My BFA&F arrives today!

This is Stephanie... This picture was made the last time we were together - I visited her at her home in Virginia. Autumn in Virginia is beautiful! (We don't have those autumn colors here in Texas.)

Stephanie and I met on the first day of 9th grade. Yep, that means we've been friends for a really long time! We rode the same bus and were the two "new kids" in a very, very small private school which meant "blending in" was not possible. Maybe we became friends out of that desperate situation. (Hey, it was high school and we were girls - that makes it a desperate situation!) Or, maybe it was because we just truly liked each other. Either way, I believe God intended for the paths of our lives to cross and we've been best friends ever since. Together we've been through high school, college, boyfriends, break ups, engagements and weddings, trying to have babies, having babies, raising families... and all the highs and lows of life. We know each other intimately and love each other deeply. We started using the acronym "YBFA&F" (Your Best Friend Always & Forever) somewhere along the way in high school and still use it even now to close letters and emails. It's even been engraved on jewelry.

This is Stephanie with her hubby, Sam. He's a great guy! He encouraged her to make this trip to visit me here in Texas. Gotta love him for that!

Steph and I talk on the phone several times a week. Sometimes several times a day. But, we haven't seen each other in person in more than two years. Did I mention she arrives today?! And, she'll be here for a whole week! I'll tell you all about the fun details and post some pictures next week.

"The Project" is FINISHED!

Finally! (No drapes yet in the family room... another project for another time.)

P.S. - Very important company arrives tomorrow at our Bed & Breakfast! Details later...

To our helpful friends...

May I tell you what fabulous friends we have? Yes, we had friends who actually did show up for the dusting party… and then some!

A huge thank you to my dear friend Anita for arriving early yesterday morning, armed and ready to help fight the dust storm that had overtaken our home. She worked tirelessly for hours to clean each and every slat on the numerous sets of plantation blinds we have. From there she moved on to dusting the bathroom, laundry room, shaking out and rehanging drapes. The words “What do you want me to do now?” flowed from her lips more times than I can count. Then, she helped me compile my shopping list of all the felt pads I needed to buy for the furniture that would now be sitting on the new hardwood floors. Ah, it’s so nice to have a companion in list-making!

Then there’s Brenda. Thank you! This sweet friend showed up with coffee both mornings during the demo phase of The Project. She even brought breakfast tacos one morning. I’d like to think it’s because she cares for me and knows how much I love a morning cup of coffee. But, deep down I know she visited those days because she truly loves the demolition. (She needs help!) But, she didn’t stop there! Knowing that our family had survived almost a week with no kitchen, eating cereal bars and fast food for meals, she and her family arrived last night with a home-cooked dinner and insisted on helping us move the heavy furniture back into their proper places. Thank you, too, Barry – I know you didn’t ask to be a part of this remodel!

Ed, you sure picked the right/wrong time to return Bud's lawn edger! We appreciate the fact that you walked in during the moving of the really big pieces and didn't turn around and walk right back out on us. Your extra muscle was a huge help with the wall unit pieces and the china cabinet!

And, last but not least, is my friend and the best next-door neighbor ever, Tammi. She was available, at the expense of her own family and schedule, to come over and babysit the workers when I needed to run out to pick up/drop off/transport the kiddos. Thank you for your willingness to always say "yes" when I need something!

“I always thank my God when I pray for you, (friend), because I (know) about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Your love has given (us) much joy and comfort, my (friend), for your kindness has often refreshed (our) hearts.” (Philemon 1:4-7 New Living Translation... Dawn's version!)

P.S. – The Completed Project pictures will be posted tomorrow! (Update: Pictures will be posted Sunday... maybe Monday... or Tuesday... we're still cleaning...)

Under Construction!

The demolition was in full swing around here yesterday. This is NOT my favorite part of a project. Ideally, I'd like to make the plans and then not be involved again until the “make it pretty” stage. The in between, messy stage is hard on my orderly/list-making/can-you-turn-that-noise-down personality.

And the dust. Oh, my. You just can’t imagine! It ranges from a light, fine coating in the upstairs rooms (even after keeping doors closed and completely turning off the HVAC system) to actual “piles” of dust on the downstairs door frames, mouldings, and on everything in the kitchen and hall bathroom. As excited as I am about what’s happening here, I must confess that I went to bed last night with that little voice in the back of my head saying, “Have you lost your mind?!” (I hear that a lot.) Well, actually... that’s the gist of what Dad said when he called from Ohio after seeing the pictures I posted yesterday. Apparently, he really liked my old carpet and tile.

Then I woke up this morning, still slightly tired from the work of the last several days but with a renewed vision and the drive to get this project finished! The major work will be finished today (hallelujah!) with just some touch up work and a little paint left for tomorrow. We should be able to move the furniture back in on Thursday.

Progress. Love it!

P.S. - I'm still taking RSVP's for the dusting party. Please? Anyone??

It really was a lovely house...

This is what the house looked like the day we moved in. The landscaping is much more mature now, of course. We’ve enjoyed living here for five years. The house was exactly what we were looking for when we moved to Texas.

I especially love it decorated for the holidays.

But I truly love everything about my home even when it's not decked out for a special occasion.

Well, almost.

We began to notice a few things that could be changed. Just a few, minor things.

So, that's how we got started with "The Project."

Curious? The finished project pictures will be posted in two days. Or, maybe three. You know how projects go.

P.S. - Anyone available for a dusting party on Thursday? Don't know what that is? Stop by and I'll show you!

The end of drumline season...

Burrito's high school drumline recently competed in the TCGC Indoor Drumline State Competition in Houston. They had been bumped up into a new division just one week earlier as a result of their high scores all season. That's good, on one hand. On the other, it was a bit daunting to enter the final state competition in a new, advanced level. They placed third with only .6 of point difference between them and the 2nd place team. You guys ROCK!

FYI... Burrito is in the "pit" - the section of the drumline that does not move. He plays the timpani (5 kettle drums) and stands in the back right of the group, in front of the first white door when the pit area is in the video. (Kind of hard to see!)

Thank you to Kat for making this video of their performance! This was her first attempt at making a "real" video with her new digital camera. Her camera makes great pictures but poor quality video. But it does have surprisingly good audio.

The show is called "Doors" and you'll see why. Enjoy!

Bluebonnets are here!

We traveled to Houston a few Saturdays ago to watch Burrito’s high school drumline perform in the TCGC indoor drumline state competition. (I hope to be able to post a video of their performance very soon.) The further east we drove, the more we saw - fields and fields of bluebonnets. A sure sign that spring is here to stay in Central Texas. We stopped to make a few photos on both legs of the trip. I wish I had a better camera, as my photos don’t do the flowers (or the kiddos!) any justice. (Yes, Bud – that would be a blatant hint!) I’m also including a picture of Burrito and Kat on Easter Sunday morning.

Kat and her new friends.

Happy Birthday to my favorite 16-year-old nephew!!!

Today is Nephew’s 16th birthday. He’s my only sister’s only kiddo. And, he was born a year before I had any kiddos of my own. He was my “practice kiddo.” Special. Super special.

Nephew,

It was love at first sight when I held you for the first time. A love so powerful that I wondered if I would love my own kiddos that much some day. (I do!) You were so tiny. So sweet.

Our first night there, you cried and cried. You were only a week old and your mama was so exhausted. (Kiddos are hard work at that age, you know!) I slipped out of my bed and into the room you were sharing with her. You had already been fed and diapered so I knew you didn’t need her at that moment. So, I picked you up, swaddled you snuggly in a soft blanket and rocked you. I whispered to you while we rocked. Do you remember what I told you? Don’t worry, I don’t remember all of it either! I do remember telling you what a special person you are and how much I love you. And, I kissed your beautiful face. Yes, that embarrassing ritual started all the way back then.

Sixteen years have flown by. Look at you! Almost grown up and way taller than me now. You are still just as special to me and I am so proud of the man you are becoming!

Have I embarrassed you here? Good! I’m your Aunt and that’s just one of my duties. And, I’ll be kissing your face just as soon as you get here in July. Yep, right in the middle of the airport for everyone to witness!!!

‘Cause I love you! XO

Happy 16th Birthday!!!

P.S. – Just be thankful I don’t have the naked baby pictures in digital format. I could always scan a few…

Stage names to protect the guilty.

I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the humorous week – at my expense, of course. No charge to you, my friends! The posts did elicit a few emails of concern and one nervous phone call from Grammy. Most of them went something like this:

"Whose kids were you talking about?"

"Who are Burrito and Kat??"

"Who are you?"

"Have you lost your mind?" (Probably.)

"Are those the names they are going by now??" (This from Grammy – ever conscious of being sensitive to their feelings and addressing them by their current name of choice.)

Burrito and Kat. Kiddos numero uno and numero dos. Very simply, nicknames that Bud and I have used for them since birth. And just in case you’re wondering, Bud isn’t Prince Charming’s real name either.

Stage names for the blog to protect the guilty parties.

Will this day never end? (And, why am I so gullible??)

Kiddo numero dos arrived home from school this afternoon and was in rare form. Typical preteen girl dramatics. I tried to cut her a little slack, as I knew it was a hard day with tests and all.

"How was your day, Kat, sweetie?" ‘Cause I’m that kind of a mom. I care. I really do. "Terrible." Followed by silence. Quite frankly, I’m surprised her answer had more than one syllable!

I’m not one to give up easily. "How was your test today?" This earned me a glare and more silence as she digs through her backpack. I can feel my eyebrows inching up my forehead. It’s an involuntary muscle thing that happens when I’m faced with rudeness from my kiddos. It’s also the beginning of “the look.”

Silently, she stands and thrusts a paper at me. A note. Top part, Kat’s handwriting. Bottom part, Ms. P’s handwriting. Ms. P is Kat’s language arts teacher. I begin reading…

Dear Mom, I am writing this note to you because I was cheating on the language arts test. I have a D-Hall next Thursday which means I will miss cheerleading next Thursday. I promise I will never do it again. Love, Kat

Mrs. W, I have spoken with Kat about this incident many, many, many times today. I think she should probably stay for detention several more days so she can organize my room, paint the walls a new color, clean up around the school and plant a nice garden for us to enjoy. Ms. P

Okay, in my defense, my brain didn’t comprehend anything beyond I was cheating on the language arts test. The. Mother. Of. All. School. Sins. I need to add that I’ve known Ms. P for a few years and even run into her socially outside of school functions. So, there’s the actual offense committed by Kat. And then, the humiliation of it. Oh, the humiliation! For me, that is.

I’m speechless. And my eyebrows have completely disappeared somewhere up in my hair. Kat begins to laugh. She has a great laugh, by the way. One of those infectious laughs that makes everyone join in even when they don’t know why she’s laughing. Except for me right at that moment.

So, I read the note again. This time, I notice the details of the proposed punishment and that Ms. P’s signature is followed by the date: 4/1/08. Underlined. Hard. Like ballpoint through the paper hard. Comprehension begins to seep through me. Then disgrace. I’ve been had. Twice. In one day. By my kiddos.

Can I just go to bed now?

Am I the only one who forgot it was April 1st?

Burrito. Kiddo numero uno. My "by the rules" kid. Serious. Self-motivated. And he apparently has a deep, sick sense of humor - the likes of which are just now being revealed.

Picture it... I'm home alone. Enjoying the quiet and the companionship of my furball, Max. Just hangin' out doing my stay-at-home mom duties when the cell phone rings. Not a Prince Charming ring tone. Not a kiddo ring tone. Ahhh... a school prefix number. I chuckle to myself wondering which kiddo I'll find on the other end of the line and what paper/book/notebook/project/permission slip was forgotten this morning.

"This is Mrs. O from Your Local High School. Is this Mrs. W?" Burrito's Enhanced Spanish 2 teacher. Her voice is pleasant enough. I'm not worried yet - the academic awards assembly is next week and I'm just certain she's calling to let me know that Burrito has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize!

"I'm calling to let you know that I had to write up Burrito in class today and he'll be staying after school for detention. I tried to give him several chances but he continued to be disrespectful to me and I just can't allow that." Okay, so she didn't call him Burrito. She actually used his given name. The real point here is that I was so stunned she could have said anything after that statement and it would not have registered with my shell-shocked brain. Burrito??? Forget homework? Maybe. Unprepared for a test? Not likely. Disrespectful? Unfathomable.

She continued with the details. "Using the laptops in class... blah, blah, blah... surfing the net... told him to stop... blah, blah, blah... did it again... blah, blah, blah. He is very upset so I'll let him talk to you now."

"Hi, Mom." His silence followed by my silence. The electrical impulses in my brain are firing erratically and I can't form a complete thought. Finding it hard to breathe. Numbness in my lips and tongue. Losing my peripheral vision. Is this what a stroke feels like? Finally, I choke out one word, "Burrito?" A little more silence. "Did she tell you, Mom?" Still silence. I wouldn't know what to say even if my brain were functioning properly.

Apparently, even Burrito was beginning to wonder if I was having a stroke. "Hey, Mom? Are you still there?" I need to sit down. Again, the one word answer, "Yes."

At this point, Burrito begins to laugh. Not a normal laugh. Bordering on hysterical. I'm trying to regain control of my misfiring brain. It's becoming obvious we're both going to need medical attention. "Mom? April Fool!!!" The maniacal laughing continues. It's not just Burrito now. Mrs. O and the entire class have joined in the fray.

That's okay. You know what they say about paybacks. Did I mention that Mrs. O lives in our neighborhood and I know which house is hers? Oh, yes.

P.S. - I hope they pull that same prank on a few more unsuspecting parents. (And, I guess that would explain where kiddo numero uno gets that sick sense of humor.)

We might have to move!

Bud and I decided we needed some exercise last night and went for a long walk. After 9:00 PM. In the dark. Scary things come out in the dark.

Okay, so I've bragged about living in Texas and only having seen one live snake. I was in my van at the time. And I ran over it. Three times. Yes, I drove around the block to accomplish that. Hey, you can never be too sure with those slithery things. (I do realize this admission is going to cause me to be a target for all the animal rights activists, despite my deep love for all of God's other creatures.) Apparently, I've bragged about my record one too many times.

So, we're walking along enjoying our time alone together. Suddenly, a "stick" on the sidewalk began to wiggle. Writhe. Slither. Did I mention this was within feet of my feet?? As it made its way into the grass of a nearby lawn and disappeared, it occurred to me how many times I've walked barefoot on my lawn. Oh, sure. I was careful. I'm always on the lookout for these sneaky snakes. But if this one could be unseen in this lawn, how many were camouflaged in my lawn? I can't even begin to describe the shiver that exploded at the base of my spine and ran like an electrical current to the top of my skull. My scalp still tingles when I think about it.

By the way, if my Prince Charming tries to tell you this snake was less than a foot in length - he's lying.