f l o w e r c h a i n

Grateful Sunday

2012-01-29T23:37:00.002-06:00

Me and the birthday boy, at dinner in Southlake Saturday night.

This week has been nice, though I could have done without the sick kids. At least we had a couple of nice, quiet days at home in the rain! Today, I'm grateful for:

a wonderful Stake Relief Society conference last night. I loved the messages and the music and came away so grateful, feeling loved and uplifted. As it should be.
the restart of Institute. I haven't been to an adult class at church in approximately ten years (I'm not even kidding), so humor me and be excited that I get to go to Institute on Thursday mornings. I genuinely look forward to it.
the absence of my other blog in my life. I feel a sort of urgency to recenter my life at the moment, and refraining from blogging there (and therefore refraining from much blog-reading in general), has felt very right. I'm working on focusing very wholeheartedly on my faith, my family and what goes on in my home.
Neal, who celebrated a birthday today by spending a good 8 hours at church. He's a good man, I am so blessed to be by his side.
time with Steph, Mike and my dad last week. That made for some happy days.

visitors

2012-01-26T13:08:00.001-06:00

We had a few fun visitors this week, and one not-so-fun visit from the stomach flu. Poor Audrey was down for the count for a couple of days. Her little body is on the mend, and I'm hoping she makes it through the school day without feeling too bad.

Stephanie and Mike came through town for 24 hours, on their way home from Mexico, on Monday! We ate very well while they were here. Texas BBQ for lunch and Babe's Fried Chicken House for dinner. Stephanie gave Miles a much-needed haircut, and then accompanied me to book club. It was fun to introduce her to my friends! I just wish we could be together more often. Spring Break can't come soon enough!

Last night, my dad had a quick 2 hour layover here in Dallas, so the boys and I picked up him and brought him home. A quick bowl of soup, a good Mitt discussion, and a few hugs later, we took him back to the airport.

Today, Parker has DI, then we're off to piano, then home for homework and baths. Every once in a while, I am so grateful that my kids are still relatively young. That they're all in bed at a reasonable hour, and that they are still under our wings. I know that once they are in middle school, nights get later, homework and church activities become more time-consuming, and life gets a bit more complicated. Let's hear it for the simple life.

Also, Stephanie took this picture of my house and I think it's so pretty that I had to share it. Thanks, Steph!

Grateful Sunday

2012-01-22T21:03:00.004-06:00

Audrey and Miles running off into the woods on Friday. It was 80 degrees! We stayed outside all day.

This week has been quite busy, topped off with a very busy Sunday for us, so I am mostly grateful that today is over and that I can be in my pjs for the rest of the evening. Today, I'm grateful for:

a successful Great to Be Eight event this morning. My lovely counselor was so gracious to host it in her home. (We have church until 5:30 pm now, so evening events are hard to pull off.) The speakers did a great job, the Spirit was strong, and it was so fun to see all the new baptismal candidates with their families.
the safety of my family. We heard that some family members in Amarillo were in a car accident today, due to a severe dust storm, but they are all safe and well. I'm grateful that they were watched over.
the example of our nephew, Morgan, who returned home from his mission this weekend. Congrats, Morgan, we are so proud!
my other blog and the sweet readers who wished me well as I have decided to quit blogging there. I don't think I'll ever shut down Flowerchain, it would be tragic to let this memory-keeping habit go. I do wish I were better at blogging here more frequently. Must work on that.
a visit from Stephanie and Mike tomorrow. I can't wait to have them here with us, even if it's only for 24 hours.

Something I am not grateful for:

Newt Gingrich and the SC voters. Blerg.

what we're up to

2012-01-16T14:21:00.001-06:00

Parker and his friend, Tyler, on a warm, windy January day.

I thought it might be nice to do a little family update post, to let you know what we are all up to, and for my own future reference.

Neal has been working hard, as usual, at his office in Bedford. He is going on four years working at the group practice down there (which means we have lived here almost as long!). The practice recently moved locations, and is now housed in a nice, new office space. The old building has been torn down to make way for a freeway widening project. One less eyesore on the face of the planet (that building was horrid)! He has a birthday coming up on the 29th, and is enjoying lots of hobbies, as usual. He replanted our garden for the winter and we harvested a wonderful little crop of salad greens before the batteries ran out on our electric fence and Trooper made his way into that part of the yard. Trooper quickly made work of the garden, digging it up beyond recognition. Neal has purchased a new battery pack and will be re-re-planting the garden soon. Neal loves to make fresh pasta, and has also tried his hand at homemade cheese and yogurt. He is ambitious in the kitchen! He continues to care for his little menagerie, which now includes two poison dart frogs, five geckoes, Audrey's snake, Parker's two hermit crabs, and various insects for feeding all of these animals (roaches, fruit flies and crickets). Neal is thinking about taking up beekeeping and is looking forward to baseball season (Go Rangers!).

I have been busy with all sorts of things as well. I am still Primary President, and the change of the year is a major task in Primary. I believe we have everything sorted out, though we are working on a Great to Be Eight breakfast next Sunday for 30-40 people. I really enjoy being in Primary, though, and wouldn't trade it for anything. My counselors, Stephanie and Chris, and my secretary, Jill, are all such precious friends to me. I am always grateful for their support, ideas and hugs. I'm also helping with the PTA at Florence (Parker's school) again this year. I head up the Box Tops collection/grocery rewards/Six Flags ticket efforts, as well as co-chairing the little committee which publishes students' books. It's fun, and I've met some great people working at Florence. I work in the library once a week at Audrey's school, reshelving books. I am looking forward to Institute starting back up again next week; I attend the once-weekly class at church and love that little mid-week gospel dose. I'm still reading a lot, and try to get through one book a week. Sometimes that's easier than others. When I have a spare moment here and there, I like to watch one of the lectures I have downloaded from Great Courses. For now, I have chosen the course Foundations of Western Civilization. I download each 30-minute lecture to my phone and watch them when I am waiting in carpool lines or baseball practice, or am otherwise stuck in the car. I am trying to get to the temple once a month, and would love to go twice a month, which is my goal for 2012. This year, I also want to get my bedroom redecorated. It is still just a conglomeration of furniture and things from our previous homes. I want to get it in better shape so I can relax in it more often!

Audrey is a busy girl, but never to busy to read. She still plows through a few books a week, which is now made easier because of her Kindle. She is finishing up a 37-book series called Warriors, with a few others thrown in if they are nearby. She will literally read anything within her arms' reach, which is wonderful! Audrey is in fifth grade and continues to earn straight As every quarter. She is a great student and a wonderful girl. We are hoping to keep her innocent as long as possible, but the world creeps in big time in fifth grade! We are doing our best to be there for her as her world gradually changes as she approaches her teens. She plays the piano beautifully and rides horses once a week, generally. She took a bit more than a year off from horseback riding, but the newfound proximity of our friends' horses and instructor have given that hobby a resurgence. She is also involved in Destination Imagination again this year. Her team is called Kinexx, and they will be competing at the regional level mid-February. She is still very sad about the loss of her friend, Twiggy, but we have started talking about a new bird. Maybe sometime this spring we will have a new buddy for her. For now, she is great friends with Trooper and spends lots of time with him outside.

Parker has been living it up as an 8-year-old boy, enjoying life and taking it easy as only Parker can. He is such an easy-going kid, and a pleasure to be around. He's never in a bad mood and is always ready with a hug and a cuddle. He tried out for and made it onto the 9U Pony Elite Baseball Team here in Keller, so he'll be playing on the Keller Indians this Spring. (The Indians are also the high school mascot here, so we're hoping it's a good sign. Parker would love to play baseball in high school!) He is taking piano lessons also, and is slowly but steadily learning how to play! Parker is involved with Destination Imagination this year, too. He participated in first grade, but took a break last year. His group is called The Beatles, and he has some good friends on his team. They will compete the same day Audrey does, in February. Parker is excelling in third grade, earning straight As and compliments from his teachers on his behavior. We are so proud of him, as the rowdy types in his class take lots of patience and skill to deal with! In his spare time, Parker likes to play catch, ride his bike and shoot his air soft guns.

Miles is doing great, too. Our kids have all been blessed with such good health, and we are so grateful for that! Miles is in Pre-K this year, at Northwood Learning Center. His teachers, Miss Natalie and Miss Lisa, are wonderful and he is crazy about them. He has made some fun new friends this year and is learning all sorts of things. He is getting better at reading, and is working on subtraction at school. His very favorite things to do are to build with Legos and to draw. He loves to draw pictures of knights, baseball guys, flags of the world, and eagles. He is pretty talented, and I love to find his little creations all over the place. He loves to work on puzzles and play Uno, too. We signed Miles up for teeball again this spring, so practices should be starting up soon. He can't wait! He is one of only two boys in his church class, where he is reliably reverent, which makes me so happy.

Blessings abound here in our family, we are so grateful, and hopeful that 2012 will bring more happiness, more rain and more time with our families and friends.

Grateful Sunday

2012-01-15T13:28:00.000-06:00

Audrey and Trooper getting all staticky on the trampoline on Saturday. We've had great outside weather lately.

This was a nice weekend, and I'm thankful for a Monday off from school! Today, I'm grateful for:

the wonderful spirit I felt in church today. I love that my kids are old enough that I can listen and soak up Sacrament Meeting, since the rest of my church day does not involve sitting still.
a chance to be in the temple last week, doing work for my family members. I had a wonderful, memorable time in the session I attended. Thanks also to Elliott, for supplying me with names.
Downton Abbey, because it's wonderful and addicting. I don't know why we waited so long to start watching!
The Book of Mormon. As a family, we finished it on New Year's Eve and restarted it on New Year's Day. I really want us all to gain a stronger familiarity with and testimony of that miraculous book.
family records. We watched some family videos tonight, starting with our wedding video, and they were so fun. I'm so grateful for the technology that allows all of those moments to be captured and stored.

Grateful Sunday

2012-01-08T22:07:00.000-06:00

Miles and Audrey with Claire at a sandwich shop yesterday.

This has been quite a week, I am grateful that a new one is beginning. Mondays are always a good restart for me: Miles and I lay low and stay close to home. Today, I'm grateful for:

the humbling experience it is to be Primary President. I've learned a lot this week, and at the top of the list is a. learn to keep my mouth shut, followed closely by b. never assume I have things under control. I have had a rough go of 2012 Primary-wise, topped off with the fact that I left my entire Sharing Time prep at home today, but didn't realize it until about 3 minutes before go-time. Can I have a do-over, 2012?
my kids, for lightening the mood. They were so silly tonight, we were playing card games and they were just bundles of giggles. I'm grateful for their levity.
a surprise visit from family this weekend. Julie, Walker and Claire popped into town from Amarillo.
mild weather; it's been easy to be outside this week, which makes life happy.
See's Candies. I bought myself a box of Scotchmallows for Christmas (which I finished up this morning). Those little delectables have perked me up just enough this week! mmm.

sad. :(

2012-01-03T19:35:00.001-06:00

Sweet little Twiggy Horn left us last week, in a rather sad way. We had to break the news to Audrey right when we got home from Utah (he died while the kids and I were still out of town). She was, understandably, devastated, as Twiggy has been her little birdie friend in July of 2006, when we first bought him at a bird show in Houston. We are so sad to see him go and miss his little chirps and tweets when we are in our house. :(

We buried him out back and made a little memorial for him. Maybe we'll get another bird soon, but for now, we are just remembering the fun times we had with Twigs.

2011 Year in Review

2011-12-31T22:34:00.000-06:00

What a great year! We have so much to be grateful for. I loved traveling so much this year, either to see family and friends or to become closer as a family ourselves, we loved every minute!

January

Julianne came to visit before heading down to Brazil, Audrey got second place in the Spelling Bee, Neal went to the Cotton Bowl with his menfolk, we performed lots of temple ordinances for my family, the kids had Western Day at Florence, Neal celebrated 36, and my parents came to visit!

February

We had FIVE snow days in a row, the boys got antsy for baseball season, Audrey's DI team won first place in the regional competition, we had Trooper Trauma, and Audrey and I visited Rebecca and Callie in Amarillo.

March

Trooper turned one and Audrey turned ten; we lost our tortoise, Bruiser; our Amarillo friends came to see us; we planted some things in the front yard; Parker joined the Tigers; and Audrey had her ears pierced.

April

Neal coached Miles and the rest of the Angels in Blast Ball, Audrey's DI team won third place in the State Competition in Lubbock, I visited Natalie in Virginia, Parker turned EIGHT, Baby David came to visit, we surprised the kids with a trip to the Rangers' game, we spent Easter in Weatherford, and we had TWO uncles visit on the same day.

May

Parker was baptized, so we had family in town; Neal and I went to New York for the weekend; Pa came to visit and Miles got a Blast Ball trophy; we celebrated Daddy Jeff's birthday; Audrey got to dance around the Maypole; she also got to stay in the dorms at the University of Tennessee during DI Globals.

June

We fell in love with Costa Rica; Parker went to Rangers Baseball Camp and we went to a game; we went to Athens for a reunion.

July

We went to Nebraska, we swam a lot, friends from Houston and Amarillo came to visit Audrey, and Miles took swimming lessons.

August

Elliott & Ginger and my mom & dad came to visit; Neal dropped a knife on his toe and got a new car; Miles turned five; we toured Rangers Ballpark; went ice skating and started school.

September
ENGLAND!; Parker went to scouts, and the boys started Fall Baseball.

October
The Rangers played in the postseason, so we stayed up late a lot; Miles and I visited Audrey at school; Primary Program; JJ and Emily came to see us; Halloween.

November

More Rangers games, Parker's Third Grade Musical, Miles worked on reading, I started going to Institute, Audrey and I went to the museum, Cousin Mark sent great baseball surprises, Neal and I celebrated thirteen years, Thanksgiving in Canyon.

December

I celebrate 34 years, we went to Louisiana, Parker was on TV, Audrey placed third in the Spelling Bee, Christmas in Utah.

Christmas Trip, Part III

2011-12-30T20:26:00.000-06:00

After Christmas, Stephanie and Elliott's families arrived. We had fun doing some things in Provo and spending more time together in Sundance.

One day, we went to the Chelsea Condominiums on 700 East, where I lived when Neal and I met. We lived there for a few months after we were married, too. Lots of fun memories in that little place!

Neal went back to Texas on the 26th, and the kids and I stayed for a few more days. We went to a BYU basketball game with the cousins, and had fun cheering on the Cougars. Parker and I ran into some Texas friends!

The rest of the time was spent looking at cute little people playing on the floor, and in the triangle room, out in the snow and down in the basement.

Triangle Conference (thanks for the photo, Steph!)

Elliot and Henry

Audrey, Mabel, Ethan and Parker

Miles, Emma, Oliver and Sophie

Christmas Trip, Part II

2011-12-29T20:18:00.000-06:00

On the 23rd, we headed up to Salt Lake City to spend time with Neal's family. We met up at his cousin, Tricia's house, where we had a yummy dinner. (Thanks, Tricia!)

That night, the kids slept at Charlotte's and Neal and I at Georgia's. We went to Temple Square on Christmas Eve. Our kids had never been!

Audrey, Savannah, Oliver, Emmaline, Miles, Parker and Tucker.

We went back to Charlotte and Tyler's house for some traditional Clam Chowder, games and gift opening. Emmaline made everyone a gift; it was so sweet. We loved these "Dinosaur Feet" she made for Johnny.

Some of my pictures downloaded funny. This is one of them. Audrey and Emmaline.

Late that night, we drove back to Sundance, just in time for Santa to come! The next morning was so fun.

Miles, opening his Josh Hamilton autographed ball.

Santa brought Audrey a Kindle and this wolf case to put it in. She has not put it down, but to sleep, since this moment. Way to go, Santa!

Christmas aftermath, from the loft. My dad helped Miles put together his huge Lego Star Wars ship, and Parker was working on his circuit kit.

Mom and I took a peaceful walk before dinner. All in all, a very peaceful Christmas Day.

Christmas Trip, Part I

2011-12-29T20:00:00.000-06:00

We had such a fun Christmas break. We opened a few presents here at home before we left for Sundance.

Where we mostly just lazed around watching little people come in and out of the room being silly.

Matthew reading to Sadie, David and Max.

Miles, Max, Jack and Parker

Annie and Audrey

The kids played outside. There was so little snow that they were able to go all the way down, below the house, to the stream and the little cabins that are nestled alongside it.

David and Miles, warming up in the tubby.

One afternoon, we went to my parents' friends' house to see their animals. This is the same family that lets us come swim when we visit in the summertime. They are so nice to always invite us down.

We skiied for a couple of days. The first day, we put all the kids in ski school, so Neal and I had some time on the mountain by ourselves, just like the good old BYU days.

The next day, Neal took the older kids in the morning and Miles and I joined them in the afternoon. We thought that maybe I could just ski with Miles, but that was beyond my ability after one run. Neal took him over to the rope tow hill and I think they had fun for the rest of the afternoon. I need to learn to ski backwards, like Amy, his instructor did.

Another night, we had dinner at the Foundry Grill. Mmmm.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-21T04:34:00.000-06:00

Our Christmas card! We had so much fun planning for and making this happen. Thanks, in no small part, to Julianne and Toni!

The photo we would have used if the Abbey Road one didn't turn out. This is us in the garden after Toni and Julianne's wedding in September.

Merry Christmas everyone! Sending our love to you from Texas.

recents

2011-12-19T16:31:00.003-06:00

Things that have happened around here lately . . .

We got together with our friends to decorate gingerbread houses. Yum.

Miles has a flag obsession. He made these out of perler beads. Took him hours.

Neal and I went to a fun party, and Neal brought a great ice-breaker: oysters. I always have fun with our friends, they are amazing. Above are Jill and Chris, who serve in Primary with me.

We had the Elders over for dinner and some cookie decorating. I always feel a bit sad for missionaries at Christmastime. I was hoping to remind them of childhood traditions they did with their family, but it was their first time eating gingerbread. :)

Tomorrow, the kids and I leave for Sundance. Neal will join us Wednesday night! We are excited!

Grateful Sunday

2011-12-11T22:21:00.001-06:00

Neal tying Parker's tie after we got to church. I can't do it, we have to go find Dad in the clerk's office before Parker is considered "dressed."

Today, I'm grateful for:

my wonderful friends and family, who made me feel so special on my 34th birthday last week. My birthdays always seem like a good time to reflect on how blessed I am, and this one was no exception. The very first thing that happened that day was that Miles bounded out of his room at 6:45 to give me the card he had made for me and the biggest hug ever. It was so sweet, I love that dude. After school started, I had breakfast with Neal's sister, Martha, and my friends. Next, Martha and I visited Neal at his office and were off to the airport. I stopped at Chipotle for lunch by myself (love that place), and had just settled down when my dear friend, Rebecca, tapped me on the shoulder. We ended up eating together and having a great time. I picked up the kids and went home to open the gifts my friends had brought, and once Neal was home, we went to dinner at our favorite hibachi restaurant. Sprinkle in a few phone calls from people very dear to me, and all in all, it was a wonderful day. Hooray for birthdays!
Martha, for coming to see us and for spending such quality time with all of us, but especially with Miles. He had so much fun with Aunt Martha (and got all of his homework done)!
Audrey and Parker's wonderful piano teacher, Miss Ruby. She gives so much of herself to her students, and is so delightful. We had their recital tonight, I'll try to post video tomorrow.
our wonderful ward, we had a great time with our church friends at our ward party on Saturday night. We left feeling so blessed to live where we do.
a fun night decorating gingerbread houses with our friends, the Wrights. Lots of laughs and lots of candy all over the place meant that we had lots of fun.

Spelling Bee

2011-12-08T16:09:00.001-06:00

Audrey was in the Intermediate School Spelling Bee last week. Her school is just fifth and sixth graders, and she won third place! We are so proud of our Audrey, she is an amazing natural speller! Here are the words she was given to spell:

scoop

sparkle

helmet

praise

jitterbug

munchkin

virtue

muscular

conjure

intrigue

adolescence

extrapolate

cornea

imaginary

bankruptcy

participle

erroneous

alibi

She got to the 19th Round, and at one point she was spelling the "championship word!" Spelling Bee rules are pretty crazy, you kind of have to be there! We were proud of her, she beat out all but one of the sixth graders, and her friend, Carson, who took second place. Yay! Can't wait for next year!

2010 Spelling Bee (2nd Place)

2009-2010 Spelling Bee (4th Place)

tree!

2011-12-06T23:00:00.001-06:00

After two failed attempts to buy a tree last night, we finally ended up at Lowe's, which was fine; they had great prices! We opted for a smaller tree this year, since we'll be leaving for Christmas. I'll post some decoration photos as soon as I decorate stuff. :)

Parker on TV!

2011-12-06T22:48:00.001-06:00

Lots of you have already seen this video, but it is just so fun to see my little Parker in this commercial! The news producer for the local station has a daughter in Parker's class, so when they needed a classroom scene for a new promotional spot, they came to Mrs. Smith's class! Little did we know that Parker's sweet smile would be front and center. He was so excited, we all watched this a million times!

Natchitoches

2011-12-06T22:32:00.001-06:00

Last weekend, we took a trip to Neal's homeland, and visited Natchitoches, Louisiana (pronounced Nack-a-dish, about 45 miles from the town where he grew up). Our main reason for the trip was to visit Paul Peters, Neal's mother's cousin, and one of the last people left from her generation in the Walker family. He has emailed Neal several times and we felt like it was time we went to see him. Louisiana is a beautiful place, I always am up for a visit, and there is always lots to do. We started our trip Friday morning, by going to listen to Dr. Peters at his home. He told us stories and shared memories of Neal's grandparents (whom Neal never really knew), his aunts and uncles who passed away before Neal's birth, and his mother. Dr. Peters was such a sweet man, we really enjoyed our day with him. Below are some photos.

We wanted to take Dr. Peters to lunch, so he suggested Uncle Earl's Pea Patch Cafe, in Winnfield, which was delightful.

From there, we went on a driving tour of old family sites. A couple of cemeteries (Transport and Ebenezer), and the old Walker homestead in Dodson. We saw the high school where Neal's grandfather graduated in 1911 (two years late because of an injury and amputation). It was fascinating. I love family history!

Later, we went back to Paul's house. The kids had a great time in his backyard and Neal and I listened some more and were able to borrow a few photos to scan and catalog. We left after dark and promised to come back soon. I hope we can go in the Spring time.

The next day, we spent in Natchitoches, attending the 85th annual Christmas Festival. It was so fun, I have wanted to come for years. We visited Natchitoches once with Neal's mom years ago, and once more since then, passing through. I really would have loved to stay in one of these old houses, which have all been turned into inns, but apparently you have to book December weekends in January. Oops. We stayed out of town a bit and drove in for the festival.

We arrived just as the first parade was beginning. The kids ended up with many strands of beads and a load of candy!

After the parade had passed, we made our way to Jefferson Street, which runs along the Cane River. On the way, we collected house ideas. Neal and I both love this old Creole style of Plantation home.

By the time we got to the river, the parade was about to pass us again, so we hung out and got more loot!

Then it was lunch time. Parker had ALLIGATOR ON A STICK. Yes.

Another parade started at about three o'clock. We sat in a different place this time, and where else in the world would we have been able to see the Sons of Confederate Veterans marching in a parade? They were awesome.

After dark, it was time for fireworks and for the lights along the river to be lit. So much fun, I can't wait to go back another year!

Thanksgiving in Canyon

2011-12-06T21:30:00.009-06:00

We traveled west to Canyon, Texas to spend Thanksgiving with Shelby and Julie and their family in their beautiful new home. Megan and her fiance, Dallas, Jeff and his kids, and Neal's dad and Gail came, too. We had a great time!

Some photos from the weekend . . .

Above, from left: Audrey (10), Caroline (14) and Claire (12); Audrey, Claire and Bugsy, the guinea pig; Megan cutting Parker's hair; Neal and me at the Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo

Above, from left: Parker and Miles with Bugsy (he was a big hit); Gail, Julie and Neal getting dinner ready; Shelby carving one of the delicious turkeys he cooked; the kids eating outside.

One cold, windy night, we went out to Cadillac Ranch to see the cars buried in the ground. Good times! Parker and Miles (and Neal) had fun adding to the graffiti a bit. The day after Thanksgiving, we avoided all crowds and shopped in some local boutiques in Amarillo and Canyon. It was so fun, I found some great stuff!

By the end of the trip, we were all tired and had all eaten far too much, but we were so happy to have spent some time with our family.

recently

2011-12-06T20:00:00.000-06:00

I have been so bad about blogging! Just can't seem to keep up and it's driving me crazy. Here are a few photos from lately.

Parker's tongue depressor immigrant doll he made for school. He could have chosen to make a doll dressed from a country of his heritage, but England and France don't have the most interesting costumes. Neal's family comes from pretty much the same places mine does (with maybe some Austrians thrown in). Audrey did a Scottish doll when she was in Mrs. Smith's class, so we wanted to branch out. Parker chose to make an Argentine gaucho, since his daddy served his mission in Argentina. My favorite part is the mustache.

We got together with some friends to make missionary care packages and to play Beatles' Rock Band. So much fun. Here are Parker and Miles with some of their friends. I think Audrey must have been playing the drums during this song.

Miles completed his season on the Padres and we had a fun party to celebrate.

Neal's office recently moved locations (hallelujah). They had an open house for all of the dentists around, their staffs, and me.

Grateful Sunday

2011-12-04T22:20:00.001-06:00

The kids in Natchitoches, Louisiana yesterday. We went down there for a couple of days. More on that trip after I blog about Thanksgiving. :)

One of these days, when I have more than 10 minutes at home, I am going to sit down and blog about all that we have been up to lately, but for now, it's another Grateful Sunday post, because I'm tired out and need to get to bed!

Today, I'm grateful for:

the nice person at the temple in Dallas who sent my misplaced temple recommend to our ward clerk, who happens to be Neal.
the chance we had to visit Neal's mother's cousin, Paul, in Louisiana on Friday. He is the reason we went on the trip, and he was so very sweet. We were all better after having spent the day with him.
Neal's sister, Martha, for spending a couple of days with us. I hope she's ready for one of my typical Mondays, which involves staying in our pajamas and folding laundry while Miles watches Curious George!
the dear friends I have found here in Keller. My life is so full and so happy, and I am grateful every day for those blessings!
the opportunity we have to take our children all over the place, exposing them to different cultures and people. I hope they remember lots of it, but if they don't, they'll always have my blog to look back on. I am so grateful that I started blogging. I can't believe I'm still doing it SIX years later! Hooray!

Grateful Sunday

2011-11-27T22:26:00.001-06:00

Miles, sleeping with his bear, Josh, on the way home today.

I have so much to be grateful for this week and always. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday, and we had a great time celebrating with family last week. Today, I'm grateful for:

our large car. We've toyed with the idea of getting a smaller one for me when this one dies, but for now, it's really nice to be able to have room to stretch out and pack it full on long car trips.
our road trip rather than a plane trip to Canyon. It was a 5 1/2 hour drive, and it would have been a shorter flight (obviously), but the day we planned to leave, I was running about three hours behind schedule. It was all fine, though, because we were driving! No planes to catch, no security lines to worry about. We're saving that for Christmas travel . . .
Shelby and Julie, for hosting us in their beautiful new home. They even let us use the guest room, which was lovely. They have a palpable, happy spirit in their house, and we had so much fun.
sleep. Ah, sleep. We felt so relaxed and time seemed to slow down a bit while we were away. Just what we needed.
the following quick breads: Cranberry and Pumpkin

All these years.

2011-11-21T08:53:00.001-06:00

Today is our anniversary! Neal and I were married November 21, 1998, in the Los Angeles Temple. It was a beautiful day, and we've had many wonderful days in the thirteen years since. This weekend, we took an evening away, went to the temple and out to dinner. Neal gave me a beautiful rose gold wedding band in a pretty blue box and I felt so lucky all over again.

I've posted a few (a lot of) great memories below.

At the Sphinx, 1999.

And the Parthenon, a few days later, in 2000.

On the porch where Neal proposed in Tyler, Texas. This was in 2001.

Dental School Graduation, Houston, 2004.

End of UCLA residency dinner, Santa Monica, 2005.

Family Photos, Houston, 2005.

Eating out with Jay and Natalie, in Houston, 2007.

Dinner out in Maui, 2007.

Radiohead concert, Houston, 2008.

A friend's birthday party, Houston, 2008.

Endodontic Residency Graduation, Houston, 2008.

My Grampy's 80th Birthday Celebration in California, 2008.

Skagway, Alaska, 2009.

Destin, Florida 2009

Destin, Florida 2010

Central Park, 2011

Blenheim Palace, England, 2011

Grateful Sunday

2011-11-20T20:57:00.001-06:00

Audrey, cute and cold after church today.

This past week went by so slowly! I think we were all just anxious for Friday to arrive and for our Thanksgiving break to begin. Today, I'm grateful for:

our wedding anniversary, which is actually tomorrow, but which we celebrated on Saturday night. A trip to the temple and Italian food seem to be our tradition. It was a beautiful night, and we kind of got a kick out of our waitress' reaction when we said 13 years! We just look so dang young (wink)!
our kids, for being great. I always thank Heavenly Father for sending me the children that He did. They are just so well suited to our family, and I love each of them for so many reasons.
a week off from school. No alarm clocks, no lunch-packing, no homework murmurs. It's going to be so nice.
Julie and Shelby, for inviting us to Canyon to celebrate with them this week. We are excited to see their new house and to relax a bit while being together. And I really can't wait to see the Muppet movie!

Grateful Sunday

2011-11-13T23:04:00.001-06:00

Miles and me at 11:11 on 11.11.11. We had to document it! We were in the middle of a freezer meal exchange at my friend, Beth's house.

This was kind of a long week! I am, number one, grateful that it's over. Neal was out of town and my Sunday was busy, and I'm just looking forward to Monday morning, which is kind of crazy, but Monday is the day that Miles and I just stay home and relax. Tomorrow, the only thing we have to do is go buy milk and put away laundry.

I'm grateful for:

Neal's safe return. He was hunting with his dad, brothers and brothers-in-law in Nebraska and South Dakota. I'm glad nobody got shot and that he's home. I need that boy in my life.
my fabulous counselors and secretary in the Primary. We put on the Priesthood Preview tonight, after a full day of Primary, no less, and they are just so pleasant and fun to be around, that it just makes all that "work" seem so much easier. I'm thankful, too, for our wonderful Bishopric and the support they give us. They are always there when we need them.
Miles' summer birthday which meant that I get him for one more year before kindergarten. I was not ready to let this guy go to school all day and I don't think it would have been good for him. I'm grateful that we can still be buddies and snuggle in front of Curious George a couple of days a week.
Parker's baseball coach, who helped me jump my car when the battery died at practice the other day. I have the cables, I'm just never sure where to hook them up!
upcoming holidays. I'm looking forward to good food and time with our families. It's such a great way to end each year.

Cousin Mark

2011-11-10T15:43:00.001-06:00

My cousin Mark Potter and I connected several years ago through family history research. My great-grandfather Milo was his grandfather's brother. He lives in Minnesota, and though we've never met, we have been in touch since then. He reads my blog (Hi Mark!), and so he is aware of my boys' deep and abiding fanaticism for the Texas Rangers. Imagine their surprise when he sent them a box of memorabilia from his years of loving baseball! Two Nolan Ryan baseball cards and two All-Star Game balls that have Texas Rangers printed on them!

They couldn't believe their eyes, and this morning, Parker asked if he could bring the Nolan Ryan card to school for show and tell. He very carefully placed it in a secure part of his backpack, and when he got home, he put it on display in his room.

Thank you a million times over, Cousin Mark! You have some very happy little distant cousins down here in Texas!

Scenes from the weekend

2011-11-07T09:26:00.001-06:00

Saturday started early with Miles' 8:00 teeball game, followed by a baptism for two children in our ward. Soon after, Audrey and I went down to the Dallas Museum of Art for an event while the boys went to Parker's game. You can read more about our artsy afternoon here. Our weekends aren't really all that relaxing, what with busy Saturdays and sometimes even busier Sundays with our church callings. We ended our Sunday by inadvertently taking a walk in the dark last night. I love weekends anyway, despite their busyness!

Grateful Sunday

2011-11-06T22:10:00.000-06:00

Playing in the backyard, Friday after school

This has been a great week, made even better by near perfect weather. Today, I'm grateful for:

forgiving friends. When my alarm malfunctioned on Friday morning, and I woke up a full hour later than a normal school day, the other people in my carpool were very understanding and we were able to joke about it right away. I'm thankful for flexible friends!
the chance I have to spend time in my kids' schools. I volunteer once a week at Audrey's school and have things to do at Parker's school 2-3 times a week. I love to see them (and other primary kids) in the hallways and eating their lunches. I am grateful that my life (and Neal's profession) allow me to do things like that. I would hate to miss out on all of those hours they are away from me, and I like to get an idea of what their learning environment is like.
Julianne, my inspiring little sister, who celebrated her birthday in Ethiopia yesterday. I am so grateful for her ambition, tenacity and compassion. I am also extremely grateful that she found Toni, who is her perfect match.
good teeth. After a successful visit to the dentist this week, I am grateful for the floridated water in Southern California and for the good genetics that have resulted in my mouth being free from dental work! So far, at least.
the blessing it was to attend Institute on Thursday. I have been wanting to go to the weekly adult religion class put on by our stake since school started, but have struggled to have a Thursday morning free. Last week, I had a wide open morning, and the class just happened to be studying 3 Nephi 8-11, my very favorite chapters of the Book of Mormon. It was so lovely to feel the spirit so strongly on a weekday morning. And now I'm hooked, can't wait for this week's class.

Learning to Read

2011-11-04T10:35:00.003-05:00

lately

2011-11-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

This time of year gets so crazy around here. I've hardly had anytime to sit down and record life here on my blog! Here are some photos of what's been going on.

The third grade had their musical performance, Tikki Tikki Tembo. Parker had a speaking/narrating part toward the end.

We have spent some lovely afternoons at the park. The weather has been amazing lately.

We celebrated a few Rangers wins with friends. We watched each game with a different set of people, it was so fun. Unfortunately, we also endured a few losses. This was taken during the tense extra innings of Game 6.

Miles and I have been spending time at the elementary school in various volunteer capacities. Whether it's collecting Box Tops, sorting and counting hundreds of cans for the food drive, interviewing children about their literary endeavors, or supervising lunch time, we are all over it. I wonder if I'll be burnt out on volunteering by the time Miles gets there . . .

Halloween Happenings

2011-11-01T21:48:00.002-05:00

Some late October goings-on, thanks mostly to my iPhone, which has an awesome camera!

Audrey played four pieces (in costume) for some residents at a local retirement community. She always does such a good job! I remember being such a nervous wreck when I was young and had to play the piano for people.

Miles got to wear his Ian Kinsler costume to school two days in a row last week! That was awesome.

We sprayed a Rangers T in Parker's hair for crazy hair day. I think I have the hang of it now. It will look better next year. ;)

We had a trunk-or-treat at church, and I got a picture with sweet Brother Hines. He makes everyone feel like a million bucks and I just love him.

That same night, we were invited to a fundraising party at a friend's house. We got there at the tail end of the party, but were at least able to go on a hayride, which is always a treat.

The H family invited us over on a beautiful evening for pumpkin carving and festivities.

Halloween night, we went to our friends' neighborhood for some yummy food, good friends, and illuminated trick-or-treating. (Our street is pitch black, the houses are far from each other and there are very few children. Our friends' street was way better!)

Neal and Pierce, sharing a snack before dusk.

Boo?

2011-10-31T11:30:00.003-05:00

I wonder if my kids will ever want to dress as something scary. I'm not going to promote it; I'll go for cute over spooky any day! Here are the kids in their Halloween 2011 costumes!

I made Audrey's owl costume after seeing a few different ideas on Pinterest. She loves it!

Parker is going as Josh Hamilton, number 32, the awesome outfielder from our American League Champion Texas Rangers!

And Miles, after going back and forth between Boba Fett and various other things, finally settled on Ian Kinsler, another one of our Texas Rangers aces. Ian wears his pants in the short style, so, of course, we had to be particular and do the same thing.

Happy Halloween!

Grateful Sunday

2011-10-30T21:30:00.003-05:00

Audrey and Parker working on their pumpkins at our friends' house this evening.

Today, I'm grateful for:

the things I learn at church. I was teaching Sharing Time today and had asked the children to share experiences regarding prayers being answered. Many of them related experiences that had happened to others, whether it was parents, older siblings, or other relatives and friends. This was great, though I had hoped for more stories about their own lives. But then I felt that I was being taught something: These young testimonies are based largely on the experiences of others, and if those faith-promoting stories had not been related to these children, they would have less on which to base their faith. Lesson of the day for me: Tell my children about MY faith-promoting experiences. They will remember them and learn from them until they gain their own.
fun friends who go out of their way to make others feel welcome and have fun. We were able to spend time with friends often this past week (World Series, Halloween parties), and I am grateful to know so many hospitable and happy families.
Face Time and my new iPhone. It's fun to pop in to the lives of my family any old time. Makes the miles shrink a bit.
sleep. We all were able to get a good, long night's sleep last night. It was awesome. I love my bed, but the best thing about Sundays is not having to wake up the children.

Grateful Sunday

2011-10-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

We had the best weekend with JJ, Emily and baby Nicholas. He is the sweetest, smiliest little guy. Miles is still baby crazy, and had so much fun with his little first cousin once removed! :) Just a glance Nicholas' way would send Miles into giggle fits. It was so cute. We miss you, Nicholas!

Today, I'm grateful for:

JJ and Emily's weekend visit. I'm happy anytime I get to wash the sheets in the guest room in preparation for visitors! The VanYperens came down from Kentucky to explore some job opportunities. We would love to have them close by, and are excited to see what develops.
a successful Primary Program today. My counselor, Chris, who wrote and produced the program, so to speak, has been having a rough time lately with family health problems, but she came through all weekend for the Primary. I am grateful for her strength, for the kids and their phenomenal singing, and for the beautiful spirit that attended us during the meeting. Hooray!
a rainstorm and cooler weather. Life is just easier when it's not 100 degrees outside.
healthy children. I am always so grateful that my kids are well. I'm pretty sure that one definite blessing I've experienced as a result of being Primary President is that my family is always able to attend church. I'm grateful for my kids' strong little bodies.

World Series

2011-10-20T13:27:00.002-05:00

Our Texas Rangers are in the World Series this year (second year in a row!) and so all sorts of baseball mayhem has been going on. The kids are staying up way too late, all they wear are red shirts and baseball caps, we are invited over for parties in the middle of the week, etc. Last night, we joined a group of friends to watch Game 1. It was all kinds of fun (until the Rangers lost)!

The kids went from watching the game and eating pizza one minute to running outside in the fields to play catch and climb trees in the dark the next minute. It was kid heaven.

I love how Parker has his eye on the game rather than the camera in this picture. A devoted fan, that boy.

Grateful Sunday

2011-10-16T18:53:00.002-05:00

Pumping up the bike tires before a Sunday evening ride.

This week has been busy and fast, but I am always so grateful for the weekends! What would we do without them?! Today, I'm grateful for:

a successful run-through or two of our Primary Program today. I think we'll be ready for next Sunday. Now I just have to figure out what to do with the two hours of Primary AFTER the program. Ah, it never ends. :)
good friends who are good examples.
people who put on school carnivals. So much work!
my little boys and their healthy bodies, which let them play baseball to their hearts' content. They are happiest tossing the ball around on that patch of green grass behind Neal in the photo.
the Texas Rangers, who are awesome and so very fun to watch. We can't wait for the World Series to begin. And when it's over, no matter the results, Parker will have a normal bedtime again. That will be nice, also.
a new printer. We started having issues with our old one and it's really hard to be Primary President without a printer. Even for one day, I found. I'm grateful for the means we have to go get a new one.
Julianne's blog and that she's writing again. I miss her so much and her posts are always so fresh and fun to read.

Grateful Sunday

2011-10-09T23:56:00.001-05:00

Miles was asked to play catcher in one of his games on Saturday. This is tee ball, so there are no pitches to catch, but you better believe this boy was taking his position seriously. We were loving it.

Neal and Miles watching Parker's game. Parker had an in-the-park home run and did an awesome job as catcher, stopping many a wayward ball from his teammates who were pitching.

Today, I'm grateful for:

rain! We had some on Saturday, and lots today. It is so refreshing, and so needed.
my wonderful Primary counselors (I say this a lot, I know), but this is crunch time for Primary. Our program is in two weeks and the end of the year is always very busy, with lots of transitions in callings and classes. Not to mention Priesthood Preview and Great to be Eight. I'm so happy to have capable, happy women to work with.
straight As all around on the report cards that came home on Friday. I'm grateful that my kids do well in school. We hope they'll have continued success in the years ahead.
a day off tomorrow! The kids can sleep in and we have some friends coming to play. It should be a great start to our week.

holiday

2011-10-07T13:03:00.000-05:00

We're starting off our three-day weekend right, with a half day for the kids! Neal works half days on Fridays, so he'll be home early and while we don't have any plans, I am pretty sure we'll all be in a great mood. We're going to be playing and watching lots of baseball this weekend. Parker has practice and a game, and Miles has a double header tomorrow! He is so thrilled. Not only that, but our awesome Texas Rangers will be playing for the American League Pennant starting tomorrow against the Tigers. We are all so glad it's not the Yankees!

Neal took the boys to one of the ALDS games against the Rays last week. They lost that one, but the boys had a blast. Hooray for the postseason and long weekends!

the everyday

2011-10-05T15:55:00.003-05:00

Since I've been working on my blog books, I've noticed a couple of things.

1. I used to blog about 18 times more than I do now.

2. I used to include posts about our everyday family life, and these posts have become really valuable to me. So, I'm striving to get back to that.

The other day, Miles and I went to eat lunch with Audrey. At her school, parents can eat with their students in a special courtyard. She was so glad that we finally came, she'd been asking for a few weeks. It was a beautiful day!

Every week day, Miles and I pick up Audrey and two of her friends at the Intermediate School, while Parker rides home from the Elementary School with a friend of mine. It has turned out to be a great system because neither mom is ever in a rush to get from one school to another. I usually read or chat with friends while we wait (about half an hour). Miles usually kills time by playing in the car, or in a neighboring car with some other little brothers.

Today is a typical Wednesday: Woke at 6:30, hugged Daddy goodbye and we were in the car and off to school 7:15, Miles and I came home and got him dressed and ready for school at 9, I exercised and went to the grocery store, came home, showered, and finished Audrey's owl costume while listening to conference talks I had missed, left again at 1:45 to pick up Miles and everyone else, home by 3:15. Audrey has Activity Days this afternoon (the boys and I stick around to help with the leaders' kids) and I'm going to attempt home made fried rice for dinner. Should be a quiet evening at home. Ah, Wednesday.

Grateful Sunday

2011-10-02T19:59:00.005-05:00

We made Trooper get in the wagon for a minute during our walk this evening. Silly dog.

Today, I'm grateful for:

General Conference Sunday. Saturdays are always still crazy, no matter how much we wish they weren't. But Sunday is nothing but relaxing. No primary to stress over, no boys to force into church clothes. Just pure ease. I'm grateful that my parents were able to be here with us this weekend. We have loved being together.
inspiring talks from our church leaders. I love to hear the messages they have prepared and find ways to be better. I was particularly inspired by President Monson, Elaine Dalton and Tad Callister's talks today.
a cool down. We are loving highs in the 80s.
a busy life. Although it can get crazy at times, I feel like I am living best when I have things to do. Idle hands are never a good thing.
Elliott and Mimi, who celebrate birthdays today. Happy Birthday to two of the best people I know!

cub scout

2011-09-28T20:11:00.004-05:00

Parker turned eight in April, right before the cub scouts took a summer break, so he's just now getting to be part of it all. Tonight was his first pack meeting. He earned his Bobcat and about a million belt loops.

Thanks to Audrey for snapping the picture!

Yes. Baseball again.

2011-09-26T21:28:00.000-05:00

Here in our town, they offer a Fall Baseball league for the kids. It's more instructional and laid back than the Spring. Far fewer kids play, and the whole atmosphere is just more relaxed. Our boys wouldn't miss it for anything. Miles is on the Padres this year, with some of his buddies from the Angels Spring team.

For Miles, there is nothing better than being completely outfitted in a new uniform. It is the highlight of his week when we gets to get dressed for his game on Saturday.

Look at those eyes on the ball! I love this shot.

Post game snacks, and proof that Miles is still small. He sits in a five point car seat still. Mama's preference.

This is Parker's first season in kid pitch. He's on the Dodgers and had a great game on Saturday. He is quickly becoming very valuable at second base.

Audrey brought her friend, Julia, along to the fields on Saturday. There is a small waterway behind the complex, where these two disappeared to for a couple of hours. They emerged with fossils (seriously), tons of shells and really dirty legs. We came home and cleaned them up, then they had a "late-over" until 10ish. They are two peas in a pod, we are so grateful that they have each other!

Back to normal

2011-09-19T08:23:00.002-05:00

We spent last week readjusting to school-ruled life. It felt like we were gone for so long and I started getting stressed out toward the end of our trip that my kids were missing so much school! But they jumped right back in and seem to be fine.

We had Trooper groomed last week and they put a bandana on his neck. The kids thought it was so cute, our little cowboy dog.

Grateful Sunday

2011-09-18T19:53:00.004-05:00

It's below 100 degrees, so we take walks now.

This week has been nice. It's been good to settle back down into school and life and everything. I think we all needed a weekend to rest up. (Friday was rough for just about everybody.) Today, I'm grateful for:

the rain that fell for a few hours on Friday. We're under tight water restrictions and the sun has gotten to be such a bore after months of daily scorching. Everything needed rain: people, plants, cars, streets. It was happy and everyone in town suddenly brightened up. It's almost as though we know life can continue and things will one day be normal again because rain is still possible! I have a completely different view of drought now that I read The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. It was such a great book, it makes you thirsty just reading it. The people were so desperate for water that they sent dynamite up into the clouds thinking they could summon the rain via explosion. It is a wonder that anyone stayed in that part of the country through such a trial, and how their own actions created the problem in the first place. They were some tough and stubborn folks. Surely our drought isn't as bad, but it's pretty disheartening to live in a place so accustomed to rain when it isn't receiving any. Long story short: we were grateful and chipper in the downpour on Friday.
my wonderful Primary counselors. They have really taken care of things so well since I have been gone and my secretary had a baby. I am grateful for such conscientious ladies and I am grateful that the Lord provided them to be my comrades in Primary!
Miles' great preschool teachers. He only went to school twice before we left for England, but bringing him back last Tuesday, you would have thought they'd known him for years. They were so excited that he was back, and have formed such a bond with him. I am grateful that people like that exist. People who can get excited about seeing 15 five-year-olds every morning for months and months. They have a special place in my heart.

last day

2011-09-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

The hotel we stayed in was more like an apartment, which was great. We had a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. (The washer and dryer were the same machine; I felt like I was living in the future. Did you know they made those? Washer AND dryer in one? I was amazed.) Anyway, we had run out of milk and cereal by this, our last full day in London, so we ran to the corner patisserie (Etoile) for breakfast. Delicious.

Then we hopped on another train out to The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, southwest of Central London, and another rather long tube ride away!

The weather was perfect for slow strolling and plant-examining. Audrey picked up a kids' guide book that had all sorts of plants to find. She found them. All.

The Temperate House

Audrey and me, in front of The Palm House

Beautiful scene in The Water Lily House

Cloudy skies. Around lunch time, we found a great kids' playground and had to drag the kids away after an hour. I don't know how they possibly had any energy left. I fell asleep for a moment on one of the benches while they played. Neal had gone to the Bonsai House and I was awoken by a little English girl saying, "mummy, that lady is sleeping!"

After returning to the city, we ate at a fun sushi place inside Whiteley's, a mall right there on Bayswater and Porchester Gardens. We spent the rest of the night packing up and booking a taxi for the morning. We left the city bright and early (I love leaving when the city is empty) and flew home all day long.

I am so grateful we were able to take this trip. Although it was a little stressful taking the kids out of school and stepping out of our lives for what seemed like weeks, it was such a memorable trip and I think my kids learned so much. Next time we visit England, we'll skip London and just see the countryside, perhaps make our way to Wales and Scotland (castles! lochs!). I can't wait to go back.

The Tower

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

The next morning, we headed out early on the Underground, all the way to Tower Hill (our longest tube ride yet). The Tower of London could take days to see, we tried to do it all in one day. It was so fun!

We caught a guided Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) tour from Bob. He was great fun.

Saw the Crown Jewels and lots of armor.

Became involved in a crazy show put on by actors on the premises.

Found some of the famous ravens.

And found an empty guard house.

We left the Tower and started walking down the river a bit to get a good view of Tower Bridge, then hopped on the tube to St. Paul's. Unfortunately, we got there just as Evensong was beginning (which meant the cathedral was closed to visitors). We sat there, taking it all in during the service, and then shuffled out. We hopped on the subway back to Marble Arch, hoping to see someone interesting at Speakers' Corner, but it was empty. So we meandered through Hyde Park, along the Serpentine Lake, until we found a playground.

And this pretty little cottage. We dined at a delicious Indian restaurant near Lancaster Gate before taking the back way home to our hotel.

London, day 3!

2011-09-13T09:46:00.000-05:00

The next day was super busy. We had tickets to tour Buckingham Palace and to see the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress, which is on display for a short time. We weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the palace, so here is one of the kids in the palace's back yard, after our tour, some coloring in the children's activity room, and some yummy treats.

And in front of the entry gates.

Miles got to see his first guard. He loved these guys!

We walked from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. Neal and I listened to the audio tour while the kids did a sort of scavenger hunt activity. The Abbey Shop gives you a piece of chocolate if you complete the activity. That was motivation enough for them!

Parker in the cloisters. From the Abbey, we went just steps away to see the Houses of Parliament and the famous clock tower.

For some reason, it was really hard to get a good picture of us with Big Ben! We grabbed some sandwiches from a corner shop and made our way up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. We ate on the steps overlooking the fountains. We found a fun street performer and then began our visit to the National Gallery.

I snapped a couple of photos of the kids doing another audio tour for children. They loved every minute of it! I think they were the only children in the museum that day (there was a major lack of children all over London, we soon realized). They would eagerly search out the paintings listed in their activity guide and listen intently to each painting's description. I was so proud, I must say. We let them pick out postcards of their favorite paintings in the shop at the end. The boys chose the same one (for skull purposes).

Steps away from the National Gallery is The Texas Embassy, now a restaurant, but once upon a time, there really was a Texas Embassy in London! The food is pretty lousy, but we just had to go anyway.

We ended the night with a quick stroll through Covent Garden (not really a great place for kids after dark), and a subway ride up to King's Cross Station to find the way to Hogwarts. A big day in the big city, but the kids were such troopers!

London Sightseeing

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Monday morning, most of our family left town, and we hopped on the "Oxford Tube" to Central London. It let us off at Notting Hill Gate, my old stomping grounds from when I was on Study Abroad with BYU.

We walked down Queensway a bit until we reached Palace Court and found number 27, where I lived for a couple of months, all those years ago. It was really strange to be standing outside the place where I lived, back when Neal was just my boyfriend and three red-haired children had not even entered the picture. Yet, here I was, in that very same place with those three precious kids and my husband taking the photo. Life is amazing.

Once we checked into our hotel (Space Apart Hotel, on Kensington Gardens Square; perfect!), we took off across Hyde Park, past Kensington Palace (construction!) to get to the Natural History Museum. It was amazing, the kids loved it, especially Audrey. She is a very thorough museum-goer. Must see and read every little thing.

There is a life-size model of a Blue Whale, which is incredible.

The boys, on the way up to the Earth Science floor, where they have an earthquake simulator, among other cool things.

The next morning, we set off into Notting Hill to find the 1871 home of my great-great-great grandpa, Thomas Smith. The house is at 150 Kensington Park Road, which is just off of Portobello Road, and a nice little morning walk from our hotel. Best part of it is that it still exists! Several of the other ancestral addresses we were interested in finding are now the homes of ugly, modern buildings. We then waited for Toni and Julianne to arrive (Toni chose to celebrate his birthday with us in London!), then we headed off to Abbey Road!

At the tube stop.

I had never been to this part of London; I always assumed it was too far away, but it wasn't at all! Fun to see in real life. I love to check in on this Abbey Road webcam every so often. It will crack you up to see all the silly people walking across this street.

More fun shots on the Underground, with Toni and Julianne.

The kids loved seeing the Rosetta Stone in real life, too. And the unwrapped mummy won't be forgotten, either.

We walked with Toni and Julianne down to Leicester Square (more construction! The Olympics begin less than one year from now and London is under remodel), and then to Piccadilly Circus before landing at a yummy Italian place near Oxford Circus for dinner. We separated when we hopped off the Circle Line train one stop before they did, and they headed back to Oxford. What a fun day!

Blenheim and more Oxford

2011-09-12T09:27:00.001-05:00

Between the wedding and the dinner that evening, we took a short bus trip out to Blenheim Palace and Woodstock, a charming little village just outside of Oxford. Blenheim is an amazing place, the last time I was there with Stephanie in 1998 and we had fun taking photos on the grounds. I don't think I've ever been inside this huge home, built for the Duke of Marlborough in the 1720s. Over a hundred years later, Winston Churchill, a relative of one of the Dukes, was born here. The grounds are entertainment enough, we had a lovely visit.

Audrey in the Rose Garden.

On the way out the gate to Woodstock.

The next day was Sunday, and after a small sacrament meeting that we were able to have in the Oxford chapel (the Oxford ward had Stake Conference in Reading that day), we met up with Toni's family again. We had lunch at the Vaults and Gardens Cafe (downstairs from the wedding dinner), and went to Evensong services at Christ Church Cathedral.

I loved the moss growing in the letters on this epitaph, outside the cafe.

We played a little bit of catch near the river by our house, and Miles became super attached to his fun Uncle Matthew.

This ancient house on Ship Street in Oxford captivated us every time we walked by.

You're not allowed on the grass within the colleges. We liked to tempt fate.

Wedding!

2011-09-12T08:42:00.000-05:00

We went to England to see my youngest sister, Julianne, marry her sweetheart, Toni, a delightful German man whom she has been dating for a few years. I remember the night she met him; she called me all the way from Oxford to tell me about how amazing he was. They are both back in Oxford to earn their Doctorate degrees, and so here they were, exchanging rings just steps from where they met, after years of living in separate countries. It was magical.

Stephanie, Audrey and I left our little rental house to meet Julianne and my mom at their hotel near the chapel. We needed to help the bride get ready. Audrey tied the rings on the pillow Stephanie made.

Stephanie worked her magic on Julianne's hair.

My mom fastened up the dress.

Last minute touch-ups before Toni came upstairs.

We walked over to Exeter College Chapel to wait for the other guests.

Parker's job was to hand out programs to arriving guests. Here, he gives one to Toni's sister, Steffi.

Miles was the ring-bearer.

And Audrey carried a traditional German wedding candle to the front of the chapel during the ceremony.

Julianne and Toni walking down the aisle.

This Instagram photo that Stephanie took is my favorite one of the day.

Me, with the happy couple, moments after the ceremony!

Miles, with Father Simon, who, along with my dad, officiated in the ceremony. He was delightful and sweet. And we're partial to gingers, as we all know.

After the ceremony, we walked over to the Rector's Garden for tea. This food was amazing. One of my first tasks now that I'm home is to see if they sell clotted cream at Central Market. Surely . . .

The day was beautiful; we couldn't have asked for better weather.

Audrey can always be found examining nature.

Boys will be boys. Even in linen suits in a pretty garden.

Sweet moment between Julianne and my dad.

Me, Julianne, and Stephanie

My siblings and our new brother-in-law. I think it's so funny how all the boys are the same size and all the girls are the same size. We all match so well. :)

Aren't they beautiful together?

Julianne's dress was originally made and worn around 1910. We were amazed at its perfection. Not only did it fit her like it was made for her, but it is in impeccable condition!

That evening, we had a lovely dinner with the wedding guests in the Old Library on Radcliffe Square. I couldn't get over all the beauty of these venues. Oxford can not be beat in the historical, romantic atmosphere.

Me and Neal, enjoying the evening.

England, Getting There.

2011-09-12T06:30:00.003-05:00

We are back and had the trip of a lifetime! I'm going to start at the beginning, get ready for some lot of posts, as Audrey used to say!

We flew from Dallas to Boston, and met some of my siblings along the way. Lincoln was waiting for us in Dallas, and Matthew in Boston!

We found the perfect shirt for Audrey's trip!

Recharging in Boston.

Once we arrived in England, we took a bus from Heathrow to Oxford. We were beat!

We met up with my parents and met Toni's family for the first time. Of course they were all wonderful and spoke incredible English!

We saw some of the sights and tried to keep ourselves awake until bedtime. Here are the kids in the Exeter College Quadrangle.

Julianne and her new, fancy bike.

We took a long walk through Christ Church Meadow. It was lovely, one of the only sunny days during our trip. (We prefer the clouds.)

Oxford from the meadow.

We were quite a crew.

Next, we all stopped by Toni and Julianne's new flat. It was adorable and teeny. And very neat.

Dinner at a nearby pub, The Head of the River.

Boys in a phone booth.

The Radcliffe Camera. So pretty.

The garden (yard) behind our rental house.

The house we rented, at 4 Upper Fisher Row. Within a ten minute walk of all we did in Oxford!

Grateful Sunday

2011-09-11T21:43:00.002-05:00

Members of our ward were part of a project in our town to place flags near city hall to commemorate September 11th. We were flying home and weren't able to help, but we went to visit the display this evening. We told our kids about that day and tried to explain why those people did what they did. I still can't believe something so horrible happened to so many families. It breaks my heart to think of their years of sorrow and the pain they must relive each year on this day. I'm glad Neal was able to tell the kids about it as we walked amongst the flags. I was too choked up.

Today, I'm grateful for:

this beautiful country that we call home. England is magical and amazing and I love it. But I am so proud to be American, and feel so fortunate to live my life here, when it could have been so different elsewhere.
my faith in a God that knows our sorrows and hears our prayers. It gives me so much hope knowing that He is aware of our small lives.
a safe trip to England and a smooth trip home. I'm grateful for the friends who gave us airport rides and for our friends who stayed in our house while we were gone. My plants look amazing and our house was spotless and welcoming when we got home yesterday. It was nice to know our house wasn't empty while we were away!
my kids' teachers, who went out of their way to prepare work for my kids to complete since they missed five days of school. My kids are blessed with wonderful teachers this year, hooray!
a beautiful testimony meeting with my family last Sunday in Oxford. The ward there had Stake Conference over an hour away, so we had our own little service in the Oxford Ward building. There were a few visitors as well, and the Spirit was very strongly felt. I'm so grateful to be part of such a wonderful, gentle, and loving family.
my counselor, Chris, for getting a great Primary Program down on paper. A few finishing touches and we should be ready for the hard part: the seating assignments!

Grateful Sunday

2011-08-28T19:59:00.001-05:00

photographing the five new geckos Neal procured on Saturday

This has been a great week, it seemed so long, but I think it's just because our hours were longer since school started. I'm grateful for:

my kids' teachers. Parker was assigned to the one teacher I prayed he would get. When she called to tell me Parker was in her class, I was beyond excited and immediately so grateful that my prayers were answered! She is the teacher Audrey had for third grade and I think she's wonderful. Also, when I went to tell Audrey's new teachers that she would be missing a week of school for our England trip, they were very understanding and excited for Audrey. Love teachers like that!
Neal, for understanding how important it is to me to be there for Julianne's wedding, and that he agreed that our whole family should go. I am so grateful for a supportive and willing husband. It's not easy for him to take this much time away from work, and I know that he is doing it partly because he knows it will make me happy.
Julianne, for arranging our lodging in Oxford and for helping us with planning in general.
new friends here in our ward. We have had about 15 families move into our ward this summer. Up from 2 families last summer, it has been so exciting to meet people from all over the place and to welcome their kids into our primary.
Stephanie, who celebrated her birthday on Saturday. I am so grateful that I was blessed with a sister like her, and so close to my age. Sisters are truly the best kind of friends.

lunch with the brothers

2011-08-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

First Day of School

2011-08-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

We had an exciting morning, getting everyone off to school today! Audrey is now in fifth grade, and so she attends a different school. (Intermediate school in our area is for fifth and sixth graders.) Neal took her over to the big new campus bright and early (tardy bell rings at 7:45!). We then took Parker to third grade at the local elementary school. He got a great teacher (I'm so relieved), and we hope they both have a wonderful first day!

They get closer and closer to being the same size every year. Audrey has slowed down and Parker is speeding up!

Neal didn't have a patient until 9:30, so he and I were able to go out to breakfast with Miles. Although he turned five this summer, we are waiting one more year to put him in Kindergarten. I am so glad every day that we made that decision. He starts his Pre-K class next Tuesday.

Love this little guy.

Last Day of Summer

2011-08-22T09:34:00.001-05:00

By the end of August, we are all pretty much finished with the heat of summer. This summer has been particularly hot and unusually dry, and we are ready to cool off! On one of the last days of summer, when we are all tired of swimming and being in the sun, our friends here in Keller traditionally plan an ice-skating party. It's the perfect way to cool down and have one last day of fun with friends!

Miles isn't much for ice-skating, or, rather, I'm not much for trying to help him ice skate, so we went to Build-a-Bear instead. Way more fun for both of us! He had never been before; this is his new best buddy, Josh.

Parker and his friend, Matthew.

Audrey skating.

Grateful Sunday

2011-08-21T19:56:00.001-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for:

my beautiful blog book, which I finally got around to publishing! The book represents just the first year of my blog, but reading through it all has made me so grateful for this medium of family memory-recording. I can't wait to have all the years lined up on a shelf.
A beautiful, educational, and uplifting experience attending Stake Conference yesterday and today. I am grateful for the leaders here in our area, they are wonderful.
Neal, and his worthiness to hold the priesthood. He was able to bless our children individually tonight as they begin a new school year tomorrow. The Spirit that we felt brought peace to our somewhat anxious minds!
my mom, who celebrates a birthday tomorrow. I'm so grateful for the mother she was to me and for all that she taught me and continues to teach me. Her example and love are invaluable to me.

Ballpark Tour

2011-08-16T12:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, we surprised Miles with a tour of the Rangers Ballpark the day before his birthday. It was awesome!

press conference

Batting helmets, behind the dugout.

In the press box

Motivation. The Mental Toughness sign is in the batting cages and the lucky horseshoe is above the drinking fountain in the dugout.

Neal making a call to the bullpen.

In the dugout.

Trying on an ALCS ring that the front office lady let us wear. Nolan Ryan gave it to her, and it's all real diamonds! Super cool.

pin face

2011-08-15T06:38:00.000-05:00

Jackson and Parker playing with one of Miles' gifts. It was such a hit!

Party Time

2011-08-14T20:38:00.000-05:00

Miles had a handful of buddies over on Saturday to celebrate his birthday. We played baseball, went swimming, and ate hot dogs. All things little boys love. It was perfect!

Simon, Miles, Dillon, Joseph, Collin and Rhett

Grateful Sunday

2011-08-14T10:47:00.000-05:00

Miles and Gail blowing out birthday candles last night. Happy Birthday!

This has been a great week, though we are all simultaneously dreading and excitedly awaiting the beginning of school on the 22nd! This next week is our last week of summer; we plan to live it up! Today, I'm grateful for:

time spent with family. We had a fun weekend, touring the Rangers Ballpark together, planning for Miles' birthday party, and going out to dinner with Daddy Jeff, Gail, Jeff, Patience, Jackson and Caroline. Family is what it's all about, and I'm so thankful for mine.
a great ward. We feel so blessed to live where we do and to be so involved with our church family. There are amazing people here in K2!
answers to prayers. After fasting and praying for rain last Sunday, we received rain this week and my good friend received great news about her health from her doctors. I am so grateful that God hears and answers our prayers!
time spent reading the scriptures. We have read the scriptures as a family every single night this year. I know that our diligence has brought us blessings; we plan to finish the Book of Mormon before the year is over! Just have to stay on schedule!
our upcoming trip to England. I am getting so excited to be there with Julianne and Toni and my family and then to show my kids all the greatness that is England! I think that once school starts, I'll feel more ready for the trip. I can only prepare for one major thing at a time, I am learning!

five pounds

2011-08-13T08:14:00.000-05:00

I'll never get over the miracle of a newborn baby. It's so amazing to think that they come to this earth in such a complete little body, and that a whole person can weigh only five pounds. Five years ago today, teeny little Miles came into our family. He was and is one of the most precious things in my life and I thank my Heavenly Father every day for such an endearing little boy.

Happy Birthday to my little Moe!

energy levels

2011-08-12T09:32:00.001-05:00

Last night, Miles fell asleep around 7:00: on the couch, watching a cooking show with me. He hadn't been feeling great all evening, and I slowly moved him to his bed. We have to get him better before his birthday party on Saturday! Parker and Audrey, on the other hand, had a major burst of energy, and when that happens around here, you get sent outside. Trooper is always happy to have playmates; and with the lack of rain, our mosquito population is significantly diminished this year. One perk of the drought! Twilight trampoline jumping has never been so fun and bug-free!

Grateful Sunday

2011-08-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

The boys engaging in a Lego Star Wars battle before church this morning.

Today, I'm grateful for:

my health and the health of my family. My good friend is going through some health issues right now, and it is so hard to see her and her family deal with the hand they've been given. I hope that I can be the helpful friend I want to be. As I visited with her in the hospital tonight, I left with a sense of gratitude for my own body, what it is capable of, and the health I enjoy. I hope and pray for her quick recovery; it's so hard for a mama to be sick!
my family and their visit with us. Although I have been left with somewhat of a sad face since my family departed, it was so fun to have them here. I wish more than anything that we had more family close by. We plan on staying here permanently, and, as much as I love where we live, there is always something missing. I'm so happy for Stephanie and Elliott's families, that they get to be close together. (I won't go into detail regarding my jealousy.)
the Spirit that I was able to feel this weekend. A young girl from our ward was baptized in a beautiful service yesterday, and church today was really fulfilling as well. I am so grateful that I get to work with the children in my church calling. I know that Jesus loves them and has a special place in His heart for little ones. It is easy for me to see why as I spend more and more time with them.
my blog. I have been working on publishing the first year of my blog into a book this weekend. It's taking hours, but reading through the posts from 2006 has made me so grateful that I started this record in the first place.

cousins and a hurt toe

2011-08-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun last weekend when Elliott, Ginger, Andrew, Ethan, Emma, Sophie, Henry and my parents were all here visiting! Elliott's family was en route to Arizona to their new home, and Bramma and Pa were assisting the move, and driving one of the cars. The kids had a blast. Eight of the nine slept in the boys' room, and during the day, they had fun with toys and each other. We played games and Beatles Rock Band,

watched Mr. Bean, and did a lot of swimming.

Sunday afternoon, Neal accidentally dropped a knife right onto his toe, and had to go to the Emergency Room. My dad graciously took him in the new Beemer. I snapped a photo so you could see the boot and the car!

Baby Henry was everyone's favorite part of the visit. He is so cheerful and perfect.

Having Henry in the pool was so fun!

Miles loved having him in the tubby, too.

We love to have visitors, and wish you all were closer. It was sad when they left and we were back to just our little selves again. :(

fun with friends

2011-07-28T11:28:00.001-05:00

Our friends from Houston and Amarillo came to Dallas to meet halfway, and we were so excited to be their meeting place! We had fun at a water park, and the new Legoland Discovery Center. Audrey got to spend a night with the girls at the hotel, and the boys got to spend time fighting with Nerf guns and swimming. Pretty much all of these are Rebecca's pictures. Thanks, Rebecca!

Raegan, Audrey and Callie, reading their new wolf books at the hotel.

Raegan, Callie, Audrey and Sydney at Hawaiian Falls.

Cater, Miles, Parker and Luke

The crew.

Miles and Parker with the Rangers Ballpark replica at Legoland.

Miles built his own little car to race.

4D movies at Legoland!

Thanks for coming, Melanie, Rebecca and kids! Let's do it again sometime!

Grateful Sunday

2011-07-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

This has been a busy week, but all good things, so no complaints here. Today I'm grateful for:

my nice neighbor who picked my phone, book and sunscreen up off the road when I drove away with them on my back bumper. I am a complete scatterbrain sometimes and leave things there. He held on to my stuff until I realized it was gone and called my own phone. Thanks, Neighbor Mark!
the way things worked out with the car we almost bought. It is a long story, but it involves a 4-hour wait, a shady salesman (surprise, surprise), undisclosed hail damage, and the sales manager buying Neal's dinner that evening because he felt so bad about what happened. End of the story as of today, Neal still has to drive his Honda to work tomorrow. With no AC. Weather forecast: 105. (Note: the AC is fixable, but we have determined to just junk the car, as this is one of many problems, and not fix it. Hence the car-shopping.)
The happy coincidences that resulted in Miles having a swimming lesson last week and this week from our friendly neighborhood home teacher/lifeguard. He's improved his swimming confidence already.
fun friends (and babysitter) who were understanding when Neal and I returned home about an hour after we had asked them to come over for a BBQ and swim. We were car shopping all over the metroplex.
new families at church. We have several new helpers in Primary and almost all of them have moved in since summer began. I'm thankful that we live in an area that people are coming to more than they are leaving. (But some do leave, and we miss them!)
Fun plans for the weeks ahead. We have friends in town from Houston and Amarillo this week, and we are going to have a great time! A few days after they leave, we have Elliott's whole family coming to see us. Bonus = my mom and dad are coming, too! Hooray for our central location!
my knowledge that we are children of a loving and knowing God. The tragedies in Norway this past week are so hard to understand. It breaks my heart to think of all the families who are suffering after such an unexpected loss. I am grateful to know that our Heavenly Father is aware of our suffering, and, though the doesn't always remove it from us, He does love us through it and after it in immeasurable ways. I pray that those families can find some peace, and will hug my kids tighter knowing how blessed we are to be spared such tragedy.

girlies

2011-07-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

Audrey's friend, Callie, is visiting this week from Amarillo. These two are having so much fun! Crafting, swimming, talking, loving on Trooper, playing with all their stuffed animals, laying around in Audrey's room with the door closed like they're teenagers, etc, etc.

Grateful Sunday

2011-07-17T19:43:00.000-05:00

The kids swimming with our friends, the Walker boys, at their house last night. Good times!

This has been a great week. Today I'm grateful for:

fun camps for all of the kids. Miles was at a two-hour sports camp for most of the week and Audrey and Parker went to Camp Invention, which was a hit! They had long, school-like hours, but they had a great time and I liked knowing that their brains were getting some exercise. And I got a few hours to run errands here and there!
helpful people at church. I am indebted to several people who stepped in or supported our Primary in some way today. I am so blessed to be in the ward we are in.
our England trip coming up. I'm so excited to spend time with my parents and siblings, and to celebrate with Julianne and Toni. And after today, I feel much more secure about it. I booked our hotel in London and have made a preliminary itinerary. Now I just need good walking shoes for the kids!
my new fitness regimen. I joined a little fitness club close by (and on the route home from fall preschool), and have really loved the way it's making me feel. Listening to audiobooks has helped pass the time on the treadmill . . . I might be able to get used to this!

Miles is funny.

2011-07-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

Miles went to a sports camp this morning at the local rec center. They played a little bit of everything, and when I picked him up, I asked if they played baseball. He said, very matter-of-factly,

"Ya. I killed it."

He doesn't lack confidence. He probably did whack it pretty good though. He couldn't believe they let them use a wooden bat with a whiffle ball. Such a treat.

Grateful Sunday

2011-07-10T19:43:00.001-05:00

Miles, a few weeks ago.

One of our first full weeks home of the summer, and it's good to relax a bit. Today, I'm grateful for:

family, I just wish they weren't all so far away.
friends. I have a few friends who have recently received some difficult news, or are going through really hard times, and I hope that I can be there for them in the coming months and weeks. I know that I am grateful for friends who step in and help without being asked (or often thanked). I hope I can be that kind of friend, too.
our car, for plugging along up to Nebraska and back, with 130,000 miles under its belt.
Skype! I had fun chatting with my parents tonight. Skype makes the miles disappear. :)
air conditioning. I just checked the forecast and it's not supposed to be under 102 for the next seven days. Sigh. Summer can be so draining sometimes!
a new gym, which I signed up for last week. It's called Koko Fit Club, and I'm hoping their little system will keep me motivated. Because nothing else will!
a sweet testimony borne by one of Audrey's friends in Primary today. We were talking about the beautiful doctrine that is Eternal Families.

Fun at the Ranch

2011-07-06T09:23:00.001-05:00

Neal's dad has a ranch in North Central Nebraska, very far from anything, and it's a great place to have a family reunion. We had such a fun weekend, spending time with the cousins and relaxing on the prairie. Neal's brother, Jeff, captured this pretty picture of the landscape. Most of these pictures are Jeff's, in fact. Thanks, Jeff!

Miles and Parker on the porch.

A new addition this year was the ping pong table. It was a hit!

Miles and Tucker have the same stuffed kitties. So they played with them non-stop!

Baseball game in the field.

Lots of chatting and relaxing on the porch.

The North Loup River runs through the front of the property. It's a fun place to play and look for wildlife.

Audrey and Emmaline.

The Kubota is always a big hit. Kids pile in and other kids drive them home!

Daddy Jeff built three sets of bunk beds for this "bunk room" downstairs. The kids loved it!

Family shots in our reunion t-shirts! Cows!

All of the cousins who could attend on the water trough. Many were missing, and we missed them!

I just love this picture, Neal is scoring a run while Walker and Caroline play behind him. Good times, Nebraska! Until next time!

more from last week

2011-06-27T10:24:00.000-05:00

A few more photos from last week . . .

On Saturday, we attended the annual Riddlesperger reunion in Athens, Texas. Ella May Riddlesperger was Neal's great grandmother (his father's maternal grandmother), and these folks are descendants also. They all came from the Christian Riddlesperger (or Rhetesperger) line, which originated in Salzburg, Austria. Christian emigrated to the US (South Carolina) in the late 1600s. We saw Neal's Great Aunt Zilla, who is still quilting away at 94. She is amazing.

Last week, we also attended Autograph Night at the Rangers Game. The kids got autographs from three players, which was super exciting.

We took a couple of Parker's (large) friends to the game with us. Here we are with the Silver Boot, which the Rangers hope to earn by winning the best of 6 games against the Astros in the Lone Star Series, which resumes tomorrow!

Parker showing his stuff in the Sports Park.

Grateful Sunday

2011-06-26T23:32:00.000-05:00

Rally caps at the Rangers v. Astros game. Unfortunately, the caps didn't come through. We lost.

Today, I'm grateful for:

the promptings of the Spirit. I know that the Holy Ghost is a real part of my life and the lives of those whom I love. This has been proven to me several times this week. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to listen to the Holy Ghost.
the Priesthood, and the worthy men I know who bear it and use it.
the love of extended family. Neal's family has gone through some heart ache this week, as a friend of his brother's lost a child. I am grateful to be part of a family who supports and loves each other, especially during the rough patches.
my calling. It is a vital part of my life and I am grateful that I can serve in this way right now.
my kids. For being awesome, even though their favorite summer past time is arguing with each other about meaningless things. I forgot about that until summer started. But we are working on it, and I hope that by the end of the summer, they'll remember how much they love each other.
happy progress in the lives of people I love. Katie expanded her business and it looks like Elliott and Ginger have sold their house. I'm so happy for their happiness.

Lucky Duck

2011-06-21T13:26:00.000-05:00

Parker has been attending a Texas Rangers Baseball Camp this week. He's having so much fun. They meet each morning at the Youth Ballpark, a mini version of the big ballpark across the street. So far, they've gotten to use the Rangers' batting cages and meet a player. Awesomeness.

Parker with Rangers outfielder, Craig Gentry.

He told us today that, during a scrimmage game, he had an in-the-park grand slam! Now we're wishing we stuck around all four hours instead of going home!

Grateful Sunday

2011-06-19T19:15:00.000-05:00

My dad and me in the snow, probably in Lake Arrowhead, circa 1980.

It's good to be home. Today, I'm grateful that:

I grew up with a loving, happy, gentle father. My dad is wonderful, and he is the best grandpa to my kids. I feel so blessed that he is a part of our lives and that business often brings him to Dallas! Love you, Dad! Happy Father's Day!
Audrey and I had haircuts before our trip. We both lopped off about four inches, and the minute I realized we would be showering outside with very little in the way of shampoo, I was grateful that we had less hair to deal with!
Neal speaks Spanish. It was so fun to hear him use his Spanish so much. You get such a different feel from a country when it's easy to communicate with the people. The kids and I picked up a little bit, too. Neal would have us practice when we were ordering food. They've been saying Hola and Adios and Gracias and Me Gusto! and Pura Vida! since we got home. :) I loved opening up their mind to a new culture and a new country. Hopefully it is the first of many such trips!
Neal's new iPhone. So maybe I had a little too much fun secretly getting it all set up for him last night. He has a new phone number. Let me know if you need it!
our ward is so great. The Primary organized a Pie Buffet for all of the dads today. We had the Senior Primary kids help greet and serve pie to the dads of the ward, and the Relief Society majorly came through with dozens of pies. I love our ward family!

Costa Rica VII

2011-06-18T19:38:00.001-05:00

Our last adventure of the trip was zip-lining at Los Lagos. It was so much fun, and we were so glad that the entire family got to go! We couldn't guarantee that Miles would be able, but since he is almost five, they let him go (with a guide, of course). At times, we were 200 feet from the ground, high in the canopy. The last two cables went right over the hotel grounds. So fun!

Here we are learning the safety rules. And then off we went!

Costa Rica was incredible. I'm glad we did our research and planned ahead for the climate, etc. Here are the things I'd tell you if you were planning a trip there!

Bring as little as possible. Since we flew on those small airplanes, our luggage restrictions were tight. We had only carry-ons, and had 5 pieces for our entire family. We each brought only two pairs of shoes (flip flops and Keens, which are a must). Two pairs of shoes for nine days was hard for me, but I did it! Nothing fancy is needed in Costa Rica. No hair dryers, jewelry or anything like that. Swimsuits, shorts, tee shirts and a rain poncho are all you need. The only time I wish I had checked baggage was when they confiscated all of our sand and shells that we had collected. Sad. They also took away all of our sunscreen and bug spray that we had packed. We should have just planned on buying it there.
Get used to bugs and being dirty and wet. There are going to be bugs and creepy crawlies all over the place, and I never really felt clean the whole trip due to the humidity and heat. This was hard for me, but Neal was good at reminding me that the bugs weren't there because of dirt or filth (like they would be here). It was just the nature of the environment. We were, by no means, roughing it, but this was also not your run-of-the-mill tropical vacation.
Learn some Spanish. I was so glad that Neal could communicate with the people. We learned so much more about the country because he could chat with the locals. The people in Costa Rica are incredible, they are very happy and helpful, the food is delicious, and every single bathroom was spotless! I was so impressed. The kids picked up a few Spanish phrases and now have an impetus to learn a language!
Don't just go to a fancy resort. You can sit by a pool in Mexico or Hawaii. If you're going to go to Costa Rica, try to make the trip more authentic by getting out of your comfort zone a little bit. Get into the rainforest, drive through a river. I'm so glad we did!
Don't bring toddlers or babies to Costa Rica. Miles is almost five and I wouldn't bring anyone younger than that on a trip like this. Also, there are many five-year-olds I wouldn't bring, either! Our kids had to entertain themselves with very little a lot of the time. We spent most of our time outside, and the kids never complained. The hikes were hard at times, the ants were biting, etc. In other words, your kids need to have a good attitude or you'll wish you'd left them at home.
The only thing I'd do different next time would be to bring a little bit of laundry detergent (for hand-washing clothes).

Costa Rica VI

2011-06-18T12:59:00.000-05:00

Oh yes, the posts just keep on coming! One of those days last week, (we never knew what day it was), we flew away from Bosque del Cabo (sadly), and back to San Jose. This flight was even scarier than the other one. I was content to die on a small plane in Central America, as long as we were all together!

Here we are in the "airport" in Puerto Jimenez.

And boarding our plane. The town graveyard is just behind that little white wall. Reassuring.

We arrived back in San Jose, where we rented a car. (This is where Neal's Spanish came in super handy.) We drove to Arenal, a large, active volcano northwest of San Jose. It took us almost three hours to get there, on super curvy roads through very small villages. For those of you familiar, imagine driving up the Sundance road for 80 miles. Yes, this was our drive. We arrived at our resort, Los Lagos, which was definitely more of a resort than our previous lodgings. Tourists everywhere; it felt a bit like Disneyland after the authenticity that was Bosque! Arenal and La Fortuna (the town nearby) are famous for the hot springs. People come from all over to bathe in the pools, heated by the volcano, which is very close by. (That's it, behind the kids. It cleared up later.)

Hot springs and water slides!

Really large volcano with smoke coming out the top! There was a large eruption here in 1968, and there have been several smaller instances ever since. There is always something coming from the volcano, though it has been rather quiet for seven months, we learned from a guide later.

We went into town (La Fortuna) for dinner. Here, the volcano looms large.

The next morning, we visited the National Park at the volcano. We thought this sign was fun until later in the tour, when we were on the volcanic rocks and our guide told us about tourists that had gone a little too high up on the volcano, and had very bad timing (a small eruption occurred and a few of them perished). This is a dangerous place.

Navigating the rocks which were once ejected from the volcano, to come to rest here. The volcano is an eerie place.

Neal and the kids went horseback riding on the volcano that afternoon, while I stayed back and started on my fifth book of the trip. I loved all my reading time!

The volcano, when it cleared up, from the grounds of our hotel.

The next day was zip-lining! Oh boy!

Costa Rica V

2011-06-18T12:42:00.002-05:00

Another day, we wanted to go to the gulf side beach, which had calmer waves for swimming, Pan Dulce. It was a bit far to walk, so we hitched a ride in what I like to call a "refugee truck." People like us just pile in the back and bounce along down the rocky "roads."

Along the way, we picked up some German students who wandered out of the forest, looking for way back to town (miles away). Next thing we knew, our truck had a flat tire. So we hopped out onto the road while the driver and his buddy changed the tire. Barely. Oh, Costa Rica.

Eventually, we got to the beach, where we watched the surfers, and picked up rocks and shells, all the while avoiding the thousands of hermit crabs on the sand.

We had to walk up the road a bit to wait for our ride to pick us up at the appointed time. We sat on this old wall, with our new stray dog friend.

Fun times on Pan Dulce! Pura Vida!

Costa Rica IV

2011-06-18T12:32:00.001-05:00

There was a "Pacific Trail" from the grounds of Bosque del Cabo, and though we had heard it was rather treacherous (especially for a 4-year-old), we decided to go for it anyway. At low tide one afternoon, we made our way down the cliffside (many, many steps) to the shore. Our goal was a waterfall about a mile up the beach and a few hundred yards into the rainforest. We eventually got there.

Down we went.

Over the fallen trees.

Aside the pounding surf.

To the waterfall, which was gorgeous and refreshing. And much farther than we had anticipated!

I had never seen anything like this beach. The massive rainforest was practically spilling into the ocean. I felt like we were on an episode of Lost this entire day. Mysterious sounds are always coming from the trees, and this beach is completely deserted.

Cool tide pools in the basalt on the way back.

And these beautiful, tumbled granite stones everywhere.

Costa Rica III

2011-06-18T12:07:00.001-05:00

At Bosque del Cabo, we spent hours exploring. We were there for four days, and spent most of the time hiking, walking, and looking for wildlife. The rainforest wildlife is the reason we came to Costa Rica, and we were not disappointed! We quickly learned that it is never a good idea to stray from the paths in the forest, though. During our stay, several lost hikers wandered out of the forest after spending hours looking for a way out. We did not want that to happen to us! We were very careful and enjoyed all of our time in nature.

The view of the gulf from one of the trails.

Wandering into the forest! Imagine this picture with lots of noise. The rainforest is never quiet.

One morning, we met with a guide at 6:30 to look for birds. Here we were crossing a pretty suspension bridge. We found lots of birds, and a whole lot of everything else, too.

Some Scarlet Macaws, flying over the ocean by our deck.

Please note that Audrey is her daddy's girl. Here, she is holding a Rhinocerous Beetle, which she came upon on a walk. Please also note that I have had insect nightmares every night for over a week now.

Pretty toucans and more Macaws.

Lots of poison frogs (Neal's favorites), monkeys, and leaf cutter ants all over the place.

These next two bug pictures are for my nephew, Andrew, who loves bugs more than anybody.

This cockroach is the source of my bad dreams. He is about 4 1/2 inches long, about 2 inches wide. And he was on the path on the way home from dinner. Ack!

This Harlequin Beetle was spotted by Neal and the kids on the four-hour walking tour they took with Philip. Parker wasn't super excited about putting his hand that close, but Neal wanted some size perspective! The Osa Peninsula is an entymologist's dream! Andrew, you must go one day!

Costa Rica II

2011-06-18T11:41:00.003-05:00

We landed in the little town of Puerto Jimenez, where a transport picked us up and took us on the wild and wooly roads (sometimes rivers) on the way to Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge, which we pretty much immediately fell in love with. This place is incredible. It's situated on a cliff, so to speak, with the Pacific Coast on one side and a gulf beach on the other. Primary rainforest surrounds the property, and there is wildlife everywhere you look. You get used to trees and plants moving with unseen creatures lurking inside, insects everywhere, noisy birds waking you at dawn, and monkeys watching your every move. Staying here was an unforgettable experience!

At the entrance to the lodge. Lodge is an appropriate name for this place, I wouldn't really call it a resort, since it is rather rustic. But rustic in a luxurious way. Hard to explain.

This is the back patio of our casita, Pizote, which had beautiful ocean views. There is no air conditioning or hot water (anywhere!), and the entire lodge is powered by hydroelectric and solar power. Showers were outside, and the abundant wildlife became a part of our life. The mosquito nets are essential at night, and I was so grateful for them. Not only do they keep out mosquitoes, but geckos, snakes, bats, and all sorts of other crawly things. This sort of "primitive" lodging in Costa Rica isn't for everyone, obviously, but it ended up being the most authentic part of our trip.

The interior of our two-story house. The kids only slept upstairs one night. It was pretty warm up there, and a little too close to the thatched roof. Which we soon realized was home to various animals.

Miles napping one afternoon.

The kids on the deck; the ocean was a couple of hundred feet below, but the surf was so powerful that it lulled us to sleep at night.

Audrey at the entrance to Pizote.

Every evening at seven, a conch shell was blown to notify all the guests on the property that dinner was served. We sat at a long table with all of the other guests, swapping stories of what we had seen that day, and making new friendships. The food was delicious, and our kids tried everything. They were so great!

Parker and Audrey invented a new way to play in a hammock. Crazies.

Cooling off by the pool at Bosque.

One of our new friends (there on her honeymoon, from Fort Worth, of all places), offered to snap our photo by the pool.

Watching the Capuchin monkeys in the trees next to our house.

The kids with the resident naturalist/scientist, Philip. He taught us so much and the kids loved him. He is in Costa Rica from England, doing extended research on butterflies of the peninsula. The kids thought he looked and sounded a bit like Wallace. We had to have a photo with him! Thanks, Phil!

Rainforest adventures, coming up next!

Costa Rica I

2011-06-18T11:13:00.001-05:00

We returned last night from an incredible nine-day trip to Costa Rica. It's a place Neal has always wanted to visit, and he researched and planned the entire trip for us. It was amazing. He chose just the right places to go with kids, and we saw some of the most beautiful natural wonders. Here is a recap of our trip, from the beginning.

We flew through Fort Lauderdale to San Jose, the capital city. We arrived late in the day and took a taxi out to Naranjo, where we stayed the night at Vista del Valle, a little inn perched on the edge of a beautiful valley of rainforest.

Shortly after we arrived, we took one of the trails down to the creek, and Miles and I found this incredible bamboo forest.

The kids went swimming until it started raining. I never got over how Costa Rica is positively teeming with life. It is so green and lush.

Here is a view of the valley from the restaurant.

The kids in the hammock on the porch of our little casita, Mango Manor.

On the grounds of the hotel with replicas of the mysterious Pre-Columbian Stone Spheres that have been found in the rainforest.

The next morning, we boarded a very tiny plane (yikes) and headed to the beautiful Osa Peninsula, at the Southern end of Costa Rica, on the Pacific Side.

Gorgeous views from the plane!

All-Star Game

2011-06-07T07:19:00.000-05:00

Parker had a great season on the Tigers this year. He learned a lot, gained a lot of confidence playing infield, and had a mean hitting streak going (he only struck out once all season)! We are so proud of the great baseball player he is becoming. He practices hard at home nearly every day, and it has paid off on the field! His coach nominated him to play in the All-Star game, which was held on Tuesday night. He played first base for the first time (he's usually on second) and did an awesome job!

Receiving his medal and congrats from the commissioner.

Speaking of awesome baseball, and being that this will likely be my last baseball post until the fall, you need to check out Miles' wind-up, which I filmed back in March. It leaves us wondering if he will always rely on his tongue as he does now . . .

School is over!

2011-06-06T07:27:00.000-05:00

Well, Friday was the last day of school, and now we have a third and a fifth grader! Here are the kids on their last day . . .

Parker had a great year. He is so well-behaved (as far as I know) amidst the chaos that was the second grade. He had straight As all year, and earned just about every award there was. Except for Perfect Attendance. We're not that crazy.

Fourth grade is the last grade in Elementary school here, so Audrey is off to the big Intermediate School for fifth and sixth grade. She loved her teacher so much, and we are excited to hear about her baby later this summer.

After school, we headed to the park with some friends and a few hundred water balloons.

Grateful Sunday

2011-06-05T20:22:00.000-05:00

Audrey and me; her last day in elementary school.

Today has been lovely. I'm grateful for:

a beautiful, restful Sunday. I miss them when I don't have them!
a supportive bishopric. They make my job so much easier.
the dad who jumped out of his car in the school drop-off line to rescue Neal's keys and wallet from my back bumper! And the angel that was holding them on the bumper the whole way to school.
my testimony of the Savior and all that He has done for me. I feel so blessed to have the knowledge that I have of Him and of His love for us.
summer vacation, I love having the kids home and we have some fun things planned. First on the list, Costa Rica! We leave on Thursday!!

Pinewood Derby

2011-06-02T07:15:00.001-05:00

Parker participated in his first Cub Scout Pinewood Derby last night. It was lots of fun, and his car did pretty well. He didn't place in the top three, but got the "Texan" award for his awesome Texas Rangers car.

They let siblings make and race cars, too. Miles had a Josh Hamilton car to match his shirt. He didn't take it very well when he got second place in the little brothers' race. :(

DI Globals, Part Three

2011-06-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

During non-pin-trading down time, Audrey wanted to head to the pool near the dorms. Lots of fun!

Audrey swimming; the pool had a beautiful view!

With some of her teammates.

Audrey in front of her dorm, and with a bus!

Eating lunch in one of the food tents. Yum!

Audrey and I had so much fun and we are so proud of how well our team performed. Out of the 57 teams they competed against, the Blue Griffins took 24th place! The experience of attending DI Globals was worth more than anything for this team, though. They learned so much, met so many people, overcame shyness and gained confidence. Hooray for DI!