Happy Birthday, Poncho!

This past weekend we went to Odessa to surprise Josh and Emily while they were there to celebrate Josh's 23rd birthday with his family. We had been planning this for a couple of weeks and I can't believe we didn't let it "slip" that we would be joining them for his birthday party. As soon as we got there around noon on Saturday, we went to a little Mexican food restaurant for lunch. As we finished our meal, the waiters came out with Josh's birthday dessert, placed a sombrero on his head and sang "Happy Birthday, Poncho! It was so funny! Afterwards,we went back to the house and hung out for the rest of the afternoon. Josh opened gifts, we played with precious Rayleigh and cooked out hamburgers for dinner. Next stop, the Community Theater where we saw the musical "Grease". It was a fun weekend and it came to a close all too quickly. Below are pictures to show what a great time we had!

Josh's sister, Krista ,with her beautiful little girl, Rayleigh!

Rayleigh in her new swing and showing off in her Rainforest Bouncy!

Aunt Emily feeding sweet Rayleigh

Josh and Emily at the musical "Grease"

Uncle Josh and sleepy Rayleigh

Spring Break in Dallas

Last week Emily and Josh invited me to come and visit them in Dallas for a few days during Emily's Spring Break. We had a great time shopping at the Resale Shops (Rethreads and The Clothes Horse), eating out, and just hanging out together. Would you believe I forgot my camera??? Emily took a few pictures for me with her camera but not near as many as I would have been clicking!!! One afternoon we drove through President Bush's new neighborhood and I so wanted to get a picture of his cul-de-sac,but of course the entrance was barricaded and police were everywhere. We visited with them a minute and were attempting to explain what we wanted to do, when the Secret Service (coming from the direction of Bush's home) pulled up in their black SUV and started talking to the police. Time for us to exit, so off we drove. It's a beautiful neighborhood with lots of signs in the yards welcoming home the former President and First Lady. The house you see below was one of our favorites but we were only able to capture a small part of it on camera. Last but not least, I got to see my old roomie and friend Dixie. We visited the store where she works (Bradbury Lane) and had a two hour breakfast together before I left on Friday. A great ending to a great little trip! So much fun packed into a short period of time. "Thank you" Emily, Josh and Dixie for making my trip so special! Love you BUNCHES!!!!

Dixie and I! We have been friends since our days at Texas Tech, roomies while teaching school in Duncanville in the 70's and looking forward to lots more fun in the future! BFF

Before and After

Never underestimate what you can do with found objects. Think outside the box, be creative and come up with your own twist on what the object can be used for. Here, I took an old milk bottle carrier, added a few little clay pots and herbs, and I now have my own herb garden in my kitchen that can be easily moved from one place to the next! I found this old , beautiful coffeepot for a quarter at a garage sale and planted a blooming cyclamen inside to perk up my dining room buffet. I think I need to add a little trailing ivy to make it complete. Creativity does not have to be expensive or time consuming...just use your "noggin" (as my mom would say) and see what you come up with! Most of all, girls, remember to have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

This past Wednesday was sunny, 90 degrees, beautiful blue skies and I WANTED to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. I called my friend Susan and off we went to the big city of Anson to check out some of their little antique stores. Below is a recap of our afternoon and the great time we had! Afterall, sometimes girls just wanna have fun!

It's not the prettiest drive in the world, but a fun one when you're with a friend!

Great stores....and you can tan,too!

Some of our goodies for Susan's store and my space at Palazzo!

A trip to Sonic on the way home and a wave goodbye to my sweet friend.

Lucy and Friends

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, one thing we love so much about living where we do, is the walks we take on the golf course in the evening. We have gotten to know several people this way and Lucy has made many friends, too. Today, as we left to go on a walk, I grabbed my camera as I was going out the door. I am soooo glad that I did. Almost all of Lucy's friends were available to have their picture made and it was a lot of fun doing so. Enjoy!

Putter

Thomas and Cuddles

RockyBudget and Thrifty

Roxie Todd

Look What I Woke Up To

Beautiful yellow roses, Starbucks hazelnut latte, birthday card and a gift certificate to get a relaxing facial!! What a great start for a birthday. Thanks, honey (Mark) for your thoughtfulness! Tonight we will have dinner with some friends who are on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ in England. It's going to be a great day! I hope yours is too!

Kitchen and Dining Room!

Well, the kitchen is finished, the dining room is "tweeked" and here are some pictures to prove it! In fact, when I looked at the pics, I even thought things looked a little bare, but you know me, time will cure that problem! I found some great sheer drapes to cover the french doors in the dining room to give us a little privacy at night. All in all, I love everything and am so glad we were able to do it. Phil Phelps and his crew did a great job! My vintage chalk dog is my cooking companion and the piece of iron hanging over my cooktop was found in the ground at an estate sale. I am looking for the perfect things to hang from it. Maybe an old silver cream and sugar set or silver teapot. Any suggestions??? The old chalkboard in the breakfast room is a great place to write daily scriptures,etc. Hope you enjoy looking at the pics.