Beach Baby

Miss Priss was so cute at the beach!

Vacation Recap

I liked what Greygill Fish did when she got back from vacation last month, so I'm going to try to make my own BRAINSTORM RECAP.

August 2009 Texas Vacation:
Grandma, Pops, Quincy (aka BIG DOG), Ice Cream, Golf Carts, Deer, Shopping, Swimming, Austin, Costco, Date Night, Giant Rocking Chair, Outlet Malls, Margarittas, Golf, Morning Walks, Coloring, Beach, Ferry, Lighthouse, Mexican Wedding (more on this coming soon!), Mariachie Band, Taquitos, Being Scared of Seafod at a Seafood Restaurant, Seeing Long-Time Friends, Big Boats, Sand EVERYWHERE, Collecting SeaShells, Sunscreen, Naps, Lion King, Charlotte's Web, Singing Crazy Songs on the way Home

and here are just a "few" of my favorite pictures...

Happy 60th Birthday Grammie!

Happy Big 6-0 to Grammie! (aka my mom)
You are such an amazing person and I am blessed to call you my mother. You have been my rock, my cheerleader, my reality check, my guide, my fan club, and my life line just to name a few. Most importantly, you are my hero and I hope that when I someday turn 60 I am as beautiful both inside and outside as you are today.

For everyone else reading this: I created a custom Photo Book for my mom, listing 60 reasons why we love her. She's the most sappy, sentamental person I know, so I knew it'd be a big hit with her! :)

Click here to see the whole book!

Bump in the Road

We've been in Texas for about four days now, and we're having a grand time. That is... until we got three heart-wrenching phone calls yesterday.

The first call came in from one of my dear college friends telling me that my best friend's husband had Colon Cancer. He'd been in the hospital all weekend and we'd been on pins and needles waiting to find out what the diagnostic was. This guy is only 29 and is Mr. Wonderful, (seriously!) and his wife is 8 months pregnant.... sometimes you just have to ask "Why??" His surgery is today, so we're holding our breath yet again to find out more.

The second call came within minutes from the first, where my husband found out that one of the guys he manages had learned yesterday morning that his wife had Breast Cancer. H.O.T.Y. manages only two guys, and in the last month BOTH wives have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. It's heart wrenching to think about what they're going through right now.

Then late last night, we got the third call. It was from my Cousin Betty, who was my Grandma's neice and is about 76 years old. Betty lives in a small town outside of OKC and we've enjoyed getting to know her better as we've lived so close to her over the last six years. In fact, she was over just last week for dinner! Betty told us last night that her son Mark had recently found out that he had Liver Cancer and was told he only had six months to live. Betty lost a daughter years ago to another kind of cancer, so my heart breaks for her to outlive another child.

Cancer. It seems to be suffucating us right now with so many of our loved ones facing the unknowable. And yet, I sit here feeling so useless with nothing I can do about it.

So please, if you've happened across my page today and are reading this, I just ask you to say a few prayers for all those needing them right now.

On The Road Again...

Today we are leaving for our third vacation of the year! I feel so lucky that I've been able to do so many fun things with my family this year!

Our Plans:
This afternoon we're heading down to Georgetown, Texas to stay five days with my In-Laws. They live in Sun-City, a golf/retirement/resort and it'll be our second time to visit them in their new house! H.O.T.Y. is looking forward to spending several days on the Golf Course and I'm looking forward to some down-time while Miss Priss hangs with her Grandma.
Then next Thursday, we'll be driving from Georgetown to Aransas Pass for a wedding. My good friend Maria is getting married and the moment I found out that she was having a wedding near the beach, I booked our hotel for three days leading up to the wedding! Aransas Pass is just inland of Port Aransas, which I hear is supposed to be a fun, family-friendly little beach town! We've already been given advice on where to eat, when to ride the ferry and where to rent ski-dos! Most of all, I'm just looking forward to seeing Miss Priss's face light up the moment she spies the ocean for the first time (pictures will be taking in a frenzy, I promise)!!

Thanks to H.O.T.Y.'s iPhone I hope to post some pictures of our trip while we're gone!

Reality Check

As I was looking at all the delightful things Punky Jane has for sell on etsy, I felt instantly guilty when I saw this necklace. I think Punky Jane must have read my mind or something.

When we first moved in, I thought having my computer in Miss Priss's playroom was a genius idea. I could get some work done during the day while she played, rather than having to work late at night after she went to bed. With the help of her looooooove of Disney Movies, I easily found myself on the computer while she hung out beside me watching her shows.

It's been six months in our new house and I can honestly (embarrasingly) say that 95% of the time she and I are in her playroom, I'm on the computer and she's doing her own thing. Being the SAHM that I am, I feel like I'm earning major "Bad Mommy Points" when I find myself spending more time web-surfing than doing puzzles, coloring pictures or playing with playdough.

So, Punky Jane's necklace gave me the reality check that I so desperately needed. We leave for vacation tomorrow for the next 11 days, so I will have every opportunity to detach my fingers from the keyboard and play with my little sweetheart. And when I get back, I will be drastically decreasing my computer time!!

Hot Mamas

Last night the Moms of my playgroup got together for a "Mom's Night Out". We picked a sushi restaurant downtown and was each secretly thrilled at the opportunity to get all dressed up!
All six of us have two year olds, and have been together as as group for over a year. We meet every Monday and I can honestly say that this has been the perfect "support" group for me.... we talk about potty training, milk rationing, clueless daddies, secret credit cards, and the latest celebrity in re-hab. We are definitely a well rounded group!

I look forward to many more good times with this group - our dynamic is changing as three of the six are pregnant with their second child, one mom just took the Bar Exam and another is seriously talking about getting her husband "fixed." As for me, I truly just feel blessed to be part of such an awesome group of "Hot Mamas!"

I Want It! Wednesday

I admit it, I am a VH1 Reality Show junkie.... Rock of Love, Daisy of Love, Brooke Hogan, etc... I seriously should be embarrassed of myself!

However, my "Want Want Want" Radar went crazy over the necklace that Brooke's been wearing all season. I love her tiny gold cross! It's so simple, yet could be worn with anything... alone, layered, on the beach, dressing up. Hello.... I soooo need it! I have searched high and low online to find anything similar and have found NOTHING.



So if anyone is going down to Miami and wants to ask Brooke where she bought it, please feel free to get me one too!