Mom's Memories

Dylan's 13th Birthday

2011-07-05T10:25:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe Dylan is now 13 years old. His birthday was June 10th. I have been so busy with work and school, now's the first chance I've gotten to post about his big day. This year Dylan wanted a cookie cake. I ordered a double layer because I didn't want to miss out on the icing. Mrs. Field's knows how to make cookies. The cake was delicious. I didn't realize how big it was going to be, but we had James' mom, dad and cousins Linda and Dank to help us eat it.James' parents were in town for Dylan's birthday and watching his baseball game. James' cousins, Linda and Dank also came to watch him play. We were a very loud group. Everyone kept turning around and staring at the people who talked funny. LOL
For Dylan's birthday dinner, he chose to eat at Bandanna's. Notice the huge smile on James' face. This is his favorite restaurant, so he was happy Dylan chose it.

James' parents enjoyed our neighborhood yard sale. His dad bought items and tried to turn around and sell them again for profit. Didn't work out quite like he'd planned.

I took James' mom & cousin Linda to old Saint Charles. We visited all the shops and found the most amazing spice and mixes shop. The key lime pie cheese ball was delicious and caused us to spend way too much money. LOL

It was a great weekend celebrating Dylan's birthday, watching baseball and visiting with family.

Spring 2011

2011-05-21T08:40:00.004-05:00

Well, last Sunday I spent all day creating my birthday present. It's the picture of the shutterfly album below. It holds eight years worth of memories. One thing I hate about the digital era is not having print outs of my pictures to put in photo albums. I have several albums of pictures ranging from my childhood to when we first moved to Florida. A couple of years ago I tried creating a couple of pages on a digital scrapbook & printing them off. The pictures were so dark! But while I was on my new favorite obsession, ancestry.com, I saw an advertisement for photo books from shutterfly. I had so much fun going through all the pictures and reliving the memories. While watching a video of my great grandmother's 100th birthday, as I looked for pictures to add, tears were pouring every time I heard her speak. Memories are great in your head, but there's just a little something extra special about looking through a picture album. It's set to arrive on Monday. I can't wait!

We have been super busy this spring. I'm currently half-way through my training to become a surgical technologist. Classes are time consuming, but I love my program. This spring I've been in a class where we do mock surgeries every week. I've participated in a breast biopsy, carpal tunnel release, lap chole, appendectomy and some others. While at SLU anatomy lab I was able to dissect a kidney and explain their function to a bunch of highschoolers. In August I start going out for clinicals in the hospitals. I can't wait!

A lot of my "free time" is spent at the baseball field this spring. Dylan is in his third season of baseball. After two years of being slaughtered EVERY game, it's nice to be on an undefeated team. I'm actually paying attention to the games this year! Of course, I do still talk to any girl sitting next to me, but I'm actually keeping track of runs and outs. Who am I? Maybe all along I just needed some wins to get me into baseball. Watching Dylan out there makes me have flashbacks of watching James play in college. He plays the same position and let's face it, he looks just like James. Dylan's usually one of the top scorers on the team & he's great at center field. He's hoping to play on the high school baseball team. One more year to prove he's got it for varsity!

Last night Austin's eighth grade class had a dance. On Thursday he told me about; nothing like last minute decisions! I encouraged him to go and even ask one of the neighbor girls to go as friends. Well, he decided to go, but didn't want to ask anyone. We went to our trusty Target to buy him a nice shirt & tie. The kid has outgrow EVERYTHING lately! Now we're shopping in the men's department! Came home with a nice shirt & tie. Thank God James got home that night to teach him how to tie it. Poor kid would of had to go find a neighbor dad to teach him how to tie a tie because I have no clue. Before he left for the dance I said, "Don't just stand in the corner. Ask girls to dance. You'll have more fun." At 10 pm I went to pick him up at school. He got into the car and was exhausted from dancing. I'm so glad he actually danced! My little boy is growing up. Before we know it he'll be driving, dating, going off to college... Can we freeze time, please.

Photo Book

2011-05-15T21:20:00.001-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

December 2009

2011-01-22T11:06:00.002-06:00

For Austin's 13th birthday we went to Cancun, Mexico. We had so much fun, but we didn't carry the camera & video camera around with us that much. I had lots of little videos from time in our room & a visit to Tulum. Finally, a year later, I've put them all together in a movie to remember our time there. My movie making skills are basic at best.

It's so funny to see how young Austin & Dylan were then compared to now. Austin's voice is much deeper now & he's a lot taller than me now too. I'm glad we have these videos to remember this time in our lives.

2011-01-22T10:38:00.002-06:00

Just one month late, here's the video of Austin & Dylan's winter band concert.

2010-06-15T18:28:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe Dylan is 12 years old. I know I say it every year, but it's true. It makes me so sad to think of him growing older and one day moving out. Only six more years until college.

We started off Dylan's birthday by letting him unwrap his presents at 12:01 AM!!! Then we whipped him soundly (12 licks) and sent him off to bed. I awoke later (10 AM) to find him in the family room with his big rebounder already put together. We bought him a rebounder so that he could practice playing catch even with James out of town. Those of you who know me well, know that I don't play catch. I'm so afraid the ball will hit me that I end up closing my eyes which inevitably makes me get hit by the ball.

That night we took Dylan to Red Robin for dinner. After dinner, the neighbors came over to eat cake & ice cream. We also had fun playing Guesstures and Twister. The next day the boys had fun playing in the pool. Austin & Dylan had just recently watched the movie, "Fired Up". It's about two boys who join a cheerleading squad to get girls. Well, after watching all the cheerleading pyramids the boys were dying to try it out in the pool. It was hilarious to watch & they had a blast doing it.

If only I could read his mind.

Notice Buster licking Ryon's leg. I think he's trying to distract him!

A picture of the cutest dog ever!

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T12:00:00.002-05:00

Dylan is so sweet. For Mother's Day he made me breakfast. He made chocolate waffles. It was a receipe he found in a cookbook at the school library. They turned out great. It was like eating brownies for breakfast. What girl wouldn't love that?!

Soccer 2010

2010-05-09T11:56:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture of Austin's soccer team. He joined a new team this spring. In an attempt to save money I didn't purchase pictures this year. Instead, I took a picture myself. It would have been better if they were all looking my way, but it turned out pretty well.

I'm really proud of Austin. He's definitely giving it his all this year, whether in practice or a game. He has a great heart for the game.

Mexico

2010-02-21T11:52:00.002-06:00

This year Austin turned 13. For months we kept asking him what he wanted to do for his birthday. All he wanted was to go to the beach, even just for one day. Since we do have flight benefits, we do tend to take day trips that other people would not consider day trips. But the temps in Florida are not really warm enough for beach play in December. So we went to our favorite little website http://www.skyauction.com/ and bid on a trip to Cancun.

We stayed at the Oasis Cancun Resort. It's an all inclusive resort. They have dozens of restaurants. We ate so much while we were there. The beach had been erroded from a previous tropical storm in November, but James & the boys didn't care. They played in the ocean everyday.

We took the boys out of school for a week. We ended up having to go to Mexico a day early because the flights did not look good for stand-by the day we were suppose to leave. We Hotwired a hotel. We were so lucky. It ended up being the hotel right next door to our resort!!! It was a nice hotel, but not inclusive. It was practically deserted. Most of the time we were the only ones in the pool.

The next day we checked out of the Fiesta Americanas and rolled our luggage next door to the Oasis Cancun. It was like a different world. The resort was PACKED! We checked in and got to work eating to our hearts content while we waited for room to be ready.

We didn't take a lot of pictures while at the resort. Cameras and waterplay do not really mix. But while we were there we had lots of fun. Here's some of the things we did:

Lots and Lots of Drinks: Superman, Pina Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri, etc.

Playing in the crazy rough waves.

swimming in the pool that snaked around the entire resort.

Enjoying more drinks at the swim-up bar.

Playing & winning lots of prizes at Pool side Bingo

Water Volleyball

Kayak/Paddleboat tours

Took in a show

Ate way too much food!!!

Rented a car and drove to Tulum to see the Mayan ruins

We came back with nice tans which have since faded away. I miss the beach already, but two times in Mexico is enough. No more Mexico for us. We need to find a new destination.

Dylan's Winter Concert

2010-02-21T11:40:00.002-06:00

In December, Dylan's 6th grade band held their Winter concert. It was a great concert, only 15 minutes long! This worked out great because the girls I work with were all getting together that night. So Dylan & I had plenty of time to get to the restaurant to meet up with my friends.

This year I remembered to bring the tri-pod. It's much better this way. I tend to bounce a lot without it. Dylan did an awesome job. He's such a little musician. Next year he wants to join the Jazz band. That way he can go back to playing his guitar.

Austin's Winter Band Concert

2010-02-21T11:23:00.002-06:00

Austin is now in 7th grade. In December his school held their band concert. It was amazing to see how far along the students have come in two years time. I'll never forget that first band concert in 5th grade. There were so many "off" notes. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert this year. They sounded like a real band. I am so proud of Austin and his hard work to learn the songs. He did an awesome job!! Here's one of the songs they performed that night.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-14T09:35:00.003-06:00

The week before Halloween was super busy at our house this year. I had an old friend from Nashville in town visiting. I'd go to work during the day then come home & stay up late talking. It was great to spend time reminiscing, but it sure did catch up with me. I've been exhausted ever since! So, I'm finally putting up the pictures of the boys from Halloween.

When the boys were little I use to make a lot of their Halloween outfits. But over time they decided they wanted store bought costumes. Well, this year we went back to the homemade kind. Austin knew he wanted to be a zombie a couple of months back. He had an old pair of jean that got ruined last year when a red pen leaked in his pocket. For some reason I held on to those jeans. It's a good thing I did. Austin had fun ripping them & smearing make-up & blood on them. James did a great job helping him with the make-up on his face and arms. Up close it looked like parts of his skin were peeling off.

Dylan wasn't sure what he wanted to be. I knew we had a couple of old white sheets in the closet that we never used, so I suggested he be a ghost. It didn't take long for him to decide that was a good idea. Then we started talking about how we'd do it exactly. First I tried using a twin sized sheet. It was not big enough. So the day of Halloween we got out the king sized sheet & started cutting out the eyes & mouth. Dylan didn't enjoy the fitting sessions so much, but in the end the costume was pretty cool. The hula hoop added a great effect. As he walked it looked like he was floating.

This year the boys decided to go trick or treating separately with different neighborhood friends. James & I stayed home to pass out the candy. I was so worried Dylan would trip & fall. I pictured him coming home with a broken arm or leg. But at the end of the day he arrived home unscathed. I think this might be the last year of trick or treating. We shall see.

5K

2009-10-20T17:15:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday we woke up super early so James & Dylan could participate in the Lukemia & Lymphoma 5K. It was FREEZING!!! But I braved the chilly temps so I could be there cheering them on.
Look at all those people!!

My speedy runner

Our friends Don & Ashley participated too! Dylan placed in the top 3rd & James placed in the top half. Don & Ashley won medals for having the top times for their age groups.

Here's James coming in for the finish! I'm so proud of my boys.

Forest Park Balloon Glow

2009-09-19T12:12:00.006-05:00

Last night we joined our friends, Douglas, JD & all their kids at the Forest Park balloon glow. It was so cool. The park was packed. It took FOREVER to get there, but it was a great experience. We always love getting together with Doug & his family. The kids had fun playing together & the adults had fun eating & chatting.

This first picture is of the Energizer Bunny Balloon. It was huge!
I liked the gumball machine balloon.

Experimenting with light tricks

More light tricks

All the kiddos
Happy 20th Birthday to someone or something

A close-up view of the Energizer Bunny

Here's a video of the balloon glow. When the horn would sound all the balloons would fire up the flames. It was such a pretty sight.

First Day of School

2009-09-19T12:06:00.002-05:00

I'm such a bad mother. More than a month after school has started I'm finally posting the picture of the first day of school. Austin & Dylan hate this tradition. They feel embarassed that I'm taking their picture while their friends could be watching! That's why it's never a picture of great quality. I'm literally trying to snap a picture while they're walking out the door.

This year the boys are at different schools. Dylan is in 6th grade & Austin is in 7th. The first day of school Austin came home loving his new school. Dylan came home crying saying he wanted to be home schooled. Things have improved some for Dylan. He's no longer asking to be home schooled, but he definitely doesn't love his school like he did last year. Oh to have the problems of an 11 year old!

Saint Louis Zoo

2009-09-19T11:52:00.005-05:00

Right before school started, we decided to do one last summer thing. Off we went to the Saint Louis Zoo. They have a new exhibit where you can pet the stingrays. So, here's the pictures from our day at the zoo.
The zoo entrance
The stingrays were so soft. They loved to be petted. They reminded me of dogs because they would swim under your hand so you could pet them & then they turn around to come back for more. There were a couple who had really cute personalities. They'd splash you on purpose. Sometimes they'd flip up a little to look like they were smiling at you. I think we spent an hour with the stingrays, but it felt like just a few minutes - so much fun!!
Notice the happy face?

Not so happy anymore!!!
Austin's getting so tall!
Here's a mongoose.
My sweet boys
I took tons of pictures in the butterfly house. I was trying really hard to get a picture of a blue butterfly that kept flying around me. It was so fast! I never got a great picture of it, but here's some other beautiful butterflies.

We Have to Move!!

2009-07-28T14:52:00.003-05:00

I am so sad today! It's a yucky rainy day. Just kind of gives you the blues where you want to crawl back in bed for the day. James & I went to run an errand. We decided to go buy doughnuts to cheer us up. Risking our lives, we drove through a thunderstorm to get there. Finally we pull into the parking lot. "There's nobody here!" I said. Then I noticed all the windows were boarded up. The Krispy Kreme signs were down. On the door was a sign saying they had closed. WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?! The closest ones to us now are about 40 minutes away. That just made my sad day extremely sadder. How can we live here when there's no Krispy Kreme?

Missouri Botanical Gardens

2009-07-10T14:33:00.006-05:00

Last week I took the boys to the Missouri Botanical Gardens with my friend Doug. The boys & I had never been there before. They have lots of pretty plants. The kids really enjoyed the mazes & anything that featured water.
I love lillies. If I ever adopt a little girl, I'd name her Lily. Here's Dylan standing next to some pretty lillies.

Most of the kids standing in front of the Chihuly glass onions. At least that's what they look like to me.

Pretty peppers. We kept daring each other to eat one.

Trying out the macro setting on my camera.

Austin was staying cool in the shade. He was very tired after having stayed up all night at our church. Some of the junior high boys were having a lock-in.

I don't know what this building is, but I like it. Reminds me of an English cottage.

We were getting a lesson about this old tree. It has lightning rods & is grounded so that it won't get struck by lightning!

I dared Austin to touch the cactus.

Silly brothers

Landon, Doug's youngest, is too cute!!

If you look closely in the middle, you can see Doug with most of the kids down in the Japanese garden.

The boys were trying to touch a turtle. I'm trying to convince the boys that Swimmy should go live there. She'd have a huge pond to swim in & lots of family. But the boys asked, "What if those other turtles don't like Swimmy?" To which I replied, "Swimmy's friendly, of course they'd like her!" I don't think I've convinced them just yet.

The girls are resting in the shade while the boys continue to try & touch a turtle.

Mr. Chipmunk

Our only successful attempt at getting all the kids in one picture.

Dylan in the "pool" at Tower Grove Park. This is where we had our picnic. The kids had fun splashing in the water. It cracked me up that they had a lifeguard on duty. I know, I know. A child could drown in a couple of tablespoons of water, but seriously. Should we have lifeguards stationed at every wading pool/fountain around the country?

Landon, Clayton, & Aiden (with the gun). Aiden & the kid in the red shirt almost got into a fight. Then they were the best of friends. Boys are too funny.

Brenden loved the skates we had in our trunk. I had been meaning to take them to Goodwill for months. So glad we found someone who would enjoy them.
The adults were chillin in the shade while the boys played in the water. It was a fun day. Boy were we tired. Austin & Dylan slept the whole way home. If James would have been with me, I think I would have slept too. But since I had to drive, I don't think sleeping would have been a good idea.

Our New Pool

2009-07-10T13:23:00.004-05:00

Our first project was to convert our single gate into a double gate. "This shouldn't be too hard." For the record, don't ever start off a project by saying those words. It's like you jinx yourself or something. Day One, took off the old gate & cut part of the fence to create the 2nd gate. Dug post hole & set post. Day two, attached both gates with hinges. Couldn't figure out why they wouldn't hang just right. Then we noticed the post was rotten. So rotten that I ripped it out with my bare hands! Then we had the great joy of digging out the concrete from the old post so we could set the new one. That block of concrete was huge, but James pulled it out of there. I still don't know how he did it! Amazing!

The installers came to level out the yard. They weren't there an hour with the Bobcat before they noticed we had "plastic soil". I've never even heard of a such a thing. But basically it's soil that when you step on it, it feels like you're walking on an air mattress. We waited for two days to see if it would dry out. Three days later they came back. We thought we had just a tiny spot left that could be dug out & replaced with fine gravel.

Well that tiny spot ended up being about 5feet deep & probably 3x6 feet! Needless to say, our installation cost twice as much as it was suppose to.
After the installation was complete, our hard work continued. We had to take the left over dirt & back fill around the pool. It looks like our pool is only 3 feet deep, but we back filled about two feet deep around most of the pool. Once we were done back filling, we still had about 1/3 of the dirt left. "Now what do we do with it?" Well, we couldn't worry about that. We had to hurry & dig a trench & lay conduit & electrical for the pool pump. OMG digging a trench is HARD work!

Then James, our friend Don & I worked on edging, laying river rock & stepping stones. That's when we decided we've done enough. It was time to call in the professionals.

Then it started to rain. It's a good thing we called a landscaper. He came on this day & saw that we had a huge drainage issue. Apparently our pool was placed right where the water usually drains. This created a river in our backyard.

So the landscapers came. They hauled away the left over dirt, buried our gutter drains & regrade the soil to drain into a catch basin. They buried a drainage system around the pool & to the back of the yard.

Then they laid beautiful sod! It's so pretty. It would have been nice to do the whole yard, but we were trying to save some money. So in the fall I'm going to fertilize & seed the old grass. Hopefully it will blend in well with the sod next spring. Buster loves the sod. I've been catching him rolling around in it. Crazy dog!

Here's our beautiful new double gate. Now we just need to stain the rest of the fence to match. Oh yes, and build a deck. That will come later. Time to enjoy the pool!

Dylan's 11th Birthday

2009-06-12T20:04:00.004-05:00

This year for Dylan's 11th birthday we took 6 of his friends to the River City Rascals minor league baseball game. Before the game they had a carnival with blow up rides. The boys loved the bungee race. James & I were laughing so hard looking back at the pictures. The boys' faces were so intense. They really wanted to win!

The game was very entertaining. I told James it would be nice if little league games had all the extra stuff. Then I'd enjoy going to Dylan's games a whole lot more than I do now.

Dylan trying to get a hug from Rascal. I think Rascal's a dog, but not entirely sure.

Spring '09 Band Concerts

2009-06-11T10:38:00.005-05:00

Austin and Dylan's middle school band concert was back in May. If you watch the video you'll see first a picture of them standing in front of the school. It was so hard to take this picture. They were soooo embarassed that their mom was wanting to take a picture of them in front of their friends. Okay, what's wrong with wanting to take their pictures? Other parents were taking pictures too! PRE-TEENS!!!!

Dylan's 5th grade band went first. Those of you who watched Austin's video last year know that they are just learning to play. They spend the first 3 6 week sessions trying out different instruments. Then they choose which one they want to stick with. So, Dylan's been playing the trumpet exclusively for about 6 weeks. So all in all they did pretty well for having only been playing their selected instrument for 6 weeks.

Austin's 6th grade band is the last part of the video. Don't miss it!! It's amazing how much better they are in one year's time. The song is the Mission Impossible Theme Song. They did great! Enjoy the video!

Austin's New Passion

2009-05-19T17:41:00.003-05:00

Thanks to James' parents, Austin's new dangerous passion is riding the Ripstick. Enjoy the video of his trial & error while learning to ride. He's great at it now & rides all during Dylan's baseball games.

Bunny Love

2009-04-14T21:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I fell in love. In the past we have owned two different bunnies as pets. Hunny Bunny was my beloved class pet for my kindergarten class in Florida. We bought him as a baby & he was raised by kindergarteners. He was the sweetest bunny I'd ever seen. He hopped around my classroom & played with the kids. At story time, Hunny Bunny would stretch out & prop his ear up so he could listen to the story. We'd also take him to the playground on a leash & let him hop & dig tunnels in the sand. When we moved away from Florida, we couldn't take Hunny Bunny with us. He stayed behind in a first grade class with some of the kids who had been in my room the year before.

Once we moved to Missouri, we missed Hunny Bunny a lot. We talked a lot about getting another pet bunny. Then a friend of mine that I taught with gave us a bunny. It had been her sister's & she couldn't keep it. We were so excited to have a new bunny to love on. Only problem was Smokey did not like being loved on. She'd tolerate Austin, but hated the rest of us. She ended up running away to live with the other wild bunnies in the neighborhood. After that I swore I'd never have another pet bunny. I thought for sure Hunny Bunny was one of a kind & I'd never find another bunny as sweet as him. Until yesterday...

Our neighbors rang the doorbell. As soon as I saw those little bunny ears my heart melted. They came inside & we banished Buster to the backyard. Cuddles, the bunny, hopped around the family room. He went from person to person giving out sweet bunny kisses. He licked my chin! I'm utterly in love with this bunny! Don't tell Austin, but I just might be reconsidering the ban on bunnies in the Roberts house.

Birthdays & Dylan

2009-04-14T21:12:00.002-05:00

Last week Dylan mowed grass for the first time ever! He'll be 11 in June. Last year we taught Austin how to mow grass, so this year it was Dylan's turn. Austin is excited because this year we are going to let him ask the neighbors if they'd like their grass mowed. Austin has plans to be a millionaire by the age of 30, so he's excited to have a job at the age of 12. I'll get back to you on how the new enterprise turns out this summer. Dylan will have to spend a year in training cutting only the Roberts yard for now. Once he proves he's worthy, we'll send him out to the neighbors next year. We hate for Austin to monopolize all the business.

Dylan had to choose a science fair project this year. James has finally convinced Dylan to give baseball a try, so Dylan decided to incorporate his new found love of baseball into science. Dylan's project question was, "Does a baseball go farther when hit by a wood or metal bat?" He won Third place in the science fair! This was definitely a family project. James & Dylan went out to test the hypothesis that a metal bat would hit a ball farther. After he complied all his data, I helped him create table & graphs. Austin helped create the word art. It looked really good. Dylan did a great job putting everything together. He would have a made a 100%, if he would have listened to me about the controls. Oh well, he still made an A & had fun doing it as well!

April 9th was James' 34th birthday! Don't let him try to tell you he's 26! I was so excited to have birthday cake from a bakery again. We hadn't had a bakery cake since we lived in Nashville. I had to drive through the pouring rain & almost got lost to go get it, but it was well worth it. I can't wait for Dylan's birthday in June. I can already taste it - yum! James spent the day watching some of his most favorite movie (which just happened to be on cable that day) & playing online poker. We topped off the evening by visiting James' favorite restaurant, Bandanna's. The boys & I were so glad James got to be home with us this year for his birthday. It's just not the same when he's gone.

March - Wow!

2009-04-03T18:43:00.004-05:00

March was a bit of a whirlwind in our house. I had two closings during March, which meant lots of paperwork & deadlines to meet. Most of the month, I felt as if I was hardly ever home. The boys had spring break last week. We had talked about doing something fun, but close to home. I had every intention of going to Springfield, Illinois to see all the Abraham Lincoln things, but we didn't have a chance. Looking back it's hard to remember where the time went.

Day one of spring break: James & I cleaned out the garage. I mean REALLY cleaned out the garage. We took absolutely everything out. Threw away tons of stuff that had accumulated over the past year. We swept & sprayed it out. I hung more things up on the walls to give the illusion of more space. The workbench & tools were organzied. Those of you who know me, know exactly how happy this day made me. I do have a touch of OCD. You would think James had given me a huge diamond ring because I was so happy! Then the garage was so clean, I didn't want to put my dirty car in there. So, of course I had to wash my car!

Day two of spring break: We got a new refrigerator. Our old refrigerator stopped working a few weeks ago. I took all the food out & put it in the garage refrigerator. Two days later, it started feeling cool again. So, I moved all the food back into the old refrigerator. Then a couple of days later, it was hot again. Can you sense my frustration? So, we thought, why not put the garage refrigerator into the kitchen. No can do! It's too tall! Frustration!! So, we decide to go out & buy a new frig. I had just won $300 at work. We searched on Craigslist, hoping to get a nice used one. James & I drove all the way into scarey Saint Louis to an old junk shop. My mother will tell you I have expensive taste, always have. So, I can't find anything I want to buy for $300. We end up going to the Sears outlet & got a really cute stainless steel frig for $600. Twice as much as I really wanted to spend, but it was $300 less than what it would have been at Sears!

Day three of spring break: I get a call from a For Sale By Owner wanting me to come list their house for sale. I had dropped off a packet back in January. They finally decided they needed some help!

Day four of spring break: Paint the fireplace - finally! When we first walked through our house with our realtor, I said I'd paint the fireplace. Well, three & a half years later, it's painted. James has been putting up a protest for 3 1/2 years. I kept asking everyone who came to our house to tell James it needed to be painted. But no, James loved the RED BRICK! I don't really know if James changed his mind, or if I just drove him crazy. He helped me pick out the color. I spray painted the mantel white. I nearly killed us with the fumes. Mental note, when the can says paint in well ventilated areas, they don't mean the family room. Anyhow, it looked great 5 coats & a few hundred brain cells later. Then I went to paint the brick the gray color. It looked white! So, back to home depot we go to get the paint a little darker. Much later that night, with a cramped up right hand, I could see the fireplace I had imagined 3 1/2 years ago!

Then over the weekend, I took some buyers out to look at condos. We found one he really liked & VOILA, I sold another house! Then Wednesday I sold my Lake Saint Louis Listing! So, two houses closing in April too. It's going to be another busy month! And Dylan starts baseball soon! Can I clone myself? PLEASE??!!

2009-02-26T18:56:00.000-06:00

2009-02-26T18:54:00.000-06:00

Duck Tape

2009-02-12T06:56:00.002-06:00

Who would have ever thought someone could get so much enjoyment from duck tape? Austin has discovered that he can make just about anything out of duck tape. You can even google "How to make duck tape..."!

His first creation was a folder. It took him hours to make it. He was so excited when it was completed. He went to put a piece of copy paper in it & it wouldn't fit. He had measured notebook paper when starting his creation & didn't think about copy paper being wider. He so wanted to cry, thinking he had wasted so much time & precious duck tape! But no, he moved onto his next project.

Next Austin made a wallet. It actually looked really cool. Did you know duck tape comes in all different colors now a days? Well, Austin's wallet was black & red. He even made a letter A for the front of it. He uses it & everything. I should have looked for it & took a picture for this post. Austin probably doesn't even know where it is right now.

He's been working on his top hat for awhile. He started it after he finished the wallet, but ran out of duck tape. I refuse to fund his duck tape hobby, so he had to wait until he got some more money. Thanks to the abundance of snow we had a couple of weeks back, he had $35. He shoveled driveways in the neighborhood. James took him to get more duck tape while I was at work. I came home to find him working on his top hat with one of the neighbor boys, Bailey. I do have to say, it's a pretty sturdy hat. It's amazing how creative he can be. Now he's branching out away from google. Last night he started making duck tape shoes without any instruction. It's fun to watch his little mind work out all the problems.

I wonder what his next duck tape creation will be!

What a WEEK !

2009-01-18T19:25:00.002-06:00

Imagine me sitting in my family room. I had just turned off the DVR recording of Ellen & this is the image I see. My heart stopped as I gasped. Immediately I started thinking, "Where's James, Where's James?" I'm sure he had just told me the night before, but I can never remember! With the plane submerged like this, I couldn't tell where the engines were (this is the only way I can differentiate between his planes & the big ones). Then they start talking about 150 something people. I thought that's what I heard, but maybe I subconsciously put in the one hundred (his planes hold 50 something). Finally they say it's an A320. I know this isn't his plane. With relief came tears. Why didn't I cry when I thought it could be his plane in that water? Then my poor mother in law calls. I thought she probably had seen the news, but I didn't want to alarm her if she hadn't. She was so calm, "How are you doing?" "Where's your husband?" Immediately I knew she had seen the news, "It's not him. That's not his plane." I'm so glad I had figured that out before she called, or I think I would have broken down on the phone & totally freaked her out.

Six years ago when James decided to become a pilot I had fears. But throughout the years I've pushed those into the back of my mind. I'm so glad he's found a career doing something he truly loves - something he's good at! This week brought those fears back up to the front of my mind. I'm so glad he's home until Wednesday. We'll see how well I do when he leaves again. Hopefully by then I'll have repressed the fears once again.

Austin's 12th Birthday!

2008-12-24T23:32:00.003-06:00

Today, my sweet boy turns 12. It's hard to believe it has been that long ago that we were in the hospital on Christmas Eve awaiting the best Christmas gift I've ever received. Austin was the best baby ever. Slept great from day one, hardly ever cried. I was still in college when Austin was born & on at least three different occasions I had to take him to class with me. He never made a peep in class. He'd often watch the professors and listen so intently, as if he was trying to soak up every bit of knowledge he could. My professors would say he listened better than most of the students did!

Austin is artistic & compassionate. He notices the beauty in things & notices people who are in need & hurting. He has such a generous heart. He notices when people need a friend & tries his best to be kind to everyone. Sometimes his little heart will break when others don't do the same.

At this time in his life, Austin says he wants to be a surgeon when he grows up. He's definitely smart enough to accomplish this, if he doesn't let his flighty airheadedness get the best of him. I'm sure he will succeed in whatever he chooses to pursue. I'm not looking forward to those days when he leaves us to go to college & begin his adult life. After watching old home movies today, it makes me wish we could go back & have those sweet days all over again. Don't get me wrong, he's still a great kid, but I do miss his chubby cheeks & little voice.

To celebrate Austin's birthday, we took him to see Yes Man! the other day. He absolutely loves Jim Carrey. Then he had lobster tail at Outback Steak House. Austin said it's a good thing he's going to be a surgeon when he grows up because he likes expensive things! Then today, we took him to Build a Bear Workshop to create his penguin, Maxwell Smart. Also, the girls at IHOP sang Happy Birthday to him. That was great because he got really embarrassed. It's hard to believe this time next year he'll be a teenager. I don't want to think about it so I'm going to have to end this post before I start crying!

Have a Merry Christmas Everyone.

Black Eyed Boy

2008-12-22T00:40:00.002-06:00

Okay, this picture does not do this injury justice. I literally started crying when I saw it the first time! Friday, Dylan comes running home from his friend's house, holding his eye. Of course, my heart stops. I started thinking, "Great, we just canceled the insurance & now we have to go to the emergency room!" But then he removed his hand & I saw the black eye. My first thought was, "What did you say to Ben?" Of course, I didn't think Ben was the type of child to punch his friends in the eye, but Dylan can have a bit of a sarcastic smart mouth at times. But instead of accusing I asked, "Oh no, what happened?" Turns out, Dylan was playing capture the flag with some neighbor boys and slid in the mud. As he fell, his face smacked into the underground utilities cover. Thank God it is in the shape of a dome and not squared off. Two days later, the swelling is going down some, but it's still lots of pretty colors. Well, this boy just shaved off a few more years from my life. BOYS!!!

2008 Recap

2008-12-18T16:24:00.002-06:00

Okay, since I didn't write a Christmas newsletter this year, I just wrote our blog address on our Christmas cards. So, I guess I'll do a quick recap of what we did this year. If you want more details you can go back to the old posts.

In January, Austin & Dylan played their one and only season of indoor soccer. It was painful to watch. They were always competing against select teams and the score usually read something like 20 to 2. It did help them to become better soccer players. Their team was much faster in the spring season and they definitely communicated better. Too bad half their team left in the fall season to play select soccer. Austin & Dylan were stuck with very few players from their old team. Most of the new guys didn't really care if they won a game or not. After the 0 wins fall season, James & I decided we needed a break from soccer. The plan is for the boys to try baseball in the spring. James is keeping his fingers cross that they'll fall in love with the game. Check back in the spring for updates on how baseball is going.

In March we went to Washington, DC for a few days. We had been once before for a day trip, but didn't get to do everything we wanted. So, this year we decided to go back and do it properly. Let's just say we definitely walked our feet off. We visited the National Archives. It was very cool to see the Declaration of Independence in person. Then we went to the Natural History musuem. By this time we were very hungry, so we didn't spend a lot of time there. But I do remember seeing the big diamond. We visited the Spy Musuem and our favorite place of all was the Lincoln Memorial. Two different times we walked by the White House and stared with jealous eyes at the people being cleared to go inside. Maybe we'll go back someday to visit the White House. After our trip to DC, James got me on a prop plane (visualize a look of terror on Barbara's face!) to go visit The Holler in Pikeville, Kentucky. We had so much fun visiting James' parents and we even met a brand new baby cow!

In May, Austin's 5th grade band had their first concert. It was good to hear that all the students had little squeaks here and there, it wasn't just Austin. Also, in the month of May, Barbara informed her school district that she would not be returning in the fall! Three years in Normandy was long enough. It was time to move on.

In June the boys and I tried flying to Miami to meet James. We had planned to go to South Beach, but instead we got stuck at the Charlotte, NC airport. So, the boys and I got a hotel room, swam in the pool & ate Cracker Barrell. It wasn't as much fun as being with James in Miami, but we still had a good time.

This was the first year Austin & Dylan went away to church camp. I cried when they left, but James took me to Myrtle Beach for my birthday to cheer me up. This was our first trip away without the boys. It was so much fun. We should definitely do it more often, but my fear of crashing without them gets in the way sometimes. I'm not saying it's rational, but it's still my fear!

July was a big month for us. Barbara (me) got her real estate license and we went on a trip to Mexico. We had so much fun in Mexico. We even posted a video of Austin & Dylan parasailing back in July. Go check it out! Travel tip - check out skyauction for great travel deals.

In August Barbara started working with Prudential Select Properties. Austin & Dylan started back to school. Dylan started middle school this year, so he and Austin were at the same school again. It was wierd having a school year where they were in school and I wasn't, but it was a nice change for me.

In October Barbara got two listings! One is now under contract & we are eagerly awaiting the other one's sale. Barbara also had a blast going to her high school reunion. I reconnected with a lot of my highschool friends on facebook and enjoyed seeing everyone in person. I've also joined a Bunco group in the neighborhood. We play once a month. I've won $10 the first time and $15 the second time! Let's hope my luck continues in the new year!

I also started subbing in the boy's school district. Mostly I've subbed in special ed rooms. I really enjoy working with the paraprofessionals and it makes me feel good when they call and ask for me to come back. It's also nice to know that I do still have my patience. Last year I thought it might be gone forever.

James was relocated to Washington, DC in October, but will be returning home January 5th. He's been downgraded back to a first officer, but it will be nice for him to be back home. Please keep us in your prayers that we will financially be okay. It's kind of scarey living on half the salary you are use to. Hopefully I'll sell lots of houses and we'll have nothing to worry about.

It's been a good year for us. I hope it's been a good year for all of you. We miss you all lots & don't forget to come see us. It always makes the year a little bit better when friends & family come to visit.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

SOLD FAST!!!!

2008-12-14T13:35:00.002-06:00

We now have a contract on my Brandywine listing. Hooray! My sellers are excited to move closer to their grandkids and the buyers are excited to be moving into their new home. Hoping to close in January. I guess I need to get back to work trying to get some more listings!

Austin's Winter Concert

2008-12-14T13:11:00.005-06:00

Last Wednesday was Austin's first concert of his 6th grade year. If you remember, I posted a video of his 5th grade band playing in the Spring. James and I were pleasantly surprised at this winter concert. The 6th graders had improved so much in 6 months time! We are so proud of Austin & all his hard work learning to play the trumpet. The song I posted was Up on the Roof Top.

Another New Listing for October

2008-11-04T14:03:00.006-06:00

Quiet Cul-de-Sac Lot

1370 Brandywine Lane

Saint Peters, MO 63376

$179,500

3 Bedrooms 2.5 Bathrooms

Split Level Floorplan

Oak staircase with custom gate. Atrium door leads to screened porch and large deck. Wood burning fireplace with circulating blower. Ceiling fan with light kit. Neutral paint & carpet.

Newer Wilson Art Laminate Flooring. Chair railing & ceiling fan with light kit. Tilt-in windows.

Large window, breakfast bar, skylight, wood cabinets & all appliances stay.

Master Bedroom suite

First bedroom is wired for phone and cable.

Second bedroom is wired for phone & cable.

Main bathroom features pedastal sink, newer tile floor & ceramic tile tub surround.

Lower level family room with wood burning fireplace, circulating blower & recessed lighting.

Large family room boast additional eating area or room for pool table.

Wet bar features full sized refrigerator.

Lower level half bath

Screened porch

Fenced backyard with newer retaining wall.

Large deck.

This home also features an additional sleeping area & office/hobby room in the lower level. The outside features maintenance free vinyl siding. Numerous exterior outlets are found in the enclosed soffits & are controlled by one switch found in the garage. This is a great feature for holiday lighting.

To view more photos and details about this property visit www.AtHomeWithBarbara.com/80063190

or call Barbara at 636-328-4661

Happy Halloween '08

2008-11-02T18:54:00.003-06:00

Dylan won out by waiting until the last minute to choose his Halloween costume. I usually have a very strick rule about no blood & guts costumes. But considering we had less than a week left & he still did not have an outfit, I didn't put up a fight when he chose this outfit. As I went to put the blood in the heart that he'd pump with his hand to have blood run through the bones, it got all over my hands. It stained them bright pink. Thank God it finally went away Saturday afternoon. It wouldn't look very professional to be showing clients houses with my bright pink fingers!
Here's Dylan and one of our neighbors, Blake. Blake was Ironman, but he didn't like wearing his mask. Thanks to Blake's sister, Kayla, Austin had his outfit.

Introducing my new daughter, Autumn. He really does make a cute girl. Look at those legs!

Here's Austin & his friend Curtis. It was the year for 6th grade boys to dress up as little girls!

Prayer Request

2008-10-27T22:08:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know, my husband James left today for DC. He has been transferred with his job. We've been living in denial for awhile, hoping he would not have to go. But today he left to go get set up in his crash pad. A crash pad is a place where pilots live if they are based away from home. He'll stay there when he's on reserve waiting to be used on trips. I hope for his sake he will be busy while he's gone. If he isn't busy working, I'm sure he'll get very sad and homesick.

Please pray for us all. The boys will be sad because James will be home even fewer days each month than normal. Pray for me that I'll be able to juggle everything and make some money to help cover the extra monthly expenses. Pray for James that he'll keep busy and not get discouraged. There is a possibility this is only for a couple of months. The bad news is if he does get to come back James would be down graded back to a first officer. If he does remain a captain he'll remain in DC. It's hard to know what would be best right now. We are definitely dealing with a stressful situation and could use prayers right now.

My New Listing

2008-10-21T17:45:00.004-05:00

464 Fox Trail Drive

Lake Saint Louis, MO 63367

4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms

Oversized garage

Newly installed granite countertops, ceramic tile, backsplash and stainless steel appliances.

Crown molding, chair railing, newly installed frieze carpet and chandelier.
Large family room features gas fireplace with circulating blower, wiring for above mantel television and recessed lighting.
Access the second level from the front and back of the home.

Large loft on the second level.
Lower level features large rec room with newly installed ceiling, lighting and windows.
Lower level also features supplemental baseboard heating with thermostat, full bath and additional sleeping area.
Newly installed Anderson sliding glass door leads to large deck and private, level backyard.

Over $70,000 of professional upgrades completed summer '08. Professional landscaping to be completed Nov. '08. Enjoy all the amenities Lake Saint Louis has to offer: golf, tennis, clubhouse, pool, beaches and lake access. If you would like to view this home or find out more information call Barbara at 636-328-4661 or visit www.AtHomeWithBarbara.com/80061522.

Run, Dylan, Run!

2008-10-04T14:31:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday, Dylan participated in his first cross country meet. Here's the kids at the start of the race. I was very confused. Having never been to a cross country track meet, I had no idea how it worked. All of a sudden the whistle blows and hundreds of boys take off running. The mother in me was scared Dylan would be trampled in the mass of boys, but he was okay. They had "rabbit runners" who lead the race, so the other boys would know what route to take.
Here's Dylan getting ready to cross the finish line.
He just crossed the finish line. I took this picture a second too late. I got him behind the girl instead of crossing the line. You can see his foot. He's right behind the girl in blue.
He was holding his neck. Turns out one of the boys in front of him knocked down a hive in the woods. A lot of the boys got stung. Dylan was stung in the head and on the neck. Thank God he's not allergic. He had fun running. Notice his new braces! He just got those last Thursday. He only has four brackets. They are pink and blue, so they're a little hard to see. I took a lot of pictures with my phone, but I still don't have a cord to download them to the computer. Oh well.

I'm Famous!

2008-09-19T16:32:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm not REALLY famous, but I was in the paper. My boss emailed me the article today. Last week at the Builder's Expo, My friends and I stopped to play black jack. Where was James, the card counter, when I needed him! Natalie (to my left) ended up winning a $50 gas card. Brandy (to my right) and I just had a good time. You can see how seriously I was taking the game. I've been working hard in real estate, but I guess I've been having a little fun too.

Another Season of Soccer

2008-09-13T19:15:00.003-05:00

Today was the second soccer game of the Fall '08 season. I missed the first one due to an open house. I'm not a bad mother, the open house was scheduled before I knew about the soccer game. It was fun learning how to use the feature of my camera where it takes three quick photos at once. When I downloaded them to my computer, there were over 100. After going in to edit them, I think it's down to 80 something now.

Well, the final score was 5 to 1. We lost! We use to have a good team, but a lot of the really good players left to go play select soccer. So, now we're playing with five original players and eight new ones. Once they play together more, I think they'll get better. They are just learning how to play together. Here's some of my favorite pictures from the game. It was hard to pick just eight.

It cracks me up how Austin puts his tongue out when he's concentrating really hard. This is a feature that makes him look like my dad.

It looks as if Dylan's wanting to do the tongue thing also.

I like this picture of them together running for the ball. It's weird how their legs are in the same position. Look how long Austin's hair is getting. It was blowing in the wind.

Austin is fighting to get the ball.

I really like this picture. Wish I wouldn't have cut his head off. This is Alex. He played on the team last fall and winter, but not in the spring. We're glad he's back.

Here's Dylan kicking butt as a defender!

"Where's the ball going to land?"

Chandler, our goalie, makes a great save!

God's Angels

2008-08-29T22:11:00.002-05:00

Okay. My heart is finally beating again. Today Austin was out riding his bike. He came running home to get me yelling that a kid had been hit by a car. So, I take my cellphone and walk up the street wondering who it could be. All the while thinking it might be one of the new neighborhood kids who just moved in last week. Dozens of cars are parked on the sides of the road. Police and fire trucks are parked blocking the entrance to our subdivision. As we make our way closer to the chaos, a neighbor stops to tell me who it is. I literally gasped as I heard the name of the daughter of our friends THE HONEYS.

Austin was so concerned. He kept telling me she was laying on the ground when he came to get me and there was blood everyone. My mind immediately started thinking about the Chapman's and their sweet little Maria. After the ambulance left with her I could see her poor 16 year old brother just standing there recounting the events to police and neighbors. He had been walking just in front of her and had seen the whole thing. Neighbors stood around and talked about how cars in the neighborhood drive way too fast on the front street of the subdivision.

The two younger boys are now in my basement playing video games with Austin and Dylan while their big brother, Mom and Dad are at the hospital with the daughter. We've been told the Cat scans were fine and it seems everything will be okay. She's in some pain from all the cuts and bruises, but thank God she is alright. I'm so glad God's angels were protecting her from a far more tragic ending. I'm also thankful for our wonderful neighborhood. It was great to see many of the moms come together to lift up this family in prayers and take care of everything.

Poor Austin and Dylan. The reins going to get a little tighter for a while.

Open House Sunday

2008-08-24T18:07:00.002-05:00

Well, I just finished an open house today. I was totally prepared to be bored, but ended up having five groups of visitors! Didn't even have time to read the new book I checked out from the library.

On Friday I walked the neighborhood where my open house was. Walking in 90 degree heat in heels is no picnic. Let's just say I definitely needed a shower and I've been wearing flip flop, heel-less sandals since. I enjoyed walking the neighborhood though. I met three really nice people and talked to them for a while. Also met a very nice lady when I knocked on her door to ask if I could put my sign in her yard. One nice lady that I met, Ann, came to visit with her husband. They want their son and his fiancee to buy the house so they can be near by all those future grandbabies. I hope it works out for them. If I could sell him the house, that would be even better!

Who knew my gift of never having met a stranger would one day pay off in my career? All those times my dad tried to pay me to be quiet. It helps to have a gift for gab in real estate. Enjoying my new career so far. I'm definitely keeping super busy! Don't forget, if you ever need help finding a real estate agent, no matter where you live, I can help you out. I'll help set up interviews with experienced agents and I'll earn a referral fee at no extra cost to you. Just give me a call if you need any help!

Barbara Weightlifing

2008-08-14T09:10:00.001-05:00

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James High Diving

2008-08-14T08:57:00.001-05:00

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Middle School - Man I'm Old!

2008-08-13T16:11:00.003-05:00

Yes, today I began to feel very old. I guess that's what happens when you have children in your early twenties. Today was the first day of school. Austin is in 6th grade and Dylan is in 5th. They are both in middle school this year! My baby is in middle school. I didn't cry, but my eyes did get a little misty talking about it not once, but twice today. Dylan made Austin stop on the sidewalk so I could take a photo. Of course, Buster thought he was going to school too.

It is now almost an hour since school let out. I'm beginning to panic that the bus hasn't dropped them off yet, but I have to remember it's always crazy the first day. I'll give them 20 more minutes, then I'll call as crazy psycho mom. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Jam Packed August

2008-08-11T15:11:00.002-05:00

Wow, we've been busy. James has been working a lot. I'm not complaining. At least he is still a captain and still has a job. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so working a lot is a good thing. I definitely appreciate him more when he comes back from a long trip.

We are gearing up for the start of school. It's a little weird that Austin and Dylan will be starting school this year and I will not. That's a first for us. But really I am in school right now. I've started Prudential's Academy training. My classes meet every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Once the boys head off to school then I go to class. I'll have lots of assignments I have to complete after each class, like knocking on strangers doors and asking them if I can sell their house. A little unnerving, but reminds me of selling candy bars when I was little. I also have to hold a minimum of three open houses each month. At least it's a good way to meet buyers. I'll graduate from this program as soon as I close on three houses. If I get this done within six months, they'll reimburse me for some of my pre-licensing coursework. Now I have a goal to reach for.

Last week we took Austin and Dylan to school to pick up their schedules and put stuff in their lockers. We were concerned Dylan would not know how to open a locker, so we took the time to demonstrate and then let him try. He got it on the third try and completely memorized his combination. Then we head over to Austin's locker thinking it would be a piece of cake. Hello, he had a locker all last school year. I swear, he had to try about 50 times before he could get it open. He is such an airhead. I can't complain, he definitely gets it from my gene pool (Dad) (let's be honest, me too). I was laughing so hard! James kept looking at me and saying, "He's just like you!" I'm glad the boys will be back at the same school this year. That always makes me feel better, not sure why.

Austin and Dylan went camping with some of our neighbors this weekend. They had a great time tubing down the Missouri River and camping. I'll see if I can get some pictures from them to put on the blog. While the boys were away I held my first open house. Actually I shadowed someone else, but it taught me a lot. We had one person come through - hope I'm not bad luck! I'll be on my own next week. A little nervous about that, but also excited!

Sorry no pics yet, but I'll work on it.

My New Business Card

2008-08-02T18:26:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited!!! Just wanted to show everyone my new business cards. Julie my office manager designed it. She did a wonderful job. Some of you might be receiving one in the mail soon. Now I just need to start selling some houses.

Christian The Lion

2008-07-26T09:48:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm such a girl. I sitting here watching this video crying my eyes out. Of course, James and Dylan are looking at me like I'm crazy. While checking out MSN today, I came upon this video of Christian the lion and an interview they did with one of his owners. This makes me want to go get a lion cub right now. Do cat allergies include lions? Watch the videos.

More Pics from Mexico

2008-07-20T13:15:00.003-05:00

The previously mentioned shack. I stayed under the blue canopy for most of our stay.
Here's Dylan playing ping pong by the pool with his new friend, Raoul (not sure I spelled it right). Raoul was from California. One of the few American families we saw there.
Austin holding his coconut. He climbed a tree to get this himself. Then he walked around the resort asking workers to cut it open for him. He decided coconut milk is not all it's cracked up to be.
This is one of the other American families we met. They were from Maryland. We first met them playing in the ocean with the boogie boards. The next day they were on our snorkeling trip with us. Then we played catch together in the pool. It was nice to have people to talk to. The boys even played basketball and shuffleboard with the dad and his two sons.

More From Mexico

2008-07-20T13:01:00.002-05:00

Here we are at the marina, waiting to board our boat, The Shamballa. We were setting off on an all day long snorkeling trip. Austin and Dylan held a parrot.
James and I enjoying the view on our way out to the snorkeling area.
James, Austin and Dylan snorkeling. I didn't stay in long. Something kept stinging me. I saw the fish and then I was done.
The second part of our snorkeling trip was being dropped off onto this secluded beach to spend the next three hours. We ate lunch in this shack, I mean restaurant, then we spent the next two and a half hours playing in the waves and sand. Okay, I spent most of it in the shade of the shack (restaurant), but the boys played in the sand. I don't think James got out of the water the whole time.

Back from Mexico

2008-07-20T12:37:00.003-05:00

On our first full day in Mexico, James and I attended a sort of time share presentation (yes, we're suckers). The salesperson told us about a place up the beach where they release baby sea turtles into the ocean. It was ONLY an hour and a half walk. So, after dinner, off we went to see the baby sea turtles. Did we really know where we were going? No, but how hard could it be to find it in a country where they don't speak our language?
On our way we passed an area we dubbed as "crab land". There were literally 1000's of crabs. I am one to exaggerate, but really, I'm not exaggerating now. We discovered that we were in "crab land" when Dylan had to pee. Of course, we were in the middle of no where, on a beach. We told him to go up to where some shrubs were and pee. We hear him say, "Wow, there's lots of holes up here. They're really big." The next thing we see is Dylan running down the hill screaming about huge crabs. They were probably about the size of my hand. Here's one of the little guys.
We found the place where they sometimes release baby sea turtles back into the ocean. There was a photographer taking sunset pictures on the beach for a resort. He told us it was always hit or miss. There's never really a schedule for when they do it or exactly where they do it. Shouldn't have we checked into this before we set out on our three hour hike up the beach? Oh well, I got a pretty picture of Austin and Dylan during the sunset.

They were dry when we started out on our journey. Not for long.
Three long hours later, we arrive 100 feet away from our resort. By this time it was pitch black and storming off in the distance. I stopped to wait for the boys to catch up to me (I had sprinted my way ahead of them trying to get out of crab land before dark.) when I noticed a couple staring at something. It looked like a little kid digging in the sand. Upon a closer look I saw it was a sea turtle. She was laying eggs in the sand. James did not find it funny that we were only 100 ft from our hotel when we finally saw a sea turtle. Oh well, at least we walked off all those tropical drinks we had been drinking for the past two days.

Parasailing in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico

2008-07-19T20:44:00.007-05:00

We are back from Mexico. On our last day there, Austin and Dylan went parasailing on the beach. James and I didn't do it because we ran out of cash, but the boys had a great time.

Austin went first. Our little daredevil had no hesitation. I wasn't really nervous while he was flying, but that all changed when Dylan had his turn. James put the videos and pictures together into this movie. At the end of Dylan's turn, you can hear the fear in my voice. But they both did great and loved the experience.

Family Pictures

2008-07-08T21:56:00.003-05:00

Today we went to Sears to have family pictures made. We spent a pretty penny making sure everyone got their portraits. Considering we haven't had a family picture made since Dylan wore diapers, I think it was okay to splurge. Here's the family picture we picked out for everyone.

I love this one of the boys and James. It looks like a normal day at home.

Me and My Honey Bunny

James said I looked annoyed in this one, but I love it!

My sweet boys. Notice Austin is looking at the photographer and Dylan is looking at James. Of course, James was doing all kinds of crazy things to make them laugh. I think the photographer felt sorry for me. She kept saying I needed a little girl. Ahhh, wouldn't that be lovely?

I passed!

2008-07-07T13:19:00.002-05:00

Well, today I went to take my state and National exam to be a real estate agent. I wasn't really nervous on the way there. I had been taking practice tests all weekend and did well on them. I really felt prepared, until I walked in the building. After checking in, I sat down, waiting to get started. Three other guys walked in who had already taken the test before and failed. Suddenly I had butterflies in my stomach. They talked a little about how hard the test was. Oh I wanted to throw up.

Then I sat down at the computer to get started. After answering the first three questions, I wanted to start calculating how many questions I thought I was missing, but no I had to focus. By the end I thought for sure I had failed. When I clicked the "quit" button I closed my eyes as if I expected the screen to turn red and say, "YOU FAILED YOU BIG LOSER!" I nervously walked out to collect my scores from the proctor. He handed me the first piece of paper out of the printer and said, "These are the instructions for applying for your licence. They only give you these if you pass." It took a second for it to register what he was saying. Once my brain caught up with my ears, I did a quiet little jump. (Others were still testing) What a relief!!!

Of course, I had to call James and tell him the news. When I got home, Dylan greeted me at the door to say congratulations. What a sweet boy. I'm so excited to get started. It's still weeks down the road before I really get started, but I think I just jumped the biggest hurdle.

Where have I been?

2008-07-04T11:38:00.002-05:00

I checked out the blog today to go visit my friend Sabrina's blog when I noticed the date of the last post. Oh my gosh, where have I been? Of course, I have been working on an online real estate course for about two weeks now, so I guess I do have an excuse not to be blogging like a mad woman. But I haven't been a terrible mother, ignoring my children. I have taken a couple of days here and there to have fun with them.

The other day we went to the water park. Dylan had been putting on the guilt trip a little bit about doing nothing fun. So, I turned off the computer and off we went. It was a cloudy day and very windy. I was freezing. How can someone be freezing on an 80 degree day? I don't know how, but I was. So, I laid out on the chair, with my shirt still on. Austin and Dylan went in the pool. After about thirty minutes they came out shivering with blue lips. They were whining about wanting to leave. I was thinking, I just paid nearly $20 for us to be here. We are staying, get back in the pool. Over the PA system came a saving voice: "A balloon animal maker will be down by the kiddie pool. If you'd like a balloon animal get in line. Oh yeah, it's absolutely free." The boys decided to get in line. They proceeded to wait about an hour and a half! But the wait was worth it. They were so patient. Lots of kids ended up giving up and getting out of line, but not Austin and Dylan. The balloon animals were amazing! The guy was stationed right next to my chair, so I got to watch him make the animals. He was very talented. Austin got a Road Runner and Dylan got a monkey on a banana tree.

Right as the boys got their balloon animals, the clouds parted and out came the sun. I babysat the balloon animals while the boys went down the water slides and played some more in the pool. I even ended up getting a little too much sun on my face. I didn't think I needed my floppy hat on such a cloudy day. Oh well, lesson learned. It ended up being a great day after all.

James and the boys are in Kentucky this weekend. I'm staying home to study for my state/National real estate test. I finished my first real estate course. I'm taking the test on Monday. Then I'll have another short course to take. My plan is to be finished before we leave for Mexico on the 14th. I want to have guilt free fun while I'm there. Oh well, I guess I'll get back to work. Just wanted to let everyone know we are still alive and having a great summer.

The Boys Are Back In Town

2008-06-21T19:07:00.000-05:00

Well, the boys are back and here's what they have to say...

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-06-20T08:42:00.001-05:00

Our week started off by sending Austin off to Youth Front Camp in Kansas City. It's the Junior High camp that our church goes to every year. Other churches join our church there for the week. This is Austin's first experience going away anywhere without family. He was looking forward to swimming, playing in the lake and riding "The Blob". I hope it's a chance for him to make some lasting friendships with some of the kids from our church and other churches in the state.

On Tuesday we took Dylan to church to send him off to Camp Allen. This is the camp for elementary students at our church. Unlike Austin's camp, this camp is just for our church kids. Dylan was not as excited to go. He was concerned about me being sad on my birthday without him. He's such a sweetheart. James knew it would be hard on me to celebrate my first birthday without the boys, so we took a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

After sending Dylan off to camp, we returned home to clean up the house and pack up our clothes. We made it to Charlotte (Yes, the same place I got stuck in not even a week ago.) without a problem. Then it was off to Myrtle Beach. We booked our hotel through Hotwire.com once we had our seats on the last plane. It wasn't a bad place. We stayed at the Ocean Dunes Resort. As soon as we got into our room, we went out onto the balcony. Oh how I've missed the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. The smell of the salty ocean air. I couldn't wait to get out on the beach. Off we went for a moonlit walk on the sand.

The next day I woke up at 8:00 ready to play on the beach. So, James reluctantly got out of bed and changed. We ate breakfast and went out on the beach. I was very proud of James. He only complained a little about the sand (He despises sand.)while we laid out on the beach. Then we played in the waves. James of course wanting to go out much further than myself. Then it was back to working on the tan. I love sleeping on the beach. The sounds of the waves and seagulls is so soothing to me. My dream is to one day have a house on the beach. Maybe in my forties. I started missing the boys a little while watching kids play in the sand and waves, but I kept reminding myself that they were having a great time at camp.

James and I finished the day walking to dinner. Along the way we picked out houses we'd like to own some day. James even got a picture of our top pick on his iphone. We'll have to upload it later. I had a great birthday dinner at a Mexican restaurant. And we enjoyed one last walk on the beach. It just might have been the best birthday ever!

When life gives you lemons...

2008-06-14T17:32:00.000-05:00

Well, how does it go? When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That's exactly what we did. Well, not actual lemonade, but we did make the most of a pretty crappy situation. Since my James is a pilot we get to fly for free. This sounds great, right. Well, sometimes it can be. Other times it's not. We were suppose to meet James in Miami yesterday. I've been missing the beach terribly and was super excited. When we made it to Charlotte, NC I was getting even more excited. Then the downward spiral began. It seems everyone and their brother was trying to get to Miami also. As other standby passengers went up to the gate counter and were met by sad faces and sometimes laughs from the gate agents, I knew it wasn't going to be a good day.

But after missing two flights and being told they all looked pretty bad, the boys and I made an executive decision to stay in Charlotte. We checked into the lovely Econo Lodge that Austin picked out from the airport poster. They had everything we needed to enjoy ourselves: a pool, free breakfast and Cracker Barrel within walking distance. The pictures are of us enjoying ourselves in what felt like our own private pool. I worked on my tan and we all swam a lot. We swam not once, but twice yesterday. That's a good day in my book. I knew it was a success when as we laid our heads on our pillows, the boys said, "We didn't need to go to Miami to have fun."

Here's hoping James and I make it to Myrtle Beach next week while the boys are at church camp. Wish me luck!

Dylan's 10!!!!!!!

2008-06-11T08:53:00.001-05:00

It was a sad day for me yesterday. My baby turned 10 years old. He is no longer in the single digits. For those of you with small children, this might not seem like such a big deal. But trust me it is. You start thinking about how he'll be a teenager in three years. Then driving in three more. Then out of the house in two more. I have to stop thinking about it.

Really it was a great day. I spent most of it at school, my last day hooray! James took the boys and three of their friends to the neighborhood waterpark. They had a great time swimming, going down the waterslides, having a picnic and receiving some hot sunburns. Then I came home with Dylan's Indiana Jones birthday cake. We enjoyed cake and ice cream with the boys, then shooed them away so we could go to the movies. When we sat down to watch Indiana Jones, Austin informed us that he forgot to put in his contacts. So, Austin watched the movie on the front row, while James, Dylan and I went further up. There were some pretty scary parts for a 10 and 11 year old. James and I kept waiting for Austin to run up where we were, but he didn't. He must be growing up!

After the movie we went to Red Robin, the best hamburger place ever! While Dylan was on the phone talking to my mom, the waiter was taking our drink order. I slyly mentioned that it was Dylan's birthday and he was talking to his grandma. Later, while we were eating, Dylan threatened to hurt me if I told the waiter it was his birthday. He missed the previous statement. I was hoping the waiter would think about coming over to sing. Sure enough, not long after Dylan threatened to hurt his dear mother, along comes the Red Robin staff carrying balloons and a sundae. He wasn't too embarrassed. He just hid behind the balloons. But he did enjoy the sundae.

Lastly, the boys did some male bonding playing Rock Band (Dylan's present) together. I never got a turn and ended up falling asleep in the big leather recliner. Birthdays are exhausting!

What a busy time!

2008-06-08T11:40:00.000-05:00

Well, when I last left you, we had just returned from Memphis. My life has been a whirlwind since we got back. I returned to school where I had to finish up testing, grades and report cards. We had a field trip to the park, where a child was lost for about an hour (not one of ours, but still very scary). Friday was field day where I received a great sunburn. Then it was off on another trip, with Buster in tow, to Nashville. These pictures are of Austin and Dylan at a gas station in Metropolis, Illinois (Home of Superman). Of course, I didn't want anyone labeled as "the girl", so we had to trade positions and take more photos. Once we arrived in Nashville, we celebrated my mom's birthday at my sister Sharon's house. Then it was off to Castalian Springs to stay at Pam's house for two days. I was taking care of my nephew Ethan, who just had cleft palate surgery. I forgot how exhausting it is to take care of toddlers. That's why I have no pictures of Ethan and Hannah. The boys enjoyed spending time with family, but then it was time to come back home.

After returning home at 10:00 on Tuesday night, it was back to school at 7:00 am. I was greeted with many hugs and "We sure are glad you're back, Mrs. Roberts." Maybe they do appreciate me after all. Most of last week was spent filling out records, packing up my room and watching movies. Everyone at work keeps telling me how much they'll miss me and how they can't believe I'm giving up teaching. It probably won't be forever, but for a good while. It definitely feels right. I wasn't sad at all packing all my stuff into the basement. Instead it felt more like relief. Just two more days!

My Big Sister's Graduation

2008-05-24T22:46:00.000-05:00

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This weekend by big sister Patti graduated from college. Almost the whole family was there to celebrate. My sister Pam's family was missing. Her son Ethan had surgery last week and was still in Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. This is the first movie I've made. Hope you enjoy it.

My Wonderful Husband

2008-05-22T19:10:00.000-05:00

Today I spent the day at the Saint Louis Zoo with a bunch of first graders!!!!!!!!!! My wonderful husband met us there and helped me out. It would not have been fun without him. Thank God I had one of my student's aunt who came also. She took five of them around the zoo. The other four lost their priviledge to attend due to behavior issues. We had so much fun. Some of these kids had never been to the zoo before (it's free too)! It was sad to see how some of them were scared to be near the exhibits. They did feel more comfortable as the day went on and all had a great time.

Once we returned to school, those left behind were told tales of our great adventure. Mr. Roberts was the topic of much discussion. One of my boys said his favorite part of the day was when Mr. Roberts said, "Okay guys, here's the deal. If the lions get loose, it's every man for himself." We also heard many accounts of "Mr. Roberts acted like he was going to throw me in with the (fill in any animal)" and "Mr. Roberts tickled my back, I thought it was a bug." James spent a lot of time with one of my little boys that I would love to adopt. So many of them don't have great home lifes. It was great to see James showing them an example of what a great father acts like. I hope it's an impression that stays with them. It was a fun day!

2008-05-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

Beware, now that I know how to upload videos, you'll be seeing a lot of them. Here's Austin at his 5th Grade band concert. The video of them playing the hymn was too big, so here's the warm-up. Now I do have to preface this saying, the 5th graders had to choose an instrumental family at the beginning of the year. Austin chose brass. So throughout the year he learned to play the bells, trombone and trumpet. Then for fourth quarter they chose the instrument they wanted to stick with for next year. So really they have only been playing their one instrument for about three months.

2008-05-19T08:57:00.000-05:00

Here's another video of Dylan playing guitar. This song is Greensleeves. You might now it as What Child Is This. I'm constantly bugging him to play this one, which irritates him tremendously. So, we decided to video it. Now he doesn't have to keep playing it for me.

2008-05-18T13:05:00.000-05:00

Finally, I figured out how to post a video. Here's a video of Dylan playing his guitar. He loves this little song. It sounds awesome when he plays with his teacher, Ben. Ben will play a different part and it's so cool. Dylan has been playing guitar for two years now. He's only nine years old, but reads music with ease and keeps time well. Ben says he has a hard time challenging him. They've moved on to learning more cords. Now if we could just get him to play in front of people. He's definitely got to build up his confidence if he wants to be an entertainer some day.

A couple of months ago, Dylan had a consult with the orthodontist. Dr. Morrell asked him if his crooked teeth bothered him. Dylan said, "Yes, I need to get them fixed so I can do commercials and movies." At least he knows what he wants.

2008-05-17T19:14:00.000-05:00

Our actor has begun his career. Dylan participated in his first play ever on Thursday night. He played the part of Chief Sankasabe of the Osage Tribe. He looked so nervous, I thought he'd throw up. But if I do say so myself, he was the best Indian in the play. Here's a picture of him hamming it up at home in his costume. A couple of my fingers got burned hot gluing all those feathers on, but he sure looked cute. James shot a video of it. Once we figure out how to upload, we'll post it.

2008-05-17T19:09:00.000-05:00

Last week Austin had his first band concert. He had spent the last two weekends practicing his trumpet at home in preparation for the concert. Our dog, Buster nearly died prematurely on first hearing the trumpet being played. I laughed so hard I had to leave the room. At first, it did sound like a wounded animal, but even Dylan the music critic had to agree it sounded much better after two weeks of practice. I was so proud of Austin at his concert. There is a video, but I can't get it to upload to the blog. I'll try to get it on later.

2008-05-04T17:39:00.000-05:00

Honest Abe. What a sight to see.

It might be a little blurry (the wind was crazy), but what a beautiful view from the Lincoln Memorial.

The capital building. Didn't actually go in it. Maybe next time.

The start of a very long wait to see the Declaration of Independence. Look at the well behaved brothers.

Okay. We've waited long enough. Let's put each other out of our misery.

Spring Break

2008-05-04T17:26:00.001-05:00

For Spring Break this year, we spent three days in Washington, DC. We walked our butts off and had a lot of fun. This was our second trip to the White House that week. Of course, for those of you who know us, we are last minute travelers. This does not work well with the new security measures in DC. We were unable to secure a tour of the White House. Did we know three months before that we wanted to go? So, instead of going inside, we stood outside the gate watching with envy as people were screened by secret service at the gate. I told James we should just set up a tour for anytime and fly to DC for the day, just to see the White House.

Don't you love how I put the camera through the bars of the fence. It actually looks like we were on the lawn. After this we walked to the Lincoln Memorial. This was probably our favorite thing in DC. It is definitely worth the long hike, and breath taking to see at night.