Party at the park

Tonight was our church's 2nd annual party at the park.  Everyone is invited to a local park to grill, ride bikes, play games, fish, etc.  It was a blast and the weather was perfect.  I'm hoping we'll do it more often. Rachel at last year's party at the park

This year


Ethan & Hannah off to their fishing lesson with Poppa 


Ethan "fishing"


On the playground


So happy to be riding his bike again


Watching for ducks

First kill of the season

Even though Clay isn't a hunter, he did get his first kill of the season this past weekend.  He killed the old car doodad that made you feel like you were in one of those old "workout" machines from the 50s that shakes your butt back and forth, and replaced it with a new doodad that makes everything ride nice and smooth.  And yes, he's still bragging about his mangled hands and greasy fingernails.  Why is it that women think a man covered in grease, sweat, blood and dirt is attractive?  God made us so weird.

Castaway

A goodbye to the cast.

The screams that accompanied the saw.
The horrible smell. 
The little white leg. 
The disgustingly dirty foot. 
The little matted hairs. 

The tears. 
The apprehension of getting another x-ray. 

The excitement of wearing two shoes again.
Then, finally, an all clear from the doctor.
A Sonic drink.

A bubble bath with sister.
A dose of Tylenol.
A sno cone.

A trip to Nana & Poppa's to play in the sand box.
A dose of Benadryl.
A good night's sleep.
Two bent knees under the breakfast table this morning.
No more peg leg.

Ding Dong

I heard the ding dong of the doorbell around 7:45 yesterday morning.  Who in the world would be ringing my doorbell at 7:45?  I knew it couldn't be the UPS man, I wasn't expecting anyone, my dad was at work and my mom was working out - I was perplexed.  Well, what do you know - it was my sweet husband.  He "left" for work as normal, and then a few minutes later came back to surprise us that he took the day off and we were going to the zoo!  It was the most gorgeous day of the year yesterday, so I guess the zoo bug bit him.  It was a very nice and relaxing day (even despite the fact that it was Fort Worth ISD field trip day).  And we got to test out our new bike trailer as a stroller - worked like a charm.  We even ended up running into an old college friend and a friend from Ethan's class at preschool.  Came back home to a clean house - thanks to hosting Bible study here Thursday night - put the kids to bed early because they missed their afternoon naps, and relaxed all night.  I live for those days.

Happy birthday, Dad!

In honor of my Dad's birthday, here are 55 things about him:

• he's a Christian


• he's the youngest of 3 children


• his name is not Christopher - just Chris


• he doesn't have a middle name


• he's an elder at our church


• he's also the song leader - and a really good one!


• he loves his family more than anything in the entire world


• he likes to fish


• he's 6'4"


• he actually enjoys yard work


• he's a packrat at heart


• he got his driver's license when he was 14


• he grew up without air conditioning


• he grew up with an outhouse


• he's really good at giving wagon rides to grandchildren


• he has worked for the same company since he was 21


• he played tuba in band


• he loves his ipod


• he played the very first halftime show at Texas Stadium


• he wears a size 13 shoe


• he has all of his hair


• he's very good at giving advice


• he and I talk every day


• he's been known to get up early and fill up a tank of gas - just to be nice


• he's an early riser - usually around 4:30


• he normally works 4 10-hour days


• he's a great handyman


• but he also knows when to hire a job out


• he's really smart


• he likes Hogan's Heroes


• he also likes 3 Stooges


• he's very frugal, but also very generous


• he's completely selfless


• he will do absolutely anything for his family


• he likes Chinese food


• he likes the Cowboys


• he has sang at numerous weddings and funerals


• he didn't miss a single Aggie home game from 1994-1998


• he would switch his work schedule to make all of my high school games


• he was the Band Booster President in high school


• we both won the John Philip Sousa award


• he has had a gray streak in his hair since he was a teenager


• he passed this down to me and Ethan


• he likes Amici


• he's very conscious of what he eats


• he's a hero to every female over 70 years old at church


• he's completely unwaivering in his faith


• he treats Clay like he's his own son


• he can strike up a conversation with just about anyone


• he'll stop by the house on a random day just to say hi


• he was my soccer coach for many years


• he's always honest


• he gives great hugs


• he always makes me feel better


• he's seriously the best dad in the entire world

I love you Dad.  I know how blessed I am to have you - here's to 55 more years!!

Rev It Up

E: Mommy, how does God take us to heaven when He's ready for us?
Me: I'm really not sure. Maybe He just comes down and picks us up and takes us to heaven with him.
E: But we can't see God.
Me: No, but He can see us, so He could come and get us.
E: Or maybe God has a rocket to heaven!

I think we've been watching a bit too much Little Einsteins.

Breeding bookworms

I'm so glad that our kids love books.  I remember reading at least one book a week as a kid - I wish I still did that, but I'm too busy checking blogs.  Rachel is happiest when looking at books about farm animals, and Ethan is happiest when reading Curious George. 

Ethan at 10 months


Rachel at 13 months

A new love

Yesterday I discovered a new love.  After lunch Clay and I spent a few hours cleaning up the back yard.  I think it needed to be cleaned around the beginning of March, but better late than never!  I mowed while Clay edged (I don't do the weed eater) and cleaned up the back porch, and while he was spraying for bugs and weeds, I decided to try out the leaf hog.  We've had this thing forever, but I've never used it because it always seemed like someone needed to be changed, fed, played with, kept out of the street, etc., when it was time to use it.  But both of the kids were sleeping during this crucial time yesterday, and I fell in love.  I know you're thinking I'm crazy, but there was such satisfaction in sucking up all of those pesky leaves and having them chopped into teeny tiny bits and placed nicely in the trash bag.  My immediate family may be the only ones who know this, but I vacuum every day - usually it's the living room and/or dining room because they get the most traffic - but unless I'm sick or out of town, the vacuum cleaner runs up our electric bill every day.  The point of this is that using the leaf hog was just like vacuuming - but BETTER!  I'm still not sure why it was better, but it really was.  Unfortunately Clay reads my blog and now knows that I won't complain when he asks me to do the leaves.  Well, at least until November when the 43 trees in our yard dispense riduculous amounts of leaves - I'm sure my leaf hog honeymoon phase will be over by then!

Ethan, Rachel, Jack & Josie doing a little extra clean up this morning


Ethan helping yesterday after he dressed himself - the kid loves to match

Nine years later

For the past several years we have been having dinner about every other month with the Schneiders (Chip & Stefany) and the Pilgrims (Brent, Nicole, Lauryn & Allie).  Clay, Chip & Brent were in the band together at A&M (starting in 1995), and Stefany & Nicole were actually already around then as well - I was a late bloomer in this little circle.  We love hanging out together and meeting at different restaurants or at each other's houses, etc., but we had a real treat a few weekends ago.  Chip & Stefany invited us to go to the La Cima Club with them - NO KIDS.  It was wonderful - no, it was fantastical.  (I know that's not a real word, but the evening was so great that it deserves a new word.)  We got all dressed up, valet parked the car, were seated in a big dining room with only one other occupied table (and I'm sure they were wishing they had picked another night after all the noise we were making), ordered from personalized menus, had appetizers, another appetizer, soup, salad, main dish, dessert and coffee, changed into larger clothes (I really should have thought of that), and then walked around Stefany's haunted office (don't knock it till you've tried it...it really was fun).  We always have fun together, but that was memorable.  Schneiders - thank you SO much for hosting a wonderful - and much needed - evening.  We'll be sure and keep everything in pencil on the calendar in case the opportunity comes up again. 

The first picture is from RV Ball in 1999 - if you can believe it, Clay had a digital camera then.  It was about the size of a bread box and used actual floppy disks, but hey - IT WAS DIGITAL, PEOPLE.  And of course the second is from a few weekends ago.  Hope to be posting something similar in 2017. 

Brent & Nicole
 


Chip & Stefany



Us

Tidbits

On Saturday Ethan and I had a date to go see Horton Hears a Who.  During the eternal previews Ethan said, "Mommy, I'm ready for Winnie Hears a Pooh to start." 

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I don't normally use the blog as a forum to tell the world about all of the incredibly amazing things my kids do every day because, let's be honest, who cares.  Besides grandparents, no one really wants to know about all of the mispronunciations, pointing, eating habits, etc.  However, (you knew that was coming) I do want to remember that today, at 13 months, little Ray-Bug has pointed at her diaper and grunted all 3 times she needed a diaper change...one of those being dirty.  Genius child.  :)

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Today Ethan told me that I could be the black Superman because I could catch things better and he would be the red Superman because he could hit things better.  Nice.

Ever had that feeling?

Have you ever had that feeling of "I'm with him!" around your husband?  I remember the first time I felt like that was when I saw Clay's "band" (sorry, babe, but I do use that term loosely) playing at BQ Ball in 1999.  I had actually broken up with him, and this was our first date back together.  Just a few chords into the first song he dropped his pick (certainly because he was distracted looking at me!) and, therefore, had to play the rest of the gig with his fingers.  This resulted in very - VERY - bloody fingers because it was, after all, a rock song.  Well, in the mind of 20 year old Lisa, bloody fingers on a guitar are incredibly cool and I just kept standing there among the hundreds of other people thinking, "I'm with HIM!" 

I digress.  I have had this feeling many times over the past 10 years.  Just a couple of months ago at Nick & Randi's wedding I felt like that when he was playing a song for them.  And no, I'm not THAT superficial that I only feel this when he has a guitar strapped around his neck and that amazing voice is singing - but it certainly doesn't hurt!  But I felt like this again on Sunday.  Right after Christmas our church was asked to bring forward names of men they felt could serve as deacons.  Sunday Clay was one of four men installed as a deacon, and I sat up on the front pew with him thinking, "I'm with him."  Anyone that knows him knows that he's a great man, a faithful husband, a good teacher, a devoted father, an honest friend, a dedicated Christian, a hard worker... But it's like I wanted to stand up and just tell everyone there about all of the other things that make him amazing.  

I love you, Clay, and I know how blessed I am.  And it's a good thing all of those church members haven't seen this face or I'm sure they would have re-thought their nomination...