Scott is home...

Yesterday evening Scott got home from Iraq. He had spent a couple of days in El Paso out-processing so he didn't come home right away. It has been comforting to know he has at least been on US soil. The National Guard had quite a few Texas troops that had demobilized and were traveling together on a charter bus. They dropped off troops in Austin and then came up to Killeen on their way to Waco. Ron and I picked Scott up around 7:00 yesterday evening then took him over to Leslie and G's house. He wanted to see the new baby and he ended up staying the night there so he could watch the UFC match. Becca is planning on having us all over for a BBQ this evening so that should be fun. Here are some pictures of Scot's bus, unloading his duffel bags, and a very happy mom.

I am NOT afraid of color...

When Ron and I bought this house, we traded a large master suite for a dinky bedroom with bath. Our bedroom is the only thing I do not like about this house. At first, I had it painted a soft green and used ivory sheers on the windows with an ivory bedspread. I accented it with a quilt I had made that had deep purples, greens and ivory. It was okay, but I never really liked it. This summer I decided to be daring and completely switch color schemes. I figured I better get my bed linens first and then build around those. I happened to find a beautiful, rich brown set on clearance at Sears so I had my foundation. The wall color was the next issue. I needed to find something that would pick up the rustic tones in our bedroom furniture (which seems huge in this room), blend well with the bed linens, and still feel warm and cozy. When I started painting it on the walls, I thought I had made a huge mistake, but I am such a miser, I couldn't see not using what I had already paid for. However, once I got the second coat on, found some rust colored iron work for decorative accessories, and threw together the fabrics, I was really pleased with it. Here is the finished product.

One more thing to mark off the list...

One of the things I wanted to do during my summer break was make a scrap book for Sophie. A friend of mine had made one for Maggie and for Seth, but I decided to try to make one on my own. So, I used the one that I have for Maggie as a guide, and with some help from Leslie, I finished Sophie's flip book this afternoon. I still don't have the pictures in it yet, but thought I would post pictures of it anyway. Now remember, I am NOT a "scrapper'".

Updates on the family....

Ron: Left for Phoenix today; gone for 10 days.
Gwen: Shopping (yuck) for work clothes and school supplies.
Ryan: Still hoping the geology field will open up; exploring other options.
Scott: His footlocker is home; he will follow soon!
Rebecca: The pool is up; Ed is home; all is right with her world :-)
Edward: Home from Iraq for R&R.
Seth: Spent 2 days with Mimi this past week; fun!
Leslie: Still getting used to having 2 little ones to care for; not going back to work any time soon.
Gerson: Still working for Time Warner, playing soccer.
Maggie: Potty trained!
Sophie: Brown eyes :-(
Daisy: getting old.
Buddy: Missing Ron

Catching up...

The family has had a super busy month! Consequently, every time I sat down to blog I would get overwhelmed by how much there was to post. That would lead to no post at all. So, here is a whole bunch of nonsense.
Family Reunion Aftermath:
Once the reunion ended, I needed to start my annual summer cleaning. During the school year, I never have time for the heavy cleaning such as windows, baseboards, curtains, etc. It took me a whole week to get the house as clean as I wanted it to be. Now, the windows & curtains can collect dirt until Christmas break. It was also time to clean out closets, drawers, and files. I spent one day just shredding paperwork! Nothing feels as good as getting the house clean and organized.
Sophie Lyn's Arrival:
Leslie's doctor decided to induce her labor a few weeks early because her blood pressure was starting to get too high. So, on June 29th Sophie was born. She is a cute little thing. I don't really think she looks that much like Maggie, but then Maggie was soooo tiny and not nearly as chubby. Maggie and cousin Seth both adore her and are so sweet and gentle around her. We are just thrilled to have such healthy, beautiful grandchildren.
Baby Quilts:
I started a quilt for Sophie before she was born. However, once it was finished, I decided I really didn't like it that much. So, I decided to finish it anyway and give it to Leslie's best friend for her new baby boy, Owen. It worked out okay because I used bright primary colors in a pinwheel pattern. Then, I spent some time rummaging through quilting magazines to find some possible alternatives. I finally found a beautiful pink quilt that will be a bit of a challenge for me. It is made of batik fabric using circles so it has the illusion of large flowers. I haven't started it yet, because it is one I will need help from Mom with. The third quilt is for the neighbors across the street. They just had a new baby girl named Rebecca. I have taken picture of the Sophie quilt in the magazine and the quilt for Rebecca, but I have the quilt for Owen in the machine and it is at my shop. I will post a picture of them all again once they are quilted and bound.
July 4th:
Initially, we had decided we were going to spend the holiday at Becca's house. She was scheduled to have her pool up and running by then so we figured we would grill up some food, swim, and then from her back yard we could see the fireworks display being put on at the city park. However, several factors messed up those plans. First, Sophie arrived earlier that was expected. Second, the ONE day of rain and less than 100 degree weather delayed Becca's pool. Third, Ryan had to work on the 4th. So, we collectively agreed to not do anything. But, to make a long story short, we ended up having a spur of the moment celebration at Leslie and G's house. We threw together a meal with whatever was in Becca, Leslie, and my kitchens; spent some time in the pool, and then drove over to watch the fireworks on Ft. Hood. It was a bittersweet day though. Missing my sons in Iraq always puts a damper on things.
All in all, June ended up being a very productive month.

Family Reunion '09

Several years ago, our family agreed to gather together for one week during the odd numbered years. So far, we have held 3 family reunions. The first was in '05 at Mt. View, Arkansas. The second was in '07 at Petit Jean State Park, also in Arkansas. Arkansas is the most centrally located state for most of the family. This year we had intended to return to Petit Jean, but due to scheduling conflicts, our original reservations had to be canceled and a new location was necessary. What a pain that turned out to be! Anyway, to make a long story short, we ended up having a traveling reunion. It began on June 13th in Ft. Worth, TX at my brother Bob's home. He has a very nice pool so most of the day was spent splashing and talking. My brother David and his family met my family there and we spent the evening talking and laughing as we caught up on all the family happenings.
On Sunday evening, most of the family then moved on down to central TX to spend a couple of days with my parents. We just crashed at either my house or my daughter Rebecca's house, which gave us even more opportunities to spend time together while sunburns healed a little. By Tuesday, we were ready for the sun and water again, so we all headed to Schliterbahn. It was a blast! That is truly the one vacation spot in TX where you can be outside all day and remain cool. That evening we returned to Temple totally exhausted, but thankful we had been able to spend so much time together. Wednesday was spent playing board games, eating, talking, laughing, and having a wonderful time. Unfortunately, it all had to come to an end on Thursday with families returning to their various homes. Sadly, no one from Larry's branch of the family could attend. But, there is always the next reunion. I wanted to post a group picture from each reunion, but couldn't find one taken in '05. So, here are the group shots from '07 and '09.

End of another school year...

As each school year ends, for some reason parents feel obligated to purchase thank you gifts for me. As a teacher, I have to admit I have received some very nice parting gifts. I know that they are sincere expressions of appreciation for the time and energy I put into teaching their children. However, every now and then I get a gift that really means a lot to me. It usually isn't one of those gift cards to my favorite restaurant, a certificate at the teachers' store, or luxurious lotions and shower gels. It is always the gift that was given to me by one of my students. I can always tell that a lot of time and effort was put into those gifts, and they always make me chuckle or bring tears to my eyes. I thought I would share one of my all time favorites. It was given to me by the same character that showered the bathroom with ketchup and tried to mend the hole in his shirt with tape.
Here is the text:
"Roses are red vilets are blue my feet smell stinky, you are cool to play baskit ball. I shuld stop talkig and here is a special someting for you love ben A I will miss you. for being a graet teacher."
It also has an illustration of me shooting baskets with him during recess.
Who would have thought a few basketball shots at recess would have stuck in his memory!
Enjoy!
p.s. those are coins that are attached with scotch tape.