That was then...

As I am getting slightly sentimentally romantic with Valentine's Day approaching, I dug out this old picture of Chris and I. It is actually our engagement picture...that was taken BEFORE we were engaged (don't ask). Aren't we so cute?!?



I had intended to do a "That was then....this is now" post. But, you know what, I have no current pictures of just the two of us. It seems I am always the one taking the pictures :) All I can find is a picture of these cuties...

I think they are pretty special too!!

Happy Valentines Day from our home to yours.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1Corinthians 13:4-8

Southbound on 35

We love to take trips. Chris and I are easily distracted by all the "stuff" that needs to be done at home and so we really enjoy taking some time to focus on family. For us, the best way to do that is to hit the road and get out of town. So, a couple of weekends ago we decided we were ready for a mini-vacation. To be honest, we really had no idea where we were going to go or what we were going to do. So, the night before we were scheduled to leave, we sat down at the computer and with a little Priceline magic, decided to head to Austin for a couple of days. Other than knowing where we would lay our heads that night, we had NO plan. I never knew that being spontaneous could be so fun!!

The first thing we did was check in at our awesome hotel. It was so nice and the kids really loved the glass elevators and the fact that our room was on the next to the top floor. I, on the other hand, did not like either of those....over the years I have become more and more afraid of heights. I am not sure why... Every time we came in and out of our room, my legs felt like Jello and I was constantly telling the kids to get away from the railing (it was an atrium hotel). Sorry kids, I just can't help myself!!

The kids in the lobby (oh how I loved the ground floor)

Our first destination after the hotel was actually the Texas State History Museum, which was so neat!! No cameras were allowed, which is a good thing since I forgot mine on that excursion anyway...For the first time, both kids truly enjoyed exploring a museum. Anna was particulartly intrigued as she is studying Texas History in 4th grade this year.

After a yummy dinner at Threadgills, we headed back to the hotel and made plans for Day 2. One of our favorite stops the next day was the Austin Childrens' Museum.

Alex playing some tunes

He was so cute in that hat, I could hardly stand it!

(maybe we should move to the country)

Anna creating a gourmet meal for me in the restaurant area of the museum.

A PICTURE STORY

Here we have Chris helping Alex make a drinking contraption in the creativity center at the museum.

Here we have Anna disgruntled as she watches Chris helping Alex. She feels strongly that her creation (made all by herself, with purple tape in the pic below) will not compare to what they are making...

And, finally we have Alex with his finished contraption. Which we tried out a WhichWich a little later and were so excited when it actually worked!

Anna's sorrow was short lived...here she is hanging like a bat in the Bat Cave at the museum.

THE END
(of the picture story)

Of course, we could not miss going to the Capitol. After breakfast at Starbucks on Congress (the barista made extra drinks for us to try...too fun!), we headed to the Capitol to do some exploring.

My hubby...so handsome!!

Anna reading about the first Texas flag.

(she loves museums)

We also happened upon this reenactment happening on the Capitol lawn.



My beautiful kiddos

All of us...together.

As referenced above, we ate lunch at WhichWich in downtown Austin. Anna needed to make a lasting mark in Longhorn land....

Here is her decorated sandwich bag, hung proudly on the wall.

Our day was winding down in Austin and we had planned to head back home. But, we were just so close to San Antonio that we could not help ourselves, we had to go see these sweet people...

Eating dinner on the Riverwalk with Ryan, Ash, Cate, Cara and Claire

We ended up spending night #2 in San Antonio (another great hotel on the cheap, thanks to Priceline). We thoroughly enjoyed knocking on Ryan and Ash's door and surprising the girls who had NO idea we were coming. We had such great fun! Big thanks to them for welcoming surprise visitors!

We are already looking forward to our next little trip and wondering where the road might take us.

Blessings on your week,

Anna....LOW

I don't talk much about diabetes here....for the simple reason that I try very hard for it be an underlying current to our lives, not a dominating theme. And most of the time that is exactly what it is, always under the surface...that one thing that is ALWAYS in the back of my mind. I might forget for a moment or two, but in reality I am constantly running these things through my head....her latest numbers, last time of bolus, what kind of food she ate, what kind of activity she has been/or will be doing. I hope, however, that from the outside looking in you don't see any of this. I don't ever want any part of her to be defined by diabetes...that is not to say that I do not believe it has a purpose in her life and will somehow be used for God's glory. I know that to be true beyond a shadow of a doubt.

All that being said, there is one time that diabetes can NOT remain hidden. This is the one time when I will jump over a couch, fight my way through a crowd, interrupt a very important meeting or stop the world for one second (if only I could). That is when Anna is LOW.

Today as I was working in the office, I heard this whimpery, breathless voice from the other room saying, "Mommy, I think I'm low...I can't move, please help." And instantly I jump into action, I can't get to her fast enough. I grab a coke from the fridge, a straw from the pantry and run to her side. But when I get there, she wants to argue, she doesn't want a drink she wants FOOD. You see, being low makes her feel desperately hungry. Her sugar-deprived brain is telling her that she NEEDS to eat. And, on top of that, being low can make one somewhat uncooperative. So, I talk her into taking a sip, promise her some food and grab her meter to test her blood sugar...the result: 45. A half of a coke, a bag of Cheetos and a grilled cheese later...she is up to 120. What happened, you wonder, to cause this low? Sometimes, you never know. But in this case, it was quite explainable... to make a long story short...she did not eat any of the lunch I served her and had already bolused (given insulin) for.

So, if you are ever with Anna and she looks like this.... (pale, deer in the headlights, lethargic)

....get some sugar into her fast.

Thanks for listening to today's lesson on diabetes. Now, go enjoy the ice/snow.

What do you do when....

....you are stuck at home because a big ice storm is supposedly coming (no actual ice falling from the sky as of yet)? You turn your daughter into a princess alien, obviously.

I promise, that in real life when her mother is not playing make-up with her, she really is pretty. See...

Blankie Emergency

Both of my children's blankies were made by my bestest friend from childhood, Dawn. Dawn is a missionary who made Alex's blankie with her loving hands while she was in Turkey. We just have one slight problem....after 6.5 years of intense loving, blankie is falling apart. And, we are on the cusp of a blankie emergency. Now, some of you may not understand, you may wonder why I am even concerned that my almost 7 year old would have to go without a blankie. But, I am not personally of the mind set to take comfort items away. In fact, it is perfectly fine with me if he takes it to college...I wouldn't tell anyone. Plus, look at the picture below, really how could I tell him he can no longer have it.

In an effort to prolong Blankie's life, he is no longer allowed to take it to school for nap time. He is most unhappy about that as I cannot produce another "blankie with holes". So Dawn, if you are listening, do they have yarn in Iraq, could you get busy on another blankie?

With love,

and Alex

Kids at Play

I love school vacations....for many reasons. But one of the very best reasons is that my kids, after a couple of days, get into a GREAT groove of playing together. At first, they usually will ask to have friends over, someone of the same age and gender. But after I repeatedly deny this request they give up and move on :). It is really quite amazing...they will play together for HOURS on end. And they play so nice together, really no arguing, taking turns playing what each other wants to play. Sometimes, Chris and I will just sit quietly in the living room and listen to their antics...basking in the glory ;)!

As I was working last week, they begged me to take a break, come outside and check out their trick on the swing. I did my best to capture some pictures, but it was hard. Have you ever tried to take pictures of swinging people from the side? Not an easy task... So, as you will see below, it took me a few tries to get them both in the picture looking at the camera.

And, finally, I did it! They are having so much fun!

This one is too dark, but I couldn't resist. I just love Anna's feet in this pic. What is it about feet that are cute? Am I the only one who finds them cute?

And lastly for your viewing pleasure. This was at the end of a LONG day of playing. Alex was getting a bit tired, they were wrapping up a rather lengthy "show" they had put together for us and things just weren't quite going his way...



Balloons are definitely required in ALL Grand Finales, don't you think?

Blessings on your week,

Over the river and through the woods...

....well, not exactly through the woods. But, we did go over the Red River the week of Christmas to visit Chris' grandmother. We spent the day with her, Chris' parents and sisters and his aunt and her family, and then returned home that evening. It was definitely a worthwhile trip and a special blessing to see her enjoying her kids, grandkids and great grandkids. It was also a definite reminder that I need to do a better job at reaching out to those in our own community that do not have loved ones close to spend time with.

Some fun pics of our quick trip...

Chris' Aunt, Grandmother and Mom

The whole clan

My handsome hubby and beautiful princess

Aunt Mindy and Alex

Aunt Mindy and Anna

A hot card game with Papa and the kids

Chris, his Grandmother and Mom

Watching my kids sleep can be addictive....just so peaceful and precious.

Alex is fading fast here