Live a little, love a lot ~

Hey in case you missed it, the month of May is outta here. What did we do? As Kenny Chesney would say...we lived a little, loved a lot.

We...

Blew bubbles with our grandgirls.

Cheered for the Padres. :)

Loved on these two!!

Went to eat...to the movies...to the park. Played games. Cuddled!

Don and Jason did some...let's call it Swamp People Exterminating! (see Jason's FB)

We woke up in Vegas.

Went to see The Lion King.

Got friendly with a church-minded lady who showed me an obscene plastic monkey then cheerfully waved and said, "Have a blessed day!" Mmm...

Explored the Bellagio.

Laughed with my sister.

Tried to make the brothers-in-law behave. Gave up. Ate cake instead.

Admired our girls...pretty and smart (like their mothers).

Went to a cool party and welcomed our new daughter-in-law. Here's the newlyweds, Barbara & Justin! Cute couple huh?

And then. And then...

I bought Big Daddy his Father's Day present. Watched him ride.

Got tickled. Felt pretty damn proud.

Rode around myself. Acted cool and stuff.

Didn't wreck it. Raise the flag!

Live a little, love a lot...

Have fun

When I was a kid people didn't use use sunscreen, they used Coppertone suntan lotion, which if I recall, didn't block the sun's rays, at least not much. We didn't know any better, we just wanted to be tan. The most famous Coppertone ad:

If you remember the commercials on TV you might know (or maybe not) that the little girl who played the Coppertone girl was Jodie Foster. I thought about that when we went out to Cali to visit Jason and the girls. Jason has moved into a house with a hot tub and a pool. Alahna & Kirra have a ball...these girls love playing in the water! And even though they put sunscreen on, they're both getting brown already.

How fun is that, to play in the water for hours? Yes, I did it too. No video. Just take my word for it, I was there.

So, my motto is: don't let summer pass you by. Have fun in the water. No matter how old you are or what you look like.

Go to the beach.

Get in the pool.

Sit in the hot tub.

Play at the waterpark.

But whatever you do...

put your bathing suit on!

(Of course if I looked this cute in a towel the world would be a better place.)

Places I Go (+ 1)

At least once a week or so, I regularly complain to anyone who will listen (that usually means Don) that we do not have a decent yogurt place around. Heck, we don't have any yogurt place around. Our old ice cream shop does have a few flavors but they really cater to customers who want malts and sundaes. Plus....it's not convenient. That means it's not located in my catalog of "Places I Go" and as such, we just don't. At least not often.

"Places I Go" consists of Target, Sam's Club, Sonic, Marshall's, church, Nelson Rd Walmart, Texas Roadhouse, Avalon Nails, Prien Lake Park and the library. (Sometimes I go to Dillard's, Pier 1, or Steamboat B's...honorable mention for "Places I Go")

So now, I am adding a new location and it's....wait for it....it's on this side of the bridge. It's close to home. Close. Actually, it's not even open yet. But I'm ready.

Check it out:

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt

I hope it's good! Tasty, healthy yogurt....friendly employees....bright clean bathrooms...and regular specials and/or coupons. You know, the stuff of dreams. I want to go on the first day.

~ Frozen yogurt, coming soon ~

I am ridiculously excited. Can I get an Amen, people???

UPDATE (July 2011) : We came, we saw, we ate. Went back, and back, and back again. It's DELICIOUS!

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

On Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, we left Galveston for our 2nd cruise on The Conquest, headed for adventure, sun, sand, warm weather and delicious food. Our mission (and we did choose to accept it) was to have fun!!

In the days before we left the weather had been bitterly cold, at least for us. Ice on bridges and roads had shut down school, work, and normal activities. I was thinking, we are SO outta here! Just please, let me get a pedicure first...

Me and Lou Ellen...I love my sister. And Don & I love going on cruises with Lou Ellen and Charles. We (the four of us) are the funnest people I know. No brag, just fact. ;)

When you leave on a cruise, Sail Away is a big deal. In old movies people stand on the dock and wave and shout and wish you bon voyage. Bands play, streamers fly. That's not the way it is anymore. There are people standing on the dock, but not that many wave. Mostly they are just watching, and I bet they're wishing they could go too.

One of the things you have to do is be out on the deck for Sail Away. It means you...yes you, are on vacation. Whoo-hoo!!

I had read about finding the "secret door" (on Conquest-class ships) to go on the front deck for our departure. It's actually not so secret, but they don't go out of their way to tell you where it is. We did find it, and the view was beautiful!!

Don and Charles, partners in crime...aka the Brothers-In-Law!!!

They have such a good time together. Each time I see a picture of these two I always think, how did we get so lucky to find such good guys? And then I think...wait, how did they get so lucky to find us?? :)

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!

(ps> happy birthday Dr. Seuss!)

Busy being fabulous ~

On our cruise a few weeks ago our first stop was Montego Bay, Jamaica. We went to Sandals Royal Caribbean. It was absolutely gorgeous and the food...in a word, scrumptious. I'm still dreaming about the Red Snapper and Grilled Shrimp.

Snorkeling & scuba are included. Also tours on the glass bottom boat and other water stuff. You could relax out by the pool and read, sit on the beach and daydream, or play beach volleyball, ala Top Gun.

We loved Sandals. The beach. The dining. The pools. The peacocks. The dining. The beach!! If I know us (and I do)...I would bet that we'll be back.

And yes, it will be fabulous. ;)

If my heart had wings...

Last month we were all together...yes, all of us in one place...and we had family photos taken. We went to Prien Lake Park because it's so pretty. It overlooks the 210 Bridge - and if it's possible to love a bridge, I do. I go to the park often and walk by the water.

We got lucky (we're lucky people) and the weather was spectacular. Our talented photographer and friend (link below) took some gorgeous shots.

Love, love, love...these pictures, and my family.

If my heart had wings, I would fly to you...

Andrea T Photography

The rest of the story

We had a ball when our kids and grandgirls were here! (If you're wondering if grandgirls is a word, it is. This is my blog, and I say so.) The thing the girls loved most was going swimming!! I think they could go to the pool every single day. The thing that was number one on my list was taking family pictures. (More on that in another post...)

Here's a few photos, in no particular order. Visiting with Mamma (Don's mom). She was really happy to see her great-granddaughters.

And the rest of us too.

There was a lot of violin playing...

And time to sit and open presents.

Kirra immediately latched on to Uncle Chris. She wanted to stake her claim. The girls both adore him.

We went to Dairy Barn and had fun looking at all the cool stuff. And eating hamburgers and ice cream...

There's an elevated train on a track, and pulling the cord to blow the horn is a big deal. It is. I dare you to go there and not pull it. It would be un-American.

The memorabilia is fascinating...Coca Cola, Disney, Beatles, TV, music...they have it all.

Kirra, the five old with a smile that lights up her whole face.

If Alahna and Kirra look happy here it's because they just held baby alligators. And they got plunked down in old wood chairs in a little Cajun house and the curator (she must be one) gave them coloring sheets and Mardi Gras beads and calendars. What's not to love?

Alahna loves rolls. Ditto for Kirra although I didn't get a shot of her eating them.

It was an awesome visit. Love, love, love....

This Pawpaw is always happy to see his grandgirls.

And to all a good night.