Family

Sometimes things just fall into place.  All the planning in the world doesn't ensure a positive outcome.  Yet when things fall into place without much prodding, it feels real and just right.  On this night we welcoming Mimi and John to our home in Texas.  We had lovely 'fall' weather in January where we spent time on our patio with the fire pit, a nice glass of red and lots of stories.

It is such

How do they grow so fast?

How did this small child with an adorable giggle and incredible energy turn into young woman with jewelry, flat ironed hair and a very strong opinion ... about everything?

Well, that's life.  The evolution of how things change.  She's amazing and cool with makeup and four pair of sneakers.

She's at that amazing age that it's hard to predict what she'll say, what she wants to eat, where she wants to go AND when she'll get up in the morning.

Here comes the teen aged years!

Happy New Year !!

Sometimes life isn't captured exactly the way you thought it be ... and then again.

Here's a shot from our time with Papa in November as we all posed for a picture taken to be displayed on the wall at Impressions.  This was definitely an out-take.  Believe me there was more than one shot rejected!

Oh well.  Let's just take another.

Today is a do-over.  January 1st.  When it all begins again.  With resolutions and intentions to do better, be better and have better than the year before.

Here's to you!

The artist

Ellie has spent the last several weeks reading, writing and creating art.  Yesterday and today she was watercoloring.  When I came home she presented me with this gorgeous watercolor of a cardinal.  I asked what was the inspiration and she said she'd done some research online.  No tracing, just inspiration!

So amazing her talents - singing, soccer, painting... She certainly is her own person.  Reminding me once again why God blessed me with a girl on that cold March evening twelve years ago!

National Ice Cream Day - 7/15/18

What a great celebration at Humpty Dumpty yesterday, Saturday July 14th to celebrate 50 years in business and the third generation of ownership!  The photo above is one of the commemorative t-shirt they are selling!

Shirley and Pete - Ron's parents
Ron and Jean - who I worked for during my time
Brenda and Jason - Ron and Jean's daughter and her husband

The ice cream swirl is filled with all the names of those of us who worked the window over the years! What an honor to have been included in the celebration and on the  t-shirt!  Brenda contacted me when she found out we'll be in town in August to ask for my size and color so she can put one aside for me!

How many families does it take to make a life?  I was part of the HD family for many summers and grew to appreciate hard work, laughter, upside-down banana splits and how to perfect making a swirl cone!

Here's to the best part of summer - ice cream!

Pecan Lodge BBQ

Pecan Lodge is known throughout the state of Texas as some the best BBQ around!  In our four years here I've only been one other time for lunch - and during the 'winter'.  Saturday Ellie and I agreed to take Bill to enjoy some smoked meat.  And no better place than an adventure to Pecan Lodge.

It's located in Dallas, within an area known as Deep Ellum. Its a fun, artsy, food-loving area.  The parking is sparse and the people are, well interesting!  The line forms early here and you hope to get to the counter before they run out.  Especially for the coveted beef ribs.  That's what Bill is holding in the photo below.

It was delicious!

Ellie is a ribs girl all the way.  Always orders pork bbq ribs no matter the place.  I'm a beef girl so the brisket is my order of choice.  Bill was determined to get there in time for a beef rib and a taste testing of the brisket and burnt ends as well.  We rounded out our meal with smokey collard greens and a vinegary cole slaw.  WOW!  It was amazing.

The photo at the bottom was the line behind us.  We were only at the front door with another 20 minute wait in front of us to the counter.  It was about 40 minutes in line total.  It was hot.  There was a cooler with cold water and cups to make the wait easier.  There was an overhang we walked along while making out way to the door.

The day couldn't have been more special for Ellie as she found her first famous person in line!  One of the You Tube stars that she and Bill are both familiar with for making basketball plays was in line with the wife.  She was star struck.  And then Bill went up to the fountain soda for a refill and ran into him.  They chatted for a moment, Bill pointed out Ellie and they waved to one another.  Today she began following him on Instagram and found out he and his wife are expecting twins!  So exciting!

In any event, another Saturday adventure in the books.  Last week was the country, this week was BBQ in the city!  Who knows what next week will bring ....

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Ham's Peach Orchard

There are just some places that feel like home.  Not home because it's where you grew up, but home because there's an ease and a comfort in being there.  Off the beaten path in Texas I often find the feeling.  Its in the country.  Its with the trees and the birds.  Its what looks like America to me - flag-waving, kids with ice cream on their faces, parents smiling, BBQ on the grill and sharing.

That's how our day was today.  We talked to many people in passing.  It was a community even if you didn't live nearby.  There was a community in sharing a meal, keeping you fork for dessert kind of meal.  We shared among the three of us, and shared a bit of story and some smiles with others sharing the picnic table where we sat.  And after we finished we found a few wooden rockers facing the field and sat down for a bit more.  There was a breeze and we were under cover.  Texas summer.

This may be our only visit to Ham Orchard this summer.  If that's the case we're sure glad we had such a great day today!

View from the orchard

This is us.  Us in Texas during the summer.

Peach Pulled Pork.  Unbelievable!

View from the the road.  Its 35mph - a slow kind of day in Texas during July :-)

Me and my girl as we snapped some pictures to remember our trip!

Ellie's Summer Camp

 Ellie attended a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) camp two weeks ago.  This was no sit around the campfire camp!  It was a week long and 8am -5pm Monday through Friday.  There were 3 field trips to include local colleges that teach engineering and to a local manufacturing plant of  computer chips.

As you can see she loved the welding and metal work.  She has wonderful works to show us her new talent.  The best part was that like-minded, adventurous girls spent the week together.  Ellie found a kinship in some of the older girls - a sophomore and a senior this coming school year.

End of Middle School

Here is the beginning of 6th grade next to the end of 6th grade.  What a difference!

Our little girl is now a pre-teen with all that comes with that territory - moods, likes, giggles, SnapChat, too young for coffee and wants it anyway ....

She finished the year very strong!

Science:  91
History:  94
Choir:    97
English:  97
P.E.:      100
Math      90

What a great way to end the school year!

Mother's Day

Ellie and I had a wonderful Mother's Day that began at XO Coffee Company for breakfast.  Ellie loves their Nutella Stuffed French Toast and I opted for the gouda and spinach quiche.  You'll see her iced caramel coffee and my wonderful latte to round out our meal.

We read our books and relaxed as Bill was out of town at Josh's Siena graduation.

Mother's Day love!

The parents

As I have learned over the years parenting and marriage are not always easy.  Who told us either would be easy?  No one.  They both involve listening, compromise, comforting, lots and lots of love.  In a nutshell they are both relationships that continue to evolve with time.  Here's my strategy.  You gotta be all in.  As Bill would say, 'pot committed.'  That's it.

"All in" may you look different for every situation.  To me it means you can't expect anyone to read your mind.  You must put the other ahead of you for the good of the relationship - knowing that they will do the same for you.

Here's what I learned this week.  Bill and I must be doing something right.  And by right I don't mean making sure there's food in the house and we remember soccer practice.  I mean the way we show up for one another every day.

All three of us were in the kitchen the other night after dinner and she said, "Mommy, I can't wait to have a relationship like you and Daddy."  WOW!  So I asked, "why do you say that?"  She responded, 'because you guys really like each other."

That was enough for me.  Just keep showing up for one another.  Speak kindly.  Remind each other that you are in this together - no matter what comes you way.

Sunday afternoon Manicures

We found a hopping little place near home on a Sunday adventure this week.  We both got a manicure and pedicure.  It was our first ones of the Spring and well worth it.  These pictures are actually from the Starbucks across the street where we stopped afterward for a quick drink!

Easter Weekend

We were so fortunate to spend Easter weekend in Houston with family.  Aunt Di and Uncle Bruce welcomed us to the annual Easter festivities with all their amazing neighbors.  Here we are pictured at the San Jacinto Monument very nearby their home.  This is the place where Texas won it's independence from Mexico.  From there it became it's own country.  But that's a whole other story!

From last year to this

2017 - Destin, FL - Spring Break

The changes we're seeing from age 11 to 12 are by far the greatest so far.  Our little girl (above) is growing up (pictured below).  We spent time on this Florida vacation recalling the days of Ellie throwing pieces of bread to the seagulls, while we watched her walk along the edge of the ocean with grace this year.

All the beauty and poise of a young woman right in front of us.  She is smart and funny, quick-witted and sarcastic.  She cares about animals, her friends, doing the right thing and the environment.  We are so blessed to have such an amazing young woman in our lives!

2018 - Destin, FL - Spring Break

Springtime in Texas

Spring in Texas.  Cool and then warm.  Hot turns to cold.  Storms to include wind and hail.  And yet its beauty abounds.  This is the walking trail just a couple miles from our house.  Lots of birds to watch and people running the path.  We always enjoy our time together here!

Ellie's tribe

This is what middle school looks like.

Ellie's tribe.  They surround her and make her smile.  They also ensure she is part of something much greater than herself.  They don't shame or embarrass one another.  They hold up, cheer on and stand behind one another.

As a mom I could only hope that she finds what she needs to feel supported and whole.  She does this by being a good friend.  Being the person others rely on and talk to for comfort and support.  She is a good friend with a kind heart and an old soul.

Images from the weekend

What a message for a storefront window!

Role models not male models.

We were doing a bit of walking, window shopping and coffee sipping when we encountered this message on Saturday.

These days we hear a great deal about how women should not be treated differently because of how they look - what a tremendous message to reinforce with men.  Its not about how you look, but who you are!

We visited the Starbucks Reserve in Legacy West as well.  This colorful drink is Ellie's Zombie Frappachino made specially for this time of year.  Apparently it's very good.  Yet I was able to pass on an offer to try.  Looks much too sweet for me.  What mattered is that Ellie loved it!

And this gorgeous cup is how they serve the special drinks at Starbucks Reserve.  A special menu and great care go into each drink.  You may be wondering if there's also a special price - and no, the prices are the same!  Bonus!  What a cool place to visit.

It happens every year.

Baseball season ends each year to the same feeling.  WOW!  what a run, and this will not look the same at the beginning of next season - that's for sure!

So the Cubs and the Yankees both made it this close to getting to the World Series.  Yet, this wasn't their year.  It was predestined. It wasn't dumb luck.  They were each beat fair and square by a better team.

And so it goes.

Changes will be made over the next couple of days and weeks.  Players, Managers, front office personnel will come and go.  What will not change is our love of the game.  Baseball is the lifeblood in our house.  Even Ellie wanted to stay up late to watch games this year.

And as the saying goes, 'there's always next year....'

First Term complete - 6th grade

Ellie and Theo have become good friends.  They trust one another, they play together and sometimes even snooze on the couch together.  Today though is not about Theo its about Ellie.  Today is the end of the first term at school.  That means that grades are available and we hold our breath to see the outcome.

Not Ellie.  She knows.

Advance Placement English - 98
Advance Placement Math - 90
Advance Placement Science - 98
Social Studies - 97
Choir - 98
PE - 100

HIGH HONORS!  She is a phenomenal student, and an amazing person!

She shared with me that Math is not hard this year.  In fact, none of her classes are hard to understand.  But her challenge is keeping track of everything.  The assignments, the in-class and take-home work, the projects - that's the part she has to work at.

We talked about how awesome it is that she's recognizes that.  Her work this year is to get better at that part.  And if she is able to become good at the organization and having a process for studying she will be so much more successful in the years to come!  Which makes for good grades and better choice for college.

SO proud of her!

Girls' Day out

Our day together began with some TJMaxx shopping and a Starbucks to get us going!

Followed by makeovers at Marilyn's ... we had facials and updated out makeup!  Ellie wanted to learn how to contour and highlight.  And we both ended up looking beautiful!

It wouldn't be a Girls' Day Out if we didn't have burgers for lunch.  This was a new place for Ellie to try called Royale Magnificent Burgers.  They are served on silver trays!

Dessert was the worth waiting for ....

This was a peanut butter cut shake to share.  So many parts, so much goodness!

Anniversary Dinner

Saturday night we celebrated our anniversary with a dinner date.  Now, at our age our reservation was for 6pm at SixtyVines in Plano.  This way we could celebrate and be home to still enjoy an hour of a show together before we feel asleep!

SixtyVines is the place were they have wine on tap from the barrels.  They also feature locally brewed beers.  So it satisfies many different tastes - including ours!  We split a cheese, chutney and bread board with our favorite roasted head of cauliflower and smaller plates for dinner.  The pasta below was mine with shrimp and arugula and parmesan.

It's casual and friendly, with great food and drink.  Even the water glasses used to be wine bottles.  Who wouldn't love that!?

Seeing eye to eye

This is us after the soccer game on Saturday.  Ellie's team had a tough loss to a team of older girls.  The game ended with a 6-0 score.  The girls were disappointed and sad.  Each one of them sat on the grass listening to the post game coaching with tears and long faces.

As we were walking away Ellie teared up.  I asked why.  She said she knew that the girls gave up after the first three goals were scored against them.  I explained that sometimes that happened.  Today was a day that the score showed they lost.  They are allowed to be disappointed.  And they need to pick up their chins and start planning for the next game.

We stopped at the taco place across the street from the high school to get lunch to take home.  Bill was in line paying while Ellie and I waited.  I put my forehead to hers - sweaty and all - and kept it there until she smiled.  I knew she could do it.  And she did too.

Theo loves baseball!

He stares intently at the television screen to make sure he doesn't miss a pitch!  It's the most wonderful time of the year - baseball playoffs!  Since he's less than three months old this is his very first baseball season .. and to have the Yankees and the Cubs in the running makes him very happy!

15 Years and counting ...

October 2002

We look at each other and wonder, how could fifteen years have possibly gone by since we began this journey together.  We are blessed, happy and proud of the life we've built and the love and family we share.  We wouldn't trade a moment - the laughter, the tears, the fear and the accomplishments!

2017

Tiki Time

We met Jeanine and Michael for dinner at a new place for all of us called The Keeper.  It was all fresh seafood and cook Tiki drinks.  We sat outside and watched all the people walk by.  We shared oysters, mussels, lobster mac & cheese and spicy glazed Brussels sprouts!

When you look back laugh, don't cry

Ellie - 2009
age 3-ish

She's still our funny girl, making funny faces.  Today she knows what she likes, what she doesn't, what she stands for and who matters.  Sixth grade is a funny thing.  It allows all the layers of childhood to be shed in preparation for making decisions, being responsible and taking a stand.

When I look back I certainly do smile.  Her adorable face makes me laugh!