Introducing Lulu!

Elise is the proud owner of a new beta whom she decided to name Lulu. I tried explaining to her that fancy betas are boys (the females are very plain looking), but she insists that hers is a GIRL.

A huge debt of gratitude is owed to Grandma & PaPa who have agreed to let Lulu live at their house, because mommy has absolutely no desire to care for a fish. The poor thing would probably die over here!



*I am so anal that I just googled "when to use who and whom" to make sure my first sentence is grammatically correct. I just got a lovely refresher on subjective & objective pronouns. I am studying grammar on a Saturday night - I clearly need help.

Just for you, Ang! :)

This song reminds me of Twilight

I've been listening to it and thinking of Edward and Bella a lot lately - yes I am Twilight obsessed! I totally think this song should be used in the Breaking Dawn soundtrack. I'm so excited that New Moon will be playing in NOVEMBER!!! Just 9 months to go! And they've finally given the green light to make Breaking Dawn (the 4th and last book) into a movie...so we should get to see all 4 on the big screen. Totally pumped.

Lucky Strike

Jamie and I went bowling with 2 other couples on Saturday night. We had a great time - our friends are such fun company. And I had a lovely view for most of the evening if I do say so myself...gotta love camera phones. :)

Jesus Loves Me

Elise's first dental visit

This post is late, but better late than never (I say that a lot, don't I?).

Elise had her first trip to the dentist a few weeks ago and got a glowing report. I was thrilled, because never in my life have I ever received good news from a dentist! At the end of the visit she got to choose a toy from the surprise box. What she chose really cracked me up.

A little too connected?

I've become one of those people...one of those people that bugs the heck out of me. One of those overly connected people.

There is nothing worse than being around someone that is constantly checking their Blackberry. It is one of my pet peeves - especially during a business meeting. Since getting the iPhone, I have become one of those people! I am feeling quite hypocritical. This thing is connected to my Facebook account & my email. Every time I get an email, my phone immediately notifies me. Knowing I have an email, of course I can't resist opening it to see what it is.

On all 3 of my message boards and Facebook, I have it set to send me an email each time I receive a private message, someone writes on my wall, etc. You see where this is headed...I am instantly responsive to all forms of email & messaging. I am sure my friends think I do nothing but sit in front of my computer 24/7! I assure you all, I am out and about doing normal things - but this dang phone has me so connected that I might as well be at the computer nonstop.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing. When I find myself typing emails while driving, I am certain it's a BAD thing. I am going to have to adjust some settings, because I am beginning to become a slave to all this technology. It is super cool to have the capability to browse Facebook while sitting in the movie theater, but it might not be the healthiest thing. Thank goodness I am not required to carry a Blackberry for work - that might push me right off the edge and into the deep end.

Fight for a smoke-free Texas

A friend of a friend suffered a huge loss last year when her husband - who never smoked - died of lung cancer. She sent me this information in an email, and I felt compelled to post it here since this is something that I feel pretty passionately about myself. I despise having to breathe secondhand smoke in order to enjoy a nice dinner out with my family, and I get inifinitely more upset when my child is exposed. Go, Lance! I am sending a letter to my representative.

"The debate is over, the science is clear." Those are the words from a recent U.S. Surgeon General's report on secondhand smoke. The evidence is overwhelming: smoke-free policies are good for health and good for business. That's why the Lance Armstrong Foundation is teaming up with elected officials, business leaders and other nonprofits to fight to make Texas a smoke-free state.Join us by sending a letter of support for a smoke-free Texas to your elected officials today.In Austin, Houston, Dallas, Corpus Christi and countless other communities across the state, citizens have voted for similar measures and taken steps to make their communities a healthier place to live and work. And in a recent survey of Texans, we learned that more than 67 percent support statewide protections against second-hand smoke.So today, February 10, advocates from across the state will converge on the State Capitol to ask their elected officials to help us make a difference in the lives of our fellow Texans. As someone who is deeply concerned about the health and well-being of my neighbors, I am asking you to help us show how much Texans care about this issue.Send a letter today to your elected officials to amplify the voices of the advocates at the Capitol.We proved with the passage of Proposition 15 in 2007 that Texans care deeply about their health and wellness, and we showed the power of what is possible when we organize. So let us stand together once more and fight for what is right for us and for future generations.

LIVESTRONG,
Lance Armstrong

Love Day

Valentine's Day holds a special place in my heart, not only because it's a day to celebrate love, but also because it is the day that I first met my love. Exactly 3 years ago today, Jamie and I had our first date. We have basically been inseparable ever since. It's odd, because 3 years really isn't that long, but it feels like it's been this way forever. I think I was pretty lost before Jamie came along. It feels good to be found. Every year around this time I think back to our first meeting, and it always brings a smile to my face.

We got a great Valentine from Elise this morning - she slept until 8:30! :) We gave her a gift from us and all snuggled in bed for a few minutes this morning before Jamie had to head up to the school for the last day of the 100-Inning Game fundraiser. Elise and I had a more leisurely morning at home and arrived at the field a bit later. We were just in time to watch the last game before the lunch break and enjoy the BBQ. I chatted with Trish and Mary for a bit and Elise got to play with her friend Drew. It was nice to spend the day together enjoying one of Jamie's favorite livelihoods...baseball! I'm learning to love it, because I love him. ;) I brought my camera with the intention of getting some pictures to share, but the rain showed up before I took any and cut our day short. No worries, though - the season is just beginning and there will be plenty of time for pictures!

We are having a nice, quiet evening at home tonight. Mom and Dad are having Elise spend the night with them, so I am sure we will incorporate some candlelight into our evening. I got Jamie some golf balls to go with his new set of Callaway clubs and a cookie cake (I know, it's not romantic, but it's what he likes). He got me this teapot along with this tea in a decorative storage tin. It's a "blooming tea", which means as the tea steeps, it opens into beautiful flowers, which you can see through the glass teapot. I love it! I've had my eye on it for a while, and it's very sweet that he remembered. As it turns out, this is great weather for a nice cup of hot tea - thunderstorms and all. It's also great snuggling weather, and we are making the most of it!

Happy Love Day. I hope everyone finds the kind of love we have found in each other.

My Bailey is 2!

Today is Bailey's 2nd birthday. In just 2 short years he's gone from this:



To this!



It just so happens that Elise and I are baking cookies for her Valentine Party at school tomorrow, so we gave each of the dogs a cookie to celebrate. :)

National Signing Day

Well, a day late, but better late than never! 3 of the athletes from our football team signed college scholarship papers yesterday. Our QB is going to Texas Tech, one of our wide receivers is going to Rice, and another guy (I'm forgetting his position at the moment) is going to North Texas. Congrats to them all! It's exciting to have 3 players signed in one year.

Super Bowl Sunday

We had a nice evening watching the Super Bowl with lots of good food! Mom surprised us all with chocolate fondue! She had such a good time at The Melting Pot that she went out and got her own fondue set. It was delicious. We dipped marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, and rice krispy treats. YUM!



She also got 3D glasses for everyone so we could enjoy the 3D commercials during halftime. Elise thought that was pretty cool.



I wish the Cardinals had pulled out the win - it was an exciting ending! I thought the commercials were kind of disappointing this year, although I wasn't paying very close attention so I may have missed some neat ones.

Thanks for the food & fun, Mom & Dad! :)

Around the house

A few pictures we've taken recently at home. Some puppy love and Mario Kart - what more could we ask for??

Family Pictures

I think we got some nice ones.

I have no idea why, but when I embed the slide show in this post, it removes all the widgets from the side of the page...very odd. They are still there but just don't show up. So, anyway, I am moving the slide show to the top of the page until I can figure out what is up!