Garden Gate Complete

Walker finished the two gates this evening. I just love how they turned out. I was about to take a picture of him with the gate, but he insisted that since the gate was for me I had to be in it...I said, but...but...but I just mowed the lawn and I'm all grungy and gross. But he wouldn't relent...so here's my lovely garden gate handcrafted by my beloved.

Child Dedication & Mother's Day Brunch

Walker and I will be participating in a child dedication with Rémy in a couple of weeks on May 11th, which happens to fall on Mother's Day. I'm not sure if this was intentional on our church's behalf or not. I know Mother's Day is usually full of all good children going to visit their mothers, but for anyone who can make it we would love to share this special day with our family and friends.

It'll be at 9:30 a.m. on May 11th at Preston Trail Community Church. The church is just 2 streets north of our home. It's usually over by 10:30-10:45 a.m.

We're going to host a brunch over here so eat a light breakfast to tie you over, but come hungry 'cause we'll have plenty of food. If you can't make it to the service but would like to come for brunch, we'd love to have ya. Just come on over to our home around 10:45-11:00 a.m. Let me know by e-mail if you would be interested in coming so that we can know who to look for. Of if you have any questions feel free to call or email.

4 month checkup

Rémy is now 12 lb 5 ounces and 23 1/2 inches long. We started rice cereal today and I'll be posting some baby food recipes as she eats more. She loved the rice cereal and ate the entire bowl full. It caught me by surprise; I expected her to spit most of it out and that I'd have to throw the rest away. She took to it pretty fast and is even comfortable with the spoon in her mouth.

Watch your Nightly News

I just got word that my Grandparents were interviewed this morning by all the major newscasting stations. They went to a meeting in Oak Cliff to learn about a new program they may be introducing called ShotSpotter. It helps to identify the exact location of gun shots when they happen. Watch the news tonight and look for these two...



Here's the footage in case you missed it...

Grandpa on Channel 8

Grandmother on Channel 5

In Red Chair Series- 4 Months

This past month lots of learning and changes have taken place. Rémy has learned to grab and grasp toys and objects. She has learned to flip herself over from back to stomach. She talks to herself and mimicks what we stay, forming her lips and telling us important, world changing things. ( I can't disclose them over the internet) She is starting to distinguish between different people and realize that certain things have names.(knows 'daddy' and 'truffle') She has learned to use a sippee cup, and is deciding whether or not she likes apple juice. It's a tough choice. Before turning 5 months she hopes to accomplish the following: try rice cereal and learn to like it; become more familiar with objects and names of objects; start learning to sit up on her own and stabilize herself while standing; help those poor diaper companies by dirtying at least 108 diapers. Her parents are yearning for her to finally decide who is the best presidential hopeful and let us know. After all, she's had 9 months in utero and 4 months out to come to a conclusion.

In all seriousness, every day brings new joy and new drama. Every day is a surprise, we are so thankful to be parents. It was this time one year ago that we found out we were expecting. My how things change in one year's time.

Procedure tomorrow

Ken was hospitalized again today for chest pains and is staying overnight. He is stabilized now. The doctors are doing the procedure in the morning that they did a few weeks ago...I can't remember what it's called, maybe artheroscope...anyway, they will shoot dye into his veins and run a camera through his femoral artery to see if the stints are ok and make sure there is not another blockage. He will likely stay tomorrow night as well. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I know this is a trying time for him while the doctors try and figure out just what is going on in his body.

Bragging Rights

I just love my husband! We've been needing to replace our fence since the day we purchased our home 2 years ago. We've been repairing it here and there, using braces, etc to keep it from falling over. Every time we saved up enough money to do it, something else came up that needed priority over the fence.

This time, with the help our tax refund, we decided just to go ahead and do it. Thanks to Ken's expertise, and the work of Elmer & Logan the majority of the work was complete by sundown last night. We decided to do an 8' fence(really 9' in some places), with a rotboard, and caps on the top, 2 gates. We had one gate before, enabling us to take the trash out to the bins. I saw a garden gate a couple of streets over that I just fell in love with. Walker and I had been saying to ourselves..."the next house we buy we'll do that to the fence." I mentioned the gate again a few days ago, asking if maybe we could do one this time, and Walker said "probably not, but we'll see." This response usually means "no" but I went ahead and took pictures of the gate I liked and emailed 'em over to Ken & Walker just in case! They worked magic, and I just LOVE how it all came out. I can't wait to extend the front flower bed to the gate, add stepping stones and enjoy our backyard. The caps still need to be put on, and my special garden gate needs some finishing touches including an arch above the gate, and an inlaid stained glass piece that Debbe is creating.

Here's some before and after pictures of the project so far...

Happy Birthday Elaine!

To celebrate Elaine's birthday we went to PF Chang's last night, along with her aunt, Lindsey. I didn't realize it, but they have a complete gluten-free menu! If you have celiac disease or wheat allergy, it is almost impossible to find places offering gluten-free choices.

Elaine mentioned a family recipe for 'German' Pancakes that sounded so delicious, I want to try it. Elaine learned it from her mother and Lindsey commented that she remembers Elaine's Grandmother making it. Guy argues that it is not authentically German because it doesn't have any lemon juice. I'm sure it's still delicious, regardless of it's origin.

Elaine's Family Pancakes

Make pancakes as you normally would but thin them out a little more with some milk. The point is to make them larger but thinner than you usually would make a pancake. When you have a stack of pancakes ready, use melted butter to coat one side and sprinkle it with sugar. Slice a banana long-ways and put one slice in the center of the pancake. Roll it up and secure it or put a toothpick in it. Drizzle with more melted butter and sugar. Eat the delicious goodness! This sounds like a great Saturday morning breakfast.

Don't Go to School, Kids

I had such wonderful dreams last night. Before bed, I realized that as a senior I could register for summer and fall classes today! I looked at my degree evaluation from my advisor and took note of the 10 classes I lack and decided to log on first thing this morning and register online.

Bear in mind...one year ago, in January my advisor told me I could finish in a year and a half-going full time. I did a full spring semester, took a maymester and 3 summer courses. Then I took 15 hours in the fall. I met with an advisor again mid-December for the 3rd or 4th time last year who told me that even after a full year of taking classes I still had 2 1/2 years to go.(????????????)

Not exactly the kind of news to give a hormonal pregnant woman the week before she's due!

I currently have 111 credit hours. If I had gone their way I would have graduated in 2 1/2 years with 165 hours...and just a bachelors degree. That just didn't make any sense to me when a normal bachelors degree is between 118-125 hours. So...that is why I dropped my courses for the current semester. I wanted to make sure I was taking the classes I need to take to graduate...but also to find the best degree plan and the shortest route possible.

The past 3 months I've spend trying to get someone to listen. Eventually I found one person who was sympathetic to my case, emailed me back and forth every week, sent me my revised degree plan with the 10 classes I need to graduate and gave advising over the phone instead of me having make an appointment, and troop to Denton with Rémy in tow. She says I can FINISH my degree online. ALL of it.

For the past few weeks I've been savoring this wonderful news. I even dreamed of graduation last night...I threw my hat so high I ended up not being able to find it, but it didn't matter because I was so excited and relieved to finally be finished. I got up extra early this morning to register, and made coffee (no morning can begin without a cup of strong coffee).

I log on to the UNT website and start inputting the classes one by one that I need. One by one I see that they are not offered in maymester or summer. Well, that's ok, I'll just register for fall. I had kind of hoped to just take maymester and 4 summer classes and then 15 hours in the fall to graduate in December, but ya know, I'm flexible so I can just take 15 in the fall, 15 next spring. I mean, it's been 8 years so far, what's another year? One by one I check the classes for fall....one by one I realize they are not offered.

I immediately shot an email to my one sympathetic advisor asking why she would have me sign up for this degree plan and tell me this is the way that I can graduate the fastest if the classes aren't even offered....FOR A YEAR. I WANT to go to school, I want to pay them exhorbitant amounts of money and in return get a slip of paper that says 'graduated' on it. Why does it have to be this difficult, convoluted and downright confusing. No wonder so many students never finish. And out of the 10 classes I need, why is it that not a single one is offered for a year. Of course, I was much nicer in the email.

So, as if saying goodbye to a beloved friend, I am putting school out of my thoughts for now. I'm considering it a closed door and waiting to see what's next.