Rainy day at the lake...

But still lots of fun:

Happy Birthday Meg!

Dancin' girl

Was hoping we'd use the umbrella to shade us from the sun not keep the burgers out of the rain

Smell my feet!

The rain did stop for a while and we got to swim!

But then it started again - someone got chilly and only had his sister's tee shirt to put on - teasing ensued!

Despite the clouds we all got home with pink cheeks (and shoulders) - just because there is no sun does not mean you don't need sunscreen. (We had put some on - but not enough)

So I got this really awesome knife...

A santoku on sale - very nice and very sharp just ask Meg...
It may not look bad in the picture, but there was a lot of blood and it goes pretty deep - it was bad enough for me to completely freak out and call 911 - Kyle quickly calmed down the situation and I could let the 911 operator get back to more important calls. Meg is not allowed to use the knife anymore :)

Hodge Podge

Well I feel like I haven't blogged in a while because there has been a lot going on but not anything particularly blog worthy. School is wrapping up this week for Benjamin, and I have been doing the mommy part - you know field day, end of the year party etc. He made it to the required reading level for second grade and we have our homework for the summer. Grandma already tells us she has a car full of books for him for when her and Aunt Beth come in June.
I feel like he is getting so grown up right under my nose - second grade seems old to me. The girls still have their little girl qualities going strong, but Benjamin is officially a big kid. In Walmart last week he ran into a girl from his class and ran to us and coached us to not embarrass him and told Ella she needed to say hi to his friend when he told her to. A mini crush in action, it was so cute.
Kyle has some news - He was elected to our homeowners association Board of Directors. He enjoys politics, so now he can be involved in some firsthand. I think it will be great for him - and he will be great for the Board - there are some old schoolers on it who need a new face and new perspective. Me personally, I want him to get a pool for the neighborhood - but I don't think he'll have that much influence yet:)
I hosted my first ever book club last night - I was nervous - because it was with church friends and my book selection dropped a few too many naughty words -I was fearful of being publicly reprimanded - but it went GREAT - everyone liked the book, thought my questions were good and a lively discussion ensued. The book was My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult if you're interested.
We worked our tails off last weekend staining our wood fence in the back yard - it looks wonderful if only I had had the insight to do before shots I'd share.
We are heading to Lake Ray Roberts this Saturday for some swimming, barbecue and to celebrate Meg's Birthday - of course there might be rain - but we're going no matter what! -
If any of you are in the neighborhood or Texas for that matter come join us !!! LOL

Happy Birthday Benjamin!!!

Cupcakes at school + getting to go home early = perfect :)

Make a wish

Yu-Gi-Oh brought big smiles

Crazy frog greatest hits!

Captain Jack Sparrow

Happy Mother's Day ladies!!!

Snail Collector

Ella: "Wow I have been collecting snails - guess how many I have"

Aunt Meg: "I bet you have 500 million"

Ella: "No maybe a little bit less" -

So Sad

So one of these crazy Texas storms killed our tree (and a section of our fence). I am so bummed - I don't have that green thumb thing going on - I hate being responsible for making things live other than children and pets :) The idea of fostering a new tree to that spot - which we will have to do, HOA requires two trees per front yard, makes me nauseous. Its difficult enough for me to keep a houseplant alive, but a new tree? Right there for the world to see in the front yard in a drought prone area with water restrictions? I see failure written all over this project to be! Oh well I don't have to worry about it till fall right - that's when you plant new trees - i think??

Aloha

WE WON :)

Grandma got us a membership to the zoo for Easter. Tonight we went to the members only party where there was a silent auction. With stealth and ebay skills at my disposal I won something very cool - a "behind the scene experience" with the lemurs for six people. Benjamin's birthday party is taken care of - awesome - I am so excited!

How the nor'easter affected me...

So just to update everyone - Dallas in general did get some really bad storms this past weekend but we fared just fine - nothing but badly needed rain here. But strangely enough the storms in New Jersey made for an interesting morning at my house.
The phone rings about 15 minutes before I need to be out the door walking with Sarah. I figured something had come up and she needed to cancel. Wrong I say hello and all of a sudden there is this woman with a thick northern accent yelling at me "MY DAUGHTER HAS AN EARLY CLASS AND THE COP AT THE SCHOOL TOLD HER WE ARE IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND THERE WON'T BE ANY SCHOOL - I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW" Now keep in mind I was barely awake - "Ok you are going to have slow down and start all over - I'm not sure what you are talking about" Simultaneously I am racking my brain trying to figure out what woman in the neighborhood thinks I would know what was going on at the high school and why we are in a state of emergency" - as my mind draws a complete blank she starts over and amazingly this time she raises her voice even more and goes faster "MY DAWTER IS UP AT THE SCHOUL..." - I cut her off "What school?" "THE HIGH SCHOUL" "in prosper?" - "NO, ARE YOU THE SECRATARY OR WHAT?" Now I am finally awake some after being yelled at for so long and being relieved knowing its not some neighbor I know - I cut her off - "I am positive you have the wrong number" "OH SARRI"... click
It wasn't until I watched the today show and saw there was a really bad storm in New Jersey that I realized she accidentally called my 972 number instead of the NJ 973 area code. The universe shouldn't let things like that happen before 6:30 in the morning.

For the light-hearted and intensely sarcastic only:

Majority Of Parents Abuse Children, Children Report

For Nelladee - a Texas Sunset

Texas Hail

Happy Easter

Wii are having too much fun!

Just a quick post to say that - despite my frugal intentions, Kyle talked me into a Nintendo wii. I am so glad he did - that thing is too much fun! He first played it at an Elder's quorum "man-richment" night - and fell in love. (In case you are wondering the men's idea of an enrichment night is to play video games for hours.) LOL He was in line for three hours the next night getting one. We have had to rearrange furniture to have room to play. Right now tennis is our favorite - and we use every square inch of our gameroom playing - we are all over the place. Bowling is fun too and we all bowl exactly like we bowl in real life - I even do that spastic thing with my feet. If you get one - get the extra controllers - you can play up to four players at once -its so fun and not too hard. The kids play tennis with us. Oh yeah and you also build your little player called a "mii" to look like you - they are so cute! Ok I have to go practice my golf game on it now!

Happy Ella

Someone has been desperate to catch up to big brother in the lost tooth department! With lots of help from dad and cringes from mommy she had success tonight. She enjoyed calling everyone to tell them and was even impressed with her own blood loss!

Get out of my purse!!

Frugal update

Frugal living is the life for me...
We are making major dents in our credit card, and other loans. I put Dave Ramsey on everyday (1-4 - my time - check him out on your stations) - He offers daily doses of motivation.
The other day I really liked something he said - "Credit is the cigarette of the financial world"
That is so true - its something that so many people do that they know is wrong - but justify it anyway. I think of how many times I used it for stupid things and I get mad at myself. I am not saying it wasn't always neccessary or that we will never have to use it again but I look at it totally different now. I would only consider using one if its was something on the same level as needing to borrow money from friends or family. I may think something is a neccessity but then I visualize myself asking a real person to loan me money to get it - and if I wouldn't do that I don't need it.
We are only on Baby step 2 - but very motivated and our biggest goal right now is to refi with a 15 year morgage within a few years. I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Check out this break down

Other Davisms I like:
Act your Wage!!
Live like no one else so later you can live like no one else
Be so frugal people think you are crazy
You'll pay a "stupid tax" for bad financial decisions
money problems are not about the numbers its about your emotions

Longwood - so long ago??

In repsonse to Kristi's blog - I totally agree!! I don't think of college days as being that long ago but then I realize I am getting old. My sister found this picture while cleaning out her stuff while we were gone. Ignore the goofy face I am making. We look like kids to me. I thought I was so mature and knew it all!!
Between looking at this picture and Kyle and I getting to hang out with Jessica - its brought back tons of memories. Kyle and I spent alot of time on the road talking and reminiscing and we realized we have known each other since 95 - that makes twelve years and we still feel like newlyweds.

Vacation photo album

Honeybun : happy

Neck cramp?

Blanket Sucker

"How do you work this thing?"

Hot bath after a long day on the road

Mt. Vernon

Poor Grandma got pink eye the day we arrived :(
With the Fongs (my best friend Ingrid) at IKEA - the coolest place ever! - Sorry George your house was nice and all but I prefer the store that has everything!
With Aunt Beth at our Favorite restaurant Bottoms up - make that a to do if you are ever in downtown Richmond
Day four of the vacation Maiya gets a nasty cough - By the second day at Nana's we spend three hours in Urgent care - turns out she got croup - she took her breathing treatment like a champ!
Cousin Thomas - awww sooo cute

Hugs from Nana!

We're home!!!

It was so good to see everyone - we love you all

and miss you already, but

are VERY glad to be off the road.