Round-Up Sunday

Here are the girls for round-up Sunday. They got to dress like Cowgirls as they started the year in their new Sunday School Classes.

Our old house

I am joining Thrifty Decor Chick's before and after party. Well if I can figure out how to do it anyways. This is our old house a few days after we purchased it, and once we finally finished the remodeling. When we were looking for houses, we found this for 130. Our realtor informed us that with 10K worth of work it could be a beautiful home. Nearly 100k in renovations later, we finally had a fairly nice, but small home. But eventually we moved to Texas because we needed more space, and the neighborhood was starting to scare us. In the end we wound up clearing only 40k when we sold it, which did help us to buy our Texas home, but man, that was the hardest money we've ever made! Click here to see the slideshow. Note the linoleum tiles glued over the original wood floors - and only half of the living room???! When we were looking at it, I pulled up the carpet and saw the wood floors and was happy, til after we bought it and I finished pulling up the carpet to reveal those awful glued on with thick black glue tiles thruout the rest of the house.

Anand Bazaar

We went to the Anand Bazaar yesterday for Indian Independence day. The girls got to go "rock climbing" for the first time. Actually they were less rock climbing and more letting Daddy lift them up as high as he could and sliding back down. They also had a huge slide that they had a lot of fun on.
Our Indian church had a real nice booth set up and we enjoyed seeing everyone again since we missed the last two meetings. They also had a parade and some Hindi music, lots of food and many displays.

Mops BBQ

We had our Third annual Mops BBQ on Friday. The party was a great success (our definition of a successful party is one in which no one drowns). Thanks to all who came. We enjoyed getting to know some of the newer members of Mops too.

Bowling

On Thursday we went bowling with our Sunday school group. If your children are pictured you should be able to click the photo and download it.

Teeny Tiny "True" Love

We got to go babysit for a friend who is in the hospital after she had this sweet little one. We're glad to hear she is doing better and should be home tomorrow! And we loved getting the chance to enjoy her adorable little 8 day old girl! Such a sweetie!!! Plus her other children were so sweet and well mannered. I can't even keep my 2 in line and she now has 8 that are so well behaved! Let me in on your secret!!!

Katie's Birthday Party

We had Katie's 6th Birthday party on Saturday. Thanks to all who came! She had a great time with all her friends.

Boomerang Express

The girls had a great week at VBS! They learned about Austrailia as they rode the Boomerang Express. They got to see Miss Debbie's great moves toY-Y-Yes to V-V-VBS. They even learned their ABC's a new way--- A-Admit that you are a sinner, B - Believe that Jesus rose from the dead, C- Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord!


Here is the Family Night program. The older kids did really good in their cute little skit.

This is the best shot we could get of Lizzy.

And here's Katie F-O-L-L-O-W ing Jesus.

Birthday Cont.

Four

Five

And Six today! Happy Birthday, Katie! We love you!!!

6 Years Old

Here we are 6 years ago today.

One

Two

3 With Aunt Jamie, Uncle Jack and Lizzy

Six flags with friends

Yesterday, the girls and I went to six flags with some friends. Theo didn't want to go. Something about it being 100 outside. But we wound up having a great time. The heat wasn't as bad as I was afraid it would be since there was a lot of shade and those cool mister fans. Plus we went on a couple of water rides.

The girls loved the rides and there were lots of bigger rides that even Lizzy could go on. Katie even got to go on the Tony Hawk big spin ride which was pretty scary! Lizzy cried only on one ride, the one that went in the water, but later declared it her favorite. I was surprised that they weren't afraid of the conquistador one - the giant rocking ship that goes back and forth. They really loved it and went three times!

And the best part? We got in totally free with reading tickets! Thanks Alisha for your extra tickets!

Click here to download photos.

Texas Sage

God painted us a picture this morning when I went outside. These pretty bushes are called Texas Sage (I think - I get plant names confused), and they bloom when it will rain. Which sure enough, it did. Who needs the weatherman?

New Car

So we finally broke down and bought a second car. We knew we had to in the fall anyways since the girls are going to be in more activities, so we thought we may as well have it for VBS too. It was more than I wanted to spend on a used car, but Theo wanted a Honda after all the trouble we had with our van. Well, it was a great couple of months with no car payments but all good things must end.

What's wrong with this picture?

I was showing pictures to the girls today and we noticed this for the first time. Maybe I should be more careful about who I let take care of my children! :) But then considering the child, maybe she was doing me a favor. Consider the following.

The other day, she colored all over my floor, in the grout no less, where it doesn't come out. After making her clean it up, we were talking later and I sighed and told her "Lizzy, I'm getting so sick and tired of you coloring all over everything." Lizzy replied. "I'm getting sick of you being so bossy."

Last Sunday getting out of the car after church, Lizzy tells us in a singsong, I'm so special kind of voice, that "My teacher gave me new panties!" I immediately thought she had an accident, but if only we were so lucky. Nope, Lizzy had decided not to wear any panties that Sunday. Under her dress. With no tights. Apparently she gave a peep show to everyone in her class. We'll have to be more vigilant in our underwear checks from now on.

Last week she shoved a giant wad of tape up her nose. I have no idea how she scrunched it down small enough to get in there, but it was so far in I couldn't even see it. Finally she got it down far enough I could get it out with tweezers. For a while there I thought I was going to have to take her to the hospital.

But I guess without onery Lizzy I couldn't have sweet snuggly Lizzy either so I guess we'll keep her for now.

Fishing

The girls got to go fishing at the pond downtown with our Sunday School Class. This was our first time fishing. It was pretty fun since we used corn instead of worms. We didn't catch anything but Katie got a nibble once.

Jersey Shore and home

The next day we went to the Jersey Shore. Of course no vacation is complete without someone getting sick, so Katie got the honors and barfed oreos all over the backseat. So glad it was a rental! She sweetly asked "Can I have something to wipe myself with?" and Lizzy, always self-absorbed goes "Can I have something to cover my nose with?"

We decided to go to Atlantic city since we always used to go to Point Pleasant but never made it that far south. We enjoyed the beach and the boardwalk. The girls loved the sand, and I got to go swimming in the ocean. Theo enjoyed sitting under the umbrella I made him rent.

After a nap at the hotel we headed back to the boardwalk to see the nightlife in A.C. It was very crowded. I got to gamble for the first time ever! I lost $10. Theo took the girls to the candy shop. He was supposed to go try it next but he decided he couldn't afford to loose any more.

The next day we went the Absecon Lighthouse, 3rd tallest in the US and climbed all 228 stairs to the top. Then we went to see Lucy the giant Elephant. The girls really enjoyed her and we all got a kick looking out the back window aka the "pane in her butt".

After that we went to Wildwood beach, and stayed in a really crappy hotel, but at least it still cost an arm and a leg. We enjoyed the beach during the day and then went on a few rides on the pier that evening. The girls really enjoyed the tilt-a-whirl.

Finally we made it to our final destination, Cape May. The houses there are beautiful. We wanted to rent one of the bike carts that we saw roaming around but we ran out of time because we spent so much time at the point watching guess what!!!??? Dolphins!!!! There was a whole school of dolphins and I don't think I would have ever noticed them except for the whale watching boat that came so close. Then 3 of them flipped up and out of the water. It was so cool. You can see their backs in a couple of the pictures. Then after taking a quick peak at the Cape May lighthouse and deciding not to climb it too we headed for Philly.

When we finally arrived in Philadelphia after wandering lost for 2 hours in South Jersey, we got to take a tour of Independence hall. Then we went to see the Liberty Bell where of course Lizzy fell and hit her head.

After that we got in the car for the long drive back to Buffalo. We left Philly at 6:30 and finally reached Buffalo at 3 in the morning. Our flight left at 6am so we had a long day. When we got back to Dallas the place was like an oven, after getting spoiled by the cooler temps and of course our a.c. in the car had quit while we were gone.

All in all we had an awesome trip. I am so glad we went and had a great time and so glad we are finally home. Thanks, Pam for watching Jackie!!!!

Central Park

On our final day in NYC we started the day by taking the subway to the American Musuem of Natural History. We just stayed in the lobby. We went thru before and the best part is the big dino's in the lobby.

After that we crossed the street and enjoyed the day in central park. The weather was beautiful. After lunch, we rented a canoe, and other than getting stuck in the mud for 15 minutes didn't do too badly. Then we took a peddlecab (Theo calls them rickshaws - not sure which is right) to FAO Schwartz. This was the first place on our vacation we hadn't been before. Not sure why... it was a great store. The girls had lots of fun. They got to play on the big piano, and choose a teddy bear.

We went back to the hotel early and met Theo's best friend from India who moved to NJ after we moved out.

Midtown

The next day we headed out to the Empire State Building. Since it was kind of cloudy, not really a great day for viewing there was no line! They had opened up the 102nd floor. The last time we went we could only go for the 86th. I stood with my mouth hanging open as Theo forked over an additional $30 so we could go to the 102nd. Who was this man and what had he done with my husband? Then my real husband returned making us stay for almost 2 hours to get his $70 worth out of our visit. It was nicer at the very top though because it was not as crowded. Plus it was not so cold and windy.

After we finally drug Theo down, and purchased our magnet (we collect magnets wherever we go) we headed for Time's Square. I love Time's square. All the lights, and tourists it is so much fun. We had lunch at Olive Garden, and then went to the M&M and Hersey stores. Then we went up to the American Girl store, and over to St. Patricks cathedral. After that we went to ToysRUs, where we rode on the ferris wheel. The girls were so excited to get the Little Pony car. Theo took pictures but they didn't really come out since he had it on the wrong setting. Then we took them upstairs to see the giant dinosaur. Lizzy was scared to death of him. So to make up for scareing her we got them both a little stuffed animal.

Then we went out to rest and wait for the dark so we could see the lights better. They have closed down the street and added a bunch of lawn chairs. Apparently the lawn chairs are temporary over the summer but they are going to leave the street closed. It is so much nicer for tourists - not so crowded and a place to sit, but must be terrible for drivers.

Then on the way back to the motel we saw a guy doing portraits. He was actually doing a great job for the little girl. We had Katie's done when she was little but it didn't turn out that great. This guy could draw well, so we stopped and had their portraits drawn. They turned out really cute and I can't wait to hang them in their rooms.

Lower Manhattan

On Wednesday morning we headed for the city. First we saw the statue of liberty. We wanted to go in, but the line for the monument was 4 miles long so we decided just to look at the outside. We didn't realize we planned our trip the week they opened up the crown so it was very crowded. Crown tickets were sold out til September so if you go, prepare early plus you had to stand in line with the monument people.

Afterwards, we explored lower manhattan and wall Street, visiting Trinity Church, and St. Paul's church, which is the oldest church there, where George Washington attended. They have gravestones there so old the names are washed away. It miraculously survived 9/11. Then we crossed the street to ground zero, which looks the exact same as the last time. I'm sure they are making progress but the construction work goes so slow. They did put in a museum across the street, so we went to that.

We stayed at a 4 star hotel in Jersey City thanks to Hotwire we got a great rate! Beautiful brand new hotel and we could walk to the Path train to NY. Since we were on the hotwire rate, we got a room with a view of construction instead of the city, but the kids thought that was awesome. It was next door to the mall where I worked when we first got married.

New Jersey Friends

We arrived in NJ on Monday evening. It was a beautiful drive thru Western NY and Pennsylvania. I forgot how green everything was and the mountains were georgeous. On Tuesday morning we were able to go to a Bible study with my old Mops friends. Then we went to lunch with our former pastor. We got to see our old neighbors, and even got to see our old house and the new owners cute new baby!





Mops friend and her family. I couldn't get over how tall her kids are now.

Our former neighbors. We really miss having good neighbors like you! Our hearts go out to you on the tragic loss of your sweet daughter.

Then my old Mops leader invited us over for supper which was so sweet! It was great talking with her again. I consider her my mentor and hope I can raise my family as well as she does.

Grandpa's Farm

On Thursday we left Niagara Falls for Grandpa and Grandma's farm about an hour south of Rochester. It is so beautiful and peaceful there. We would move there in a second if it weren't for the terrible winters. Oh and the fact that Rochester only has2 jobs left in the whole town.

They have a great couple staying there now that are really getting the place in shape. Since they can't be there while trucking, they trade free rent for upkeep and the place is really starting to pull together. They have 27 acres so it is a lot of work. Plus they raise golden retrievers and breed bunnies for shows.

On Saturday they had the big family reunion get together. He had a big very scary looking pig roasted and about 65 people showed up. We enjoyed a great picnic with delicious pulled pork sandwiches. (You just had to try really hard not to picture the pig while eating). Then Grandpa took us for a hayride minus the hay. We got to go around his farm and enjoy the beautiful view. He did almost dump us all out of the trailer once but other than that it was a lot of fun.

In the evening we enjoyed a huge fireworks display that rivaled the town's! We could literally see Grandpa's retirement going up in smoke :). One firework got tipped over and shot into the crowd which was kind of scary but no one was hurt. We also had smores over the bonfire and watched the town's fireworks also. It was so cold that day that we were wrapped up in coats and blankets and still shivering. Such a change from Texas where the week before we were dumping ice into our pool!

The girls really enjoyed the farm. Lizzy, our animal lover, couldn't be kept inside. Everytime we turned around she was out with the dogs or bunnies or chickens. They had the sweetest little baby bunnies when we went. Soooo soft. We chose one that we carried around all day and fell in love with. We called her Daisy, but Grandpa said she had "bad marks" and called her supper. We wanted to take her home with us, but apparently the airlines frown upon bunnies in your carryon luggage.

On Sunday we got to go to church on our anniversary where we were married. It was nice to see old friends again, but we really missed Cyndy, our Pastors wife, who passed away last year.

Monday we headed down to NJ.

Niagara Falls

Here is a slide show of our time in Niagara Falls. Click on it to make it larger. We arrived Tuesday night after our flight was cancelled and we had to wait at the philly airport for a while. Our luggage was delayed but they delivered it the next day so it wasn't too bad. We had one hairy moment in the plane where it dropped and there was a chorus of "oh my god!" thruout the plane. At the end of the flight the attendant announced "We made it" and everyone cheered.

Niagara Falls was beautiful. It was cool because we went there on our honeymoon and it was the week of our 7th anniversary when we went this time. We got to go on the Ferris wheel and it wasn't even too scary since it was all enclosed. Normally I am very afraid of Ferris wheels. Then we went on the maid of the mist boat which was really fun. We got totally soaked and had a blast.

We also went to Skylon tower and had lunch at the revolving restaurant. On our honeymoon we couldn't go to the Canadian side since we didn't have a visa for Theo so he had promised me on our first anniversary we would go to a revolving restaurant. Finally he kept his promise. The view was amazing and it was worth it to be able to sit and enjoy it. Afterward we went to the observation deck, but it was crowded and windy, so I am glad we sprang for the restaurant.

We walked along the river by the top of the falls where Lizzy seemed intent on flinging herself over. I am sure on the American side there would be an 8 foot electric fence to keep you from falling in the river and going over, but on the Canadian side there is a "no trespassing" sign. If you are stupid enough to fall in that is your problem - not theirs.

We thought we would miss the fireworks since we were there on a weekday but it turns out it was canada day so we got to see them after all. Very nice display (almost as big as Grandpa's).

We were there all day Wednesday and half the day on Thursday and then headed for Grandpa's farm, about 3 hours away. I'll post that later.

Back from Vacation!

We are back from vacation! We had an awesome time. But the best part of traveling is coming home. We visited Niagara Falls, Grandpa's farm, New Jersey, New York City, Atlantic City, Wildwood, Cape May and Philadelphia. I'm going to post an entry for each stop with pictures.