For Katie

I love this song!!! That's right Katie! You're not from Texas. Texas wants you anyway!!

It's a hard life.

Why do I have to
have such a hard life?

What are you

talking about?

Everyone is always
bossing me around.
You,
Drew,
Daddy,
Matthew.

Everyone!

And one day

you'll have a wife.
Get used to it kid.

A Boy and His Hair

Front, left, right and back. A boy and his hair. What nice hair you have!

Oh my! That's awfully short! No turning back now.

I see you mom!

What's that funny face for?

His brother watches on!

Hey dude, nice mohawk.

Cool heart birth mark with your cool new mohawk.

A close up of the heart. Or, his angel kiss.

Dude, I need some shades. The sun is INTENSE. (We talked about intense yesterday in great detail. JB said, "I'm intense."

I may have an intense hair cut but I'm really just a sweetie pie.

Name That Ray

It's been a while since I've posted the beloved mascot from Highlowaha. He's a busy guy which makes me a busy gal. Here are the latest additions. And, if you would like a tshirt of Ray take a look at his GalleRay. Not all of these are up yet but they should be over there within the month or so.

Drew & Beethoven

Drew told me all about Beethoven a couple of weeks ago.

I especially liked the part where Drew told me that Beethoven's dad would go out to the bars and get drunk. When his dad got home, he would make Beethoven get out of bed and play the piano. If Beethoven made a mistake his dad would smack him with a stick.

My response was, "Huh, you don't have so bad, do ya?"

Mine

My Kitchen...

My closet...

My laundry closet...

The room I want to be my craft space....

(This room goes from straightened up to messy to straightened up but now all organization has been put on hold because I had to purchase a new TV and repair brakes. I have grand plans for a wall of high shelves getting everything off the floor. $$. Sigh. My poor studio/guest room is last.)

The corner of the living room I'm using now...

Highlowaha's

Sorry about the blurry photos but it's late!

Hard work never felt so good!

In January, my office announced a fitness contest to be held from Monday, February 2nd to Monday, March 30th. We were to form our own teams of 3 people per team. We would earn points for exercising and losing weight.

I was not happy when the first report of rankings came out. My team was in 5th place. I couldn't believe we were behind a team where one of the girls (dear friend that she is) had texted me over the weekend and said she was having a beer AND a hamburger. That lit a fire under me and there was a competitive spark lit in me like never before. Before I continue... first and second places were so far ahead because these guys were machines that worked out all the time anyway. So, it became a battle for third.

I made sure I got as many workouts in as possible. I went and bought a Balance Ball from Target so I could count that as my weight training. I worked out on my elliptical machine at home while watching tv- sometimes I just wore my jeans on there and went slow. I even broke out the step from 1980-something and did 80's aerobics in my living room. After the boys went to bed, I'd turn on the DVD for the Balance Ball workout. Tania and I are great friends now. I worked out on the treadmill in the office fitness center during my lunch. We moved up to third place with second place still 30 points ahead of us.

I changed my diet drastically. Sometimes healthier than others. And, I fell off the healthy wagon more than once. One night I couldn't help it and had to have a root beer float with the boys. It was sooo good. I'd have a piece of chocolate here or there or some kind of treat occasionally to make sure I was still human.

So, with a 30 point spread I was just thinking about third place. I lost 13 pounds. And it was our combined weight loss as a team that pushed us into second place, which to us was really like first place!! We received an Academy gift card for $25. I also took second place for the most weight lost and the difference between me and first place was half a pound. I feel good, energized- and that's better than anything. I'd like to lose a total of 5 more pounds so I'm trying to continue with my routine.

Hmph! The old fashion way of exercise and diet works and even though the contest is over (as many folks have pointed out to me) you just can't stop maintaining all that you've worked so hard to accomplish. Bikini season is just around the corner and I'm going to be ready! And, JB can't call me fat anymore.

Ray Update

Erin-go-Bray

Ray drank a bit much for St. Patrick's Day over at Highlowaha! April will be a fun month for Ray and Taste of USA is coming up in May!!

Soccer

Soccer is going really well. They won the first game. I missed it because I went to Houston to a baby shower for the cutest pregnant woman ever! Pearl and I went to work out at the gym. We walked the treadmill and I'll be damned if her 8 month pregnant-self wasn't kicking my butt!

Oh- back to soccer. The second game they won 15-0. And though they were understandably excited, we had to have a little discussion about good sportsmanship. We have a little break now with Spring Break but will be back to it next week.


He shoots! He scores! This is from last season where Drew dribbled it down, shot and got it past the goalie.


I love this shot of JB throwing the ball in. I'm not sure if this is during a game or warm up but I just love his form.


We drove to Temple, TX a couple of Saturday's ago to watch my nephew play. They unfortunately lost. A lot to nothing. But who's keeping score. Here we are on the sidelines.

Blogging...

I'm always having fun with the gang over at Highlowaha. That's Ray up there that I draw for the blog. Claudia started the blog in 2008 and this year she invited Heather, Katie and me to join in the writing fun. We hope you'll tune in. We ran an event last year called Taste of USA. That will start again in May with a new twist. Last year we headed up to Philadelphia as Pennsylvania was our winning state.

Two other blogs that I just love are these:
I have a serious girl crush on Pioneer Woman. She does it all. Writes love stories. She takes awesome photographs. She takes awesome pictures of the food she cooks. I want to be her - minus the home schooling part.

I found Pioneer through Bakerella. Bakerella makes me want to bake - and I don't really even like to cook or bake! I made these. I want to make this, this, and she makes me want to play with fondant.

Check them out!