I'm back!

Okay, I keep being asked if we have returned after evacuating and if we survived Ike. And, I keep being asked by friends that I am with and have seen repeatedly since Ike. I get it, I get it! So, I finally figured out my password and will do my best to start posting again. :-)

I had a wonderful weekend with some incredible friends!! The Caretaker, The Comic Relief, The Food Enthusiast and The Financier (who are ALL so much more!) I came home midday today and had a great time with my family. It was gorgeous outside and we took advantage of it. The kids played flag football at the park with some new friends, including my new BFF's family. (inside joke) You should have seen Emma once she finally got the football. She had no idea what to do. She begged and begged for the ball, then...nothing. Poor thing! She's great at defense, though it often looked like she was playing basketball defense rather than football. What's a girl to do?

Night, night,
Ang

IKE is headed our way.

Yikes! We are headed to Austin this morning. I feel so many things. I do not have the time to put it all down this morning. I'm trying to get as much done as possible before the kids wake up. I pray you are safe and secure. Much love, Ang

YIKES!

I have no idea why part of that last post is bigger and bolder that the rest of it. Anyone else know?

The Gift from Hurricane Gustav

Like most everyone on The Gulf Coast, we spent a big part of the holiday weekend considering if we needed to evacuate. Fortunately, we did not have to. But, each time this comes up, we get a little more prepared. Thanks to Sara, we now have an overhead cargo carrier so that we can have room to take our stuff and our dog. Having Abby added a whole new dimension to the evacuation plans!! And thanks to Steph and The Jordans for a safe place to evacuate to.

Instead of evacuating, we had the opportunity to celebrate with one of our favorite 9 yr olds, Lauren. She had a fabulous birthday celebration that included a nice breeze (thanks to our friend, Gustav). Not only that, but we got an awesome gift from Hurricane Gustav - a visit from The Caldwells! They had to evacuate and we got lucky enough for them to spend one night with us. It's always a good time when we get together and this time was no exception. Beaumont was blessedly spared, so they were able to return home Tuesday.

I want to add a note about this picture. First, thanks Sara for taking it. Second, the ledge the kids were on was too small for all of them. Cody and Alex were vying for the same small spot and just before this picture Cody had been shoved out of the way. It wasn't like that sounds. It was halarious - even to Cody. I love that the kids are so comfortable with each other. I hope that's always the case.

Signing off, Angie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

We celebrated Brian's b-day last night. He wanted to have Italian food, then head home for cake (that's another story all together). So, that's what we did. It was all yummy and we had a great time being together. After cake, it became clear that Bri wanted to hang out on the couch, feet up, with remote in hand and flip back and forth between football and the Democratic National Convention. We had other plans for him. Me - trying to take our picture. I never could figure it out. He did and you'll see how happy he is about that! The kids and Abby - crawling all over him. Now, that DID make him happy. We all had a great evening. Happy B-Day Honey!

Why Me?

So many of my friends have the best pictures of their kids. It seems that the moms pick up their cameras and the kids automatically say "CHEESE" with the most perfect smile in the world! Okay, okay, I know it doesn't always work like that. But, it never works like that at my house. I'm not sure if it's the kids or me or, more likely, both. Either way, I no longer get upset about it. At least, not terribly upset. Not every time. Progress can be slow. Here are a couple of shots from last night. These pics make me say, "WHY ME???" and they make me laugh. Maybe that's why God blessed them with their quirky sense of humor and why he blessed Brian and I with them. Later gators. Ang

I can't believe I almost forgot about this...

I can't not tell this story. It so touched me this morning. We were walking out the door to go to school, without a lot of time to spare, when Alex ran upstairs to get something. He came back down with a Purple Cross keychain and attached it to his backpack. He told Emma that it was to remind him, when he got scared, that God was always with him and that he'd been fine. Talk about making a mom happy - that did it!! Then, he even went and looked for one for Emma. You cannot see the cross very well, but I promise it's there.