Day of Firsts...

Today was Kendie's 1st ever basketball game! They did well and I was very proud of them, even though coaching 1st grade girls when they know NOTHING of basketball, is kind of like herding cats!! It is a good thing they didn't call walking, double dribble, running, double dribble...you get the picture. Kendie didn't play her best - she was just kind of out there, but I think you can tell by the pictures that she just doesn't look like she feels well. I guess it is back to the Dr. tomorrow - we are getting VERY good at going to the doctor on call on the weekends. I bet she has strep again - bet she is a carrier - if so, I will be talking to them about getting her tonsils removed. Could you tell that Kendie had been drinking BLUE Gatorade?



Another first today was that I did my first photography shoot. My friend, Nancy, told her granddaughter that I was getting into photography and so she and I went out and took some pictures. She was GREAT to work with and VERY patient with me. I think that we got some good shots and I can learn a lot when I go back & edit. Here's a couple that haven't been edited or anything. Thanks, Elizabeth!

We have another game tomorrow - wish us luck!

Old Friends are the Best Friends!

I don't know if I have ever had a BEST friend (aside from Dave)...& contrary to what a lot of people would say now, I still don't have a BFF. I have always been blessed to be surrounded by a BUNCH of great friends and I have never wanted to single anyone out by saying, "Oh, _______ is my BEST friend!" I have some friends that are better than others and I have had friends that are really good friends for a "season" - I think that we should live everyday like it was our last & enjoy the company that is there with us right then!! This week, it turned out that I had lunch on three different days with 3 different friends/groups of friends and they were all wonderful! Obviously, I share interests with all these girls, but I think it is interesting to think back and realize how different they all are AND how different our "connections" are...however, I love them all and cherish the time that we spent together laughing and talking! The first was girls that I am on PTA with and we had just finished a meeting, the second was someone that I get along with great but have just recently started to hang out with because I am working for her with photography and the last was a very dear, longtime friend and my maid of honor when I got married. (Just as an aside, I had to stop writing so I could run to WalMart and get ketchup - Addi went with me & we had this whole discussion about friends because apparently everybody at school has changed friends because the new semester began & everyone's in different classes - kind of weird how all that was at the same time I was writing this!) The thing that prompted this whole entry is that we talk about different things with different people and I think it is all dependent on how well, & a lot of times, how LONG you have been friends. Today, my friend & I were discussing how different people hold pens/pencils...how dorky is that? I am almost 40 years old, I go to lunch with a good friend and we talk about how to hold a pen. We also discussed how you erase when you are marking with a pencil and you make a mistake - I personally just kind of twist it in my hand but I had a friend all through school who would lay her pencil down and then pick it up so that she could erase. When she finished erasing, she would place it on the desk again to grab the other end...not wrong...just different - kind of like all our different friends! At a pause in our conversation, I told my friend that that was one of the reasons that I loved our friendship because we could discuss anything and have a great time just being together. We got tickled when I said people would think we were crazy when they asked what we talked about at lunch and we replied, "Well, how you grip a pencil, of course!" BTW, how do you hold a pencil and how do you erase?? :o)

the day after Christmas

Well, I still have on my PJ's from last night...I didn't do anything today but read, do stuff on the computer and play 'Words with Friends'! It was so nice not to have to run all over getting girlies to different lessons and practices! Not that I don't cherish my job as chauffeur but a break is welcome! Tomorrow, we don't have class at church so we will get to sleep in a bit before worship. Then we don't have anything until sometime Monday when my "crazy long-haired friend" from college is in for a short visit! I will have to turn the guest room back into a room instead of a walk-in closet/wrapping paper room but that won't be too hard! So excited about his visit - he hasn't been here (& we haven't seen him) in about 5 years. We were just moving into out current house when he was passing thru last - literally moving in! Tuesday evening we are spending time with my dear friend, Melynn, from Baltimore! Can't wait to catch up with her too! Our Christmas was wonderful & we were blessed beyond what we could even imagine - both of our parents really surprised us with their generosity! They girlies were spoiled by everyone (including Santa) too and are VERY happy with their presents - hopefully I'll get the pictures downloaded tomorrow!

Merry CHRISTMAS!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
I have tried for days to load our pictures that went on our cards ad don't know what the trouble is...I'll keep trying!

Super Long Time, No Post!

WOW!! Once again, I can't believe how long it has been since I posted...all I can say is that we live a SUPER busy life. I also think that since I have started writing stuff on Facebook, I update there more than on here. There have been so many things that I wanted to write about and post pictures, but I just haven't. A big one was that Addi decided to be baptized - we went to Abilene to a special spot on the ACU campus (she TOTALLY chose this on her own) and it was a very sweet time with family and friends. It was VERY spur of the moment so a lot of our family wasn't here but were able to call & talk to her, so that was good. Addi turned 12 and we had her whole basketball team (9) over for a birthday/team slumber party. OH MY GOODNESS...I have never heard such noise in all my life - it is a little different when you have active, competitive girls as opposed to girls that like to paint their nails and watch movies! We went & spray painted some cars (you're allowed to do that), chalking and silly stringing and then we came home where they played Truth or Dare (from an iPhone app) and I taught them Spoons. I think they all had a good time.
We went to Houston for Thanksgiving and were able to be there for almost a week. The girlies, especially Kendie, were SO EXCITED to get to spend time with their cousins from California. Kendie and Eliot are only 3 months apart in age and truly have a special relationship! They were able to play outside almost the whole time and Emee and Kendie FINALLY decided to ride bikes WITHOUT training wheels! I was a bit worried about taking the girlies out of school early (an hour Monday & all day Tuesday) until we were at the airport Monday about to board the plane when Addi said, "We watched Robin Hood in Language Arts, Elf in PE & Wall~E in Art today..." Great times were spent with family there - we had 29 for Thanksgiving (only 5 were not part of our actual family) and 27 for breakfast on Saturday morning for Grandad's famous biscuits! We flew out of 75 degree weather to snow...what a change! I did my first wedding Saturday as a "2nd shooter" - I was SUPER nervous but think I got some good shots. That was really all I was hoping for - my friend was the main photographer and I was just the icing on the cake trying to get some good ones at different angles. I am thinking of pursuing my photography a bit more and am talking to another photographer about helping her out and LEARNING more...we'll see how that goes.
Still haven't gotten the tree up this year, but I do have most of my shopping done...at least all the big or impossible to get things!! Better run...I have to go make copies and then an Area PTA lunch - I won't even bore you with the after school schedule - it is CRAZY! Stay warm, everyone - it is 16 here without the wind chill!

Just another crazy Saturday

Just another crazy Saturday at our house...today marks the end of the Fall soccer season. Honestly, I can't say that I am too sad about this. Aside from the fact that since the time has already changed and we are unable to practice, I just don't feel like I have done justice to the team that Dave & I are coaching. We just got off to a really bad start (found on a Monday and first game was THAT Saturday & already had a jam packed week so we only practiced once) and have one girl that is a big challenge and makes it very hard to coach/teach the ones that really listen and want to learn. I realize that it is a lot like teaching, but with teaching, you have a little back-up and at least you get PAID!! :O) We are lucky in that we have a GREAT group of parents (most of the girls are great too) who have been very supportive and kind and, I think, are just glad that someone is coaching so that their daughters can play. Kendie's last game is today too - she is on the same team that she has been on every Fall and Spring since she was 4. They are really good for their age and have a superb coach (who also came & helped Dave and me out - kind of the deal if we coached but he sure didn't have to) who has 2 older soccer playin' sons and is really big in the soccer association - you can see his love of the sport and the girls in every game & practice. They have been the Princess Barbies (yes, I drive around with a pink sticker that says that on the GIRLY van!) but are currently in a name crisis - I bet that will settled in the next few seasons and maybe they will pick a more "fear instilling" name!! Emee has ice skating today and will miss the warm-up but since there is hardly any ice time this month, we want her to get what she can out of it. Thank goodness, MiMi is willing to take her down there (Dave & I will be playing coach at the end of our last game & didn't feel we should run off this time). The ice skating lesson ends at 3 and that is the same time as Addi's basketball game. We will race home & Addi will change so we can get her to the gym by 2:30. She is doing better & better at BB, but still having trouble catching the ball. She may just be a fumble-fingers like her Mama, but we have an appointment to get her eyes checked & talk to the Dr. on Monday afternoon. She wears glasses for far away and I am wondering if she isn't able to see the ball from far enough away to track it properly and catch it - I'll let you know about that one!! Off to get things moving for today...have a good one!
Next up, coaching 1st grade girls basketball...now that is a sport I HOPE (think) I can do some justice to!! Only time will tell...

Attic...

I have thought about writing this post for a long time, but since I haven't written anything on my blog in a while, it just stayed in my mind! Here it is...what do you think about your attic? I'll admit first off that we have a LOT of junk up there that we just move from house to house AND that most of it is mine and not Dave's! HOWEVER, we do have some things that it has been good that we have been saving. An example would be the big box of SHOES! When soccer season came around this year, I went up to the attic to search thru the shoe tub and got out a pair that I thought would fit Emee. Since this was the first time (except the one season when she was 4 & HAD to play) she has really played, I also wanted to get her something new - not just all of her sisters' old hand-me-downs (I try to be sensitive about that since she is smushed in the middle). Off we head for Academy before her 1st practice to get her a new ball. She was SO PROUD of her "new" soccer cleats (helped that they have PINK on them) and shin guards. When people commented or even glanced her way, she told them, "I got my new shoes from the ATTIC!" What I am wondering is since she said it with such gusto, are people running out to try to find the new store in town called "The Attic"? Doubt it....
Next story: We got these PRECIOUS outfits that a friend of mine in Dallas is having made. They actually are matching outfits for American Girl dolls but are much cheaper than thru AG (contact me if you are interested!). Anyway, Emee's is black with zebra print ruffles on the bottoms of the pants and top and has hot pink embellishments. While I was digging for the soccer cleats, I came across a pair of Hanna Andersson hot pink clogs that were practically brand new. Guess what? They match the outfit PERFECTLY. At church that Sunday, one of my friends asked me how I got the shoes to match so well...I replied, "Oh, I just went to the ATTIC!!" (hee, hee) If you know me, you know that I LOVE a bargain and I love it even more when stuff like this happens and I can get GREAT outfits put together out of what we already have. Next time she wears it, I'll try for a picture! Just the other night I frantically went up to the attic to look for shoes to go with Halloween outfits...yep, found one for each of the girlies. These were shoes that still had the tags on them that my SIL had given me. They missed Addi (that size/season thing) but kept them and they are finally going to get some use! LOVE THE ATTIC...& yes, someday I will clean it out...BUT NOT TODAY!! :O)
Have a good weekend!