Some Favorite Vacation Pics

Darn it, it happened again!! The last time was the camera, this time my phone. I seemed to have lost all the pictures I took on my phone. I am very unhappy. The bright side is they were mostly of the USS Alabama. But there was a great family pic with us standing by a huge bullet thingy and me firing the big guns. Anyway, until I get half a minute to breathe, here's some of my favorites from vacation. You'll probably see them again.

 My big girl with her cousin, D. D is the oldest of all the kids. She is amazingly talented and intelligent and beautiful. She gets that from her Auntie.

 Look at this little face. This is the birthday girl, my niece N. Her party was the first time we got an invitation and were able to make the party.

 I called this the great frog hunt. Long story that will go into the birthday party blog, but suffice it to say, the boy got the offending amphibian.

The rodeo!! This was the entance parade. All of the participants and beauty queens and dignitaries ride in. Not the best picture in the world, but I think because you need to see it in person. Lots of horses, lots of people, lots of fun. Well, except that one part...

Mermie with most of her babies. This was standing in line for $7 hamburgers. At least the company was great.

I have a lot going on the next couple of days. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to blog Saturday. I loved spending time with my friends and my family. The time flew by way too quickly, but isn't that the way?

Have a great day.

Home

Home, sweet home. What a great feeling that is. We had a great time, that's for sure. OK, after a while the boy was not having a good time. But when you are the only boy surrounded by 6 girls, you wouldn't have a great time either. I feel for him. The best part of coming home was sleeping in my own bed. The beds I slept in were very nice, don't misunderstand. Mine is just better.

Tonight we actually sat down as a family to have dinner in our home. That was a long 5 weeks, but the burrritos and the company were so worth it. Hubby and I couldn't stop smiling. That's one of our favorite parts of the day.

My heart is heavy since we left. I miss Mermie and I miss Big Sis. I miss my sweet, beautiful nieces. I miss driving those roads. I was driving when we merged onto our last interstate. It was about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to our exit. I missed the way Texans drive so much, I drove like one. Probably because I am one. I tell you what! I made it in 1 1/2 hours plus a little. At one point, I actually said, out loud, "I just spent 5 weeks driving in Texas! You don't scare me!!"

I'm almost done getting the pics loaded. I'll start blogging as soon as I get it all straight. I cannot wait!!

Have a great day.

Quiet Time? What's That?

I don't have a clue. Supposedly, at Mermie's, every day between 2 and 4, quiet time happens. Have you met my children? Some days, when Mermie isn't feeling well, it's just easier to take my kids somewhere else. They start to feel cooped up after awhile and like to go outside and run and play. Ok, not so much the big girl. Give her a good book and you won't see or hear from her for hours. She gets that from her mama. I got it from Mermie, so really, it's just following the line. We've seen movies, gone to the pool, eaten our weight in ice cream, driven into town and explored, or just hung out together. One of my very favorite things to do is spend time with my kids. Lots of people say that, but have you seen them with their kids? The only down side is that hubby isn't here.

Hubby knows what quiet time is. He hates it. It's too quiet at the house. Nobody greets him when he gets home. Nobody fussing and fighting. His wife isn't screaming at the kids when he gets home (I love my kids, but that doesn't mean they don't annoy me from time to time). He also doesn't have me nagging to him about his honey do list. He misses hugs and kisses and eskimos and, and, and. He misses us something fierce. We miss him right back. He's slept on the couch every night since we've been gone. No wonder his back hurts. 

At Big Sis's house, there is no such thing as quiet. The kids have stayed up late, we've stayed up late, and the noise at times can be deafening. I love the chaos of it all. I can't help it. I'm a freak that way. Between 7 kids and 3 adults, we can make some noise. I'm just glad the cops haven't shown up yet. If they did, I would just challenge them to a dance off. And I'd win. My niece says she likes the smack talk that comes out of my mouth. As long as I can back it up. I have two words, baby girl. Bring. It. See, more smack. That was just for her because I love her.

Our vacation is winding down. Big Sis and I can't even talk about it. Makes us cry. Where did all that glorious time go? I have absolutely loved being at her beck and call. Can you help me...? Will you do me a favor and...? Yes, I will and I can. I think I'm gonna cry now just thinking about it. We're going to go swim in her pool because my BIL worked so hard getting it clean for the birthday party yesterday. It deserves to be used.

I know I haven't taken nearly enough pictures. I have tried to lead by example, failing miserably sometimes. I have tried to love on my family as much as I can. I know that hasn't happened nearly enough for my liking. We have had a great time and gone on many adventures. Too soon, though, it will be back to reality. I'm just storing up treasures until next time. Rose colored glasses, anyone?

Have a great day.    

Dusty Trails

I like the saying "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl." I didn't really grow up in the country. I did grow up in a sleepy little town on the edge of Ft. Worth. It is not so sleepy anymore. My mom didn't even lock the doors until Big Sis and I moved out. Really, what was the point? People in and out at all times of the day and night. We never knew who was showing up or when.

Living as close as we did to the big city, I was more of a city girl. I like fast cars, nice clothes, and my idea of exercise is running to the opposite end of the mall for a spectacular sale on shoes. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate the way a cowboy looks in his jeans. I learned to drive on interstates and interstate loops. I drove fast and furious to keep up with everyone else and not get run over. I have an appreciation for the finer things. I can't afford them, but I appreciate them.

All of that to say: I really dig the roads where Mermie lives. They are dusty and gravel and some are filled with potholes and poor asphalt. I don't like the potholey ones so much, but I find myself flying down these back country roads like I was born to it. Most people that drive minivans don't drive them like sportscars or pickups. I can't help it. Get me on the highway and look out. Get me on these back country roads and it's all over but the screaming. Ok, you can hear me screaming. I'm the one hollering "Whoo hoo!!!" So much fun, so little time.

I have found my way around the little town where Mermie lives, the bigger town next to it and the one about 20 miles up the road. It really would be down the road since it's south of here, but whatever. I'm liking it. I'm liking it alot. Pretty easy to maneuver in. Except this one section by Wally world in the town down south. A man must have designed that. How do you get lost in a parking lot? I had to take a minute and regroup. I made it, but it was touch and go there for a second. It has all been a great adventure. I love adventures!!

We only have a couple of weeks left. I don't know where the time is going, but it needs to slow down. I don't need it speeding by like me on these dusty roads. But, the reservations have been made for the return trip. I miss my hubby more than anything in the world. I am going to take advantage of every opportunity I have while I'm here. One day this week, I'm going to Big Sis's house and spend some girl time. We are going to lunch, then huddle back in her room and watch the DVR while we eat delicious cupcakes. Then maybe, a movie. City girl gone country gone city. Look out world. I'm on an adventure!!

Have a great day. 

Cowboys and Rodeos

Hellooooooo! I'm here. I'm here. Don't hang up. Has it been awhile or what? I hijacked Big Sis's computer. I'll give it back, but it's mine for now. I'm in Texas!! I love Texas. Any good Texan is a proud Texan and I am a PROUD Texan. I so love this great country that I am from. And yes, I said country. Here's what we've been doing to fill our time.

We are mainly staying with Mermie. She lives in a little podunk town. It used to have four stop signs, all at the same intersection. Now they have 6! Times they are a changing. I think they call that growth. To get to Mermie's, you have to travel down several dust filled, gravel-if-you're-lucky roads. You should see the minivan. I'm going to get a pic today before we take it to get it washed. I can barely see out the back window and I've done the washer fluid/wiper thing about a hundred times. It just clings to everything. But what a great place to live. Except for the fracking and the gas wells. They weren't there when she first moved out there, though. That is a different blog for another time. My kids absolutely adore their Mermie and are loving spending time with her.

We even went to a rodeo a couple of Friday nights ago. It was the first time my kids have ever seen a rodeo. It was small, and we should have gone Saturday night. That was the big night, but my nieces wouldn't have been able to go. I wanted my nieces to be there sice it was their first rodeo, too. Living four states away, I don't get many opportunities like that. The rodeo was part of a weekend long celebration of Jim Bowie. You know, the Alamo and the Bowie knife Jim Bowie. Yeah, that guy. We gathered the troops and headed to town.

A local rodeo club was having a fund raising dinner of hamburgers with all the fixings, french fries, and a drink. When Mermie called, the nice woman she spoke to said she thought it would $3.50 each. I have three kids. I can afford that. Except for the fact that when we got there, it was $7 a plate. I only got three and I split one with the baby. That worked well until a big gust of hot air (not me, it really was the wind) blew the plate over and promptly dumped the baby's half all over the picnic table we were eating at. All this should have been a sign. I don't do subtle. You need to come right out and tell me. Once food hits the table, we don't eat it. Specially tables that are outside. Ugh! The big girl had only eaten half of her burger, so she shared the other half with her sister.

I was distracted from the time we got to the complex where the dinner was, across from the rodeo area. Wanna know why? Cowboys. I don't mean the ones that play in that nice new stadium and can't win a Super Bowl with their ineffective quarterback. I mean the real deal. I mean, real cowboys. Well worn Wranglers, real cowboy boots not just crap kickers, bushy mustaches, hats, and looking better than the Marlboro man on a horse. Men that own and ride horses and work the land and the ranch from horseback. I am a very PROUD Texan, and we make 'em really, really nice here. So much to see, so little time. Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

It was time for the rodeo. The opening ceremonies seemed to take forever. The horses were so beautiful to see, but they had to introduce every rodeo group, every horseback rider, every beauty queen. The last girl out was late. So late in fact that the other beauty queens were already riding their horses out of the arena. She almost collided with another girl, her horse freaked out and almost ran into a fence, and then she fell. She had to be carted out on a stretcher. It was only a leg injury, but still. There was yet another cue. But again, I was distracted. Cowboys as far as the eye could see!

At one point, I went down to get a couple of waters for me and the kiddos. Want to know what the snack bar had? Hamburger and french fries for $5. The clues at this point are just racking up, and I am clueless. Next time, we know. They also had homemade ice cream. Ice cream makes everything better. That and peanut m&m's. Back up to the bleachers I go. 

It was the first rodeo I had ever seen where the announcer is actually in the arena on horseback. See what I mean about real cowboys? We got to see some kids ride mini bulls. Some of those weren't that mini. The boy's eyes lit up like fireworks on the 4th of July. I said no. He pouted for about half a second. I think he's plotting. He was way too compliant when I told him to stop pouting. It was all well and good until the bucking broncs.

The chutes are supposed to be small to keep the animals from getting too crazy. The first couple of riders did ok. One horse was havng none of it, though. He just sat down in the chute and refused to participate. He ended up turning himself upside down and they had to open the gate to get him out. That was kinda funny to see. They moved the rider to another horse. When that horse came out of the chute, which I think was too small anyway, he stumbled. Then he fell on his head. And then he went into death seizures and died. Holy catfish, are you serious?!? My kids' first rodeo and they have to see this? The announcer played it well, but we adults knew what was really happening. He was carted out on a stretcher, too. The baby cried and the boy held her. See, they can get along. The rest of the rodeo was a little blah for me after that.

We stayed for the calf roping. I like to watch that. One young man had a great time of 8.72 seconds. Another young man beat that time, but because he broke the line too early, he was penalized 10 seconds. We stayed until that was over, then it was break time, and we left.

The kids talk about the excitement of seeing the animals and all the people on horses. They talk about the rodeo clown. He was ok, but some of his jokes were a little too adult for my taste. He was wearing a headset microphone and would banter with the announcer. We cheered for the contestants. We hooted and hollered and screamed. We even sang some songs that were playing in the background. We were with family. And my kids got to see their first rodeo. In TEXAS!!

Have a great day.    

Be Back in 10 Minutes

Not really. I am still here, but I'm on vacation. As soon as I get a chance, I'll find a computer and get a blog done. Don't give up on me!


Have a great day.

The Eyes of Texas

The eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the live long day.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
you can not get away.

Do not think you can escape them,
At night or early in the morn.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
'Til Gabriel blows his horn.

My eyes are misty. See you soon. Texas bound, baby!!

Have a great day.