1.31.2011

weekend recap.

80 yesterday - 0 windchill predicted for tomorrow.

finished reading brava, valentine - loved it.

total chic read - well written, lots of laughs & sex in the city theme.

one eye + lortab + prednisone = smiles.

watched salt saturday night - enjoying our blockbuster xmas membership -

good movie and i'm not even an angelina fan.

papa murphy. big love & washing phys ed clothes

completed our weekend.

goodbye january.

not sure where you went.

hello february.

we {heart} you.



1.30.2011

its that time again.

science fair project fun.

colin has not inherited my procrastination gene.

this is not due until thursday

but he has it all finished.

he did a little everyday until it was done.

he did it all by himself -

must be that third child thing.

nice job colin!

the right acid + the right base = the largest balloon.

1.29.2011

from the harlem globetrotters last night

to the san antonio spurs tonight.

its one big basketball weekend here.

go spurs go.

1.28.2011

the tickets were purchased weeks ago -

printed & carefully hidden in a sealed envelope.

the secret has been kept -

the boys are clueless on tonights fffnotr.

{friday family fun nite on the road}

they are deep in thought -

they have guessed 100 times but have not come close.

the nuggets have been eaten &

the minivans are loaded.

surprise here we come.

cotton candy, popcorn & the harlem globetrotters!

great performance.

great show.

great 4 point baskets.

thriller dances, football plays, pink tutus & YMCA music -

something for everyone!

another memorable fffnotr.



1.27.2011

6:40 am. in kitchen.
colin: 'mom if our house ever starts on fire, could you make sure you save my yellow blanket?'
me: 'of course colin.'
-
i know i've talked about the yellow blanket before.
it was a gift from the zenger family when colin was born.
its soft and fleecy with zoo animals on it.
it has been washed so many times, the animals are fading away.
it lives under colins pillow on his bed each day.
it was with us when colin was in the ambulance years ago.
it was with us on the plane when we flew to texas.
it was with us on sick days.
it was with us on every car trip home.
its a blanket.
its a pillow.
its a fort wall.
its a friend storing memories.
its a kleenex holding tears.
its a part of colins life.
its colins everyday memory today.

1.26.2011

afternoon creating.

afternoon cooking.

afternoon building.

afternoon painting.

can you guess ?

more clues to follow tomorrow.

afternoon memories in the making.

1.25.2011

new recipe a week torture continues.

i am reminded why this simple annual goal always fails.

nothing like shopping for unheard of ingredients, spending all afternoon prepping &

triple the time to actually prepare a new recipe for dinner.

steve had a work dinner engagement tonight so the boys

and i had to test this one without him.

chicken tenders over a bed of mini pasta with

a balsamic vinegar garlic dressing.

no need to find the link.

this recipe hit the garbage can.

wasn't bad - just wasn't good.

colin summed it all up when steve went to say

goodnight to him tonight.

"dad, you were so lucky to have to go out for dinner tonight."

this was my excitement for today along with

painting the world for nathans science homework, loading the

refridge with groceries that will last for a day or two &

reruns of the office.

happy day.

1.24.2011

"This is where it all begins. Everything starts here, today."

"What are you going to do with your life?" In one way or another it seemed that people had been asking her this forever; teachers, her parents, friends at three in the morning, but the question had never seemed this pressing and still she was no nearer an answer... "Live each day as if it's your last', that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that? What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance."

david nicholls

-

i just finished this book & i liked it.

its a great beach read.

easy to pick up and read a couple pages here and there.

no complex character names.

no huge list of cast members.

all the pieces fall into a place at the end -

a couple pieces you didn't even see.

loved the writing method also.

chronological but then at the end it goes back and fills in

all the missing pieces that were hidden at first glance.

one day.

today. 

-

1.23.2011

its that time of the year again. yellow post-it notes filled the edges of three science fair project books checked out of the library last week. this morning we narrowed it down to three experiments. colin then chose one that caught his attention & here we are.

talking. thinking. measuring. preparing. predicting.

the older two have duct tape across their mouths.

they want to help.

they want to share their knowledge.

they want to teach to the youngest.

the stage is set.

all hands needed to pull this one off.

8 hands. 45 seconds. 1 science fair project started.

stay tuned for details.

1.22.2011

{tonight at the texas stars hockey game-cedar park arena}

saturday night was filled with balloons & birthday wishes.

saturday night was filled with cokes & hot dogs.

saturday night was filled with vip passes & tunnel high fives.

saturday night was filled with hockey sticks & texas stars.

saturday night was filled with an overtime & shootout win.

happy birthday taggert & riley!

1.22.2011

evidence found.

the morning after.

our friday night movie was "the blind side".

all 5 of us slumbered in the great room.

not often everyone is home on a friday night.

not often everyone agrees on the movie selection.

not often everyone just gathers to unwind.

not often happened tonight!

1.20.2011

from basketball practice at one

high school gym ....

to a basketball game at

one middle school gym.

it b-ball thursday around here.

bleacher seats & popcorn treats -

this is what i'm thankful for today.

1.19.2011

11 reasons today.

11 reasons to love scholastic book club.

11 reasons to love the sale section at scholastic online.

11 reasons to share the love of reading with three boys.

11 reasons for only eighteen dollars.

11 reasons to find more room on the bookcase.

1.18.2011

{giada de laurentiis chicken lemon penne dish from
her everyday italian cookbook on our kitchen table tonight}
new recipe night.

sometimes the recipe sounds delicious.

the ingredients are all things we like and i could

easily find them at one grocery store today.

the directions are simple - i can understand every word.

then suddenly, you find every pot used, every spoon dirty,

the dishwasher filled to the brim, the counters cluttered with opened spices and

the recipe smugged from reading it so many times.

the aroma fills the kitchen and overflows to the first floor.

the boys keep asking when its time for dinner.

the table is set.

the cute william sonoma bowls are anxiously awaiting

to be filled.

it looks restaurant perfect with its freshly chopped flat

parsley and ground pepper.

it smells good. it looks good. it tastes terrible.

end of story.

we tried. we ate. we threw away the recipe along

with the leftovers.

and that was today.
back to the cookbooks tomorrow in search of another
new recipe to torture the boys with.

1.17.2011

a snapshot of life today.
no school day to honor mlk.

morning coffee in bed with a fashion review

from the golden globes last night.

early morning chats with sarah to catch up on

the weekend neighborhood gossip and news.

the laughter of an afternoon game of football in the backyard.

the minivan sunroof wide open with music i've never heard

bouncing of the walls and floating up thru to the blue sky.

dragging three boys on errands with the bait of

an outdoor patio lunch.

the pet store was a magnet - fish, rabbits & mice running a

marathon in a circle wheel provided an hour of watching and giggles.

barnes & noble is always a leisurely event.

we all go our separate ways.

i'll find colin sitting on the floor by the football section.

i'll find nathan in the puzzle section, the joke book section &

the rick roden shelfs.

i'll find justin in the teen section with a handful of sci-fi books.

we manage to leave without spending an entire

paycheck today.

we finish our errands - a new frame for nathans

christmas dallas football poster, rosinas frozen italian meatballs available

only at one local walmart & a redbox pickup.

off to sit in the sun with mighty fine burgers, 2 cokes in

a glass bottle with a bendy straw, a chocolate milkshake &

a paper cone filled with real crinkle fries.

a bottle of heinz ketchup for each boy.

a hot spot in the sun for me.

laundry. homework. dinner. dishes.

talking with mom while hanging nates poster.

showers. prayers. preparing am coffee.

a day filled with nothing special.

a day filled with everything special.

today.

1.15.2011

i have many things on my to-do list this year.
one is to put all my birthdays on one piece of paper.
i have post it notes on top of post it notes reminding me of special days.
i have lists that were printed before justin was born.
i have people who are in heaven still on my reminder schedule.
i have family lists, friends lists & neighborhood lists.
i will combine. i will tackle. i will condense to one list.
several great perpetual calendars available for free online.
i love this one and this one.
i did it. i typed, saved, printed.
i put one list in my purse. i put one list with my kitchen calendar.
it took 15 minutes.
i am ready. i have return address stickers & stamps.
now i have no excuse for missing a special day for anyone.

1.14.2011

i love this motto.

found this on the internet.

i'm sorry i don't know where from.

wonderful words of simple wisdom.

heres to a weekend filled with relaxing wisdom.

1.13.2011

hopewell hornets in action tonight.

sometimes i don't even recognize justin on the court.

when did he get so big? so tall? so old?

it was just yesterday i was pushing him in a stroller.

it was just yesterday i was taking him for stitches on his forehead.

it was just yesterday i was rewinding his teletubbie vhs tape.

it was just yesterday i watched him get on the bus for kindergarten.

it was just yesterday we flew to austin.

it was just yesterday he went away to camp.

it was just yesterday he got invisaligns.

it was just yesterday he taught me how to use facebook.

it was just yesterday.

heres to yesterday.

heres to today.

heres to tomorrow.

1.12.2011

new years goal.

try a new recipe weekly.

new year goal revised today.

try a new recipe monthly.

heres januarys attempt.

after checking out several cookbooks at the library last week.

after scanning through hundreds of new recipes.

after holding a family vote on which recipe to try.

after adding the ingredients to the shopping list.

after finding all the components in the grocery store.

after reading the recipe several times.

after prepping all the food items.

we have a new recipe to eat.

just a basic marinara sauce.

not to sweet, not to spicy.

just perfect to spoon over angel hair pasta.

will definitely make this one again!

1.12.2011

{colin & mathew proudly showing their new tags today}

dog tag ceremony day.

its always an exciting day around here.

today we added to our neck 2 more tags.

perfect attendance & A honor roll.

stiff self competition for the third child.

trying to strain his neck more than the brothers.

he's already counting the total number of possible

tags he can acquire during his elementary education.

colin loves his numbers.

colin loves structure.

colin loves goals.

keep up the good work dude!

we are proud of you.

1.11.2011

one year = 2 inches.

one year = 295 posts.

one year = a million memories.

today was another page in the binder.

today was another blog entry day.

today was a day filled with everyday errands.

630am basketball practice. 715am drop off at teravista.

735am sendoff for the bus stop.

grocery shopping. dry cleaners. library for science project books.

redbox pickup. post office. tuesday folders at teravista.

office work. third trip to teravista for afternoon pickup.

back to hopewell to pickup nathan from uil club & justin

from after school band practice.

homework. dinner. laundry.

friends reruns in the background for our daily laugh.

musical notes fill the house all evening long.

basketball dribbling seeps through the garage walls.

watched the town tonight on dvd.

good movie - we both enjoyed it & i didn't even fall asleep.

today was filled with life memories.

i cherish the little daily memories.

1.10.2011

{big project tacked - organized 2010 photos by month}

weekend recap.

stocked up on christmas deals at target - 90% off.

didn't sleep in on saturday morning despite the temptation.

watched inception with justin & nathan.

filled in the squares on our new 2011 calendar - thanks lauren!

organized 2010 photos - hundreds of photos now in some sort of order.

dug out basketball sneakers for colins first practice.

cocktails & football with sarah & troy at third base.

surprise online ticket purchase for later this month - thanks sarah!

new series at church with pastor joe.

birthday parties, basketball in the street, new battery for a watch,

breakfast tacos, eggs benedict sunday brunch, fires in the fireplace,

papa murphy pizza, football on tv, facebook updates &

one scholastic book order online.

one busy weekend.

heres to a busy week ahead!



1.7.2011

"you don't look happy" said the salt grass manager to steve after an hour wait for a table, a terribly slow waiter, a raw hamburger and cold soup.....

1.7.2011

{new years eve - joel & jamies house}

new year resolutions. facebook daily. eat better. exercise more.

drink 8 glasses of water/day. daily devotions. read more.

watch more movies. more family dinners. weekly family event.

writing prompts for the boys to catch a glimpse of themselves.

more hug & kisses. more thoughtful gestures. write more.

take more photos. procrastinate less.

create more everyday moments.

cherish more everyday memories.

1.6.2011

again.

not the way to start my day or my year.

not fun being pulled over by CHiPs.

{guess it would be THiPs.}

same motorcycle. same costume.

same warning ticket.

 i'm starting my own collection.
note to self:
don't forget to use the turn signal.

1.5.2011

step aside xbox & wii.

colin created his own 'dice' game &

we all took turns playing it.

this is the stuff that gets lost, forgotten or thrown away.

this is the stuff that i love to take pictures of.

this is the stuff i like to remember.

this is an everyday memory.

heres to a new year filled with fields of everyday memories!

1.4.2011

another holiday season is over.

the wrapping paper is put away.

the mantle is bare.

the thank you notes are done.

the lights are taken down.

the returns have been exchanged.

the christmas has been reviewed.

i always take a minute to write down the things that worked well

for us during the holiday season & the things that didn't.

i love reading them at the beginning of each season.

heres to adding a couple pages to the holiday binder.

heres to making improvements over christmases before.

heres to keeping traditions alive.

heres to changing traditions that needed to be changed.

and heres to putting it away till next december.

-

the boys are back to school.

steve is back to work.

i'm ready to get back to a routine.

i loved hanging for the past two weeks.

i loved not using an alarm clock.

i loved not worrying about homework, practices & schedules.

i loved playing board games & watching movies.

but i love getting back to a routine.

my watch is back on.

my alarm clock is rescheduled.

my calendar is filling up.

i'm ready for you january.

1.3.2011

question:

how do you spend the last day of christmas vacation?

answer:

hang with buddies, grab a donut, throw a strike or spare.

win the jackpot at the arcade & dunk a b-ball.

what a great way to end the break.

early bedtime tonight.

its a double alarm clock morning tomorrow.