Friday, July 25, 2008
Photo Remix
I created this photo remix on Photobucket. It is another free, fun tool on the web. Check it out!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
New Discoveries
My sister has been telling me about a bird in her backyard for a few weeks now. This bird has decided to take up residence in her hanging pot. Each day when she waters the plant, the bird flutters about and scares her and she is killing the center of the plant. My mom told her to tear up the bird's nest so that she won't return. Well, that was my sister's plan until she discovered two eggs in the nest. So, each day she waters the plant - and the mama bird and her eggs - and gets scared by the mama bird.
Yesterday, when we went over to visit, I asked about the bird. The kids wanted to see the eggs so my sister took the hanging plant down from the hook - after we watered it a bit and scared the mama bird away. Instead of two eggs, we found two small and rather ugly black baby birds in the middle of the begonia plant. The kids all looked at the baby birds before we set off on our next adventure in the backyard. Click the pics below to see all of the pics in the stack.
You see, my sister had told me about a hole in her backyard that one of her dogs had been after. She was afraid that it was a snake hole. So, we set out with a hoe and a broom handle to investigate. The first task was locating the hole. My sister's backyard is very thick and lush, so finding the hole was a bit difficult but we finally managed. After locating it, we pulled the grass back slighly to expose the hole more clearly. We still could not see anything, so I stuck the end of the broom handle down into the whole a bit, and we heard a terrible squeeking noise. After pulling the grass back a bit further, we could see a small brown haired animal. The hole that Gracie the dog has been intrigued with is the home of a baby bunny. After showing all of the kids the tiny backside of the little bunny, we brushed the grass back over the hole and left him alone. I took a short video - you can't see much more than a small portion of the little bunnies body as he breathes - but I can't get it to upload. I'll try to add it again later.
Today, when I returned to my sister's house to help her work in her yard, we did not have any encounters with the bird or the rabbit. Instead, she edged and trimmed her bushes, and I mowed. It was extremely hot, but we got the job done and her yard looks great.
The boys played basketball and videogames while we worked in the yard, and Megan played Wii Fit. Megan was having so much fun with Wii Fitness that I decided to try it out. The first time I tried to do a balancing activity, I really did not understand what the game was asking me to do, so I did not do too well. But, on my second try, I did much better. I was not surprised by the results of the test, as it said pretty much what I thought it would, but I was encouraged by the fact that I don't have to lose as much weight as I thought I did in order to reach a healthier range. That was a little bit of good news and encouragement, and I think that a Wii Fitness purchase may be in our near future.
Yesterday, when we went over to visit, I asked about the bird. The kids wanted to see the eggs so my sister took the hanging plant down from the hook - after we watered it a bit and scared the mama bird away. Instead of two eggs, we found two small and rather ugly black baby birds in the middle of the begonia plant. The kids all looked at the baby birds before we set off on our next adventure in the backyard. Click the pics below to see all of the pics in the stack.
You see, my sister had told me about a hole in her backyard that one of her dogs had been after. She was afraid that it was a snake hole. So, we set out with a hoe and a broom handle to investigate. The first task was locating the hole. My sister's backyard is very thick and lush, so finding the hole was a bit difficult but we finally managed. After locating it, we pulled the grass back slighly to expose the hole more clearly. We still could not see anything, so I stuck the end of the broom handle down into the whole a bit, and we heard a terrible squeeking noise. After pulling the grass back a bit further, we could see a small brown haired animal. The hole that Gracie the dog has been intrigued with is the home of a baby bunny. After showing all of the kids the tiny backside of the little bunny, we brushed the grass back over the hole and left him alone. I took a short video - you can't see much more than a small portion of the little bunnies body as he breathes - but I can't get it to upload. I'll try to add it again later.
Today, when I returned to my sister's house to help her work in her yard, we did not have any encounters with the bird or the rabbit. Instead, she edged and trimmed her bushes, and I mowed. It was extremely hot, but we got the job done and her yard looks great.
The boys played basketball and videogames while we worked in the yard, and Megan played Wii Fit. Megan was having so much fun with Wii Fitness that I decided to try it out. The first time I tried to do a balancing activity, I really did not understand what the game was asking me to do, so I did not do too well. But, on my second try, I did much better. I was not surprised by the results of the test, as it said pretty much what I thought it would, but I was encouraged by the fact that I don't have to lose as much weight as I thought I did in order to reach a healthier range. That was a little bit of good news and encouragement, and I think that a Wii Fitness purchase may be in our near future.
My Second "Round" of Golf
I played my second round of golf today, and we made it through eleven holes before it got totally dark and they turned the sprinklers on us. You are probably thinking that we were grateful for the cool water of the sprinklers since it was so hot. But, if you are thinking that, you have not smelled the Plantation sprinklers, and believe me ... you don't want to.
Blake and I played golf with our neighbors: Duncan & Sherri, Janie & Chip, and Dan & Lisa. Because we started late and because the "girls" don't really play golf yet, we alternated shots with our spouses. So, Blake teed-off on the first hole, I hit the next shot, he hit the third, and so on until we got it in the cup. I did not hit the ball too well most of the night, but it was still fun being out there with Blake and our neighbors. After our round of golf, we returned to Duncan and Sherri's house for some appetizers, drinks, and birthday cake. Here are a few pics from our after golf festivities.
Blake and I played golf with our neighbors: Duncan & Sherri, Janie & Chip, and Dan & Lisa. Because we started late and because the "girls" don't really play golf yet, we alternated shots with our spouses. So, Blake teed-off on the first hole, I hit the next shot, he hit the third, and so on until we got it in the cup. I did not hit the ball too well most of the night, but it was still fun being out there with Blake and our neighbors. After our round of golf, we returned to Duncan and Sherri's house for some appetizers, drinks, and birthday cake. Here are a few pics from our after golf festivities.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Seven Holes of Golf
Tonight I played my first seven holes of golf at Plantation with Blake, Megan, and Connor. I started two over par for the first two holes, 3 or 4 over for the next hole because I hit it in the water, and then I am not sure what the count was on the next hole, as it was a creek over water, as well, and I just took some practice shots off of the side of the hill onto the green. It was a fun round (if you can call 7 holes a round) and some great family time. Megan and Connor played a little bit of each hole. They would drive, hit a few in the fairway, and then putt it out. Both of them were hitting the ball pretty well. Megan and I need to work on our putting. We both tend to hit the ball a little too hard on the green. For my first time out, I don't think that I did all that bad, but Blake may say otherwise.
I was scheduled to start a women's golf class at the PGA Superstore tomorrow night, but I am going to have to miss the first week and catch the putting lesson later in the session. Our neighbor, Duncan, is turning 42 tomorrow, so several of us are playing golf tomorrow night and then going to their house for a little birthday celebration. I think that it will be a fun evening.
By the way, the shoes pictured above are my new golf shoes.
Swimming with Friends & Good Life Lessons
The sun was out and the weather was hot. It was the perfect day for swimming. Megan went to the Rec Center's Water Park with her friend Maddie, and Connor and I hosted Kathy and Jacob at our swimming pool. Megan had a great time with Maddie, and Connor and I had a wonderful time catching up with Kathy and Jacob. The boys swam, jumped on the trampoline, and played in Connor's room a bit. They were really excited to see each other and played well together.
Today was also a learning day for Megan and Connor. This morning, Megan was very unhappy with me because I asked her to clean up her room. This evening, it was Connor's turn to be upset. Through both experiences, however, I had the opportunity of talking to them about the choices they make and the effects of those choices. They now both understand that their choices don't affect just themselves. After a little discussion, they were both quick to realize that their initial choices wasted a lot of their own time and the time of others and that others were disappointment, hurt, or without a playmate because of the choice they made.
All in all it turned out to be a great day. The kids apologized for their behavior and realized that their actions have consequences and that those consequences affect themselves and others. Hopefully today's lessons will help them stop and "think" before making the same/similar choices in the future.
Today was also a learning day for Megan and Connor. This morning, Megan was very unhappy with me because I asked her to clean up her room. This evening, it was Connor's turn to be upset. Through both experiences, however, I had the opportunity of talking to them about the choices they make and the effects of those choices. They now both understand that their choices don't affect just themselves. After a little discussion, they were both quick to realize that their initial choices wasted a lot of their own time and the time of others and that others were disappointment, hurt, or without a playmate because of the choice they made.
All in all it turned out to be a great day. The kids apologized for their behavior and realized that their actions have consequences and that those consequences affect themselves and others. Hopefully today's lessons will help them stop and "think" before making the same/similar choices in the future.
Monday, July 21, 2008
A Little Roast
I went grocery shopping this weekend, and I was trying to come up with something different to cook when I stumbled across a pot roast. I typically don't make pot roast in the summertime, as it is usually reserved for cold weather at our house, but it just sounded like a good, home-cooked option. So, I grabbed it and took it home. Today, the kids helped me salt & pepper the meat, peel and cut the potatoes, and slice the onion. Although they fought over who was going to do what, they both ended up peeling, slicing, and cutting before it was all over.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
A Movie and Some Golf
We saw the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, this morning and then spent some time shopping at the mall. The movie was very good. Connor was afraid that it was going to be scary (because Blake had convinced him that it was scary), but when it was over, he frogged Blake in the arm and said, "That was not scary!" We all enjoyed it!
We went shopping at Dick's Sporting Goods after the movie. Connor wanted to rock climb, but we opted to just stick to golf today, so he hit a few balls while I tried on golf shoes. It ended up purchasing a white and taupe pair of Footjoy golf shoes and a golf glove.
After leaving Dick's, we ventured over to Golf Smith to look around and then finally on to the PGA Superstore. I hit some balls at the PGA Superstore and signed up for some free women's lessons on Wednesday evenings. I start the lessons this week. If anyone wants to join me, please let me know! I may also sign up for the golf package at our club house so that I can go to the driving range a few days a week and so that I can participate in the weekly clinics. One of my other neighbors is going to start going next week, so I may join her. I enjoyed hitting a few balls today at the PGA Superstore, I am looking forward to the lessons and to learning more about the wonderful game of golf!
Steph, can I still borrow your clubs?
We went shopping at Dick's Sporting Goods after the movie. Connor wanted to rock climb, but we opted to just stick to golf today, so he hit a few balls while I tried on golf shoes. It ended up purchasing a white and taupe pair of Footjoy golf shoes and a golf glove.
After leaving Dick's, we ventured over to Golf Smith to look around and then finally on to the PGA Superstore. I hit some balls at the PGA Superstore and signed up for some free women's lessons on Wednesday evenings. I start the lessons this week. If anyone wants to join me, please let me know! I may also sign up for the golf package at our club house so that I can go to the driving range a few days a week and so that I can participate in the weekly clinics. One of my other neighbors is going to start going next week, so I may join her. I enjoyed hitting a few balls today at the PGA Superstore, I am looking forward to the lessons and to learning more about the wonderful game of golf!
Steph, can I still borrow your clubs?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Pictures in the Park
My sister, Stephanie, and I took the kids to the park one afternoon to take some pictures. As you can see, there were moments that they decided to be "hams" or "camera hogs". It was a fun, but very hot, experience.
Double-click on the slideshow if you would like to see the pictures larger on PicasaWeb or if you would like to download some pictures.
Double-click on the slideshow if you would like to see the pictures larger on PicasaWeb or if you would like to download some pictures.
Megan's Birthday Pics
Megan's 12th Birthday was two days ago, and she received some precious new clothes. So, we decided to make a slideshow, or should I say slide fashion show, of her in her new outfits. Minnie & Granna, thanks for the great outfits!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Not Such a Miracle After All
Well, the miracle that I referred to in the "Sleep! Finally..." post earlier today was not such a miracle, after all. When I asked Megan to get Connor so that the two of them could clean the playroom, she said, "I'll just clean it." (That was the miracle!)
She picked up a few items off of the floor of the playroom near the door, but it was basically still a complete disaster and you could not walk into the room very far without stepping on or over games, books, etc. But, I am trying to remain thankful for the few things that she did pick up.
A bit later, she and Connor came in to get their swimsuits and said that they were going swimming at the MacLean's house. I told them that they were welcome to go swimming but that they had to clean the playroom before they could go. Here came the meltdown - especially from Megan. I was calm and explained that in the time that she had thrown her dramatic fit, that she could have cleaned the room and been on her way to the pool. She turned and walked out.
She and Connor spent another minute or two in the playroom, and I heard some more yelling and complaining, as they yelled at each other and then at me. Again, I calmly said, "If I hear another negative word, you can both stay here and clean instead of going swimming." That was it. Megan still had a bit of an attitude when she left, but the room did get cleaned - mostly. It is not "mommy" clean, but most everything is put away and you can walk across the room without killing yourself!
She picked up a few items off of the floor of the playroom near the door, but it was basically still a complete disaster and you could not walk into the room very far without stepping on or over games, books, etc. But, I am trying to remain thankful for the few things that she did pick up.
A bit later, she and Connor came in to get their swimsuits and said that they were going swimming at the MacLean's house. I told them that they were welcome to go swimming but that they had to clean the playroom before they could go. Here came the meltdown - especially from Megan. I was calm and explained that in the time that she had thrown her dramatic fit, that she could have cleaned the room and been on her way to the pool. She turned and walked out.
She and Connor spent another minute or two in the playroom, and I heard some more yelling and complaining, as they yelled at each other and then at me. Again, I calmly said, "If I hear another negative word, you can both stay here and clean instead of going swimming." That was it. Megan still had a bit of an attitude when she left, but the room did get cleaned - mostly. It is not "mommy" clean, but most everything is put away and you can walk across the room without killing yourself!
Considering a New Hairstyle
I am considering a new hairstyle. A few friends have recommended the updated bob hairstyle, so all of these are variations of the bob. Please leave comments and let me know which style(s) are your favorites. If you have other pictures of styles that you think would be better for me, please send them my way!
If you are having trouble seeing the pictures in the slideshow, double-click on the middle of the slideshow and the pictures will open in Picasaweb, which will allow you to view them larger and individually.
If you are having trouble seeing the pictures in the slideshow, double-click on the middle of the slideshow and the pictures will open in Picasaweb, which will allow you to view them larger and individually.
Sleep! Finally ....
I finally managed to fall asleep just after 5:00 am this morning. I slept (off and on through interruptions by children) until about 10:00 am. Amazingly, I am not tired and am feeling pretty good. Maybe it is because I got a lot done on my blog, finished another book (the third in a week) and because I was able to get a lot of blog reading done as well. Maybe the satisfaction of such accomplishments offset my lack of sleep. I don't know, but for now, I am awake!
Another amazing thing happened this morning. I asked Megan to try on her new birthday clothes so that I could take pictures of her to put on my blog for all to see. She instantly cooperated and was quite pleasant throughout the photo shoot. Then, a while later, I asked her to put away some clean clothes and then to go and get her brother so that they could clean up the playroom. She instantly responded, "Oh, I'll just clean it up." and headed right into the room to clean it! I have not gone in to look at it, but the fact that she volunteered to clean it herself and did not talk back and that I did not have to ask her more than once just about made me faint! Miracles to happen!
Another amazing thing happened this morning. I asked Megan to try on her new birthday clothes so that I could take pictures of her to put on my blog for all to see. She instantly cooperated and was quite pleasant throughout the photo shoot. Then, a while later, I asked her to put away some clean clothes and then to go and get her brother so that they could clean up the playroom. She instantly responded, "Oh, I'll just clean it up." and headed right into the room to clean it! I have not gone in to look at it, but the fact that she volunteered to clean it herself and did not talk back and that I did not have to ask her more than once just about made me faint! Miracles to happen!
Yes, I am STILL awake ...
I know that the time on this blog does not reflect it, but it actually 3:22 am and I have yet to go to sleep. I spent an hour or so finishing up my latest book, Baby Proof, tonight and then I decided to blog a bit before going to sleep. Well, several blog entries, editing, and researching html code, and hours later, I am still WIDE awake! I have had issues sleeping before, and I really hope that they are not returning. Hopefully I just have a random surge of endless energy today and that my children will allow me to sleep in tomorrow. For those of you who might be considering calling me in the morning, make it an afternoon call, please.
Success!
After toying with the html code, visiting a few web sites, trying to read portions of a web building book, and just trying new things with html, I finally succeeded in removing the border from behind my title picture and removing the background color from behind my posts. For those of you who are asking, "What is html?" or "Why would she want to mess with html?" ... this is probably of no consequence to you. But ... these two things have bugged me for several weeks now, and I am happy to report that I finally figured out how to get rid of them! Yeah!
Now, don't email me or comment and ask me how I did it because I may or may not be able to tell you. But ... it has been fun learning a little bit about html, learning a little bit of html code, and it is something that I may just want to investigate further sometime in the future.
For now ... I am just excited to have "fixed" the little things on my blog that were bugging me, and I hope that you enjoy the new look of the Richardson blog!
Now, don't email me or comment and ask me how I did it because I may or may not be able to tell you. But ... it has been fun learning a little bit about html, learning a little bit of html code, and it is something that I may just want to investigate further sometime in the future.
For now ... I am just excited to have "fixed" the little things on my blog that were bugging me, and I hope that you enjoy the new look of the Richardson blog!
Megan's 12th Birthday!
Megan turned 12 today. It does not seem possible for 12 years to have gone by since she was born; yet, so many things have happened, that 12 years somehow seem reasonable - yet still unfathomable.
12 years ago today, Blake and I headed to the hospital for my 11:15 am doctor's appoint ... a doctor's appointment that I had already decided would be my "last" as a pregnant woman. You see, Megan was "technically" 4-days past due that morning, but in my mind, she was over a week past her due date because my doctor had told Blake just before July 4th that there was no way that I would make it through the weekend. Well, I made it through the weekend, through the Independence Day movie (which excited Megan tremendously because she kicked and turned and pushed again my ribs throughout the very loud movie), through my doctor's week long vacation, through a visit with his partner (which was awful), through many, many laps around the 3rd level of the Galleria (during which I visited the McDonald's bathroom at the end of each lap because my bladder was so compressed), through mowing the yard in the Texas heat in the middle of July, and much more. Despite the fact that he told me that he would more than likely have to allow his partner to deliver my first baby because he was unfortunately going to be on vacation, I arrived in his office at 11:15 am on the very first day he was back at work after his vacation ready for him to make the delivery.
Earlier that morning (about 1:oo am to be exact), I had awoken with mild contractions and had been unable to go back to sleep. Throughout the early morning hours, Blake and I watched several movies to pass the time before we showered and dressed for my 11:15 am appointment. Although the contractions had continued throughout the morning, they ceased completely on our way to the doctor's office. Just after our arrival, the nurse greeted us and began to assess my status. She noted that my usually low blood pressure was rather elevated and that I was 4 days beyond my expected due date. Then she said, "I am going to check with the doctor, but I am pretty sure that he is going to want to admit you and deliver this baby today." To which I responded, "I brought my suitcase with me. I am not leaving this hospital until this baby is born." You see, I had reached the point of being done, and I was not interested in going home again as a pregnant woman. I had carried this child for 9+ months, and it was time for him/her to enter the world. (For those of you who don't know, we did not find out that were were having a girl until she was born. We wanted it to be a surprise.)
Within a half hour or so, we were checking into the hospital and preparing for delivery. They gave me some medication to get the process started, and while it worked, we played cards, watched television, and visited with my mom and sister. Then, I had my first big contraction. After it was over, I looked around the room to find that it had emptied. When I asked Blake and my mom what happened to my sister, they both responded, "Oh, she left. As soon as she saw that you were in pain, she packed up her books and was out of here." We enticed her to come back for a while, but after she saw me in pain again, she was gone.
Finally, the decision was made to break my water to speed the process along. That did the trick. About four hours later, at 7:55 pm, our precious baby girl was born. She was 8 lbs. 3 oz. with rosy cheeks, dark hair, and blue eyes. She was healthy and beautiful and scored a perfect 10 on her APGAR test. She was just as beautiful on July 16, 1996 as she is today!
I am proud of our baby girl - proud of the things she has accomplished in her first 12 years, proud of her for being her own person, proud of her for being so passionate about certain things, proud of her love for drawing, reading, and writing, proud that she knows and loves Christ as her personal Saviour, and proud of her for so many other things that I can't put into words at the moment. I have been blessed by the first 12 years with my precious little princess. We have all been blessed; blessed by her smile, her laughter, her silly faces, her stories, her drawings, her drama, her hugs, her cards, and so much more. I can't imagine my life without her. I am truly blessed that God gave me such a precious little angel to nurture and to love, and I thank Him for making my life fuller through His gift of her.
12 years ago today, Blake and I headed to the hospital for my 11:15 am doctor's appoint ... a doctor's appointment that I had already decided would be my "last" as a pregnant woman. You see, Megan was "technically" 4-days past due that morning, but in my mind, she was over a week past her due date because my doctor had told Blake just before July 4th that there was no way that I would make it through the weekend. Well, I made it through the weekend, through the Independence Day movie (which excited Megan tremendously because she kicked and turned and pushed again my ribs throughout the very loud movie), through my doctor's week long vacation, through a visit with his partner (which was awful), through many, many laps around the 3rd level of the Galleria (during which I visited the McDonald's bathroom at the end of each lap because my bladder was so compressed), through mowing the yard in the Texas heat in the middle of July, and much more. Despite the fact that he told me that he would more than likely have to allow his partner to deliver my first baby because he was unfortunately going to be on vacation, I arrived in his office at 11:15 am on the very first day he was back at work after his vacation ready for him to make the delivery.
Earlier that morning (about 1:oo am to be exact), I had awoken with mild contractions and had been unable to go back to sleep. Throughout the early morning hours, Blake and I watched several movies to pass the time before we showered and dressed for my 11:15 am appointment. Although the contractions had continued throughout the morning, they ceased completely on our way to the doctor's office. Just after our arrival, the nurse greeted us and began to assess my status. She noted that my usually low blood pressure was rather elevated and that I was 4 days beyond my expected due date. Then she said, "I am going to check with the doctor, but I am pretty sure that he is going to want to admit you and deliver this baby today." To which I responded, "I brought my suitcase with me. I am not leaving this hospital until this baby is born." You see, I had reached the point of being done, and I was not interested in going home again as a pregnant woman. I had carried this child for 9+ months, and it was time for him/her to enter the world. (For those of you who don't know, we did not find out that were were having a girl until she was born. We wanted it to be a surprise.)
Within a half hour or so, we were checking into the hospital and preparing for delivery. They gave me some medication to get the process started, and while it worked, we played cards, watched television, and visited with my mom and sister. Then, I had my first big contraction. After it was over, I looked around the room to find that it had emptied. When I asked Blake and my mom what happened to my sister, they both responded, "Oh, she left. As soon as she saw that you were in pain, she packed up her books and was out of here." We enticed her to come back for a while, but after she saw me in pain again, she was gone.
Finally, the decision was made to break my water to speed the process along. That did the trick. About four hours later, at 7:55 pm, our precious baby girl was born. She was 8 lbs. 3 oz. with rosy cheeks, dark hair, and blue eyes. She was healthy and beautiful and scored a perfect 10 on her APGAR test. She was just as beautiful on July 16, 1996 as she is today!
I am proud of our baby girl - proud of the things she has accomplished in her first 12 years, proud of her for being her own person, proud of her for being so passionate about certain things, proud of her love for drawing, reading, and writing, proud that she knows and loves Christ as her personal Saviour, and proud of her for so many other things that I can't put into words at the moment. I have been blessed by the first 12 years with my precious little princess. We have all been blessed; blessed by her smile, her laughter, her silly faces, her stories, her drawings, her drama, her hugs, her cards, and so much more. I can't imagine my life without her. I am truly blessed that God gave me such a precious little angel to nurture and to love, and I thank Him for making my life fuller through His gift of her.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Bit Nostalgic
This morning when I checked my email, I found a message from Reunion.com. I know that you have probably received these. Typically, I just delete them and go on, but today, I felt compelled to click on the link to see "who" was looking for me ... as the message implied. Well, I quickly discovered that I could not find out "who" was looking for me without paying for a subscription. Of course, I am not going to join because I don't need to reconnect with these people that bad, so I chose the free version.
I entered my profile, only a few things, and then began to look through the list of people who graduated from my high school. The default setting was two year before I graduated and two years after I graduated. There were over 500 people in this list, and I was not up for going through that many names, so I narrowed the search a bit. As I browsed the names, many of them sounded familiar, but I could not picture them. Then, others were very familiar, but I had no interest in contacting them. Finally, there were a few that I was interested in contacting, and I began to think of who they were in high school and to wonder what they have made of themselves - who they are today. That got me thinking about myself, as well. I think that in many ways, I am similar to how I was in high school - conservative, traditional - but I am a much stronger person now than I was in high school. I found two people that I would like to get back in touch with and emailed them. Hopefully they will reply, and I can find out what they have been up to since high school. I think that it would be fun to reconnect.
I entered my profile, only a few things, and then began to look through the list of people who graduated from my high school. The default setting was two year before I graduated and two years after I graduated. There were over 500 people in this list, and I was not up for going through that many names, so I narrowed the search a bit. As I browsed the names, many of them sounded familiar, but I could not picture them. Then, others were very familiar, but I had no interest in contacting them. Finally, there were a few that I was interested in contacting, and I began to think of who they were in high school and to wonder what they have made of themselves - who they are today. That got me thinking about myself, as well. I think that in many ways, I am similar to how I was in high school - conservative, traditional - but I am a much stronger person now than I was in high school. I found two people that I would like to get back in touch with and emailed them. Hopefully they will reply, and I can find out what they have been up to since high school. I think that it would be fun to reconnect.
Monday, July 14, 2008
A Few Moments of Peace & Quiet...
Connor was just invited to a friend's house to play and one of Megan's friends just invited her to the pool, so here I am - at home, all alone, enjoying the peace and quiet. The kids and I sorted the huge piles of laundry and got the wash started this morning, they both cleaned their rooms and picked up around the house, so I can relax and enjoy my "quiet" time.
I read two books last week - Something Borrowed & Something Blue - and was excited about the third book - Baby Proof - until I realized that it is not a continuation of the first two. I enjoyed reading the first two so much and getting inside the heads of the characters, and I was looking forward to discovering even more about Rachel & Darcey in the third book. But, after reading only a few pages, I realized that this is a completely stand alone book - not tied to the first two books at all. The "I can't wait to read this book" feeling left, and I have not made the time to start reading again. But, now that I have some time to myself, I may just have to get into it today. The first two books were marvelous, so I am sure that I will love the author's new characters just as much ... I just have to get over the fact that the old characters are not a part of this book and get excited about meeting some new ones.
I used to read all of the time, and then for several years, I just did not make the time. Now that I have started reading again, I realize how much I missed it. Megan loves to read, and I am so glad. It is such a wonderful habit. Connor likes to read, but he would rather play hockey or video games than relax and read a book. Maybe soon he will fall in love with reading, too, but I think that his outdoor activities are equally important.
Well, I should probably unload the dryer and get another load going.
I read two books last week - Something Borrowed & Something Blue - and was excited about the third book - Baby Proof - until I realized that it is not a continuation of the first two. I enjoyed reading the first two so much and getting inside the heads of the characters, and I was looking forward to discovering even more about Rachel & Darcey in the third book. But, after reading only a few pages, I realized that this is a completely stand alone book - not tied to the first two books at all. The "I can't wait to read this book" feeling left, and I have not made the time to start reading again. But, now that I have some time to myself, I may just have to get into it today. The first two books were marvelous, so I am sure that I will love the author's new characters just as much ... I just have to get over the fact that the old characters are not a part of this book and get excited about meeting some new ones.
I used to read all of the time, and then for several years, I just did not make the time. Now that I have started reading again, I realize how much I missed it. Megan loves to read, and I am so glad. It is such a wonderful habit. Connor likes to read, but he would rather play hockey or video games than relax and read a book. Maybe soon he will fall in love with reading, too, but I think that his outdoor activities are equally important.
Well, I should probably unload the dryer and get another load going.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
A Morning of Shopping
My mom wanted to take Megan shopping this morning for her birthday gift, so Megan and I met her at the mall ... Limited 2, to be exact. Megan began to browse the many racks of colorful clothes, and soon our arms were filled with shirts, skirts, sweaters, pullovers, and more, so we decided that she had better start trying things on. I was really surprised that Megan chose so many skirts and dresses. For the past year, she has really only wanted to wear jeans and shorts. Maybe we are making the transition into a young lady this summer.
After trying on a few shirts, we quickly realized that she has grown a bit since our last shopping trip, so we had to make a few size adjustments. In the end, she chose a precious dress with a colorful print of red, turquoise, and white with black accents and trim. It is adorable on her. She also chose a precious slightly v-necked white t-shirt with silver crowns embellished on the front and a peachy/pink skort to match. It looks so cute on her, and she loves it almost as much as the dress. My mom purchased these two outfits for her, and I put the rest on hold for me to select from for her gift from us. I will return tomorrow or Monday to make the final selection for her birthday so that it will be "somewhat" of a surprise.
After leaving Limited 2, one of the kiosk guys caught Megan's attention. His kiosk contained flat irons and unique curling irons. So, as I went off to clean my contact lenses, Mom watched Megan while the sales guy began to curl her hair. The first few curls were rather tightly twisted into curls which resembled Shirley Temple curls, but the next few curls were much looser and natural. The iron created a really beautiful wave of curls and made her hair appear shinier.
Megan was SOLD and wanted to buy it on the spot. Mom and I were a less anxious, especially after learning that the iron had a $150.00 price tag. Of course, the guy turned on his "salesman charm" and said that he would give us his BEST deal ... a $20.00 discount. That did not persuade me. Next, he said, "Well! Since your daughter is a student and her birthday is coming up, I will give you the student discount, as well. An additional $10.00 off." I was still not moved by the $120.00 price. Just as we started to walk to the side of the kiosk, he said, "I don't want you to leave without this, so I will do something even MORE special for you. I will throw in the curling iron holder, a $29.99 value, absolutely FREE." Megan was ecstatic, thought this was the deal of the century, and just could not believe that my mom and I were not just handing our money over to this man. We declined his offer, thanked him for sharing the information with us, and began to walk away. He called out to us and offered us one final offer. "$100.00 for you because I like you. That is the best that I can do." Again, we declined and walked away. Although the curls looked great on Megan, I think that her fascination with the iron would be rather short-lived, and she would be frustrated by the amount of time it would take to completely curl her hair. So, I think that it is best that we let this "deal" pass us by.
After trying on a few shirts, we quickly realized that she has grown a bit since our last shopping trip, so we had to make a few size adjustments. In the end, she chose a precious dress with a colorful print of red, turquoise, and white with black accents and trim. It is adorable on her. She also chose a precious slightly v-necked white t-shirt with silver crowns embellished on the front and a peachy/pink skort to match. It looks so cute on her, and she loves it almost as much as the dress. My mom purchased these two outfits for her, and I put the rest on hold for me to select from for her gift from us. I will return tomorrow or Monday to make the final selection for her birthday so that it will be "somewhat" of a surprise.
After leaving Limited 2, one of the kiosk guys caught Megan's attention. His kiosk contained flat irons and unique curling irons. So, as I went off to clean my contact lenses, Mom watched Megan while the sales guy began to curl her hair. The first few curls were rather tightly twisted into curls which resembled Shirley Temple curls, but the next few curls were much looser and natural. The iron created a really beautiful wave of curls and made her hair appear shinier.
Megan was SOLD and wanted to buy it on the spot. Mom and I were a less anxious, especially after learning that the iron had a $150.00 price tag. Of course, the guy turned on his "salesman charm" and said that he would give us his BEST deal ... a $20.00 discount. That did not persuade me. Next, he said, "Well! Since your daughter is a student and her birthday is coming up, I will give you the student discount, as well. An additional $10.00 off." I was still not moved by the $120.00 price. Just as we started to walk to the side of the kiosk, he said, "I don't want you to leave without this, so I will do something even MORE special for you. I will throw in the curling iron holder, a $29.99 value, absolutely FREE." Megan was ecstatic, thought this was the deal of the century, and just could not believe that my mom and I were not just handing our money over to this man. We declined his offer, thanked him for sharing the information with us, and began to walk away. He called out to us and offered us one final offer. "$100.00 for you because I like you. That is the best that I can do." Again, we declined and walked away. Although the curls looked great on Megan, I think that her fascination with the iron would be rather short-lived, and she would be frustrated by the amount of time it would take to completely curl her hair. So, I think that it is best that we let this "deal" pass us by.
Friday, July 11, 2008
A Girly Day
I spent the day with my mom and sister doing "girly" things. My sister's birthday is next week, so I arranged a sister for the 4 kids (my two and my sister's two), and my mom, sister, and I set out for a day together. We kicked off our girl day with a trip to SteinMart, my mom's favorite shopping spot. We spent a few hours there, browsing for good deals and trying on a several things. Despite the fact that we tried on at least 15 items each, we each walked out with only a couple of things. But, it was a successful shopping trip. I purchased a blouse for my sister for her birthday and a shirt for my dad for his birthday. (By the way, July is a HUGE birthday month for my family. My brother-in-law's birthday is the 1st, my nephew's the 7th, my dad's the 9th, my sister's the 15th, and Megan's the 16th. Believe it or not, we have more familly b-days in July, but we typically only participate in celebrating the ones I listed. Thank goodness.)
Next, we headed to Maggiano's for lunch. After sharing some terrific zucchini and bread, Stephanie enjoyed some marvelous ravolio, while mom and I each ate the salad special - a crispy chicken strawberry salad. Everything was fabulous.
The movie theater was our next stop. We headed to Cinemark to see Sex and the City. It was the perfect chick-flick to round out our afternoon together.
Our day was terrific! We spent some quality time together, enjoyed some laughs, and had a fabulous time shopping, eating, and visiting. I love the fact that the three of us are not just family. We are friends, confidants, supporters, encouragers, cheerleaders, prayer partners, and more. I can't image my life without them.
Next, we headed to Maggiano's for lunch. After sharing some terrific zucchini and bread, Stephanie enjoyed some marvelous ravolio, while mom and I each ate the salad special - a crispy chicken strawberry salad. Everything was fabulous.
The movie theater was our next stop. We headed to Cinemark to see Sex and the City. It was the perfect chick-flick to round out our afternoon together.
Our day was terrific! We spent some quality time together, enjoyed some laughs, and had a fabulous time shopping, eating, and visiting. I love the fact that the three of us are not just family. We are friends, confidants, supporters, encouragers, cheerleaders, prayer partners, and more. I can't image my life without them.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Bowling
Our local bowling alley gave the kids cards for one free game of bowling per day throughout the summer. All we have to pay for is our shoes. So, we have been going bowling off and on. My mom took the kids bowling while she was here with them a few weeks ago, and this week, I have taken the kids a couple of times. Yesterday, my sister and nephews joined us, as well. It was a good time.
Although the kids always want to win, I really don't take the bowling too seriously. In fact, the other day, I bowled most of my frames with my cell phone in my left hand and my bowling ball in my right hand, all the while talking to my mom on the phone. The kids got a bit frustrated with me because they could tell that I was not "trying" too hard, but it was a fun hour of entertainment anyway.
The first time that we went bowling this summer, we were not on the "cosmic" side. In other words, the house lights were on on our side of the bowling alley, and there were not neon lights or flashes from the disco ball. So, now, each time that we enter the bowling alley and head for the cashier, Connor is quick to say, "We need to be on the cosmic side." So far, the cashier has been able to honor his request, and therefore, we bowl in the cosmic atmosphere which makes our white shirts and socks really bright, almost glowing, and all of the neon accents on the shoes, walls, tables, etc. are rather vibrant. Bowling in the cosmos seems to really add to the experience for Connor, so I hope that we can continue to luck-out and get on the cosmic side each time.
Megan has been at Police Academy this week. For the past two days, we have picked her up at 3pm and headed for the bowling alley. As soon as she got in the car today, she said, "I don't want to go bowling today. I am too tired." I was afraid that Connor was going to be upset because I noticed that he put on socks and his crocs as we headed out the door to pick-up Megan. I figured that he wore the socks thinking that we were going bowling. But, he was enthralled in his Pokemon game and did not seem to mind that I headed back to the house and not to the bowling alley.
I have not taken pictures during our bowling escapades, but I will try to do so next time. Until then ... enjoy your day and send some comments my way if you have a moment. I would love to hear from you!
Although the kids always want to win, I really don't take the bowling too seriously. In fact, the other day, I bowled most of my frames with my cell phone in my left hand and my bowling ball in my right hand, all the while talking to my mom on the phone. The kids got a bit frustrated with me because they could tell that I was not "trying" too hard, but it was a fun hour of entertainment anyway.
The first time that we went bowling this summer, we were not on the "cosmic" side. In other words, the house lights were on on our side of the bowling alley, and there were not neon lights or flashes from the disco ball. So, now, each time that we enter the bowling alley and head for the cashier, Connor is quick to say, "We need to be on the cosmic side." So far, the cashier has been able to honor his request, and therefore, we bowl in the cosmic atmosphere which makes our white shirts and socks really bright, almost glowing, and all of the neon accents on the shoes, walls, tables, etc. are rather vibrant. Bowling in the cosmos seems to really add to the experience for Connor, so I hope that we can continue to luck-out and get on the cosmic side each time.
Megan has been at Police Academy this week. For the past two days, we have picked her up at 3pm and headed for the bowling alley. As soon as she got in the car today, she said, "I don't want to go bowling today. I am too tired." I was afraid that Connor was going to be upset because I noticed that he put on socks and his crocs as we headed out the door to pick-up Megan. I figured that he wore the socks thinking that we were going bowling. But, he was enthralled in his Pokemon game and did not seem to mind that I headed back to the house and not to the bowling alley.
I have not taken pictures during our bowling escapades, but I will try to do so next time. Until then ... enjoy your day and send some comments my way if you have a moment. I would love to hear from you!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Impact Camp
Connor went to camp last week with his cousins Colton & Carson. This was Connor's first camp experience, and I think that he really liked it. Since I was in San Antonio, he spent the night with Aunt Fe Fe, and then Aunt Fe Fe took him to camp. He spent four days at camp where he played basketball, went on scavenger hunts, played putt putt, and learned more about God. He earned two gold medals while at camp ... one for basketball and one for Bible Bowl. When I asked him to name his favorite part about camp, he said, "Putt Putt. Because I won!"
Fe Fe, thanks for telling us about Impact Camp, and thanks for taking Connor. He had a great time at camp, and he really enjoyed spending some extra time with Colton & Carson.
Fe Fe, thanks for telling us about Impact Camp, and thanks for taking Connor. He had a great time at camp, and he really enjoyed spending some extra time with Colton & Carson.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
More St. Lucia Pics
Slide show of additional St. Lucia photos ...
While in St. Lucia, we had some sunset photos taken. Here are a few of Blake & I and our traveling group.
While in St. Lucia, we had some sunset photos taken. Here are a few of Blake & I and our traveling group.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Independence Day!
We had a quiet Independence Day at the Richardson House. We slept in, Blake smoked a brisket, we relaxed and swam. Stephanie and the boys came over to eat and swim with us, and Aunt Carol came over for a visit, as well. The kids enjoyed playing basketball and volleyball in the pool with the new set that Blake purchased today. It contains a basketball goal and a net for volleyball and paddle ball. They enjoyed playing all three games, swimming, and jumping on the trampoline. Even Sophie took a little swim today, although I don't think she enjoyed it quite as much as the others.
Scuba Diving in St. Lucia
We went scuba diving several times in St. Lucia. The first day we arrived, we were lucky enough to get on the 10:20am scuba trip. We went to a cove called the Bay of Pigs about 25 minutes off shore. Evidently when the French first arrived in this cove, pigs were scattered around the beach.
Our dive was a reef dive lasting about 45 minutes. The coral was more colorful than Jamaica, but not nearly as colorful as Curacao. There was quite a bit of sea life. We saw many colorful fish, spotted eels, fan coral, and more. It was a very nice dive - plenty to see and enjoy. Over the next few days, we participated in the two tank morning dives. We dove around the Bay or Pigs cove 3 more times. On Monday, we dove a wreck. It was a ship that was sunk 22 or so years ago. It was covered in coral and other plants and inhabited by a variety of fish. Our second dive was along the coast - a wall dive. The dive was very relaxing - drifting along the coast with the current. On this dive, we saw a large octopus hiding in a nook along the wall. It was a light golden brown in color and blended in with the rocks and coral along the wall. I am including some pictures from our diving trips. I hope that you enjoy them.
Our dive was a reef dive lasting about 45 minutes. The coral was more colorful than Jamaica, but not nearly as colorful as Curacao. There was quite a bit of sea life. We saw many colorful fish, spotted eels, fan coral, and more. It was a very nice dive - plenty to see and enjoy. Over the next few days, we participated in the two tank morning dives. We dove around the Bay or Pigs cove 3 more times. On Monday, we dove a wreck. It was a ship that was sunk 22 or so years ago. It was covered in coral and other plants and inhabited by a variety of fish. Our second dive was along the coast - a wall dive. The dive was very relaxing - drifting along the coast with the current. On this dive, we saw a large octopus hiding in a nook along the wall. It was a light golden brown in color and blended in with the rocks and coral along the wall. I am including some pictures from our diving trips. I hope that you enjoy them.
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