Happy Halloween

This has been the best one yet! Plenty of time to eat pizza and get ready first! Grandmom and G and Meme stopped by as soon as we were ready and then we headed to Greenlawn's treat night. I found that the key was to go late and miss the crowd!!! Very enjoyable this way. Afterward we came back to our neighborhood and Trick-Or-Treated for the first time. I will give you $5 if you can guess who Olivia is. She insisted on "Cat Woman" from an older Spiderman cartoon who she is actually referred to as "Black Cat". I am sure you have not seen it but she looks just like her! Nobody but us knew it but she was super happy and excited and that made it worth it! She spent alot of time with her hands on her hips in the mirror saying, "I'm Catwoman!!!" The weather was just perfect for it and we met a lot of our neighbors. They are watching a Halloween Diego movie Meme brought them right now as they eat their candy! Very fun. Hope everyone had a safe and fun one like we did! Oh, I am also including some pics from the hayride at school this past week. The little boy in one is Olivia's friend Cade. It was a lot of fun!

Funny Conversations with Five Year Olds

Yesterday I grabbed a tacoritto from Taco Villa along with my addiction of Diet Coke. A little girl in my class who also happens to be named Olivia sat across from me.
Olivia: Ms. Lisa are you drinking a coke?
Me: Yes, its my favorite!
Olivia: Well I used to drink those and regular coke too but I don't anymore because they are not good for children.
Me: Yeah, probably not good for me either. Thanks for the input Olivia!

At Ty's Table sitting with his friends Winston, Aaron, Airic, and Jonah
Lots of loudness and growling going on. ....
Ty: Look out Jonah here I come!
Jonah: Aggghhhh!
Ty motioning large arms in a biting motion.
Me: Ty what are you pretending to be?
Ty: THE WHALE SILLY!!!!

Later we are on the playground...
Olivia (again) :Ms. Lisa look at my pretty fingernails! (They are pink with sparkles)
Me: Oh those are fabulous!!! Did someone paint them for you?
Olivia: Yes! Why are your nails not painted Ms. Lisa?
Me: I don't have my mommy here to paint them for me!
Olivia: Well you have to make an apppointment like I did for a manicure and pedicure!
Me: Well that costs $$ which I don't have for that.
Olivia: Yeah, my aunt had to cough it up. Can you cough up money?

Our "sort of" new house

Ty's Room

Dining Room

This is the first of three posts having to do with the new house. Scroll down for before and after shots of the most drastic changes. I didn't include pics of all the rooms but you get the picture. As anyone who live in a house knows, it is ongoing! There are still things I want to do but am just plum worn out with what we have done to this point. If I did it all at once what fun would that be?! There always have to be future projects to look forward to right?!!! Sorry it has only taken me four months or so to do this. We actually moved at the very end of May. I think we will tackle the trim color and yard in the spring and as I mentioned there are and always will be various projects inside. I am just enjoying the time I can right now. If you haven't been by, consider yourself invited. We love to have guests and chances are there will be a hot pot of coffee to share when you arrive!

Kitchen

Tin Backsplash-not easy to install like the dealer said! Trent and I did it with a dremal bit! Yes, took close to five hours to trim and cut out outlets!!! We are proud of our work and will appreciate it more than anyone!!!

Master Bath and Living Room

Before






After

Entry

Olivia's Room and Play Room

Before



After

FINALLY

FINALLY have a home computer set up. Its on a card table at the moment but I bought a computer armoire on the way home today which will be put up tomorrow in our play room. Had to have something closeable in that room!!! Anyway, finally able to download pictures off my camera. Here are several starting from last May throughout the summer. I will do another one about the new house later. I need to take some "after" pictures so I can show them with the "before". Anyhoo.....

I have taken a short hiatus from blogging! Too much has been going on. Several of you know my Dad was hospitalized for a week. He went in with pneumonia but the night he was admitted his heart rate went dangerously high and he spent the next week on the cardiac floor. I went to be with him last Thursday until he went home the following Monday evening just to return to Lubbock that Tuesday in time for Trent to leave for his last trip Wednesday morning! Whew....
Things are looking good for my Dad. He is still fighting pneumonia but the heart rate is down. I appreciate the love of so many friends during this past week. I was so encouraged by so many!

Ty has been playing for LSA with a team of boys he has been with since cradle roll at Greenlawn! Very fun for all of us. The plus of LSA is we have weekly practices and its four on four for games. SO much better. He is doing a lot better with it but its still frustrating as a parent to watch four and five yearolds just learning the ropes! I have become a yeller- never thought I would be! At the games anyway.

I have been too busy these days but am trying to take charge of that. Glad to have my husband home until spring. This came about through some changes but its all good. I am now focusing on getting my Christmas shopping finished and planning O's third birthday party which is just around the corner- my BABY! What in the world??!! Its sure nice to get into the more fun girl stuff now though. I have to say we are at a very good place with the ages of our children right now and I would not trade it, maybe hold on to it, but not trade it. There are some challenges with almost three but I think that will all be okay now that Dad is around more.

Oh, if you are in Lubbock and free Thursday evening.. I am having a party at my house for my talented friend Kerri, the one who took the pictures. She also makes jewelry, and bows for little girls. She actually makes all kinds of things but these are the ones that will be available. I am hoping it might just be some fun girl time too. You can go to her blog which is linked to the right to view some of the bows and she has a link to Olive Juice too which is her jewelry business. Olivia's bracelets are from her! I am hoping to get more! Hope to see you there if you can make it. E-mail me if you need my new address: lisar_74@yahoo.com

Kids Photo shoot

My friend Kerri is the woman of MANY MANY talents, this is one more to add to the list. Thank you sweet friend.

Pictures I ripped off from Sara from this summer

Someday I will get my act together and upload my own pictures!!

Ramblings...

Just some things floating around in my head....

Have you seen that commercial about Mom's "Taking Back Lunch!!" Amen ladies. I am floored as I am opening some of the kids lunches at school. No wonder we have such over weight children in our country! Let's also wrought their teeth out with two or three desserts just so the are happy with the selection in their little box. Is it seriously that hard to make a sandwhich anymore? Come on people!!! Hot dog and pizza lunchables??? That's a good idea for a pre-schooler, along with their bright blue capri sun it comes with. Hope ya got ya some oxyclean at home!

Speaking of wroughting our teeth, got a 'sweet deal' on some iced oatmeal cookies at Walmart, whole bag for .99!!!! So yummy with my afternoon coffee! Relax, its my only 'treat' of the day.

I have been watching the clock and timing it. Between my two children the longest time between a yell from being hurt or having to go to the bathroom is right at around five minutes. Whew......

Oh, and the restroom issue. I have ALWAYS had a Public Restroom phobia. Can't stand them. I will hold it FOREVER to use my own at home. What a joke these days. Now that I have two that are potty trained, we visit the restroom of every establishment we remotely come close to and at least two to three times while we are there. I try to bribe them with suckers if they will just hold it! Doesn't work.

This is also the reason I make everyone in our house remove their shoes at the backdoor and carry them to their closet... GROSS.

I don't care if people think I am wierd. I am getting my fall stuff down tonight and decorating. I want it to be REAL fall that bad and those items just make me happy :)

I am wish the yard dude would come more often, its getting embarassing. Everyone in our new neighborhood has a fabulous yard. I hope after the next month or so we can be apart of that!

I am LOVING Ladies Class. We are doing discussion tables this quarter and I am a leader to all much older ladies. Pretty intimidating at first but over the past few years these women have become my friends even though they could all be my grandmother! They make me look forward to growing older. What a blessing they are to me and make me laugh til I cry!!!

Why is Sarah (sp?) Palin not running for president???? She would TOTALLY WIN! Why can't McCain be for VP instead, we all know they don't do anything anyway...haha...

Were there protests at the Democratic Covention, I kinda think not.

Do we really need more reality shows? I mean they are kinda getting ridiculous! I saw on the View today (the whole five minutes I had it on) that there is a school that people go to, to learn how to be a reality celebrity. That is funny to me. I am over all that...except for Cash Cab of course!

Okay.... okay. Its off to make grilled cheese. Oh the gourmet cook I am these days! Hey, I still love them- thankfully so does my entire family-as long as there is hot sauce and chips!

Have a great weekend~

First Week back to school...

Wow, first week of school down and we have so many to go! Will I make it?! Of course I will. My coffee maker is in overdrive! Man I am beat though. We only had three days this week, need to gear up for four! My schedule has changed just a bit, doing all day Mon and Wed and just afternoons on Tues and Thurs. Throw some soccer practice, working out, Ladies class, and some other things I won't go all into, it makes for a busy little week! Oh, and T starts travelling again next week!

Kids had a great first day. Ty's class is basically kindergarten. He is in the fours but they are doing everything K does and all the teachers are former K teachers so I am just overjoyed for him. His is one of the most dedicated I know and it just shines in many many ways. I just LOVE our school and feel that God led us there, I don't know how we would have ended up there otherwise! Olivia took a moment to adjust but did GREAT today, absolutely no crying! She was proud to talk about that too!

We started picking up my niece and nephew from BIG (Elementary) school this year and its the highlight of our day. Ty and O love to try to find them and call their names and their time together while we are working out is just priceless. I love that they are able to have so much time with their cousins and love them so much! I always wished I had that.

We are all STARVING by the time we get out and me especially after work out so the convenient cooking has started again! I am ready for another casserole swap and in dire need!

We had an uneventful labor day weekend after some much needed travel and rest time, what I like to call the calm before the storm. No pictures of any of that either, overloaded camera still. Need to get on that.

Here I am dead as a door nail and stayed up late flipping channels and blogging. I caught the middle of Mystic Pizza and had so forgotten so much of it and the lumps that it still leaves in my throats at parts, or maybe that is the tired in me! On that note, I am joining my husband in bed and hopefully won't have to leave it until at least around 7:45 or 8..... cross your fingers for me that Ty is spent and sleeps in!

Sensored Radio

No more Z102 in the car with kids. "Lick That Lollypop"~ nuf said.

Dave was AWESOME. He says to tell everyone hi. I love him "Oh SO Well!"

Well just a few weeks left! I can't believe it! I think this is the fastest summer I can ever remember and I am not sure why. Trent and I had a great time for our anniversary. My inlaws had our kids overnight so we were able to have a nice dinner and even spent a few hours in Barnes and Noble. Sooo peaceful in that store! We will celebrate more in the metroplex soon. It is amazing however the amount I was able to accomplish in a short amount of time without the kids! We are leaving in a couple of hours to head to my hometown to spend some time for several days and then from there to the lake. This will be our summer's end trip! I am leaving with some of my favorite things from this past summer:

Coconut Lime Verbena body splash- feels so good especially after working out! Its my only perfume and has a great summer scent. Apparently lots of others think so too because it was completely sold out at the mall the other day, good thing there is another location ;)

Several trips to Bahama Bucks

LOVE being in my flipflops everyday!

Seeing Ty swim without floaties! Amazing how it just all of a sudden clicks! We never did lessons, just worked with him at the pool, mostly the credit goes to his dad for this! He even swims underwater now! Such a big boy (sniff sniff)

Working out with 0ne of my favorite people, Tina my SIL- such a joy to be around and has kept me on my toes!

Somewhat sleeping in and drinking coffee, taking my time to get going. Usually about an hour, then make beds pick up and get ready to go. I have loved being able to spend these mornings with my T-rent!!!!

Getting our new home in order, we have finally made it 'ours' and I love it!

The unusually cooler temps for most of the season, especially the evenings on the back porch.

Going to the pool! Seeing many friends from school there, and teacher friends of mine!

Having a tan! I used to get ridiculous dark when I laid out everyday of summer in highschool and college. Of course those days are long gone but its nice to finally have a little color again even though its sporatic!

Grilling out for dinner! I don't know why we don't do this most of the year, well yes I do- the time is sort of a factor. I sure love the taste of just about anything from the grill. My favorite this summer has been corn in the husk!

Trent's morning smoothies-yum. He has been making strawberry bannana ones most mornings. I am not a big breakfast person but have had to be with working out so its been a nice alternative to my usual oatmeal. Which by the way I found a great one of those- Quaker Banana Nut Bread, weight control. The weight control is just because it has less of all the stuff that is not so great for you. I am not on a diet but try to eat healthy!

Lots of coke dates and play dates for the kids!

Sleepovers!

Road trips! We have only taken one other but I really enjoy the time in the car with my family. Its where Trent and I have some of our best conversations. I never was a road trip kinda person before him. I cannot sleep no matter how tired I am, unfortunately. Also cannot read, makes me nausious in the car. I'd say Trent is about the best entertainment there is! So nice to have him with us with the kids and be able to each take one to the R/R etc.

Read some great books this summer. I have never been a reader. I started more when we lost our television last year. We have had one since but I have tried to read more than I watch it. Wish I would have started much earlier in my life! I am quite picky though. If I like it I can't put it down and end up doing it in a day or so. If I am not that interested and put it down, chances are I will never pick it up again. I guess I am not giving the author much of a chance! I am starting a book club which is hysterical. I hope to be able to gain more insight from other people in what I have read and to connect with others as well. We will see how that goes!

Although its been a great summer, I am looking forward to the routine of school again and the smell of school supplies! We are getting new shoes and that is it this year but am thrilled to get back in the swing of things, just always have trouble with handing over my husband again. Its such an extreme! We have him ALL the time for three months and then hardly at all for three months! I will be more involved this season though so that will be nice. I have gotten to know the players better too and will be having them over soon for a kick-off. One of his guys got married this summer, I felt old at the wedding! I think I am still like 20 inside this 34 year old body!

Okay, I PROMISE pictures are coming soon. It will be a summer re-cap of them! Have a great last couple of weeks of summer!

Summatime

Yeah, still no pictures. Still working on the computer set-up, eventually.


Things are going well, restful and enjoying my husband while I can.


Saw Mamma Mia tonight, first movie in too long. EXCELLENT. Full of cheese but made me tear up at one point, you mammas will know what I am talking about if you see it.


Been working out for the past month with my SIL, gruelling but worth it!


Started recycling seriously. I know I know....but I have been convicted about it so went with it.


Still putting decorative touches on the home, next is painting the dining room and staining the fireplace!


Will celebrate 8 years with ole T next week, keeping the tradition with going to Dave.


My favorite quote from Olivia, "You make me OH happy!"


LOVING going to the pool.


Finishing up exended education hours for my job.


FOREVER 21 opened in my town!!! This is my all time favorite store where I went too nuts at in New York last December! This makes me OH happy!

I've sort of been into rap music-wierd I know. Z102 has been my favorite station all summer! Too fun to hear my kids repeat, "Get Silly Get Silly...Ughh!"