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