Pic of us from yesterday's tailgate

Yesterday we tailgated before the Texans game and this picture of us was taken:

A lot going on

I've had a lot going on lately. Two weeks ago I started a new job. I am now working at the University of St. Thomas as the Dean of Scholarships and Financial Aid. So far I really like it, but it's a lot different than UH-CL. I've got so much to learn, but it's coming easy to me. The commute is a new experience. If there are no accidents or rain I can make it from my door to UST in about 50 minutes. Last Tuesday it was raining, though, and it took me two hours! I was not liking that.

Today we went to the Texans. Got in line to tailgate about 7 30 am and got our spots. The tailgate is always a lot of fun and the game was fun too, until we lost. Stupid Texans. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Lauren is in a school play and has rehearsal most nights and Cory is playing jr. high football and has practice most nights so it's a typical busy week coming up at our house. We're looking forward to our Ohio trip in a couple weeks. We'll be going up over George's birthday weekend and have tickets to the Bengals v. Texans. I hope the Texans get a defense between now and then...

Better late than never - First Day of School Pics

School started for Lauren and Cory on August 25, 2009. These pictures show them the first day of school. Lauren is a freshman at Clear Springs High School and Cory is a 7th grader at Victory Lakes Intermediate School.

School clothes shopping

Yesterday we went school clothes shopping at Katy Mills. It was the first time in three years Lauren got to shop with no dress code! I think our school district is SO stupid because there is no dress code in elementary school - then there is a dress code for intermediate - then for high school there is no dress code again. Make no sense to me. And, I think I hate dress codes even more than the kids!

So, anyway we got to shop in all kinds of fun stores at Katy Mills to get Lauren's back to school wardrobe put together. Cory got some things, too, but he's still in intermediate school so polo shirts and khaki shorts for him.

I hadn't shopped at Katy Mills in a few years, it's pretty far away from here. I think it took us a little over an hour to get there. But, we thought it was worth it because we found some great deals. We shopped and shopped and shopped. And I only went $38 over the budget I'd set for myself that morning so I was pleased!

Houston Texans

I am ready for some football! The Texans just fed ex'd us our season tickets for this year and I'm getting excited! Lots of great home games this year - I am especially looking forward to the Monday night game this year, since I was in Vegas last year for our Monday night game.

Also, we're going to Cincinnati on Oct. 18 (George's bday) to watch the Bengals and the Texans. I just bought those tickets yesterday. That'll be fun - 3 Texan fans and 5 Bengals fans in our group. Should be a great weekend to be in Ohio though - I haven't seen the leaves change colors in years!

Wild and Crazy Summer!

WOW - summer's half over and I cannot believe it! I've been crazy busy! Since school's been out: (1) Kim and family came for a week (2) next week I had state auditors so was crazy busy at work (3) next week we flew to Orlando and spent the week at Walt Disney World (4) from there we drove a rental car to Ohio and spent the 4th of July there (5) flew home but George stayed in Ohio for the week to build his mom a deck (6) George got home Saturday but I left Sunday for the national financial aid conference in San Antonio (7) I just got back yesterday!

I feel like I've barely been home in weeks! We had a nice vacation, but wow - exhausting! I'm looking so forward to this weekend to stay home and clean house and grocery shop - normal stuff!

Including lots of my favorite vacation pics.

Busy, busy

The end of the school year is so busy for us! Today, Lauren and Cory are going to Schlitterbahn for a school field trip. The bus leaves at 9 and won't return until 8! I sound like a broken record already about sun block...

Other than that, Lauren was in her schools production of Willie Wonka, and had to audition for a theater production class she wants to take in high school next year. Since 7 on 7 football ended, Cory's schedule has slowed some, so that's a welcome relief, to me.

So a couple weeks ago I got a new comforter and painted my bedroom. Last night, we went and purchased carpet. It will be installed Monday. I can't wait to see the finished product!

Next weekend, my sister Kim and her family are coming for a visit! I am very excited to see them, and they have a lot of fun things planned. Next Saturday is the sand castle competition at East Beach - its very crowded and a little rowdy for my kids. But we like to go to that beach on Sunday - the castles are still there but the crowds aren't! So I'm hoping for a nice sunny day for next Sunday!

Other than that, I plan to hang around here most of the day. With the kids gone, not much to do. I'll probably clean some and work in the yard this evening when it cools off (high of 92 today!)

Fun Weekend

I am very excited because tomorrow morning, my sis Emily is coming in town and Sunday we have tickets to Kenny Chesney! I love him so much! I've actually lost count of how many times I've seen him, but it's been at least once a year since around 1999-2000, I'd guess.

Atkins Diet

I need to lose weight, have needed to for years. One of George's friends did the Atkins diet recently and liked it so we decided to try it. I really researched, first, though. I got the Atkins book from the library, looked online for recipes, success stories, etc. and thought it looked realistic for me.

So, since I had a hard time planning my menus with real food my family would eat I decided to start a sister blog to "What I like today". It can be found at http://www.lowcarblynda.blogspot.com/. Over there I'm keeping a food diary, and tracking how many carbs (rough estimates) I think I have had that day. I think it will help me to be able to go back through and find recipes I tried and remember what worked and what didn't. Anyway, if anyone's interested, feel free to check it out. Hopefully someday I'll post my before and after pictures! LOL

So glad to be home

Lauren had Willy Wonka play rehearsal today so we needed to pick her up at 3 pm. George and I left to get her, and we planned to swing her back by home and then go to the grocery store. Well, long story short, we got caught in a flash flood. We were in the Durango, so higher than some cars we saw. The road became impassable and we were on a higher part of the road so we stopped. As the water continued coming up, we drove up onto the median. Several cars were blocking the road ahead, and the League City Fire Dept showed up and rescued a lady who was in a car up ahead. It was wild. We were watching the storm on my iPhone and we could see it wasn't getting better soon. We waited a long while, then saw a truck make it through, so we followed. We made it to Lauren's school to pick her up around 4:10. Then, we waited awhile longer and tried different ways to make it home before we finally found one. The picture was taken right after we pulled in the driveway, around 5:15 pm. Needless to say, we didn't make it to the grocery store! I'm relieved to be home, it's supposed to be nasty all night!

Happy Easter

We had a very nice Easter day. The kids like to hunt for their baskets, so they woke up to a clue that led them around a bit until they found the hidden baskets. We got up early today to do the baskets and went to the 8:30 am mass (got there right around 8:30 and had to stand, but we knew we were in for that when we didn't leave the house til 8:15). Came home and got everything ready for dinner. Scott and Lori and the girls came over and ate with us today. Some Easter pics below, the first is my favorite. Cory loves the hollow Easter bunnies so he can eat its ears then fill it with milk. I got a picture of him doing just that first thing this morning!

A boy and his bunny

Kids posing after mass in the front yard
The Easter baskets, just filled

Some pictures from my yard

Yes, I'm a big geek for taking pictures of my yard. But I love gardening and like to keep track of what's in bloom during which seasons. So, today, April 12, here's how she looks:

The roses - I work hard on these guys. They were pruned around Valentine's Day and have come a long way. A couple blooms so far, but they have so many buds, they'll be gorgeous very soon!

My very busy patio - I have a lot going on here. I love my little patio, the table you see is a fire pit and we hang out here a lot this time of year. Bud Light (for grown-ups) and S'mores (for kids) are popular items when we have a fire...

Well the gladiolus are up and the morning glory is starting it's climb up the arbor...

This hanging basket of geraniums is going nuts right now - hope it can take the heat here in a few months...

This Easter lily wasn't quite ready to bloom - will be soon, though

The canna lillies are raring to go

This is a Christmas ammaryllis (sp?) in bloom on Easter Sunday

Goin' to state!

Today Cory's 7 on 7 team played in the regional tournament. The top three teams get to advance to state. We won our first game, so we advanced to the regional championship game. We lost that game, though it was very competitive, so we're regional runners-up. Still, we're going to state! The state tournament is in The Woodlands on April 18, so we'll head up there and make a day of it!

7 on 7 football champs

Cory has been playing 7 on 7 football the past several weeks. Today was the city championship and they won! The picture shows him and his friend, Jacob G. wearing their "7on7 City Champions' tee shirts. They had to play two games today, and Cory scored a touchdown in both. Towards the end of the last game, we were up quite a bit so they let Cory play quarterback. He actually threw a touchdown pass - it was great! It was actually a pretty fun day, but it was so cold and windy! Usually football games here are anything but cold! Next week the team advances to the regionals, so more to come!

CRAWFISH

It's crawfish season and we couldn't wait any longer, so today George and I went to Floyd's for lunch. I had a cup of crab bisque (delicious), we had fried pickles, and three pounds of crawfish. Love our 'mudbugs' - they were very spicy and good today. It is a lot of work to peel them, but definitely worth it. Makes my mouth water to see the pic I took of them when the waitress set them down on our table!

There's no place like home

I just got back from Anaheim, CA last night. I was there for a conference for work. It was a good conference, and I got to see an old friend from Ohio University, so that was nice.

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and it was very nice. My co-worker and I got in around 8 or so Sunday night. We grabbed a bite to eat and went to bed - the time difference plus the traveling had worn us out. Monday after the conference we went to Downtown Disney. I got the kids a souvie at World of Disney. Tuesday, we went to Disney's California Adventure theme park. It was a lot like Disney's Hollywood Studios, I thought. We had a great time! We rode a few rides, watched the parade, saw a couple little shows, and had dinner. My favorite ride is Toy Story Mania - that is too fun! Wednesday we went to the conference in the morning then caught our shuttle to the airport and finally got home around 9 pm last night.

My calendar was booked at work today and I was so jet lagged this morning! Still, had to go to work. Tomorrow is my Friday off and I need it bad! I'm not doing anything tomorrow! George is off too, his spring break is this week. I may get him to take me to lunch tomorrow, but that's it!

Leapin' Lizzards!

My back yard ( the patio in particular) is a favorite hangout for lizards. I like lizards because they eat bugs, but I still scream every time one jumps out of a pot because they startle me! Anyway, today I was sitting outside enjoying the sunshine and I looked over and spotted this guy just a few feet away. He's on top of an Easter Lily and looks to be enjoying the sunshine, too.

Spring Break

This week the kids are on spring break. I took a vacation day Wednesday, and the university is closed today and tomorrow for spring break. It's nice to have some down time! George is working this week, though. His spring break is next week.

Yesterday, the four of us went the the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We let the kids ride and play games, then went on in to the rodeo. Gary Allen was the performer, and I like him a lot. Not to mention, it was a beautiful day! Ever since the cold, rainy weather we had last weekend it's been perfect!

Today, was another beautiful day so we decided to head on down to Galveston for lunch. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe then walked on the beach. I just love this time of year, when the weather is so perfect. Lauren remarked that today is still technically winter - that's why I love living down here!

No big plans tomorrow, I need to clean and do laundry sometime! I leave Sunday evening for Anaheim, CA for a conference for work. While I'm there, I'm going to Disneyland! I've never been, and we're staying at the Disneyland Hotel, so I thought what the heck! They had a special 'twilight' ticket for us conventioneers so we can go in after 4. I'm sure I won't get to see too much in that short of time, but at least I can say I've been there! I love Disney World so I'm interested to compare!

Cory's birthday celebration at Dave and Busters

Cory's birthday party at Dave and Busters

Yesterday we took off to Dave and Busters to celebrate Cory's 12th birthday. Me, George and Lauren went, and Cory invited his two best friends, Jacob G and Jacob R, and his girlfriend, Jen. We got there, put our name in for a table for 7, and headed to the midway. Got all the kids $12 game cards and they started off playing games. After about an hour I rounded them up and we went to check on our table (they'd told us 30 minutes and it'd been 60+). I had to make them seat us... that's another story. We ordered our food and got the "Eat and Play Combo" which gave us all another $10 game card. While waiting on our food, Cory opened gifts. Then, we went back to the arcade for awhile longer. I think all the kids had a really nice time!

Cory's 12th birthday

Well, 12 years ago today I remember what I was doing! Cory Michael McKendree was born at 9:27 p.m. EST. My labor was induced around noon at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, OH.

This morning, Cory asked if we could go to Starbuck's, since it was his birthday. We went and he got a mocha frap to start his day. Tonight I'm making homemade pepperoni pizza (one of his favorites) and I'm going to get an ice cream cake on my way home. He wants to open one gift tonight, for his real birthday, but will save the rest for his party Saturday.

Saturday we're taking a carload to Dave and Busters, so that should be a fun celebration. He's taking two boys and two girls, so I hope that goes okay...

Happy birthday, Cory!

Jonas Brothers - Rodeo Houston

OK, I admit I'm not the biggest Jonas Brothers fan out there, but Lauren is! So yesterday I took her and her friend, Brooke, to the Rodeo to see the JB. It was a fun show, even with several thousand screaming girls! What made the whole day for me though was when Lauren told me it was the best day of her life, so far! You can't beat that!

Rascal Flatts - Rodeo Houston

Last night about 5:30 I was picking Cory up from football practice when Lori called. She said someone at work had just given her two rodeo tickets and that Rascal Flatts was performing. I thought about it for a minute and thought what the heck!? I've seen Rascal twice before and I really like them. So I ran home and changed clothes and Lori picked me up. We drove up, parked, walked a country mile, and made it to the Rodeo. When we got there, her friend had a suite! We got free food and open bar and had an awesome time. I have to admit I actually like the Rodeo, too, not just the concert afterwards. It's a good thing because I'm taking Lauren to see The Jonas Bros. this weekend then we're all going to see Gary Allen the 18th. If it weren't such a hassle to drive up there and park and fight the crowds I'd go to more performances. They have so many artists I like!

New iphone

I've wanted an iphone ever since they came out, but couldn't justify the cost, until now. I already had cingular / att and was eligible to upgrade my phone. I saw that they had the iphone for $99 (so what if it's a refurb) and went for it. I got the phone last night, and it is so cool. The kids have ipod touch so we already knew how to do the itunes stuff and had some music, games, etc. in our itunes library. George helped me get it sync'd and put some stuff on and I am really having fun playing around with it. I need to add all my contacts from my old phone to this one, so that will take some time. But I think I'm really going to like all the features - the ipod, the maps, email, internet, etc. It's so cool!

Picture from Christmas morning

For Christmas I surprised my dad by researching our family history and I put together a book with our family tree. I really got into it, using ancestry.com, and was able to trace our roots (on dad's side) to Germany and England. Anyway, mom took this picture of us when I was showing him the book, and pointing out some of the interesting things I found. The sun was shining in on us, and I thought it was a very nice picture of us together.

Not sure yet - new hairstyle

Got my hair cut Friday, not sure if I like it yet. It's so short! Anyway, here it is. The color is way too red, but I think it will tone down in a few weeks - I hope!

Back to blogging

Wow, I've been off here since Nov. 21 - what a hiatus! That just goes to show how busy December and January were!

In December I went to Vegas (work conference), on a cruise (our 15th wedding anniversary), then to Ohio (home for the holidays). In January, I'm just swamped at work. Like August, the beginning of a new semester is a lot of work for me and my staff and it's exhausting.

But, here are some pretty cool goings-on:

Lauren is playing Vicki Smith in a play called Caught in the Net at Harbour Playhouse in Dickinson. (photo above) She is such a talented young actress, I'm very proud! It's a play about a bigamist, John Smith, who has a teenage daughter with one wife and a teenage son with his other wife. The two teenagers meet online, and plan to meet in person. The play is very funny as John tries to keep his two families apart. This weekend is it's last weekend open, then we're always like "what now?" because we suddenly have so much more time.

Cory is wrapping up basketball season, but had one very cool game. His team was 0-3 going into the game. Well, this was a close one and his team was losing 21-19 with 6 seconds left, and the other team had the ball. The coach told Cory to foul the kid with the ball. He ran down there, but the kid turned and he was able to steal the ball. He dribbled back and set his feet and launched about a 25 foot shot. AND IT WENT IN! His 3-pointer won the game with no time left! The sad part was, I missed it! I was working on Lauren's room. She got new furniture and I was cleaning out the old, cleaning out her dresser and closet, touching up paint, etc. I was in the middle of a mess, and since they had lost every game by 20, I thought it was safe to keep on working. I was so sorry to have missed it. Cory was so excited. He said "Mom, when that shot went in it was pandemonium!" He said even the other team's parents were high-fiving him! I so wish I would have been there! :(

He's at 7 on 7 football practice now, that's his next gig. I told George we have four seasons here in Texas - pre-season, football season, post-season, and the off-season. Now Cory's found a football league to play in during the off-season. He is so crazy about football!

Well, that's it for now. I'll be back soon to post some pictures, though!