Harry Potter Rules!!!!!

I am now on book six of the Harry Potter series.  Let me just say that I have thoroughly enjoyed them.  What an amazing world J.K. Rowling has created.  I highly recommend for children and adults alike!

Doesn't everyone take pictures of their odometer?

I know I'm a dork so let's not actually add that to the comments section, o-kay.  This is my odometer on   my 2000 Honda Odyssey on the way back from Mo Ranch.  If you notice it says one two three four five six.  Not only is that a LOT of miles for one car, it is also just really cool.

Vacation vacation

We have been vacationing fools the last two weeks.  First we went to our church family camp at Mo-Ranch which is in the hill country outside of San Antonio.  We go every year and it is a highlight of the girls summer (and their parents!).  My hubby has been going to Mo (as the experienced Mo-Ranchers say) since he was about 5 years old!  The Guadalupe River runs through the middle of the property and provides both a deep riverfront with a giant slide and rope swing and a shallow area with rapids and natural "hot tubs".  We keep the sunscreen companies in business that weekend because we are outside for hours and hours at a time.  Below is a portion of the  rapids area.
Isabella is in the red and blue shirt.  I LOVE swim shirts!  Less burn = happier kids.
This is the first year that our eldest has not stayed in our room with us.  She has graduated to staying with the Youth group.  WOW!  how did that happen.  That's her below sprinting through the obstacle course of the annual Mo-Mania event.  We hardly saw her on the weekend.  Well, actually, we saw her but she rarely acknowledged us.  Teen years are bearing down on us and I'm NOT READY!!!!!!!


Following Mo we had 36 hours to wash clothes and pack for the trip to Orange Beach, Alabama.  We went with my parents and by brother and his family.  It was a very nice time, got really tan.  I know tan = bad but man does it look good!  We took a family portrait on the beach while we were there and below are a couple pictures I got before we left.  The dress code for the day was light blue or white.  Madeline (my eldest) had gone ahead to help my brother with my 4 month old nephew and 4 year old niece so we didn't get any pictures of her.  Mostly, I wanted a couple pictures of myself for the family album because if I die they will all mourn that there are no pictures of me!  I'm always taking them, I'm NEVER in them!!!!!!!

Go ahead, ask me what time it is...

Because after a month without my trusty wear-it-everywhere Timex ironman watch, I got desperate enough yesterday to change the battery myself.  It took several google searches, the best being from this site, the pictures were very helpful, and borrowing my 8 year olds glasses (She's got bifocals... there's this whole tiny world out there that she gets to see everyday!!!!).  Add a $4 battery and I have my watch back!  I'm so happy!  I haven't actually gotten it wet so I don't know it is still waterproof.  But that's a whiney post for another day.

July 4 photos

Spent July 4 weekend down at hubby's brother's vacation house. I blogged about it here, calling it the Redneck Riviera. We had a lot of fun. The weather was nice, not too hot but a little overcast, which isn't all bad when considering how hard it is to keep sunscreen on children who are in the water all day long. Couple pictures...



S

The next question is: Can we afford braces and therapy?

Karen may have 19 baby rats but I have an 8 year old who thinks playing Goth is fun.  You should see her teeth too.  Seriously, braces are going to be a necessity but if she keeps up with this stuff therapy is going to be a close competitor.  Oh for the days of Princesses....

Paid for!

Isn't that attractive?  The answer is yes, because as of yesterday those suckers are paid for.  One mouth of near perfect teeth only two to go.  I'm never going to get a new car....