We are family!

I go to bed every day with graditude in my heart, I have so much to be thankful for. The boys at my age keep me moving and shaken. The silly things they say and the information they bring home from school! Lord help me!........they are getting so big! Who knows what life will be like when the "empty nest" hits the Club House...........

Hot Chocolate VS Flammin Hot Cheetos

Topher and I went to Austin's football game last night

and it was very cold.

Topher asked me if I wanted something from the concession stand

I said "hot" chocolate would be wondeful

so he leaves and then comes back,

with a bag of "Hot" Flammin Cheetos!

That's right "Hot Flammin Cheetos!!

You should have seen the look on my face

I said "What's this?"

He said "they didn't have hot chocolate"

I said "I don't eat hot stuff"

I make Hot Sauce, I don't eat it!

He said "They didn't have anything HOT"

What a great kid! I know he means well!

Happy Birthday Topher
Thank you for your sweet spirit, for always being
around when Mom needs something.
Remember who you are always!
Live the gospel in all that you do.....
Happy 16th BIrthday!

A young man has a Birthday Day

and a drivers permit!......Yikes

16 Candles

Happy 16th Birthday!

It's Homecoming Today
Go Bulldogs!
But my CLAWS are coming out!
Topher & Austin got mums and football tickets for girls....
The boys informed me last night that the girls they invited both bailed out!
They are crushed! with the excuse, "someone else asked me to go"
Are you kidding me!
How can girls be so cruel.
After a little advise about "girls" and their drama, I hope I was
able to soften the blow.
Now about the mums hanging in my craft room,
I made Austin's, it is grand and he picked everything out himself,
he was very pleased with the results, the picture here is the top of it.
Topher on the other hand had doubts about even getting one, but I
and others told him how important it was to get a girl a mum if you
invited her to "Homecoming". It's a status thing, kinda like "Johnny Lingo".
So he broke down and agreed to get one, a smaller version then Austin's
So here in our craft room hangs two nice mums intended for girls that
my boys picked.
So........It's the age for teenage drama in our household once more.
I hope I have the wisdom and experience to get my last two boys
thru the teenage years.
I think I need to cover my "glitter"!

Back to School 2009
The boys are sad that summer vacation is over, but
I think they're glad to see their friends again.
They're never to old for MOM to be following them
with a camera on the
first day back to school,
and that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

I think he looks a little worried, could it be
starting High School
or
that I have a camera on him!

Only two minutes after dropping him off on the first day of High Shcool
"He's on the cell phone"

Austin - my last born, starts his Freshman year, he is very excited,
about seeing the girls at school.
Oh help us!

Austin begged me not to embarrass him, I said I wouldn't!

THE BOYS ARE BACK!

I was so excited for the boys to be home, added an little humor to their return home, security at the airport found it "touching".

The boys do look happy to be home, and not because I need my lawn mowed.

How I miss my boys!

How can i not miss my "single lady" boy

Blue Bonnets in Fredericksburg Texas, 2009

Happy Birthday Austin
It's Austin' s birthday and he wanted a trip to Fredericksburg, Texas for the day. He said he wanted to go to a shop that had all the jelllies and dips. Thought it was a little strange, but ok, so here we are in Fredericksburg, Texas

This is Rustlin Robs, wall to wall jellies, jams, hot sauce, dips, pasta sauces, marinades for grillin, you name it, they got it.

Austin picked Cherry Cobbler, then changed it to Pumkin Butter before we left!

Topher and I on the main strip in Fredericksburg, Tx

Presents at Lady Bird Johnson Park in Fredericksburg, TX

My Mothers Day Baby 5/10/09

Happy Birthday Baby Boy

My boys are growing up!

The boys are getting to the age that they are asking a lot of questions about girls, here is an example from both of them. I don't always have the right answer, but I hope somehow that I am pointing them in the right direction. Any suggestions, please leave a comment for me.

Topher who is 15, turns 16 in September (and can't wait) so he can drive and go out with girls.

Topher: Mom how can I be a womanizer?
Me: Gulp! describe "womanizer"
Topher: Someone who has girls around them all the time.
Me: Well, you might want to start off with having one girl around you first, at your age, your nerves get out of wack! and don't know their left from their right, besides girls are a lot of work and can cause you plenty of grief.
Topher: My nerves are fine!
Me: Yea, ok, well lets start with your baggy pants, their too big on you.
Topher: I like my pants baggy!
Me: (thinking) ok, were not going to get very far on this topic. Hey Topher, what do you want for dinner?
Topher: I don't know, what do you want?
Me: Pizza
Topher: Ok!

Austin who is 13, turn 14 in a few days asked me:

Austin: Mom, why is it that when I want to talk to girls, my ears burn, my face gets hot and I cant get words out of my mouth right.
Me: Well Austin, that's normal, when boys start talking to girls in a more serious way, it's ok, most boys and sometimes men have the same problem at sometime or another.....
Austin: Well, I don't like it!
Me: (big smile on my face) I'ts ok, it will get better, promise

Family Home Evening- making our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities.
Making our home a safe harbor from the storms.

Austin chose FHE at the park!

For FHE Austin wanted footlong subways.
Meatball subs are his favorite

Austin was in charge of FHE this last week, he talked about church history.
Good Job Austin!

Austins audience

Families Are Forever

Giving up some control! For the last 13 years I have picked out the clothes for Topher and Austin. For a long time I use to pick out the same style but different color of the same outfits. The last couple years I have let them pick their style of clothes, yet I could "veto" any item I deemed just not right. So this year, for our "Christmas Card" photo, I told the boys they could pick anything out for our pictures. I let them loose at the store, and I would seriously let them pick and I would not have a say or could veto their choices. After about 20 minutes, they both showed up with "hats", I thought NO WAY, I said NO WAY, and they both stated that they were COOL hats. I kept my promise with a few comments under my breath, and let them have the hats. So there it is! Our 2008 Christmas Card pictures, and by the way, I have yet to see those "cool" hats since the pictures were taken!

Austin is our "Sports Buff", loves anything football. Thinks our home is a football practice field. He is 13 years old in the 8th grade.

This is Topher, he is 15 years old, a freshman, swims daily, and likes to work out.