So Glad to know Galad....

Galadriel Hutchings-with her littlest Hutchings

Today's fun was at Galadriel's (galad's) daughter's fifth birthday. I took my camera and the batteries are dead, so I had to steal this picture of her from her website. I met Galad in November 2000, Quentin had just turned one and David was two and I was a basket case. I decided to start a "mommy group" with the ladies from my church. At the time several new people had moved in and I decided to be brave and call and invite them to the park with my friend Adrienne. So I called and left a stupid message on Galad's machine, I was certain she would think me a freak and hit delete. Fortunatly she was out of town and Wade called me back and said Galad would LOVE to be in the group and he'd make sure she came when she got back from California. Little did I know that would start a wonderful friendship.

I'm so glad that she's a non-biological aunt to my kids and they love her. David would rather be with her and her kids than with us any day. Even though Robert and I moved away from Houston for four years, we stayed in touch. Fortunatly when I moved away, unlimited long distance came into being and with cell phones, we were able to still talk through things. Usually I talk to her 5 out of 7 days, the weekends I usually call if something really traumatic happened ( a new calling at church or ER visit)

There are times that Galad talked me back of the ledge, I'll always be greatful for her love and friendship. I will also be greatful for her children, I love seeing them grow and spending time with them too. If only I lived in her side of town...

Here is a now funny story, but at the time the only thing stopping me from beating the boys into oblivion was Aunt Galad.-- I had put the boys down for a nap and I thought they went right to sleep. Robert was at work and back then, I NEVER called him at work- so I go to check on the boys a couple of hours later and they had not been asleep, but had carefully unloaded an entire HUGE MEGA SAMS SIZE container of vaseline. They had painted themselves, the walls, their bedding, the floor, it was a nightmare- I cried and cried and cried. I put them in the tub, but nothing would help, because it's designed to detract water- I had no idea where to start, so I called Galad and cried and cried- She assured me I'd laugh later, and I'm happy to report that now 7 years later, I can laugh and I can't wait to share this story with my grandkids!

So this blog goes out to Galadriel!

A side note, I actually have two friends named Galadriel, how wierd is that? I mean how many Galadriel's do you know? Probably none and really only true Tolkien fans even know the signifigance of their name. It's even more significant because these ladies are in their (early) thirties, so it's long before the movies brought Tolkien to the masses.

The other friend Galadriel goes by the name of Gala

Check out my Slide Show!

Quintana Beach

View from our Cabin

We just got home from our Beach Vacation- It was sooo much fun. David and Quentin initially compared it to the white sands of Florida and were a little dissapointed, but it didn't take them long to enjoy the Warm Waters of the Texas Gulf Coast. I loved pretending it was our own private beach, since hardly anyone was visiting the beach. It's such a nice quiet place, it is just a little beach town, the perfect place to relax.

This is Little Joely on the way to the beach, She's a pepper too!

I am pretty worn out from all the fun and I'm going to rinse off the beach from this morning, enjoy my slide show- Thanks for looking! Oh and I previously reported that we were going to be in Surfside, well I was wrong, Quintana is NEAR Surfside, but it's a whole other town.

I'll be sure to wax nostalgic about the whole trip so look forward to my pearls of wisdom in a future post!

Adult Swim

This Evening we went to the pool, after a few minutes of swimming, it was time for the dreaded whistle calling for "adult swim, " few things make David mad, but adult swim is one of them. Luckily we were able to get back in the water real quick, just about 15 minutes later. The pool is fun, with a big kiddie wade pool , a small pool that goes to 4 feet and then a big one.

Alice and Quentin (in the front)

You won't find me in the kiddie pool or the 4 foot pool, there are too many kids without diapers in them and too many warm spots (if you catch my drift). I think a lot of adults don't know how to swim, because the big pool area is usually pretty sparse. I'm glad the boys can swim and that Alice is finally agreeing to swim. Joely the fish loves her suit and is happiest in the deep waters.

Deep in the middle is David's head

After that I stopped taking pictures. We are heading to Surfside Texas tomorrow for two days in a cabin on the beach. It will be a lot of fun to wake up and be at the beach and just be beach bums. It's also a great blessing to have Robert on vacation to join us. We'll head out early and go to the Sea Center in Lake Jackson. We've never visited it and it's free and on the way, so we'll check it out- Then it's the beach until Friday afternoon.

We found out about Surfside from some friends in Henderson. It's a nice sleepy town on the Gulf and the beach is a lot less crowded than Galveston. I fell in love with it and we've visited for day trips a lot. This will be our first (but not last) overnight trip. The boys are bringing their boogie boards and snorkeling gear and I'm bringing a book to read and a nice lounge chair.

So I won't be blogging for a few days, unless of course we are equipped with WI-FI- but I doubt that-

In my previous post, my friend Jenny Bybee was teasing me (I hope she was teasing- I would hate to offend her) that I didn't give her blog a cutesie name like the rest of the ones on my list-- so I did change her blog name to the BEST BLOG EVER- Jenny is someone I met when Robert and I lived in Spring Branch. Back then I only had two boys and she had one. I always admired her because of her patience and her peaceful way of raising her cute little son. She was always so healthy too and I loved hearing her talk about whole wheat and different recipes she would try with all the good for you ingredients. She graciously helped my friends Adrienne and HEather and I collate a huge cookbook for our old ward. I never told her how much I admired her, and so this is a shout out to you JENNY BYBEE- you rock and always have- I should have told you earlier.

I was thinking that I don't often tell people the good effects they have had on me, and this morning I was contemplating the hymn "Each Life that Touches us for Good" and one verse says

"What greater gift does thou bestow, What greater goodness can we know, Than Christ Like ways whose gentle ways, Strengthen our faith, enrich our days"

So I guess that's why this post ends about an old friend that I'm glad to still be in contact with- I guess I should thank Al Gore too, he's the one who invented the internet, which makes it DANG easy to stay in contact!

Life is Good!

Morning started about 10:30 this morning, Robert reading the paper and two little clingons watching Scooby Doo-

The agenda for today was to include Brazos Bend State park, but I thought we could do without the drive or the heat, even though it's listed as one of the top ten parks in THE NATION to visit. To me it's not worth visiting in the summer if I can't swim, and Brazos Bend is chock full of alligators so there isn't any swimming. Suffice it say Robert was able to take over the streets of Liberty City and then he took the older kids to the Crosby Park. Joely took a nap and I worked on a layout, but mostly I listened to music and read the blog world, which I am now addicted to.

Dinner was grilled chicken breasts, roasted squash, aparagus and whole wheat penne pasta (Inspired by Jenny's Blog) David nearly barfed with the pasta, but everyone else liked it.

Lunch was hot dogs for some and broccoli cheese soup for others, since nobody was awake in time for breakfast we didn't have any! A great way to keep costs down, sleep through meals!

Don't tell Alice, but Joely used her spot on my craft desk- she's sure a cutie and was doing good with the scizzors!

And so ends day three of vacation....

Quentin, aka Quentonious Maximus, wanted to play Boogie on the Wii, so we did a little Karaoke and dancing until the Next Food Network Star finished recording (seriously, we can't watch commercials anymore, it's sooo last year) Alice and Joely fell asleep after Boogie went off. David only likes to watch the show someone cries, (Annoying Lisa always does) and Robert needed to try and complete one of his games that he never has time for because he's always working-- So Quentin and I watched it together (he's always good about watching my shows). The whole time he's rooting for cute Kelsey Nixon (vote for her as fan favorite) and so am I, But I ask Quentin Why do you like her so much? "She reminds me of Mrs. Butler" is what he said, aaahhh it always goes back to his beautiful kindergarten teacher. A couple of weeks ago when they called Kelsey annoying, he got really mad. I just know my future daughter in law will be a tiny elfen blonde with a lot of perkiness.

Robert is now sleeping and the boys are playing Halo three and I'm going to call it a night. Today was a great day and I'm so glad we have another week of Robert home so we can stay up late and sleep late and have fun all day!


Here are close comparisons of Mrs. Butler and Kelsey Nixon



Mrs. Butler is not holding a wodden spoon but they do look VERY similiar!

Funny, it doesn't look clean.....

But trust me it is...

This is my "craft desk"- Robert lovingly refers to it as my "crap" desk. Before I started to clean this up It was piled high on top and all over the floor. I guess I should have done a before and after shot. It sure makes it hard to find things and make things, when I have my supplies all over the place. I find great peace and inspiration when I have my desk cleared for working.

On one side I do all the stamping, I even have a special mat, just for that and then I turn 45 degrees and I have my cutting/glitter/color/embellish mat. That mat was at one time my quilting mat. Once upon a time I learned how to quilt, I'm just glad I never threw away my tools as they have come in handy when I do my scrapbooks.

I have a couple of projects I want to get done, one is my poor mom's mother's day gift and my poor dad's fathers day gift. It's a good thing they love me and accept my late gifts. I also need to finish my promised pages for Delyla's Book and actually scrapbook some pictures for the kids books. I don't ever feel stressed that I don't have all their books up to date, I know I'll have plenty of time to do them, the important thing is taking the pictures and keeping them in order. That I actually do! I also don't worry about doing things chronologically, that get's pretty boring. Sometimes I'll do some old Holiday pictures or Baby Pictures, but what I like to do most is what we are doing now.

I am greatful I have a creative outlet and that this is now being considered an art form, because I can't paint, draw or sew, but I have fun doing my pages and using different elements. I ADORE stamping and doing fun things with the stamps and inks. I know one day the kids will be proud of mom's works of "heart" and they will serve as a testament, that I was a Good Mommy!

I'm waxing a wee bit nostalgic because when I was clearing things up, I found an envelope of old pictures of Quentin and David (before we had the girls) and I realize how much the've grown- soon they'll be nine and ten and next month (YIKES) they'll be in third and fourth grade.

I can't beleive that Alice will be leaving me to go to the mean streets of Crosby Kindergarten, she's been my partner for these last three years without her brothers being home. I told Robert he needs to be sure to take her first day of school off, because I'll be home crying in the fetal position.
(not pictured is my paper supply--My paper is all neat in 12x12 drawers, so neat I sometimes can't find jus the "right" piece of paper....)