Are we there yet?

We have been in Dallas for the whole week of spring break...
We did a lot of family time, friend time, quick visits with old friends, shopping and the sweetest wedding I've ever seen
It was a week of going non stop but I enjoyed every minute.

We spent some time with the favorite dog cousin

we ate at a lot of good places

we did some early birthday celebrating for Jennifer

Kellie chose the place and we ended up at

The Magic Time Machine

Jennifer spent some time on driving lessons for me!  Katie got to drive the car she will get soon...

I think the favorite moment of the week was Katie getting her eyebrows waxed for the first time.  She was very nervous but really, really needed it done!

She survived

We headed back towards home last night after the wedding.

Kellie needed to be able to see the nuggets she was eating

I got too tired and we stopped at a hotel

I tried to enjoy every minute I got to spend in this fluffy hotel bed!

It was just me and the girls for this trip.  I think they have had enough of each other and of me by the time we got home....
but it was all good.  They both had their favorite friends over within an hour of getting home.

I came home to a very clean house which is a very big deal to me and very unusual for Mike to have it that way.  He also took my car to and had it cleaned after we got home. 
Today is our anniversary and just coming home to a clean house was the best gift ever!
I sat at that wedding last night thinking how it seemed like yesterday that I was getting married... how could it be 17 years???? 
17 fun filled years!

A taste of spring

Remember my donkey friends?

My kids ask to go see them from time to time.  Today they had a couple of friends with them that had not met the donkeys and they wanted to show them off...

We gathered up the produce in the fridge for a treat for them....

I think they remembered us. 

 A mini horse was in the same area today. 

She might need her thyroid checked...

she liked corn better than broccoli

she really really liked corn

I took some kid friend pics just for something to do on a beautiful day

it was fun riding around with the teens

Why do beautiful days fly by?

I'll be wearing a gold swimsuit, how bout you?

We had friends come visit this weekend.  We had a good time but they had some work to do while they were here.
They were here cleaning out his mother's house here that she hasn't lived in the house in for10 plus years but wouldn't get rid of it...
They found some interesting things.
There were enough women's shoes for 3 people.  Shoes from every era.  Hats of every size and shape and more random items than you can imagine.  She seemed to be a mom who saved everything. 
I would have loved to gone through every bit of the junk! 
He brougth me a full set of  very old Samsonite luggage.  It contained lots of treasures, too.
We found an envelope with various papers from the 50's including a love letter from his dad to his mom that was precious.  What a sweet thing! 
The next suitcase was full of lingerie and 2 swimsuits that are probably from the 50's...

This may be my swimsuit this summer.  Let me know if you want the green one...

Let's catch up

Well, the picture a day for Feb. didn't last long.  Since I was sick the first week the only pictures were of the dogs...Maybe I'll try that again sometime...

but I have taken a few pictures that last couple of days....

Katie had her last basketball game Pom performance of the year...

Last night the Pom group did dinner and then came back to our house for dessert

We needed to try the chocolate fountain before they got home to make sure it was ok...

I never did get a good picture of all the cute pom girls, they were too busy eating chocolate to want to do pic's

As we were leaving for church this morning it started to snow.  And snow and snow and snow....

a fun weekend but it sure went fast!!!

Can you hear me now?

I tried blogging from the iPhone app again... I accidentally deleted my last post.  Still can't post but delete works well. 

Our big news of late is that Mike got hearing aids on Friday!

He has had a hearing loss since childhood.  He once told me he threw away his hearing aids in middle school.  This week he said he lost them in a football game...(I really think it was the first one) and he has compensated all these years without them...

He reluctantly agreed to get them again, finally!

He can hear the t.v. at a normal volume, he can hear us when we talk to him, he can even hear us when we are in the next room not talking to him...

He's going to have some adjusting to do...right now he thinks everything is too loud.  I've been sick and sniffing a lot and I am "being very loud" and today he told me the little dog eating was like a light bulb shattering on the floor...he is really put out that he can hear birds outside and traffic now.

But, his biggest complaint is that his clothes rustle.  I told him they always have and I've tried to get him to switch to light starch for that very reason...

I am so hoping he adjusts quickly.

And to add the pictures again since I've deleted the first ones...

My view today

since I didn't remember to take the picture till bedtime my view was a snuggly dog.

Words

Hands

I found Kellie napping and even then her phone was in her hand

A stranger

Since I've stayed home all day, I chose a picture from a stranger's food blog I spent some time on today... Check it out here - http://chaosinthekitchen.com/.    Had to cheat on this one...

An evening of mystery and wonder?

We have finally gotten the leak repairs finished! 

I spent the a lot of the weekend moving things back down there and getting the Christmas stuff down to the closet.  I was glad to get the trees out of the house before valentine's day.

After all the moving, cleaning, and fun I decided to enjoy the basement. 

Who knew that the teens would want to hang out with me, watch "The Help" and ask to learn to crochet. 

But, they did.

We were enjoying a cozy night in the basement when the younger one and her two friends come in and try the "proposal" idea again. 

Here is the latest....

Was your weekend spent partying at the "I Hop"?
The girls did not get to party at the I Hop.  I did agree to drive them to the donut store that stays open all night only to find out that they no longer stay open all night. When did that happen?
But you know who stays open all night?  Walmart, they do and they have donuts... Not the "hot and fresh" donuts but the best I could do.
God did bless me with a house full of girls for the weekend.
I hope I didn't ruin their memory of MLK weekend forever denying them the mystery and wonder of pancakes.

It was just like I dreamed it would be

The new year is starting off as fast as last year seemed to go!  I kind of wish it would slow down just a bit...

On New Year's day I came home from a very good shopping trip to Dillard's extra 50% off sale to 6 girls waiting on me...
They had a "proposal" for me...
I was scared.

The sat me down and this is what I got... a slide show of sorts...

They had called a hotel to see how much it would be, pooled their money, thrown in a random gift card and had a very detailed plan which included the sisters "getting along" and the olders playing with the youngers, etc...

I had no plans and I think they were absolutely shocked when I agreed... who can refuse good hospitality?

But, I had a few conditions....

We were going that day, on the 1st rather than the 2nd.

I got to pick the hotel. 

They HAD to get along.

They HAD to be quiet in their hotel room.

They had to actually give me the money they promised.

And basically had to agree to be my slave after we got home...

Let me tell you that I think we'll be doing this again...It was a fun treat for everyone.

The hotel had a very good happy hour and breakfast.

They are old enough I didn't have to be with them every minute.

They were very good. 

They all got along. 

I was in the room next door. 

ALONE.  (I've dreamed of this!!!)

With magazines.

And black out drapes.

This may be what the rooms and beds in heaven will be like...

I would get an occasional text that said something like "oh sorry, didn't mean to be loud, we'll be quieter"....

A friend of mine came for breakfast. 

It was a good start to the new year!

But then I came home to the house that is under construction from the flood...and is still under construction but should be done soon.  Maybe.

We are back in full swing with construction, school, church, and have added dieting and working out...

Hope your New Year is full of wonderful things! 

If not, go to the hotel for a night.  It will change your life.