"Would you like a slice of my homemade bread?"

For Thanksgiving this year I did myself a favor and bought the whole meal at Sprouts, my Texas substitute for Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Luke surprised us all by making some delicious bread so we'd have something homemade on the table. It was his first time making bread and it turned out beautifully! I'm still impressed.

Steve, Marilyn and Bryce (Luke's mom, dad and brother) came. It was fun to show someone from the outside world what our life is like. We drove down Memory Lane, visiting the neighborhood Luke and his family lived in 22 years ago.

We also went to the Dallas arboretum, being lured by some ads for the "Amazing Chocolate Tree" exhibit. From that description I was expecting a circus act or at least a flourishing tree weighed down with chocolate blossoms. But the tree was sad, bush-like and half dead. We did have a delicious lunch in their tea room, however, and the garden is truly beautiful.


Camille's attempt to wake Spencer before we ate Thanksgiving dinner. I was thankful she didn't succeed.


Here we all are (minus Spencer) just before eating our delicious store bought meal.

We put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving.

The truth about scrapes and bruises

So I've decided it's not always so bad to have a hurt child. This morning Spencer scraped his leg on his way outside via the window. It was very minor, but I made just enough of it to convince Spencer he'd better lie on the couch for a while and heal. Armed with books, a blanket and his favorite toy, Stink, Spencer was made comfortable for over and hour. A very pleasant hour.

Another time in Costco, Spencer had the unlucky accident of falling out of the cart. Fortunately, he hurt his bum and not his head. Anyway, after the tears subsided, Spencer became very docile. We had a still and silent shopping trip. One of the best ever. Maybe it's time for Camille to have a little accident . . .

It also seems to help if they get a little owie right before bed. The idea of going to bed somehow becomes more appealing to the child. At least Spencer and Camille are more compliant if a little bump precedes bedtime.

Last weekend, I went to a recruiting lunch with Luke. One of the wives wasn't super excited about the idea of Texas. We talked about it a little, and I told her that Texas was like Chili's- palatable but not delicious. Because I feel strongly that Chili's is the prefect comparison for Texas (the chain even began in Texas), I feel obliged to write all the things I LOVE about Chili's, and therefore Texas. This is for Luke's benefit, since he didn't think my super clever comment very funny and threatened not to take me to recruiting events anymore.

In many ways, Chili's = Texas is a compliment to both restaurant and state. Chili's is predictable and convenient. An unpredictable and surprising restaurant can turn out disastrous. Chili’s can be bad but never be VERY bad and only as bad as it was last time. Chili’s everywhere, easy to find, and there is something for everyone. That is, whether you feel like pasta, a good ol' American burger or something Asian, like a Chinese Chicken Salad, Chili’s has it all, without being too original or too authentic. Chili’s represents ideal American suburb. It’s affordable, safe, easy to navigate and has a comforting atmosphere of sameness— palatable but not delicious. And there is nothing wrong with that. If it weren’t so desirable, there wouldn’t be so many of them.

One more thing. The other day during dinner Luke was checking his email on his blackberry. I asked Spencer if we should make a rule against looking at email during dinner. Spencer replied, "Daddy likes looking at his female. It's fun."

I feel very happy because painting the kitchen cabinets is going better than expected. After priming the cabinets, I worried about all the visible brush marks, and it’s such a pain to sand and sand. BUT I found that the actual paint is much more forgiving. What a relief. The bad news is I still have a lot of painting to go.

The truth is, I just want every home improvement project to be done. We still haven't even put the outlet plates back on from painting. I feel like we're living in a never ending project. We live in the projects.

This morning when Spencer was asked why he was out of bed before his alarm went off he said, “My hear t told me to get out of bed.” When he and Luke were at the gas station, there was a dog in a nearby car. Spencer said, “My heart was talking and talking to that dog, but the dog didn’t say anything.” Lately his sentences often begin with, “My heart will probably tell me . . .” What will his hear t say next?

Camille is just so cute. I just want to squeeze and squeeze her. She likes dogs, dolls, and clean hands. She loves her blanket. She is helping us to realize just how easy-going Spencer is. Her words are: water, baby, mommy, daddy, puppy, blankie, food, that, walk. I can’t remember them all.

Luke still hasn’t been staffed. Hooray!! Getting paid without working isn’t bad.

Here are more pictures some a few months old:

I love this picture of Spencer with Grandma Hazel.
Happy birthday, Grandma! You're on the internet!!

Spencer and Camille are so happy to be in Texas

From our horse riding adventures in Logandale. To thank you for taking us, Dad, I won't post my favorite picture from the trip.

Flower Mound, TX

We've arrived, and we live in a house. After six months of living here a little and there a little, I feel strangely reluctant to unpack. I noticed that when people ask me if we're living in our house yet (which we are), I still say, "sort of." And that made me realized that I don't want to admit that this is it. Now what?!?

That said, I am planning to enjoy it here. And however unwilling I am to unpack and settle, I am glad to be out of a hotel. Living in an extended stay with two kids, a working husband, a half hour away from any acquaintance isn't the recipe to beat the moving blues.

About our new, 20-year-old, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1800 sf place:

Pro: It's walking distance to the park, jogging trails, the grocery store, the library and the gym.

Cons: As far as I can tell, I am the only person who uses feet to get to those places.

Pro: Not only can I walk to the library, I can also buy used books there. Also, the library doesn't have late fees!

Con: Most of the books for sale are romance novels.

Pro: Spencer and Camille make good use of our little back yard.

Con: Fire ants and yard work.

Pro: We put in new wood floors and painted everything.

Con: We spent all our money on it and now we can't buy furniture until next year (but the echo is fun for the kids).

Pro: Spencer loves preschool.

Con: There are no cons to that. Preschool is great for the whole family.