Bobbing for apples!!!  Everybody was able to snag an apple

out of the bucket!  Talented teeth!

Hungry "creepers".......

The most adorable "creepers" creeping around at a birthday party ever!!!

On your mark...get set...go.........creepers pumpkin rolling races.

HMMMM.......now that's a thought.......

So you can spell............

A Life changer......he can spell........so now I CAN'T!!!!!  

Gone are the days when I could cuss under my breath and

spell out a "not nice" word......

or talk on the phone with my girlfriends about "important stuff"

and now HE GETS IT!!!!!! 

Reading and writing and spelling are a true miracle.....

And a showstopper.......

Just wondering....are we a ninja, indian chief or just an ordinary

speller in disguise?????????????

I give up...................

It's a fact!!!!!!!  I'm notorious late.......I fly by the seat of my pants........I love to challenge my energy...............and I CAN'T CATCH UP ON BLOGGING...... so I have decided to

forgive myself and just blog "moment memories".........

I have too many things to share to ever get ahead.....so

if I can just stay on pace.......I will be happy!!!!!

Stick with me....I will keep you posted on everyday happenings

around this "one crazy busy household!"

Oh be still my heart.......memories.......please God don't ever take these

precious moments from my mind....

Cool Ray selects a pumpkin with a "killer" stem!  (The most important part....)

Side note:  When he and Dad came out of the Sunglass Hut Outlet Store

this summer with a "kiddie" pair of Ray Bans........I knew 

we had lost it............

Looking good Griffin!

Score!!!  See that big baby in the middle!  30 lb. of fall "love"

right under the oak tree in my front yard!!!!!!

Gone gone are the goggle days..........

Seasons are a changing......summer to fall.........no more

nightly goggle hunts for swimming (just for showering! 

that way shampoo doesn't get in our eyes!)

Brilliant!!!!!

Changes are abound.......6 into 7.........sounding out words into reading......

card games into iPad games...........Juicy juices into "sodas".......

growing up is "hard to do" for  a Mommy!!!!!

Sunrise........

So my Bryce gets up literally at the crack of dawn.......yes he sent

me this beautiful sunrise picture a few weeks ago........

I can only imagine the peaceful and serene feeling of

such a perfectly clear dawn....

Too bad , I've become such a night owl!

I'm too busy cleaning up other's messes, going through little one's backpacks,

making sure laundry for the next day is handy

and just enjoying the quiet........

such a shame, can't have your cake and eat it too!

Griffin goes to...........

Memphis Tennessee!  We didn't get a chance to visit Graceland.

Maybe next road trip to the south!

Can you believe how exciting it must have been to hear

Elvis crooning on the radio....

it was so crowded in front of this famous

landmark......

Sun studios baby!!!  In Memphis, Tennessee.....

want to go back for some gooey messy bbq and

cheese biscuits!

Times Square Yogurt Shop...........

What a treat!!!!  Do it yourself yogurt shop with ALL the toppings you

can imagine........some sprinkles, some gummy bears, some coconut...

my little lovely loves loves this after school treat!

Makes you feel like you are out of town......

and the aroma of the delicious coffee just across the

room keeps me coming back for more

Thank you Manhattan Coffee House!!!!!!!

Terrific Tomato Tuesday.......................

Just look at these beauties!

So I've been tomato less for a couple of years now..

and now I've gone cuckoo over tomato recipes

next thing you know...I'll be searching out ketchup

recipes..........

Fresh tomato and cilantro pico!

Thank you garden!!!!

Fresh tomato and sausage pizza.......

thank you garden!

Griffin goes to.........................

The garden!  Finally, we've all decided today is the day.  The watermelon has

been inspected and is ready to pick!

Griffin looks a little nervous.........

Oh, please be careful!  I can just see it going SPLAT! 

After all of this anticipation----let's get it to the house in one piece!

Griffin is so proud!

Hurry , you two, the suspense is killing me!

SCREAM!!!!!!!!

She's a beauty!  Thanks Papa for giving us the gardening

wisdom back from the days when he would grow fields of

watermelons for all of the neighbors!

Remember, until the melon turns a whitish color on the bottom and

the little curly cue vine nearest to the connection is dry and curled

up, the melons will not be sweet and ripe!

GRIFFIN GOES TO.......................

Where oh where is Griffin?

Oh where oh where could he be..............

Tybee Island , Georgia!  Home of the famous oldest working lighthouse.

We made it just in time to climb to the top (12 flights) of stairs.....I thought

I was going to die and Dad had to stretch out those cramped muscles

while Griffin and I shopped the museum shop!  

We didn't get much time to awe at the ocean view, storms were

blowing in and there was a lightning bolt spotted!

Down we go.

Chief Griffin.......

Remember the bee screaming kid on the Inn Of The Mountain

Gods golf course?????

Well, I quickly swept him out of there and into town

to do a little curio shopping!

My little chief is in school everyday now.....

It's so quiet around here...........

Thank goodness we only came home with a headdress

these thrifty "junk" tourist shops are a must

though when going to Ruidoso!

Happy boy...................

Back to school blues..?????  Not for this sweet young boy!  He LOVES school.....

just not the dreaded 1st day picture...........

Sad boy...............

Bryce celebrated his 19th b-day a few weeks ago!  But he's sure sad today.....

his sweetheart is going "back to school"!  What a fun summer and good

times had by all.......time for changes.........time for challenges.........

time for discipline..........but "time" goes by so fast!

Hang in there Bryce.......

Father's Day 2014

Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso, New Mexico is such

a treat for a Daddy golfer (serious) and a Jr. golfer (not serious)

but what a beautiful day .......

this is going to be fun (not!)

So big!  Getting to go play golf on a REAL golf course other than our

hometown "goat" ranch.....

Waiting so very quietly for Daddy to tee off....

be still and just watch the father tells him....

put your hands behind your back even so you

can be still............

A BEE!!!!!!!!!  A BEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  A BEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As loud as you can get, and on a quite golf course I think

they heard this all the way back into town!!!!!!!

Well....what do you know???????

What little boy doesn't like to collect trophies and ribbons!

The Pinewood Derby event is just a few days away...

AND

Working!  Painting (very fast)!  Sanding, sanding

and more sanding.....

Working! Sandpaper, hammers, nails, and a bag of candy!  What

 else do ya need???  (Mom to quit screaming, it's late and a school night, we've got to 

go to bed!)

Hellloooooo!  Yes sir, the winner of the Colonial Hill R.A.'s 2014 Pinewood 

Derby!  Thank you very much!!!  Two ribbons and a cool car!

Way to go Griff!

Summer pops!

My little love bug LOVES these summer pops!  

Stock up now on these "summer" only treats!

Got to get ya one!

I'm obsessed!  With quality sleep that is...

This great little device known as the "black" bracelet, UP by Jawbone.

You wear it night and day...although it doesn't exactly like water.

Other fancy features are recording exercise vs. calorie intake.

Just punch a little button when you go to bed, and it records how long it took you to 

fall asleep, sound sleep (deep) and light sleep (rest), and how many times you 

woke up during the night.  It's true, sleep is priceless!

I used to not pay attention to "tiredness".  It was part of my day, just accept and push on

until I married "Mr. Sleep King" himself.  Sad to say, his sleep patterns

stink!!!!!  He gets just the opposite of me, 5 hours light and 2 deep (maybe

if he's lucky)!  Poor guy.

I'm addicted to watching my sleep and feeling rested.  I even allow myself

and occasional "catnap".  Who am I??????????

Go Fly A Kite..........................No I mean really...............

 Kite day 2014.  We are hoping our "kitty" kite will make a showing.

For a little cheap  one that we snagged at Target just in the

nick of time...............

Griffin is so happy that his Daddy and his Gran could make the event!

 Son........you have to open your eyes!

 He's doing it!!!!!!  He ran all over this park trying to get it into the air........

Griffin's school has just over 40 students and it was so cool to see

the kids do something "Old fashioned" for fun.  40 kites up in the

air was something..........I got teary.....of course........

I have to admit.....I don't know who had more fun, Gran or Griffin.....I haven't seen

Gran laugh and smile that much in years.   Good for the young, good for

the soul.  What a memory!

Nothing like a cool snack on a hot hot evening...............

My idea of a perfect summer evening after swimming....

eating a BUCKET of mint chocolate ice cream

in the buff!  How cute, wish he could be this free

and innocent always!  

Summer fun!

Guess who?  Yes it's SpiderMom.......

cute glasses from McDonald's happy meal....

my child who loves nuggets with NO sauce,

NEVER eats the french fries.......

asks for EXTRA apples.......

and gets furious when the smoothie machine is down!

What a day!  I have played Old Maid, eaten my lunch in a fort, picked snacks

out of a chip bag that I would never eat on my own, played Mousetrap and Busytown

board games!

UNCLE!  I want to watch the Spurs win Game 7!!!!

Mother's Day 2014

I must say..........I feel like the luckiest Mommy in the world (or least in this dry, drought ridden

land called West Texas).  

Look at these beautiful boys! And little girl! They are so special to me and those around them.

I take my "Mommy" job very seriously!  I'm going to keep plugging away

and shape and mold them with my best ability.

I solemnly swear:

to cook good meals

navigate the washer and dryer

water the flowers and garden

play board games

watch Cartoon Network

text older boys and ask :where are you now:

pick up boots and socks

gripe about how messy everything get sooooo fast

run the Swifter 2 x a day (at least)

clean up messes, big and small

enough already.........

I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!

Field Trip! On the go.........

Abilene Zoo is amazing.  Just big enough to get your fill

of exotic animals and a good walk.  You can even feed the giraffes

from a tall bridge!  

Magic Man..........How does he do it???????

We went to a "magical" birthday party with a real magician and the party favors

were hats, capes and magic "trick" toys!

Well.............this proves it takes a little magic along with a lot of hard work

to do such great school work!  For a little boy who didn't want to recite his ABC's in full

or sit down with mommy and learn to write "G" for Griffin......I think he's got it!

Thank you Mrs. Smith for working your "magic" with Griffin!

We are finally Griffin CyperRt.  Not Griffin CyPET.  Our new identity is born!

Yes sir!  Another check +  .  Yes!!!!!  

Growing Up Is Hard To Do...............

WHO?  WHAT?  WHEN?  WHERE?  WHY?  HOW?

Some of you already know this story.....but it's worth posting!

One Saturday morning I awoke to a little boy with a one sided mullet!!!!!!!

Before panic set in..........he says "Don't worry Mommy, I walked with this scissors pointing down!!

Okay it goes like this!

Who?  Griffin

What?  Took it upon himself to cut one side of his hair OFF!!!

When?  After being tucked into bed......while I'm enjoying my warm bath.

Where?  Upstairs bathroom/downstairs trash compactor.

Why?  Because Grandma didn't brush that side of his hair YESTERDAY!

How?  With the "grown" up scissors!!!