warning: crazy proud mother behind the camera...

today's offensive player of the game

This was SuperGirl's first season to play Upward Basketball. I haven't asked, but I think she is the youngest kid in the whole league. And she's probably the smallest, too. She doesn't get the ball much - most of the time she just gets to throw it in. She's happy with that - she's just having fun.

About two games into the season, she realized she could actually get the ball into the basket during practice. It was after this that her little friend Co and her mom began the mission to get SuperGirl to score. Co would get a few baskets during the game and then she would start passing the ball to SuperGirl. Usually, she would dribble it a few times and someone would steal the ball from her.

Today was the last game. We still hadn't seen a basket. Another little girl on the team got on board with the mission and started hollering when SuperGirl was open. It was really cute. Co got the ball and literally put it in SuperGirl's hands. She'd tried this exact shot about 2 minutes previous and missed. But this time, the ball went in. It was beautiful.

And I screamed like a crazy woman. Video to follow...

sushi 101

Sushi. Never tried it. Unless you count the California Rolls they sell at HEB and Kroger.

DN. She's going on a trip and needs to learn to use chopsticks and eat things that don't look like brisket or chicken fingers.

Moms. We needed a night out.

Add all that together and we had a very fun evening!!

Ordering was hard because none of us really knew anything about ordering sushi. AT knew a little bit and she got us started. And our little waiter was a huge help, too. He recommended a lot of things. He even offered to bring us forks when we were having trouble eating the fried rice with the chopsticks. Everyone tried using the chopsticks and it was fun to laugh with each other as we turned our hands this way and that to make them work. And can I say that having to put the whole sushi roll in my mouth without biting it goes against everything I fuss at my kids about? It's hard to look each other in the eye when you pop one of those things in your mouth and your mouth is very full of food!

I don't know that we ate anything that was actually raw. If we did, I don't want to know. I wasn't surprised that I liked all of it. I can't wait to go again - I know exactly what to order now! Of the seven of us that went, only three liked it enough to go have actual sushi again. I wish my sweet sister lived closer. We've been trying to go out for sushi for a couple of years now. Now that I know we have something local, I know exactly where we'll go the next time she is here.

The restaurant we went to also had a hibachi grill area. I think we're going to go back and try it out for our next girls' night out. And with this group of ladies, I know we'll have fun whether we like the food or not!

the view from my window

This man. He's the best. That is a very stinky trailer full of dirt for a flower garden that he is making for me.

This window. It's about three feet from my bed. And outside that window is weeds. By the time I go to bed tonight, there will be a beautiful raised bed for flowers. I can't wait.

I had to help Hubby with the layout and shape of the bed. I literally had to get him "out of the box." He wanted to do a square flower bed but I wouldn't hear of it. So I put on my new gardening boots, took his work gloves, and went to work. Once I was happy with the shape, Hubby went to work.

He's very thorough. Notice the level? He's also a closet pink person. Notice the pink paint in the grass? After trying to make my shape with a hose and then finally using the bricks, he pulled out pink paint and got all professional on me. I'll have you know he did all the work, but I made the shape! I wanted a flower garden, not a flower box.

The plan is to start shopping for plants soon. (Like tomorrow, maybe?) I know it is supposed to be a cold weekend, so we may have to hold off on getting the plants in the ground, but at least I'll have them ready to go. I can't wait for spring!!

lady aggie basketball rocks!

It's the end of the Upward Basketball season. This week was supposed to be the last practice before the last game. That was, until Coach got wind of $1 tickets to the Lady Aggies basketball game against #2 Oklahoma.

Sweet Hubby decided to treat the whole team to the game. And he treated the girls and I to $1 hot dogs and popcorn, too! We all sat together and had a great time.

The game was AWESOME!! It was fun watching Pickles understand what was going on in the game instead of wanting to play on her DS or complaining that she was bored, or hungry, or sick, or had to go potty, like some other child in our family.

It was down to the last few minutes of the game and it just got better and better. At one point, I thought we were beat, but I was so wrong! Talk about getting every cent of your money's worth. Hubby yelled to me over the crowd, "This is the best $1 I've ever spent!" It was fun watching the girls celebrate on the court with about half of the crowd down there with them. And watching them saw Varsity's horns as a mob was cool from our vantage point.

I think the best part was when Coach Blair grabbed the microphone in the middle of the celebration and thanked the crowd for being there and supporting them through this incredible win. I was so relieved he didn't actually cry, well, because you know me... I'd have cried with him!!

What a fun, fun night.

four strikes and a spare

What a fun night! Our youth department is awesome. This is the second family night of the year and we have had an incredible time at both! The first one was the Amazing Race. Hubby, Summer, Giggles, and I were a team. For those of you not local, I haven't changed the name of a kid to Giggles... she's not in our family, but pretty close! We came in a very, VERY close second in that race. I have no idea how the first place team passed us up at the last minute, but they did, and we came in second.

So this time, we were pretty fired up about making a run for the trophy. We all LIKE to bowl. But not all of us are that good at it. Let's just say that some of us should stick to... dancing. Even with the bumper guards for the younger two, we didn't come in first.

BUT! We did come in third overall and won a gift card. We also won the contest for the most creative team name. We were "Four Strikes and a Spare." I think we should have also gotten a prize for taking the longest to come up with a name. Seriously. It took all night.

We shared a lane with the C family and we all had a ball. Here are some pics from the night...

this makes me happy...

Does that make me weird?

Flat Gracie goes to a Valentine lunch

LOVE IS ETERNAL

Today is February 14, 2009 -- Valentines Day
The weather is cool and sunny -- a perfect day.

Flat Gracie had lunch today with Grandmom and Grandad and a few of their friends. We went to the Brick Oven in Kempner, Texas. It is a favorite restaurant for our Sunday School class to gather for food, fun, and fellowship. What better way for Flat Gracie to celebrate Valentines Day than with couples who have been in love for a very, very long time.

We have learned many lessons about love through the years. The most important lesson is that God is Love. We have learned that love can endure through good times and bad. We have learned to accept the faults and weaknesses of others, because we ourselves have faults and weaknesses. We have learned that forgiveness is essential to love as God loves. We have learned that it is sometimes hard to love as God loves, but we have also learned that God's way is always the best way.

The Scriptures say it best.

Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
. . . love will last forever.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

valentine's day goes to the dogs

It appears there are several in our house who are sad that our house guests (human and canine) have gone home. Even the dog is drowning her sorrows...

Last night, we couldn't find Pebbles. We called and called... and finally she came out of my bedroom. I thought for sure she'd been snuggled up somewhere, recovering from her visit with her own mom and "auntie" and just didn't hear us calling her. She went outside and then went to her own bed for the night and I didn't think anything about her taking so long to come when called.

Later, when I went to get ready for bed, I walked into my closet and found a box of Valentine candy, unwrapped, opened, and eaten... all but a half of a chocolate. That little stinker opened TWO grocery bags, pulled the box out, got the cellophane off the box, and opened it to get to the candy!

Now I know that chocolate is bad for dogs - even deadly. So I've watched her closely today. She seems just fine. I guess she's just gotten too good for doggie treats and now feels that she requires people treats.

Think again, dog.

Flat Gracie goes to the ranch

FLAT GRACIE GOES TO THE RANCH

We are Flat Gracie's grandparents, Raiford and Linda Williams. We live on a 237 acre ranch in the city of Copperas Cove. We like to say that we are the largest ranch in town. Actually we have the only ranch in town.

We had Flat Gracie from February 9 through 11. We have had some rain this week. It was very welcome. The temperature has been rather mild, making us think that spring might be near.

Flat Gracie has been to the ranch many times to visit with Grandmom and Grandad. She especially likes to be here when her three cousins are here. They roam over the pastures to see what interesting things and places they can find. They have claimed and named several places as their "forts." They have brought some unusual things in from the pastures such as a turtle shell, golf balls, and an old bicycle.

Flat Gracie and the other grandchildren don't mind sharing the pastures with the cows, but when the bull comes around, they head for the house.

The tree house that Grandad built is a favorite place for Flat Gracie to play with her sisters and cousins. They even sometimes sleep up there.

At the first sign of spring Grandad starts getting his garden ready. Then he goes shopping for seed and plants. (Grandmom prefers flower seed.) Next it's time to plant. This spring and summer Flat Gracie and her sisters and cousins will get to help harvest and eat the vegetables that Grandad grow.

When work is done, the swing is a great place to rest with Grandad.

We always have fun when Flat Gracie comes to visit us.

hello, welcome to sweet central

So I'm wondering if I will ever get caught up on this blogging stuff. I left off at Christmas and here we are at Valentine's Day. Ugh. I'll see what I can do about filling in the gaps, but for now, this is what we're up to TODAY. TODAY is our Homeschool Co-Op Valentine's Day Party Day.

Can you guess what we're signed up to bring?

We got up after my parents left for Florida (sniff, sniff) and baked our little hearts out.

Then we cut out, iced, and sprinkled our hearts out.

And this afternoon, we are going to eat sweets until we are sick, I'm sure. Happy early Valentine's Day!

XOXO

laughs for monday

Flat Gracie goes on a road trip

Flat Gracie took a little road trip with Grammy, PapPap, Aunt Melinda, and Baby Colin to surprise her! She stayed in a hotel on the way and got to stop on the Alabama border for a photo op. Isn't she small? Can you see her?

laughs for monday

for grandmom...

Summer is going to a youth group Super Bowl party today. She was told to bring a dessert... and this is what we came up with! I found the idea on the Betty Crocker website. Didn't we do a good job??? If you decide to try this one, use the gel icing in the small tube. The cookie icing in the bigger bag/tube thingy ran a bit. Overall, I think we made a good team on this one.

lost in translation...

Momma! Summer taught me how to speak Spanish!! I can say I'm cold!!!

How's that, SuperGirl?

Hace Frito!