Where the Wild Kings Are

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

2012-01-07T12:09:00.016-06:00

I love this soup so much! It makes a large batch so you can eat off of it for a week or so, a PERFECT diet food! My kids even love it, and I am thrilled they are getting all that nutrition when they eat it! Butternut squash is the star in this soup, and your body loves it because it is not only high in fiber (your colon thanks you) and it helps you feel full (your waistline is now happy) but it is also high in beta cryptoxanthin (you don't have to spell it; just eat it) and vitamin C, two nutrients credited with helping save joints! The tomatoes, pears and garlic are loaded with antioxidants and immune system boosters, something we all need in these virus-ridden winter months! I came up with this recipe cause I really can't get enough butternut squash, please let me know what you think!

2 lbs cubed and peeled butternut squash (you can find this- organic and ready to go- at Costco)
2 pears, cubed
3 tomatoes, quartered and seeded
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half (and rinsed clean of sand)
3 garlic cloves
32 oz Chicken broth *
1 1/2 C Chardonnay (optional) *
kosher salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

1. You can get the butternut squash, cubed peeled and ORGANIC and ready to go at Costco for only $3.99 for a 2lb container. I cannot stress enough what a bargain this is! Find it in the vegetable "cold room". It looks like this:
2. When I talk about a quartered and seeded tomato, you cut each tomato into 4 equal parts, then cut out the seeds:
3. Cubing and dicing the pear is easy. Just cut the top and bottom off the pear and then cut it in quarters, then cut the seed part out, in the same way you would in cutting an apple. Then cut each slice into cubes:
4. A leek looks like a giant green onion. They are usually sold with 2 stalks in a bunch. This is perfect. Just cut the part of the stalk off that is super dark green, also cut off the bottom of the bulb that still has the root (just like a green onion) and then you are left with about a 2-3 inch stalk. Cut in half length wise and rinse the inside with water. Leeks absorb sand so you are rinsing out the sandy part. Pat dry with a paper towel and you're done! It takes 1 minute and you're cooking with real ingredients now!
5. Place all the veggies into a bowl (this includes the garlic cloves too.) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Stir until all the veggies are coated!
6. Then, spread the veggies onto a baking sheet (or 2 depending on the size pan you have) in a single layer and roast in the oven at 425 degrees for about 45 min. Doesn't this look beautiful?
7. You will know when the veggies are roasted because the squash and pears have a crisp looking skin, but are still soft inside and the tomatoes look blistered. The leeks and garlic will look blistered and shriveled. Taste a squash- it should taste slightly sweet (the roasing process caramelizes the natural sugars in a food.) It will also make your kitchen/house smell amazing!
8. Let your veggies cool slightly and then pour them and the chicken broth into the super-megahorse-all powerful- blender that your husband got you for Christmas (thanks darling!) Blend up until smooth and then poor into a dutch oven or large pot. You may have to do the veggies and broth in several batches in your blender, depending on it's size! Then add about 1 1/2 C of Chardonnay. It can be cheap wine- nothing expensive. My fav cheap wine for cooking, and drinking, is Rex Goliath! You can play here. The wine is optional. If you don't add it, add more chicken broth. If you want more of the Chardonnay taste, add more. It's all up to you, you're the chef!
9. Bring to a slow simmer and let it go for about 20 min. Then serve! I like to eat mine with some Trader Joe's Jalapeno Hot Pepper Sauce on top. You can also add crumbled blue cheese, shredded gouda or shredded rotisserie chicken. Kids love, it, husbands love it and you can serve it to company and they will think you are awesome! Me? I just pour into a bowl, top with my hot sauce, and eat it with a glass of the Chardonnay curled up on the couch with a blanket with a good book and the fireplace on. Or, maybe I am just daydreaming again....
Enjoy!

Excited for tomorrow!

2011-03-23T08:04:00.003-05:00

I am going LIVE on TV tomorrow! I am excited, nervous, scared....and I did what any normal girl would do- I went to Black House White Market and spent entirely too much money on a new outfit. I am going on Good Day Austin (Fox 7) to promote awareness for DVT's/blood clots. My fabulous vascular surgeon will be with me. I am excited because this is the only way I have to fight back against this clot that has taken so much from me. I can't get rid off the clot in my leg, but I can help prevent YOU or someone you love from getting one! We will have registration for the DVT race in Austin up later today! Please come if you can- May 22! Wish me luck and tune on to Fox 7 tomorrow at 8am. My segment will air between 8-8:10am!!!

Yummy, healthy Fish Tacos!

2011-03-19T10:28:00.015-05:00

Ok everyone, here is my first try at posting a recipe, let me know what you think!
Last night, being a Friday in Lent, we had to have fish. I didn't want anything fried, so here is a my healthy fish taco recipe!
Start with a good quality white fish. I used Haddock- it was on sale this week. You can use anything you like. You always need to remember this statement: by fresh wild caught fish. (There are a few exceptions to that which you can read about here: http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/green_sustainable/fish_and_shellfish_6_to_eat_6_to_avoid?utm_source=EWTWNL

Farm raised fish is usually grown in nutrient depleted, disease ridden ponds. The fish are then given antibiotics and hormones to help them grow. Even farm raised Salmon doesn't come out pink (the pink color comes from their blood getting into their muscles when they swim upstream) so the salmon has to be injected with dye! Ewwww!) Buy wild caught fish!
After you have your fish, cut it into strips that will fit in your taco. Then season it with kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and then squeeze half a fresh lime over it. Let that sit. (You don't want to do this too far in advance or the acid from the lime will start turning that fish into ceviche!) Just about 20 min should do the trick.
While the fish is flavoring itself, make your sauce. You will need:
1/2 (14oz) can fire-roasted organic tomatoes ( I like Muir Glen)
2/3 C light mayo
2 cloves garlic, diced or minced
2 chipotles diced (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
1/2 lime juice
1/3 C FRESH cilantro leaves
pinch of kosher salt

Put all the above ingredients in the food processor and process until blended (but still slightly chunky.) Doesn't this look beautiful???

For the filling inside the tacos, you will want some sort of cabbage mixture. There are several different varieties I like using what's called "Rainbow Mix." It's a mixture of broccoli, carrot, and cabbage. This is a great way to get that broccoli in your kids (and big adults too!) Pour in a bowl how much you think you will need to assemble your tacos. Toss liberally with the sauce mixture. The sauce will be slghtly spicy, but that's ok, the cabbage mixture will cut that.

Now it's time to assemble your fish. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. You need 3 bowls: 1 with flour, 1 with 2 beaten egg whites, and 1 with about 2 C panko bread crumbs (I tried this with regular bread crumbs and it was not near as good. If you want to replicate that fried fish crunch, you need to use Panko.) First dredge the fish in flour, then coat in egg white and roll in panko. Place on a baking sheet/stone. Repeat with all your fish pieces. Bake in the oven about 20-25 minutes. If your fish is thicker, it will need more time. It should feel firm to the touch when done and the panko will look crispy, like this:

While your fish is cooking, dice up an avocado. If you need to know the technique to make this easy, contact me. After you dice that up, sprinkle with kosher salt and squeeze about a quarter of a lime over it. (This will prevent it from "turning.") Then, slice up some red onion.

Now, you fish should still be baking so time to grill your corn tortillas. I like white corn, but you can use whatever works for you. If you don't have an indoor cast iron grill, I highly recommend you get one. It's one of my favorite kitchen pieces. Those rainy or cold days when you don't want to go out to the grill, this becomes invaluable. Also, if you flip it over, it a flat sided skillet. Perfect for a full load of pancakes, grilled cheese, or paninis! I got mine from Faraday's (a local Austin cooking store) for about $79. However, you can find them everywhere! Heat the grill, don't oil it or your torts. Just place them straight on the smoking grill for abour 3-4 per side. After you take then off, place in a towel and keep it wrapped up. The steam inside the (clean) towel will keep your torts moist.

Ok, about now your fish should be done. If it's not, pour yourself a glass of wine and drink while you wait. When the fish is done you are ready to assemble. Place some cabbage mixture inside the warm tortilla.
Then place your fish, diced avocado, sliced red onion and additional sauce on top! Yum!!!
*Now a thing to note about your sauce. If you want it spicier, add more chipotle. If you want it more flavorfull, or richer, use full fat mayo. If you want it mild, add only 1 chiptole. But again, the cabbage will cut the spice.
Now serve these fabulously tasty but healthy tacos to your hungry fam and you will get this:

Let me know how this works for you! If this little blogging format works out, then I will do this with more recipes!
Chow!

Miss Me?

2011-03-17T14:24:00.002-05:00

Oh my gosh, I'm back!!! I think I just needed a break for awhile. So much has happened to me in the last year and I needed time, time to think, time to be me! However, I realized that I missed blogging. I do think of it as not only a great way to keep up with our friends and family, but also to pass this along someday to my children. A sort of record of our family, if you will.
To recap, from previous posts: I ended up losing almost all the weight from my goals of last year. I guess that was the good thing about all those meds I was on this fall, my appetite was gone! I am still 10 pounds from my ultimate goal, but I am not beating myself up over it! I am a foodie first and foremost, so I refuse to starve myself!
So, check back from time to time. I look forward to regular postings, about whatever appeals to me! I will also post more about cooking: recipes, techniques, experiments, etc!
In addition, you guys are about to get blasted with info regarding our DVT/blood clot race on May 22nd! Please plan on coming, if you can! It will be a great day and more info will follow- very soon!
Wahoo! I'm back!

Happy Birthday and Weigh In!

2010-01-18T12:16:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday to my husband! I posted this picture because even though he his no longer in the corps, once a Marine, always a Marine. Also, his favorite place to be is outside in the elements, this is just Ben. And, this afraid to fly, doesn't like to get dirty woman is completely in love with my Marine Pilot! Happy 35th!!!

Ok, weigh in this morning went well, especially considering I majorly cheated this weekend when I made a fondue dinner and Irish Cream Cheesecake for Ben. With all that considered:
this week's weight loss: 2 pounds!
total weight loss in 2 weeks: 7 pounds!
Ben's weight gain this week: .2 pounds! (yes, you did read that right, even though he's been lifting weights and drinking protein shakes and all!)

And the Monday total is....

2010-01-11T11:53:00.003-06:00

Every Monday until I reach my goal- 35 pounds, I will post my progress. This Monday, after 1 week of dieting here are my stats:
Pounds lost since last Monday: 5

Ben said he wants to gain 10 pounds.
Pounds gained since last Monday: 0

Anyone else want to "weigh in"?

Accountability

2010-01-04T17:42:00.003-06:00

This is my new toy that's going to help me with my New Year's Resolution! We got a great deal on it, which makes it even better!
I am going to put in print, public print, that I am committing to losing 35 pounds. I will be updating my progress every Monday, so check in and cheer me on (or chastise me if I have a bad week!) The accountabliity factor I am hoping will help me from falling off the wagon. I know I have several friends that also started their big diets today, if you would like to participate in Monday check-in, then please join in!
Ben says he's commmitted to gaining 10 pounds...we'll see how he does! Ha!

Holiday Album

2010-01-04T11:00:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

King Christmas Card

2009-12-23T10:43:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox invite

My new venture

2009-07-12T14:10:00.005-05:00

Wow! Time flies! I got so busy with all the end of the school year stuff, my cousin's wedding and the travel that went with it, a surgery for me, and keeping the kids busy this summer, I just haven't had time to blog. I am quite embarrassed when I look at the date of my last post. I will get better, I will get better, I will.....

So, I am thinking of starting my own catering business. I love love love cooking and they always say you should do what you love. I will start slow, providing meals a couple of days a week that people can pick up and take home and eat. I will also do party and event catering as my schedule permits. My hope is that I can start slow, see how it goes, and if people enjoy what I make, maybe expand into a full time business within a couple of years. What do you think? I would love to hear feedback! Getting a business started takes some work logistically and I want to make sure people are really interested in picking up ready made meals that they are not cooking!

On Thursday night I made my own freezer strawberry preserves. They are low sugar, and by first taste, quite yummy. I am excited!

I have been asked for the recipe I used, so here it is. Keep in mind, this is a recipe for freezer preserves, so you have to freeze it first to get it to congeal correctly. I am going to do raspberry and blueberry next. This winter, I am going to figure out a way to do cranberry. I can think of nothing better than cranberry preserves with scones and clotted cream and hot tea on a winter morning. When I get the recipe worked for that, I will post it.

Low-Sugar Strawberry Freezer Preserves
makes 6 to 8 half-pints of preserves

4 cups of prepared fruit (I started with roughly 8 cups of sliced fruit and smashed it down with a potato masher until I got it to the consistency I wanted- which about reduces by half.)
1-3/4 cup of 100% juice (I used apple but any variety that works for you should work.)
3/4 cup honey
1 package of "No Sugar Needed" Fruit Pectin

There are several ways to store your preserves. The stores sell plastic containers you can freeze, but with all the BPA stuff out there (a chemical that has shown to cause cancer and is present in most plastics and is activated upon heating or freezing) I choose to go with glass jars. MAke sure you sanitize them first and them make sure your hands and work area is clean. (The package will tell you how to sanitize their product, but I just threw my jars and lids in the dishwasher.)

In a large saucepan, combine juice and pectin until thoroughly combined. Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Once at a boil, boil for one minute-2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.

Remove from heat and add fruit, stirring constantly for one minute, before adding honey. Stir to combine.

Ladle into prepared jars. Place lid on immediately and press around the edge with your fingers. Place ring on and tighten until fingertip tight (it's on securely, but not tightened REALLY tight). Make sure that you use freezer-safe glass jars and leave 1/2-inch headspace on the top to allow for expansion.
In researching this next step, I saw 2 different directions. One was to place the jars in the fridge for 24 hours and then move to the freezer. The other, and the one I foloowed, was to store on the counter for 24 hours and then place in the freezer. It seems that keeping them at room temperature will help it congeal better and also prevent condensation that will later turn into freezer burn.
*Store in the freezer for up to eighteen months. Once defrosted and opened, use within three weeks. Keep refrigerated.

I hope you like it! If you try it, let me know what you think. It was really easy, I did it at night after the kdis were in bed. We've already tried it and the kids loved it! Brannon, my fruit lover, said it was like crushed strawberries on toast!

Ok, my babies are officially pervs....

2009-03-25T21:52:00.003-05:00

On the heels of Brannon's penis gun, I am beginning to think my children have it out for me. We have an entertainment system in the van. Whenever we are taking any sort of trip that lasts more than 5 minutes, the boys always start in "Moooommmm, can we watch a movie?" Therefore, this truly was one of the first phrases Tierney said (she heard it so much.) As soon as we buckle her in the car seat, she asks too, only it sound like, "Mooommmmyyyyy ca we wach a boobie." Of course the first time we heard it, we about wet our pants laughing so hard. Then we just got used to it (although Wes still snickers.) Then we went to church last week. The nursery was closed so we had the kids with us (God help us.) Tierney does not know how to whisper- AT ALL. So, during the priest's homily, everyone is sitting of course, and she is standing on the pew next to me when she SHOUTS, "MOOOMMMMYYY I want a boobie." I wanted to just slither down to the floor.

On another note, Brannon has his tonsillectomy scheduled for Friday morning. Please keep the little guy in your prayers!

is THIS normal?

2009-03-18T23:55:00.004-05:00

As a mom, mostly with my first born, I found myself worrying about the "weird" things he did. Somehow it made me feel better when I talked to other moms and they assured me that yes, their child finger painted in their poop, and yes their little boys also were obsessed with grabbing their own "playthings." However, this goes far beyond just a quick check to make sure it's still attached......
Last week Ben and I actually went on a date, ya know:a social appointment, engagement, or occasion arranged beforehand with another person; and we got a babysitter. I thought the worst thing I would have to explain was to make sure she knew how Tierney asks for "crocs" but it sounds more like, "I want my ..." (just delete the r and she could be a songwriter for Britney.) Anyway, we are standing upstairs and I am explaining to her about putting Tierney to bed when Brannon starts using his fingers to make the shape of a gun and begins firing at her "pew, pew, pew....) I stopped talking, look over at him and said, "Brannon stop using your hands to shoot Susie*" (*not her real name.) This was my big mistake I know now, I shouldn't have specified a body part. I keep talking to Susie about nightlights and bedtime books, while watching Bran out of the corner of my eye, to make sure he didn't try to sneak a shot. Then, it was like a light bulb exploded in his brain. He broke into a very mischievous grin. Then he grabbed his penis, and through his pants, began to move it up and down (like trying to point a fire hose) and started yelling "pew, pew, pew...." I wanted to die....right there....MOR-TI-FIED...and I am pretty sure that is NOT normal!

Special kudos to my new friend Cynthia for the blog design! You ROCK! If anyone is interested in having her design one for you, email me, and I'll play matchmaker.
My blog will be undergoing a few changes soon, I want to add a recipe section that will post some stuff I've created, or pilfered and want to recommend. Should be fun!

Spring Seven

2009-03-08T10:24:00.011-05:00

To Me, one of the best things about spring, is sitting outside in the afternoon, under the warm sun, and escaping in a good book. (Glass of wine, mojito or margarita are optional.) My problem is, I don't have any books on my wish list. I need some recommendations! I love historical fiction, political thrillers and Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. So, I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine. I will post my top 7 favorite books, to help guide you in your quest for the perfect hammock companion, and I ask that you post yours (doesn't have to be 7) in the comments section (and you have it easy as you don't have to find picture links!) (Let's leave off books like Harry Potter, which everyone has read and Da Vinci code, which is good but only read it if you can understand that it is COMPLETE FICTION.)

#1: Katherine by Anya Seton

This book is probably my absolute favorite ever. Talk about escape! This is the love story of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, true to the extent we know it. It takes place in 14th century England and when this story ended I cried, I didn't want to let her go. Another book I just read by this same author that's also truly amazing is The Winthrop Women.

#2: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

If you ever have any interaction with children, this is a must read. Jodi is an amazing author. Her character development is astounding. In this book, she takes you into the mind of teenagers, their world and a school shooting. By the end, you don't know if you are on the side of the shooter or the victim.

#3. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

This book is being made into a movie, and I think it's coming out this spring or summer. Read the book first!! As we all know, the movie never does a book justice and I can't imagine the movie will invoke the same feelings the book does. If you have a sister, read this book. If you don't, read it anyway!!

#4. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

This is historical creepy fiction. This book will keep you up all night, one because you can't put it down and two because you will be a little to creeped out to lay there in the dark. The story centers around 2 people traveling across Europe chasing the legend of Dracula. No synopsis I could give will do it justice, so just read it. This is vampires for grown-ups for sure!

#5. A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith

This is another great historical fiction story, centered on King Richard III, and will challenge anything you've heard or learned in history class! There is another book by the author, dealing with this same family that I also recommend: Daughter of York.

#6. Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn

This is the first in a series of 9 books (and counting) involving Mitch Rapp, a CIA agent. It is most definitely the best political thriller out there (and I've read A LOT of them!) This book will have you rooting for your country, and the men who fight for it. It's also another, "stay up all night because you can't put it down" book.

#7. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I saved the best for last. Ahhhh, words cannot describe Jamie. This is the first in a series also, and it straddles (no pun intended) genre: historical fiction and romance. In Outlander a 20th century woman crosses through a "stone circle" in England at the precise moment and is transported back to the 18th century, where she meets Jamie, the Scottish love of her life. These books are very intelligent in medicine, history, psychology and pure escapist romance. The 6th one is supposed to come out this year. And those of us in the Jamie cult are eagerly awaiting it. Become a member of this sorority and we'll share the secret handshake!!!

My little Hawaiian

2009-03-06T08:13:00.004-06:00

Wes had to do a culture project for school. Normally I dread school projects. I am the least crafty person I know! For this project he had to dress his doll exemplifying a culture of his choice. He had to explain a cultural tradition they do in a presentation. We did the Polynesian culture since he was born in Hawaii. I needed some ideas from my crafty friends to get me started.... I was shocked how many little trinkets and things you can find in Michaels! I think I need go to back there soon and bond and be one with with the craft. Deep breathing exercises weren't even necessary! I really enjoyed spending time with Wes teaching him about a place he has very little memory of. We watched videos on fire dancing (his cultural tradition in his presentation.) We learned about the Polynesian islands, how the people settled Hawaii and so on. It was priceless though when he asked me if his skin was that brown when he lived there! (Yes but he wasn't born that way like he thought! I know there are certain people reading this who will remember him chasing the garbage truck down the street with his naked bottom reflecting a lot of light! Ohhh those tan lines!) I miss Hawaii so much! Living there was always a catch 22 but I am so thankful that God provided us that opportunity. Watch out Erin- we can't wait till you back get there! I actually had a dream that Ben got back in the Marine Corps and we moved out there again. I don't know that Oahu is big enough for Brannon!
*this doll is dedicated to my crafty girls: mom, jill, erin m, and brandy! xoxo

I am just not meant to post......

2009-02-24T16:27:00.004-06:00

I had a whole entry typed up. I mean a long detailed explanation of what has been happening over the last 3 months. I was on fire, I gave witty comments AND pictures. Then when I was proof reading I pressed something on this dang laptop and it erased my entire entry! Try like I might I could not get it back. I almost threw this thing across the room. I can't retype it all. For one, I am creatively drained, and 2 I don't have time to redo the last 30 minutes worth of work. So here it is in a huge nutshell:
I haven't updated my blog in a long time because we moved into our home that took 11 months to build, I did Christmas, I overextended myself in volunteer work at my children's schools, GE cut my husband's salary and I was in a bad mood for a few weeks (and therefor not capable of speaking to other humans), I ripped the ligaments in my ankle stepping in a hole and I've been in a cast and my family has been on meltdown mode because I wasn't taking care of everything. And, now I can sorta walk on my walking boot so I am trying to get my life back to normal (I still can't drive though so I have no independance) and that includes blog updating.
Ok, so there it is. I've been a slacker and I will do better. Although if Holly keeps getting me hooked on good books I will never get anything done.
And because I had good pics posted before and I am not retyping the stories to go with them (maybe another day or time) here is a completely random picture of my dog sleeping on the stairs last week. Can you find her? She's mastered the camo thing.
I will post at least once a week now, unless the computer attacks me again......

Can I really get 2 for 1?

2008-11-22T21:44:00.002-06:00

As you well know, if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, I have been working diligently on potty training Brannon for the last year. Just in the past few weeks, we've finally made it. He is consistently doing his thing on the potty. Now, over the past week or so, when I get Tierney undressed at night for her nap, she likes to go sit on the little toddler potty. She tells me, "I potty mama." I was pretty sure she didn't even know what she was supposed to do. Tonight, she had been sitting there for a few minutes, chatting away, when I took her off to put her in the tub and lo and behold... there was all kinds of stuff in there. I was SHOCKED!!! She did in that potty what took us a year to get from Brannon! I immediately started making a big deal about it and then she looked in there and burst into tears. In fact, she was terrified. She saw her big "deposit" and freaked out! Her whole body was trembeling and she cried and cried. I am not sure why but after talking to my mom and grandma, have learned this can be a normal reaction. So, here is a picture of Tierney when she realized what she did. We were clapping even though she wasn't so happy about the situation. I am now having dreams of not only getting one kid out of diapers, but dare I think 2!!! Oh the money I'll save......

And this is why I pray.....

2008-11-07T07:41:00.003-06:00

I have found this blog is to me, very therapeutic. It is for this reason I post about what happened to us yesterday.
We had our final walk through at our house yesterday afternoon (we close today.) We were leaving and Ben buckled the kids in the car for me (we had Brannon and Tierney with us) while I stood in the driveway asking the builder a couple of questions about the care of our landscaping. About 3 houses down the street was an 18-wheeler Allied moving truck, moving in one of our neighbors. After Ben got the kids in their car seats he came up to us in the driveway (our van was parked along the curb) and was shaking hands with our builder when all of a sudden the semi truck goes by us, backing up. The next thing that happened was like watching it in slow motion. The semi did not back out correctly nor did it seem was he paying attention. It then started backing into the side of my van right where Brannon was sitting!! Ben and I immediately were screaming and running towards the semi- me towards the back (I think all the adrenaline in my body and thought it could just push the semi off my van) while Ben ran towards the driver. My real estate agent and builder were right behind us running and screaming as well. The driver had 2 mexican guys at the rear of the semi waving him back. When they realize the semi was running into my van they just stood there with dumb looks on their faces. I was screaming at them, "My babies are in the car, STOP, STOP!!!!!" The semi though didn't realize it was doing anything wrong and just kept easing into my van. The sound of the metal scraping and screeching and all the screaming from the 4 adults was ringing in my head. Somehow the dumb-ass driving the semi realized he was hitting something, he pulled forwarded and I was in the van immediately. My poor babies were screaming their heads off. The kids were unharmed, but very scared. I scooped both of them out (I don't even know how I had them out of those car seats so fast) and I was holding both of them in my lap on the ground and we were all crying. Brannon asked me the rest of the night why that big truck was trying to run into him. :( My throat still hurts this morning for all the yelling I was doing at the top of my lungs.
All the stuff that happened next took hours: police came, the mexicans guiding the truck backing up disappeared before the police showed up (and I mean literally they ran into the woods and were gone which means they were ILLEGALS, kids crying lots, van is in bad shape, 2 hours later we got to leave, Ben had to argue with Allied moving company's insurance and that conversation will continue today. They want to wait until next week to do anything but our back left tire is now flat and we need them to give us a rental car now because it's our only vehicle that fits our family and WE ARE MOVING TODAY AND SATURDAY!!!!
Every night before I go to bed, I go in and touch each of my kids on their heads and ask Jesus to keep them safe. I truly believe this prayer kept them safe yesterday. Now I am praying that God will help us get through the next couple of days without me having to do a stint in the insane asylum! Thank God my parents will be here this evening to help me!!

Happy Birthday Tierney!

2008-11-03T08:17:00.005-06:00

My sweet baby girl is 2 today! She loves Elmo so we are having an Elmo themed day! I can't believe it's been 2 years since she was born! Wow time goes fast!

Halloween and random thoughts.....

2008-11-01T16:47:00.003-05:00

We finally made it out of our candy coma today. Although, if Bran sneaks anymore candy, he's heading right back in it. Last night was really fun for the kids. We slummed for candy in one the sections of our new neighborhood. The part I am moving into currently has 2 occupied homes so we couldn't go there! The kids had a great time, although Tierney got quite nervous as the more scary costumes came out. Thanks to my friend Kim, she got the cutest ladybug costume. Brannon insisted on being the same dragon he was last year (the costume was big on him last year and barely fit him this year) so that made that one easy. This is the first year that Wes wanted to be something scary instead of a superhero. He was quite thrilled with himself but his sister and brother didn't want to get too close to him. On Thursday Bran had a costume party at his preschool and on Friday Elmo came to the galleria so we took the little ones to see him before trick or treating. Tierney was slightly afraid but it was priceless seeing and hearing her reaction. All 3 of these events are depicted in the photoshow:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

And now for some random thoughts:
*Tierney's second birthday is Monday. I have so many mixed emotions about this one. On one hand, I love the 2-3 age, it's my favorite. On the other, I am sad that my last baby is not really a baby any longer. I am also having the mommy guilt. She doesn't have any little friends, like the boys did at this age, so we don't have any other little kids that are going to come over and help her celebrate. I can't help but think that if we were back in Mansfield she would have tons of little friends to play with.....
*I am so scared of this election. I know emotions are running high and I hope through all of that people are clearly voting on facts and not emotions. I still have yet to hear from ANYONE a single reason why Barak Obama should be/can be President of the most powerful country in the world. I think his election will be a mistake of monumental proportions and I worry for the future of this country. The last few days are like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I can only pray that people are finally starting to realize he's all fluff and the current media darling, and that does not make a good President. And, I know some of you who read this won't agree with me but too bad, it's my blog. :)
*My 3rd random thought that feel I just have to express is how much I HATE Walmart. All the reasons why I hate Walmart are too long for this post. Let's just say that I think that store is destroying the American economy and it always smells like pee and it deludes people into thinking they are getting a good deal on something when all they are getting is cheap crap. Ok, I'm done. For now......

Photoshow of our New House!

2008-10-30T22:10:00.002-05:00

Here are some photos of the new house. I am so excited to finally have a home!!

Make a Smilebox postcard

October 24, 1998- October 24, 2008

2008-10-23T22:00:00.006-05:00

Wow! We did it! 10 years!! When I think back of all we've accomplished, done, gone through, over the past 10 years, I am so humbled that someone so wonderful has chosen to put up with me!
To the most wonderful husband in the world: 10 years ago today we stood in front of the most important people in our lives and you promised to always love me, care for me, and move me all over the country! You have fulfilled every promise! Like every married couple we've had our ups and our downs, but you never wavered in your love for me. I don't know what I would do without you, you are my best friend above all else. Because of the love we have for each other, I have my 3 beautiful babies. Thank you for marrying me! I love you!

Is it Thursday Yet?

2008-10-01T15:51:00.002-05:00

It's one of those days. It actually started yesterday when I went to pick up Brannon from pre-school. Brannon for the first time, asked to wear underwear instead of a diaper. This is my 3 year and 8 month old child who has refused to potty train. I was so excited because he can pee in the potty but WILL NOT poop in it. So, he really wanted to wear underwear to school and so I thought that was the motivation he needed to poop in the potty. I dropped him off at school and the teacher made a big deal out of him in underwear. Something that you need to know is Bran is a hider pooper. He prefers to go hide when he poops. When I picked him up yesterday, the teacher had told me that he peed in the potty fine but she was determined to not let him out of her sight. If he can't hide, he won't poop. I pick him up at 1pm. At 12:40 they were on the playground and a little boy fell down. When she helped the little boy up, she then quickly tried to locate Brannon. Sure enough, he seized on the opportunity to go into the tunnel slide, and poop his underwear!!! So, when I arrive at 1, they had just finished cleaning him up. I was so disheartened. Attempting to potty train Brannon has been a lot of work and frustration. He has never had the desire to do it and has fought it every step of the way. I finally thought we had broken a barrier, but obviously not. So as I am loading him and Tierney, who I had with me, back in the car, my cell rings. Wesley's school is calling to tell me he is sick and has a 102 fever. Wonderful.
As soon as I get Wes home, he throws up. Luckily he got MOST of it in the toilet. I get Bran and Tierney down for their naps, get the remaining vomit cleaned up, attend to Wes then clean myself up.
Did I mention Ben is out of town????
I finish off the day just trying to cope: Wes had thrown up one more time, the fever kept coming back, had to attempt to keep the other 2 away from him in a very small apartment, while trying to fulfill all my other mommy duties for the evening. I finally go to bed last night completely exhausted. I didn't get much sleep though because Macy decided last night would be a good night to attempt to sleep on my head or when that failed, play with my hair. I got up at 1am- Wes' fever was back so I woke him up and dosed him with Tylenol. He then woke at 5am whining, fever was back, I drugged him again and climbed back into bed praying to all that was Holy that I would get some sleep. No luck.
Wes comes in my room at 6:30 because he says he can't swallow. I get out a flash light, and when I looked down his throat I was not shocked to see that it was huge and red with white pockets on it. I no sooner get him in my bed, when I hear Tierney in her room talking. What the hell? It's 6:30. She's ALWAYS good until at least 8:30 if we don't wake her before that. I tried to put the pillow over my head but she kept talking. Now she has woken up Brannon who is in my room telling me that Tierney's room smells. I go into Tierney's room to see what is wrong, open the door, and I was almost knocked dead by the smell that assaulted my nostrils. Then, I was greeted by the artistic abilities of my daughter, who had taken off her diaper and attempted some sort of art with her own poop. It was all over her crib, and her body and her walls. I wanted to run, far far away......
One hour later, the crib materials are in the wash, the crib and Tierney both have been disinfected, and I was silently cursing Ben for having the good sense to leave me when all hell was about to break loose.
The rest of the day continued down that path. Here's the summary... all 3 kids fighting while I was in the shower to take Wes to the Dr, Brannon threw a book at my head while I was driving them to the Dr, long wait at the Dr where Brannon knocked over a small table that had books and pamphlets all over it, Wesley has Strep throat, Dr checks 2 other kids for good measure and both of them have the beginnings of strep, antibiotics for all 3, long wait at Target pharmacy for drugs, while waiting we are shopping and Tierney grabs glass on shelf while I am getting bread and drops it and it breaks everywhere, Brannon threw a temper tantrum because I wouldn't buy Lightening McQueen band-aids (we already have some), Tierney then joins in screaming because a) she always cries acappella when someone else cries and b) waking up at 6:30 has finally caught up with her and she is tired and hungry (it's now 1:00), I drive home and there are no parking spots near my apartment so I have to park far away and haul 3 kids and groceries into apartment, while giving them some lunch Brannon drops his soup on the floor- I have to clean up.....
Ben is still gone. It's 4pm, little ones will be waking up any second and I have to get through the rest of this day.
God help me.

Ben & Kara's Excellent Adventure

2008-09-24T22:07:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Our trip to Canada was awesome! We had such a great time. I missed the kids terribly but it was so good to be away with Ben. We did remember why we married each other 10 years ago in October! It was so cold, we loved the break from the Texas heat (even though we had to do some shopping when we got there for not packing heavy enough clothes!)

Enjoy the photo album!

Our first trip since having children... Prayers PLEASE!!

2008-09-01T22:17:00.003-05:00

Ben and I are heading to Whistler Canada on Thursday morning. Next month is our 10 year anniversary so we are taking our first trip together since we had kids. True to my nature, I wasn't going anywhere without a deal. We are flying into Seattle and then driving to Whistler, this way we could use FREE mileage tickets on Southwest. We are staying at the Fairmont Chateau, which during the winter the rooms start at $800 per night. We got the room for $147!!! We're looking forward to hiking, ziptreking, and being in some cooler weather. But, first we have to get there. For those that know me at all, you know I am terrified of flying. I hate it in fact. I do not like giving my life over to someone I don't know, powerless to help the situation should one arise. I try to avoid flying if I can. But, after years of saying we would go somewhere together for our 10 year, it's finally here. I have to do it. I have to do this for Ben who thinks I am a big weeny. So, we updated our estate plan and off we go. We fly out Thursday morning and return Monday night. My babies are going to my parents house. Pray for us! Any prayers offered up asking us not to die in a plane crash will be greatly appreciated.

Can I get a SHOUT for the Supermom!!!!

2008-08-29T14:11:00.003-05:00

I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face, tears of happiness. I am watching FOX news and to see who has been nominated for McCain's VP pick has filled me with empowerment. To see a mom of 5, a family woman, get nominated for the second highest position in the country is incredible! I gave up my career to become a mom. For the past several years I have felt like a baby factory and a milk machine. I feel like Sarah Palin represents me. For one thing, she will be such a great voice for moms, working and staying at home, plus issues that matter to families. Secondly, if she can achieve this with 5 kids, then I can too! Many people have asked me when I am running for some sort of political office. I LOVE politics. I remember marching in a parade when my Grandpa ran for Indiana Representative with a t-shirt on that said "Vote for my Grandpa." Even as a child, I loved it! He lost, but only cause he was on the wrong ticket. You might say I learned my first political lesson: be a republican! Now, I can see that having children and putting them first, doesn't have to mean it's the death of a potential political career. I think I can see a State Representative election in my future!!!

What age to give a Pedicure

2008-08-22T17:03:00.002-05:00

Most of you know how desperately I wanted a girl. I am very much a girl's girl and I needed a Protege. Praise the lord, (and Ben) that I got one! I am so eager to indoctrinate her in the ways of girlhood, but I want to make sure I am not rushing it either.
Whenever I get a pedicure, my mini me spots it immediately. She will squat down and point to my toes and say "Piddy Mommy piddy!" She is 21 months now and I want to paint her toes so badly. I found a cute "little girl pink" today at home, oops, I mean Target. Should I use it? I don't want her to look like a hoochie but it would make her so happy! She doesn't put her feet in her mouth anymore. Is she too young for a toe polish? Respond with a comment or answer in the poll.

See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil

2008-08-14T21:56:00.002-05:00

This motto seems to work well for the kids so we'll go with it!

Our GREAT friends Jill and Dave Mapes were here with their kids (Grahm 6, Lexi 4, and Tristan 22 months.) We had a fabulous day with them, showing them around Austin/Lakeway and of course the new house. The kids played until they could play no more. And Lexi and Brannon did what only they can do very best: disappeared, gave us a heart attack trying to find them, and then claiming they had discovered a secret hideout. They babies had to blow each other kisses and poke each other in the eyes, and the oldest boys decided they need to form a club with only themselves in it. We ended the day eating at The Oasis. If you've never been there, it's an Austin institution. Check out the website- the sunset is amazing!

http://oasis-austin.com/

I love Jill like a sister and I am so so happy she came to see me!

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. C. S. Lewis

I'm Baaaaack!!

2008-08-13T18:50:00.002-05:00

I know, I've been absent. It occurred to me that I spend all my time blogging about the kids and the family, but not so much about all my adventures. Well, my adventures are what is keeping me from my place in bloggdom. As a few friends and family members know, I have been having some health issues. What looked for the past couple of months to be PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) is now looking to be a thyroid issue. I have been on and of hormones and medications and suffering through so many blood drawls my arms look like I am a crack addict! It's been a long road and it's not ever yet. The main problem is that my blood levels don't show that I have a thyroid problem, because they compare my levels to the "average" person. However, I have almost every symptom of hypothyroidism (too low). The more I learn, I realize there are a lot of people out there that have thyroid problems and their levels weren't "Average" either. If that's you, please let me know, I want to do what you have done/are doing about it! My OBGYN is referring me to a specialist in Austin that is experienced at dealing with "special" people like me. But, the last couple of months have wrecked havoc on me with all the hormones and medications. It's been all I can do to keep up with our kids and new life in Austin.

Ok, enough about, more about the offspring of me (they're cuter anyway!) Wes starts 3rd grade on the 25th. Yes, I did say 3rd grade. No, I am not sure how he grew up so fast either. He's very excited to get back to the social aspect of school, and maybe learn something along the way too.

Brannon still thinks he is a dinosaur. In fact we usually have to address him as "T-Rex." As in, "T-Rex, would you stop hitting you sister." OR "T-Rex, don't bite the kitten." OR "T-rex, mommy T-Rex is getting very angry at you for trying to eat the couch!" He told me today: "Mommy T-Rex, be very careful when you hug me and kiss me because my teef are very sharp."

Tierney is all girl. She just turned 21 months and is obsessed with shoes and hair bows. But, she's also one tough cookie. She doesn't let anyone (mostly T-rex) get away with doing anything to her. She doesn't hesitate to give him a wallop on the head if he makes her mad.

So, that's all for now. I will start posting again more regularly with fun antidotes and stories about what's up. I do miss blogging, and besides, we are now entering prime political season and I have a lot to say about that. I have very strong political opinions (I inherited that trait from my Grandpa) and I am not too good at not stating what I think/feel about the issues. If you don't like it, you can post a comment (I never mind a good debate) but since all but 4 of you don't do that then I guess you'll have to start your own blog (expressing how much you don't agree with my political views.)

So, to quote Paris Hilton: "I love white haired old dudes!"

*These are pictures of the kids at Wesley's 8th birthday party at Dave N Busters (Tierney had been eating so hence the food on her face!)

I'm in Love!!!

2008-07-14T07:54:00.003-05:00

So, just like the tech nerd that I am, I got up at 5:30 on Friday morning to wait in line for one of these....mankind's best invention...the iphone! I am very excited and most of all I am so happy to have a cell phone after 2 weeks of not having one! I was reading somewhere this weekend that said that the iphone was the most coveted item of the century.
On to other news- I won't be posting this week as I am heading to my mom's house with the kids while Ben travels so that I can get out of this apartment. I am hoping to get a couple of books read and to work on my tan.

Happy Birthday Wesley!

2008-06-26T08:05:00.006-05:00

How is it possible that my first born child is 8 years old!?! The years have gone by so fast, although I have made him promise that I will always be the most important girl in his life. (He said, "Well of course you will be Mom.") He is such a sweet boy, who loves his family, and has a real zest for life. I don't think I've ever seen a child with a bigger imagination! I still think of him as my baby, even though he has huge feet!!

We love you so much Wesley! You are growing into such a handsome, smart, funny, kind, generous, loving little man. But, do Mommy a favor and STOP growing up!!!

It's A Girl!!!!!

2008-06-13T20:33:00.002-05:00

We've done it again and added a new member to our family! It's a girl and we've named her Macy. Ok, I told you all I am done having kids so don't go there. No, this little girl is of the feline species. When our kitty Bailey died in March, I promised the kids that when we moved into our house we would get another kitty. But.... we didn't quite make it that long! My girlfriend Corrie (sucker #1) called me about 5 weeks ago when she rescued a stray cat that had just given birth under a hot, dirty loading dock and her husband's warehouse. She's a vet tech so she took care of the whole brood for 5 weeks (while recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous thyroid, God Bless her.) So now here is an available kitten that needs a good home. Enter sucker #2- me. We picked her out a couple of weeks ago when we went up to Mansfield to visit and we got her today. The kids love her and Brannon and Tierney think the only way to communicate with her is to meow as loud as they can, in her face.

How appropriate that today was Friday the 13th and we got an all black kitty with the most beautiful blue eyes!

Everything in Life Starts with a Solid Foundation

2008-06-11T10:57:00.002-05:00

The house is slowly (well, too slow for us) but surely coming along. The frame is on it's way up but here is a picture of my family (Wes is standing behind Brannon) on our foundation (taken last week.) The view can't be seen from here but you can see the plethora of trees in the back yard. Also, the back of the house is about 8 feet up from the ground- all solid foundation. It's exciting to watch our house being built!

Secondly, take some time today to be thankful for the foundation you've been given. I think we all know how fleeting and fragile life is, but sometimes it just has to slap you in the face. A friend of mine, Meredith Hatch was killed this past Sunday. She was training for a race (cycling) and riding with her trainer on a neighborhood street Sunday morning when she was struck by a truck going over 60 mph, driven by a drunk driver. This was a senseless, stupid tragedy. She was the director of the preschool Wesley went too in Mansfield. She knew every child and every parent that walked through that door. She always had a smile on her face and she made every child feel important and special. She was a mom of 3 young boys and only 38. I think the one thing I can do to honor her life and make since of her death is to be so thankful for everything I have been given, because everyday is a gift.

"Here comes the bride...."

2008-06-02T16:32:00.002-05:00

Yeah! I am so happy for my cousin Christy who got engaged this weekend! I don't have sisters so my aunts and cousins are very special to me! Christy is my closest in age female cousin. She's smart, beautiful, generous, kind and most importantly, Tierney's Godmother! Jacob finally popped the question and we are happy he will be part of our family. Congrats to both of you, we are so very happy for you!

All this wedding stuff these days is getting me in the mood to get married again. I don't think anyone will want a 32 year old- mini van driving- part time zookeeper- part time maid- part time chauffeur- mother of 3 so I guess I have to stick with the husband I have (sorry Ben!) When I brought to him that up for our 10 year anniversary (this October) that we could have another wedding, he told me to forget it-we have our hands full just planning birthday parties!

Cheap Wine of the Week (posted a couple of days late)

2008-06-02T14:12:00.003-05:00

Well, there's no picture of the Cheap Wine of the Week because this wine is so cheap I guess it doesn't even have a website. I found this wine when I was in HEB on Friday and they were doing a wine tasting over in the gourmet cheese area. They were sampling a $5.89 bottle of wine and a $37 bottle of wine. I took a sample of both along with a taste of Aged Irish Cheddar Cheese (oh so good!) The cheap wine was "La Di Da" White Zinfandel. It was described as a fun, social, sipping wine. I liked it, I bought some, and it's perfect for a sipping on a summer afternoon.

Cheap Wine of the Week

2008-05-16T20:14:00.002-05:00

Ok, I didn't post a cheap wine last week because the wine we tried was yucka. I guess that will happen when buying cheap wine. But, I did find a good one this week. This one was a whopping $6.29! Hold on to your wallets! It's Night Harvest Merlot. It was very smooth (again, for a cheap wine, we gotta keep this in perspective) and it has some berry undertones, which I like. It's a great "drink while you cook" wine. I liked it so much that I want to try the Shiraz next. Here's the website, just cause it's a cute one: http://www.nightharvest.com/wines/

And, for extra coolness, the cork is black. Let me know what you think if you try it!

Celebrating the wedding of our great friends

2008-05-11T11:49:00.002-05:00

I jsut wanted to do a quick post in honor of our good friends Michael and Brandy Yeargan who got married last night. It was a great wedding here in Austin and we are so happy for them. Michael is one of Ben's oldest friends, his roomate in college, a fellow Marine, the Best Man for our wedding and a GREAT guy. We are so happy he found his perfect match in Brandy. We are excited to be in the same city together, after all these years, and we wish them all the wonderful things in life they deserve. Here's a picture of them and a picture of Ben and I, we were so excited to be out without the kids (for the first time in months and months!!)

Pictures

2008-04-24T09:41:00.009-05:00

Things have been relatively quiet here this past week (i.e. no Brannon mis-adventures) mostly due to me being very sick (fever, chills, migraines, etc) and so we've all been trapped in the house (Ben is traveling more than he is home these days.) Anyway.... I haven't emptied pictures off my camera in awhile so I am doing that now. I thought I would post a few cute ones.

The 1st picture is Wesley at school last week on Pioneer Day. The kids and teachers dressed up as pioneers and went through the entire day as a pioneer school. They made candles, ate pioneer food, wrote with a quill and ink, played pioneer games, learned to square dance, made things with yarn, etc. He had a blast and it really gave him an idea what it was like be a child in the 18oo's. We love Wesley's new school and teacher, she is so creative. And, of course Wes has adjusted well. He's so social and outgoing this move hasn't really slowed him down!

The 2nd picture is Brannon digging in the dirt with...you guessed it... his dinosaurs. I know we have a ton of pictures of him doing that but that really is all he does (besides get into trouble.) And with that grin on his face, who could ever guess what that little boy is capable of! He always has at least one dinosaur, if not 5 in his hands so we don't have any pictures of him without them!

The 3rd picture is Tierney in our Octopus Chair. She loves that chair and loves to sit in it and "pretend" to read or just suck her thumb. She making progress towards walking now- she's almost got it! Just in time for her 18 month milestone! (The orthopedist said last week that she is hyper flexible and she's having a hard time training her muscles to get them to do what they are supposed to. She said that she will get it very soon and then to put her in gymnastics!) She loves to toddle across the room just to get over to the octopus and sit on it!

Cheap Wine of the week that is really 2

2008-04-11T19:40:00.010-05:00

So, I have been meaning to blog about my cheap wine of the week, ever since last week when I discovered a really good cheap wine. But then, I have been so busy this past week I didn't have time to blog. Then, I found my cheap wine of this week. So, now I am doing the cheap wine of the week, but this week also has last week's recommendation.

Last Week: Rex Goliath Merlot. This wine has a picture of a rooster on it but most importantly it only set me back $6. It's quite smooth for a cheap wine and after drinking a couple glasses Ben found it amusing to talk about the wine with a cock on it.

This Week: S.O.B. (Sun of a Beach) Chardonnay. I was making Mushroom and Goat Cheese stuffed Chicken Breasts tonight with sauteed red potatoes and grilled zucchini and portobello mushrooms. Notice I said "was." That's because I bought a cheap white wine to go with my meal. Like any good cook, I opened it before I started cooking and now I am not cooking anymore. Drinking this good cheap wine (again only $6) made me have no desire but to do anything but sit on my patio and drink my wine enjoying the beautiful breeze and 70 degree weather on my back porch. So now the kids are eating the good 'ole chicken nugget standby (they are shaped like dinosaurs so that means extra points for mommy) and then Ben and I will continue to sit on the porch because we are lazy wine drinkers.

Have a great weekend!

Brannon is now officially a Holy Terror!

2008-04-06T13:56:00.005-05:00

For those of you that know Brannon, you know he can be described as my "spirited" child. While Wesley walks the straight and narrow path, Brannon prefers to RUN down every crooked one he can find! Never mind the minor incident this week when I took him to Chick Fil-A and he walked by someone's table, grabbed a chicken nugget, popped it in his mouth and continued on to the playroom. And no, I am not talking about the incident this week where he found a cactus bush, grabbed it with both hands and tried to pull it out of the ground (amazing he did not get a single needle in him.) No, I am referring to a few days ago when Wes was at first communion class at our new church. When we went to pick him up, he was in the church listening to the priest, so I, along with about 30 other moms were waiting in the lobby just outside the sanctuary doors. Brannon of course brought with him a couple of dinosaurs (we don't leave home without them) and I have Tierney on my hip. I walked over to the doors that lead to the sanctuary (they are glass) to see if I could locate Wes. Brannon was looking through the doors with me. Then, I spot Wes and lean down to point him out to Brannon. Brannon's gone. I look to my right and left, he couldn't have gone far, I only had my eyes off him for 10 seconds. I spin around and dart my eyes across the lobby. When I finally locate him, I wanted to disappear. In the center of the lobby area is a big white stone pedestal about 4.5 ft high. On top of the pedestal is a glass bowl containing the Holy Water. Somehow Brannon had hoisted himself up, stomach propped on the pedestal edge, feet dangling in the air, DRINKING the Holy Water like a dog. Oh, and for good measure the dinosaurs were in the bowl too, looking like 2 birds taking a bath. Words cannot describe the heat in my face, the embarrassment I felt and all those moms were watching him. I run over and pulled him down and he tells me that he was thirsty and his dinosaurs wanted a bath "puz dey were dirty." His little curls framing his face are wet, as is the front of his shirt. Being that no one in this church yet know us by name, I am sure I will now be known as "the mother who let her child drink Holy Water."

Here's a picture of my little Angel, playing with his dinosaurs in my mom's garden.

Hello? Hellooooo? Anyone there?

2008-03-31T13:31:00.002-05:00

Is anyone out there? In know someone must be. I have gotten over 1200 hits on my blog since I started it 3 months ago. That's over 400 hits a month. Yet, I only have about 4 posted comments (thanks Holly!) Hey all you readers! Please don't be afraid to say something and make yourself known! It helps me feels like I am not talking to a wall/computer screen.

Ok, next topic: The Tudors!!! For those of you that know me well, you know I am only slightly obsessed with history, specifically English history (hey there again Holly!) Yes, I was the DORK in college with the major in biomedical science and I almost had a minor (9 hours short) in history. I took history classes for fun. Stop laughing. Even now, one of my greatest relaxation techniques is to read history books ie: historical biographies, historical fiction, etc. My favorite period of history is Tudor England. The drama that occurred in about a 40 year time period is like Desperate Housewives on steroids. And, even better, it changed the face of the world at the time and the course of history. It truly is a part of the world we live in today. But, I digress......
The Tudors was on last night and the first episode of the second season did not disappoint. It took me the whole first season to get over the fact that Jonathon Reese Myers was cast as Henry- he doesn't even have the classic Tudor red hair! But now, I am so into his portrayal of this famous King, I don't care about the rest. He really nails Henry's volatile temper, the self doubt and the mental instability that starts to show itself during this time. Of course, the costume designer takes many liberties, trying to make things look fabulous and grand, but some of the designs she puts Anne in are just crazy. I wish she would stick to making it a little more authentic, but Showtime wants all the flashiness and flesh it can get. I will wait until the second episode to make more comments I have about the relationship between Henry and Anne because I think some of the things they may show next week will be important. If you have not seen this series, the first season is on DVD and it's awesome. Let me know if you watch it, or you have seen it. That would require you to make a comment though! ;)

"Austin, we have landed"

2008-03-29T21:18:00.002-05:00

Does life's roller coaster ever slow down, even for a brief rest? I thought I would have been used to this by now. This was our 8th move since we've been married. Too bad we're not getting frequent mover miles we can cash in! It seems to get harder each time though, I think mostly because of the kids. It's not even getting them readjusted that's the worst- it's hauling all their CRAP! Where did we get all this stuff, seriously? With each child I've birthed, our household load has doubled. I am not sure how that works. You should have seen us traveling to Austin, each of us in a car (Ben in the company car with the cat and me in the mom-mobile with the kids and the dog.) Yes, a mini van can be a low-rider! No sooner had we started out when Tierney decided to start screaming. Loudly. So I am leaned back in my seat trying to pat her leg to get her to slow down and I was hyper-extending myself. Which caused me to push down harder with my right foot on the gas pedal. Which caused me to get my FIRST speeding ticket!! (And Ben was behind me, and did he pull over with me? Nooooo, the nitwit KEPT GOING! Yes, that's right, he left me on the side of the highway with the loaded down minivan (including the opened bottle of half drunk Kahlua - we didn't want to throw that away!) The officer comes over, I tell him my story, as the dog is barking her head off and Tierney is sucking in vast amount of air trying to stop crying. He tells me that from now on, I need to pull over to calm my kids down and not do it while I was driving. Are you kidding me?? He must not have kids. By the way, I was only going 77 mph. (And no, he never saw my Kahlua.)
We arrived Monday night and dealt with the typical things, things in the apartment that needed to get done (that should have been fixed before we ever checked in), dealing with all the incompetent people at AT&T because they couldn't get us a dial tone on our phone, the mounds of boxes and packing paper all over the apartment, trying to find a grocery store so I could get some milk for the kids, the crying and temper tantrums from a 3 year old, the whining and complaining of a 7 year old, the clingyness of a 1 year old who has no idea where she is, and the needing a glass (or 5) of wine by a 32 year old. Some lines we've heard over the past days: *Mommy, I want to go home - Brannon
*Mom, I want to go home- Wesley
*MOMMYYYYY, MOMMYYYYY, AHHHHH- Tierney
*Mommy- dis partment not our house- Brannon
*Mommy, I can't sleep in dis room puz it's a dragon factry- Brannon
*Kara, can you find me the finger nail clippers- Ben
*Mom, I think there at least a million trees on all these hills- Wes
*I gotta get my bb gun to shoot the deer- Wes (When he saw dear tracks on our property)
*Kara, did you find those finger nail clippers yet- Ben (yes, that's exactly what I am trying to find in the 20+ boxes stacked up all over this apartment!!!)
*Mommy, can I kick Tierney- Brannon.
*No, Brannon, you may not kick your sister!!!- Me
*Why not mom, I want to- Brannon
*Because that would hurt Tierney and it's not nice to kick people.- Me
*Awwwwwwwww.... dat stinks- Brannon

Everyone has asked about our house. They are starting the actual building process in about 8-10 days. During the last 3 months they have been getting all the permitting, digging up the many many cedar trees on our lot (they left the oaks) and finalizing all our design stuff. We are still on track, if the weather doesn't do anything too strange to have a completed house and be out of this apartment in August! The apartment is on the opposite side of the golf course than our neighborhood so it's very very close. In fact, Ben took the kids and dog to the park in our neighborhood today while I unpacked boxes. Hopefully if we do this enough we will start to meet some people before we move in.
In closing, Happy Birthday to our friends Mary Alice Kaspar, Amy Taylor and Michael Yeargan (forgive me if I forgot anyone else!) Oddly enough, you are all here! Hopefully we will see you soon!
Also, season 2 of The Tudors is on tomorrow night (Sunday) and I am so stoked I can hardly stand it. I love love love this show so look for my commentary because I have to talk about each episode after I watch it.

Ode to Grandma

2008-02-25T15:23:00.005-06:00

My Grandma is....

beautiful... inside and out

faithful

a fabulous cook

scatterbrained

funny

forgiving

a great hugger

my rock

one of my biggest fans

a role model

someone I cannot live without

perfect in a every way

Happy Birthday Grandma! I love you so much and I can't wait to see you again! You always have made me feel loved and treasured. Thank you for being the perfect Grandma!

Bye Bye Bailey

2008-02-24T10:18:00.002-06:00

Our precious kitty died yesterday. We got Bailey when Ben and I were first married. He has traveled with us to Hawaii and back. Unfortunately, his time had come and he was very sick and we had to make the agonizing decision to put him to sleep. We knew he wasn't going to make it through the stress of the move. My good friend and neighbor Corrie, is a vet tech and we sent him into the clinic with her and she held him the whole time. We then picked him up and took him to my mom's house where we had a little funeral for him and buried him in their woods. I am so proud of Wesley. While he is very sad, he is acting like such a little man. He gathered rocks for the headstone and helped in the burial process. We will miss our Bailey cat, he was a loved part of our family for 9 years.

On another note, we move in 2.5 weeks. We've signed a lease for an apartment, the movers have come to do their appraisal, I have resigned as a VP of the PTA, and we're starting the goodbye process. With this being the 8th move it is definitely the hardest yet, in terms of emotion. We are so tied into this community and Wes' school and we have such an extensive network of friends, it's making this really really hard. However, Ben and I are only staying positive around the kids, especially Wes who is concerned the kids in Austin won't want to be his friend. Although, as my friend Jill said, "Wes could talk to a brick wall. He will make friends." Gee, I wonder where he gets that from! ;)

To end this blog on a couple of high notes: CONGRATULATIONS to my gorgeous friends Mary Alice and Amy for the births of their little girl (Arielle Elizabeth on Feb 15th) and little boy (Graham Barret born on the 21st.) Since you both live in Austin and New Braunfels I will be able to see you both very soon! I am so so happy for both of you. Welcome to the newest members of your family!

And lastly, Happy Birthday to my brother Ryan, also born on the 21st, albeit 29 years ago. Here's to a great year in front of you and a fresh start! You are doing the right things and there will be good things in store for you!

Happy Birthday to my little Boy!!!

2008-02-08T14:58:00.000-06:00

3 Years ago today my sweet little boy was born! He has been such a fun and unpredictable part of our lives. We never know what he is going to say or do or come up with. He's so creative and fun and I am so excited to celebrate such a wonderful day with him. His party is on Sunday afternoon and he tells everyone he's having a "dinosaur bir-day. " I'll post pictures of the big event in the next couple of days!

On another note, we sold our house today! We signed all our paperwork this morning and we close on March 10th! Austin, here we come! Say a prayer for us that the move goes smoothly.....with 3 kids and 3 animals, this will be quite an adventure!

House Update

2008-01-21T09:30:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like the offer from the buyers of last week is going to fall through. I must say that I am not too disappointed. Our new house won't be finished until the end of July so I still have a long time to sell. And even though Ben has to be in Austin all week, we are happy here. We miss him but Wes is doing great in school and the kids and I have our network of friends, so if the right offer doesn't come along, I'm not selling!

On a different note, our NEW house problems have been ridiculous. I will spare you the details over the last 2 months but we have had to switch builders and neighborhoods. My builder was doing some dirty stuff and it was getting worse by the day, so we decided to get out while we good and start over. (Don't ever build a home with Drees!) We have started over by building a house in the Lakeway area of Austin. I am so excited! I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and this whole situation is bringing us a better deal than I could've dreamed of! The schools are known to be some of the best in the state, a new outdoor Galleria is going to be 3 minutes from my neighborhood, and the views are breathtaking with huge hills and Lake Travis close by. We got a lot on a Col-de-sac that backs up to a heavily wooded nature preserve. What more could we ask for! Here are some links for pictures of the new house. These are pictures taken at the model for our floorplan that is in a different neighborhood in Austin!
http://www.taylorwoodrowna.com/indexPopup.cfm?Method=Homes_PopupPhoto&ModelID=4098&ImageNumber=1&CommunityID=263&MetroAreaID=7
http://www.taylorwoodrowna.com/indexPopup.cfm?Method=Homes_PopupPhoto&ModelID=4098&ImageNumber=2&CommunityID=263&MetroAreaID=7
http://www.taylorwoodrowna.com/indexPopup.cfm?Method=Homes_PopupPhoto&ModelID=4098&ImageNumber=3&CommunityID=263&MetroAreaID=7

To sold or not to have sold?

2008-01-16T16:59:00.000-06:00

That is the question!

We received an offer on our house on Monday! It was about $5k lower than where we wanted to be. So, on Tuesday we countered. It's now Wednesday, early evening, and we have heard nothing back! I am so nervous about this! Are we moving or not? Is my house off the market or not? Do we call the moving company or not? I am such and planner and so detail oriented that this i really really hard for me. I hate waiting. And I really hate this "game." I am trying to keep busy with "busy" work and every time the phone rings I am praying it's my realtor. AHHH! the Stress!!!

To Aunt Carrie: Happy Birthday yesterday. You are so loved and special to me! Thank you for being a fabulous Aunt!

And to the love of my life: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING! You are so good to me, the most generous and loving husband in the world. The kids and I wish we could be with you today and that you weren't out of town. I love you so so much! Hopefully you will get a great present today - finding out our house has sold!

The joys of potty training

2008-01-01T10:36:00.000-06:00

Brannon will be 3 on February 8th and Santa thought it was time Brannon learn to use the potty because he brought lots of big boy underwear (in his favorite motif, Cars and dinosaurs.) Bran hasn't been motivated despite our best efforts, so far, but the prospect of him wearing underwear with Mater on it has him very excited. So 2 nights ago he comes running up to me, "Mommy I have to go peepee let's get on the potty!" Of course, I'm all excited (I know, I know, we don't get out much) and we run to the bathroom, I get Bran undressed, sit him on the potty, and nothing happens! We wait. He starts grunting and making all these "pushing" noises. Finally he starting hitting his private part, looks up at me and yells "Mommy, dis fing not working!"

Last night we had a discussion after prayers about what we were most thankful for in 2007. Wes, Ben and I all talk about how we are thankful for our family, health, blah blah blah and then Bran says, "Well, I am thankful we had dinosaurs in 2007!"

So, from all of us, to all of you and your dinosaurs, Happy New Year! I hope for 2008 Brannon learns how to make his "fing" work and you get all you've hoped for too!

2007-12-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays! It's been a whirlwind past 2 weeks, as I am sure it has been for everyone! First of all, I want to brag about my WONDERFUL husband who arranged a fabulous surprise party for y birthday with all my friends! It's was so nice to be out with the girls and to have such a great evening and good margaritas with the most awesome friends anyone could ask for! Thank you so much to all my friends who took the time out of their busy holiday schedules to come out and help me have a great birthday! Having a birthday the same week as Christmas aways made parties difficult because most of my friends were never around. When I was in elementary school, those were the days when we got out for Christmas break around the 15th, so by the 20th, everyone had already left for Grandma's! This surprise meant more to me than you'll ever know, thank you so much!
We've been at my parents the last week. We didn't intend to stay as long as we did but some stuff came up with the house and we had to make an impromptu trip to Austin (and mom & dad watched the kids!) I will give a housing update in the next or 2 (this has been one crazy, umm, I guess you could say adventure?)
So, to sum up Christmas, Santa came, the reindeer tracked a whole bunch of straw in the house and made a huge mess, cat ate the mess while were sleeping, cat was sick for 3 days, Santa way overextended himself- again, kids are already excited for Santa to come again next year......

Merry Christmas!

Wesley, Wesley Jr & Wesley III

2007-12-18T10:54:00.000-06:00

Every time I take my kids out in public somewhere, I get comments on how much they look alike. Really, it's quite bizarre. Looking at Brannon and Tierney is like looking at Wes when he was younger. When I take close up pictures of their faces, it's really hard to tell which child it is in the picture. I am going to have to get really good at labeling so I can tell them apart when we are old and gray! So, for fun, here it a picture of all of them in the tub. They have the same face and they all make the same facial expressions, it's hilarious!

On a separate note, Happy Birthday to my fellow AXO sistas!

Lezlee! I know I missed it on the 15th - I'm a bad friend. I was thinking of you throughout the day and I could never stop juggling the kids to get to the phone! After celebrating our birthdays together since 19- can you believe we're now on 32!!! We'll have to have a heck of a party next year! I love you! And, you have a beautiful Christmas card!

Holly- tomorrow's your day girl! I wish you tons of shopping, presents without Christmas paper, and an endless supply of hugs from that little boy! We'll have to go out soon and have our own tea party!

Remember girls, calories on your birthday do not count! Live it up!

Dear Santa....

2007-12-13T11:01:00.000-06:00

My kids are so excited! I love the excitement they have this time of year, but it's also a little hard to channel all that energy into good! We do keep trying to hit on the point that Christmas is not just about getting presents. I think Wes internalizes that point for all of 10 minutes and then he's back to talking about some Nerf dart tag game. I guess I should be glad for those 10 minutes, it's probably 7 minutes longer than most 7-year olds!

Brannon has now figured out that elves aren't going to eat him (thank to the movie Polar Express he kinda likes them now!) All he wants are dinosaurs, but "real ones" he says. Ok, I am sure SAnta will get right on that!

Here's a picture of Wes giving Santa his Christmas list, and explaining the finer points of that list to him, just in case Santa needed to know. (Santa was nice enough to stop by our neighborhood with one of his reindeer on Sunday. Brannon about passed out!)

Happy Birthday Aunt Gail! Our birthdays are exactly a week apart. Next year when we are living in the same city, we will have to have a big 'ol celebration together! Have a beautiful day!

It's that time of year....

2007-12-09T09:45:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't posted in a week or so- and I love that people are bugging me about it cause it actually means someone is reading this! ;) Actually we've had a very busy past week, we just got back from Austin where we did more house stuff. This move is so stressful and the current market conditions aren't helping matters. I will feel a lot better when our house has sold! Ben got back in town on Thursday after being in Wisconsin for 2 weeks. He came home and definately had to thaw (it was so cold up there!) The kids were excited to see him and I am glad he's been here to provide me with a little break!
So my funny story of the week: This past Tuesday night, I was putting the boys to bed (after a very long day) and we were reading a Christmas book. The book mentioned the song "O Holy Night." After we got don Wes asked me what that song was and I explained it was a song about Jesus being born. He aske me to sing it for him so I was rocking Brannon on the edge of Wes' bed, lights were off, Wes was tucked in, and I sang the song for them. This whole time Brannon had his head on my shoulder- head facing away from me so I couldn't see his face. When I finished, Wes asked me to sing it again. So, I did and this whole time the room is dark and Brannon was so still I thought he was asleep. After I got finished with the song a second time Wes replies "Mom I need to remember that Christmas isn't about getting presents, it's really about Jesus' birthday." So I am sitting on the edge of his bed, in the dark and we have about a 5 minute conversatoin on all the things Jesus taught us while he was here on Earth. This whole time Brannon is so still I am convinced he's asleep. I then get up and place Brannon in his crib, again, Brannon looks asleep, and I go over annd give Wes a kiss and hug (the boys share a room.) As I am walking out the door I hear, "MOOOOMMMM!" This is from Brannon. I go over to his crib, "Yes, Bran?" He replies, "Mom, Jesus loves me so much he wants me to have a velociraptor!" So, my sweet little 2-year old, this whole time pretending to be asleep, was thinking about how to twist that converstion to still get himself a present! And by the way, you should have heard how he pronounced velociraptor- one of the cutest things ever!

And, Happy Birthday to Karen K on the 6th! We were thinking of you and hope you had a great day and many many more ahead of you!

To Aunt Wendy:

2007-11-30T12:31:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Aunt Wendy! I hope Uncle Kevin takes you out for a fabulous dinner and you have a great day... You deserve to be Queen of the Day! I love you!

I love my Dyson!

2007-11-28T07:21:00.000-06:00

So, I bought a Dyson a few months ago because woot.com had one for half off. Best purchase I ever made!! It's really gross when you vacuum and you see how much stuff comes into that canister, but then you're glad it's in there and not in the carpet anymore. (I don't have a dirty house- in fact I am kinda a germ-a-phobe. I just have 3 kids, 2 cats and a dog whose sole purpose in life is to see how big of a mess they can make in the waking hours.) No, I am not getting paid for this little advertisement, I am just passing on the joy of my life which sadly, includes vacuum cleaners. I so need to get a life!

Happy Birthday Aunt Paula! You have a beautiful, kind soul and I wish for you the best year yet!

My baby is 1!

2007-11-27T09:17:00.001-06:00

I was sitting here looking at pictures of Tierney from her first birthday and I just can't believe how fast this year has gone by! It's fun watching my children grow but I will always miss holding that little newborn! So here's my girl enjoying her very first piece of cake....she liked it!

Ad in the spirit of birthdays, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANNY! You should eat your cake just like Tierney did!

Hot Hot Hot, Hot Chocolate!

2007-11-25T11:58:00.000-06:00

After watching The Polar Express last night, the boys woke up this morning (it is 37 degrees and rainy) wanting hot chocolate. I made them mint hot chocolate and they drank it in their special Christmas Starbucks cups that Aunt Sheila gave them last year!

My Poor Baby

2007-11-25T11:21:00.000-06:00

It's been a long few days. Poor Brannon was very very sick. On Wednesday, our pediatrician had us take him to the hospital. After using the full body straight jacket (more painful for me I think than him) he had an IV for about 5 hours. He had some anti-nausea meds and 2 bags of fluids. 2 bags of fluids and he still didn't have a wet diaper! He has lost so much weight - all his bones are sticking out! Today is Sunday and this the first morning he woke up and we had our Brannon back!!! After 9 days of severe gastroenteritis, he finally ate some breakfast (a piece of french toast with homemade berry syrup!) I am going to try to plump him up again, hopefully it won't take long!

On a better note, Gig 'Em Aggies! That was an awesome game and a great win over the longhorns!

I hate vomit!

2007-11-21T00:36:00.000-06:00

My poor babies! Brannon and Tierney have a had a stomach virus now for the past 10 days. Actually, Bran had it first and it lasted about 5 days. Then, Tierney got it and it lasted about 5 days. Bran was over his for about 5 days and now he has another one! This one is worse. He threw up 2 nights ago in his sleep, only Ben and I never knew it. We found him the next morning covered in it. I will spare you the disgusting details, the key word being disgusting! For 2 days now he has run about 102-103 fever and something in constantly coming out of some orifice- at least once an hour. As a mom, this is just heartbreaking! Tierney and Wes are fine, for now but it is quite a challenge keeping them away from Brannon. (Of course Ben had since left again!) I just went to check on Brannon tonight and he had a 103.5 degree fever. I woke him, gave him some Motrin and then rocked him as he whimpered himself back to sleep. I am now killing time on the computer cause I want to go check on him again in about 20 minutes to make sure the Motrin is going to stay down. The pediatrician said to just make sure and keep him hydrated. How does a person stay hydrated when they can't stop throwing up? I hate it when my babies are sick. I feel so helpless to make him better. I just have to wait for his little body to figure out how to kick some serious virus butt. And then hope the other 2 (and myself) don't get sick!

HELP! I've fallen and I can't get up!!

2007-11-15T19:59:00.000-06:00

What could I be talking about here? I literally haven't fallen (lately anyway)...nor am I talking about my toddler.... nor I am I talking about the temps here in Texas. Hormones people, hormones! Since Tierney turned one, I quit nursing last week. For the first time in 3 1/2 years, I am not nursing or pregnant. Which means the estrogen is on the free fall! It's been so long, they don't even know what bottom is. So, as you can imagine, I am quite the pleasant person now. Mostly though, it's the migraines. I have gotten an ocular migraine (where I lose my vision for 30 minutes) every day since last Saturday. With Ben gone, I am single mommy during the week (with having to keep the house in sales mode at all times- ugh stress!) It's quite scary to go blind with the little ones running around. But, the good news my neurologist says, is when my hormones bottom out and level off, this should stop. Again, it's been so long, they're just in a free fall! And where they'll stop, nobody knows......

Who knew.....

2007-11-15T11:05:00.000-06:00

....Santa's elves are so scary! So the other night the kids were being ornery so I pulled the tried and true trick my parents always used on us as kids: "Oh, look there's an elf in the window!" Now, this simple little one liner can snap the brattiest of kids in line (just ask my brother!) No child wants Santa hear from a scouter elf that little boys and girls are not being their best. So, of course this immediately causes Wes to cease fighting over the toy with Brannon and become the model 7 year old. Brannon on the other hand starts crying- hysterically..for 30 minutes! (Of course this picture was not taken during this time, but I just wanted you to see "the cry face.") Now, if you only could have heard the chaos at this point...Wes saying as sternly as possible for Brannon to stop crying because he might scare the elves away, Tierney is now fake crying (she cries whenever the other 2 cry) and Brannon sobbing, sniffling, screaming. Oh, and the dog is barking because Wes ran to the back windows and is telling her elves are in the back yard. When I get Brannon calmed down, I learn that his primary worry is that the elf is going to eat him!!! Hmmmm.... note to self, elf trick doesn't work on Brannon.

Yeah, I finally did it!

2007-11-14T21:16:00.000-06:00

Ok, I have been meaning to start blogging for months now. I could just never seem to find the time to get the page started. It was easier than I thought and I can now see how it would become quite addicting. Ben is traveling so much now with his new job (Healthcare Services Account Manger with GE Healthcare) that now, after the kids are in the bed in the evenings, I have some "me" time. Which means I finally have time to run this little blog site! I gave the site this title because I do feel most days like I live in a zoo, and it's sort of a take-off of one of my favorite children's books: Where the Wild Things Are. For the most part, I will be the one making most entries because I am the one with the time to do it! But, if Ben ever posts a blog, he'll be sure to sign his name so you'll always know the author. Over the next couple of days I will figure out how to add pictures. Please check back often, I am so excited to be able to update our family and friends on what is going on with us on a daily basis! Please add your comments too- I would love to know your thoughts as well and to see who is checking in.

Everyone is asking when we are moving. Here is our latest news: Ben started with GE about 4 weeks ago (and LOVES it.) He is trainging until Christmas which basically means he is traveling all over God's green earth every weekday until Christmas. Somehow, we have managed to find time to go house hunting and we decided to build a house in the Crystal Falls neighborhood of Cedar Park (nothwest suburb of Austin.) We are so excited to get the house we want (and a kitchen I LOVE) yet it's going to be June before our house is done. Which, with the current housing market, will probably be ok since it may take that long for our current house to sell! If our current house sells before our new house is ready, well...we will cross that bridge if/when we get there. If you want to peruse the Crystal Falls website (link at sidebar) then we are building with Drees and it's the Essex floorplan, elevation B (but we've changed a lot of it so it doesn't exactly look like the one shown.)

Ok, that's all for tonight. I need to work on how to post pictures and video.