Oh, the fun we had in Texas

Lori came over tonight with her laptop and we downloaded all the pictures from Texas to my computer. I think she said we shot around 1500 pictures in around 3 weeks. We didn't even take our big camera's into Sea World. Crazy. (Hey Lori, I just realized where are the pics from your small camera that we took at Sea World?) These two pictures were so cute and I wanted to share them with you. The top is the two of them in the bathtub (I'm going to spare you all the pictures that I got of them running buck naked in the backyard - they were sticky from popcicles and we made them strip down) and Libbi is getting the beginnings of Pink Eye and we didn't know it. (and yes, being the generous soul that she is...she shared with Jackson) And speaking of sharing. We all go to Dairy Queen tonight and Jackson and Libbi both get yummy blizzards and I'm there eating a sugar free, fat free dilly bar and what do you think those two kids want? Yep, my dilly bar. So, Jackson, Libbi and myself ate my dilly bar and licked that puppy clean. Go figure. We then proceeded to head to our house and they drug out Jack's miniature roller coaster and rode it for an hour. Makes sense right! Eat sugar (or the lack thereof) and try to make yourself sick. Perfectly normal around here. I've got lots more pictures to share and tried to blow these up in photobucket but photobucket doesn't like me right now so your just getting the regular size. Enjoy!
On the day before we left, (while Jackson slept until 11:30 that morning, can we say tired!) Libbi and I drew a picture of sorts of all the things that we did this trip and wrote out all the places we had been and all the fun we had. So of course, I needed her to pose next to our art work. Jackson came out later and added his special touch to it too. Oh, the wonders of sidewalk chalk. What a wonderful trip. More pics coming. Believe me, you'll be sick of seeing them all before I get through. You might want to take a blog break. I'm just warning you. And while I'm warning you, did everyone see all the pictures of Disney that they wanted to see because Lori just brought me more! Ha!

somebody's having a baby GIRL

I just heard from my friend Liz that she's having a GIRL! I so thought this one would be a boy but she said it's a GIRL. I'm still in shock. Congrats Liz, Travis and BIG BROTHER AIDEN. We are so................. happy for you. Can't wait to see who she looks like.

Lake, Part 2

Relaxing with Grandma (most likely watching Uncle Luke try to kill someone with the boat!)
O.K. who brought the guitar hero?
Mik Mik (Mikayla) and Jo Jo (Josephine) checking out the bottom of the canoe -

Jo Jo: "Mik Mik look at this boat, how cool!"

Mik Mik:"I know Jo Jo, can you believe were sailing?"

Jo Jo:"No, Mik Mik I can't. Wait a minute, were did the water go?

O.K. who moved the water?"

Mik Mik:"You know Jo Jo, we got all dressed up and

everything for a lovely day sailing and now the water's missing"

Jo Jo:"Of all the luck!"

Mik Mik: "Hey, one of you tall people go find the water!"

Dad and J
J with Grandma's camera. I wonder if grandma's face would freeze this way if she held it long enough? Hey, that might make a great school project one day.

So, I took Jo's camera card hostage.......

and after a very hostile takeover of her camera, not to mention - infringement on the U.S. copyright laws (and her personal rights to privacy), and a whole lot of strategic "sneak"ery - I acquired these photos. You know, I took some of these so she and I are going to have to sit down and have a little chat. I think I'm entitled to a slight commission. I think it's late and I need to stop writing. I just got through printing Dee's lingerie invitations and my creative side is completely banana's, not to mention my inability to make any sense. I would just advise you not to read any more of this. No seriously, don't read anymore. Seriously!
Come on over here partner and let me see what you've got!
very LARGE paper airplanes by Uncle Jack,

(aka Mr. Super paper airplane maker and very cool uncle)

Chubbs (or Chubby, chubb-a-rama, chubbarooney, chubbalicious, the chubbsters) and these are just my personal nicknames for him

Either blinded by the sun or giving a very cute wink to the camera (i'm thinking the later)

Where is it?

You guys are never going to believe the statement: "I can't find my camera cord to hook my camera to upload my pics to my computer". But this is a factual statement none-the-less. So, I'm still unpacking and looking and washing clothes, and unpacking some more and looking and you get the drift.

Hey Everybody................

I'm BACK
I'm EXHAUSTED
I'M OVERWHELMED
So what's new!

My sweet husband left my house in a VERY clean condition (he likes to play dumb but I know he's capable) and even installed a key-less entry keypad for our garage door. I was in the garage jumping up and down when I found it today. He kept telling me I had a surprise and had to find it. I looked everywhere and everywhere and everywhere and then he told me he'd left some laundry in the garage and so I went out into the garage and YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEW ENTRY SYSTEM!!!! Little things make me very happy. Most people would think that jewelry would do this for me and yet a keyless entry system does. Very strange I know. Kind of like him buying me leopard rainboots from Target for christmas and this being my favorite gift. He gets off way easy with me.

Well, it's nice to be home but I miss Lori and Libbi. We had such a great trip and just laughed and laughed and laughed (mostly at the kids!). Boy, do I have stories to tell. Those two are a hoot. Lori and I are going to catch a movie tonight and I've got to go get Luke a Ben and Jerry's ice cream cake for his belated birthday while we are out. All of Luke's family came in today and I sent him off with them and Jackson to the Lake House. I'll follow up tommorrow after I visit my grandmother in the hospital. She's doing well after her back surgery but they are checking her out to make sure she doesn't have any heart complications or problems. Please keep her in your prayers because it's never fun to be in the hospital and I miss walking up the hill to check on both her and my grandfather.

Pictures are coming soon.

lots of love

Natchez, Mississippi

Hey everyone. We will be driving back in tommorrow from our Texas/Louisiana/.Mississippi trip. We've had a great time and have taken a TON of pictures. We are currently in Natchez at the 1888 Wensel House in the very quaint cottage out back (aka we have small kids and we are in the "out-House" so to speak!) It reminds me of the house that Dolly Parton grew up in. Bet this was a bit of trivia that you never wanted to know.

I wanted to keep the blog updated a little better but I was working under a "Mandy" handicap, which some people call a MAC. Now Macs are awesome and luke works on one for work and my sister loves hers but I've always had a PC. Now, I'm not saying that I'm against Mac's. It's really quite the contrary. I would like to convert to a Mac but just haven't taken the time yet. So, needless to say, I've had a 2 week class on learning the Mac. I'm really learning a lot but just don't feel as comfortable as with my computer, so I am just waiting until I get home to show you all pictures. Plus, I bought the COOLEST gadget before I left called the FLIP and I've been video taping too. WAY COOL! If you've never heard of the FLIP, you should check it out. (http://www.TheFlip.com) It's so much fun and really easy to use. I taped the American Queen Paddleboat leaving the Mississippi shoreline today and they were playing the steam whistles ( it has a technical name but I don't know what it is). Someone sits on the top deck and plays the piano looking thing and the sound comes out these whistles. I had never, ever seen this before and it was great watching the kids (o.k. and us grown ups too) so mesmerized. They were sailing for 5 days down to New Orleans. Looked like a really neat thing to do. Just never enough time or money (well, mostly money). So, anyways, we have lots and lots of stories and pictures to share and I'll start on that maybe Thursday. Oh, and check this out - we are going to tour the home that North and South (the miniseries) was taped in tommorrow morning. Can't wait to see that. This is most probably a girl thing.

And please remember my cousin A.R. in Iraq. I recieved an e-mail from Nancy saying it will be in the 120's this week in Bagdad and our soldiers really need our prayers and encouragement. I'm burning up here in the 90's and I really have nothing to complain about. So, please remember them and pray they will come safely home.

Lots of love

The Towel Super Heroes

Going to Church

Day 4: Libbi and Jackson Chronicles

O.K. You know I thought I'd leave my crazy life at home once I headed out here to this big 'ole state known as Texas. Yep, I actually thought this. Craziness follows me like a BAD DISEASE! And I am constantly contagious with the stuff, and I think it starts to rub off onto others. Here's a run down of what's been going on:

1. The kids play putt putt together on Monday! This was something like the 3 stooges (libbi, jack and myself) on a putt putt course. There was absolutely no rhyme or reason or order for that matter to our playing. Instead of playing like normal (hole 1, hole 2, hole3......) we played like hole1, hole 16, hole 4, hole 2.....etc..) all while Libbi stood in the middle of the green with her legs in something like the splits trying to see if Jackson could hit the ball through her legs. Jackson swung the club more like he plays baseball, trying to see if he could hit it out of the "park. Let's just say the concept was lost on them. I've never really thought of myself as brave, but maybe taking these two out by myself to play putt putt was a definite act of bravery. Well, at least Lori seemed to think so. They were just absolutely histerical and I tried to photograph them playing but laughed to hard most of the time to get good shots.

2. So, as the saga continues yesterday I took them out to the park and after lunch we head back to the house. Well, as we near our neighborhood I notice that something is on fire. As I drive into the neighborhood the fire gets larger and larger and everyone who is home at this time is in their front yard. I'm thinking o.k., maybe this is a controlled burn. I really hope this is a controlled burn. I notice that it's the field that surrounds the neighborhood that's on fire. There are around 7 fire trucks, in the subdivision, located at the end of each of the streets trying to fight the fire. I found out that night that around 200 acres were actually on fire. I go to the end of the street trying to find out if anyone knows if this is a fire that is getting out of control. I'm just thinking to myself , o.k. what should I do. No one knows for sure what the official word is but the wind is blowing about 20 miles per hour and it looks like the fire is jumping. So, I go back to the house and as I enter the garage, a friend from across the street comes tearing down the street and yells at me to get the kids and the dogs and leave immediately. Her husband (a Killeen policeman) has just called and they are evacuating the neighborhood. So, I try to get Lori on the phone at school to find out what she needs to me to grab and try to tell her what's going on and that the house isn't on fire yet. I get the kids in the car and run back to get the dogs and a cop runs up to the house trying to inform me to leave, I told him I was trying and then they start in with the bull horns. I kept thinking, "Tell me this isn't happening. I know this isn't happening!" I get everyone in the car and throw my back out in the process trying to get a 7 month old, 80 pound, chocolate lab named Shelby into the car. She was not going to jump into that car without me completely picking her up. As I start to try to calm down a little and drive the car out of the neighborhood I notice that they won't allow anyone in back in. I'm really hoping that I haven't forgotten anything that Lori told me to grab. It was such a surreal experience, seeing everyone running up and down the streets carrying their belongings. This was my first evacuation and it really made me realize that I need to come up with an evacutation plan in case of any future disasters. Thankfully, the kids stayed calm, I was able to lift an 80 lb dog, and I didn't completely freak out and start driving around in circles trying to figure out where to go. They had to spray down several homes with water, and they lost several fire trucks but no one lost their home. We had a lot to be thankful for yesterday.

3. No trip would be complete without a trip to the doctor's office. We woke up today and Libbi's eye was swelled shut. We kind of figured out that she had had an allergic reaction to the smoke from the day before and so Jackson, Libbi and I head to the doctors office to get it checked out. The doctor thinks it's pink eye but Lori and I think it was the smoke so we get anti-biotic eye drops and some for Jackson too just in case. After the doctor, we head to Toys R US to help us forget the "doctors" visit and it's just amazing how an unlimited amount of toys to look at make everything better.

So after putt putt, a fire evacuation, and a doctor's visit we've completed 4 days out of the 2 1/2 week visit. My only question is what in the world is going to happen in the next 12 -14 days that we have left? Stayed tuned because there is no telling. (and by the way, I think America's funniest home video's may just be tailing us!)

Oh, Craziness....Craziness.....

Hello from Texas!

Howdy Everyone from the great state of Texas. We arrived here safely last night and are having a great time with Lori and Libbi (A.R.'s still in Iraq). Weather was great flying in and Jackson slept all the way from AL to Houston. He's definitely from my side of the family when it comes to flying and general travel. He gets it honestly. As soon as I get still and quiet, I start considering if I want to read or go to sleep. (Reading won out this trip!) We went to A.R.'s favorite place in Austin, Freebirds, and got the burritos and nachos. It was really great and they have the most awesome bus out front advertising the place. (I got picture that I'll load soon!) Church was great today and Libbi and Jackson are playing like there is no tommorrow. He borrowed her "princess" bike tonight (never phased him) and we walked the dogs. Libbi has taken Jackson under her wing and has proceeded to try to teach Jackson how to dress himself (this still eludes him) and tie his shoes (she's still learning herself!) and she even washed his hair in the bathtub tonight somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 - 20 times. His hair is now very, very CLEAN! We are having a great time and I plan to take Jack and Libbi to play putt putt golf tommorrow while Lori is finishing teaching her class. Hope you all are well.