Cousins Week at Mimi & Grandads

I guess to post late is better than to post never. So, for scrapbooking purposes, I don't want to leave this super fun week out of my blog. In August, my sister Leslie and her husband Israel went on an Alaskan Cruise for their 15th Anniversary, and my mom and dad and I kept her 2 boys, Caleb & Carter for the week. It was great cousin time and we devoted the week to fun "kid stuff" that everyone enjoyed.

My mom has been wanting to take the kids to Build-a-Bear for a long time, but it never seemed to work out until this summer. It is great for all ages and all 3 kids loved it. It was fun to see the kid's personalities come out as they picked out their own bear and all the clothes to go with it. Each one had their own idea and did not let the others' opinions sway them.

Caleb's Bear is a Dallas Maverick

Avery's is a nurse

Carter's is a Dallas Cowboy

In this scene, the 2 athletes were playing and got hurt, so the nurse came to their rescue

The kids have a tradition of making cookies with Mimi when they come for any special occasion or holiday. This week the Olympics had started, so they made "Olympic" cookies. Below see Michael Phelps.

We went swimming at Uncle Mike & Aunt Julie's Gym - Lifetime Fitness.

It's pretty amazing - a waterpark within a fitness club!

Then we rode the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transportation) train from Plano to downtown Dallas to the Barnum & Bailey Ringling Brothers Circus. Sadly, the camera ran out of batteries and we didn't get any pictures at the circus.

Swimming at Aunt Julie's Parent's Pool.

Playing Beauty Salon with Aunt Julie

On the last day, we went to the Texas Fresh Fishwater Hatchery in East Texas. There was so much to see and do!

My Dad's Uncle Floyd is in the Fisherman Hall of Fame here. He is considered one of the best fisherman in the history of our country. It was so neat to see him on the wall and listen to the video presentation they had about him. In the world of fishermen, he is famous! When we were kids, we went fishing with him and my Grandad on Lake Texoma, and I have great memories of that.

One of the neat things about this place was that they have a fishing pond and equipment for you to use. Carter caught a fish the first time he cast out, and ended up catching several. He is QUITE natural and takes after his great uncle Floyd.

It was a great week, I love you Caleb and Carter and had so much fun spending the week together!

Family Time!

My parents came to visit a few weekends ago and we went to see my Grandmother, Taleta Mabry, who lives in a nursing home in Friona. She will be 94 this fall. She was in good spirits and even drank a milkshake from Sonic. She has dementia and doesn't really know who we are, but I think she realized that we belong to her and I KNOW she enjoyed seeing Avery. It seems that knowing how to interact with a child is something you never forget how to do.

Avery and Grandmother

Mom and Dad and Avery and me

My sister Leslie and her family came for the 4th of July. The kids loved riding in our good ole' fashioned small-town-America Parade on the Gator and throwing candy. Leslie and I were somehow distracted and didn't get any good pictures of them as they passed in front of us at the parade, but we got some shots while they were getting ready and waiting for the parade to start.

Avery and her cousins Caleb & Carter

My sweet and fun sister Leslie

My dear friend Jara

One day Gabe, Uncle Iz, and Caleb went 4-wheeling at Mackenzie Lake. It's some pretty rough terrain, from what we hear, and it seems they went mostly on trails cut out for professionals. Thank God there were no injuries to speak of!

Israel (lovingly known to Avery as "Uncle Iz")

Caleb

Summer Fun with Mimi & Grandad

We are so glad that as Mimi and Grandad were getting ready to go back to Dallas this past Sunday, Avery said "I wish I could go". We hadn't even thought of it!! And it was a great idea for everyone! She has had so much fun and Mimi has taken her to a scrapbooking party, to the mall, to school for a summer reading program, but I think the biggest hit has been going to Libby Lu and getting a "makeover". Here are the "after" pictures of our little rock star. Apparantly she has preformed many a song and dance for anyone who will watch!

Summer!!!!!!!

I guess I haven't posted in a while, and I'm realizing I"m not taking enough pictures this summer! Most of the ones I do have are of Avery in our little swimming pool, which is where she spends a ton of her time, and you can see all the different friends she's had over to swim.

Avery and her friend Ava

Avery and her friends Khaki & Kodi

Avery and her friend Jett

At the American Girl Bistro in Dallas a few weeks ago.

At Mimi's School

Please let me brag on my little brother...

I have always loved my "little brother", Michael, now known as 'Mike', and even though he is 7 years younger than me, we have always been good friends.

This past week while we were visiting him and the rest of my family in the Metroplex, I came to respect my little brother in a new way. Mike has always been very smart, and graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Chemical Engineering about 5 years ago. He went to work for Valspar, a name you may recognize if you buy any of your paint, varnishes or other chemicals sold in a can at Lowe's. The plant where he works in Garland makes incredibly huge vats of paint, and the clear "coatings" that go on the inside of all soft drink cans and other tin cans. They also make solvents, resins, and a bunch of other things I can't pronounce, even with a degree in Science!

I knew Mike had an important job, but I wasn't prepared to see the complexity of what he actually does. Mike is largely responsible for this enormous plant, and the operations of making these products in a very dangerous and complex industry. When we went into his office, this is what was on the dry-erase board. To me, it looked like the stuff the guy wrote on the walls in the movie "A Beautiful Mind"! I had no idea what any of it meant, but it looked crazy!!!

Then he took us out to the plant and here are some pictures: (I did not take these photos, as you are not allowed to use a camera in the plant unless it has been okayed, since it could make a spark or something and blow the place up!)

This is one of the "control rooms" where Mike uses computers to modify huge batches of industrial "coating" to make it just right. This room is on like the 3rd floor and you look out the windows to the top of the tanks where stuff is added to the mixture, etc. ( I have no idea what I'm talking about!)

Last week Mike was busy managing the project of replacing one of these large tanks which was rusted. Here is an in-progres photo with the old tank.

And here is the new tank

I was afraid to stand by this thing since it said "Reactor". I was afraid it would blow up!

Anyway, all this to say that I am amazed at my little brother! Most importantly, he is a humble, fun guy who everyone loves to be around. He loves to golf, go to professional sporting events, and hang out with the family. Recently he got this award from Valspar for his excellence on the job. I'm proud of you Mike!!

Gabe's Adventures

Gabe is headed to Kenya on Wednesday. check out his latest post about the trip at http://www.gmoudy.blogspot.com. He is hoping he might possibly be able to blog if he gets computer access while there, so you can check his site if you are interested, and I'll probably be updating my blog as well as I hear from him.

A Great Day

Today was a great Mother's Day! We got up and Gabe & Avery had gotten me a new jogging outfit and some fancy headphones for my mp3 player, so now I will be motivated to run! I love the outfit - it's a running skirt - kind of like a tennis skirt - I had mentioned that I wanted one, and Gabe was listening! Thanks Honey, I love it! Avery can write my name now, and wrote "I love you" on the card in mostly backwards letters. It's adorable.

We had a great morning at church and then came home and Gabe and Avery fixed lunch, while not letting me help at all! I plugged in the crock pot full of queso, and got in trouble for it, so I figured I'd better stay out of the kitchen. Gabe's parents came over and it was great to be with Jill on Mother's Day too. We had a great fajita lunch and then just relaxed out under the warm sun in the back yard and visited and watched Avery play - it was a wonderful day! I love being Avery's mom, it is the best job on earth! Thank you, Gabe and Avery for making my Mother's Day very special.

Gabe & Avery fixing lunch