(Not my picture, just one I got off the internet that looked like what we were seeing)

Last night we were coming home from Academy Sports when we saw the huge storm just to the east of us (heading south). I haven't seen that much lighting in a long time. We pulled over in a parking lot and let the kids sit up front and watched. Way better than TV.

Plagiarism

This isn't mine. Chances are you have already received it via e-mail. I laughed so hard while reading it however that water came out my nose. That doesn't happen very often.

• I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
• More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.
• Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
  
• Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
  
• I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
• The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.
  
• Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.
• There is a great need for sarcasm font.
• Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what was going on when I first saw it.
• I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
• How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
• I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
  
• I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
• The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
• Was learning cursive really necessary?
• Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".
  
• I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
• Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
• Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
• How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
• I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
• Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
• What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
• While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
• MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
• Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
• I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
  
• Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
• I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
• Bad decisions make good stories
• Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
• If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
• Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....
• You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
• Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.
• There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
• I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
  
• "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
• I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
  
• While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA. No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.
• I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
• I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
• When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.
• I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
• Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
• As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
• Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
  
• I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
• I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.
• Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
• Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
• My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
  
• It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
  
• I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
  
• I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
  
• I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.
• The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel fat before dinner.
  

Happy Birthday Audrey!

Interview with Audrey Davis

How old are you today?
I am six

What is your favorite color?
I like all the colors but my most favoritest is green

What is your favorite food?
My favorite food is ummmm, mom makes delicious chinese noodles that are so good. I wish we could have them tonight

What is your favorite animal?
A cat and a leopard

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be an animal doctor just in case we find a baby cub

What is your favorite game?
Stuffed animals....sometimes castle toys

What is your favorite movie?
My favorite movie is Nim's Island

What is your favorite book?
I like kid's books but sometimes I like to sit down and just read my princess book. My favorite book for mom to read to me is ummmm Magic Tree House books and I like Dad to read geology to me.
You can ask what is my favorite stuffed animal.
Okay, which is it?
My horse, my new leopard, and my kitten.
That's a lot.
Is there anything else people should know about you?
I also love to do things like spending time with my family and tying knots. I tie the ...what are those called (pointing)
the blinds
yep, the blinds and my favorite sport is gymnastics. I think I am a good sister and there is something with pictures that we went to and I helped Sadie get some food.
It sounds like your a big six year old
I usually play with Eliora a lot, you can say that too. Oh, and if I could go on vacation I would go to the beach.
What would you do there.
I would play in the sand and rest. I would look for shells and oysters and clams. And also, Eliora scares me and my friends with skeleton bugs.
Okay, thank you for the interview.

Hi All,
This is a guest appearance from the Ben. We recently had a family reunion out at Garner State Park in the Edwards Plateau of Southwest Texas, during the Cretaceous the Gulf of Mexico was in its infancy (being only a few million years old) and large, shallow, carbonate sea stretch from Mexico up through Canada leaving large deposits of limestone. I am merely procrastinating telling the "real" story of Garner Park reunion- 2009!!! (Imagine that with a creepy voice in your head, it works for me). This reunion was a well orchestrated event with all delinquent family members slumming to see one another after years of fruitful absenteeism. Hot August sun in South Texas beat down on the dry, chalky landscape (and thanks to my first sentence you now know why its chalky- oh yeah one for geology!) and the park inhabitants (that were still sober) slinked to the main attraction, the cool Frio River (no joke on the name), sitting and swinging into the green clear water. Then night came on, and the ghost of the park- I'll call him Don Juan De Marco- appeared in the form of a beautiful dance hall. Built in 1941 by the CCC as park of FDR's stimulus package (and soon you'll see why I disagree with socialism), it has a large Oak that shades the dance floor which is built out of limestone bricks. All the parksters, including our more than happy family, were enjoying a mixture of country and oldies dancing the night away. When all of the sudden, something happened. It happened to Eliora. She was looking too cute. Dancing too well. Smiling too much. A boy (I'm now cleaning my gun) came up to ask her to dance. A nice boy of about 8, I think his name was Don Juan. The family went speechless. First times were happening a lot tonight. The song happened to be the longest one ever, I think it was In-Da-gada-da-vida. After the dance, I found her beaming like spotlight, a smile sooo big I am now cleaning all the neighbors' guns. Well for days since, she has been asking, "Why do you think that boy asked me to dance?" To which I respond either:
A. He had you mistaken for someone else
B. He had a death wish
C. He thought you were an excellent dancer, and being a fan of ballet thought that you would compliment his own unique skill.
I guess it is just beginning with four girls on the way up in years- so gun cleaning party-my house!

Happy Birthday Whit!

This is a whole day late. You would have thought Whitney's birthday is the one family day I would remember (well, after Terry's) seeing as how it is the day after I got married. In my very small defense however I do forget our anniversary half the time. The first time I met Whitney she told me told me she was a hobbit (not sure if she remembers that). I knew we would get along.

This one made me laugh since I saw her roll her sleeves up in the exact same way last week while hiking.

So, in celebration of Whitney week please feel free to post your favorite Whitney memory. Love ya Whit!

Happy Anniversary

A little over nine years ago Ben left the lyrics to a Harry Connick Jr song on my car with a snickers bar. The rest, as they say, is history

Imagination is funny
It makes a cloudy day sunny
It makes a bee think of honey
Just like i think of you

Imagination is crazy
Your whole perspective gets hazy
It starts you asking a daisy what to do
What to do

Have you ever felt a gentle touch
And then a kiss, then and then
You find it's only your imagination again
Oh well

Imagination is silly
You go around willy-nilly
For example i go around wanting you
Yet i can't imagine that you want me too

The Walmart next to our house is a SuperCenter which means you can buy your produce right next to your oil. Usually I hate shopping there. It's just too big and if you try and ask an employee a question you end up with blank stares. Occasionally I venture forth into the land of bargain deals and cashiers with teeth missing and glasses taped together, (that was yesterday), for the pure reason that I am in a rush, out of something, and can go looking like this:


I was in for a shock however when I saw a sign stating that Walmart was undergoing renovations and my new Walmart would be opening soon. (They were still open but I guess the new improved one was going to make a debut?) Once I got home I starting asking around. Turns out Walmarts are trying to undergo transformations. No longer will they be seen as the redneck store of the world. No longer will they have the reputation of customers who wear too short cut off jeans and wife beaters with their beer bellies hanging out. Gone will be the piles of Coke and Gatorade in the middle of the aisles. Say farewell to dim ceilings and dirty floors. Even the colors are changing. The new stores shall proudly boast 'comforting' hues of green instead of grays, red, and blues. Aisles are being widened. Produce will be fresh. You might even be able to locate what you were looking for.

In taking all this in I must say I have mixed feelings. Walmart is the store I love to hate. The too big, too much, putting the poor little mom and pop stores out of business monster. I say to myself that I only go when I have to go and that I don't really enjoy it (and I feel pretty honest with myself). But what if it turns out to be convenient and clean? What if the items are clearly labeled and at a lower price? Will I have to take out my curlers? I believe my only hope lies in the employees. So go ahead cashiers! Forget the new training! Ask me if I have ever had a wart on my elbow! Tell me about your granpaps bunion! Be proud that not only do you not know were the floss is but you have also never heard of such an item! In you is our hope! Keep our ideals alive and let us continue to shop at your store only when we have to and allow us to walk out rolling our eyes and holding our heads high!

Throw Down Cookies

Ben and I were watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay the other night on TV and decided to try the delicious cookie that almost won. I am really into cookies. My favorite recipe has always been the Nestle Tollhouse. The Bobby Flay cookie looks pretty flat and pathetic in my opinion but everyone was saying how buttery, chewy, and delicious it was. I am all over buttery and chewy.
The verdict:
Nestle Tollhouse Cookies: Are delicious when they turn out. Soft, chewy, and perfect with milk. For some reason when I make them they only turn out about 85% of the time.
Bobby Flay Cookies: Yummmmmm. Totally different than Nestle. Just as good. I guess it all depends on what you are in the mood for. These are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Will have to try them again and see if the recipe is foolproof.

Because it is Bobby Flay the recipe had some brand name recommendations that I haven't added and I did have a substitutions but here you go!

Recipe:

2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (what is kosher salt? I used salt from my salt shaker)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks of butter softened (ten seconds in microwave, flip 10 more seconds in microwave)
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (didn't have so I did light brown and added 1 tsp. molasses with the eggs)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 ounces semi- sweet chocolate chips
5 ounces milk chocolate chips (I divided my dough in half and instead of milk chocolate added dark chocolate. I liked the dark chocolate ones, Ben liked the milk chocolate ones)

Bake at 375 degrees for 11 minutes (I would watch the cooking time)
Suppose to make about 2 dozen but we got about 3 dozen out of the recipe.

P.S. I have not been posting due to the fact that I cannot find our camera. It has been missing since before we left for Utah. It is new and I am sick over losing it. If anyone finds it at their house can you please let me know? I will trade you some cookies for it :)

Give-Away!

My SIL is having another great give-away I thought I would tell y'all about. My Litter is awesome, full of coupon deals, give-aways, recipes, and fun stories for everyday life.

The Give-Away this week is sponsored by TGSacks who are the makers of gorgeous designer grocery bags. They are reusable, reversible and machine washable. TGSacks works to make the mundane fabulous and never compromise on fashion while saving the planet. The bag you win will also come with a month supply of Kashi products.

For pictures and more information simply click here.

A Lot of Pictures

Sadie and the fairy fountain

Kids in a bucket

Uncle Bob playing fairies

Sadie telling the dogs to 'Sit!'

Eliora doing her share

I think this one might be a favorite of mine

Manly callous from the retaining wall

Manly poses from working all day

Hiding the candy that was in cute containers all over the house

Audrey helping with the potatoes

Grandma's crazy hats. This is what happens when you fall asleep next to one.

Saying Audrey loved the dogs is an understatement.

Abbey in a crazy hat (I think there were about five different ones)

Audrey helping with the retaining wall

These are long overdue but here is the rest of the pics from traveling to Utah. When we got there my mom had a pirate hat on with foam swords and a fairy treasure map. The girls got to find the secret treasure of new fairy dolls, lot of candy in containers, and various other things that I cannot recall now. She had also taken the old doll house and made it into a fairy castle plus she had fairy statues in her flower gardens with one that lit up at night (there was a fairy inside who slept there). Combine that with the new fountain and my girls were in heaven. Thanks Mom! You are the best and we miss you!