Growing up & getting ready

Look at our boys! Wow! They are growing up so fast.

Dylan is almost 14 and will be in the 8th grade.
Riley is almost 11 and will be in the 5th grade.

And we are about 2 weeks from our annual beach vacation!
We leave on Ron's birthday and will be spending that night in New Orleans. Fun times.

Right after we return we will celebrate our 19th wedding anniversay. How did that come around so fast? 19 years...what??? Wow!

August is a busy month. Dylan has band practices and a yearbook staff workshop then school starts.

Summer is slipping by waaaaaaaay tooooooo fast. :(

I don't care...it's just HOT!

Just gotta tell you...(like you don't know) it's hot in Texas!

When I left work I went to get in my car which is parked by a metal building. Now that's not my first choice of a place to park...it's just where staff is suppose to park where I work. Anyway, I get in my car and leave the door open while I start the car in an attempt to let some of the heat out. I had forgotten to leave my moonroof cracked open. {{grimace}} Well - the temperature gauge comes on and says 113. HOLY COW!!! That's HOT! And let me tell you - the air that comes out of the vents feels like 113 degrees. {{grimace}}{{grimace}} (hee...hee...double grimace - get it?) Okay...well...

I realize that the temperature gauge in the car is not 100 percent accurate. It is I think located in the front of my car - which is facing the metal building. Note to self, "Self, back your car in next time."

I only live about 5 minutes from work and by the time I get down the street almost home the temperature gauge says 107. Ummm...yeah...still HOT! I think, while at a stop light, I will check my iphone and see what The Weather Channel says the temperature in my town is. Hmmm...102 and feels like 104. Again...HOT! I finally get home and pull in my garage. The temperature gauge immediately drops to 105. By this point I don't care what the "real" temperature is. I just think/know:

It is:


Air condition/pool...here I come!!!

We believe...

We believe there is a reason for everything. Ron was let go from "big blue" at the end of April. I'm sad to say that he still has had no success in finding a job. He is in the computer programming/technology field and it's pretty rough out there right now with so much being sent overseas...(cheaper labor)...among lots of other reasons. We know God provides. His timing in all situations is more perfect than we can ever imagine. It's just hard when you are walking right through the middle of it...can I get an Amen?

Ron is prepared to change job fields and is even contemplating going back to school. We are ready to go where God leads us.

I have professed that this blog is "for fun" so family and friends can "peek at our lives and limited adventures". But right now - I'll be "real". Would you pray for Ron's job situation? Would you pray whatever the Lord leads you to? We would soooooo appreciate it.

Thanks, in advance, to those of you that read our little blog.

Sun, pool, BBQ, fireworks, family! Yea!!!

Off to camp!

My teenager, Dylan, is off to middle school church camp tonight.

We are going to miss him! Riley, his little brother, doesn't think so but I know in a few days he will feel a little differently. ;)

They are going to a camp put on by Student Life at a beach about 10 hours away. Alot of middle school and high school students from across the country will be at this camp. I've been praying for a safe trip! Will you take a moment and say one too if you feel led? Thanks!
I'm also praying that the leaders and kids have a very blessed time of worship, time in The Word and fellowship/fun! God Bless our Student Ministry! They are AWESOME!!!

I cannot get over how fast Dylan is growing up. His voice is changing. He's getting a little taller. He's sleeping later...never has done that! Of course, he is trying to stay up later too!

He really makes me proud! He is a sensitive soul. He loves photography. He enjoys Nascar, baseball, computer games, reading, texting (of course!) and his favorite foods. He has had straight A's except for math but that has been a very solid middle B. He's been taking Pre-AP match since entering middle school and he's trying really hard - so I can't complain. He is getting tutored in Algebra so when school starts in the fall he'll have a good foundation to keep going with! He also plays the trumpet! He's working really hard this summer on his music and even though he made 2nd chair of Concert band he's hoping to prove worthy of moving up, if the opportunity presents itself, to the Symphonic Band.

He also volunteers at church helping with AV stuff for the student services on Saturday nights! He loves the Lord and really likes church. We feel blessed beyond words!

REALITY CHECK: Ron and I were talking about the fact that we'll probably save his truck (paid for!!!) for Dylan...umm...he'll be driving in 2 years. HOLY MOLY!!!

Anyway...thanks for listening...just taking a moment to reflect on the man/person Dylan is becoming while wishing him well at camp!

We love you, Dylan! Have an AMAZING time!

Summer, swimming, sad, stuff..

Summer - Yes! Loving it!

The boys love sleeping late and playing on the computer and game systems. They love Ron being off right now and taking them to a movie every now and then. They love swimming with us both after I get home from work. (and with the dogs...we have a couple of water dogs it seems) They like Taco Tuesdays from Rosas and Dad grilling burgers, hot dogs, fish and chicken more than just on the weekends.

Here's Kaite looking at the pool..ready to get in!

Why sad you say?

Something ate the yummy grapes growing on the vines in our backyard. Dang! :(

(see previous post for picture of my beautiful long lost grapes)

But, we did get to enjoy some red potatoes we had planted. I guess the critters didn't get to them because they were in the ground. :)

Oh...really cool...Riley and I got to go up to our church's new building. (The old Albertson's on the corner of Morriss and 407 will be The Village Church by the end of this year.) I am on staff in the finance department and they had told us they would be raising a very, very, very large and heavy beam into place last week. We popped by and were able to go just inside the front doors to see what was going on ...it is cool! We use to shop there when it was Albertson's. We also got to go in when they had taken everything out before they started retrofitting the building to be our church. So...to be able to see where it is at about half way through - well...COOL!

Dylan and Riley near the front of the store after all grocery stuff was taken out but before construction began.

Riley near front of building.

Riley in about the same spot as the previous picture.

The large beam is on the ground and was being raised up into the long hole (skylight) in the roof. Apparently it will be in the ceiling of what will be the sanctuary.

Well...other than drawing your attention to the countdowns for our vacation, Ron's birthday and our anniversay on the sidebar...that's about all the newsy/picture stuff I have for now.

P.S. Hope Ron, PaPa Fred, Papa Mitch, Uncle Matt, Uncle Monte, Uncle Dale and Uncle Eddie had a GREAT FATHER'S DAY!!! Love ya'll!!!

Summertime randomness

We love summer! We love water, beach, sand, sun, waves!

Of course we won't make our annual trek to Destin, FL until the first week of August (probably the last time for a while) but we'll still be soaking up sun and water in the our pool out back!

I've got lots of iphone photos to post so here goes some randomness:


mmmmm.....grapes growing in the backyard!




Riley's teacher got married the day after school got out for the summer.




She's so pretty! He just loved having her for a teacher!




Riley and a couple of his classmates/friends at the reception.


Riley and his friend/classmate enjoying cupcakes at the end of year party.


For the teacher's end of the year gift one of the room moms had the idea to put together a cookbook with the kids favorite recipes. Each page had a student's picture then how they think their favorite dish is made and then (written by the parent) how it is really made. She LOVED it! Although she was laughing here she soon shed a sweet tear.


Riley tossing water balloons in a game at the party.


Riley's teacher right in the thick of the game.
(uh...everyone ended up chasing her with the leftover water balloons)

Oh - by the way ... (grandmas and grandpas) ... Dylan brought home his TAKS scores and got commended on all three of his too!


And here - barely seen on the blog - is Kitty Kitty just "hanging around". Her name is actually Clover but she doens't know that. We've always called her Kitty Kitty and I guess she just thinks that is what her name is. :)

So...anyway...here come the lazy but still crazy days of summer! Bring 'em on, I say!!!