Ghosts of Halloween Past

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Hark the Harold Angels Sing

I think we're skipping Fall this year and headed straight for Christmas Here's Ryan whipping up a sweet treat.

For your listening pleasure

This year both Bears are in the same band. Hunter is on the end and Drew is 4 kids away to the right. If you enlarge you can see both of them, kind of. Enjoy.

Project Runway

This is what happened when we left our kids home alone for a couple of hours.....We've really got to keep our house cleaner, since now we never know when it's going to show up on YouTube!

Today She Would Have Been "90" Years Young

My Grandma would have been 90 today. I was lucky to spend 30 years with her and think we're alot alike. She was a first born and started her family at the same age I did. She was super crafty. She loved shoes, clothes, lipstick and getting her hair done....every Friday. She was a good cook and great baker.

It's hard to find a picture of just her because she and my Grandpa were inseparable.

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Even though she's been gone more than 10 years, she is still very present in my life. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Retreat

This past weekend Joe and I had the pleasure of chaperoning Hunter's confirmation retreat. We had and great time and so did they....

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12-5

You might think 12-5 is a sports score. It's not. It's the hours of Hunter's birthday party last Saturday. We had our first boy/girl party and it was great!


Crazy, I know.


We had food.....


Kids hanging out.....






A bouncy house.....




Dancing.....


Races.....




Happy Kids.....




Crazy kids.....


Singing.....



They love to get each other funny crazy cards.


Listen for "I only picked it out because of the farting Jingle Bells"



This one was a Wedding Card with a kindergarten picture of the person giving the card.


Pretty, Pretty Princess






Kids in boxes.....


Kids falling down.....


And the biggest hit.....HELIUM!!!!!









Happy "13th" Birthday Hunter!

What is to Come...

Friday night Drew sat with the high school band he'll play in next year. Every year they invite new recruits over to play with them for first half of the game.






Drew is to the far right of the picture. To his far left is a friend he's known his whole life.


They pair the kids up with someone who plays their same instrument as mentors.


Afterwards, they went to the upper level and watched the half time show. It was a great experience, we are really looking forward to next year!


While we were at the game, Hunter was with his confirmation class. During the process they visit several different churches and religions. Friday they went to a Jewish Temple. I couldn't pick just one picture, so here are four. I have a fun story about his shirt and tie- stay tuned






After it was all said and done we met at Ms. W.'s for a little birthday celebration.

Because We Drive Fast and Take Chances....

Baby Bear turns "13" today! We gave him what he has been looking at and longing for for months.....a SKATEBOARD! Are we crazy? Yes.





Surely he wouldn't break his arm again....


Lightening doesn't strike twice...does it?


He took it upon himself to write birthday wishes all over the bathroom mirror.


Sweet G. decorated our front yard.


Sneezy took him out for breakfast. All this before 8am!

Uptown Girls

Today we were ladies who "lunch"


We went to a FancySchmancy restaurant "in town"- a place you would never see these 5 domestic goddesses. How fancy you ask.....


So fancy that this guy parked my car! The food was sublime and the company divine.

Happy Birthday C!

PS- the store in the background is not the fancyschmancy restaurant

University of YouTube

Seriously, YouTube has everything!


B.Bear got a new shirt and tie for a suit he's wearing this weekend. He's fancy like that.


Did he ask his Dad to help him with his tie? No. He took matters into his own hands and went to the place that is all knowing....YouTube!


Handsome isn't he....He did it all on his own and perfectly just like him! awwwwww.

What goes on when the Sun goes down...

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Saturday morning....Friday night re-enactment

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Wish you were here..

We Knew Him When.....

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2009 LCHS GRAD JUSTIN GALLE IN THE NASCAR HOUSTON CHRONICLE NEWS!

Start to finish, he's in charge

Justin Galle became track’s starter at age 15

By RUSS GOODALL Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Sept. 24, 2009, 10:25PM

Justin Galle loves racing and the flags that go with it. You can probably thank his grandmother for that. She made him his first set of racing flags when he was just 11 years old.

Today, Galle is 18 and a freshman at the University of Texas in Austin, but you can see him during every live racing event on the oval at Houston Motorsports Park in the flagstand keeping all the drivers in check. “I have always loved racing, especially NASCAR, but was always attracted to the people in the flagstand waving flags more than the actual racing,” said Galle, who grew up in Houston and is a recent graduate of Langham Creek High School.

With his desire to be involved at a young age, Galle began hanging out at HMP and eventually, at 14, became the back-up for the starter. Just one year later, at 15, Galle took over as the full-time starter and is now in his fourth year at HMP as the controller of the racing traffic from atop his perch over the start/finish line at the 3⁄8-mile high-banked paved oval.

And he couldn't be having more fun.

“I just love the fact that one person can control heavy, fast machines by waving the flags,” Galle said. “You are out and visible to everyone like you are the one that knows what you are doing … especially at a short track.” On the short track at HMP, Galle's day begins early.

He is at the track by 11:30 a.m. for practice that begins just after noon. He spends the next four hours in the flagstand, keeping control of the cars on the track. After practice ends around 4:30 p.m., Galle heads over to attend the officials meeting at 4:45 p.m., before getting his first real break of the day.

“Justin brings a great deal of professionalism and consistency,” HMP racing director Sarah Mandabach said. “He is extremely dependable and a fantastic flagman, a very valuable part of the HMP Team.”

After a quick bite to eat, Galle is back in the flagstand for the night of racing that starts at 6 p.m. and doesn't end until the final feature of the night is finished, usually sometime around 10:30 p.m.

“The best part of being a flagman would have to be the rush of the cars underneath,” Galle said. “Also, the fact that you are responsible for all the drivers' safety and have control over the race itself for the most part.”

As for a future in the sport, Galle is under no illusions that he might be headed to the big time of NASCAR someday, although he is not completely ruling it out.

”It is possible (to make this a career), but there are very few spots at the top levels of racing for this position,” Galle said. “So that is why I am going to school to get a mechanical engineering degree, so I can stay involved in racing. But you never know, if you are in the right place at the right time, things might just work out.”

However, for now he is content in waving the green (start), white (one lap to go), yellow (caution), red (halt competition), black (must pit for infraction), black with a white ‘X' (no longer being scored), blue with an orange diagonal orange line (move over) and checkered (finish) flags on Saturday nights at HMP.

“I want to continue waving flags as long as I can,” Galle said.

For Mr. F. and his girl #31

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Congrats Manda- you and the team did a great!

Not his first rodeo...

So, Papa Bear got to go on a SUPER cool business trip last week to - drum roll please...Dubai and Kuwait. Lucky!

Here's what he saw:

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Can I just say....we love that part of the world. We've been lucky enough to have visited Dubai 15 years ago and almost moved to Kuwait 10 years ago. This is how close we were: When he was at the airport getting his visa for Kuwait, THEY HAD HIS NAME IN THEIR SYSTEM!!!! Did you hear that? THEY HAD HIS NAME IN THEIR SYSTEM!!!! They remembered him...awwwww.

Our Three Sons........

B. Bear, T. Bear, and Sneezy on a lazy Tuesday night watching "The Colony"

"Stand & Shout"

Last night our youth group preformed a musical about how God's love is alive. And that in this age of technology, the bible the the ONLY place you won't find, spam mail, computer viruses, spyware or identity theft. I wish I had taped the guy you explained it - T you did a GREAT job!


"Stand & Shout"


"God Unchanging"


"What Could Be Better"


Cooking with K & D


"Make Him Know"


"Mighty To Save"


What's in a Name?


"You Name"


"Love the Lord"


"Something to Say"


"The Word Is Alive"

Wordless Wednesday- Tuesday Night Edition

10 days 'til season 6 of "The Office" starts!

He's Free!

as my Mom said yesterday. To my reply, "No, he's really expensive." But she was right- he is free.



Now if he could only skateboard- He has to be VERY carfeul with this arm for the next month.

People LOVE her

So, I'm sitting at the computer half asleep looking at my e-mails this morning when I come across a note from Snow saying:

I'M FAMOUS!!!!!!

http://myfavoriterecipes-rejoice.blogspot.com/

Check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I indulged her and did. This is what my eyes had the pleasure of reading:


I got this one from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Thoughts from the Kitchen Table. Fun blog title, huh! Anyway, this one was perfect for when we needed a quick, easy meal. It was tasty, and super easy and filling. It was a bonus that I was able to use up that last handful of corn tortillas left in the bag! I'll admit, the kids didn't know what to think...not because of the taste, but because it was kind of mushy...but once they went into, they liked it. I just told them there were flat, square noodles inside, and they decided to try it--well, except my 6-year-old...he was smarter than that.... (: I think it would be really easy to add green chili's or bell pepper, if you prefer a bigger kick...but it was just fine without it, too.

Mexican Casserole

1 lb. ground hamburger (or substitute with shredded chicken)
1 can tomato soup
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheese
9 corn tortillas
2/3 of the tomato soup can of milk

--Cut the tortillas into little one-inch squares. Set aside. Fry the hamburger until browned. Drain. Add tomato soup, salsa, ONE cup of shredded cheese, and 2/3 can of milk. Combine well. Add tortilla squares. Pour into a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Cover. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips. Garnish with green onion pieces.

OF COURSE she loves you- as I ROLL my eyes- but I love you more and you're MINE!

The Government Can!

No Words

Can describe how happy these two are to get back to school. Summers are soooo boring, they have nothing to do, no one to play with. And they LOVE getting up early!




Oh, our happy children.......1 down 182 more to go. I'll start the paper chain!

Preciousness

I haven't looked at my ontruemedia account in forEVER! Today I found this. It's from 10/07 and almost bring tears to my eyes. He has grown up sooooo much. One thing that hasn't changed is that the kitchen is Still a MESS!

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Canada Oh Canada- You didn't disappoint....

and we've got the pictures to prove it!

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