Saturday, July 30, 2016

Family Dinner for Madelyn

We were all finally able to go to dinner on Saturday for Madelyn's birthday. She chose a Mexican Restaurant that has a chocolate pinata.

Friday, July 29, 2016

Madelyn turns 12!!!!


We went with some of her friends to see the new Ghostbusters movie.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Hand lettering

I've been practicing my hand lettering. This is one of my favorite quotes.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Owen and his snuggles


He is so cute and getting so grown up. He is so excited for kindergarten to start in just a month!

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

The snow cone stand

The kids have set up a stand several times this summer!

Monday, July 25, 2016

Catherine in Utah

Catherine spent Saturday, Sunday and part of Monday in Utah with Nana and Grandpa. She had a lot of fun visiting all the cousins!

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Adam and his friend Connor

It is so hot here. Thankfully we have lots of swimming going on each day!

Friday, July 22, 2016

Julianne gets home!

Julianne's high school mission trip returned late Friday night after working at the St. Louis area dream center -- a place where underprivileged kids go after school.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

I dug out my kindergarten picture



close your eyes and imagine 15 years from now, my son (white, blonde, blue eyed) and his second cousin (bi-racial, brown hair, brown eyes)

they both are independently driving somewhere in the US late at night with a broken tail light.

Even with identical responses to an officer are you confident they will be treated the same?

Sadly, I am not confident in equal treatment. And until that day comes, I will not sit by silently.

Are you confident that you would respond the same to them on a dark street if their immediate identity was not apparent to you?

Sadly, I am not confident I would respond the same. And until that day comes, I will continue to try and educate myself on how to understand my own biases and prejudices.

All my love to all of you. These are hard things. But we all must think about them. We all must try and place ourselves into different and unique circumstances and think through the ramifications.

Everyone's circumstances place everyone along different points. I don't pretend to understand a lot, but my experiences are different from yours.

I will leave you with one of mine. I was the only white girl in my kindergarten class. I remember this picture day very well. There were 10 more students in the class who could not afford pictures and they were not even allowed to be in the class photo. The photographer was unkind to them and I could not believe that they couldn't be in MY class photo. I don't know if that was policy or if that was a prejudiced individual who chose to erase from my class photo 10 kids due to their poverty and/or their skin color.

I have seen them erased my whole life. I have seen myself receive better treatment because of my skin and because of my eyes and I can still see those classmates excluded.

We have a problem.


I wrote this in response to so many of the hateful things people are saying about race in the United States.  I am grateful to have gone to school with such diversity.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Love spread out


Julianne is on mission trip in Missouri. Catherine is a EFY in Provo. It's going to be a quiet week.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Friday, July 15, 2016

Early morning boat runs


Adults only on the 6:30 am boat!

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

All the free days



\

It was 7/11 so we went for free slurpies and then it was free chick fil a days if you dressed like a cow!  

My swim team boys

Monday, July 11, 2016

50%

I am halfway to my goal of 1000 miles running in 2016. I am 11 days behind. since I hit the halfway point on July 11th. The biggest lessons learned so far are. . .
1. set smaller goals
2. Persistence is a blessing and curse
3. missing 11 days puts me 33 miles behind so it takes 33 days of running 4 miles instead of 3 . . . OUCH!!! there's bound to be some moral in this like "missing one day, messes up everything." but I refuse to see it and so I run on.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

My love language

Smoked brisket tacos, nachos, juevos rancheros . . .

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Random things I learned


TIL today
1. How to make gelato (it was divine)
2. How to jump start a pool filter motor
3. What a motor capacitor is and how to replace it.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Happy Birthday mom!

Today you'd be 62!

I'm seeing you more and more appear like magic in me.  The ways the wrinkles around my eyes form when I smile catch me off guard- most often while glancing in the rear view mirror.  I miss you.


Thursday, July 7, 2016

How to know if my kids are at the pool. . .


as if we aren't loud enough to know from the parking lot!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Tuesday night tradition #AGT


The only show that captures the undivided attention of the whole family ages 5- 42, America's got talent. It's a summer tradition here that I love!

Monday, July 4, 2016

The 4th of July drink!

I could make these every patriotic holiday for the rest of my life and die a happy woman. Science and food. mwah!!!

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Stars and Stripes Southlake

Our town does fireworks and celebrations on the evening of the 3rd. We had a great time! It was hot!

Saturday, July 2, 2016

The boys with Grandpa Handy

Nana and Grandpa have been visiting with Utah! The boys have loved having extra playmates around!