Oh Give Me a Home...

where the buffalo roam...

 and the deer and the antelope play.  Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word....and the skies are not cloudy all day.

Well....I definitely live in a home rather NEAR where the buffalo roam.  And I shot these guys last night on a quickie shoot at the request of a friend.  And I should most DEFINITELY clarify here that I shot them with my CAMERA...just to be clear on that point.  I know that there has been plenty of wildness going on here since we landed in Texas...but I assure you that it stops with the blonde mess of hair on my head and does not extend to the picking up and bearing of firearms.  Anyway...Seems my friend's little guy is really into these buffalo that they see each morning as they head off to school and she thought it would be neat to get a good shot of one or two and frame them.  They were exceedingly cooperative.  They looked right at the camera and struck the loveliest of poses for me.  Very buffalo-like.  And quite frankly....I rather like them!  And so...I DO have a home somewhat near where the buffalo roam...and I imagine there are plenty of deer and antelope frolicking about in these Texas hills and woods.  I'll plead the 5th on the whole discouraging word issue, because to tell you the truth I am frequently discouraged here lately in the whole realm of parenting and raising the teens and tweens. But that's neither here nor there.   And as far as that whole "skies are not cloudy all day" verse.  Well....it's not cloudy TODAY.  And that's something we can just raise the roof and praise God for ! And so today...three out of four just ain't bad!

Spring Is In the Air

It's beginning to look a lot like spring around Texas.  We have had about three days in a row of beautiful,  sunshiney and warm ISH kind of weather.  Three days in a row of sunshine is a pretty big deal to this lover of desert dwelling!  I have missed the sunshiney warmth and glow and happiness that pours directly from the sun.  It does seem to stay hidden a LOT here in Texas.  However...the past three days have been lovely.   And all of that sunshine and warmth and loveliness have inspired some lovely projects!  For one, we decided to plant a garden.  Now...any type of agricultural or horticultural experiment in this house is pretty much doomed before the first roots sprout.  However...like I said...all this sunshine has inspired us and doomed or not, we decided we'd plant ourselves a little garden.  Little being the operative word!  And we spared ourselves the whole tearing up of the yard and having to look at the scars of that failed garden attempt for months or years to come, by building ourselves a couple of raised gardening boxes.  They are QUITE cute!  Chris Roberts absolutely outdid himself this time around.  I am impressed beyond words.  The kids and Chris spent most of yesterday's sunshiney afternoon hours designing and building our garden boxes.  Then, this morning, we went out (in our p.j.'s no less)  and planted our first precious seeds and the few actual plants that Chris purchased.  What's growing in our garden?  (I guess I should say "What do we HOPE grows in our garden").  Well, we have some squash and zuchinni, some cucumbers and some okra in gardening box #1.  Gardening box #2 we have deemed our "salsa garden" and in that box we hope to find tomatoes, cilantro, onions and peppers.  We are excited and hopeful...though not overly so.  After all...sunshine aside, I am, if nothing else, a realist.  And I have little faith in the greenness of my thumbs.  However, here are some pictures to document our little adventure and journey into gardening.

  Now all we have to do is sit back, throw a little water on the seeds, and let God and the sunshine work together to do the rest!  I know He can do miracles...and despite the fact that our crop is firmly planted in Miracle Grow potting soil, I suspect a much BIGGER miracle will be needed to produce anything from our little plots.   Here's to the adventure of gardening though and working the soil and the whole blood, sweat and tears, fruits of your labor stuff.  I'm excited to see what happens.  But am equally glad that there is a farmer's market just up the street.  You know...just in case!  I'm all about having a plan B!

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

This will shock you most likely.  But it is pouring down rain in Texas this morning.  Again.  And it's freezing.  Again.  Yesterday, well a few days this week, it was gloriously sunny and nearly warm,  you know...warmish.  Barely 70's.  But still...in the sunshine and the heat of the day it felt decent.  Yesterday was really pretty.  Blue skies, a few soft cottony clouds for sky decoration and warmth!  And then, we closed our eyes for a few short hours and woke up to....torrential downpour and the thermometer reading 38 degrees...and falling!  Our rain could turn to snow flurries a bit later.  The weather in Texas is just so weird!  Of course, any weather after living without it for five years seems a bit weird really.

What's happening with the Roberts family?  Besides the weather woes?  Well, we've been tackling some home improvement the past few days.  We've really done essentially nothing to the house since we moved in, save for adding the hardwood floors downstairs right after we moved in.  We had planned to do that...but not until a bit farther down the road.  But then we found such a smokin good deal (got to love the hurting economy!) that we moved that project way ahead of schedule.  And then we've pretty much done nothing since.  This past week we added two new rugs to the hardwood.  One under the dining room table and one in the living room.  It made a huge difference in the appearance of both rooms and I finally feel like they are nearing done.  The living room still needs a bigger lamp, or an additional lamp.  And the dining room needs some greenery I think.  In addition to the rugs, we added some beautiful bar stools to the kitchen.  I had been drooling over some for quite some time, but as usual, my tastes were a bit on the expensive side.  And as much as I loved them, there was no way I wanted to pay nearly $500 PER barstool!  I had looked online endlessly and really had made little headway into finding them any cheaper.  I'd find them for a little cheaper...but then once I had to have them shipped to me...well...the savings was gone!  I had nearly given up on having any.  I didn't want barstools just for the sake of having something there.  I had a specific vision in mind.  Then, the other day, my friend mentioned this little place down the road.  It's a furniture store that is not exactly fancy.  And by that, I mean they operate out of a sort of garage.  Literally.  They roll up the big door on the front every morning and there sits all the furniture in one huge space...no walls or fancy arrangements.  It's just there, on the concrete floor.  Anyway, she asked if I had been and told me they had some pretty barstools.  She had been with me when I found the $500 barstools.  When I asked her if they were more reasonably priced she said that she remembered that they were.  And so I swung by there just the other day.  And I found EXACTLY what I was after!!!  And they were only like $150 each, as opposed to the $500 ones that were my benchmark!  I sent Chris by the same day to take a look and he liked them as well.  And we got them home and assembled and in place last night and they are BEAUTIFUL!  They are exactly what I was after and I love seeing them there.  I am also looking forward to being able to serve breakfast there at the bar and feed the kids there too when Chris is gone!  Unfortunately, the discovery of THE barstools, also led to the discovery of some other really groovy and FUN barstools that I could NOT get out of my head.  They are horse saddles, and they have been mounted on a bartstool.  And I started thinking about how fun it would be to put them at one of those high bistro tables up in the game room.  It would give a nice place to sit up in the gameroom, and give a hard surface for doing puzzles or working on scrapbook stuff or playing boardgames.  They are so totally precious and fun.  That idea then kind of started another whole snowball idea and I envisioned a whole western, cowboy themed gameroom.  a room painted a warm, deep gold and loaded full of Texas stars and lariats and cowboy "stuff".  I have AWESOME canvases of the boys in cowboy hats that go up there.  And it wouldn't take anything to do one of Clara to compliment them.  I think it would be such a fun room up there when we were done with it.  Of course, those two barstools are going to cost me $800...more than the FOUR barstools I just got!  But they are SOOOOOOO cute and fun and different and I think they SO totally would make that room.  I LOVE them.  And by that, I mean I am truly obsessed with the thought of them and cannot even begin to stop the flow of ideas that just come with them.  I LOVE them. Chris pretended to think it was a good idea too. I don't know if he loves the idea as much as I do. He asked why I wanted to paint that room. I suspect it's mostly because he hates to paint that he really wants to know...not because he doesn't like my idea. Anyway...that room is FULL of holes and dings and when I take the things off the walls that they have up there that need to come down then it's REALLY going to be obvious how many more holes are there...and so...it needs to be painted regardless. It's a cool, soft, gray green right now. And it's pretty. But I want bright and warm and inviting and FUN. And I want a palette that I can bring in lots of reds and browns on. And the green....well, I'm not feeling it so much! We'll see what happens. Perhaps for mother's day there will be two barstools for me? Or, better yet, maybe the Easter Bunny will bring them for me? I have been very, very good this year. I mean VERY good. To say that I am deserving of the silly cowboy barstools...well, that's the understatement of the year. I SO deserve them!

What else? It's been Spring Break this week. WHICH was a total bust for the Roberts family. We had planned to go camping somewhere Thursday through Sunday. HOWEVER....apparently, the entire state of Texas goes on Spring Break at the EXACT SAME TIME. The ENTIRE state!!!! Which a big old royal pain in the fanny! Do you know how big Texas is???!!! YIKES! There was not a campsite to be held. Anywhere. And so we let go of the idea of camping and decided that since we have barely explored this new place we live in, that we would just do some day trips. Yeah. Well. That didn't happen either. We TRIED. But every single attraction or park or point of interest in Texas...due to the entire state being on break at the same time, was BEYOND slammed. The interstates were gridlocked. The airport was a nightmare. Every parking lot for every big thing around was full beyond full and people were hiking miles at a time just to GET to the attraction. It was all manner of craziness. And so we came back home and put together some barstools instead. Next year we will make our reservations WAY in advance and we WILL be leaving this crazy metropolis for a getaway! The kids are out of school in two weeks again...just for one day, but still, it gives us a long weekend and we hope to try the camping thing then. We'll see how that all pans out. But this spring break, in the here and now was officially a BUST!




In other news? Well....there isn't much. Kids are all healthy. Boys are typical moody teenagers. Clara is her typical, nonstop chatty self. I'm more than a little ready for them all to go back to school on Monday. And life...for the most part...is good in Texas!

A Day in the Sunshine

Today was BEAUTIFUL!!!!  Gorgeous beyond words!  It was sunny.  And WARM.  It could have been warmer...but I can't complain after all of this cold we've had.  A day such as today just calls for some outside time.  So that's what my girly and I did.  We headed out into the fresh air and soaked up the sunshine.  We had some giggles along the way...and lots and lots of smiles.  A few of which, I captured to share with YOU!  Enjoy!

 

Where Does the Time Go?

It's been ages since my last update.  I laughed when I saw the picture of all the snow in my last post!  That seems like forever ago.  In reality...it surely wasn't...but it seems that way!  Today is March 13th, a beautiful, sunny delicious looking Saturday morning.  Now...it might be boogery cold out there.  I doubt it. I mean...I doubt it's warm (or at least warm by MY definition), but I don't think we are sitting in the 30's either.  Though nothing surprises me in this state anymore!  Anyway...plans for this gorgeous day?  NONE!  Well, we are meeting Jim and Jackie for dinner or they are coming over...something.  But other than that....nothing!  And THAT is a wonderful thing.  It RARELY happens like that for us.  I fully intend to enjoy it!

So...what's been going on with us? Well, for one, there have been lots and lots and lots of discussions with teachers at school.  Can you guess which kid is the subject?  It's the usual culprit...our Max.  I got a "request for conference" a couple of weeks ago.  More like a summons.  I had to ask which child it was about.  The teacher told me it was Max, followed up by the famous "Max isn't working up to his potential and I'd like to discuss it with you before it gets any worse" comment.  Man...if I had a nickel for every time I've heard THAT one.  So my first immediate thought was "No thank you.  I don't want to conference.  Thank you for asking."  But I figured THAT might not go over well with the school.  But I did let the teacher know via e-mail that I had had that EXACT conference more times than I could count...and that I would be happy to go in and have it with her...AGAIN.  I told her all the things we've tried over the past 2 years.  And she agreed that we had pretty much done everything we can as parents.  And so...wonderful teacher that she is, she proposed something that I BEGGED his school in AZ to do but they refused.  She bumped him down a level in not one, but TWO classes.  He got bumped from his gifted english and history classes into the PAP class below it.  Now, those are still advanced, honors classes.  But still.  It's a bump down, nonetheless.  Max wasn't too happy about it and proclaims that he's now in with all the "stupid" kids.  I had to remind him that he was acting very much like one of the "stupid" kids, getting F's in his classes, which is what landed him in the stupid class.  Which...I repeat....is still an HONORS class.  Anyway...typical Max....he's struggling with his pride and displaying his typically cocky, I'm better than you and everyone else attitude.  I'm hoping this bump was enough to get his attention.  If not, then I 'm sure summer school, or repeating the 8th grade will do it.  He says he CHOOSES not to turn stuff in and to not do well.  I guess we'll see how that strategy works out for him in the near future.  I know now why animal mothers eat their young at birth.  Parenting teenagers is NOT for the faint of heart.

What else?  Well...Clara continues to be healthy and happy and is doing wonderful in school.  She just got her report card yesterday and it was chocked full of straight A's.  They get number grades here in elementary school, just like the older kids and she had nothing lower than a 96 on her report card!  She's a very good student.  Ben is also doing well.  He broke his toe about 3 weeks ago on our family room chair.  He ran into it while chasing the dog.  He not only broke it, but crunched it, to the point that he made the bone bleed.  He's been  in a styling walking boot, shoe thing for the past three weeks.  He has to wear it through Spring Break and then it can come off.  Other than that...he's doing really great.

Chris is liking his job.  For the most part.  As with any job, it has it's share of aggravations and things that make him nuts.  But overall he seems to enjoy the challenge and pace of things.  We are looking forward to getting away for a couple of days next week to do some camping.  The first time we've been since the beach last summer!  The only problem is that it's proving rather difficult to find a place to go since the entire state of Texas goes on Spring break at the exact same time!!!  Uggggh!  The things you discover in a new place!  Anyway...we'll figure something out!  Maybe Louisiana camping?

And me?  Well...I'm keeping plenty busy.  This house is no small thing to keep clean.  It's a LOT of house to stay on top of.  Especially with my three kiddos!  And I've been hitting the gym at least 4 or 5 days a week.  Last week, I went back to Arizona for a sister's weekend.  We all went to Donna's new house in Scottsdale and hung out.  The down side of that trip is that the sunshine and warmth that I was desperately craving DID NOT HAPPEN!!!  We had ONE day of sunshine and the rest was rain, rain, rain.  We got to go hiking for one day and had an amazing and beautiful sunset horseback ride.  But after that day...it was all a dark, gray, rainy blob.  Nonetheless, the sisters had a wonderful and fun time together!    Here are some pics from the one sunny day that we had there!

These javelina were right by Donna's house.  They stopped so nicely so I could snap their picture!

The wildflowers were just starting to bloom on the lower parts of the hiking trail.  So fresh and pretty and sping like!

It was a wonderful trip.  And in the end, I guess all of that rain was a good thing.  It sure made it a lot easier to come back home to Texas.  And the sun was shining so bright and warm and beautiful for me when I landed.  I came back home with more of a sense of peace.  Texas is where I live right now.  And I'm good with it.  I thought I might go back and visit the desert and be crazy sad about having left it to move here.  But it didn't work that way.  I loved being there.  It was beautiful.  And there is something magical about the desert that I just think is good for the soul.  I will always love and adore it.  But I'm good with Texas.  I'm good with living here and making a new life in the Lone Star State.  Maybe I'll end up back in the desert some day.  Maybe in a few years I'll think there is no place on earth like Colleyville, TX.  Who knows.  But for today...I'm happy with my Colleyville address.  I love my Colleyville house.  And I am grateful for the friends that I have made here.  Life is good in Texas.  And I know it even more now, thanks to my trip to Arizona!