All I Can Say is Wow...

This is what it looks like when your 11-year-old misreads the recipe...

These are my Grandma Perkins chocolate chips cookies. Instead of a cup and a half of flour, Cara only put in a half cup... I think it's hilarious that the chocolate chips are resting on top of the flat, flat, flat cookie crisp.

Is it bad that I ate some anyway? ♥

Excuse the picture - it's with my phone camera...

Snow Much Fun!

So it's nothing compared to the slamming the east coast is taking but for Texas it's a BIG deal!

Bryan says it's the most snow he's ever seen here and he's a lifer...

We've got 8 inches of snow and it's still coming down. School was cancelled for tomorrow before we even left the building today. That's a first!

Our usual Texas snowman is a foot or so tall...

Jordyn and our neighbor buddy Cole.

Just don't eat the yellow snow, right grandma?

I don't know why she thought this was so fun but she slammed numerous snowballs on her own head...
That's a full-on Daddy snow angel. Love it!

The is the backyard around 4 this afternoon. There's so much more now - it's intense!

River Trails Performing Ensemble

Cara is in her school's performing ensemble. The group made up of 5th and 6th graders sing, dance and play musical instruments. The kids practice at least once a week during their recess and then every Wednesday after school for an hour. Our music teacher, Mrs. McKenna, is very dedicated. I wish I would've taken a picture of the whole group but I was focused on my own cutie...Playing the xylophone (only it's not an ordinary xylophone - it has a special name that's escaping me right now...)

Here they are doing a hand/body-slapping, stomping rhythm dance. In the background you can see the buckets the boys did a "bucket song" with. It was really cool!

Here's a short video of Cara's solo in the "Tropic" song and then everyone joining in. She really enjoys being a part of the ensemble group!

Sugar-Booger

Four years ago we innocently went to tithing settlement at church. Bishop Roueche took care of business and then announced that his dog just had puppies and looking directly at Cara and Jordyn asked, "Girls, wouldn't you like a puppy to bring home to your house??" Talk about sabotage!

Two weeks later we brought home a bundle of white fluff whom the girls named Sugar. She is a Heinz 57 dog - half chihuahua and half mutt...

Cara has always been the one to take care of and love on Sugar.

Jordyn, 2 years old, squeezing into Sugar's crate (which didn't last too long because I couldn't take the crying Sugar would do when we put her in there...)

Cara and Sugar had a special bond. Having a dog has been a mixed bag. She's been a great friend to Cara all these years but recently we've decided that she would probably have a better life with someone else. Except in the summer time she spent A LOT of time by herself. We would have to remind Cara way too much to feed or water or bathe Sugar. She was constantly digging out under our fence. Do I need to mention the dog hair issue? But the worst was every time we left town we would have to ask our friends to keep her at their houses. I hated asking. Really.

So a nice woman who works with Bryan said she'd be willing to take Sugar for a trial stay with her. For a few weeks Cara was pretty resistant to the idea. We never really pressed it but each time Sugar got out or rolled in poo or tried to eat food off our table (Grrr!!) I could see she was thinking about it. On Wednesday, while Bryan was still in the hospital, she came to me and said I'm ready to let her go.

Saying goodbye this morning. Sugar has been so tolerant of Jordyn all these years, putting up with being picked up and getting her tail pulled.

This is Babs and her dog Brady. Bryan said he thought she had a few dogs already. When we got there five dogs greeted us! Five! That's a lot of doggie love. We stayed and visited for over an hour and Jordyn made herself right at home... Sugar will have furry friends and a huge backyard on a lake to run around. Babs has invited us to visit anytime we want and we're looking forward to going fishing with the Millwards in April. Babs' daughter, Amanda, has already posted pictures on Facebook for us and says Sugar's fitting right in. It makes it much easier to swallow that she's in a happy home.
We'll miss you Sugar but thank you Babs!

The Offending Appendage

This actually looks a lot better than it did yesterday. It looked more like Fred Flintstone's foot then but it is now angry, red and spreading across the top of his foot.

Doctors are saying he'll be in most of the week until the redness goes away completely.

We've had a lot of support from friends down here and many kind thoughts and prayer pledges offered up to us. It means a lot. Erin helped me yesterday by driving one of our cars home from Dallas and then she, Kevin and Jacob visited Bryan tonight when they were in town. Jordyn got to play with her BFF Alexandrea Washington after school. Cara stayed home tonight to work on her homework and was visited by the Brittons. When I walked in tonight it was a major Mario Kart Wii party happening at the house and I was so happy to have such good friends.

We're praying Bryan gets out sooner than later and that all will be well with his foot.

Can You Spot the Difference?

Hmm... didn't I just post this picture yesterday??

The location has changed from our comfy living room into Baylor University Medical Center - Dallas.

Not cool.

At least we're still smiling...

I'd recount the whole story but it's late, I'm tired, and chances are we're Facebook friends and you know the story already. ♥

Nothing Like a Good Nap...

This is what 9 am church means to me...

Ahh... the return of the Sunday afternoon nap. Yes!