Lakehouse Weekend!!!!

WHOOHOO!! This place was a MANSION. It was beautiful - four bedrooms right on the lake. Any ways I water skiied for the first time ever AND got up on the very first try!! Soo excited : ) .

Summer Night Musical

We brought a picnic and went to see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers last night at the Zilker Hillside Theatre Productions with Brando's friend, S2, who has the same name as S and his wife, Sara, and the boys. S2 and Brando have so much fun talking together and Sara is wonderful too. They had invited us to dinner but we'd already planned on going to see this with our class. Fortunently she was just as excited about seeing it as I was. She had the movie since she was 5 and it was currently in her car. The actors and actresses came through at intermission asking for donations. We're poor so we asked them to donate to us. j/k We were thinking about it : ) ! It was such a summery thing to do, sitting there on the hillside with a blanket and the summer breeze and stars overhead. They had colorful and fun dances and the acting and singing was fabulous.

We may have found our fun couple to hang out with where we blend perfectly. That is if they don't pick and move to Ohio for a great job he may have lined up!! That would be good for them, sad for us.

Letting Go

So I just spent the last hour crying my eyes out and releasing all the anger that I have with my Ipod blasting in my ears so I couldn't hear myself cry.

This has nothing to do with what I was crying about, but I want to write it so I remember. Do you ever wonder sometimes how people do what they do? I'll tell you how we do what we do. We don't. We live on borrowed money. Borrowed time. Lots of it. From the bank, not from our parents. From God. In addition to not to be requited help from our parents. We've dug ourselves a hole while building a house on top of it. The goal is to fill the hole.

Starting your own business in the midst of a family and two teenagers who had to grow up without a seconds thought of adolescent life and clinging on to that family for the sake of it not falling apart is not easy. It's important. Not easy.

Brando & I are just starting out our marriage together. Up until this point we have been banging out the details of being a family. Now we're figuring out how to be a couple. In the midst of him figuring out how to be a man. It's amazing and frightening, rewarding and consequential all at the same time. We argue, we fight. Not like we used to. Now we do the heated discussions. We roll over and go to sleep. We ask to talk on the couch another time when we're not so heated. We enjoy the family when we have the opportunity. In the meantime we work on us. As individuals and together.

Hearts and Crowns and Dragon Faces

Lately I feel like all I want to do is come here and complain. So I don't. : ) In the meantime I made the boys pancakes this morning hence the name of this post. I didn't know there was so many ways to make pancakes before this morning.

This week has been busy, busy. Saturday night we went to a going away party for a couple in our Sunday School class. They're off for 10 months to China for a teaching position (hi V!). Sunday afternoon we had lunch with a client of B's and hung out, then that night we had small group. Is it bad I can't even remember Monday? (later) Oh yes the kids and I went back to that clients house and spent three hours at the pool with the wife and their little boy, both very sweet. Tuesday I went to dinner with a friend and J cried that I was leaving. That was a first. We went in her car because bad things happen when I'm in my own car and out with friends. Ha. Wednesday I took J to chess club for a few hours. B didn't get home til' 8. Thursday J had an appt. and S and I went on a date. I asked him his favorite things to do and he said,"Play games, not have you go out with friends, family night." Somebody's got his priorities figured out. J painted my nails - well he painted one hand, I painted the other. He did pretty good! B fell asleep as we watched a very strange and strangely funny movie, The Producers. Tonight we're going to take a picnic and see a musical outside with some friends. Blah, blah, blah boring recount but I have nothing else right now. Unless you want to hear me b$%&h.

Anybody have any idea where to get a cute one piece? I'm going to try Old Navy, hopefully they'll have something left in my size. I'm back to that dilemna of finding a decent suit for a lakehouse this weekend.

The Straws that broke the Camel's back

Yesterday I got pulled over and written up for everything under the sun - license, registration, insurance, and inspection. Never mind half of that I had just didn't have proof for, that wasn't good enough. He pulled someone over a few seconds after pulling me over on to filling his quota some more. Nice. The wreck and now this.

On top of that I piled the kids bikes and mine in the car yesterday and went to pick up a friend of J's to go biking. We got out there around noon and only biked for an hour because we were sweating so bad. On top of that when I had J's friends bike in the car I put mine behind the driver's and passenger seat and his held mine up. When I took his out mine wasn't held up so well but I didn't notice. So on the way home I hear a 'thwack' and thought J's gatorade bottle had exploded. No, no. He got hit in the mouth by the handlebars. Thank God his teeth were still there, bloody, but still there. So I moved the bike to where it was secure in the back. Then when we get home I went to get it out and the handlebars hit me right next to my eye making a big red mark and hurting like sin. It's still sore today but not bruised. Yet any way.

There's just a few of my straws. Any one on their own I feel like I might be fine with but all of them together and I just feel like when is this going to stop?!

More cuteness

Tonight we put the boys to bed and a few minutes later went to go lay down with them. After a full day of biking, playing at the pool, and spending time with friends they were already tuckered out. B asks S if he wants him to lay down with him and S with his eyes closed sweetly nods his head yes. He then asks him if he wants him to leave and S shakes his head no, eyes completely closed. So I went over and asked J the same thing, I got half a nod and half a shake with eyes completely closed and no nods a few minutes later.

I know there's something else I wanted to write about today, I wish I could remember what!!

Cuteness

Tonight on the way to our small group Hubby and I were discussing friendships and how as friends we have to encourage them when they're facing a tough choice to do what they need to do even if it means not what we would want them to do!! B's friend is thinking of moving to Ohio and that would be really great for them, as with M moving back to her hometown would be really great for her, but it's the opposite of what we would want them to do! Which is stay near us : ) . Any way just as I mention that first sentence, J pipes up with, "Because that's showing God's love." B and I just look at each other and laugh, and say, "Exactly." as we're both amazed at his wisdom at such an early age. B tells him maybe he should teach a Bible class : ) ! J says, "Okay!"

This morning at Sunday school with us S looks around and sees his friend he made when we were at the lakehouse and whispers in my ear, "Mom I see my friend." I looked back at her and she was smiling a big smile at him. He must've been looking for her for a little while : ) !

Strange turn of events

Friends of B's are staying next door at M's house while she's back in her hometown. They just got back from their honeymoon, the ones whose wedding we went to in Dallas, and are in limbo as she is finding out where her job will be. She's a French teacher and is waiting on interviews from far northeast Austin to far south Austin - a big difference if you're deciding where to live. He also just got a job offer in Columbus, Ohio, where his brother's family lives, so they may move out of state as another option. It'd be really nice for B to have a friend close by if they stick around for awhile.

Cute Things

When Oma was here she slept in her bed in the boys room and made up stories for them as they went to sleep. B and I sat outside the door one night and listened to her story. She started out with two knights - B and his brother - in a castle. J requested that they be knight J and knight S and a few minutes later S says, "I need S in it."

Grody disclaimer here : ) . S was grunting on the toilet the other day and I asked him if things were okay and he says, "Yes. It's just I have a big poo and it's hurting me."

My Mom just told me a story tonight about how when I was not taller than my parents bed I would go in their room and say "Chatting away, eh?"

Changes

A lot of things are changing this year for me. As if my last two years haven't been full of changes. But whatever. J will be starting school twice a week and I'll be having to be much more intense about his schooling at home than I ever have been. That's new and scary. I'm afraid it might change me somehow but I hope it does in a good way. I'm also afraid it's going to affect the incredible team relationship S and him have. That's a big scary. He'll also be taking a break from his nice lady which scares me. She's been our lifeline for keeping him where he needs to go and I'm scared that we won't be doing what we need to do without her.

My neighbor is more than likely moving away. I've gotten used to having her around the last six months or so and having company whenever I run an errand, go to the pool, take a walk, or an instant friend when there's a new movie I want to go see. That makes me want to cry, she's been a little bit of family out here and now there will be none.

B is either going to sink or swim in this business. Right now he's more on the sinking side but he's trying to learn how to swim. Figuring out the strokes. Whatever way that goes will affect us a lot. Money wise and what we're doing with our life wise.

I'm in a really strange place as far as being a mother goes. I'm really enjoying life and friends, but I think I'm forcing myself to get back into the role of parenting a little more with this whole school thing going on. Yes I know I homeschool and I know I do so much for my kids, blah blah blah, but being completely honest here I think I'm really lazy about the whole thing. And I don't want to be that anymore. I don't think there's anything wrong with life and friends, I love that, I just want to make sure I'm not putting my kiddos on the sideline. I know I need to do that any way, doesn't mean I want to though.

I keep changing this title because I can't think of anything interesting that pertains to the post

My week has been quite insane. Somehow I've been able to stay sane and get through it.

Wednesday was dinner with my friend, wrecking the car, and my MIL showing up for a surprise visit when I got home from that, Thursday another friend and I went to Sea World all day with the kids for our birthdays, Friday J finished up VBS while I volunteered with the 4 year olds and we picnicked with a friend of his, S spent the day with Oma, Saturday we spent the day painting pottery with Oma, Sunday B and I went to church and had a meeting afterwards then went to Benihana for B's brother's birthday, Monday and Tuesday the kids spent all day with Oma, J had his and Oma's day on Monday, and I had training both days for J's school coming up, Tuesday night I met with the lady who's discipling me and today my MIL took off. Only after giving a guilt trip to my hubby for not spending enough time with his brother. You guys are my witnesses - we've invited him to everything we ever do and he refuses to come with. He'd rather stay home and play his online games. Not. our. choice.

In the middle of all that my neighbor, M, decided to leave her fiancee and go back to her hometown. She's down there for a couple weeks just to clear her head and make her decision of stay or go. I shed a few tears over that last night. She's been like a sister with being so close.

The rest of the week we have J's appointment and a goodbye party to go to and that's it.

Oh yes and we get the boys new bedroom furniture - yay! There's a desk, hutch, and dresser that go to it as well.

Shaken but Not Stirred

It probably won't settle for awhile. The car's still banged up. I am okay. I was still able to enjoy my birthday. Maybe even more so because I wasn't so concentrated on what I deserved ;) . We're dealing with insurance (tips, Allison?) now. The other guy is making a claim completely different than ours. He didn't mention the car wasn't his the night it happened nor the alcohol on his breath. We didn't call the police. We probably would if we had to go back now, but at nine o'clock at night in the middle of a dark parking lot I wasn't going to get in an argument with a guy insisting over and over that we not call the police and apologizing over and over for hitting my car. I was so nervous I called B to find out what I should do, he said take lots of pictures, get all his information, and get out of there, which I did. The friend I'd gone out to dinner with was pulling out when it happened so she didn't see it but she was with me during the aftermath and spoke to B on the phone as well telling him the guy was apologizing for hitting me, that he was just concentrated on not hitting the wall.

We had a great time at Sea World. B has been so wonderfully supportive in taking care of everything. He took care of talking to insurance and going back to the place where it happened and getting pictures in the daytime. I was able to go to Sea World and still enjoy my birthday and not worry about anything. I had to give my statement yesterday to our adjuster. I broke down in tears but B was right there and I wrote out notes beforehand so I made sure and said all I wanted to say. I called my friend Jen afterwards and she even added some stuff the other driver had said that I forgot about.

So yippee now we get to deal with that. Really God is teaching me so much more than I could ever imagine I would learn through having my car wrecked!! Our small group Sunday night was about trials and temptations and how God doesn't cause trials but allows them to happen so that we can learn something and that temptations come from the desires of our heart not from God. The conversation Jen and I had at dinner was all about emotional boundaries - not taking responsibility for other's response to things you've said in love which is a foreign concept with me ; ) . Even her comment after it was all said and done, that it really teaches us to take our possessions lightly. Even my preceding desire for some kind of jewelry from B this year for my birthday contributed to the things I have the opportunity to learn here. Hehe if you look at two posts ago the first half was about possessions, which I'm still happy for and totally enjoy, the second half was about my family. The first part I want to enjoy, but not let it determine my happiness and or even what I think I deserve or the way I see myself.

What Doesn't Make Me Happy

Wrecking my car the night before my birthday.

Things that Make Me Happy

*Going to dinner tonight with a friend to catch up and celebrate my birthday!*

*My new computer (did I forget to mention the free iPod nano, free printer, and 15% discount that came with it? There are perks to homeschooling your kids : ) .*

*Mac's format. Soooo much more user friendly than Windows, once you take the four weeks to get used to it and have a Mac lover over your shoulder answering all the questions you spit out about how to open your email.*

*Playing around with Photo Booth on my Mac.*

*My new CHI, my sleek, shiny hair, and my fresh haircut with swept bangs that are long enough to fall across my cheekbones.*

*J enjoying VBS.*

*Volunteering with S for J's VBS and realizing volunteering there didn't require me to do everything. Just escort the kiddos and enjoy talking to them. That and spend time with S listening to the stories, making the crafts, and playing ball.*

*Going to SeaWorld for my birthday!*

*The sweet birthday wishes from my wonderful readers. It's tomorrow which is why I had not mentioned it before the gifts.*

*The adorable flip flops with K's initials in rhinestones on them I got for her birthday.*

*The adorable store The Cadeau I bought them at and the friendly girl I bought them from.*

*The fabulous store The Blue Elephant next to it that is equally as wonderful.*

*Finally finding a pottery place The Mad Potter to paint that doesn't charge an arm and a leg, glazes the whole thing, and has friendly employees.*

*Finding a new yummy kid friendly place to eat. Central Market with a playground.*

*Finding the above four places all in the same place and it's called Central Park. I heart it.*

*Finding my two perfect gift stores where I can find something that works, where one thing is enough, and where they wrap it in prettier stuff than I'd pay $10 for and have it ready to go before I leave the store.*

*S being super excited about my birthday and telling Daddy. "You know one thing? Mommy's birthday is tomorrow."*

*J's book order for school this year being ordered after getting a call that it possibly hadn't been ordered. Sigh of relief.*

*Meeting our host family for same. Which resulted in many fears being eased.*

*Being discipled by a good friend and uber sweet lady at church.*

*Our GREAT talk last night that lasted 2 and a half hours and we didn't even get to the Bible Study we're doing together.*

*Clarification on so many thoughts muddled in my head. A reminder once again to focus on God, be aware of the peace that He gives us, be aware of the order of priorities and how whatever decision I'll be making will affect that positively or negatively, and that everything is for His glory.*

*My husband taking a new direction in his business. Hopefully one that will result in paying the bills.*

*Being able to help my husband in that new direction by doing what I do best. Data management. NOT dealing with people : ) .*

*Hope.*

*Hope that this business is going to work.*

*Hope that J's school is going to work.*

*Hope that we'll be able to do what we need to do to grow as individuals and grow together as a family.*

I'm Four Feet Away from My Computer and I can still see it

That's because it's this.



My birthday present from my MIL.

My Mom sent me a check so I got my CHI. Yay!! I can't find a picture of it. But it's cherry red and I heart it.

B's Dad sent me a check as well. I went tonight to get running shoes with it and the guy tried to sell me on these.


They were really wide in the way they looked though so I'm going to keep looking on those.

In the meantime I've found a strange balance of life and computer and I hope I can keep it that way even with having a new one.

Our Days

Monday was J's day. He chose to go kayaking and to the pool. He made an adorable little list with all his things he wanted to do and when I told him we could only do two or three he crossed off the ones that weren't priority. He drew pictures of each activity and wrote the word next to it. He had Monopoly on there, kayaking, the pool, a volleyball net for K's house, and a few other things. When I find it I'll scan it and post a picture.

Tomorrow is S's day. We're going to go to a fun little town with K and he's also requested we set off the rest of our fireworks. We'll see what else he comes up with. He's so excited.

And yes for those of you wondering Mommy had her day too : ) . It was TODAY. We did go to the pool for an hour and walk up to the business center to play pool and shuffleboard for a few hours but Mommy got a lot of things done she wanted to do. Mostly by saying it was her day and she got to pick what she wanted to do and not get asked a ton of questions. : )

Argh

I STILL don't have my computer back. I've been using hubby's to blog. My social life is pretty much nonexistent right now as a result. The phone is hardly ever used for me, because put quite simply I usually have two very noisy children in the background. When hubby gets home and I can actually use the computer I usually have about 5 minutes before we do the whole night time routine. After that we put a movie in and eat ice cream and fold laundry and at that point my mind is too spent to do emails, so instead I've been spending lots and lots of quality time with my kids. Not a bad thing and really it's the perfect time. They've been really needing it lately because I have been out so much - granted with them most of the time, but still out. Just frustrating because it's summer, a few of the girls I know have the perfect schedules to get together right now and might not in the near future. Sigh. I'm getting over it though and just enjoying chess club, rollerblading, working out, playing basketball, and going to the pool with my kiddos : ) . That and trying to figure out how to plan things via the phone that actually end up happening. I need the visual, this time, this day, and this place you get from email. Get togethers planned via the phone end up not working a good percentage of the time for some reason or another, unless it's last minute which I'm not too great at.

Fourth of July Weekend

Saturday we had a family day and went to Iguana Grill for lunch and then B took J kayaking. S wouldn't get in the kayak for anything so he and I sat on the bank and skipped rocks.

After church on Sunday we headed over to a friend's house out in the country playing volleyball in their professional sand volleyball court surrounded by palm trees. J was so eager to play he kept asking if he could before we even got there and said if he did it would be his first time ever. Of course he did. K, J, B, and I got out there along with K's hubby and her sister's fiancee. B got some exciting diving for the ball shots. Hehe. S sat in the sand and buried Bruja's the doggie's ball in a pile of sand the entire time. Any time we get to any place that has mud or sand, that is where S is. We went strawberry picking when he was nine months old and he sat in the middle of a strawberry row and ate mud and strawberries the entire time. He hasn't stopped loving playing in the sand and mud yet!

We took off just before the evening and headed over to Jen's house for a barbeque and fireworks. Her hubby grilled hamburgers and we sat around and chatted until we headed to the golf course and watched the kids run around and took fun pictures while we waited for the fireworks. They had those fun glow in the dark necklaces you always love as a kid so we bought S and J one and they had the best time making them into crowns for their head, frames for their faces, and figure eights. The fireworks started and S's favorite was the ones that shot into little circles of gold sparkles. He said, "Those ones are gold so they are treasure." J sat there coming up with all sorts of fun ideas they could do for fireworks. Shooting three out of one, making a person, and I'm sure there was more I couldn't hear. B got a shot of him explaining an elaborate plan to Jen's hubby.

After the fireworks we sat around in traffic for a bit and had a good time talking and then headed home as soon as we got back to their place. The kids were sooo tired, J was actually saying he was tired. I've been so busy lately that they just haven't been getting enough down time or time to do what they would love to do so we made tomorrow J day. He's so excited about that that tonight he says, "I'm excited and tired at the same time."

Devil Wears Prada Girls Night

We hit up Fire Bowl for dinner - chicken teriyaki salad, chicken with noodles and edamames (sp?), yummy! The theatre was uber crowded. We had nine of us and found a spot for six and a spot for two. So seven of us squeezed in the six seats and two of us sat behind. Read: I sat on plastic and switched cheeks between Jen's and Linz's(not their full names) seat - two of the girls that I love :) . I only went numb halfway through. Better that than all have to sit apart I figure. Linz offered to switch with me halfway thru and I told her I was already so numb it didn't matter. Hehe. The movie was fabulous and had a good ending - not necessarily what I wanted though!! The colors and fashion were so much fun to watch. We sat around for about two seconds after the movie and decided to head back to the arboretum for dessert.

It worked out with M's sister being there - she had her "plus one" other than me. When we went to the cheesecake factory it was the three of us while the others went to get ice cream. That was a fun night with the two of them as well. L will be moving in with M next month so that was fun to get to go out with her already!

There were seven of us left so we chatted by the lit up fountain and took pictures on the marble cows at night. M and I climbed up on one. My kids always climb up there and make it look easy - SO not easy ; ) . It was much easier conversation than I thought all night long. L and M had a fun time and Jen's friend she brought had a really great time.