Are We There Yet?

decades go by faster than i thought

2012-01-07T21:42:00.001-06:00

i'll cover christmas and new year's eve/day soon.

today my baby turned 10. i still remember eating pizza with a hidden jalepeno on january 6, 2002 and waking up in labor a little after midnight. of course, i remember the epidural NOT working. i remember holding him for the first time and andy fighting over who gets to hold him ;) i remember driving home to the aggie band. being terrified of his first snow. a million nuks. an almost unhealthy love of thomas the train and j pretending to wax thomas' eyebrows after watching mama have it done. thinking we were superheros like the incredibles. first soccer, first t-ball, first day of kindergarten, first broken bone, first football game...i could go on forever. oh how we adore this boy. happy 10th birthday j-man!

Austin 2011

2011-12-30T12:13:00.001-06:00

Made it back from the 2nd annual girls' trip to Austin. And like last year it was much needed, much love, much fun and mucho laughter. Some faves to not forget:
*S sharing for the first time in our 20 years that it was at 2 am on a rush night that she made a conscious decision to like E.
*scary Adam Lambert bartender yelling at me to finish my drink.
*"he'll you damn auto correct!"
*"who's Tom?"
*"whehjvhj mmmmm"
*40 year old women running away terrified from the emergency call lady's voice on the elevator.
And finally...
*"Is this a PF Chang's?"

Love you girls! Until next time...

you can always tell

2011-12-22T15:20:00.001-06:00

you know if i'm stressed or super busy by my lack of blogs. today a quick catch up in photos. ALSO- shout out to my aunt lil and kindred cousin gail for successful surgeries and good recoveries. we are blessed and thankful.
now....team malhiot since daddy's bday:

go shawty...it your birfday...

2011-12-03T12:49:00.001-06:00

happy day to my best friend, the best daddy, most wonderful person i know. love you so...

Sad day

2011-12-01T11:15:00.001-06:00

no words

30

2011-11-30T20:53:00.001-06:00

...for Jman, abbygirl and hud. i couldn't have said it any better.

29

2011-11-29T17:47:00.001-06:00

...for THE best mom and dad, in laws, sister and bro & sis in law, plus nephew. there really is no way andy and i would make it without them. for realz.

28

2011-11-28T21:37:00.001-06:00

...for my andy. best friend. hugger. tv buddy. favorite cuddler. amazing daddy. laugh partner. mine forever.

27

2011-11-27T20:36:00.001-06:00

...for a nice dinner out with A and the kids.

26

2011-11-26T14:56:00.001-06:00

...for yummy thanksgiving dinner with my parents and family.

25

2011-11-25T21:31:00.001-06:00

...for kisses from my kids. i hope they never stop giving them.

24

2011-11-24T23:46:00.001-06:00

this one is hard tonight (TWSS). ags just got outscored, spent my first holiday alone ever and first thanksgiving without A in 16 years, and I'll be up all night worried about them driving back from CS. so let's go with...
...for my sweet friend creating her fourFOURTHS tomorrow. so happy for her-she deserves so much love.

23

2011-11-23T18:13:00.001-06:00

...for a sweet, amazing husband who made sure that he found tickets to the t.u. game so that he can take J to watch the Ags BTHOtu for maybe the last time.

22

2011-11-22T13:45:00.001-06:00

...that poppy's surgery went well and he is recovering :)

21

2011-11-21T17:51:00.001-06:00

...for a whole week off to chill with my fam.

20

2011-11-20T17:11:00.001-06:00

...for having the absolute sweetest daughter ever.

19

2011-11-19T22:22:00.001-06:00

...for my sweet hubs who watched several children so that I could go get my twilight fix.

18

2011-11-18T16:54:00.001-06:00

...for movie night at home snuggled on the couch with A.

17

2011-11-17T16:52:00.001-06:00

...for sonic dr pepper :)

16

2011-11-16T18:31:00.001-06:00

hijacked? copy/paste action? yes and yes. but it is one of the things i am most thankful for. i love my friends...just without adequate words to describe it.

15

2011-11-16T05:20:00.001-06:00

...it's almost Friday. I was typing this into my blogger phone app and fell asleep with the phone in my hand.

14

2011-11-14T18:24:00.001-06:00

...for random sweet texts

13

2011-11-13T16:34:00.001-06:00

...lazy sundays with plans to have fun with the punks :)

12

2011-11-12T23:17:00.001-06:00

Today you get a two-fer:
...for a random run in with a long lost best friend. Made my heart so happy.

...for reconnecting with my cousin. We are kindred...peas in a pod-and I adore her.

11

2011-11-11T17:26:00.001-06:00

...for a night including sleeping in with the house all to myself. Diagonal on the bed? Why yes, I believe I will :)

10

2011-11-10T17:13:00.001-06:00

Stress is trying to make this hard for me to do today.

...for my mom bringing lunch to me and all 3 punks AND making dessert for the whole staff.

9

2011-11-09T21:03:00.001-06:00

...for hearing 147 times a day "I love you" and it's not even from A or the kids. :)

8

2011-11-08T11:35:00.001-06:00

...for a husband who will surprise his little man with surprise lunch at school on Thanksgiving lunch day :)

7

2011-11-07T18:07:00.001-06:00

...for 5 year old soccer games that provide mucho laughter and cuteness, and for Hudson loving his first sport.

Day 6

2011-11-06T11:09:00.001-06:00

6) normal lab results
+ bonus...Abby's squad won first place at first competition!!!

30 days of thankful

2011-11-05T13:04:00.001-06:00

Starting a little late...what else is new...but I'm over it on Facebook and thought I'd keep it a little more on the DL on my blog. So, I'm gonna try to blog every day one thing I am thankful for. Let's begin with #1-5
1. A safe trip to and from Vegas for Andy. We missed him!
2. How cooperative and helpful Abby is in the mornings.
3. My teammate and awesome friend Kerri. Always there for me...for just about anything.
4. Quiet night to watch Greys Anatomy.
5. Beautiful fall weather.

Big weekend ahead. Abby has her first cheer competition in the morning. Lord help me wake up and get her cheer ready at the crack of dawn! Go Elite!

all things hallowen 2011

2011-11-01T17:15:00.000-06:00

a little pumpkin carving, a little trick or treating, and little scary house visiting...

very brave arriving at the scary house...

now we aren't so sure

but it's cool dude

hate this mask! NOTHING scarier than a clown

scoring some major loot

abby was really into the whole vampire, evil glare thing

and hud said "peace out, costume!" after about 2 blocks. oh well :)

this, that and the other

2011-10-20T22:00:00.001-05:00

steam of conciousness post:
my mouth hurts and i feel awful. 3 cases of hand foot mouth disease, 2 in my classroom. surely that's not it. self diagnose on web and it could be my thyroid. need to have levels checked...way overdue. that's probably it. felt more symptoms lately. can't tell if its thyroid, stress, anxiety or the lovely virus. hate being considered sick, confirmed or not, because my husband barely stays in the same room with me, much less lets me lay down in his lap and have him play with my hair or rub my back. poor poor me. pity party. and the saying "when it rains, it pours" is pretty spot on in my opinion, except for actual rain in texas right now. praying, praying, praying. jake. andy. me. other stuff...life stuff. surely it will let up soon. trying to focus on the blessings. best class i've had possibly ever. i adore adore adore them. thank you lord for giving me peace in my classroom when it's hard to find outside of it. hardworking husband who loves me and takes care of his family. sweet abby who is generous with hugs and kisses and whose laugh is contagious. she is sunshine. hud. the ham. keeping laughter alive in our house. precious jake who is so smart and so talented...and i guess is the vehicle the lord is using to teach us many things. just hope we learn them soon :)
thankful for the cooler weather.
thankful for amazing parents and in-laws.
thankful for dr pepper.
thankful for an understanding and caring vice principal.
thankful for true genuine friends.

my boys of fall

2011-10-11T21:37:00.002-05:00

13

2011-10-10T19:13:00.001-05:00

Me. My girl. Taylor Swift. Perfect night.

#%**%*<

2011-09-24T18:23:00.001-05:00

I blogged too soon and jinxed the game. Ugh.

Finally...return to the motherland

2011-09-24T16:53:00.001-05:00

Andy and I can't even remember the last time I came to CS for a game. So needless to say it's been too long. Found a cool little house to rent for our group and we rolled in early enough Friday to hit all the old school spots before yell. Zapatos trash can nachos...check. Dixie chicken...check. Shot at the dry bean...check. Walked through campus to watch the band march in to yell and I totally started crying. I thought I was medicated enough not to do that! ;) Man I love and miss this place. Yell was awesome. Tailgating and game are awesome (it is halftime but Ags are kickin butt so hopefully that will end well).
Aggieland-it's been too long.

Before I forget

2011-09-16T14:24:00.001-05:00

My new favorite thing: everytime hud sees me at school he waves me over (if he's in line) or runs to me and wants a big kiss. Of course I'm gonna soak it all in and do it as much as I can because I know how fast that will turn into barely a wave.

Test

2011-09-13T18:20:00.001-05:00

Testing new app

i wish i blogged more

2011-09-10T23:12:00.000-05:00

there is no way to remember all the little things that i immediately think "i need to blog that!" when you blog as often (meaning not very) as i do. i blame it solely on the need for a laptop. you listening santa??so school has started, kids are doing great and loving their teachers. my class is PRESH and i am so thankful. we got 2 weeks under our belts and it was time for our annual labor day "ribber" trip. only the trip fell apart about a week before we were going. so, in an excellent change of plans we decided to go to san antonio to stay with the blakes and what a fantastic choice that was! i, of course, always love my 'e' time, andy and steve watched football and did man things, and the kids played...perfection. we even spent one night at the jw marriott for the fun pool. it was relaxing and fun and just what we needed.

then we returned to reality...i came down with bronchitis which i have never had before. awful. horrible. would rather have strep. got a steroid shot, major meds and couch syrup that makes me see things, but i need to rest more. not feeling great at all. however, mom duty calls and there was NO WAY this mama was going to miss h's first soccer game or j's first football game.

going coastal

2011-08-24T19:35:00.000-05:00

Free picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

blink

2011-08-22T19:13:00.000-05:00

seriously. just yesterday i had this

i must have blinked because now i have this

my baby has started kindergarten. i have had the same feelings each time the other two started school but it seemed to get worse with each one and hudson going has hit me like a ton of bricks. i so regret not having the chance to be at home with my kids until they were old enough for school. and life is so crazy (always...i keep thinking that will change. guess not.) that i have to force myself not to think about what it would have been like to have all that time with them. but, on the positive side, i am blessed to have them on my campus, to get to see them every day and be there if they need me. plus, i'm sure having my own career and the adult time that comes with that has helped my sanity and margarita budget. oh who am i kidding? my own kids...my classroom kids...both probably call for equal opportunity drinking. so my baby is in school. i pray that he learns, grows, laughs and make tons of new friends along the way. now excuse me while i fall in a heap on the bed to cry.

before that, here are all of the punks on the first morning. love. them.

more summer fun

2011-08-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

between working on school stuff and trying not to melt in this ri-DONK-ulous heat, we've had some more fun together. share with me...

spray park while jman does his football thing

andy's good friend matt was here for a visit. so...triple trouble was on the loose in plano for a night


if you let it be THEIR idea, sometimes they do what you want ;) new haircut for j!

finally had a visit from betsy! still think dallas and houston should be closer together.


also celebrated monk's birthday. 3 birds...one margarita :)

daddy and hud time at the pool

j totally excited about firat day in full pads. in 127 degree heat. ugh.

finally braved hawaiian falls with kerri. love kp time.

bbbbbbbbbff

brave boy decided to try ALL of the slides. see...let him decide on his own.

hud's birthday will be next week while we are in destin so mum and grandaddy gave him an early birthday gift.

they spent the night with my parents and my mom said he woke up first, grabbed his bag and kept it with him all day while thanking her constantly. so cute!

freebird art

so we are off to the beach for a week. stay cool peeps!

lots o' stuff

2011-07-26T19:40:00.000-05:00

i could be nice and break this into multiple posts...but i'm not. ;)
first up: a fabulous girls' night with some of my favorite peeps. wish we did this kind of thing more often. and this kind of thing was hanging out in Jfabs backyard, drinking wine and laughing. what's better than that?

next up: swimming lessons. hud is my last one needing lessons and that was questionable but he could always use improvement, plus his long lost bff jack would be there. score! my incredible-beyond-words child care provider is also the swim teacher AND my babysitter/coworker's daughter is her helper. love love love those ladies!

i've been overwhelming myself by reading a million other super cute teacher blogs filled with awesome ideas that i just have to do RIGHT NOW. it also doesn't help that i am totally addicted to pinterest now. go there. i dare you. so i felt a little crafty and did this:

crate seats!!! and...

new doorstop :)
last on the list of things to bore you with on this blog, friday night at jack's porch! i recently posted a total downer blog about friendship and some of the people on team lisa were the very ones andy and i got to hang out with. so meet part of my family :)

the reason i know how to dance like a good cowgirl should

my honey

the boys...i swear andy should have gone to ld bell

my longest friendship...33 years!!!

do. not. know. what i would do without this girl

adore.

whew. i feel better. all caught up now. gonna go look at some blogs and feel inadequate now.

that boy

2011-07-21T15:39:00.000-05:00

love him. drives me crazy. makes me laugh until tears roll. what can i say?

pine cove 2011

2011-07-17T18:53:00.000-05:00

blessed by andy's company, we were once again able to send jake to pine cove this summer. last year he had a buddy with him from home but this year he went on his own. i prayed that he would be placed in a cabin with boys that he would get along with and have things in common with, and that he would come home with 7 new friends...and prayers were answered. qui qui, his counselor was incredible and jake had such a great time he forgot to write :(

i pray that the joy and the peace and the confidence and the grace he encountered this past week will follow him for many months.

so proud of my boy! love him so...

poppy's day (also, my kids are bombdiggity)

2011-07-10T19:12:00.000-05:00

poppy wanted to go to six flags for his birthday. because he rocks! now i'm not dissing j man. he's always been my cautious one. and may this trait continue into the driving and college years. but his roller coaster choices are limited and on his terms. a and h...not so much. they have what you call NO FEAR. it was my 4 year old that got me on the titan. he rocks. we had a blast! happy birthday poppy!

love the dude in the back almost as much as the pure joy on andy and poppy's face :)

happy 4th

2011-07-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

12

2011-07-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

you're still the one i love to catch myself dreaming about, still the one i love to talk things over with, still the one i love to cuddle next to until we are as close as we can be...
i hope you're as happy as you make me feel, because you're everything i could ever hope for - the one i love with all my heart and soul.
happy 12 years babe.

granbury fun

2011-07-05T12:51:00.000-05:00

my oldest bff lives in granbury now, which makes hanging out a lot more challenging. every fourth of july her huge extended family descends on granbury and it is just F. U. N. jen is a sister to me and her family is very special to me and andy. so we had the most wonderful time talking, laughing, golfing, swimming, eating, boating and mostly just being together. perfection. it has now been declared a tradition.

abby was on a roll...

2011-07-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

i really have no words for these pics i'm sharing. at least not that i can say in my out loud voice. bottom line: abby. scissors. twice. ugh.

cabo

2011-06-27T17:27:00.001-05:00

andy is so blessed to work for an amazing company like interstate batteries. they are a very family friendly company with strong christians both in leadership and throughout. chaplain on payroll...check. pay for half of kids' tuition to choice of christian camps like pine cove...check. encourage couples to attend marriage enrichment seminars like weekend to remember and pay the fee plus cover half of the hotel expense...check. and this past weekend andy and i got to go to cabo for 4 days! so fun. so relaxing. so needed. we are so grateful.

until next time...miss it already.

happy father's day (or...you should've seen the other guy!)

2011-06-20T19:56:00.000-05:00

yeah, that's how we roll. you come to the malhiot's for a bbq, be ready to rumble. seriously...congratulations to jake for giving poppy his very first black eye! the kid's got a mean fastball.

so far...

2011-06-18T21:06:00.000-05:00

we just came to the end of our first week of summer. even though the 157 degrees outside is trying to convince me that it really IS summer the busy week gave me my doubts. :)
between doctor appointments, hair appointments, baseball camp, vbs, cheer and tumbling practice, happy hour with good friends and a date night we were a busy group! oh - and i've cleaned out 2 closets and done some school work (madness, i tell you!)
very excited about what's coming...CABO BABY!. can. not. wait.
let me throw in some pics for posterity:

ab at her cheer swim party

long story about this bridge my bff e is posing in front of...another time, another post. maybe. ;)

meanwhile my fab cousin gail threw a pity party without me in abilene and jfab and trishbff/mel happened to be in town so they were invited. not. happy.

kenn, ab & kate = bffs 4 ever

trying to work the camera but my girl has a hard time with the giggles

j man with his awesome bball trophy. the boy is talented...and the daddy is proud

russ, andy & wade = bffs...of wait. can't really say that about dudes can you?

ready to rock vbs

ok kids...have a good one!

are you there God? it's me, lisa

2011-06-13T17:05:00.000-05:00

when it comes to friends i have always been truly, amazingly blessed. probably because of my witty sense of humor and the monetary kickbacks from my parents. kidding. seriously though, my friends have always been a high high priority to me. and included in that blessing of wonderful friendships is very little drama. like, an incredibly small amount in 37 years. even during the drama FILLED period of time from age 12-18 i cannot think of even one event where any of my friendships were threatened or even ended over, well, anything. lived in a sorority house for the love of pete and still, nada. my longest friendship is 33 years strong, with several others 20-25+ years strong. strong. like family. unconditional love. disagree, get irritated, have pms at the same time but still - friends. a few of my besties and i always joke that we are no longer taking applications. that's only partly true. one of the things i love most is that my friends KNOW me. the real me. and i them. our histories, finishing each others' sentences, the mind reading (i swear it happens), the inside jokes and stories that get told over and over again...all of that makes my heart smile. but i have accepted a few applications over the past few years and they worked out just fine ;) some even seem like they've been around forever - in the best way possible. if it's not obvious, the motivation of this rambling post is focused on the girl portion of friends. wanted to throw that in because i have several very close guy friends that also mean the world to me. but girls...holy cheezits...i now know they can be rough! and i survived junior high, high school, cheerleading, boyfriends, dorm life, sorority life, even teaching for 15 years without ever even a taste of what's in my life now.
i pray that God will show me how to use this mess in a way that glorifies Him. i pray that my daughter never knows this heartache. i pray that MY heartache eases very soon, because to be quite honest i'm not sure how much more it can take. and i thank Him every single day for the amazing, wonderful, incredible, beautiful, funny, smart, loyal, honest, trustworthy people that are in my life that i am blessed to call friend.

that's a wrap

2011-06-01T21:26:00.000-05:00

so last day of school is so close i can taste it. i'm giddy!!! not even going to think about the incredible amount of work/stuff i have to do this summer. tonight i will focus on pool time, white trash time, family time, CABO TIME!!!, DESTIN TIME!!!, sleep time, exercise time...all the fun stuff.

awards today at school. pardon the well loved rangers shirt and hair he does NOT want me to get cut (oh but it's happening). j-man made a/b honor roll for the year and was commended on taks. soooo proud :)

the above picture was actually at the end when i got closer and called for him to smile. this shows his true feelings about the whole thing. could he look more miserable???

the picture above is what i found on my awesome new smartboard when i got back to my room today. abby lover her some ms. o'neall! both of my kids were blessed with amazing teachers, but ms. o'neall - known as jen around here - was my 1st grade teammate and good friend of mine too. abby may have written it but i feel the same way.
below is my creative surge coming out in teacher gifts. they contained gift cards for subway and the movies. had to do something enjoyable in the midst of all the exhaustion.

and last we have the terrible twosome known as katelyn and abby. bffs and dance partners in crime. they rocked the talent show (i'm not biased at all). how cute are they???

ok. here's hoping to a relatively painless last day, an awesome summer and hopefully regular blogging.

get your jazz hands on

2011-05-22T19:29:00.000-05:00

Dance is over. Recital time at last :) So glad we found a studio we love, but also glad to have my Tuesdays and Thursdays back. Actually didn't mind the Thursdays because it meant Amber time...
Abby rocked it. No surprise ;)

this is backstage pre-show

grandaddy and hud

daddy and his girl

our star of the show

bffs...and my thursday dance buddy

daddy made hud fix his hair...it was the end of the world

but he's so handsome!

wanna have a catch?

2011-05-16T20:39:00.000-05:00

it is what it is

2011-05-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

i miss blogging. i really really do. i want to do it daily because trust me when i say i forget all the little things the kids say or do, or that andy says or does, and those things i want forever in print. i need them forever in print because i think i have early onset dementia. but i've been half-assing it lately. not lately...for a while. it's much easier to blog when life is calmer, more peaceful, happier...etc. so i throw some pictures on here, try for a witty comment or two and call it good. i'll get back. i know i will. i wish i could be like my super awesome friend BK who just puts it all out there. and those of you who know me know that that's usually my MO. i don't have much of a filter in the sense that i just tell people the good and the bad...trusting that they are good people. but my blog is not my place for that so i'm inundating you with pictures and that's what you get for now. ;)
enjoy...

j did this for mother's day in class. seriously. melt my heart.

got 2 doses of kre time in one week...yay!!

and a night with big A sans kids...double yay!!!

all of a sudden, riding his bike without needing a push or any help. sniff

TAKS is tough on the jman...

...and the little ones too. no recess=no bueno

any donations you want to send our way, the tooth fairy would appreciate it. #8!!!

great visit with aunt sherry

2 of my 3 fave boys

the unstoppable duo - shut out the first place undefeated team thanks to jake's wicked goalie skillz and jason's 50 point a game average.

sassy pants on dance picture day

beautiful flowers from my main man brady ;)

my girl smiles even up to bat...lol

proud daddy

going for the out

BFF...and trouble on a stick!

last game of the season...and for good :(

sad too...awesome goalie we have here!

my girl scoring her goal...

...and giving me the thumbs up :)

mother's day pool fun

Happy Easter Y'all!

2011-04-26T21:21:00.004-05:00

SEE!!!! They CAN play together! I have proof!

kenny 2011

2011-04-19T20:30:00.005-05:00

we went. we sang. we cheered. we laughed. we had our usual FAB time. learned something new: zac brown band ROCKS! incredible. so...until next year kenny. unless i win the lottery and then until july kenny. :)

HAM

2011-03-30T18:32:00.001-06:00

How prophetic those initials were. Little dude, you keep us laughing...even when you make us pull out our hair and reach for that glass of wine.
Hudson is a ball of energy, ALL boy and growing up way too fast. I love the way he comes to our bed in the wee hours and wakes me with a "mama, can I sweep wiff you?". I will never say no because I know soon I will miss the nights you asked. I love the way HE pats ME to sleep when I lay down with him. I love the matter of fact way he says "alright" when I ask him to put on his shoes or go brush his teeth. I love his evil scientist laugh. I know that no matter what kind of day I am having, hud will make me laugh when it's the last thing I think I can do. I am so thankful...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Test

2011-03-29T17:58:00.001-06:00

Testing. Testing.

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here we go again

2011-03-27T21:02:00.005-06:00

another season is upon us. season of craziness. soccer x2, softball, baseball, dance with impending recital, gymnastics, cheer try-outs and then practice begins...not to mention that mama is gettin her workout on 4 days a week at the new rec center so WOO-HOO!!!! it's crazy up in here.
Some pics from jake's soccer game and his first baseball game where they were home team on a brand new field. he nearly held em to a shut out at goalie. he also made an incredible play at shortstop to get a boy out at home. so proud. (Psssst. abby scored a goal also - mama just wasn't there with her camera). i was on hand for the opening day parade so that's what you get. a great shot of my girl's beautiful eyes. :)
my rockstars-

nana's dream come true

2011-03-16T16:25:00.002-06:00

when abby's birthday was approaching, nana called to ask for ideas for a gift. there were 2 pricey things that she wanted and andy and i had already ordered the other one. i couldn't even get the entire sentence "she really wants an american girl doll" out before nana started squealing. i took that as a yes ;) nana, having raised only boys, has been waiting for this kind of girly stuff for years. abby chose her girl, named taylor (as in swift), got matching pjs, some outfits and a pet and got taylor's ears pierced. over the top? i don't care. it's been a while since my little girl truly seemed like a little girl to me that i am loving every minute of it.

goin' back to cali

2011-03-14T18:39:00.006-06:00

andy has an annual trip to palm springs that always seems to fall the week BEFORE my spring break. since days off from teaching are hard to come by (when you have a million babies like i did and they don't accumulate) i have always stayed behind. but not this year. this year andy and i needed time away. we needed time together. and if interstate wants to pay for everything except my flight and my massage, even better. on the suggestion of a friend we found some cool places to go and stay in la for one night and then it was on to palm springs. we hit santa monica, the sunset strip, il sole for dinner, all the tourist-y spots like the sign and kodak theater, bought a map and let andy stalk some stars...we had fun :) palm springs was wonderfully relaxing and hard to leave. thanks to the village it took to care for all of our kids and animals while we were away. we love y'all!

got chills when i read this

my first in-n-out

santa monica "enjoying" our $18 margaritas

the standard

i think this is andy's motto

kissing jfab's oscar

andy stalking jennifer

what we've been doing...besides blogging

2011-02-22T20:17:00.005-06:00

To quote Princess Bride (which Andy WILL watch one day very soon):
"Let me esplain. No, is too long. Let me sum up."
Nail party having, yogurt eating, Jet meeting, bff hanging, Beiber watching, cheer clinic rocking, patch escaping, village people channeling, bff 40th rocking, basketball season ending, anniversary celebrating.

i'll sleep when i'm dead. too much to enjoy now :)

7

2011-02-04T21:44:00.002-06:00

how did this:turn into this:
?????????????
happy birthday to our happy, independent, funny, loving, B-E-A-utiful girl. abby...we adore you.

trapped

2011-02-02T11:13:00.002-06:00

2 days of no school because of ice and i am going stir crazy.i did get a good start on organizing/trashing this mess. no, this isn't toys r us...this is hud's room.
daddy and j got a start on their kyle field puzzle.
now...what to do today???

the flu stinks but my birthday didn't

2011-01-29T19:48:00.003-06:00

so even though we had the pleasant experience of flu shots back in october, 522 fell like dominoes this week to flu b. and this booger won't go away. i'm really not that great a hostess so i don't understand. and to add fun on top of fun, j-man breaks out in hives whenever he has a virus. the hives showed up today. awesome.at least we had some fun before THIS fun began :)
went to uncle julios and got our freak on to le freak last saturday to convince myself that i was NOT 37. it almost worked. :)

9

2011-01-09T19:56:00.003-06:00

my sweet j-man. can't believe you are 9 now. like a year away from double digits. or as daddy so sensitively pointed out, halfway to leaving home. seriously. i wasn't kidding when i said we'd start doing backward birthdays. daddy and i love you so much. you make us incredibly proud. and though i affectionately refer to you as the "high-maintenance" one, it's only because i can relate all too well to you most days. you are crazy smart. you have a great sense of humor. you are sensitive and funny. sweet, handsome, talented...i could go on and on. happy birthday jake. we love you more.

2011...and my report card fro 2010

2011-01-03T17:50:00.002-06:00

i don't do resolutions. they seem cliche and trivial to me - kind of like valentine's day or the bachelor. (side note-i DO watch the bachelor religiously. but that's just good entertainment, people.) however, 2009 was a pretty stressful year so i made a little list on my handy iphone notes app to keep around when i needed a reminder of how i'd like my life to change. not that i was unhappy...just reevaluating. i didn't post the list because it was really personal to me and i wanted to keep it that way. but i'm posting it now as a reflection and maybe as an extra motivator. because i'll be the first to admit, i didn't do too well.
ready or not:

more patience
more routine/structure (highly important for 2 of the boys in my life)
exercise/5K
more laughing (at home)
financial responsibility
more random affection
less insecurity
more trust
more family trips/experiences
lose unhealthy habits - spiritual and physical
more time with andy
closer to God
embrace who i am

didn't do as well as i'd hoped. i DID run the 5K but i'm not really counting that...the weekly exercise and training wasn't there and that was truly my goal. i do feel i am relying on God more, but it's a far cry from what i want it to be. as for the rest...sigh.

so i'm keeping this list. and i may add some things to it. a very close sister/friend of mine told me recently that i needed to be more selfish. and not in the bad way. but i do. and i'm gonna find a way to do that this year in the right way. i think my family will be better for it.

2010

2011-01-02T18:33:00.001-06:00

Personalize your own digital slideshow

first of many, i hope

2010-12-23T19:50:00.003-06:00

so i decided in the summer that i wanted to run a 5K. had every intention to train, but it's so dad-blasted hot that it was hard to motivate. then school started. then i had to do the dishes. then i discovered several new tv shows and started a habit of sitting on the porch with andy and some friends most nights. not to mention the fact that my thyroid is wreaking havoc on my energy level on top of teaching kindergarten and having 3 kids of my own. fast forward to last night. ran my first 5K. i took my iphone app literally...couch to 5K. that's what i did. but hey! i DID it. and it was cool. and i think it motivated me to keep this whole running thing up. a few favorites from the night:
being spellbound by the inmates at the dallas jail lined up in the windows watching us. signaling SOS signs (or gang) from the lights in their rooms. CREEPS. also, people who took their dogs and then carried them while they ran. ummm, NO! Ellie noticing we were about to be passed be an 80-year old man when we took a brief walking break and deciding hellz no, we were gonna beat him! most fave? running 75% of it and ellie running it with me. so proud of us. so sore. :)now...does anybody have any good drugs? ;)

some catching up

2010-12-20T17:20:00.004-06:00

we decided to go low key the night of andy's actual birthday and shared dinner with one of our favorite couples and andy's favorite restaurant.
we added points to the parents of the year column by freezing our tails off taking the kids to look at lights.

such good mamas

abby showed her gymnastics skillz in an exhibition.
ellie and jules ready to rock out for the neighborhood december birthdays
nana treated us to the symphony and the big man made an appearance

it was also exhibition week at dance and here's what my girl has so far in hip hop. too bad i have to be subjected to beiber until may. ugh.

he's baaaaaack!

2010-12-06T21:38:00.001-06:00

super funny

2010-12-04T09:28:00.000-06:00

i stole this from a friend who stole it from a sorority sister who stole it from a email that went around a while back...but it made me laugh out loud so it's worth the blog in my book.

More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.
Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.
The other night I hit a new low at an open bar. I had already hopped on highway blackout when, inevitably I had to find a bathroom. Eventually I decided it was probably on the other side of the bar so I tried to walk over there, but ran into a guy coming the other way. We played that, Both go left, Both go right game to no avail, so I finally put out my hand to guide myself past and that's is when I realized, yup, that's a mirror I just tried to walk through. And the guy on the other side is me. Even cats can recognize their own image.
How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.
Was learning cursive really necessary?
Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro.
Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a d*ck from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
Bad decisions make good stories.
Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA. No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.
I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.
I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.
Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.
The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before you've even eaten.

Andy

2010-12-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday babe. I love you more.

a superstealth thanksgiving

2010-11-28T21:16:00.003-06:00

totally surprised my parents with a visit from sherry. her idea...we just helped with the logistics.
the pictures speak for themselves:

2010-11-09T20:19:00.003-06:00

Halloween...part 1 & 2

2010-11-02T16:14:00.004-06:00

i had a minor procedure done on friday so i was not sure how i would feel on saturday and if a halloween party would be dramatically more enticing than my bed and the first season of cougartown...but the party won out. my costume was relatively lowkey and the party was across the street so off we went - hugh, kendra and bridgett.

part of the wb crew

NOTHING SCARIER THAN A CLOWN!

then sunday it was off to trick or treat. we kept it short and simple and the kids actually wanted to pass out candy most of the night. perfect. that meant wine time for grown-ups ;)

until next year...

the great pumpkin (carving party)

2010-10-25T20:57:00.004-05:00

Ellie and Jules rockin' the ghost shirts

Could NOT be more appropriate

J and E working hard

Hud digging out the goop

Daddy trying to speed through...THE RANGERS WERE ON!!!

Proud Abby

Silly girls

A very proud boy...carved all by himself :)

until next year...

testing...testing

2010-10-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

just wanted to check out my new signature :)

scroll down and pause music at bottom before watching

2010-10-19T23:23:00.004-05:00

Create a slideshow

proof

2010-10-17T19:16:00.001-05:00

they DO love each other :)

fair day

2010-10-10T21:39:00.004-05:00

corn dogs...check
money donation at midway...check
FINALLY riding ferris wheel...check
meeting up with E and fam...check
boys getting car fix...check
face painting...check
ok. we're good til next year.

the football stud and the cheerleader

2010-10-07T21:31:00.009-05:00

jake's game last weekend was on turf in an actual high school stadium so needless to say he was pretty psyched. he's #11...
it was "homecoming" (don't ask me why ASA has homecoming...i just go with the flow) and could jake be more disgusted with having to walk with/touch a girl? i need to work on that boy. she's cute AND she's the best one on the squad! ;)

sweet abby just watched the cheerleaders thinking "i can totally do that"

speaking of abby, she got to perform the dance she learned at her drill team clinic during the pregame of the wylie east v highland park game(slaughter). she was in heaven. that's my girl :)

it's a good thing he's funny

2010-09-28T20:36:00.002-05:00

i say that all the time about my hud..."it's a good thing he's funny and cute." the boy is a MESS. but we adore him and i think we'll keep him.
a few new hudsonisms:

alligator = elevator, as in "i want to push the buttons on the alligator."

ogret = yogurt

my favorite latest quote "it seems i have the hiccups"

my mom was asking him what he learned in sunday school and he answered "we learned about sarah and hamburger." it took him elaborating on the story for her to realize he meant sarah and abraHAM
the other day he was at lunch with my mom and he sat back and put his feet on the table. my mom reminded him that it was not good manners to do that and asked him to put them down. he looked at her for a minute and asked "do i HAVE to listen to you?". completely serious...not in a rude way. when my mom answered yes he said "ok" and put his feet down like no big thing.

That boy. (shaking my head)

POTD (to borrow from shannon)

2010-09-22T17:14:00.001-05:00

who doesn't read naked on the entryway bench?

i'm sensing a trend

2010-09-18T22:05:00.009-05:00

seems like i am posting things a month or so after the fact. bad habit...especially with a memory like mine. but what can ya do when your daily routine is wake up, shower/dress, wake 2 kids, motivate them to dress/brush teeth/eat breakfast, rush out door, kiss kids goodbye, welcome/hug 22 rugrats into my room, herd cats for 8 hours, pick up 3rd child, drive to gymnastics/dance/football/soccer, cook dinner, feed family, clean up dinner, baths, feed dogs, teeth, homework, , laundry, bed, try to have time for my main love, crash on the couch or actually make it to bed. and all over again the next day. i wish i could blog on the go...laptop (hint,hint).

anyway-we of course made the annual trip to the frio. WOOHOO!! had some new frio-ites join us which was awesome. mitch lost some patch. :( andy didn't show nearly as much tat as usual. other than that it was a pretty calm year.we are a party crowd! or just some old people watching football. whichever.

some of the founding members of the WB gang. colors are blue or green, depending on your outfit according to MattDogg (GAYTRAP)

boyz in da hood. seriously. almost.
my girls. love them so.

my man

ellie and jules 4 ever
brokeback boys
see? i said we are rock stars! or 30-somethings that worked 36 hours straight before driving to the river so we crash as soon as we hit something remotely soft.

2011...can't wait!!!!!!!!!!

our summer vacation...or better late than never

2010-08-28T21:38:00.011-05:00

andy and i were determined to take the kids on a vacation this summer. originally we hoped to make it back to destin with some of our friends and their kids. bp and the awesome economy ruled that out. so we stayed local (meaning in the republic) and did the whole float the river, visit shamu, play at the resort thing. the kids loved every minute. nana and poppy joined us at sea world and were fantastic enough to take the kids home with them so that we could continue our vacation adults only. we floated again with some friends (side note: frio=WAY better than comal) and then moved on to san antonio with the crew from the hood. ate, drank, watched some 'boys at training camp...just had fun. so here's some pics to recap the week:

hotels are so much cooler than home :)
yeah, it's a little chilly

me and my boy :)

it's a shame hud was so miserable

until next year...

ready or not...

2010-08-23T18:52:00.003-05:00

so today was the dreaded first day of school (i added the dreaded part - the kids were pumped). i am now the proud owner of a 3rd grader and a 1st grader. j took FOREVER to fall asleep last night. he is beyond excited that he got the teacher he wanted and BEYOND beyond excited that his best friend jack is in his class again. but for some inexplicable reason he is anxious about 3rd grade. i should really say inexplicable because this is my anxious child we are talking about, but he is a total school rock star, he has a great teacher and what he's nervous about? multiplication. seriously. so we continue to work on the self esteem :)
abby adores her teacher, who is also a close friend and former teammate of mine. jen is amazing and andy and i couldn't be happier to put our girl in her hands. she was bummed at first about not having any of her besties in her class, but in true abby fashion she's over that little glitch.
i am going into this year very frazzled. had a rough couple of days leading up to the first day of school so i am flying by the seat of my pants more than i'd like. i also seem to have a fun group (sarcastic font) this year so i forsee being pretty wiped out for the next 6-8 weeks. of well. it is what it is.
and now for the obligatory silly shot:

here's to a fantabulous year!

pine cove 2010

2010-08-14T11:40:00.011-05:00

jake had an amazing opportunity last week to attend pine cove with his buddy davis (who happens to be my dear friend and college roommates' son). andy and i were so excited for him for so many reasons. first, SUPER cool stuff that they get to do. i wanted to stay! horseback riding? blob? ropes course and super swing? tetherball? heck yeah!! second, a week of learning and growing in his faith, surrounded by kids and counselors who share our convictions. last, a week with his buddy davis. we are so beyond excited to have him and his family back in texas!
needless to say, jake had a blast. he even wrote his dear mom using those exact words. :) he washed his hair twice (ick) but i guess that's more than one can hope for. and i don't think he wore half his clothes. oh well. boys.the most exciting news was that jake accepted Jesus as his personal savior. he asked him into his heart and is looking forward to being baptized. we are so proud of him!

I don't have a baby anymore

2010-08-09T21:56:00.002-05:00

so hud is 4. i am not completely jazzed about this. i love so many things about him that have developed now that he is a year older, but i really want to talk to who's in charge of this whole getting bigger/growing up thing. it stinks.
hud...you certainly live up to your initials. you are quite the ham. daddy and i really have to work on disciplining you without cracking up instead. as of now, you are obsessed with wheat thins. you always tell me you love me, then follow it with i love you berry much just for good measure. you love to pat me on the back, which i hold my breath and just embrace it (even though tapping me is my ultimate pet peeve). i love the way you say "berry" (very) for "really"...as in "i berry berry want some ice cream!!"
keep us laughing, little man. we simply adore you.

Tanner Bear 1996-2010

2010-08-08T00:18:00.010-05:00

Tanner, you were the absolute best dog anyone could hope for. You were a great snuggle buddy until the whole Andy/husband thing happened but even then you slept right by our side. You were always so sweet and obedient. Thank you for putting up with all the different places you lived and all the kids petting and climbing and grabbing...
We'll miss swimming with you and playing catch with you, and rubbing that ONE spot that got your leg going every time. :) I hope you are running and swimming with your brother Chance...and that you are happy and pain free. We miss you...

Fourth...on the Fourth of August

2010-08-04T16:36:00.016-05:00

Gonna try to play catch up. And the details will be sketchy...we've already discussed my memory.Had a great time swimming, cooking out with neighbors and shooting (legal) fireworks off in the street. Have I mentioned that I have the best neighbors ever? We are so blessed!
Then we went to my parents' and had mom's famous brisket and took some cute pics of the kids.

like father like son

sweet J man

have i mentioned his initials are HAM? for reals.

me and my guy

getting along captured on film! a christmas miracle

ellie and jules

brave boy

berry & abby

special jello to make the fireworks less painful

worst blogger EVER

2010-08-03T00:12:00.002-05:00

i have 1,483 things to post but instead i spent my first free hour designing my new blog layout. ALL BY MYSELF. (yay me!)

so...posts to come. bed comes first. goodnight.

weekend to remember

2010-07-03T14:02:00.002-05:00

last weekend andy and i went on a little "staycation". we had an awesome room at the gaylord, ate dinner at esparzas for the first time in about 10 years and saw the spazmatics for the first time without anyone else. :) all of that sounds like a dream weekend to me without anything else on the agenda. but there was much more to it than that...we also participated in FamilyLife's Weekend To Remember marriage retreat. it was unbelievable. amazing. wonderful. life-changing. marriage-changing. the last thing we did before it was over was renew our vows. it's funny how those same words mean so much more after 11 years and 3 kids. so here's to 11+ more years (but no more kids) with the very best gift i ever received.

big fat baby

2010-06-28T22:21:00.005-05:00

last friday jake went to "sleepaway" camp for the first time. he was SUPER excited and we were too. andy and i were so thrilled for him to have this experience, be surrounded by christian men and women totally focused on him and for him to make some great friends at church. i LOVED camp when i was growing up and i was so excited for this to become a tradition that he looked forward to each year as well. the mama part of me had a harder time with it though. not until he actually boarded the bus though. then i got into my car and all of a sudden i was bawling like a baby. i hate this growing up thing. HATE. IT.

j got home safe and sound on sunday, had an incredible time, didn't even open the packaging on his soap to even fool me into thinking he cleaned his body in the shower, and showered all of us with gifts from the gift shop. love that boy...love his heart.

this was the last face i saw before he got on the bus...i think that's what set off the tears. look at that worry :(

This dad rocks!

2010-06-20T22:23:00.001-05:00