time to start anew...

once again, the year has come to an end. it's true what they say. the older you get, the faster time goes by. we've heard it all our lives, and now i can say how very true it is. a day feels like a minute, a week like a day, a month like a week and a year like a month. whoaaa, that's deep.

the year was wonderful for our family. we worked, played, prayed and grew together as a family. we are very lucky to have our home, our good health and each other. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

i think the beautiful white blanket of snow on Christmas eve capped the year off just right! we couldn't have asked for a better present...

happy new year to everyone!

Christmas 2004 

ho ho ho

I found out today that Christmas day will be held at our house this year! It is going to require alot of preparation if I want it to be nice. We are used to entertaining but it is normally a bunch of guys watching football and eating chicken wings. This will be a little different! I will have to take extra care in the "decorating" department. Maybe a new red table cloth or two! I'm sure it will all work out. I just need to start my planning now and do a little at a time!
It's time we start giving Mom and Dad a break from the holidays! They've been having it at their house the last few years and I think it's beginning to take its toll. This way they can enjoy everybody and not have too much to worry about (except the dressing, i haven't mastered that yet!)
Well, i'll be sure to let you know a month from today how i'm feeling....! Can you say red and green paper plates?!

now what am i forgetting.....

i'm happy today. it's Friday and i just might be getting off early today! this weekend is my annual bouldin sister slumber party. we will be meeting each other tomorrow at noon. i'm pretty much ready. i got our little gift bags done yesterday. i have in my head what i need to pack, but for some reason, the camera keeps slipping my mind. that would suck. we are suppose to each bring a little dessert. i still need to pick that up, probably on my way out of town. don't know what my boys are going to do while i'm gone. hopefully stay busy fishing or doing "guy" stuff. i'm going to try not to worry bout em too much! it's only 24 hours without me! i can't seem to get my mind on the job today (so, what's new?), it seems like i'm just moving papers around my desk! well, one thing i know for sure....it's finally cold outside! yippee! i've been waiting for it for a while now! the little jackets i made for my sisters will be perfect for this weekend....! see ya later!

a real pic of travis!

trav is the blonde on the left!! hee hee 

i just had to share the cheerleader pic! travis went to a halloween party with a few of his friends dressed as cheerleaders. the pic is priceless and one i know he will enjoy looking back on in years to come!

25 things I've learned...(in progress)

1. being a good mom is one of the greatest goals in life.
2. a sense of humor can get you thru... most of the time.
3. fall is not a long enough season.
4. you should buy pretty candles and use them.
5. that looking forty is not so bad.
6. always treat your spouse with all the respect you'd want in return.
7. you should love the body God gave you.
8. that kids with "structure and stability" grow up to be good people.
9. if all else fails, try laughing.
10. you're never to old to play with silly putty.
11. that the smell of playdough can take you back.
12. eating dinner together around the table is still an important tradition.
13. the importance of prayer and strong faith.
14. teaching your boys to do things around the house will help them become good husbands.
15. make your home a very comfortable place to be for your kids, so they won't want to roam too far.
16. how important it is to look after the elderly in your life.
17. prayer is powerful.

if stealing a pic from someone's blog is wrong...then i don't wanna be right... 

colors of fall...

really? leaves turn colors? being from texas, i thought they went from bright green to crusty brown. it's almost halloween, mind you, and it is still summer. temps in the 90's. i love this "seattle" pic. it's giving me a chance to dream about what it is suppose to be like....!

....priceless

I have to say, it's nice when your sister-in-law is also your ten year old's teacher. Today was Brandon's first time to be an alter server in church. He didn't want me to go cuz he said he wanted to get it down first before I came to watch him! Sandra emailed me this afternoon to tell me how well he did. She said when he was walking up to the alter, he was smiling a big ear to ear smile. She said the candle he was carrying was casting a little glow on his face.........priceless!

wander and wonder

I can't keep my mind on the "workplace" today. It's wandering everywhere but here. The hubby's job, the kids, the house. I could spend twenty-four hours a day just taking care of what's at home. Keeping the balance. I guess that explains my loss of concentration. I am definitely a creature of habit. I thrive on the ol' routine. In doing so, when I see anything in the future that looks a little shaky, you know, fear of the unknown, i tend to feel a sense of panic. there is a very good possibility we may have a major job change in our future. the job that actually "pays" the bills. i am praying hard for it to be positive either way it may go. but thinking that what had gotten us thru, day in and day out, could just stop on a dime, it's scary. and the wonder of what might come or not come is bothersome. i can only pray. if the job loss does in fact happen, i hope it will be one of those "things" where you look back one day and say "man, i'm glad that happened". we are only so in control of our destiny, the rest is in the hands of the Higher up. i will cross my fingers and toes and know that whatever happens, we will grab it up, give it all we got and move forward....

"The Big Four-0"

THINK PINK

So, you hit that magical “middle” age.
Now what’s a girl to do?
You think it’s happening to somebody else
And definitely not you.

Everyone around you is so proud
They cover you in black
And buy you dead flowers
And paint R.I.P. upon your back.

It’s only a number
Keeps repeating in my head
I still feel like I always did
And their acting like I’m dead.

So, I’m starting something new this year
i said…. and gave a wink.
I’m starting “fresh at forty “
No black for me, just pink!


So, you can throw away dead roses,
& pour black paint down the sink.
Cuz today I’m turning forty
And officially I’m PINK!

TGIF.......This feels like de ja vu

Well, it's Friday again and boy am I glad. Am I wishing my life away? cuz it sure seems like I look to Friday a lot! We don't have too much planned this weekend. Kyle is going to Gonzales with a friend and his family to go hunting. It is rice festival weekend here, I took bam and Katie last night so I don't know if that will do it for me or not. Depends on how lucky I get. Gregg is suppose to take the boys fishing either sat or sun morning. I hope to work a little on my sis slumber party gifts, fun! I might check out the movie schedule. I took bam to the Dr. This afternoon for his allergies, trying to get them under control. He was kinda shocked when he got on the scales and had grown 5 in. in one year and had gone from 89 to 115lbs. Must like my cooking?! Or takes after his mamma's side of the family! Heaven help him! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and I will be sitting outside, looking towards the north and hope, hope, hoping for a cold front to come my way........!

Kyle and his friends and their "keepers" 

Brandon (10yrs) trying his hand at horseback riding! 

and the beat goes on...

As of yesterday, all my kids are in the "double-digits". Bam turned 10 yesterday! He was a happy guy. Everything has been going along pretty normally. Dealing with the heat, the dying grass in the yard, work and kid's activities. I am enjoying football season. The blackcats play at home this week so we will be going to cheer em on!

another fat pic of me...? 

hi there...

hi! i haven't taken time to write in a while! no news is good news, right?! after a busy weekend of birthdays, football and baseball, it's monday again! sitting on my butt in front of my computer at work. geez, where did the time go! Travis played in a baseball tournament in Spring this weekend. He stayed with his teammates. They won first place. I missed not having him around all weekend though. We celebrated Gregg's and his mother's birthday this weekend. I cooked
chicken speghetti! He took Kyle and Brandon fishing early Sunday morning! I did get to work on some of my goodies for my upcoming Sister slumber party, that was fun! I'm still waiting for cooler weather. Seems the closest i'll get to fall is the picture on my computer desktop...!!

Down...Set...Hut

It's 74 degrees this morning! Much better than the previous 85 degree mornings we've had lately. I'm so tired of dealing with "humidity frizzy" hair. Makes me want to just shave it all! Other than that little complaint...all is well in my world! Boys are busy with school work, football & fishing. Kyle is beginning to really enjoy "wade fishing" and going in the bay with his dad. Travis has had a reprieve from baseball until October and has been practicing with his eighth grade football team. Brandon is hanging in there with his first year of peewee football. He isn't enjoying it as much as he thought and told us he wants to quit. He has been practicing for a month and won't even have his first game till the 11th of September. We told him to at least stick it out and play a real game before we make a decision like that. His birthday is on the 19th, he will be in the "double digits". We gave him his gift last night (early!). He's been wanting a Gameboy advance SP....He's a happy boy! Gregg's birthday is next friday the 10th. Birthdays aren't near as fun when you grown up, are they.....?!!

Gregg & Kyle: fishing buddies 

do i see forty on the horizon??

I guess summer is back. The cool weather was just a "teaser". I'm tired of 93 degrees and 100% humidity. It's making it tough on our two little football players too. Well, hopefully we will see some changes in the weather again soon. Since the kids are back in school and I finally think I've purchased all the needed school supplies, I've been thinking in the back of my head about Christmas! How funny is that? You know how every year you think, "i'm going to start buying little gifts ahead of time this year so it's not such a blow to my budget", but really it never works out? Well, i'm gonna try it again this year. Maybe a couple of gifts every couple of weeks. We'll see if i succeed this time! What I really ought to focus on right now? Turning forty and what I'm going to do to make it memorable......maybe lose 40 lbs?! Now, that's what i'm talking about....!!

back to school, back to school...

"school bus yellow"

wow! i'm happy. school is starting and the kids will be back to routine again. brandon started this morning and was very, very excited! kyle and travis start tomorrow. they are making one last trip to the mall today to get their backpacks. it's a good feeling getting back into our "groove". plus, they have alot of learning to do! and needless to say, i will have my quiet lunchbreak back! yippee!

Looks like a long time ago, seems like only yesterday!!

my dream house in the country 

TGIF

TGIF! I'm so glad Friday is finally here. I have plenty to do this weekend but at least it is at my pace! The weather is beautiful...

bummin at work

It's a beautiful day today. The weather is beginning to cool a little. It has me really lookin to October (my fav month!). Work is blahhhh. I am bored with numbers and posting. All day, numbers. grrrrr. I need a little creative stimulation. Oh well, for now it's providing a bi-monthly paycheck. Gregg left this morning to go fishing....

doing what i do

talked to joey yesterday, she and i both kinda got excited about our next sister slumber party! we are going to have it in kemah this year. still waiting to see if the date of nov.6 is ok with punky. it's always something fun to look forward to! (is twelve weeks away too early to start planning? nahhh!)

gregg is going fishing this weekend, so.....i am going to take the boys to finish up on some school clothes shopping and maybe catch a movie while we are at it! they start school next week! it's always nice to get them back "learning" again! and my quiet lunch breaks are just around the corner!

Pics

Bear with me! I figured out how to post pics, so you will see all I had saved on my computer. Hopefully, as time goes on, I can get more recent shots (of Brandon) anyway!

Kyle and Suzanne Christmas 2003 

Travis' Mudbug Team 

Cindy and Brandon at Christmas in 1999 

Sad Week

I found out in church Sunday, that Andrew Smith was killed in a car accident. He was only twenty-one. A Quarterback for University of North Texas and was on his way back to school. His parents are the nicest people you could ever meet and have raised all three of their children in a manner that most people only dream of. I am very sad for all of them and will do what I can to help them get through such a tragic loss.

I have been getting the kids ready for school. A little school shopping here and there. A little more organization in the house (if that's possible). I had the carpets cleaned yesterday. Hope it lasts for a little while.

We found out yesterday that it looks like Katie will be staying here and going to Holy Cross School again! I'm so glad and believe it is what's best.

We are all fine. Happy. Busy...

back to work

Well, after an 8 day vacation, i'm back on the job. Like always, a vacation is never long enough. We had a very eventful world series in Mississippi. Travis' team, the Houston Mudbugs, took first place! We enjoyed watching all nine games and cheering them on to victory! Of course, being away from housework and cooking had it's advantages too! You might be able to find info on www.hapdumontbaseball.com

My new journal

My friend Dana told me to check out her daughter's "blogspot".  It is called DanielleinArgentina.  It is her daily journal while she is studying abroad.  I thought it was a pretty neat way to keep people in touch with what you are doing.  Mine, of course, probably won't be as interesting but I thought it might be fun to try!  So, here goes....

test run

i'm just testing this thing out to see if it really works!