Cummings and Goings

Our Eldest Son

2011-02-22T20:22:00.011-06:00

The oldest.....he is six years and ten months old and he is mature and naive at the same time. this picture was taken a year ago when he was a kindergartner. He raised more money for "Jump Rope for Heart" than anyone else in his elementary school and got to be teacher for the day in P.E. class.

B loves school. He is in a dual language class and we are so blessed that he has the sweetest classmates and is a hard worker. (Side note......he now translates common construction phrases that his Daddy hears at work. It makes him feel very helpful!)

B played baseball this summer for the first time and he both enjoyed it and improved. Really, as a mom I wasn't super excited about entering this extra curricular phase and the start of the season was rocky (for me...he was fine.) See, I was chasing a toddler and the games were loooong and slow. However, there was this one game where things just suddenly clicked and those little boys suddenly got it...and then...it got exciting!! Who knew?!

He likes to go fishing and he frequently debates favorablity of weather conditions with his brother.

He has a kind heart, large vocabulary, and he is quietly conscientious.

He likes to shoot and hunt....like A LOT! He takes shooting very seriously and he is accurate!

B and R have always been the best of friends and fiercely competitive! They share similar interests, but approach nearly every situation from opposite angles. B is careful and persistent. R jumps in with reckless abandon.

Our love for this boy is tremendous!! He is a blessing each day!

Finally, if you don't want to take our word that B is super special just ask this little guy! He happens to adore his "Bubba." B is patient and kind to his baby brother and they are always a beautiful picture for this mommy's eyes.

Re-introduction Part 1

2011-01-31T21:57:00.010-06:00

So, I was thinking that it is probably a good idea to re-introduce our family. We may have changed since you last saw us here.

This picture was taken Thanksgiving 2009 at the Cross Ranch (Gran and Papa's new playground) we love it there, but more on that in another post.

B is six years old, R had just turned five years old, and L is one year old.

Yes, we actually got a good group photo!! Thanks, Mimi!

Now I will begin a little catch up with each of my guys.....starting with my main squeeze.

Victor is still working for residential builder and for the past year we have been very blessed b/c he has been working in a neighborhood just 5 minutes from home and he enjoys his work.

He still likes to hunt and does so whenever he gets a chance. However, over the past several years this is the view that he enjoys the most.

Several, years ago he decided that of all his hobbies fresh water fishing comes out on top....and THEN he got a yak and he was in love!!

That's short for kayak, for all of you non-fisher persons (myself included.) ;)

Yes, now he continually yearns to be fishing on a river!!

In addition, he continues to serve the Church as a deacon focusing most of his energies to that end on the areas of worship and building and grounds maintenance.

He is always moving towards improvement. God has blessed our family with a wonderful leader. He continues to show kindness, love, and spiritual growth! We are thankful for him each and everyday!

Nothing on TV

2011-01-19T22:42:00.006-06:00

Sometimes, when there is nothing good on television you learn something about yourself...........

What? You don't? Oh well, it's probably just me......

You see, one night not to long ago we were flipping through the channels and my honey happened to stop on a program about hoarders. You know, the one where people are more or less burying themselves alive within the walls of their home. Don't panic, this isn't going where you think!

Anyway, the program exposed a woman who just couldn't seem to give up any of her stuff even though she was surrounded by filth.

Then a psychologist was asked how and/or why a hoarding problem begins. It was explained that for some people, after they face a traumatic loss they are then unable and unwilling to give up something and eventually they can't part with anything and they tend to accumulate more and more stuff.

Other folks however, are perfectionists and that is the root cause of their hoarding.
Say what???

That's right, if they don't have the time or don't know quite how to organize a space perfectly they put it aside thinking that someday they will get back to it. However, if they don't get back to it the disorder grows and spreads and eventually becomes so overwhelming that the person never even attempts to manage it because they know they couldn't get it perfect. WOW!!

If anyone is still reading at this point they are wondering where all of this rambling is headed........

Well, it occurred to me (and it just seems to keep coming back to me) that my dear, sweet husband has been after me to blog again ever since I stopped. He says his misses it. Which I think is sweet but surprising (he lives with me so he is already familiar with any material I have to blog about.) Nevertheless, after months of him pestering me and reminding me I still haven't picked it up again even thought there was never a time that I didn't intend to blog again soon.
So why haven't I posted???

I have not blogged because, I am a perfectionist.

See, I had this third baby and I got behind on house construction pics. Then, I just got behind on posting in general. But, I was gonna get it all sorted out! I was just a month, no three months, no a year behind, and then, and THEN it was all just to much and I couldn't catch up!!!! I didn't even know where to start!

So I didn't....until now.

Now I will blog because my honey wants me to blog and because I don't have to be perfect. Someone profound died so that I wouldn't have to be perfect and I needed to be reminded.
So, thank you "Hoarders Buried Alive."

It's been a great year!

2010-04-14T21:47:00.006-05:00

Yes, it's been a whole year (to my great shame) since I last posted. In that year we have been blessed beyond measure!!!

We moved into our new house on March 28, 2009....you read that ten weeks to a house from start to finish!! Uh huh, my hubby ROCKS!! He was also highly motivated to not bring another person into that tiny rent house with only one bathroom!! He cut it close!

We celebrated Braden's 5th birthday on April 4th with a fun pirate party complete with a treasure hunt! Check out the loot!

......and what are they doing?????

Did you guess????

Oh yes, Papaw and Jan got B a tepee for his 5th birthday! Very unique and one year later...it is still a hit!

Then five days later, we welcomed a new, beautiful, healthy baby boy!! Lincoln Bryce Cummings was born on April 9, 2010 by c-section. He weighed in at 8' 11oz and was 21 " long (our smallest.) The doctor's proclaimed the delivery smooth sailing but the Mommy proclaimed the recovery the roughest yet!

L came to us laid back and easygoing!! His brothers have adored him from the very first.

Thank you Lord for little boys!!!

Week Ten of Construction of House #2

2009-03-25T23:03:00.003-05:00

I don't have many pictures of construction this week. The garage door was installed. Insulation was blown into the attic and Victor spent all day Saturday on the Bobcat removing construction debris and leveling the yard in preparation for the driveway and the sidewalk to be poured. He also dug trenches for water and electrical lines and then installed these lines.

This is a pic of the front yard sans foundation form boards, excess drywall material, and piles of masonry sand and stone. Victor moved the big stuff with the power equipment and this pregnant lady and her little men handled the smaller junk. We made quite a picture I'm sure.
Nevertheless, we got the job done.

The wearin' o' the green......

2009-03-17T16:20:00.005-05:00

We now interrupt the continuous stream of construction updates to say Happy St. Paddy's Day!!

Thanks Pappaw and Jan for the cute buttons!
As we drove to school today I heard B say to R, "Okay, I will surprise my friends w/ my shamrock button and you can surprise your friends w/ your green smiley face button!"
They were so proud and funny!!

Week Nine of Construction of House #2

2009-03-17T15:46:00.005-05:00

The tile is in! This is Victor's master bath shower.

This is the boy's bath. I would show you the tiled areas of the floors, but they are currently covered w/paper for protection.

The cabinets are also in.

The whole house is painted! (Sorry for the dim afternoon light.)

This is one of my favorite features in this house!! I am very excited to see it with the countertops and tile backsplash!

Week Eight of Construction On House #2

2009-03-13T17:07:00.005-05:00

The masons finished the stonework.
We are happy w/ it and once it has had some time to cure they will come back and wash it. Washing will accentuate the natural color variations in the stone and I think that we will like the overall look even more.

Check back soon and I will post this past weeks events. That's right, we will actually be up to speed and as a teaser I will say this things are really shaping up inside!! You'll have to check back to see what I mean!! ;)

Week Seven of Construction on House #2

2009-03-12T09:24:00.004-05:00

Well the past few weeks have been rough. First, Victor's step grandfather past away unexpectedly in Washington state. I am no longer allowed to travel (b/c baby #3 has decided to take up residence horizontally.) So, Victor made the trip for the funeral w/o me. He and his Dad sang This World is not My Home at the funeral as the angels rejoiced in heaven!

Towards the end of that same week hospice was called in for my grandmother who has been suffering from Alzheimer's for about five years. I still can't travel so we all called and waited as she slept peacefully for several days w/ my mother by her side. My mother and my aunt assured my grandmother one afternoon that they would take care of each other and that it would be alright for her to rest and let go if she was tired......just moments later she slipped away.

In the days following (as my mother worked to make the necessary arrangements) my Dad began having severe pain. He was in and out of the emergency room three times in four days before it was finally determined that he had kidney stones which had to be removed. Once, that procedure was accomplished he was feeling much better and everyone was breathing much easier.

Though the memorial service was held only a few hours from our home Victor and my family once again made the trip w/o myself and the boys. Victor sang and Stephen prayed and read scripture and my Mom said everything was nice. The boys and I had a restful afternoon of naps and reading books. I think that Grandmother would have wanted it that way.

Shortly after my grandmother past away we learned that our college friend Brad Wims had also past from his earthly life. Once again, we were rejoicing for a heavenly victory and mourning the loss of someone so cherished by so many. His service was held the same day as my grandmother's so we were unable to honor him in that way but his family was and is in our thoughts and prayers.

So, there you have it..... the reasons behind my posting drought. I have been fielding lots of questions about heaven, sickness, and death from two very concerned and inquisitive little boys.

But just to show that live does go on I will post a few pics of the house progress as of week seven. ( The boys are spring breakin' at Gran & Papa's as we speak. R caught a 4lb bass and B caught a 3 pounder. Good times!)

The masons began the stone work!

The inside of the house was textured.

Our septic system went in. Aren't you so glad that I don't shy away from mentioning these important details. :)

Lastly, our well was dug. ( It feels like there is something grammatically incorrect about that last sentence. ".....was dug." Is there a better way to word that? Anyone? Kim are you out there?)

That's all for now folks. Tomorrow I will post the construction events as of week eight. We hope that everyone is having a great week and really feeling God's presence in your lives.

Week Six of Construction on House #2

2009-02-25T07:46:00.005-06:00

First came the insulation. This type of insulation is called bib.
A very thin layer of this material is tacked to the studs along all of the outer walls.

Then this cotton-like stuff is blown into the cavity that is created.

This is the end result.

Next came the drywall.

By Saturday, the inside was all taped and floated.

..........and on the outside? They were painting!

They completely painted all of the siding and the fascia. Hurray!!

Week Five of Construction on House #2

2009-02-19T15:09:00.003-06:00

Well I am very behind on posting last week's progress, but better late than never.
The week began with shingles on the roof.

Then the electrician's arrived and began wiring for lights, switches, and outlets. This is a pic of all the recessed cans (lighting) in my kitchen.

Next, came the plumbers and water lines were run for the baths and the kitchen.

Last, but not least, this is R modeling what Daddy (apparently) does on the job site. :)

Week Four of Construction on House #2

2009-02-10T21:54:00.005-06:00

The week began with T-ply (moisture barrier) going up all around the the exterior of the house. Next came the solar board (for efficient heating and cooling) and roof felt.

This is the view from the back of the house by the middle of the week. The roof felt, siding, windows, door, and trim are all in place.

The shop is also progressing well.

By the end of the week the duct-work and air conditioner/furnace unit are all in place.

This is the view from the front of the house. There is no hardi-siding , because we will have limestone exterior here.

Another busy week!!

Week Three of Construction on House #2

2009-01-30T19:06:00.007-06:00

Well, this was the week for framing! The week began like this... walls in place and rafters beginning to go up.

This is the start of the shop.

This is how it looks now!! Walls and rafters up and ready for decking and sheet rock!!

This is the back of the house.

This is another look at the slab on the north side of the house. See, I wasn't kidding! Eight feet tall!

Victor wanted me to include a photo of the eyebrow arch from the living room leading into the kitchen.

Finally, this is what the shop looked like at the end of the week.

Well, that's all for now! Come back next week to see what happens next!!

Also, my boys (the two little ones) would like for you to notice how clean the work site is. Construction workers can leave behind a great deal of garbage. The nice folks that have been toiling away on our home aren't particularly messy. However, every afternoon my boys can't wait to come out to the site a race around picking up as much garbage as possible!!

Works for me!!

Week Two of Construction on House # 2

2009-01-27T22:17:00.005-06:00

Week two began w/ bagging. Which basically means filling this black plastic looking material w/ the backfill you saw in those large mounds from last week's pictures. These "bags" holding backfill are stacked as shown and are amazingly level considering they are full of sand.

These "bags" are stacked to create large rectangular sections, topped with more of the black plastic like material, and the then the post tension cables ( all the blue cables) are run in a grid pattern spanning the entire slab.

This picture demonstrates why the slab is called a post tension slab. Each of the blue cables in the picture above is securely fastened to form boards on one side of the slab and then tensioned
(as shown below) on the form boards on the opposite side of the slab.

Here, the foundation is being poured. Yippee!! A mixer truck empties fresh cement into the pump truck with the boom (shown below.) The wet cement is deposited within the form boards via the boom which a man carefully guides along.

This picture demonstrates the height of the slab on the north side of the house. Tall!!!

So.....that's it for week two! Now on to the framing!!!!

New house update finally!!!

2009-01-27T21:51:00.002-06:00

So for those of you who have been asking, behold the house construction progress!!! Yes, there is progress finally ( after a bunch of crazy paperwork and licensing chaos) there is definitely progress!! :)

On January 13th the construction process officially began. We had the brush (that Victor had pushed over back in July......deep sigh) removed and the began forming up the slab.

Next, came the plumbing and electrical rough in ( that would be all the PVC snaking around.)

We rounded out the week with the delivery of these large piles of backfill (basically sand.)

Thus ended week one of official construction on House #2.
Now, you might be thinking that this doesn't seem like much for one week, but stick w/ me things will speed up from this point on.

Christmas 2008 w/ the Elrods

2009-01-19T20:53:00.007-06:00

How do you celebrate the Holiday season in South Texas?
You go dove huntin'. Everybody knows that.

Don't worry...R's gun is just a toy. It doesn't even make a bang, but he sure does!!

Sorry, I don't have pictures of B hunting. He sat with Papa on the other side of the tank and that was just way too far for this out-of-breath pregnant lady to walk. We did hear them shooting at dirt clods when they had decided no more doves were flying!

Along w/ Christmas, hunting, fishing, New Years, and hunting we also celebrated Victor's birthday.

Here he is showing off gifts carefully selected by his two best buddies (a box of Magic Tricks from R and a container of bolts and nuts from B.) Not sure if there is some hidden message there, but they just knew he needed both.

I don't have the pictures of our Christmas celebration w/ Pappaw, Jan, and Nana. Those pics are currently in New Zealand w/Pappaw (my camera was misplaced during their visit) but when he returns I will post a few.

Hey, look at it this way by posting Christmas pics in February I will be doing my part to keep Christmas in our hearts all year. You are welcome. :)

More from Christmas 2008 at the Tipps' Home

2009-01-18T20:54:00.005-06:00

This is what we found in those boxes. Costumes for little boys.....yay!! Lots of costumes and lots of fun!!!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for all of the fun. Everyday is an adventure when you can be Buzz Lightyear, Superman, and Captain Hook all before lunch!!!

Christmas 2008 at the Tipps Home

2009-01-17T21:42:00.005-06:00

Well, we officially celebrated Christmas four times. These are some pictures from our celebration in Austin at Jeff and Mindi's house (that is probably a misprint now....I think little Aubrey and all of her toys have taken over the house and her Mom and Dad now live in the garage!)

Brother and sister..............they both look sweet...

and then the truth comes out............

Here is a little boy who loves his Aunt Mindi.

There is a child back there somewhere.

Oh so much to catch up on......

2009-01-16T15:33:00.004-06:00

I am so very behind on posting (deep sigh.) So, I plan to spend the next few days gradually catching up on two and a half months of posting. :)

To begin, we joyously celebrated R's third birthday on November. It was a firefighter party and he had fun even though he had been running a fever that morning and when had to warn all of the children away from the party for fear that he might be contagious. Thanks, to all the brave folks who did come (especially Nana all the way from Oklahoma) to make our boy feel special!

Then we headed to north Texas to celebrate Thanksgiving at Uncle Stephen and Aunt Heather's house. As you can tell, we enjoyed the fire pit in the back yard!

I will post Christmas pictures very soon!

I've been tagged!

2008-12-22T12:19:00.002-06:00

Kim tagged me. So, here goes!
8 shows I watch:
Jon & Kate Plus 8 (I have to DVR this)
Deadliest Catch
Dirty Jobs
How It's Made
Backyardigans
Go Giego Go
Curious George
Clifford the Big Red Dog
(Can you tell that I live w/3 boys?)

8 Favorite Restaurants
El Rio (Boerne)
Yen Ching (Kingsville)
Pappadeaux
Freebird's
King's Inn (Riviera)
Zio's
Chick-fil-a
Mamacita's (San Antonio)

8 things that happened today:
I balanced the checkbook.
I did laundry.
I took a nap.
We went to closing for construction. Hurray!
Talked to my honey on the telephone.
Drank hot cider.
Played with my kiddos.
Read to my kiddos.

8 things I look forward too:
Smiles and excitement on Christmas morning.
Brownies and ice cream on my birthday.
A relaxed week with my family.
Smelling that sweet baby smell.
Decorating a new house.
Planning more birthday parties for my babies.
Eating my one per year Monte Cristo sandwich from Bennigan's.
Sitting on my new back porch and watching the boys play on the playscape.

8 things I wish for:
A long and happy marriage.
A deeper faith in the Lord.
A greater knowledge of his Word.
To raise three Godly Christian men.
Healthy children who outlive me.
To know my true purpose.
To be a better gardener.
Flat abs.

8 people I tag:
Mindi
Christy
Dionne
Heidi
Alexandra
Erin
Jodi
Katy

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-17T21:31:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday R!

I can't believe that you are three years old!

Here are some things about you that we don't want to forget:

You are very outgoing (most of the time) You talk to people everywhere we go and you even invited the garbage collectors to your birthday party.

You are smart. When you are quiet it is usually b/c you are figuring something out for yourself.

You like to play baseball w/your Daddy.

When you corner someone to tell them a story one story runs into the next and you never slow down.

You love to read Bambi and the Going to the Zoo book.

You would eat pancakes for every meal if allowed.

You love to sing and remember the words to lots of songs.

You love your brother and want to do everything just like him (or even better.)

You say, "I am free years old!"

You can say banana, but you usually call it anabana, just 'cause.

You love to pray and you put thought into what you pray for.

We love you so much son and we pray that you will grow up to be a strong Christian man who walks with Jesus each and every day.

Go Spurs Go!

2008-11-17T17:21:00.007-06:00

Last Tuesday night we had plans to go as a family to the Spurs game! However, during the afternoon B began to run a fever and developed a mysterious rash ( more on that later.) Since at the time we thought he possibly had scarlet fever, (yes, the nurse told me that's what his symptoms indicated and then proceeded to tell me he couldn't be seen by the doctor until the next day) he and I stayed home and watched the game on t.v. while Victor and R went to the game with Kyle and Seth.

To say they has a good time is a gross understatement. I will let the videos tell the story.

I think it is safe to say that R thoroughly enjoyed his first Spurs game and Seth didn't exactly look bored!!

Baby #3

2008-11-17T16:50:00.004-06:00

Last Tuesday we went for a sonogram and we received baby # 3's first gift.

"nuff said?!!!! :)

Fire Station Visit

2008-11-17T16:40:00.004-06:00

Last Monday Nov. 10th, we got to take a tour of the local fire station. They had fun and the firefighters were very kind and patient as they explained things and let each boy get on and off of EVERYTHING!

Here are the Fikes boys and the Cummings boys.

First Aggie Football Game

2008-11-17T15:23:00.006-06:00

Some friends offered us four tickets to the last home football game of the season so the boys made their first visit to Kyle field. The game was depressing, but the Spirit of Aggieland was alive and well!! There's nothing quite like it. The boys had a great time! They enjoyed the flyover in honor of the upcoming observation of Veteran's day and they just thought they were so grown up.

R could not wait for the drums to come on the field and you gotta love a two year old's interpretation of football. Before halftime he asked me this question. " When those guys are done running around crashing into each other on the grass and playing dead will the drum guys come out and march?" :)

Camille, this video is for you and anyone else who hasn't had the opportunity to hear the Noble Men of Kyle live in a while! :)

P.S. I don't know why everything is suddenly underlined.

More from Halloween weekend

2008-11-17T15:01:00.005-06:00

Pappaw and Jan were in town Halloween weekend. We decided to go bowling on Saturday. It is so much nicer to bowl now that the bowling alley is smoke free.

R in his first pair of bowling shoes.

B had bowled before, but this was R's first experience. He had so much fun and we wish we could have captured his reactions. He has a flair for the dramatic.

After bowling, we went to eat at Benihana's. Our chef just lit the grill in this picture. R seems concerned and B's face just cracks me up. They spent most of the cooking time asking for more fire and hiding in case there should be more fire. :)

Also, this weekend they played a little golf in the back yard w/Pappaw and Jan and they were given their very own (real) golf balls and tees. On Monday they were playing outside and the golf balls kept ending up in the neighbors yard. So, I told them they had to come inside. They then invented some new game (bolfing.....gowling??) In this game you line in tees on the floor upside down and roll a golf ball trying to knock down as many of the tees as possible!

Thanks Pappaw and Jan for a fun weekend!

Halloween

2008-11-03T07:54:00.002-06:00

Howdy all. Hopefully, you all had a fun and safe Halloween! We had a good time. We started the evening by joining a Halloween party at one of the local nursing homes. Lot's of the residents came out wearing a festive hat or mask and they all had candy and the kids went from person to person saying trick or treat and talking about their costumes. We did this last yearand it is definitely worth it.

Next, we went trick or treating with lots of folks from church and loaded up on candy! The boys were very proud of their costumes, especially the capes! However, they had very limited knowledge of either superhero's abilities. When asked if he could catch a speeding bullet, B said "No I am just a boy, but look at my cape."

Finally, we ended the night by visiting the home of some very dear friends affectionately known as Uncle John and Aunt Val! This is our Halloween tradition. B has been to see them every Halloween night since his very first time in costume. Here he is listening to the ocean via Aunt Val's shell collection.

Fall Fun

2008-11-02T06:49:00.002-06:00

In the middle of mountains of laundry, monotonous discipline, and trying to decide what's for dinner (again).......we get these moments and we know that we are so blessed!!!!

Happy fall y'all!!!:)

Future Aggie Buddies

2008-10-30T07:50:00.003-05:00

Do you recognize these funny men?

They bear striking resemblance to three older, more distinguished (but no less funny) men!

Back to School......way back

2008-10-30T07:28:00.002-05:00

These are some pictures I took before the boy's first day of school this year. I know that was months ago, but I wasn't feeling well then and I can't resist posting them now.

Things kids say......

2008-10-21T10:19:00.002-05:00

This morning we are driving to the boy's preschool. From the back seat R says, " Mommy you always pick me up right." (He had a rough start to his school year and has not always been excited about going. We have made lots of progress...no tears, but reassurance that I will return for him in the afternoon is appreciated.) So, as usual I respond, "That's right I always pick you up!"

Next, he turns to his older brother and says, "You always pick me up too, right Bubba?" To which B replies, "No, I can hardly get you off the ground!"

Look and see what's cumming!

2008-10-01T14:58:00.004-05:00

Well, if there is anyone out there here still follows this blog, please let me attempt to explain my loooong hiatus.

Yes, this is what you think it is! Our first photo of baby number 3! The baby is due the first week in April (although they first said the first week in May then measured via sonogram and said the kid measures one month bigger, but hey we have big babies! So, we will wait and see.)

Now before you start sending me angry comments, let me say that I have not been feeling so hot. This pregnancy is different from the others in that I have felt lots worse a lot more often. Plus, in the middle of it all we evacuated my parents from the threat of hurricane Ike, Victor boarded up homes for countless families, my Dad had his hip replaced, my uncle had emergency surgery, and B & R come w/ me to South Texas for a week to help my Dad out while my Mom went to be with my uncle in the hospital in Temple.

Did I mention that I have been tired!

Anyway, all in all we feel extremely blessed and excited! Now if Victor will just get my house built..... :)

The Amazing Cat!

2008-08-13T21:21:00.004-05:00

A few months ago, this adorable creature wandered up to my parents house. She is super friendly and has a front leg that was once injured and has mended incorrectly (but it doesn't slow her down one bit.) My parents named her Sunshine, but didn't want another cat. She bonded with my kids immediately and got along well w/ our dog. So she came to live with us.

When we moved ( oh yeah that's why I haven't posted for so long we moved :) w/n the city limits we worried that she might not stay w/ us but she did and thus began B's beloved new "responsibility." He began feeding the animals each morning with great pride and words cannot express fully his love for Sunshine.

He says she is amaaaazing b/c she will stand up like this! ;)

Fast forward to this past Saturday when B goes to give her breakfast and she is no where to be found. He is very worried and of course dramatic (as in, "I will never see her again!" and I will never have a cat again!") I thought no big deal she is an outside cat. So, she went exploring she will come back.

She didn't come back...not on Saturday....not on Sunday morning.....not on Monday morning. By this point we have walked the neighborhood calling, driven the neighborhood, talked to our immediate neighbors, and made a trip to the animal shelter....w/o any luck. Just before I began making fliers, our next door neighbor informed us that a neighbor two houses down saw a cat matching Sunshine's description and took her to a house one street over where another family had been missing their cat for 3 weeks.

We go over there and explain the situation and we are told that yes they do have the cat we are talking about!

Wait it gets weird.... so we go inside and Sunshine is no where to be seen, but they tell us that the cat we described is the litter mate to their cat "Eucalyptus" and then show us a cat that is identical to ours! I am stunned. I say wow and explain that we rescued Sunshine from south of Corpus Christi so I don't really know her background. They asked me lots of questions about how she looks, acts, times, dates, and vet reports. All the while we still have not seen the cat in question and it is becoming clear to me that they think that we either adopted or kidnapped their cat ("Sparkle") 3 weeks ago and that during that time her leg was broken and allowed to mend w/o proper care. Apparently, I said all the right things to put their minds at least somewhat at ease and they brought Sunshine in and she indeed was our Sunshine she immediately began playing with the boys and B was thrilled!

So, they let us bring her home and I felt sad for them and relieved. The cat however, is now sojourning w/ my parents until we move out of the city. She truly does not like being cooped up inside. It seems that, even when they are amaaaazing, you can take a cat out of the country but you can't take the country out of the cat. :)

NOW it's summer!

2008-07-21T22:02:00.004-05:00

'Cause it just isn't summer 'til you've had that yummy juice dripping off your chin!

Also I wanted to share this funny conversation. Our sweet B (I always call him our hall monitor) he just can't help himself.

The boys have just had baths and gotten into their p.j.s.

Me : R we need to brush your teeth.

R: I am not R I am Sporticus! (He says w/ his chest all puffed out doing his best superhero pose and speaking in his deep voice.)

B: Well fine then. Sporticus, it's time to go brush your teeth.

Oh how we laughed!! I mean he really can't help it! I am so sorry Mom.....I now know that I drove/drive you nuts!! :)
CC

The fourth of July...very belated...

2008-07-21T15:33:00.003-05:00

I am super behind on posting. We have been quite busy lately...potty training, packing, moving, swimming lessons, and VBS. I did want to let you see how we spent our fourth of July.

We were living the a American dream (preparing the home site!) Great trees!!

My, my what big muscles you have!

Siesta!

........and so it begins!

2008-07-04T11:34:00.009-05:00

7/3/08 12:30pm The ink is dry and we now own the new property where we will build our 2nd house from scratch.

This is what our new building site looks like. Right now you are thinking, "All I see are trees!!?"
You are exactly right.....lots of trees!!

7/3/08 @ 5:30pm Victor begins the clearing.

Two hours later....he is making some progress!

Look at this pile! Stay tuned!!!!

A friend remarked to me yesterday that God has been blessing my family alot lately. My first reaction was to wander if that meant .......I was due for something bad to happen (what can I say I have some Irish in me...not named Colleen for nothin'.) Then I stopped and thought about it some more I had worried so much about getting our house ready to sell, selling it, finding new property, find a place to live in the interim, and on and on and on.....just ask my husband. God took care of everything and for once he even did on my timeline. A close friend came and gave me staging advice the day I asked. Our house sold after being on the market for only four days. Victor got a new job, that he loves, which pays well and has decent insurance. The rent house we lived in before is becoming available, just in time. We found a terrific piece of property in the neighborhood we wanted, and the school district we wanted at the best price we had seen in a long time!! And all this time my family has been healthy and provided for!!

I ashamed to say that all of this was going on all around me and I haven't been nearly excited or thankful enough!

Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for the myriad of ways that you continue to bless us. Thank you for sticking with me when I move from worrying about one thing to the next w/o looking up. Forgive me
Amen

This Week

2008-07-04T09:41:00.007-05:00

Another busy week......I decided to try several different new recipes. Homemade wheat bread..good but not great. Homemade gold stars (goldfish recipe, but I don't have a fish cutter)......very good. Victor says they taste more like Cheese Nips. It isn't pictured but I also made homemade (not Hidden Valley) ranch dressing...I really liked this alot!!

Papaw and Jan sent these squishy, bouncy, light-up orbs. Lots of fun, especially in the dark! Thanks!

Rylan had swimming lessons this week. He loves the water and is not afraid at all. He ended the lesson yesterday by jumping in totally unassisted ( I did not catch him) in the shallow end where he knew his feet could touch the bottom. The instructor told him we weren't going to catch him before he jumped but he was excited and I wasn't sure he got it. Then he jumped and when he came up he looked surprised, but we cheered and he said "jump again"! What a guy! Sorry I don't have any pics. It is a Mommy and me class so I am in the water with him. Hopefully Victor will be able to come to at least one class so we can capture his fearless excitement!

So far this summer

2008-06-23T14:52:00.009-05:00

We swam , fished,skied, tubed, and had water balloon fights with Papaw and Jan in Crosby.

We celebrated "Daddy's Day" the weekend before Father's Day b/c we were out of town on June 15th. As you can see, the boys were very proud that they "surprised" Daddy!

Daddy and and Mommy did some relaxing in Arkansas while Gran and Papa watched two little boys feed their dogs, cats, cows, horses, chickens, donkey, fish and anything else that would open its mouth. (Braden wakes everyday & tells me that he needs to go to Riviera, b/c Papa really needs his help.) Thanks again Mama and Daddy!

We have been enjoying outdoor devotionals held every Sunday evening all summer long!
Our new TV came with
bonus talking heads!

We hung out with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Mindi, Uncle Fire Captain (aka Jeff), and of course Aggie Aubrey!

We're bloggers!

2008-06-23T08:55:00.002-05:00

Well several folks have been encouraging me to start a blog. So, here we go!!