Splish, Splash

Yesterday, Abby and I visited a nearby splash pad and adjacent playground. I never knew this existed until a few days ago and it's literally 2 minutes from my house...and that includes the amount of time required to cross a major highway! The weather has turned just slightly cooler lately...highs in the mid-80s...and the area was completely deserted. It didn't seem to matter to Abby though. She had a blast!

Even though the water feature was totally awesome, Abby's favorite part seemed to be the wall and sitting ledge surrounding it. I lost count of how many times she walked around it! Don't worry...it was only 2 feet off the ground so she was completely safe.

The adjacent playground was incredible! There was a sign that said it was designed for children ages 2 - 5 years. Perfect! We will definitely be visiting again soon.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering where Abby was during last week's football game.....

She was playing with crickets! They were swarming around the stadium lights and dive bombing the spectators. While everyone else was squealing, Abby was utterly delighted.

Bronco Band's Halftime Performance!

Want to see the dazzling performance given by the Bronco Band and Color Guard during last Friday's show?

Just click HERE to be connected to YouTube.

Once you get there, be sure to click on the HD button at the bottom right corner of the screen to see it larger.

Sunday Blessings

May there be peace within today.

*

May you trust that you are exactly

where you are meant to be.

*

May you not forget the infinite possibilities

that are born of faith in yourself and others.

*

May you use the gifts that you have received,

and pass on the love that has been given to you.

*

May you be content with yourself just the way

you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones,

and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance,

praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Let 'em run!

Excitement pounded the air over Ron Poe Stadium last night as in-town rivals McKinney Boyd High and McKinney North High prepared for the 2009 season opening game.

After a fast and furious first half,

the score was Boyd 14 - North 7.

*

With nervous anticipation, the Boyd Band

took the field for their halftime show.

Their dazzling performance left everyone with a

smile on their face and band parents beaming

with pride. They were AWESOME!

Mr. Myers, the color guard instructor, met

with the girls after the show and

congratulated them on a job well done!

The girls were all smiles as they headed to the

stands to enjoy the remainder of the game.

Emily with friends, Brena and Paige

FINAL SCORE:

McKinney Boyd 28 - McKinney North 7

Are you ready for some football?

After a whirlwind first week of school, tonight the Boyd Broncos will participate in their first football game of the 2009 season against the McKinney North Bulldogs. Emily is very excited about tonight's halftime performance with her follow color guard squad members. They have worked very hard over the past few weeks and now it's time to show off the results. I'll update tomorrow with the final score and show highlights!

Go Broncos!

First Day of School

Today marks another first day of school. This time as a 10th grader. Why does time go by so quickly? It seems like just last year she was in elementary school and I was putting a pretty bow in her hair and reminding her that there was no reason to be nervous. Sadly, she wouldn't let me put a bow in her hair this morning, but she did ask me to put on her make-up for her. Thankfully, I guess Mom is still needed sometimes...even when you are a teenager.

Emily,

Promise me you'll always remember: you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

Love, Mom

Home Improvements - parts 2 & 3

Whew...I'm finally ready to reveal the last two home improvement projects that have consumed all my time over the past week. First is the hutch that was in my dining room. We've had this since....oh about 1992!!! It was definitely due for a make-over.

BEFORE (minus the doors):

AFTER (with new hinges and knobs):

Isn't it lovely? The transformation is amazing! I guess it can stick around for another decade or so now. LOL!


OK...on to the reason for the hutch transformation...the dining room remodel. We started this process about a year ago with the purchase of a new table. Then nothing was done until a few months ago when we finally removed the laser-cut wall border, repainted over the burgundy walls, and took down the fluffy country curtains.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

It's so hard to get the full room in one picture so this is a combined shot of 2 pictures so you can get the full panoramic idea. (insert delightful squeal here) I LOVE IT!!! The walls are now Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage...a silvery blue-gray-green...so soft and soothing. I still need 2 more picture frames for the back wall, but I bought all that Target had in stock at the moment. Hopefully they will restock soon so I can complete my wall with 6 pictures. Speaking of pictures, they are butterflies on a linen background printed from my computer! In the fall and winter, I plan to change it to leaves or some other botanical type print. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Oh, and they are side-by-side, not staggered, on the wall. That's just the odd angle I had to stand when taking the second picture. :-)

Next on my To Do List: the kitchen cabinets. (insert scary music here) Wish me luck!

Weekend Recap: new product introduction

Whew...what a busy weekend! The past few days have been a whirlwind of home improvement projects around here. My back may be aching today, but my house is thanking me. It's amazing what a little elbow grease and a few tired muscles can produce.

Two out of three projects are completed and today I'd like to share one of them. It isn't a spectacular piece. Actually, it's quite pitiful. However, I purposely selected a table that was headed to Goodwill fairly soon so I could test out a new product. Unfortunately, my beautiful plan to show Before and After pictures isn't going to happen. I took several "before" pictures and deleted some to narrow down my choices. Well, today when I took the "after" photo, I realized that I had accidently deleted ALL of my "before" shots. UGH! Oh well, I think I can give you an idea of what I was working with when I started. Many of you have been to my house and already know the orange-y oak I have in so many areas. If you haven't, just imagine an outdated, golden oak. Yuck! I desperately wanted a new modern, dark wood look without breaking the bank. So you can imagine my delight when I found this product:

It's a stain and polyurathane in one! There's no sanding or priming needed before you start. Just a good cleaning and you are ready to go! Best of all, this product is water-based so there's no stinky odor. Like I said, I started with a medium-tone, orange-y golden oak table. After about 5 or 6 thin coats of Cabot PolyStain in Dark Oak (their darkest color), I got this:

YIPPEE!!!! I love it this color! I foresee the disappearance of ALL of my orange-y oak in the coming future!

Life...it happens

Yes, we are all fine. Just busy with life. Why does it have to be so hectic sometimes?

Lemonade, anyone?

Remember that bargain lover's website I mentioned a couple of weeks ago? Well, today I found another great deal I just had to pass along to you! Since lemonade is the unofficial drink of summer, here's a coupon to help you stock up for the next several months:
http://deliciouslivingmag.com/images/santa%20cruz.pdf

This coupon is $.75 cents off any Santa Cruz Organic product. Rumor has it that it sells for $1.25 at Wal-Mart. Time to do the math, folks...that's $.50 per jar! (It comes in a glass jar rather than plastic.) The coupon doesn't have a print limit AND it doesn't expire until 12/31/09!!!! Yippee! Excuse me while I scurry out the door on my way to Wal-Mart....

Friday Photos

Yes, I know it's Monday. However, I intended to share these photos on Friday, but failed to do so. The weekend allowed time to play around a little with my digiscrapping so now you get to see them in my latest layout rather than just plain ol' photos! These pictures were taken before Emily went to the MBHS Band Banquet on May 30, 2009. She was so excited about the upcoming evening and did not want me to take these photos. She was ready to GO!! So, yes, we have a bit of a fake, cheesy smile, but it's better than nothing. LOL!

She saw this dress while shopping with me a couple of months ago and fell in love. She had to think really hard for an excuse to get me to buy it and was thrilled when she remembered the upcoming band banquet. I agreed that it looked great on her and knew I would end up buying something anyway so we bought it. She has been eagerly counting down the days until she got to wear it with those big, sparkly hoop earrings and high wedge heels! She looked just lovely...in a very hip, trendy sort of way, of course!

New DigiScrap!

I absolutely LOVE the colors in my newest digital scrapbook creation! They are perfect with this black and white photograph of Emily. I wish I still had the color version, but at least I had this one saved in my Photobucket account. You can click on the image to view it larger, but here's what the poem says:

Only as high as I reach can I grow,

Only as far as I seek can I go,

Only as deep as I look can I see,

Only as much as I dream can I be.

Name That City - the Texas version!

Need to be cheered up?
Happy,Texas 79042
Pep, Texas 79353
Smiley,Texas 78159
Paradise, Texas 76073
Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987
Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Love the Sun?
Sun City, Texas 78628
Sunrise, Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown,Texas 79372
Sunray, Texas 79086
Sunny Side, Texas77423

Want something to eat?
Bacon, Texas 76301
Noodle, Texas 79536
Oatmeal, Texas 78605
Turkey, Texas 79261
Trout, Texas 75789
Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice, Texas 75155
And top it off with:
Sweetwater, Texas 79556

Why travel to other cities?
Texas has them all!
Detroit, Texas 75436
Colorado City, Texas 79512
Denver City, Texas 79323
Klondike, Texas 75448
Nevada, Texas 75173
Memphis, Texas 79245
Miami, Texas 79059
Boston, Texas 75570
Santa Fe, Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony, Texas 75861
Reno, Texas 75462

Feel like traveling outside the country?
Don't bother buying a plane ticket!
Athens, Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
China, Texas 77613
Egypt, Texas 77436
Ireland, Texas 76538
Turkey, Texas 79261
London, Texas 76854
New London, Texas 75682
Paris, Texas 75460

No need to travel to Washington D.C.
Whitehouse, Texas 75791

We even have a city named after our planet!
Earth, Texas 79031

And a city named after our State!
Texas City, Texas 77590

Exhausted?
Energy, Texas 76452

Cold?
Blanket, Texas 76432
Winters, Texas

Like to read about History?
Santa Anna, Texas
Goliad, Texas
Alamo, Texas
Gun Barrel City, Texas
Robert Lee, Texas

Need Office Supplies?
Staples, Texas 78670

Men are from Mars, women are from...
Venus, Texas 76084

You guessed it... it's on the state line...
Texline, Texas 79087

For the kids...
Kermit, Texas 79745
Elmo, Texas 75118
Nemo, Texas 76070
Tarzan, Texas 79783
Winnie, Texas 77665
Sylvester, Texas 79560

Other city names in Texas, to make you
smile.....
Frognot, Texas 75424
Bigfoot, Texas 78005
Hogeye, Texas 75423
Cactus, Texas 79013
Notrees, Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest, Texas 76886
Kickapoo, Texas 75763
Dime Box, Texas 77853
Old Dime Box, Texas 77853
Telephone, Texas 75488
Telegraph, Texas 76883
Twitty, Texas 79079

And last but not least, the Anti-Al Gore City
Kilgore, Texas 75662

And our favorites...
Cut n Shoot, Texas
Gun Barrell City, Texas 75156
Hoop And Holler, Texas
Ding Dong, Texas
and, of course,
Muleshoe, Texas

Can your fingers fall off from too much texting?

If so, Emily is DOOMED!

Last weekend, we upgraded all 3 cell phones since it had been about 2 years since we had done so. Today, Emily asked me if the Auburn fight song was downloadable on her phone. I figured it was, but decided to check online to make sure. (and it is) While browsing around, I noticed that it said we had sent 5021 text messages since May 22nd...beginning of our billing cycle. I laughed out loud and thought "There's no way that right!" So, I decided to pull our last 2 bills to check the usage. In March, Emily sent 3,951 text messages!!! As if that's not shocking enough, in April she sent....are you ready for this? 11,084!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, that's ELEVEN THOUSAND AND EIGHTY FOUR text messages in ONE MONTH! I almost spit my tea all over the desk!

So, apparently 5,021 is accurate....and apparently Emily has waaaaaay too much time on her hands! Chores, in abundance, are headed her way.

Yes, I live in Texas

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about
us folks from Texas ...

If someone in a Lowe's store offers you
assistance and they don't work there, you may live
in Texas;

If you've worn shorts and a parka at
the same time, you may live in Texas;

If you've had a lengthy telephone
conversation with someone who dialed a
wrong number, you may live in Texas;

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere
south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in
Texas;

If you measure distance in hours, you
may live in Texas;

If you know several people who have hit
a deer more than once, you may live in
Texas;

If you install security lights on your
house and garage, but leave both
unlocked, you may live in Texas;

If you carry jumper cables in your car
and your wife knows how to use them,
you may live in Texas;

If the speed limit on the highway is 55
mph -- you're going 80 and everybody's
passing you, you may live in Texas;

If you find 60 degrees 'a little
chilly,' you may live in Texas;

If you actually understand these jokes,
and share them with all your Texas
friends, you definitely live in Texas.

Shannon & Glenn...DigiScrapped!

While recently browsing Shannon's new beach photos on Facebook, I came across this picture of Shannon and Glenn. I love it! Therefore, I decided to create a digital scrapbook page with it. Shannon doesn't know I'm doing this so we'll see how long it takes her to find it. LOL!

Friday Photos...sort of

As most of you know, Friday is the day I use to share photos. Well, since I don't have a lot of new photos yet, I had to improvise. I'm sharing 2 new digital scrapbook layouts! The photos used on these pages were taken from my Photobucket account. They were initially uploaded to Photobucket so I could email them. Therefore, they were reduced in size and are no longer print quality. I am hoping that they will look okay in my scrapbook pages since I don't use a full size picture. Hoping...but not sure right now. Anyway, at least I have them to look at since I no longer have the originals. And today I'm sharing them with you! Enjoy! (Just don't click on them so you can view larger...they are really blurry!)

Like bargains? You're gonna love this post!

Do you love bargains? I sure do! Before our computer crash, I had lots of links to some great bargain sites. Of course, now I can't remember most of them. However, I did happen to find a link to one of them - Money Saving Mom. This is an awesome site if you are a bargain hunter like me! Sorry I don't have time to tell you more about it, but I'm off to Target for some FREE mayo and chocolate bars after I request a sample of my favorite toothpaste...all courtesy of Money Saving Mom! Hurry and find out what bargains are waiting for you at http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ . Don't worry...you can thank me later!

Sweet Music To My Ears

Tonight, McKinney Boyd High School Band will present their Spring Concert. All of the bands - Honors Band, Symphonic I, and Symphonic II - will be performing. Emily was one of the fortunate few incoming 9th graders to make Symphonic I band. She has worked extremely hard this year and has greatly improved her talent. We are so proud of her!

P.S. I told you that you'd be seeing more of my digital scrapbook creations! It's seriously addicting!