Where have I been?

I cannot believe that I have let this get away from me. When I started blogging, I promised myself that I would stay on top of this...yeah, right! There is so much to update so we will move quickly. Try to keep up.

Nick is heading to Wyoming for his next project - Casper to be exact. He is expected to leave next week. I miss him so much when he is on the road. He has been home for a couple of months and it was nice to spend time with each other. He has been able to spend quality time with Ethan and that is the best part of it all. He celebrated his birthday at Vegas Grill down on Webster. It was nice to have friends and family together. This is how the evening started.

I would like to say that I had more pictures, but since I spent the early morning hours trying to prevent Nick from drowning in the bathtub that he passed out in and cleaning my new car out after he threw up in it - YES - you read that right, I can say that he is lucky that we have any photo memories of the evening.

Emmeline is busy with school and rugby. SHE ROCKS AT RUGBY! My daughter is a beast on the field! When they played St. Pius she was proud to show off her battle scars - a cut above her eye and an injured ankle. She is fabulous!

Ethan is....Ethan. He is a rubber stamp of Nick...from the super long eyelashes to "the look" he gives you when you try to discipline him for touching the remote (or the dvr or my chi or whatever the 2 year old finds amusing at the moment) for the one millionth time. However, he now thinks that when you catch him with the remote, he can run to you and say "tank you" before you can scold him. I am so not falling for the lashes and charming smile - that's what got me Ethan in the first place. Sucker!

As for me, I am busy with work and home. Rodeo is about to kick off and that puts me into a whole new level of busy - but one that I thoroughly enjoy. We attended my committee's kick-off dance last week. Two words - open bar. Enough said...I was nice enough to not get sick in the car and manage to undress myself and climb into my own bed after the festivities. Self control people...self control!

I got a new car and am so excited. I have a hemi. It sounds loud and a little angry, but I love it! I have been driving an SUV for so long, it has been nice to get behind the wheel of a sedan and zip through traffic. Not to mention, it exudes a whole new level of sexiness....rrrroooaarrr!

I am going to try to post weekly - that is my promise to myself for the next month. That should take me into Spring Break - crap...where does the year go? So, to everyone - Happy Valentine's Day - go out and show some love!!

It was a pretty calm Christmas this year. Being so busy with work and such, I found it difficult to get into the swing of things. There were no Christmas cards sent out his year, I stuffed gifts into bags and wrapped only when absolutely necessary, I didn't even cook at the house. Here's a small update.

Christmas week started with a huge surprise. My SIL Susan and her significant other, Matt got engaged. We were fortunate enough to be onhand as Matt popped the question in front of his family and ours. Matt is a very nice guy and I couldn't be happier for them. The future is very bright for them and I hope that their life together brings them a lifetime of happiness!

Tuesday evening we went to dinner at the Daigle's. Nick's friend Alan and his wife Becca were in town for the holidays and getting to see them was a nice treat for us both. Alan's parents hosted a small dinner party at their home for his friends. Since Alan and Becca live in North Carolina (Alan is based there; he serves in the Marines) it was great to see them during this busy time!

Christmas eve brought us to Nana and Nene's house. We enjoyed a nice dinner together...big thanks to my mother-in-law for cooking all day. We opened gifts early and spent the evening just catching up.

Christmas Day started with us opening gifts with Em and Ethan at the house. Our children are very fortunate. They have family that loves them very much and they truly want for nothing. Ethan got his Elmo Live...a huge hit and he looked fabulous in his Batman pjs with cape and all. Emmeline got the boots and purse that she wanted and a ton of gift cards (the most direct route to a teenage girl's heart, BTW).

Later, we headed to my mom's for lunch and opened gifts from her. As the years pass, I have come to realize how important my mother is in my life and that of my children. She is always there to listen to my gripes..sometimes she listens, sometimes she gives me her two cents which I wholeheartedly listen to, but don't always follow. She has been there for me when my world was shattered by betrayal and she has been there when I regained my footing and stood atop the world. She is one of my most treasured gifts.

The afternoon brought us to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Nick's grandfather, G-Pa, is there participating in a clinical trial for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. He has been there about 3 weeks and was unable to come home for the holidays...so we all went to him. We painted signs that spelled out "Merry Christmas G-Pa" and "We love you" and stood on the street below his 10th story hospital room. Later we were able to go to his room to visit and since you have to completely gown up head to toe, shoe covers, gloves, hair covers, they only allow a couple of people in his room at at time. G-pa looks like he is getting better and he says he feels good, but I cannot imagine his loneliness in that room. We are praying that all goes well and we look forward to celebrating Christmas with him in the next few weeks when he comes home!!

I want to take time to wish everyone that has been a part of our lives in 2008 a prosperous and happy New Year. May 2009 be filled with good health and many great memories! Love to you all!! XOXOXO

Crap...the holiday season begins....

I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I have blogged. This is becoming more frequent as I struggle to find the time it takes to keep this going. BUT...I will. Someone told me yesterday, "I read your blog".

"Mine? Really? Oh, ok....thanks!" Never expected this person to say that and this was hardly the response I wanted to give, but thanks and I appreciate you letting me know!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. There is alot to be thankful for this year. My kids are healthy and happy. G-pa has joined a clinical trial at M.D. Anderson and they are working miracles there everyday. We are employed, and with this economy, that is a blessing in anyone's book. We were able to spend Turkey day with family. I had a small lunch with mom at home and then we headed off to G-ma's and G-pa's to hang out with the rest of the family.



We are thankful for great grandbabies.


















We are thankful for silly faces.






















We are thankful for grandpas.























We are thankful for cellphones???





















We are thankful for playtime with Daddy.

















There are more things to be thankful for here

Welcome back!

It has been forever since I blogged about anything and I could not believe how time has flown. It has been well over a month since my last post and quite frankly, I thought that I might never find time to get back to this simple pleasure. So, here goes the update.

Emmeline is doing well in school and her freshman year is progressing nicely (with road bumps), but she is doing her best (she is still allergic to homework). Her birthday is coming up and she will be 15! Her Aunt Heather has taught her to drive...just the basics - forward and reverse- those are HUGE to the new driver. However, she will not be attending any driver ed classes anytime soon. She gets in as a passenger now and has to punch radio buttons wildly for the first 10 minutes of any car ride. I highly doubt that her attention span will allow her to safely operate a vehicle at this time or any time in the next few years.

Ethan is growing everyday and learning more and more words. You can decifer hi, bye, shoe, dog, ball. "Oh God" is another favorite of his and so is "Shut up" which he gets from me. I don't say it in a mean way, just as a statement of surprise. He has picked up on it though and it is very clear and audible when he says it in the middle of a crowd. I usually get the annoying looks from other mothers at this point. It is with these looks that I really want to teach him things like "What's up hooka" and although thoroughly amusing to me, it IS completely inappropriate.

Here they are at Halloween with my niece and nephew, Megan and Cameron. Kudos to my SIL Heather for the awesome skeleton costumes. That has to be the cutest spider and strawberry shortcake I have ever seen!

Nick is headed to Baltimore for his next project. We thought the Arizona job would be longer, but this offer in Maryland cannot be passed up...the opportunity is just too fantastic.

I just returned from a business trip last week to meet customers. Although I was sick for most of it, it turned out to be pretty enjoyable. I stopped in South Carolina and then on to Indiana and Ohio. It turned out that I happened to be in the middle of Amish country in Hicksville, Ohio. I thought that was only in Pennsylvania?? Anyway, it seems that we have all become dependent on Wal-Mart in one way or another. The local Wally World has amish parking - seriously. There was a small horse barn in the parking lot where a horse and buggy could be "parked" while you did your shopping. Incredible!

So all in all, we have been well and life has been chugging along. Before you know it Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us. The stores already have their holiday decorations up and there are wreaths and lights everywhere. So...until we blog again (that was dorky)...cheers!

Just to let you know...

I have not fallen off the planet. Since Hurricane Ike, we have been completely disconnected. The house has been over-flowing with family and their dogs. We were fortunate enough to be without electricity for only 14 hours....14 very long hours. My mom still does not have electricity and neither does my SIL in Kingwood or my MIL in Hitchcock.

I have enjoyed having the time with my family, but one of the dogs chewed up my favorite pair of bronze heels....loved those shoes, had a matching bag....oh the agony! If you know me, you know that I love my shoes. They can change your life...ask Cinderella!

I will update soon and add pictures of the damage in our neighborhood...love to you all. I hope everyone is safe and life is returning to normal or as normal as can be!