A Little of This....

...is what I've been up to lately! I just can't seem to slow down! And with all the different Holidays just around the corner, I'm super busy! Hopefully this week I'll have some fun Fall & Halloween goodies to show you! Oh, and sorry for the picture quality...someday I'll get the darn Rebel! LOL!!!



I did this one well over a month ago, but am just now getting the pictures up!



We are redoing Caroline's room...Can you guess the theme? LOL!








and just a few others...and I have no clue why it keeps turning just THIS one picture sideways! Ughhhhhhhh!

Remembering

Sitting on a co-workers desk shooting the breeze before we get down to business, I hear lots of concerned voices. Looking around, people are leaving. We sit for a while, then head out back to the smoke deck, light a cigarette and put our feet up in the chairs opposite us. Before long, we are overwhelmed by voices, tears, disbelief. Surely what we're hearing is wrong. A plane hit the Twin Towers? As we sit and ponder what could have happened to cause such a horrible thing, other stories start to fly by us. As we put our butts in the trash, we decide to stop by the TV before getting to work.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would hear what I was hearing. "Terrorists have just flown a 2nd plane into the Towers". Awestruck we watched, tears rolling down our faces. Quickly realizing we were under attack, we grab our phones to call those we love. For me, panic set in. Living in a huge city caused me major anxiety. Along with the fact that the industry I worked in was a huge target, my dad and sister working for the federal government, I was terrified for my mother who laid in bed all alone, unable to get up because the cancer was eating away at her.

"Mom, are you okay?" I just hear sobbing. "Mom!"
"I can't get ahold of you father!"
"Okay, I'll call Andrew and see what is going on down there."

Finally getting ahold of a friend I talk to my dad. He's telling me that they are going to shut down for the day since some other agencies have been targeted. I remember the feeling of utter relief when I heard my father's voice that day. I remember how scared my mother was to be alone. People sitting on desks bowed in prayer, groups in the floor doing the same, these are the things I did that day. The images of the 2nd plane hitting the towers as I sat on a friends desk crying will be forever etched in my mind. The anger and panic that washed through me is something that cannot just as easily be washed away. The sadness that overcame me as I prayed for people I never knew. The images from that day are not things I will ever forget. But what rocks me to the core are all those people, whether they lost their lives, whether they were fighting to save lives, whether they were the bastards who took those lives, I could only sit in amazement and watch. Black streaks running down my face as I watch yet another body leaping from the flaming towers.

There are so many things in the history of our nation that I will never forget. But by far, this one has left me raw. I will never understand. I can never understand the why.

I will remember. I will know. I will take the time to honor all those who died, who fought, who helped, who gave up so much that day. I hope you take the time too.

Mini-Getaway

We hadn't been able to take Caroline anywhere this summer for a nice long vacation, so we decided to take the holiday and head to the beach. Tab's dad & step-mom invited us to go with them, so we gladly accepted! This was the first time I had ever camped on the beach. Tab's family has been doing this for years, so they decided to break me in! I really thought I was going to be miserable. Wrong! It was great! True, the sand eventually really made me crazy, but overall it was bearable. It wouldn't have made any difference anyway, because just seeing the smile on Caroline's face made me want to camp on the beach forever!

***WARNING***

From this point on, you will go into picture overload! Turn back now if you have to!

Doctors Say the Darndest Things

Moms have a really tough job...but you probably already knew that. I've always known it too, but it has become glaringly apparent lately. There's a lot of things I remember from my childhood, the way my parents did things, the things I did, so forth and so on. But I seem to have forgotten a few things!

About 5 days ago, Boog was in the tub, and I was folding laundry {gasp!} in the living room. She calls for me to come in there. When I get in there, she says something that 1) made me want to pee in my pants, and 2) shocked me speechless.

"Mommy, my nipple hurts."

Dead silence from me, while I decide whether I'm going to pee in my pants laughing, or ask her to repeat herself because surely I have misunderstood her.

"Mommy, did you hear what I said?"

"Ummm....yea. But what do you mean it hurts?"

"There's a bump under it and it HURTS!"

"Okay baby, let me see."

At this point I am now looking her over trying to see if there is anything visible...nope. So I ask her if it itches, thinking maybe she has an insect bite or something. Nope. So basically, I just tell her to leave it alone and maybe it will go away. No such luck. Everyday since she has continued to tell me that it hurts. She then asks when I'm going to take her to the doctor. At this point, I notice it is slightly pinker than the other one. Great....what now?

I watch, I wait and I try my best to ignore that she has a knot under her, you know nipple. That just sounds so wrong.

Yesterday morning she was really begging me to call the doctor. I honest to God was doing my best to avoid this! I mean what do you say to the receptionist when she asks what the visit is for? "Ummm, well, you see my 6 year old daughter has a knot under her nipple?" I decide to call. But I'll be honest with y'all...I lied to the receptionist. Yep I did! I wanted to have her ears checked because she keeps saying "huh" all the time, so I just used that as my reason. I just couldn't bring myself to say the other. It just sounds so ridiculous.

When the doctor walked in this afternoon and asked what the visit was about, I told him about her ears, and then the other thing. He immediately smiles and starts to laugh! Great, he thinks I'm crazy! He takes a quick look and then continues to laugh! I am mortified. I can never show my face here again. Then he said the darndest thing..."we see this all the time". Huh? Not what I was expecting to hear! He then proceeds to tell me that she has a breast bud. Yea, that's right, a breast bud. Now this is definitely not something that I remember from my childhood. "This is completely normal for her age"...what? What rock do I live under that I have never heard of this? He explained it all to me, and told me not to worry that she shouldn't get any "boobs" for years to come. It's just her little body getting started. I think he gave me a mini heart attack.



But now I want to know, from all of you, if any of you have experienced this as moms. She's 6 for goodness sakes! Have any of you moms gone through this with your daughters? Do you remember going through this yourself?

Beach Bash Baby

Every year we have a Beach Bash for the Engineering & Computer Science students. Last night all the students, faculty, staff and families joined together for a night of fun! This is always a treat for everyone since we have games, bounce houses, a dunking booth and more.

One of the favorite things at this event is the bears. You do know by now that I work for Baylor University right? Sic'em! So, the bears usually get to come out and play, which everyone loves...especially the little kids. We have 2 bears, Lady & Joy. Last night only Joy came, but she's definitely a crowd pleaser!

Sic'em Joy!


Joy smiling!



Some students from Line Camp Dancing for us!


We build this waterfall every year...the kids love it!