Petit Fours

We had another little tea party today with some leftovers from my friends party. They are beautiful...I am still gathering ideas for Miss L's B-day.

I hate Goodbyes.

Whenever my family visits, I am on cloud nine, I don't really acknowledge anything else that is going on in the world. We love being together. Katie and Diana spent the weekend and left about 10 minutes ago, and I miss them immensely already.

Happy Birthday Shelley!!!

Happy Birthday to my gorgeous big sister. This is my favorite picture of her (stolen from her website). I love the Sakura in the back too. My sister is so much fun. I spent many trips driving/flying to California just to hang out with her. She is quite the entertainer, and always makes me laugh with her impromptu dances. She is a very good mom and teaches me how to have more patience with my kiddos (I am still working on that one). I couldn't top what was said here.

Birthday Pie, Lip Gloss, and Boys

Boys Just Chillin...

Girls with Lip Gloss...


I made Mississippi Mud Pie for my birthday, I was going for Corinne's famous pudding pie, but she was busy on Broadway and I didn't have the recipe... I knows this divulges from my usual Apple dumplings on my B-day, but I think it was time for a change, plus my sisters are flying here Friday and promised to make me some. It was good, tasted like flour less chocolate cake, but next time no pie crust.

FYI...I wanted to make my own pie because I like to cook, and I greatly preferred this to watching the kids while Gary baked a B-day treat, plus he had already made me a breakfast in bed, taken me out for Thai, and a made a wonderful Sunday dinner.

Another year

Our neighborhood

I think this will be my last post about the hurricane. I am ready for life to get back to normal. We got power restored Thursday evening and now we're back home.

Gary has been back at school this week, but every other day has been out with LDS work crews. That was today and it will be tomorrow too. It is interesting how even church is put on hold so people can be helped (I guess it is practicing what we preach).

Here are a few pictures from the neighborhood:


Our House
Our walk to the park.

Miss L's future elementary school:

Aftermath

We are safe and alive, and currently relocated to my cousins, the Warnocks. We have been without power about a week now, and it should be back on next Monday (we hope). We had some shingle damage, a small roof leak, and a big tree fall over, but other than that we are good.

We've had some blessings the last few days:

#1 we are cleaning up the tree after the storm, our 4 Indian neighbors came over with hacksaws, and just started chopping away with us. We had the tree thoroughly pruned and in place within 15 minutes.
#2 My friends left town and threw away their food, and then got power, so I was able to move all my meat to their empty freezer. Probably was time to clean out my freezer anyway.
#3 We were afraid we'd have to go through insurance to get the roof fixed, but the damage was not nearly as bad as we thought (we will find out for sure with the next rain) and Gary and I replaced all the shingles we needed to, Tuesday (took us about 2 hours). I thought it would be really hard and was kind of afraid to do it, but it was really, really easy, and I learned how to roof. This is probably our biggest blessing because I know we would have had to wait 6-8 months to find a roofer, since everyone needs it done. Plus we are set for the next rain.
#4 After holding the flashlight in my teeth to change a dirty diapers, having my carpet nasty, and having way too much laundry, we decided to relocate for a couple days to my cousin's home in North Houston. They are so VERY generous, and Miss L is having fun getting to know her cousins. Our clothes are clean and our water is COLD!!!!

We have been very blessed, and Heavenly Father does look out for this little family. This is the worst natural disaster I have been through. We didn't get the worst, and yet I don't know a single person in our ward that doesn't have some kind of damage. It is leaves us is awe.

ps. I am not going camping in a REALLY, REALLY long time.
pss. Lots of crazy pictures to come...when power returns.

Hurricane Prep

I have never been through a hurricane, the part I guess that the most anxiety laden part is just waiting. It should hit this evening. The area that I live has not been evacuated and we have been told to stay put to allow those that need to evacuate to do so.

So with all this anxious energy and no where to go, we at he W* household came up with our own hurricane prep...

1) Make sure you have a supply of toilet paper accessible throughout the house.

2) Refill that storage water you filled up two years ago. You may actually need it.
3) Assure Children there is enough Applesauce to last through said hurricane.
4) Pack the freezer full of anything and everything and shut the door for approximately 4 days. (They say that is our worst concern...no power, no water).
5) Make Homemade rolls and Sweet Rolls. Because who doesn't need sweet rolls during a hurricane? (I figure since I will be eating canned food for a while, might enjoy my food before Spagettios kick in?)
6) Make Certain our Cinderella coloring book has enough pages colored before the storm.

7) Eat single green pepper left in garden and tear out tomato cages which the news says can become "projectile objects" during the storm. You served me well little guys.


8) Use neighbors leftover plywood to turn master bedroom into a hurricane proof bunker.
9) Attempt to tell my poor little orange tree he is on his own. (I am sad about this one, I fear he won't make it)




10) Plan several neighborhood barbecues for the next few days when the power is out and we have no water.


ps. to my family, cell phones and landlines didn't work for a while (a week) after Rita was here, but texting did. I don't know how to text, but I'll learn the lingo quick...IKE=:(

Pray for Texas

Here are my kiddos. The big question is how will they be during Hurricane Ike? Pray for Texas, People!!!!

You are Awesome, G

I love my husband, after spending all summer vacation sitting in a room studying for boards 12 hours a day (INCLUDING ON VACATION) his hard work and prayers paid off.

I love you babe!

Big enough for a High Chair

Graduated to the high chair. Boy was Miss L upset...

Jalapeño Poppers

This is my Saturday project that took WAY too long. I feel for the catering business. Appetizers take just as long as meals, and the portion size is WAY smaller. However, my jalapeños from last year reseeded themselves among my beans this year and gave 4 nice size plants. So what to do with 100+ jalapeños? (Especially when 'mild' salsa is usually too hot for me?) Here is my remedy and they are actually really good. The filling has cumin in it, but no hot spices, so I can stand to eat 5-6 before my mouth is ready for water. The best part of these is they are great to freeze and pull out for a mid afternoon snack.

Blessings

Well after 21 years my dad gets to sit next to my mom in church again. It has been an very emotional few weeks for him. Although we all new it was coming, it has been an emotional time for me as well. Lots of reflecting. I know that Heavenly Father is in charge, and that my family has been very blessed the last 21 years.

We love you Dad, you are a wonderful example of selfless service.

As summer winds down

A few last days at the pool. Miss L graduated to the swimming across the pool by herself, lil' G graduated to putting more than his toes in the water.

Another Friday...

More of this today...



kids are fun, but I am ready for a little adult interaction. Good thing the RS volleyball tournament is tomorrow. I am starting to question the decision to keep Miss L out of preschool. She really only needs the socialization, but planning a playgroup at my house weekly takes so much energy. She has a while before school, but with two we have started getting out of the house only once a week. It is just too hard. I guess I am still adjusting to two kids, 20 piano students, and getting up at 5:30 every morning. I'll give it a few more weeks before I go loopy.

Radio Flyer

I have been eying one of these bikes for about 8 months now. Although how I acquired it is slightly entertaining, (which I may tell you in person, but I will not divulge on the web), Miss L absolutely loves it.


This was taken by my new tiny camera. Pretty good quality, Eh?

Kumbayah

The baby is in bed, we are all ready for sleep after the nice long weekend. And the quiet sounds of Gary singing Kumbayah to Miss L after stories are read, reminds me of when she was a very colicky baby and we would pound her back and take turns singing Kumbayah over and over to her, with melodies, harmonies, and extra verses until finally she would drift to sleep. It is still her favorite song. She grown up so much since then.

On a different note, this cool kid had another birthday today...happy four months lil' G.