, he can finally hold them up...My boys growing up!
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Running for home...I'm envious, wish I could run for home :o)

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We had a great walk and I'm glad Michael decided to come with me!

Glowing in the dark...

2012-01-07T22:50:00.002-06:00

Today I let Michael get some Glow in the Dark sidewalk chalk. We had to mix it up and pour it in molds until dry. The directions said 25 minutes to dry but it was more like 2 hours. Tonight we only did green and yellow and the green was really cool. I wasn't going to take photos as we were out in the dark but I grabbed the camera, the 50mm lens and set the ISO at 6400 and captured the photos above...a bit blurry but you get the idea, we had fun! Michael and I were laughing as you could tell we wiped our chalk covered hands on our clothes...we had glowing green shirts and shorts, spooky!!

A visit from the farrier...

2012-01-06T21:52:00.002-06:00

You ask who? For those of you that aren't familiar with ranching/farming a farrier is a hoof trimmer and horse shoer...

Julie had a problem...a cracked hoof! Not good and this one was pretty bad. She has her hooves regularly trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks but the drought has taken it's toll and even with regular trims things still happen. Since Julie is retired she hasn't worn shoes in over 6 years.

This is the farrier...Hi Ray! He's also my friend! When I moved to Texas 12+ years ago I had a really hard time finding a farrier. Not all of them are good, not all of them know how to trim and shoe a standardbred's hooves...she's not a cow pony. She needed barium on her shoes to keep her from slipping on the pavement and a lot of farriers have no clue regarding barium. Julie was a harness horse, I used her to pull carriages, carts and buggy's. I finally found Ray and he knew exactly how to shoe Julie and Julie liked him...He's been doing her hooves ever since. Ray is a good Old boy and a great story teller...Oh the stories he tells, I love it!

She likes to check up on Ray here and there and make sure he's doing a good job!
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Ray decided because of the cracked hoof, shoes were needed! Here he is putting the nails in...and no they don't hurt.
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It's not an easy job and I'm so thankful we have Ray to do it! I used to be able to trim but I would never attempt to shoe, that I leave to the experts! One reason why I haven't gotten any more horses is Ray is getting crippled up. It happens to the best of us. He won't be doing horses forever and I don't want another farrier, sigh! Ray can handle Julie cause she's a good old girl and absolutely loves having her hooves done and behaves but a younger horse might not be so good and I don't want Ray getting hurt. When I find another farrier that can do just as good a job as Ray then I might think of getting myself a riding horse, I sure miss my riding horses and riding. Ray has a younger farrier in mind for us and is waiting to see if this youngster works out.
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Crimping the nails...When the nails are put in they come out through the front of the hoof. They are nipped off and then crimped down to hold the shoe to the hoof.
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All done...

she'll have them re-set in 6 weeks and we'll have to keep them on for 6 to 8 months until the crack grows out...

It dawned on me today when Ray arrived I didn't really have any photos of him. Normally I'm too busy visiting to take photos. (Ray was diagnosed with cancer last year, he is doing chemo treatments and the outlook is good! Thank God!) So today when I walked out the door I grabbed the Sony point and shoot camera and decided it was time to have a photo session with my farrier and friend...Ray is photogenic and I loved that he just completely ignored me why I took photos! Next time I'm bringing out the Big Camera!

An email from my Mother....

2012-01-04T21:51:00.000-06:00

I love my Mom, she's too funny!!

2011 a Year in Review

2012-01-04T10:38:00.002-06:00

It is so very hard for me to pick one photo per month to do a year in review template, very difficult. But I did it and used a great template/Quick page by Sue Cummings. I tried to pick a photo that would mean the most to all of us and mainly Michael as I do my scrapbooking for him. We have been so blessed this past year and it was so much fun spending time with family and friends and making new friends too. It was a great year!

Neat Idea...

2012-01-03T09:56:00.002-06:00

Every morning I get up early. This morning I was up at 4:30am. I like to get on my computer, read my emails, check out facebook and then I love to go and read the blogs I have saved on google's blog reader. This morning I found an interesting blog regarding mobile/smart phone photos. (I cleared the blog post where I read the article and I don't remember who's blog it was or I'd share it with you, oops!) but I found these really cool templates by Gina Miller over at the Lily pad...

Fred is always sending me photos from his Blackberry. Sometimes the photos are decent and I can scrap them on a 12x12 layout or share them here on the blog but often times they aren't very good photos. They are too small or not very clear. I save the photos and I love getting photos from him as he knows I love nature and the photos he normally sends are critters, snakes, spiders, bobcats, antelope, birds, birds of prey, etc...Plus there are times I take photos with my cellphone and they suck! But I still keep them, just never really knew what to do with them or how to record and print them out. The templates Gina made are perfect. I can put the photo on here and list the who, what, when and why. Save it and I'm thinking I can print them out, they'll be small, and then make up a book of these and call it the mobile photo book. Or I could put more than one on a 12x12 page and print it out to go in the scrapbook...

I totally love these templates so many possibilities...below is my first one I did this morning with a photo Fred sent me yesterday!

I love it because there is an area to write about the photo and the stories Fred tells me have to be included as sometimes they are too funny! If you'd like to go check these templates out here is the link.

http://www.the-lilypad.com/store/product.php?productid=5719&cat=0&page=2

Enjoy your day!

2011-12-31T23:32:00.001-06:00

Happy 2012!!

May y'all have a Blessed, Happy, Healthy New Year!!

Quirky...

2011-12-30T21:16:00.002-06:00

Credits:

My own little world kit by Lisa Sisneros @ catscrap.com

Template (dream catchers) by Dawn Inskip @ Scrapbookgraphics.com

It's about time...

2011-12-30T17:04:00.005-06:00

I'd set a goal earlier in the week that this Friday, today, I would put my hiking boots on and go for a nature walk and I did. I grabbed my camera and then spent a few minutes debating on what lens to use and decided to go with the Sigma 70-300mm. And of course as I started out Ms. Lydia was right behind me...my walking buddy! I took it slow and Lydia and I had a great walk, the weather was gorgeous. It sure feels like spring but come Sunday that is fix'in to change, sigh! Seems we have an artic cold front coming in, the animals aren't going to like that and neither will I. But in the mean time I'm going to enjoy this beautiful spring-like weather we are having :o)

Feral Hog damage and right next to the house. At night as I read in bed I can hear them, that's how close they are coming to the house.

Male Northern Cardinal, folks here abouts call them "red birds".
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Snout nosed butterfly
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Female Cardinal
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Squirrel
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Chickadee
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Ms. Lydia the fearless taking the lead.
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Holly
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A critters den, possibly an armadillo. I wasn't able to see any clear tracks.
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Ms. Lydia posing for me

Hmmm there is something up there Mom, look! I didn't see a thing?
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Butterfly from the Sulpher family perhaps?
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This is what the area looked like we were walking in...Beautiful.
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Beautiful Oak tree
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Mockingbird watching us or perhaps Ms. Lydia?
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Ms. Lydia, she's a good cat!
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I found a few wine cups, they're even thinking it's spring!
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A bee fly coated in Pollen.

He tried to fly and he was either so drunk on nectar or so heavy with pollen he couldn't fly and fell back in the wine cup, silly fly!
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Meadow Lark
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Sparrow but I couldn't identify it?
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Kinglet checking me out.
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Broom weed.

Lydia and I had a great walk. The birds were out and about and at first chattering and screaming at Lydia. After awhile they must have realized she wasn't a threat and went on about their business. My ankle/foot is sore but no more than usual so that is good. Hope y'all have a great weekend and a wonderful New Years Eve.

Just a few...

2011-12-29T17:50:00.001-06:00

Hanging on...

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I do NOT want my photo taken today, Thank you!!

Playing around...

2011-12-28T21:06:00.003-06:00

Just because I can...

A kaleidoscope of Jake...

I love my son and I love Kaleidoscopes too...and I use to print out 6 photos and make Kaleidoscope photos. With the DSi XL you can do it with the tap of the stylus...cool!

Todays happenings...

2011-12-28T19:09:00.002-06:00

There was a gorgeous sunrise this morning as I was doing chores and feeding the animals. I was a bit busy and wasn't going to get the camera out and then I said "Oh why not?" and grabbed the camera and by that time the colors were almost played out...It's time for me to get back in camera groove again, I miss it!

I love pinks and salmon colors in the sky and wish I'd got my camera out a bit earlier but I still managed to get a photo before they were totally gone...

And then Ms. Lydia this afternoon had me laughing...

She was sound asleep and never moved while I took photos! I built the cats wooden boxes out of scrap lumber so they could handle the colder weather a bit better. As you can see they love them. It was actually quiet warm out this afternoon, a very nice afternoon!

I had my last Physical Therapy Appt. today and the therapist kicked my butt, ouch! I decided the rest of the day would be spent with my foot/ankle wrapped in ice and elevated. I'm slowly getting better, having a lot of pain in my heel where the stitches were at but my arch isn't hurting and I have several stretching exercises I need to keep doing. I'm hoping next week I can start wearing my hiking boots with the orthopedic inserts in them. Ever since my surgery I've been wearing crocs, not the best thing to wear in the brush. Then of course I haven't really been able to walk well either. I've been told I can start riding my bike for 15 minutes a day and then if there is no pain work my way up. It's exciting to finally see results from the surgery. The Dr says 4 more weeks of taking it easy and doing my exercises and I should be good, yeah!! I'm really in need of some camera therapy, especially with my Macro lens...and it's unbelievable but I am seeing signs of spring. My jasmine is starting to bloom, the grass is coming up and I even see the leaves sprouting for some of the wildflowers too. But then this is Texas too and just wait 5 minutes and the weather will change, ekk.

December 24th Digital Scrapbook Layout

2011-12-27T19:20:00.001-06:00

I'm playing catch up to December 25th and then I'll be done with these Digital Scrapbook layouts for this Merry Christmas 2011

December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve 2011 filled with love and traditions.
Family photos and Candle light church service.
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Credits:
Template December 24th by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Template 14 by Kristin at www.kristinsscrapdesign.com
Click masks 5 at Cottage arts
Papers (Christmas traditions) by Lindsay J
Paper and embellishments (Silent night kit) by Damayanti

Christmas morning at our house...

2011-12-25T19:18:00.003-06:00

We start with stockings...

All of this was in Michael's stocking, ekk...Santa got a bit carried away!
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Fred's stocking...tools to help us build a house!
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Then we move on to gifts...Michael had this cup especially made for Daddy. When we were designing it I asked him are you sure you don't want it to say "Daddy"...Michael told me "No, his name is Fred and I don't want anyone stealing his cup", lol...he's got a point. There are a lot of Daddy's out there.
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Cool, thank you Michael. Just what I wanted!
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COOL!
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Thank you Grammy, I love it!
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His castle blocks, he loves building with blocks!

We then went over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for breakfast. Michael took his "Jaw bones"...really cool building things...a cross between Lego and Knex. Grandpa and Grandma had fun helping him build things.
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And then back home to play some more...He got a Snap Circuit jr. set...and we played Star Wars Clone Wars Monopoly, built castles, played with the Jaw bones again and a game called Hoppers...We had enough to keep us busy most of the day!

That was our Christmas day and I'm really tired and looking forward to bedtime! Hope y'all had a great day!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T21:48:00.002-06:00

Fred, Wendy & Michael

hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas!!

(I'll be back to post Christmas day evening y'all have a very Merry Christmas)

December 23rd Digital Scrapbook Layout

2011-12-23T20:07:00.001-06:00

I spent the day baking Caramel Apple Cheesecake bars and a few loaves of fresh homemade bread to take to Fred’s Family Christmas this evening. One problem Fred had to work so he wasn’t gonna make it and I couldn’t drive due to my foot being swollen and sore. Of course it’s not a problem as I get to enjoy the goodies I spent all day making and they were delicious!
~

Credits:
Template December 23rd by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Paper and embellishments (kit called Holiday Traditions Cooking) by Fruit Loop Sally

December 22 2011 Digital Scrapbook Layout

2011-12-22T21:39:00.001-06:00

Today I sat on the front porch for awhile. It was 70 degrees and gorgeous. The deer were grazing out in front of the house. We need to remember the animals at Christmas too!
~

Credits:
Template December 22nd by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Feathered Friends kit by Createwings Designs
Express Wordart 3 by Createwings Designs

Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at South Bay Galleria - official...

2011-12-21T21:12:00.000-06:00

This is amazing you have to watch it!!!

People together at Christmas time, love it!

December 21 2011 Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-21T20:48:00.001-06:00

This was an everyday life kind of day. I had a physical therapy appointment
this morning. Then we ran errands to get ready for Christmas. We went to
a Chinese restaurant for lunch, yummy! Above is Michael reading his fortune.
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort." I then explained it to
him and we talked about our different talents. Later after arriving home we
received a package from my sister. Michael had a blast with the bubble wrap.
I thought about my fortune when I saw how much fun he was having popping
bubble wrap. "It's not the years in your life, but the life in your years that
count." We had a great day together and are now ready for Christmas!
~

Credits:
Template December 21st by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Embellishments (Story teller kit) by Kitty designs
Word arts and paper (captured kit from mscraps) designs by ad77design, cheyang & jmay
Paper (Rustic Christmas kit) by fruit loop Sally

December 20th Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-20T22:29:00.002-06:00

Michael had some friends over today and I managed to capture a photo before they left so I could scrap it today!

Credits:

Template December 20th by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Word art can be found at Cottage Arts
Paper and embellishments (peppermint crush kit) by etc dan at digichick

December 19 2011 Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-19T20:32:00.001-06:00

December 19 2011
A Christmas memory I have as a young girl of 5 or 6 is coming home from Christmas Eve candle light service with my Grandmother. It was a cold crisp night and very dark with the stars sparkling over head. We passed an Oil Derrick and I remember it looked like a Christmas tree all lit up, it was beautiful. We were listening to the Little Drummer boy song on the radio and when Grandmother and I got out of the car we heard a pump jack in the distance running. I told her it was the Little Drummer boy playing his drum for Jesus. I was young at the time and didn’t know it was a pump jack running but I remember that night with my Grandmother. She didn’t deny me hearing the Little Drummer boy and I love her for that. It’s one of the few special times I was alone with Grandmother, with a big family that didn’t happen often. Every time I see a Derrick all lit up or hear a pump jack running I think of her and that special night on Christmas Eve.
~

Credits:
Template December 19 by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Garland embellishment and papers (SBG Blogtrain 2011) Jmak
Paper and snowflake embellishment (wishes kit) by Dawn Inskip

December 18 Digital Scrapbook Layout

2011-12-18T20:24:00.004-06:00

December 18 2011
A nice Sunday in December spent with Family. Breakfast
at Fred’s parents. Fred spending time with Michael target
shooting down at the property. Michael is glowing with love
this evening.
~

Credits:
Template December 18 by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Paper & embellishments (Rustic Christmas kit) by Fruit Loop Sally
Curly ribbon (Peppermint crush kit) by etc dan

December 17 Digital Scrapbook Layout

2011-12-17T21:37:00.000-06:00

December 17 2011
Today we took Grammy to the Airport, it was time for her to go home. We will miss her and we’re so thankful she was able to come visit for a few weeks. Not sure what I would have done without her help. Fred, thankfully, had the day off from work and was able to drive us all to the airport. He also snapped some photos for me, yeah! I had Michael climb in the back of the truck so I could get a photo of him with the tower in the background. We also saw a huge jet leave the airport and Fred got a photo of it as it took off into the big blue yonder...
~

Credits:
Template December 17 by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Paper and embellishments (peppermint crush mini-kit) by Etc. by Danyale at Digichick Store
Embellishments and overlay (9th and bloom Airplane grab bag)
Embellishments (There and back kit) by digilicious

December 16 Digital Scrapbook Layout

2011-12-16T21:09:00.001-06:00

December 16 2011
Michael’s Class Christmas Party

Credits:
Template December 16 by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Candy Cane paper free DHD-Christmas Kit
Photo cluster No 17 by Katie Pertiet
Paper (Teddy Bear Christmas kit) designed by PST Design
Doodly Alphabet (Christmas Medley kit) by Kasia designs
Lights & reindeer (Christmas traditions kit) by Lindsay J

December 15th Digital Scrapbook Layout

2011-12-15T22:09:00.000-06:00

December 15 2011
No matter what time of year, Summer, Winter, Spring the animals must be fed.
It is a daily chore around here, morning and night. I captured Michael feeding
Julie. She loves him especially when it’s feed time!

Credits:
Template December 15 by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Beautiful Mess Alpha by Createwings Designs
Embellishments and Paper (feathered friends kit) by Createwings Designs

December 14 2011 Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-14T21:33:00.001-06:00

December 14 2011
This evening Michael and I took Grammy into Goliad Texas for dinner and shopping. Our local small town. We had Chicken and Dumplings for dinner and it was delicious. Then Mom walked down the street checking out the different shops. I went into the pharmacy and bought my yearly Goliad ornament. Nice to browse and see what’s new in town at Christmas time.
~

Credits:
Template December 14 Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Kit called Rustic Christmas by Fruit Loop Sally.

December 13th Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-13T18:41:00.002-06:00

Credits:
Template December 13th by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Paper and Embellishments (Star of Wonder kit) by Julie Southern for Sherwood Studio
Sprinkles from kit called Silent night designed by Damayanti
~
I had a really hard time getting photos of Jake in front of the tree. I couldn't maneuver enough with my sore foot to get a decent photo and the lighting was terrible...But I managed this one and I like it...he's our good Old boy (even though he's only 4.5 years old :o)
~

December 12th Digital Scrapbook Layout

2011-12-12T21:08:00.002-06:00

December 12 2011
This is my Mother, she is an angel. I had foot surgery on November 30th and she flew down here and took off 3 weeks from her busy schedule (especially right before Christmas) to help me. I was told I was not to put weight on my foot for 2 weeks, not an easy task for me and impossible if I didn’t have help. All my friends and my husbands family were too busy to help but Mom jumped right in when I asked her. In the photo above she had gone into Target and brought out an electric cart for me. She’s done all the work around here for 2 weeks and I know she is whooped. Not much longer
and she’ll be able to go home. Thanks Mom for all your help! Thanks for putting
Up with me, I love you!

Credits:
Template December 12th by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Paper and embellishments (Star of Wonder kit) by Julie Southern for Sherwood Studio
Wire embellishment (Christmas traditions kit) by Lindsay J

December 11th Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-11T21:01:00.002-06:00

December 11 2011
A few years back I took Michael to the mall for a photo shoot. We found
this big Green Chair near Santa and what a perfect spot. It’s now turned
into a yearly Christmas tradition to have a photo shoot with the Big Green Chair.

Credits:
Template December 11 by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Word Art (I Love Christmas) by Sue Cummings
Paper (Christmas Traditions) by Lindsay J
Paper (SBG Blog train 2011) by jmak
Ornaments (Merry Christmas) by Enkay

December 10th Digital Scrapbook layout and more...

2011-12-10T19:01:00.003-06:00

December 10 2011
We finally were able to get over to the mall and have a photo shoot. I love this big Green chair and for the past few years I’ve brought Michael here for a Christmas photo shoot. Loved that Grammy was with us this year and able to join in the photos too. We never know what the decorations will be but thank goodness they always have the Big Green chair out. We managed to get a wheel chair and Michael & Grammy pushed me around the mall and I enjoyed that, so much easier than crutches. It was nice to get out and enjoy the Christmas shopping season. I personally like to look at the decorations too.

Credits:
Template December 10th by Suzanne Baird of Roadside designs
Beige Paper and sprinkles from kit called Silent night designed by Damayanti
Embellishments and Paper kit called Star of Wonder by Julie Southern for Sherwood Studio

And here are the best photos of the day at the Mall...

Say Cookie Cake Michael...we had problems getting a decent smile but Cookie Cake brought out his beautiful smile.
~

Love it!
~

Cheesy grin...
~

Grammy joined in...
~

Love it!
~

We found the Angry bird cap and when Michael wore it I kept laughing...yep we bought it for him...it's too cute! Of course the silly faces he makes goes right with it...

So glad we were able to get out today for a bit, I was suffering from a severe case of Cabin Fever, sigh!

December 9 Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-09T20:08:00.002-06:00

December 9 2011
Michael actually took these photos yesterday for me. I asked him to take some photos for me as I am still not allowed to walk. These are the photos he brought me...Ornaments on the trees, he loves the Christmas tree...Christmas presents under the tree, some of those are his gifts and he really can’t wait to open them...I laughed when I saw the Lego kit photo. He exchanges gifts at school during his Christmas party. This is the gift I bought for him to exchange. He wants it, he doesn’t want me to wrap it, he wants me to buy another one and I told him no. Christmas is about giving and some other little boy will love this gift. He’s not happy but he does understand and I actually think he is looking forward to giving it to another little boy.

Credits:
Template December 9th designed by Roadside designs
Wishes kit designed by Dawn Inskip

On another note:

I went to the Podiatrist today. Incision looks good. I should have my sutures out next Thursday. After my sutures are out she will see if I can walk in a Croc shoe or if I'll need to stay on crutches for a bit longer...not much further to go! Praying this all works!

December 8th Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-08T19:11:00.001-06:00

December 8 2011
Today we celebrate Fred’s 48th birthday!
Michael gets so excited when it comes to Daddy’s birthday! We baked him a chocolate on Chocolate cake. As soon as he walked in the door Michael had the candle lit and was singing him Happy Birthday! Michael got him a card and a gift card from Academy. He wanted to buy Daddy some Ammo but we weren’t sure which kind he needed. So glad Daddy was home to celebrate with us!

Credits:
Template December 8 Roadside designs
Paper & embellishments kit called Sunny Smile by Dawn Inskip
Paper & embellishments kit called Simple Pleasures Birthday Add/on by Little Dreamer Designs

My story

2011-12-08T13:24:00.000-06:00

I found this on another blog and I thought I'd share it...be aware and smile!

December 7th Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-07T19:08:00.001-06:00

Along time ago, like 40 some years ago, this angel was on my Mother and Father’s Christmas tree. It’s not an angel with a lot of flounce and bling but it brings back wonderful memories of past Christmas’s when I was a child. When my Mother was cleaning house and fixing to move out of our childhood home she had put this in the trash pile. I grabbed it. I’ve put it on my tree ever since. She’s seen better days but I like her and whenever I look at her I remember the wonderful Christmas’s we had as children. Michael now looks forward to finding her when it’s time to put her on the top of the tree. He’s still not quiet big enough to put her on the tree by himself but he looks forward to that day. I love that she was around when I was a child and now Michael looks forward to her being on the top of the tree too. I don’t think she will be replaced anytime soon. I asked Michael to take a photo for me this evening and he decided on the Angel at the top of the tree. A good choice I think.
~

Credits:
Template December 7 designed by Roadside designs
Paper (kit called Enpointe) by ViVa Artistry
Embellishments and Paper (kit called Christmas traditions) by Lindsay J

December 6th Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-06T21:49:00.003-06:00

December 6 2011
Michael's school Christmas program was tonight. This year’s musical
was called "Christmas on Candy Cane Lane". All the children did a
great job and put on a wonderful show. It was special this year
because "Faraway" Grammy was able to attend and it was her
first time attending one of Michael's school programs.

Credits:
Template December 6 designed by Roadside designs
Paper free Christmas kit by Design House Digitals
Word Art designed by digital designs by Paislee Press
Embellishments Christmas traditions kit designed by Lindsay J

December 5th Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-05T18:04:00.001-06:00

I’ve always believed that Jesus is the reason for the season and I’ve
taught my son the same beliefs. He looks forward to putting the nativity
up every year. This year we bought a new nativity. I like having one the
children can play with and use their imagination. Our other one was tiny
so I wanted a bigger one, Michael chose this one and we love it.
I am sure it will be with us for a long long time. Michael took this
photo for me this evening.
~

Credits:
Template December 5th by Roadside designs
Embellishments (kit called Vintage Xmas) from Mscraps.
Papers (kit called Christmas traditions) by Lindsay J

December 4th Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-04T17:16:00.002-06:00

December 4 2011
Michael is pictured above with his Grandparents, I love it! So glad he has been able to spend time with Grandparents and get to know them. He is loved and it shows. I hope he looks back at these photos later in his life and realizes how lucky he is.
We all slept in late this morning and then went over to Fred’s parents house for breakfast. We had a good visit with them. Then we went to Sams club for some grocery’s and back home so Fred could watch the Dallas Cowboy game.
~

Credits:
25 days of December, December 4th template by Roadside designs.
Embellishments and Paper, Grandparents 101 kit by Dawn Inskip.
Angel embellishment, silent night kit by Damayanti.

December 3rd Digital Scrapbook layout

2011-12-03T21:17:00.001-06:00

December 3 2011
Grammy and Michael have been playing Monopoly most of the afternoon and evening. I’ve been laying in the bedroom listening to the laughter. I got Fred to go in there and take a photo of them playing and love how he caught them in mid-laugh. We’ve spent a quiet day at home today. Michael never got out of his pj’s, grandma made a good supper and I’ve watched movies and slept most of the day.
~

Credits:
Template December 3 designed by Roadside designs
Red Paper (silent night kit) by damayanti
Embellishments and paper (xmas2 kit) designed by Vendula Sediva aka Natali

December 2nd digital scrapbook layout...

2011-12-02T18:35:00.005-06:00

Not a way to start out the Month of December. Surgery for Plantar Fasciitis and Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome but it had to be done and the sooner the better. I saw my incision for the first time today and it was Nasty, ewww! A major inconvenience for all of us but I’m thankful Fred and my Mother are both here to help. I am not to put any weight on my right foot/ankle for two weeks makes it kind of hard to do much of anything around here. So glad Michael and I put the tree up before and we are pretty much ready for Christmas. I think from here on out this month will only get better, no doubt about it!

Credits:

Template December 2nd by Roadside designs

Papers by Lindsay J, kit called Christmas traditions

Yucky...not for the faint of heart!

2011-12-02T12:16:00.003-06:00

I have to wait for the Doctor to change my dressings/bandages so this morning is the first time I was able to see my incision...Fred and I both took photos and the nurse was laughing at us. Michael wanted to see the incision too and since he didn't go to the doctors office with us this is the only way he can see it...It looks painful and let me tell you, it is! Thank goodness for pain pills. Hopefully in a few weeks when the stitches are out I'll be pain free!

December 1st Scrapbook layout

2011-12-01T17:10:00.002-06:00

I'm hoping I can do a scrapbook layout every day for the month of December. Since I'm not up to walking at the moment I've recruited Michael to take photos for me...This is his photo from today.

December 1 2011

I asked Michael if he would like to help me with photos for my 25 days of Christmas scrapbook pages and he said sure. I thought it might be a neat idea to get Michael's idea of each day in the month of December. Michael wasn't in a good mood tonight, so this is the only photo I got from him. Jake in front of the Christmas tree. It looks like Jake is pouting too. It's a bit warm out today and I'm hoping every ones mood improves when the next cold front moves in...

Credits:

25 days of December, December 1st template by Roadside designs.
Paper and star clusters designed by Vendula Sediva aka Natali designs

Red Paper (silent night kit) designed by velina Cholakova - Damayanti.

West Texas photo website

2011-11-30T19:16:00.006-06:00

Texas State Photographer Wyman Meinzer click here to visit his website.

This morning in pre-op one of the nurses gave me a website of a West Texas photographer to go check out, it is Awesome!! I watched the videos and they were really cool. Love the photos of the roadrunners playing tug with a lizard, the lightning shots and the full frontal view of a rattlesnake, too cool. After Looking at the videos and clicked on the tab at the top that said blog, I found some really interesting articles. One was called "Safety First" and told how he got the rattle snake photos. I really think y'all might enjoy his photos, go check it out!

On another note I had my surgery this morning. The Doctor fixed the Plantar Fasciitis and then fixed the Tarsal tunnel syndrome. She said the surgery would take 30 minutes if that and it took 45 minutes. It seems the Tarsal nerve was pretty bad and it took longer to get it cleaned up. She told Fred the nerve was diseased? I have no clue what she was talking about and I'm fix'in to go google it. I'm on pain meds but the pain isn't bad yet. I was told she blocked the nerve so the pain wouldn't be bad for 24 to 48 hours, after that I don't have a clue as to what will happen. I am not allowed to remove the dressing or the boot so I have no clue as to what my ankle looks like. I'm laying here with it elevated and iced, just as the doctor said to do...So so far all is good. You know me I'll be taking my camera to my Doctors appt. Friday for photos, lol. Actually Michael wants to see the incision and I'm always happy to oblige my boy!

Hope y'all have a great rest of your week and just think tomorrow is December 1st, woohoo! Michael found 3 wrapped gifts for him under the Christmas tree and he is super excited!

Grammy is here...

2011-11-29T12:03:00.002-06:00

On our way back from our trip on Sunday we picked Grammy up at the San Antonio airport. She flew in to help us.

Michael was so excited to see her!

We are very thankful she was able to come help. Tomorrow I have surgery on my ankle and foot and I am suppose to stay off it for 2 weeks (I find that amusing, I'm just not a sit down and do nothing kind of person). Grammy has threatened me that I will NOT be up, we shall see...I am praying that this surgery works and I will be able to walk in 2 to 3 weeks without pain, that would be so nice! Photos might be kind of slim on here but I'll try to post something here and there...Y'all have a wonderful start to your December!

Thanksgiving in Sonora and El Dorado

2011-11-29T11:07:00.007-06:00

Michael had a week off from school Thanksgiving week so we decided to head to Dawn and Skeeters for a few days...with Michael in school we have to travel when we can.

It's amazing how much fun the kids can have with $1 glo sticks from the dollar store.

Michael and Trey.
I tried the night setting on my Canon Rebel, it took some cool photos. I think I need to experiment with those settings more often.
~

Michael made himself right at home in the Hotel room, he loves staying in Hotels.
~

Dawn's Dad, George, with Michael, Trey and Dacey. He is so good with the kids and we love him :o) (cellphone photo that's why the quality isn't too great. But I still love the photo).

~

Dawn with Crank, one of their new puppies.
~

Dawn and Skeeters horses. It's bone dry there...lots of dirt and even the cacti is dying.
~

Crank is actually Skeeters pup and Skeeter wanted some photos taken with him, too precious! Crank was rescued and is still a bit on the shy side but I am sure he'll get over that soon.
~

Skeeter wondering what the crazy woman on the ground is doing? Of course she is taking photos of YOU darl'in, just keep walking, lol.
~

One of Skeeters pigs...a pretty calico pig at that!
~

Their Longhorn just had a calf the Saturday before, too sweet!!
~

Dawn, Trey and Dacey's horses.
~

I sure do love the babies...then they grow up! Ekk!
~

Mistletoe growing on the tree...kiss anyone?
~

On Black Friday Dawn, her Mother Donna and I drove into San Angelo. We like to visit the Mom & Pop shops on the opposite side of town from the Mall and major Dept Stores. We had a great time shopping, no crowds and a very nice lunch, just us girls. Very grateful to Skeeter for watching the kids! The above photo is a mural that is downtown San Angelo, beautiful.

Bet you didn't know that the highest number of sheep were sheared for Texas in 1943?
San Angelo is known for it's sheep and goats, can you tell?

I decided to take the boys for a walk, Michael decided to pull Trey in the wagon, it lasted a whole 3 minutes...
~

RoArrrrr!! or would that be Brrrrrrrr it was cold!
~

Trey with Meg, Dawns new puppy.
~

And I leave you with a cute photo of Crank, isn't he sweet?

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Dawn and Skeeters, so glad we were able to go. Just wish it could have been longer but there is always next time!

The Christmas Tree is up...

2011-11-21T22:45:00.003-06:00

And it all started with this...

I don't drink much but I learned when I had a toddler and a Kitten a few years ago that drinking a few beers while you put up a Christmas tree makes everything not so bad...

This year Fred and I had decided Not to put up a Christmas tree. Our house is small and our tree is huge so it takes some rearranging to make room for it, and the main reason is me having surgery and not being able to walk for a couple of weeks right before Christmas when I normally put the tree up. We just didn't see it happening this year. We told Michael and he started crying, he was afraid without a tree Santa Clause wouldn't come. We told him it didn't matter if we had a tree or not Santa would still come but Michael wasn't having any of it. He wanted a tree...So with his help I put it up tonight, way too early for me but it's done!

With Michael's help the tree itself is up and put together. Michael did a terrific job of helping me!
~

The Lights are on...
~

The tree is up and that's as good as it gets!!
Ho Ho Ho...Let the Holiday Season begin!

Feeling buggy

2011-11-20T19:56:00.002-06:00

With the Macro...

Pipeline swallow tail caterpillar

Beetle
~

Beetle with bugs
~

Stag (boy) beetle...
~

Quiet day at home with Michael and Fred. I cleaned the pool, Fred watched the Dallas Cowboy game (they won!) and played a game of Monopoly with Michael...In fact as I type this they are still playing and it's been going on for 4 hours straight, ekk...

The Project (digital scrapbook layout)

2011-11-18T19:50:00.002-06:00

I got a kit called homemaker designed by Dawn Inskip because I thought it would a good digi kit for the deck project and hopefully more projects that are to come...This is the scrapbook layout I did today.

In August 2011 we were in
Lowes and found a screened
Pagoda, a lounge chair, and a
metal table on clearance. We
bought them but realized we
didn’t want to put them in
sand and grass burrs, so we
started a project. The deck!
Fred did most of the work and
since neither one of us are
great builders it was a learning
experience. It took us a few
months to complete due to
time and money and it isn’t
perfect but we are happy with
it. It’s so nice to sit down at
the pool and relax in the shade.
We are a bit worried about the
wind and I hope and pray the
screen pagoda makes it
through the winter so we can
enjoy it next summer.
~

Credits:
Template and Kit used called Homemaker by Dawn Inskip
Note Paper by ScrappyPony

A bit of advice regarding Mozy online back up...

2011-11-18T07:31:00.003-06:00

I've been using Mozy.com online back up for several years now. Loved how (I thought) my jpg. photos were being backed up in case we had a hurricane, tornado, fire and my external hard drives were destroyed...Well I found out that it was a giant waste of money and time. The past week I noticed my back ups were taking a lot longer. Normally after a couple of days my photos are backed up but this had been a week and Mozy still wasn't done.

(When my photos are backed up by Mozy I then take them off my Desktop Computer's hard drive and transfer them to an external hard drive to keep my computers hard drive free. I then shut down my external hard drive and disconnect it from my computer. I have heard if your external hard drive is connected to your computer and your computer crashes, your external hard drive will crash too.)

I decided to investigate why it was taking Mozy so long to back up my photos and found it was backing up my CR2 files, which are my RAW photos and they are rather large. They can be 10MB or bigger! I didn't want those files backed up and I have no clue why all of a sudden Mozy was backing them up? They are too large and this could take forever with all the photos I take. (I shoot both jpg. and Raw files). So I went to my account at Mozy.com to see if I could delete the CR2 photo files as my quota was almost met and I would have to upgrade to a higher costing account at Mozy. Upon looking at my old photo files I saw a lot of them from 2009, 2010 and 2011 were NOT there, what the heck was going on?

I had to fill out a case file and email it to Mozy and I got a response late last night. It seems that yes Mozy does back up your files but ONLY and I repeat ONLY the files on your computer or a specified Hard Drive you have continuously plugged into your computer. Once you take those files off your computer, Mozy also deletes those files...Oh MY GOODNESS, this was so NOT good!! So here I thought my files were safe once I transfered them off my hard drive with Mozy when they were also being deleted off of my Mozy account!! I am so glad I have my 4 external hard drives and all my photos backed up on them. I no longer see the sense in having a Mozy account and wanted others to be aware of Mozy and how they work. I'll be checking out other online companies that back up files but for the moment I'm thankful for my external hard drives...I'm a wee bit upset with Mozy but I'll chalk it up to lesson learned!! And I hope others learn from this blog post regarding Mozy and their practices of backing up ONLY items and files that are currently on your computer!!

Doubles, Roll Again...

2011-11-17T21:43:00.002-06:00

The Journaling says:

November 10 2011
Michaels first time playing Monopoly and he loved it even
Though at the end he had $10 and owed me $600 rent.
We played for 3 hours and it was fun, well until the end.
Then even though Michael was broke he wanted me to
give him a loan so he could keep playing. Michael actually
did pretty good. He had the majority of the properties but
then he bought too many houses and couldn’t pay rent when
he landed on my property.

And for the rest of the story...

He didn't know it but a few times when I moved his piece for him I would move it to a space where he didn't land on my rentals. I didn't want to discourage him on his first time playing. It was 12:30am when we finished playing and Michael wanted to play again, ekk. I think I've created a Monopoly Monster. We've played two more games since but due to time constraints we weren't able to finish the games, he loves it. He loves buying houses & hotels and charging Momma rent, lol...Silly boy!

Credits:
Photo template stacks kit called Depth By Paper by ViVa Artistry and MBaker
Journal paper by ScrappyPony
Papers and some embellishments from kit called Found boy by ViVa Artistry
Board game and embellishments from kit called DIY Board Games by Viva Artistry

Beauty and the Beast...

2011-11-16T21:19:00.003-06:00

Be forewarned Mom you can look at the rose but don't scroll down...

Probably one of my last red roses for the year...Actually I took this photo for Fred, he loves the roses...and he caught a virus from Michael and is sicker than a dog. I thought this might cheer him up a bit!

Then Fred sends me these photos today...he doesn't send me roses as he knows I'd prefer photos like this...what a sweetie :o)

It's a beauty!
~

Photo taken near Falfurrias Texas, (SouthWest of Corpus Christi). Not sure who the gentlemen was, a Company man that Fred is working for at the moment. He's pretty proud of his trophy though! It's a Big one!!

Autumn at the Creek and Property...

2011-11-13T19:46:00.006-06:00

I shouldn't have as I'm paying for it now but I took a short walk down at the property and the creek to see what I could find...

I found Autumn is in full swing!

Harvester Ants are so busy they have worn a path through the grass and weeds. It reminded me of a little miniature deer/hog trail and I spotted it right off!

I have no clue as to what this tree is. I have a Texas tree book but it was no help. I've watched it all summer and it kind of looked like poison sumac but it isn't. The color of it's leaves caught my eye this summer and now in Autumn the yellow berries caught my eye.

(Edit: My friend, John, did some searching on the web and the above tree is a China-berry or also known as a Chinese Tallow tree. It is an invasive species to Texas and pushing out native species. Also John says it has a shallow root system and has a tendency to up root when the ground is saturated or the when the wind blows hard. So I guess I'll be getting the chain saw out as we definitely don't want this tree or more of it's kind. Thank you John!!)
~

I missed getting a photo of the turtles but I caught the splash as they slipped into the water...
~

Leaves floating on the kids pool.
~

Fallen leaves on the path.
~

The kids pool.
~

Looking East along the creek.
~

Wildflowers
~

Path to the creek.
~

Wildflower with spider and fly.
~

Along the creek bank.
~

Wildflowers along the creek bank.
~

and one of my favorite spots :o) and where Fred thought I was at, lol. I was having camera withdrawals and had to go for a walk, sigh!

Hope y'all have a great week!

Morning Macro before...

2011-11-08T09:06:00.002-06:00

The next Northerner (cold front) moves in...

I thought I'd best get outside before it got cold and blustery out...

Spider plant bloom

These morning glories are growing in the yard, they've come up from seed from some Morning glories I had in the flower bed. I love seeing this bit of blue in the middle of the yard.
~

Wild Morning glory growing on the yard fence
~

Wasp are a good thing...This one will lays it's eggs on this caterpillar. When the Larva hatch they will eat the caterpillar. Bye-Bye caterpillar!
~

Green Lynx Spider waiting for breakfast
~

Mexican fire bush bloom, the ants are enjoying it's nectar.

I am not looking forward to the cold front coming in, it's not so much the cold but the wind. I had some left over scraps of wood and built the cats some boxes. I hate seeing an animal suffer from the cold. Lydia and KitCat are use to coming in the house when it's cold out but now that Molly is here they can't come in. I'm hoping the boxes help them stay warm.

I also had an appt. with the podiatrist yesterday. She had the results back from the tests I had done on the nerves in my foot and ankle. It seems not only do I have Plantars Fasciitis but I have tarsal tunnel syndrome in my ankle and foot, ugh! So in approx. 3 weeks she will be making a large slice in my ankle/heel and repairing all the damage, OUCH!! Not looking forward to that but I am looking forward to NOT being in pain and being able to walk again! It looks like after the surgery I'll incapacitated for about 2 weeks, ekk...I can't imagine having to stay off my feet for 2 weeks that will be interesting!

Digital Scrapbooking Day...

2011-11-06T20:43:00.004-06:00

was this weekend and I decided it was time to do some Digital Scrapbook layouts...I lost my mojo a while back and it was time to get back in the groove...

Just a typical ordinary day in January (photos from January 2011)

Credits:
Template pbp_tc2 by Armina
Found Boy kit by ViVa Artistry
~

We go together like flip and flop! (photos from June 2011)

Credits:
BlockTEMP2 by Scrapping with Liz Sept. Template Challenge
Snorkle kit by Cosmo Cricket at Cosmocricket.com
~

Putting the Pool up! (Photos taken May - June 2011)

Credits:
Template by Linda Roos In The Making Design
Paper (snorkel kit) by Cosmo Cricket at Cosmocricket.com
~

Cattitude - Lydia (photos from spring 2011)

Credits:
FruityTemp4 by Scrapping with Liz
Cats Meow Kit by ViVa Artistry
Striped background paper by Kellie H Mize-DSD Facebook BHop Freebie-pp3
Crown2 kit called Rex and Tinkerbell by Megan Farrow aka: (Flergs)
~
I had fun and got a lot of goodies, so hopefully I'll get some more layouts done! Hope y'all had a great weekend. We had family movie night here at the house Saturday night and watched "Captain America" and "Thor". Both movies were good, Michael liked Captain America and I liked Thor. I liked the Humor in Thor. We had a great time spending time together.

Oh so proud...

2011-11-04T16:04:00.003-05:00

Michael was beaming when I picked him up from school...He got quiet a few awards for the First 9 weeks of school and also all A's and one B on his report card, WOOHOO!!

We are so proud of him!!

He got a certificate for Perfect Attendance and a Free Icee and he was tickled!
You have to understand that Michael and I are both addicted to Icee's or as we call them Frozen cokes, Yummy!!
What a GREAT Friday! Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Autumn in South Texas...

2011-11-03T21:49:00.006-05:00

With that little bit of rain we had approx. 3 weeks ago the wildflowers are popping up. While Fred shredded/mowed this past Sunday I walked around with the telephoto lens and this is what I found...(Some of the photos I used overlays and textures on, I was bored and wanted to play around a bit with the photos.)

~

Sand/Grass burr with fly
~

Bull Nettle
~

Yucca, I've finally got it through Fred's thick skull not to mow these down. When we get the house built I plan on using them for part of the landscaping. I think what changed his mind is when I showed them how much it cost to buy these at the nursery!
~

Monarch in flight
~

Painted Lady
~

Bee in flight
~

~
It was a beautiful day and the flowers and butterflies were enjoying it!

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T21:20:00.001-05:00

Our Jack-O-Lantern!

Hope all that celebrate had a Spooky Halloween!!

Halloween Party - Saturday night

2011-10-31T21:04:00.004-05:00

We were invited to a Halloween party Saturday night at my friend Helen's house...

Brain food
~

Deviled eye balls and spiders!
~

Lots of good company!
~

The kids loved the silly string, it's always a big hit!
~

Helen was Ms. Autumn! Some really great costumes!
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Pudding cups!

We had a great time and Helen (our party girl) always does such a great job!

The finished project...

2011-10-31T10:21:00.002-05:00

Saturday we finally finished our project, woohoo!!

I will now have some shade at the property during mid-day and I love it! It also gave Fred and I more experience building and we realize we have our work cut out for us when it comes to a house, ekk...This would have been nice this summer but money wise we had to wait. Most of the wood came from friends and the screened in shelter, lounger and table we got on clearance at the end of the summer season, yes! It's small but it will work and I am just tickled about it!

Michael liked it and had fun playing with the zippers, lol. He had it all zipped up and then wanted his photo taken, silly boy!
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He looks mighty comfortable?
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I can't believe he jumped in the pool, the water temp. was 68 degrees F., Brrr to cold for me! I did jump in Sunday with my wetsuit on, much better ;o)
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Of course he jumped in, swam to the otherside and then jumped out, lol...CraZy!!

Michael's Halloween costume...

2011-10-28T20:35:00.002-05:00

It took most of the day Thursday but I did it, made my son a tank for a costume. I decided no to the transformer starscream and asked him if he'd like a tank. This wasn't quiet what he was thinking but he likes the turret for a headpiece, he's blown me up several times, lol...

Target Lock on, bye-bye Mom!
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I wanted something he could walk in while trick or treating and I think this will work. His headpiece now has a ribbon on it, to tie it around his chin, and after running around the house in his costume everything has stayed in place, yay!

Trip to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

2011-10-25T19:43:00.005-05:00

Michael had Monday off from school and I decided we needed to run over to the refuge as we hadn't been in awhile. My friend, John, warned us the mosquitoes were going to be bad. They are bad here at the house so I kind of knew to take the bug repellent, they weren't just bad they were swarming BIG time!! The truck was covered when we stopped at the front office to sign in so we sprayed ourselves even before we stepped out of the truck! Imagine having thousands of soft BB's hitting you, it was awful...anywhere where there wasn't spray they got you! Imagine trying to take photos, ugh! But I did manage a few...

I stopped the truck at the Rail trail and jumped out to see if there was anything interesting in the canal there...I spotted this approx. 10ft alligator. Michael had already had enough of the mosquitoes so he stayed in the truck, I went back and got him so he could see the Huge alligator. We were both awed at his size and how close he was to the small bridge going over the canal. He was hidden fairly well too...

The reeds/grass were tall, over 6ft and made seeing anything difficult.
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A closer look at the gator...
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Love this grass, not sure what it is but I love the seed head and it's soft feathery appearance.
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He's not dancing...
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He's swatting at the mosquito's and running for the truck, ekk!! Hurry Mom, Hurry!! Taking photos was going to be difficult.
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We then headed down to the fishing pier across from the picnic area. I knew we might be able to enjoy checking out the bay waters from the end of the pier without being swarmed by mosquitoes, there was a slight breeze out there and it helps to keep the mosquitoes at bay!
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There were lots of gorgeous wildflowers. These (I think) are called Bachelors Button and are not a native to Texas but escaped to the wild.
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My little bird-watcher, I love him! We had thought we saw a alligator floating off the beach on our drive to the pier but whatever it was we couldn't see it from the pier. We did see quite a few birds and Michael was prepared with the binoculars in hand.
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We noticed a lot of Jelly fish up near the shore, this one was one of the larger ones we spotted. Michael insisted on walking down to the shore and I told him if we walk through the grass the mosquitoes will swarm us but he didn't care, ugh!
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Looking towards Dagger point, it was approx. 8:30am at the time.
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Off on an adventure...
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The wildflowers were amazing and I sure wish the mosquitoes hadn't been so bad so I could have slowed down and took out the Macro lens.
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Looking back towards the rail trail...
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Love the designs of the Oak trees, they are shaped strangely due to the winds coming off the bay...
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Deep in thought studying the water below...
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A jellyfish propelling itself in closer to shore, we enjoyed watching it for awhile! There were lots of raccoon and bird tracks in the water too.
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A member of the Aster family and very pretty!
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Wildflowers with love bugs attached!
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A Turkey vulture sunning and drying off his wings.

We drove 70 miles and probably spent 30 minutes at the refuge. The mosquitoes were not worth fighting and the refuge had a lot of construction and closed trails. We love the refuge and understand it probably has been effected by the governments budgets cuts as it just isn't what it use to be, hopefully that will change in the future. I will still buy my yearly pass and try when I can to support the refuge it's a great place to see coastal nature at it's best.

Life on the Coastal Plains...

2011-10-25T19:28:00.003-05:00

Monday Michael and I were over near Austwell, Texas and I took these photos...

I grew up on a Dairy farm in Michigan and I remember the farm fields there, they were small and compared to the field above, they were very small. Driving a tractor all day to me is very boring I can not even imagine fitting these fields up, it's like they go on for miles! I do know that the tractors now a days have GPS and some of the new ones even have an auto-pilot that is set to the GPS to keep the farrows straight, too cool. Sometimes you gotta love technology!

I have a fascination for old homes, especially abandoned homes. When this home was new someone was tickled and I can just feel their excitement of moving into a brand new home. I'd love to hear the stories of the home being built and see the photos. Now it's boarded up and all alone, what happened? Where are the people? Could it not have been fixed up? Oh the stories this home could tell....

Just a few things...

2011-10-23T20:08:00.002-05:00

I thought were cute, interesting or funny....

Gotta love Maxine!

Makes sense to me!
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I had this photo stashed on my computer...This is the house we'd like to build! Will it happen? Someday it will, we have faith! In the mean time we are thinking a pole-barn sounds good, lol.
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This is a transformer called Starscream. This is what Michael wants to be for Halloween!

Here is a transformer costume I found on the web, cool...Will Michael have one made for him, doubtful but we've searched and come up with another idea he liked and you'll just have to wait until next weekend for the unveiling of it. That is if I get it made!
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I want to get this poster for Michael's room, we think it's pretty cool!
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A friend posted this and I liked it!

Hope y'all had a great weekend, we did. Our project, that we've been working on for a couple of months is almost done. I've got to do a few things to it this week and we should be able to finish it next weekend, yay! Can't wait to show it to y'all!

Michael Bored In Home Depot

2011-10-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

2011-10-22T20:44:00.000-05:00

To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.

-- Elbert Hubbard US author (1856 - 1915)

A whole lot of shaking going on...

2011-10-20T21:55:00.001-05:00

Follow the link to read about the Earth quake that we felt in parts of South Texas this morning...

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/South-Texas-records-largest-earthquake-2229077.php

I was outside at the time but didn't feel a thing...

A big COLD splash and it was over...

2011-10-20T20:12:00.002-05:00

Michael said NO more swimming until next summer!!!

I asked Michael if he would go in the pool and get the thermometer which was on the bottom of the pool, I forgot to mention how cold the water was, oops! (I can't get my foot wet right now but I've been wanting to know what the temp. is in the pool...) I told him don't touch the water just jump in, he did, ekk!!

And then he swam straight back to the ladder and said "No way Mom, NO WAY!!" I finally talked him into jumping back in and grabbing the thermometer but he said he would NOT be swimming again until next summer!! Can't say as I blame him the pool was a bone chilling 70 degrees F. !!!

A Phone call...

2011-10-20T13:44:00.003-05:00

I received a Phone call from my Grandmother today. I haven't heard from her in years, not since I decided to speak my peace years ago and it was not taken well by certain family members. I was in shock when I saw the Caller ID and who it was I picked the phone right up. I love my Grandmother and always have but I don't like to upset her so I don't call her. She told me it was time to admit that I was wrong about my beliefs and accusations...I tried to tell her that what was in the past is done and over with there is no changing it. I can have my opinions but it is not for me to judge anyone that is Gods job. She apologized for calling and hung up, ugh!! I do so love her but no matter what I say I can't make her happy and it frustrates me beyond belief.

My question is why can people not let go of the past and live in the here and now!! Why can't we all just get along and stop worrying about the past? Family is about sticking together no matter what opinions are voiced, it's called Love! We forgive, forget and move on...

Be Happy and Love one another!!

This week so far...

2011-10-19T12:29:00.003-05:00

Once again no photos. I've had the camera out a few times but got side-tracked and didn't get any photos! Actually there was never (in my opinion) anything interesting to take a photo of...

Michael decided to jump off the top bunk of his bunk bed Sunday evening, not sure what he was thinking or even if he was thinking when he did it. Thank goodness nothing was broken, just a bruised heel. He has crutches, which he hates using, and a wrap and brace, which I am making him wear. This morning I caught him walking on it even though he winced a few times. Kids sure do bounce back quickly, thank goodness.

We had a Northern (cold front) blow in and the pool is too cold to go swimming, sigh! I'm debating the pros and cons of either a solar cover (only warms it 10 degrees warmer) or a wet suit (I'm the only one crazy enough to be swimming right now)...probably going to go with the wet suit...I so do love to swim and I'm missing it right now. Fred told me to toughen up and dive in, Ha! I'd like to see him do it!!

I've tried riding the bike but we have a lot of HUGE gravel trucks going down our main road, bringing in gravel for the new bridge being constructed and I'm not fond of sharing the road with them. It just hasn't been a productive last few days when it comes to getting out around here and exercising. Our electric company also has tree trimming crews out here and I am not comfortable walking around them either...

Halloween is just around the corner and Mr. Michael decided he wanted to be "Starscream" a decepticon transformer, yikes! I googled it and found a few home made costumes and I'm not sure I'm up to it. He then told me he'd be an Army man. I told him you were an Army man last year and he said "No Mom, I was a MARINE"....ekk I need to keep that straight! I asked him instead of dressing up and going trick or treating if we could go to the book store and I would buy him 2 books, his choice! He said "No"...sigh I tried! So as of yet not sure what his costume will be, still working on it!

That's pretty much our week so far...How has your week been going?

Michael's cake...

2011-10-14T21:00:00.002-05:00

Michael's school Fall Festival is tomorrow and once again he wanted to make a cake for the cake decorating contest...I asked him last week what he planned on making and he said a U.S. flag...we put our minds together and below is what he did.

It took him 4 hours; 1 hour last night to mix the cake up and bake it and 3 hours tonight to decorate it. It was a learning experience for him as I made him research the flag and he had to figure out how many stars and how many red stripes and white stripes. He used a ruler and with my help figured out how wide to make the stripes and the field of blue. The stars were a bit tricky. We had to recount several times before we got them right.
I think he did a great job and he liked working with fondant, he told me it was fun cause it was like play dough. When we finished up, (yes I made him clean up too) he said Mom this cake was so much easier to make than that spider cake last year, I totally agree!

After the rain...

2011-10-13T21:23:00.003-05:00

We had a storm come through last night and received 3/10ths of inch of rain, not much but better than none. Things are really starting to green up. I thought I'd catch a few early morning photos...

Looking off to the South as the Sun comes up.

I spotted these toadstools (Fungi) last night but it was too dark at that time for a photo.
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The roses have been blooming...
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Rain drop on a Sun flower...
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It's amazing what a little moisture will do...
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A little fly hiding under a leaf...
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The white rose bush is also blooming...
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My Mom was asking about the white roses as she planted them per Michael's request and they survived the Hot-Hot Summer, woohoo! (They're in the backyard and I have a tendency to forget to water them, ekk)
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Good Morning...

2011-10-13T08:03:00.002-05:00

After a little storm and rain shower that knocked the power out at 3:26am it's nice to see a little sunshine!!

Power was restored at 5:20am, just in time to start our day. Did I get any sleep last night, not a bit cause I had Fred up at 11:30 last night chasing hogs and skunks. Did we get one nope! Is my Husband upset with me cause I woke him up, yes he sure is...Do I get a nap today probably not as I am sure my Husband will be calling me every 30 minutes to make sure I am up, lol...

So far...

2011-10-12T21:25:00.002-05:00

I have no photos to share. I haven't even touched my camera this week, so sad! I did find some beautifully colored beetles in the pool skimmer and grabbed them. I thought they'd make a cool photo op later. I put them in the trucks cup holders and after school I went to get them and hmmm, one was missing! So I went to grab the other two and ekk they were alive!! So now I have a very large beetle some where in the truck, I wasn't able to find him, lol. I put the other two on the chair on the porch and went to grab my camera and by the time I got back outside the chickens had demolished them, ugh!! Sometimes chickens can be a real pain in the you know what!! I put the camera back up as Michael was calling for homework help!

The Pool is staying at approx. 78 degrees F. and a wee bit chilly for me. The other morning I went down and sat on the ladder and just stared at the water, I just couldn't jump in, it was too darn cold! So I've changed tactics and go in the early afternoons, the water temp is still the same but I put on my big girl panties and don't touch the water with my toes but just dive in...and Yes I come up sputtering and yelling, it's cold!! But I do so love swimming and doing my aqua-exercises, at this moment I'm debating Solar cover or wet suit. I've done some research and the Solar covers will bring the temps up 10 degrees. Is it worth it? Or should I just buy a wetsuit, since I'm the only one crazy enough to swim in the winter?

I'm still having problems with my foot and I'm getting fed up with it...If I work it hurts if I sit with it up it hurts...doesn't matter what I do it hurts! Next Dr's appt. is next week and I can't wait to see what the next step will be...

This morning we had a heavy fog and I waited for everything to dry up a bit and headed down to the property to start shredding/mowing. The grass is coming up but the weeds were already up and with this last rain they were taking over...I got some done but have a lot more to do. I see the Feral hogs were down there having fun too, ugh!! They were out last night here at the house too! I'm fix'in to get our old hog trap fixed up and hope to catch some!

I was out taking care of the chickens just before the sun set tonight and saw a few things I'd like to get photos of...I'm hoping in the morning we have a heavy dew and I can do some photo therapy! Hope y'all are having a great week, take care!

Just a few things I've seen lately...

2011-10-09T20:25:00.002-05:00

Fred is a Cowboys fan but he still laughed when he saw this...
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Please spay and neuter your pets this is an example of an inbread cat :o)
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So true!

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I hate it when people gossip and this is so true!

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Wow...Rain!!

2011-10-09T19:37:00.002-05:00

We received 3 and 7/10ths inches of rain Saturday afternoon and today (Sunday), WoW!! Things will start greening up around here pretty soon, doesn't take long for the grass to start growing!
On another note Michael enjoyed his sleepover and was so whooped he fell asleep in the truck on the way home, a 30 minute ride!

Sleepover...

2011-10-08T20:24:00.001-05:00

Michael is at a friends house on his first sleepover (that isn't family) and it looks like he is having fun, fun, fun!! I am so excited for him!

Saturday in New Braunfels Texas...

2011-10-06T20:35:00.005-05:00

At the Hotel pool Friday night I talked to several people (Dawn laughs at me as I can't help talking and meeting people when we are on a trip. I took the kids down to the pool and by the time Dawn and her Mother got there I knew everyone at the pool and introduced Dawn and her Mother, lol) and one group told us about a really neat place to eat breakfast so Dawn and I thought we'd try it out for breakfast Saturday morning...I'm glad we did!

Union Street Station...Their menu consists of 55 different omeletes and of course lots of other goodies too. Dacey's french toast was to die for, Mmm...It's a really small restaurant and we had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated but the service, food and prices were awesome!!

While we waited there were plenty of photo ops!! Dacey was posing pretty and Michael was being silly!! Love it though, it's them!
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After breakfast we went to the McKennas Childrens museum (previous post) and then after that we went downtown New Braunfels for a little shopping. We found some great shops, a bit pricey but being a touristy town that is expected, we did find a few things we liked and bought.

One of the many antique shops we visited!
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For lunch we splurged and went to McAdoos Seafood restaurant, Oh wow!! The food was delicious and I'm so glad we splurged, it was well worth it...as you can see I had more photo ops and Dacey is a great model! I noticed that a lot of the houses and businesses had gorgeous flower beds and most of the plants seemed to be Texas natives or drought tolerant!
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Michael told me I could NOT park here as I did NOT have a permit, lol! Then he went and checked the other vehicles parked in front of these signs and informed me that we were all going to get towed as none of us had permits, LMBO...he's too funny!

New Braunfels is home to Schlitterbaun water park and the park also has a Christmas Shoppe. As neither Dawn or I had ever been to Schlitterbaun water park (which to Michael's disappointment was closed for the season) it took us a while to find the Christmas shoppe. It was very nice and I think I might go back sometime, would love to see it at Christmas time!
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We got a history lesson upon our arrival in the store and I loved that. This is the first 2 story house built in New Braunfels and was built in 1866. It's a beautiful building and we loved the inside and all the Christmas items.
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I left Dawn and her Mom in the shoppe and took Michael and Dacey outside. We found this cute little carousel and I found a lot more photo ops too!

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I had Michael take a photo of Dawn and I. We have to do our annual get together photo. I think we do this twice a year now, in later years it will be fun to go back and look at the photos and see how we've aged through the years!
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There are several parks through out New Braunfels. The Comal and Guadalupe rivers run through New Braunfels and during the summer months there is a lot of tubing and floating the rivers, not so much in the fall and winter months.
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In the evening we stopped in this park along the Comal river and Dacey, Michael and I went on an Adventure along the rivers banks!
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I found this historical marker regarding bat poop being harvested in the area for the civil war, interesting...something I did not know!! (Click on the photo to read the marker).
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Michael and Dacey did a lot of running...
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Then I spotted this Turkey in the river with the ducks? Weird, really weird. He acted like one of the ducks but definitely NOT a duck!! I was laughing and laughing, just not something I've ever seen before! I was thinking hey maybe he had sore feet? Goodness knows my feet were hurting! Dawn's Mom had an idea...Maybe someone put a turkey egg in with some duck eggs and he hatched out with a bunch of ducks? So now he thinks he's a duck? It's possible!
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I really had fun with the camera and watching the kids explore the river.
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Comal River, I love the Cyprus trees along the banks!
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I don't know what Michael did but I love the look Dacey is giving him. They sure had a blast at the river, running around and playing in the water.
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They love each other and of course they will deny it if you ask them...Dacey was 2 yrs old when Michael was born and spent a lot of time with us at that time so they act more like Brother and Sister, without the bickering (thank goodness) and I love watching them together. They sure do enjoy each others company! I hope their friendship continues through out their lifetimes...
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What is more fun then throwing rocks in the river and watching the splashes they create?
Dawn had mentioned the fact of maybe just doing a girls weekend only and I had thought about it but I wanted Michael to spend time with Dacey. I'm glad Michael came with me as I love all the photos I took of him and Dacey together. I know in later years they may not want to spend time together...
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Eygptian geese (I think?)...very pretty.
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I loved this...Dawn trying to help her Mom and the laughter that resulted from that moment in time! Poor Old Granny Donna ;o) I think we were all a bit stiff and sore from our busy day!
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After we left the park we went to Oma's Restaurant and had some German food. Then we splurged and got desert to go and went back to the Hotel. Ate our delicious deserts (Carrot cake, German Chocolate cake and Fudge) and went swimming...it was a wonderful day and a great weekend! Short but Sweet!

FYI

2011-10-06T20:32:00.002-05:00

Just wanted everyone to know I am reading your blogs and loving the posts but lately I have been unable to leave comments. It's driving me crazy and I've tried just about everything and still my comments disappear into cyber space!! So I'm not being rude and I truly am visiting your blogs ~ Wendy

Sunday Morning in San Antonio...

2011-10-05T20:50:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning we headed to San Antonio. Michael made a request to see the Alamo. He has been numerous times but they've been studying it in school the past year and he wanted to see it again. It's a very important historical sight in Texas history. To read about the Alamo click here, I don't know how many times I've read about the Alamo but I could read it over and over again, every time I find it fascinating. I love History.

The back of the Alamo. I didn't know it at the time but I caught Dawn and her Mom coming out of the Alamo, too funny! I wondered where they were. I lost them when Michael hurriedly ran threw the Alamo and out onto the grounds surrounding it.

Michael had been checking out the well.
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Michael took a photo of us! He's really doing well with his camera skills! It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our morning at the Alamo and checking out the grounds around the mission. I can't wait until Michael stops running through the different sites we visit and slows down so we can read and study things.
After our visit to the Alamo we headed over to the Rivercenter mall and did some shopping and then Michael and I headed home...I still have more photos of our day in New Braunfels so stay tuned!

McKenna Children's Museum - New Braunfels Texas

2011-10-04T22:18:00.004-05:00

Michael and I took a little trip this past weekend and met up with our friends Dawn, Dacey and Donna (Dawn's Mother) in New Braunfels, Texas. After Breakfast Saturday morning our first stop was the McKenna Children's Museum. We wanted Michael and Dacey to burn off some steam and have fun as the rest of the day would be filled with shopping...

Checking out the ATM machine with Granny.

Michael and Dacey playing...

Dawn and her Mom playing...(how's it work?)
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Yikes the ambulance crew is headed to the scene of a major accident!
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Inside the space ship!
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Taking a closer look through the microscope!
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This was a projector projecting objects on the screen. You stand in front of the screen and the objects are re-routed by your body then continue to fall, it was pretty cool.
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Dacey taking her turn...
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Michael playing with the lighted floor...
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Ugh! This is my lungs, don't even ask...
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These are definitely NOT my lungs!
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Playing in the water, flooding a city downstream!!
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Dacey playing in the water...
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Michael playing with the locks...
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Dacey posing on the elephant, she's a ham!
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Me playing with my camera and the water fountain, wind blowing...
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The wind was not blowing...
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We had a great time at the museum, definitely going to have to go there again!
More photos of our trip tomorrow, we had a great weekend!

Zoom Zoooom...

2011-09-29T19:49:00.000-05:00

He takes his driving very seriously...

Evening skies...

2011-09-29T19:13:00.001-05:00

Took me a few shots to get these two...it was beautiful to watch! As of yet we haven't had any rain, but I washed the truck today so I'm sure we'll get some rain.

Thursday Morning Photos...

2011-09-29T08:53:00.002-05:00

My Sage is blooming down to the property and it is so pretty. This lone plant was an experiment. I wanted to see how well it did handling the drought conditions we've had the past few years and then our winters have been pretty darn cold too. It seems to be doing just fine. When we get our house built I plan on landscaping around the house with Texas plants and I think the Sage has passed the test...

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A Scorpions stinger...Ouch!

I found two of the little darl'ins in the bottom of the pool this morning. They are out and about and I had to get these two out of the pool before Mr. Michael saw them or he would have freaked out, lol...He hates scorpions!

Our landlords Bull calf, looking nice. I hope they keep this one and get rid of the other one!
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It's a gorgeous morning out, time to get busy!

Autumn Blooms and Bugs in South Texas

2011-09-27T21:52:00.007-05:00

Are you ready for a little Autumn color? I was going to break up the photos but decided to give you a long blog post to check out, enjoy!

It's a weed and it's blooming so it's a wildflower but as to what it is I am not sure...the bloom is about the size of a pencil eraser, very tiny!!

Wild Morning Glory
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Beetle, the texture on it's back reminded me of an ear of corn, too cool.
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Fly on a Cow Pen Daisy
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Hibiscus
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Welcome to my home said the spider to the fly...
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Wicked looking Fly...
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Crepe Myrtle
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Lantana
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Zinnias...(Michael's from the Science fair in March)
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Bouganvilla
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Mexican Fire bush
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I can not remember the name of this but I know some people call it a butterfly bush.
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Female Cardinal Feather
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Partridge Pea
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Male Cardinal feather
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Erect Dayflower
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Possibly a Venus Looking glass
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Silver Leaf Sunflower

Did you know the Sunflower is the most photographed flower? I can see why, these were gorgeous this morning.
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Golden Rod Spider and Friend
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More Silver Leaf Sunflowers, these were way over my head!
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Moth on a sunflower
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and yet another Silver Leaf Sunflower
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Dogwood Calligrapha
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I see you...sweet!
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Dew Drops on a Silver leaf...
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My ride this morning...I didn't want to walk too much and I'm glad I grabbed the mule it was a beautiful morning.
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Wood Sorrel fix'in to bloom
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Fungi - toadstool - mushroom whatever you want to call it!

I'm really glad I got out this morning I had fun with the Macro lens!

I found this, this morning...

2011-09-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

A Texas Bowling Pin!!