Live Young

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

My oh-so-talented daughter, Anna, doodled this piece of art tonight. She, from what I understand, chose two of her favorite things from each room in our house. My favorite selections are the salt and pepper shakers, the daisies and the green chair. Wouldn't you agree that her attention to detail is truly unbelievable?

What a gift of art.

And love.

What a girl.

Zoo Day

The day before school was out, Collin's class took a field trip to the zoo. Ryan and Ella tagged along too. How apropos, classwork was complete for the most part and chaperones were abundant as everyone always has free time at the end of May. Yes, I am being facetious. Honestly, though, lately everyday seems like zoo day in my life (except for the blessed vacation we took to Arkansas) so the outing really made me feel right at home. And, the Dallas Zoo in particular, has really made an elephant size effort in their recent renovations, so much so, that not once did I wish I was at the Ft. Worth Zoo while I was there.

Just a little end of the year comparison for brain cell sake, before that gray matter breaks for extended recess and assumes a sticky and delicious ice cream afternoon sort of form.

Summer is here! Soak it up.

Family Camp

was an experience of a lifetime. On a scale of 1-10, the kids gave it an 11. The surroundings allowed us to forget about daily worries, pollution and modern technology as a whole. All meals were prepared for us. Our accommodations were substantial. Relationships were rekindled and seeds were planted.

"Seek, and ye shall find." Luke 11:9

Infinite Photography

If you haven't seen an infinite photo before, click on the title above to check it out. Give it a minute to load. Very cool.

PARENT - Job Description

POSITION :

Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Long term, team players needed,
for challenging,
permanent work in an
often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent
communication and organizational
skills and be willing to work
variable hours, which will include
evenings and weekends
and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including
trips to primitive camping sites on rainy
weekends and endless sports
tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated,
at least temporarily,
until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina
of a pack mule and be able to go from
zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat
in case, this time, the screams from
the backyard are not someone just crying
wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical
challenges, such as small gadget repair,
mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars
and coordinate production of multiple
homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social
gatherings for clients of all ages and mental
outlooks.
Must be a willing to be indispensable one
minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety
testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys,
and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared
for the worst. Must assume final, complete
accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance
and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for
years, without complaining, constantly
retraining and updating your skills, so that
those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a
continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn
18 because of the assumption that college will
help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary
scheme is that you actually enjoy it and
wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance ,
no pension, no tuition reimbursement ,
no paid holidays and
no stock options are offered;
this job supplies limitless opportunities
for personal growth,
unconditional love,
and free hugs and kisses for life
if you play your cards right.


FOOTNOTE : THERE IS NO RETIREMENT
-- EVER!!!

Easter

a stunning




reminder




of




the debt payed




for all.

15 minutes...

of fame? Fortunately, for me, it was closer to 15 seconds thanks to my fabulous friend, Jamie, in Public Relations. You can see all the foolishness here, but please, no autographs at this time, I'm just too busy finding new ways to save money these days! ;)

all filled up

We started southbound to attend a craw fish boil at White Rock Lake (one of my favorite places) hosted by my friend, Ross (one of my favorite people.) Four of the kids tagged along to see what this Cajun tradition was all about and two were brave enough to try some tasty mud rats for the first time. And to no surprise, they loved 'em! If it weren't for the frigid temperatures and our tardy start into the day, I think the other two would have eventually tried them too.




Thanks so much, Ross, for inviting us to such a feast and also to your sister, Ashley (who, after meeting, confirms my assumption that Blackstone is synonymous with beautiful) and her cute beau for bringing the fresh catch down from Louisiana.





Just up the road, we visited with our used-to-be neighbors, the Blanton's. It was so, so great to see them. Of course, when we shared a zip code, we gave a holler nearly everyday, so needless to say, it has been quite an adjustment not seeing them for months at a time. Oh, but we did get a sneak peek of their sprouting vegetable garden. Y-U-M-M-Y! Maybe I should mark my calendar now for another drop-in visit near harvest time, huh, Grammy? :)

Sure love y'all.




Next stop was to finally celebrate the 89th birthday of our wonderful, Floy. Her special day was actually in January, but our lives inexcusably didn't allow us to gather until March. She didn't seem to mind too much though, love her heart.




And her favorite red velvet cake may have helped forgive our absence a little too.




Later in the evening, we rounded up nine of the ten family members and enjoyed some game time at the local putt putt. That was Sam's idea and I gave him a big kiss for it. The kids had a blast and it was incredibly affordable. After that we made a quick Blockbuster run for a movie and called it a day.

As we closed our eyes that night, I have a feeling that many of us dreamt of all the fabulous food, friends, family and fellowship we experienced simply because days like that leave the tank gauge of our souls, bellies and home no longer on empty. As a matter of fact, on days like that, the needle gets pushed to beyond full.

Sometimes

we find ourselves looking up






and other days,




we just can't keep...




our eyes off the ground.




In life there are always holes to fill...



and much of the time, we, first, must loose
in order to gain.




And occasionally our paddle breaks right before we reach the shore...




but just in the nick of time, we're rescued.




And although the journey might have been long and the current strong,



the practice of sharing our story, has a way of washing away the sweat and magnifying the glory.

Live.
Love.
Laugh.

Here's a little peek...

into the wonderful evening I had last night. Sam was such a sweet hubby and surprised me with a night away to an oh-so-lovely neighborhood hotel. What a treat! We ordered room service, a movie and were reminded of what the words peace and quiet are all about. Ahhhhh. These mini getaways are one of my favorite things in life and in my opinion, one of the most important. Today, I am refreshed and ready to tackle my "table for ten" piece of the world.

Words can't even express how thankful I am for you, Mr. Brown, but I'll attempt to begin with, I love you...

The Lemonade Award

Wow! What fun! My sweet friend Rolanda gave this this award to my blog one day last week and I am just now getting around to say THANK YOU!!! It's my understanding that once this award is received, the recipient has the opportunity to give it to other bloggers who have had inspiring content during the week (or in this case, month.) :)

Drumroll...

Back of the Closet Designs
and
Annabell Photography

Do take the time to check 'em out. You won't be disappointed!

A Fitting Farewell

OPINION
JANUARY 21, 2009, 10:48 P.M. ET

Bush Was Right When It Mattered Most

By KARL ROVE

Its call sign has always been Air Force One. But on Tuesday, it was Special Air Mission 28000, as former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura
returned home to Texas on a plane full of family, friends, former staff and
memories of eight years in the White House.

The former president and his wife thanked each passenger, showing the thoughtfulness and grace so characteristic of this wonderful American family.

A video tribute produced warm laughter and inevitable tears. There was no bitterness, but rather a sense of gratitude -- gratitude for the opportunity to serve, for able and loyal colleagues, and above all for our country and its people.

Yet, as Mr. Bush left Washington, in a last angry frenzy his critics again distorted his
record, maligned his character and repeated untruths about his years in the Oval
Office. Nothing they wrote or said changes the essential facts.

To start with, Mr. Bush was right about Iraq. The world is safer without Saddam Hussein in power. And the former president was right to change strategy and surge more U.S. troops.

A legion of critics (including President Barack Obama) claimed it couldn't
work. They were wrong. Iraq is now on the mend, the war is on the path to
victory, al Qaeda has been dealt a humiliating defeat, and a democracy in the
heart of the Arab world is emerging. The success of Mr. Bush's surge made it
possible for President Obama to warn terrorists on Tuesday "you cannot outlast
us."

Mr. Bush was right to establish a doctrine that holds those who harbor, train and support terrorists as responsible as the terrorists themselves. He was right to take the war on terror abroad instead of waiting until dangers fully materialize here at home. He was right to strengthen the military and intelligence and to create the new tools to monitor the communications of terrorists, freeze their assets, foil their plots, and kill and capture their operators.

These tough decisions -- which became unpopular in certain quarters only when memories of 9/11 began to fade -- kept America safe for seven years and made it possible for Mr. Obama to tell the terrorists on Tuesday "we will defeat you."

Mr. Bush was right to be a unilateralist when it came to combating AIDS in Africa. While world leaders dithered, his President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief initiative brought lifesaving antiretroviral drugs to millions of Africans.

At home, Mr. Bush cut income taxes for every American who pays taxes. He also cut taxes on capital, investment and savings. The result was 52 months of growth and the strongest economy of any developed country.

Mr. Bush was right to match tax cuts with spending restraint. This is a source of dispute, especially among conservatives, but the record is there to see. Bill Clinton's last budget increased domestic nonsecurity discretionary spending by 16%. Mr. Bush cut that to 6.2% growth in his first budget, 5.5% in his second, 4.3% in his third, 2.2%
in his fourth, and then below inflation, on average, since. That isn't the sum
total of the fiscal record, of course -- but it's a key part of it.

He was right to have modernized Medicare with prescription drug benefits provided
through competition, not delivered by government. The program is costing 40%
less than projected because market forces dominate and people -- not government
-- are making the decisions.

Mr. Bush was right to pass No Child Left Behind (NCLB), requiring states to set up tough accountability systems that measure every child's progress at school. As a result, reading and math scores have risen more in the last five years since NCLB than in the prior 28 years.

He was right to stand for a culture of life. And he was right to appoint conservative judges who strictly interpret the Constitution.

Few presidents had as many challenges arise during their eight years, had as many
tough calls to make in such a partisan-charged environment, or had to act in the
face of such hostile media and elite opinion.

On board Special Air Mission 28000, I remembered the picture I carried in my pocket on my first Air Force One flight eight years ago. It was an old black-and-white snapshot with scalloped edges. It showed Lyndon Johnson in the Cabinet Room, head in hand, weeping over a Vietnam casualty report. George Christian, LBJ's press secretary, gave it to me as a reminder that the job could break anyone, no matter how big and tough.

But despite facing challenges and crises few others have, the job did not break George W. Bush. Though older and grayer, his brows more furrowed, he is the same man he was, a person of integrity who did what he believed was right. And he exits knowing he summoned all of his energy and talents to defend America and advance its ideals at home and abroad. He didn't get everything right -- no president does -- but he got the most important things right. And that is enough.

Mr. Rove is the former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.

Air and Simple Gifts

Love this. John Williams does it again!

Too Cold To Hold

Gib, at the 5K, we ran yesterday. I accidentally had my camera settings set to low light when I was actually in the sunlight. I don't think all the colorful background on this blog page really do the photos justice, but I love the way they turned out.

Happy Sunday!

Take Me Away

Too beautiful not to share.

I Am Second

God is good. All the time. Curious? Ask me about what happened today!

Peace and Love,

Iceland

Of course, this is actually just a day in my front garden in Texas land. But if you happen to be privileged enough to dwell in this world of ambiguous weather also, you know all too well that tomorrow will be another story...

Today: High: 32°, Low: 30°
Tomorrow: High: 56°, Low: 36°
Wednesday: High: 62°, Low: 39°
Thursday: High: 67°, Low: 45°
Friday: High: 73°, Low: 42°


Ahhhh...home sweet home.

Back to School

Already? Usually I would be thrilled to get my house back into some sort of working order and enjoy a little peace and quiet, but for one reason or another, I haven't had enough, and shhhh, don't tell, but I'm really going to miss my crew! Maybe I need to schedule a facial so I can remind myself of all the time I am going to have to relax. Hahahahahahahahahaha.

Happy almost Monday!

Done

...with all of the post-holiday shopping. Yes, I did get some outstanding deals, and it was fun while it lasted, but because I have frequented some particular stores for so many days in a row, I am now being mistaken for an employee by other shoppers, but, I'm not bothered by the assumption at all. I've actually embraced it by showing customers the item they are looking for and making further suggestions.

Clearly, I need help, but as a general rule, I don't like to ask much of my family and friends. At this point however, I will make an exception. If at any time you hear of me talking about, planning, or driving in the vicinity of any mall, please, for the sake of my family, INTERVENE!

Thank you.

The 52nd View

Date: January 2, 2009
Location: The Renaissance Tower, Floor 52, Dallas

Beautiful, Dad. Love you!

Twilight Inspired

So, if you have a girl in your life between the ages of 12 and 92, the chance of you knowing a character or two from, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is pretty good.

If not, you should take the time to read the book or see the movie, at least. I'll admit, I was a sceptic at first. I've just never really been that into gore. I was happily mistaken though, because on the contrary to what I thought the book was about, the author has managed to capture nearly every teenage girls heart (and in some cases, their mom's) by selling the story of a compassionate family of vampires. How 'bout that?

And now I'm sure you are wondering what any of this has to do with the little critter running up my four year old's arms...



Meet Bella. Our little teenage gerbil. She also has a sister, Rosalie, who is still a bit camera shy, but she plans to make her debut soon.

Anna got the siblings late last fall, after reading a couple of books in the Twilight series, hence their names. And little bro, Ryan, begs daily to hold and play with them. And, I have to admit, he is a natural with all little creatures because he has a lot of practice with a cat, a dog, 2 gerbils and a fish named, Gilbert (we had another fish named, John McCain, but found him belly up the morning after the election, literally.) R.I.P.




But alive and well, our little nocturnal, red eyed, incisor dominated friend does have an uncanny vampire resemblance, don't you think? :) I love inspirations. Especially the vegetarian kind.

Nice job, Ms. Meyer.

Happy New Year from Lil' Texas!

Aren't those some teeth? He's smiling at ya! Now that's not something you see everyday is it?

We met this nice cowboy and his horse, Lil' Texas, today when we visited the Stockyards for the afternoon cattle drive. I'm embarrassed to say this might have been the first drive I've been to in my life... and I am a native Texan. So we decided that there's nothing like bringing in the New Year Longhorn style!





Oh, we also ran into this nice interesting Indian who gladly took our money in exchange for a photo... with our own camera. Ryan was too scared to join the older boys while he hid behind me until we moved along and found something everyone enjoyed.





Then we discovered a door that led to new possibilities...



May you be blessed in the New Year with heath, peace and prosperity wherever you go, and may you never forget your chaps.

Love,

The Holidays In Review

This year, the holidays have had a little bit of a different feel. Not necessarily in a negative way, just slower perhaps, quite the opposite from the lighting speed we are more accustomed to during this season. Don't get me wrong though, we certainly have been busy with all the preparations, parties and more preparations that I don't think any of us will ever be able to escape.

But let me rewind just a bit, to Thanksgiving, when my sister, Gib and I ran our first 5K together in the Gobble Hobble. Now that was a great experience.



And better, yet, Gib placed third in his age group!!!



Then, in early December, we reflected on the true meaning of Christmas as we toured the town of Bethlehem. Central Presbyterian Church of Waxahachie offers this re-enactment of the night when "there was no room at the inn" every year, free to all. It was so moving. A sure tradition for years to come.



We also had the opportunity to see the First Annual Tree Lighting at Watters Creek. I love this European feeling shopping center. So very elegant.



Speaking of elegant, just look at those girls. From left to right; Brooke, Taylor, Maren, Zoe and Anna. Yes, I do think there might be a couple of extra's in there but I really don't remember who anymore! :)



Here, Gib is laughing about something that probably shouldn't be repeated, and Blake is pretending not to hear.



Anna, along with Maren and Collin, was invited to perform at Santa's Village this year. Pardon the blurry photo, but if you squint, you might be able to see her dancing in the middle front in the red choir robe. Oh, and I'll also take this moment to mention that she made the drillteam for the 2009-2010 school year! She is sooo excited.



And then the day finally arrived. Oh the magic of Christmas morning. Ryan had almost as much fun as we did watching him. Later that night, as I was tucking him into bed, his eyes were barely open but he muttered,

"Mommy, I had such a great Christmas, and I loved opening all the presents, but why do you think Santa didn't bring me the red robot?

My heart sank. How could I have missed the one present he asked me about nearly every day? So, on the 26th, we (Anna, Maren, Brooke and I) braved the mall and quickly found the store where the red robots were sold. YES! They still had a few left and they were half price! I wasn't sure how to give it to him, though, then Maren had a very clever idea...

After we got home we noticed some large sticks on the roof, so Maren climbed up to toss them down, but low and behold what did she find, but a lonesome present, lying by the chimney! She called for Ryan and he came running outside.

"Ryan, Ryan, there is a present up here on the roof. It must have fallen out of Santa's sleigh!"

(Ryan was literally jumping up and down.)

"What is it? What is it!!!???

"I think it might be a red robot!"

"For me? WOW!"

Oh, the smile he had on his face! Pure joy! And, as you can imagine, that sweet boy hasn't stopped playing with it since. He even commented about how next year, when he mails his letter to Santa, he needs to include a thank you note for all that he received this year. I nearly cried. OK, I did cry a little. But how do you not after all of that?



It was a different kind of holiday season, slower in a sense. Maybe the economy dictated most of that, but slow can be good. And with it all we were reminded, once again, that good things come to those who wait.

Blessings to you all!

The Ugly Sweater Cookie Exchange

Susan brought the gingerbread,



Amy made some fabulous toffee,



Anna and Ryan garnished sugar cookies with silver,



And the infamous zebra nipples made an appearance too!



It was a sugar filled day all around.



But nothing was as delightful as the fabulous attire that children...



and mothers alike came adorned in!


It was a very Merry Christmas! XO

Beware of the doghouse...

cuteness

cute ⎮kyoōt⎮
adjective
1 attractive in a pretty way: a cute kitten

DERIVATIVES
cute.ness | kjutnes | noun

A.K.A. Duchess Marie, born, July 5, 2008; adopted by the Brown family, November 6, 2008. See picture above.

The Jersey Girl, Blueberry Doll and Clone Trooper

Halloween is a great holiday... for dentists that is! No seriously, I have such fun memories from my ghost, table lamp (that actually lit up) and Cyndi Lauper days. You wanna see that don't you? Perhaps, one day. ;)

Anyway... now I have my own assortment of characters and these three were great sports about letting me take their picture. The older two didn't mind at all, really.



Blueberry Doll was even courteous enough to make sure Clone Trooper had an acceptable smile.

"Are you smiling Clone Trooper?"



"Just one more, OK, Paparazzi Mom?"



Next stop, EO and Ben's for some munchies and a few pics with Ryan's favorite person, Ella, the giraffe.



And finally, the moment arrived! All together now... TRICK or TREAT!!!

Happy Halloween!

And the winner is...

Collin!!!




For the best hair in the fourth grade... on Crazy Hair Day!

Got Mums?

Homecoming these days is NOTHING like it used to be. I feel kinda old saying something like that, but it's true.

The kids that my oldest runs with are actually quite wonderful, though. Their parents are on top of their game which has resulted in a very tolerable bunch. The effort, on the other hand, that these parents put into making each year's experience bigger and better might be a little over the top, hence the incredibly detailed garder his date gave him above, but it's all for the love of the children, right?

And he absolutely did cherish it.



Gib and Nikki have known each other since we moved here 5 1/2 years ago. Besides her darlingness, she also happens to be the cousin of his best bud, Kent, which is common in our neighborhood. Cousins, that is. Children grow up here, leave to seek what the world has to offer and then return to raise their own families. The cycle is about three generations deep, as far as I can tell and no, we do not live in Arkansas.



Now, back to our regulary scheduled program... homecoming.

See these lovely little bonbons? Just a sample of what was offered to our privileged teens the evening of the mum exchange. Last year, they had a chocolate fountain.



Taylor and Anna at the victorious game. Go Mustangs!



Anna's date was also a long time friend that she has actually known since kindergarten. Noah is the kind of boy that moms and dads alike fall in love with. Intelligent, respectful and charming. Hmmm...



Most kids have a "group" that they dine, dance and after party with for the weekend. This was about half of Anna's group.



Anna, with her "All American" friends in their red, white and blue!



Sam and I had the pleasure of chaperoning Anna and Noah's dinner at Texas de Brazil. It was delicious and we were able to dine in the wine room which added an exclusive touch.



Gib, always the trend setter, in his suspenders.



And, if you'll notice, he, fourth from the left, is the only one not wearing a jacket. What a maverick, although, I don't know how impressed Nikki's parent's were of his fashion statement.



~Sigh~ The prettier half of the his group. And yes, they are only sophomores.



Nikki and Gib, right before they left in the limo. I should mention that one mom in the group is a wedding coordinator...which might explain some of the lavish details. ;)

And now, the festivities are behind us and I believe all i's were dotted and every t was crossed...until next year!

Beavers Bend

Isn't it beautiful? I think water is one of the most relaxing things on this green earth. So peaceful, serene and tranquil. My name, Jennifer, actually means white wave, which is significant, I think.



We left Sunday, later than we expected and arrived after dark. There was only starlight to help guide us to a suitable campsite. The boys set up camp like the pros that they are and we finally rested our sleepy heads well after midnight. It all seemed like such a good idea. The kids had Monday and Tuesday off from school and rumor was that this land in Oklahoma provided some of the best trout fishing known to man this time of year. So there we were, dreaming of what the next day would bring and then...

it started to rain,
and our air mattress popped,
and rocks were beneath us,
and the rain guard on our tent didn't guard... at all
and did I mention it started to rain?

As much as we wanted to wish it away, it continued drizzling raining pouring. Oh sure, intermittently the boys would fish (in the rain) catching some bass, but the glimmering trout was no where to be found. Eventually, our tent filled with over a foot of water and nearly slid right down into the river. Sam's entire bag of clothes was soaked as were all of our blankets and sleeping bags and of course our shivering bodies.



So, we spent about the next 6 or 7 hours together in the car waiting for the rain to stop, playing games and eating all the food we brought while laughing about our pail of luck because we certainly weren't willing to get any wetter from a shower of tears.



And then, just as the steam rose from the forest above and as Murphy's Law would have it, the sun came out to bid us farewell.

Without a doubt, I know everyone would agree when I say, this was by far the worst vacation, that none of us will ever want to remember,



without a smile.

I agree with George...

WASHINGTON!

Hello Fall

To be perfectly honest, Spring is actually my favorite season. But if I had to choose a second, a close second, it would definitely be Fall, for obvious reasons of course. I also LOVE the fact that many of my dearest friends were born during this beautiful season, making each crisp, color kissed day a personal reminder of what amazing chums I have the honor of claiming. Furthermore, given that I was born and raised in this here, Lone Star State, Fall could never be properly introduced without the opening of the biggest, tastiest, one-and-only, State Fair of Texas. Mmmm, I can smell the Fletcher's corny dogs now. And speaking of food and corniness, of all the reminiscent flavors, including pumpkin pie and caramel apples, nothing instantly immerses me into this time of year like candy corns. Controversial I know, but I do treasure them. And I have my grandaddy to thank for that. :)

So, this fall, slow down, breathe deep and stop by sometime so I can catch up on the seasons of your life. No need to call ahead...you are always welcome.

I'll have a hot cup of cider and the candy corns waiting.