if you don't like the weather in texas wait 10 minutes

yesterday it was 75 degrees and today it's below freezing outside and snowing - only in texas! people joke about having to check the weather report before getting dressed but i thought that was totally normal. if i haven't watched the news before picking out my clothes, i will call time-and-temperature to see what it's like outside (and primarily what it WILL be like)! about the only time you don't need to worry about it is in the dead of summer because you KNOW it will be hot!!

the snow is pretty but only if i get to stay in the house and watch it! i sure as hell don't want to get out in it! unfortunately, i think i have influenced my kids to feel the same way. i asked them if they wanted to go out and play in the snow and they said "no, it's too cold and wet". they are 3 and 6 - they are supposed to love playing in the snow!! i even had to force them to go out in the yard for a few minutes just to get a picture of them in the snow!

we just found out that our church has cancelled Christmas eve services (that is always my favorite church service of the year) because the streets are getting too bad to drive on. i hope all of our family will be able to make it over to our house tonight (and to go back home to their houses tonight too)! :-) a white Christmas sounds great in the story books but it is actually kind of a pain unless you can stay "holed up" in your own house!

watch out hannah montana

last night was the first grader's Christmas program at school and she did awesome! she sang a bunch of songs with her class, she had a solo (she actually had two but the other little girl sang over her part during one of the songs) and she read the closing prayer. i was very proud of her!

i've known for some time that my first grader has quite a "personality"! she is a ham - she loves to be the center of attention - that i get! what i'm not sure about is where she got such a pretty voice from because it definitely was not from me. i can't carry a tune in a bucket)! her dad is not really a singer either (i'm trying to be nice) and he is way too shy to get up in front of people to sing. he wouldn't even be able to get up and speak in front of 10 people and she got up there and sang in front of 300+ people (standing room only) and wasn't even nervous!

happy birthday Jesus!

family christmas letter

wow - i've been so busy lately that i haven't even had time to read other people's blogs much less write my own! i will write something soon but for now here is our family Christmas letter that we sent out this year:

2009 has been a very busy year with a lot of ups and a few very hard lows!

Some of the ups – We spent most of the summer in the water – either going out on the boat or to the local water park or to the neighborhood pool. The girls took swimming lessons and the first grader can actually swim now (hopefully she won’t forget it all by next summer)! The four of us took a trip to Chicago in July to visit my brother Mike and his wife Erin. We had a great time visiting and playing tourists (although the water in Lake Michigan was COLD)! The hubby and I went to the NASCAR races again this year in April and he went to the Chicago race in July and to the Texas race in November and we also took the girls to the truck race in June. The hubby and I saw Robert Earl Keen in concert three times this year but the best was when we went to see him at Gruene Hall on November 13th with my aunt and uncle. It was awesome! We stood right in front of Robert Earl Keen during the concert and then I got his autograph!

A few of the downs – Our dog, Kitty, died in April. She was almost 14 years old. We have not gotten another dog yet. Unfortunately, my 98 year old paternal grandmother passed away on November 5th. She was such a kind-hearted woman and will be greatly missed. We went to Rayville, LA for the funeral. It was a bittersweet trip because we got to see some family that we hadn’t seen in a long time, but we had to say goodbye to a person who was such a joy in all of our lives.

The hubby is still working for the same heating/air conditioning company based out of Dallas. Because he was able to get a very good deal on a set of golf clubs, he has started playing whenever he can. Funny how we saved so much money buying this set of clubs, yet he has to spend so much to play the game! His 1972 Chevy step-side is still a work-in-progress, but it looks pretty good now!

I am still a stay-at-home mom but have been extremely busy with all of my work at the first grader’s school. I am the room mom this year as well as last year. I was the treasurer of the PTA last school year and am now the PTA president and treasurer. I am no longer babysitting for our neighbor’s daughter, Sophie, but we do get to see her often since they live next door! I am in relatively good health and am even more thankful for it after going through a medical ailment this summer. For about a month and a half, I had severe joint pain. It started off minor and progressively got worse until I could barely move (even while on prescription medications). I saw my primary care doctor and a rheumatologist and had MANY tests run and they finally put me on steroids which made me feel so much better. I still don’t know what caused it, but I’m just happy that I feel better now!

The first grader (6) is still doing gymnastics and really enjoys it. She is in 1st grade now and has been on the A-honor roll (both 6-weeks). She has lost 2 teeth so far (with 2 more very close to coming out). She may even be singing “All I Want for Christmas is my two front teeth” in time for Christmas. Just last month she went to a Dallas Cowboys football game with a friend from school – at the new stadium – in a suite!! She is now the only member of the family that has been to the new stadium! Brooke will be singing a solo in the Christmas program at school. She has been practicing A LOT!

My little one (3) is doing gymnastics now too. She loves it and her teacher says she is a natural. This is the first year that it has just been the two of us alone everyday and I’m enjoying it so much. She is at that age where she wants to do things just to please you and wants to help out. She is my little helper and I couldn’t ask for a better one!

We hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful 2010!