8 Years and 2 Kids Later......

Today Scott and I have been married for 8 solid years! Unfortunately, I can't figure out for the life of me how to make my new all in one printer work (damn wireless technology!) which means I can't scan any of our wedding photos in to share ~ too bad, you wouldn't believe how much SMALLER Scott's forehead was back then! I was a child bride ~ had just turned 25 and he was 28. We were married at my parent's house on the beach and after the ceremony partied like we had never seen booze before! My brother had picked me up for breakfast early that morning ~at said breakfast he informed me that although he liked Scott, he would still kick his ass if he ever made me cry ~ he has ALWAYS been my protector! After breakfast we went to get my nails done, or should I say re-done ~ I had them done the day before, but ruined them at our crawfish rehearsal dinner ~ lesson learned! After that it was back to the house where my hairdresser was waiting for me and all of my bridesmaids ~ let the booze flow begin! I had cut myself off before the ceremony figuring it was best that I was actually able to walk down the aisle ~ however when I was waiting to go out and started pacing like a caged animal one of my bridesmaids and college friend ran out to get me another beer ~ now that's a friend! The groom and all of his groomsmen had been out taking shots of Blanton's to calm him! One of the groomsmen ~ who shall remain nameless ~ who normally doesn't drink was also taking part in this nonsense ~ there is photographic evidence of him crawling out of the oleanders later that night where he had been barfing in the bushes! It really just went downhill from there ~ although I am fairly confident that a good time was had by all who attended ~ it was anything but a stuffy affair! I have many favorite pictures from this night, but I think one of the VERY best is one of me as we were leaving in my dad's 1927 Mercedes replica and I was holding my beer in my teeth as I hiked my dress up to get in the back ~ talk about lady! The next day I had one of the WORST hangovers of my life ~ shocking I know! I was at least smart enough not to book our flight for the day after the wedding ~ instead I had booked us on a Monday flight ~ smarter than the average bear I am! Once I managed to get my head out of the toilet and keep it out, we called someone to come pick us up from Scott's house, drive us through Whataburger for some much needed hangover curing greasy food, and went to my parent's to help clean up. The next day we headed to the airport for our honeymoon at Disney and other Orlando attractions. Last year we spent our 7th anniversary at Disney with our 2 beautiful kids ~ this year while we aren't there on the "official" day, we are there close enough to it ~ maybe we should wear some of those bride and groom mouse ears?

Scott and I have been together for 10 1/2 years now ~ I knew 6 months after we started dating that he was the one I was going to marry ~ I remember telling my dad that one day while we walked on the beach. My parent's couldn't be more pleased with my selection ~ after all, he got me out of their hair didn't he? When Scott decided to stop working offshore after 8 years and move into the office he asked me one day what I thought about it ~ I told him that I guessed it was okay ~ after all once upon a time we used to like each other so surely somewhere deep down we still did! He came back with "yeah, somewhere deep, deep, deep down!" ~ it's reasons like this that I love him ~ he can always make me laugh! He has been in the office for 2 years now and we're still married ~ guess somewhere deep down we did still like each other! I love you Scott and I look forward to many more years of memories with you!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Okay so I am FINALLY getting around to posting about Easter ~ I've been busy, what can I say! My sister called me the other day to tell me I needed to change the wallpaper on my blog, that Easter was over ~ shows how long it has been since my last post!

The kids and I went to my parent's house on Saturday to color eggs ~ we have yet to actually color eggs at our own house ~ I'm not an egg eater and neither are the kids, so I guess I don't see the point of having real eggs here ~ I'd far rather have the delicious candy filled type! Anyway, Scott did not join us on the adventure as he stayed here to assemble the new playhouse the Easter Bunny was delivering! Now mind you, this assembly was not without bitching to go along with it ~ that started when he had to go go Toys R Us to pick up said playhouse because the box was sooooo big it wouldn't fit in my car (I drive a Sequoia) ~ it was a damn big box! The next comment was "since when does the Easter Bunny deliver something the size of a f 'ing kitchen cabinet?" ~ okay he had me on that one. My theory was since Maisie really didn't get much for her birthday or Christmas (might as well be one in the same) because she didn't need anything that I would get this now. It was something I was going to buy, so I figured there might as well be a holiday associated with it rather than just going out and buying them an expensive toy just because. So while the kids and I were gone, Scott went and claimed the house from my friend Maxine's garage where it was being stashed and brought it back to his bunny lair to assemble it ~ needless to say the kids and I didn't come home until well after dark!

The egg coloring went well ~ Maisie had a great time coloring the eggs by holding onto one while dipping it in the dye ~ she was rainbow colored when it was all said and done. My dad had bought more elaborate dye for Hunter and my niece to use ~ some that you tie dyed, some that you stamped, and some the you rolled paint on ~ I can assure you that when we were little and coloring eggs there was only 1 type of dye that was purchased and we were told to share it! We put old t-shirts on them so they wouldn't ruin their clothes ~ makes clean up pretty easy too!

Sunday morning when Hunter woke up he came running into our bedroom so excited that the bunny had stopped by ~ we asked him how he knew and he said because he had left baskets for he and Maisie ~ he hadn't yet noticed to rather large playhouse sitting in the backyard. When he came out of our bedroom though he saw it and I heard his hands hit the windows and he screamed "oh my gosh, he brought us a house!". We went and got Maisie up and the adventure began. She knew just what to do with her bucket ~ threw it over her arm like a purse and headed outside ~ after she ate a piece of Laffy Taffy mind you (this was about 8 A.M.). Hunter was off like a flash collecting eggs and we told him he needed to collect the ones that were high up and leave the low ones for Maisie ~ he ended up getting most of them though because she was far more interested in eating the candy she found in the eggs rather than going to get another one ~ did I mention she had 3 pieces of Laffy Taffy before breakfast (I guess that was breakfast!)?! We hung out around the house for a little while and they played in their new house and then it was time to head across town.

At my parent's house there was another egg hunt ~ I was the acting E.B. and FORGOT to hide the eggs they had colored the day before ~ told you I don't like eggs, I was looking out for the delicious candy filled ones! However, nobody noticed my little slip up until we were leaving that afternoon and I realized I hadn't done it ~ I went back in the house and scored a dozen for Scott since he is an egg eater ~ figured my dad really didn't want 3 dozen eggs all to himself! After all of the egg hunting was complete we boiled crawfish and feasted until we could feast no more! All in all it was a lovely day and such a great treat to watch the kids hunt the eggs ~ I remember Bryan and I used to be rolling around in the yard over the Cadbury Cream eggs ~ we would go for those first and then go back for the rest of the haul ~ I told my dad I was VERY disappointed in the E.B. on that side of town as there was not a Cream Egg to be had ~ damn it man! Guess there's always next year ~ wonder of the E.B. takes requests?

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Another Year, Another Candle

I officially add another candle to my birthday cake today ~ grrrrr! It has really kind of snuck up on me this year ~ although I new it was lurking in the shadows since the grass is greening up and the springtime birds have returned ~ that always tips me off that is is approaching. I once again find my self spending my birthday as a swinging single ~ okay maybe not swinging since I have 2 kids ~ but single none the less. If you were to look back on last year's birthday post I believe you would find that I was spending it single as well ~ talk about a low blow to get out of having to buy me a present! This year Scott is in Louisiana for a 3 day meeting ~ although since I do look forward to him travelling maybe this is the best gift ever! It's kind of like the gift that keeps on giving ~ I don't have to cook, the house will stay clean and picked up, my laundry pile won't quadruple in size, and as soon as the kids aer in bed I will have silence ~ talk about a FANTASTIC gift! It's almost like when he worked offshore, just on a smaller scale ~ I'll take what I can get! I awoke this morning (I got to sleep in until 7:45) to Hunter and Scott hopping up on the bed to sing "happy birthday to you, you live in a zoo, you look like a monkey, aaaand you smell like one too!" ~ Maisie was in having some cereal, so she didn't participate. I will even give my parent's snaps as they remembered that TODAY was my birthday, not yesterday and not tomorrow, but TODAY ~ they called to serenade me about 9:05. I haven't heard from my sister as of yet ~ normally she is the first one to call howling through the phone at me ~ maybe I will be spared this year ~ not counting my chickens on that one though! I also haven't heard from my brother, but he's a boy so that's not so unusual ~ he might get around to remembering in July! My friend Avis is going to venture up today from Tiny Town so I don't spend my birthday alone ~ we are going to head out to Cafe Adobe for a birthday feast ~ YUMMY! The weather is BEAUTIFUL so we will get to sit out on the deck and enjoy the sunshine ~ the kids can feed the ducks chips which will keep them entertained so we can enjoy our food and actually have an adult conversation ~ what a novel idea! Thank you Avis ~ can't wait until tonight! When my sweet little mouse gets up from her sleepy we are off to take a birthday walk and enjoy the beautiful weather ~ my gift to myself.

The Devil Wears Pampers

My sweet, fabulous little mouse appears to have gotten to the stage that I had completely blocked from my mind ~ the stage that I had forgotten just how much I don't like ~ the ever dreaded "toddler" stage! Quick, run for your lives! Okay, so I am somewhat exaggerating here ~ her behavior is still far superior to Hunter's at this age ~ but it's still unpleasant none the less! And yes, the sign to the left does hang on her bedroom door. She has 2 major problems here ~ number one being that she now has an opinion about things and an all out agenda that she intends to carry out ~ number two is that she doesn't speak any English to let you in on just what her agenda or intentions might be ~ mix the two together and voila, you've got tantrums ~ grrrrrr! I now remember WHY I blocked this from my memory ~ I really should have already carried out my baby fever desires when she was still helpless and cute all of the time ~ in her current state she is putting out my baby fever flames! Scott asked if this meant he was off the hook for number 3 ~ I informed him no, as I know this is a stage that will pass ~ sucker! Now Maisie is a major drama mama ~ but one of her tantrums doesn't hold a candle to what Hunter used to pull. He was a VERY theatrical tantrum thrower ~ starting about the day he turned 1 ~ at least she held off a few months! I vividly remember him throwing himself on the floor and rolling around and kicking the wall ~ I would just walk off and ignore him ~ unfortunately as soon as he realized that he no longer had a captive audience he would get himself up and go to wherever I had gone to escape him and then throw himself on the floor and start all over again ~ kid you not. This was happening on a daily basis, probably 5-7 times a day ~ did I mention Scott was in Korea at the time for a month during all of this? This went on for 2 solid months and I was ready to kill the boy ~ so we packed up and headed off to Mexico for a week ~ the first time I had ever left him ~ needless to say he had done me in to the point that we walked into my parent's house, deposited him, and turned around and walked right back out ~ I was MORE than ready to escape him! We went to Mexico the next day and I never called to check on him the entire week we were gone ~ I was far too busy sitting at the pool bar wondering just what I had really gotten myself into? As soon as we got home I was of course THRILLED to see my boy again ~ and it was amazing ~ the sweet little boy I had know (up until his 1st birthday) was back ~ and boy I had missed him! Maisie's tantrums are nothing like this ~ she doesn't follow you around, instead she stays in the same place you left her and just screams ~ also tends to flair her little arms about too. She will stay in that same spot until she decides you aren't coming back, or something else catches her eye and then she is over it ~ now this could be a solid 30 minutes, but I figure EVENTUALLY she will realize it isn't getting her anywhere and she will knock it off ~ at least I hope this is how it is going to play out! So too bad Scott, I do recall that this is just an unpleasant stage in their little world that will pass with time ~ and in time when my sweet baby girl comes back from the devil's clutches she will be fanning my baby fever flames once again!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture from Lee's wedding ~

she looks like a little angel kneeling down to pray ~

I look forward to her return!

Here Comes the Bride ~ Part II

Okay, okay, okay so the wedding was 2 weeks ago and I am just getting around to blogging about it ~ so sorry! I have been so incredibly busy the last 2 weeks that I haven't had a chance to sit down and do anything ~ and let me just say that Scott is less than impressed that I am currently sitting in here blogging instead of working on my business taxes! But, I bet he will get over it!

So on to the wedding! The trip over was pretty uneventful ~ the kids did really well ~ not that I was the least bit concerned about Hunter, but I was a little about the wee princess! She did very well ~ I think we blew out of here about 9:30 and drove into the plantation on 2 wheels at 5:00. It was a long drive, but like I said pretty uneventful. Friday night we had a "meet the family" dinner to attend that Wilson's family was hosting ~ it was down on the river above a tavern that is also part of Dunleith Plantation ~ we had a lovely time ~ all of Wilson's family are very nice ~ not to mention the food was FANTASTIC! We rode in carriages from the plantation down to the riverfront which was a really nice was to go ~ the carriage driver gave us a tour as we went along which made it all the better ~ I LOVE historic homes! One of these days I will get my own historic home on the Island to renovate ~ I may be 75, but one of these days!

On Saturday all of the menfolk went for a game of golf at the nicest golf course in Natchez ~ they all came back sporting stunning raccoon eyes from their sunglasses ~ we really should have suggested that they wear sunblock! The women headed off to a private home tour of Melrose ~ one of Wilson's sisters is the head of the National Parks Service so she arranged and guided this tour for us ~ VERY NICE! Then we went off for lunch and margaritas at Fat Mama's Tamales ~ home of the "knock you naked margarita" ~ now everyone who knows my history with the margarita also knows that I did not partake in the margarita consumption! Actually, the bride also did not take much part in the margaritas as she was still a little green around her bridal gills from the night before! Maisie had fallen asleep on the way from Melrose to Fat Mama's and I was not about to wake her ~ it was a lovely day and very breezy so I rolled down the windows, locked the doors, and let her sleep. Now before you start screaming child abuser let me say that we were sitting on the deck all of 5 feet from my car ~ nobody was going to get that baby unbuckled from her seat, much less out of the car before I, and everybody else there, could jump over the railing and tackle them! When I saw her start to stir I went to go get her ~ didn't bother to take my keys with me since the windows were down ~ reached through the window and unlocked the door ~ first trying with the automatic opener which wouldn't work (should have been my first tip off something was amiss), so then I just flipped the lock itself ~ well when I did the alarm started going off, the horn honking, the works! OMG! I raced back to the deck to get the keys only I couldn't immediately locate them! Once I found them and got to car to shut up I received a standing ovation from the other patrons! I figure I should receive some points back towards my "mother of the year" award since the alarm also prevented a person from stealing the baby from the car! After this we loaded up and headed off for the spa ~ Maisie went back to the plantation with my mom. I got a "desert heat" body wrap ~ I was a little concerned that I might get claustrophobic during this wrap, but it was actually very relaxing ~ I highly recommend one!

The ceremony itself was very nice ~ it was on the front porch of Dunleith ~ I think there were about 100 people who came for the weekend. Hunter, my niece, and Maisie came out of the front door hollering "the bride is coming, the bride is coming" ~ okay so Maisie didn't holler anything she just followed like a little puppy! About that time a carriage carrying Lee and my dad came around the corner and made the big circle drive up to the front where they disembarked. Some friends of Lee and Wilson's sang and spoke about them at the start of the ceremony, and then Wilson's brother-in-law actually performed the ceremony. It was short, sweet, and to the point, and the kids managed to stand still and do exactly as they were supposed to ~ hallelujah! After they said "I Do" they loaded up into the carriage with the kids and rode off into the sunset ~ okay around to the other side of the plantation, but you have to admit it was very romantic picturing it in your mind!

The reception was held inside the main house of Dunleith ~ beautiful! Again the food was FANTASTIC! When the dinner was over a large group of us gathered out in the courtyard and hung out ~ the guy who sang at the ceremony brought his guitar out and entertained while we drank beer and had a good time.

Sunday morning after another FANTASTIC breakfast at Dunleith ~ there was whipping cream in the grits, normally I wouldn't touch a grit to save my life, but I was told that I must try these and let me say these ROCKED ~ we loaded up the car and headed out for our treacherous journey back to Texas. Maisie was so wiped from her weekend that she was asleep 5 minutes out of the joint and didn't wake up until we were about 30 miles outside of Lake Charles! It was a VERY peaceful journey home!

So now it is all said and done ~ my dad has issued the "no return policy" that goes along with each one us of, and they are living happily ever after. Congratulations Lee & Wilson ~ may your new life together be one of eternal newlywed bliss!

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Everything But the Kitchen Sink.....I Think!

So today we are packed up and headed off to the big state of Mississippi......I refer to it as this because in the not too distant past the state only had 1 area code (601) ~ from what I hear now though, they have added a second! I find it amazing that an entire state could have only 1 area code ~ there are 3 in Houston alone! I always seem to block out the amount of garb that one must haul with them when travelling with a baby! My title says Everything But the Kitchen Sink, but I bet if you look closely you just might find it tucked away under something! It is crystal clear to me once again why exactly I drive a land yacht ~ if I didn't, we would have to strap one of the kids to the luggage rack ~ anyone else getting a National Lampoon's Vacation visual here? Our reason for jetting off this weekend is to witness my sister's nuptials ~ yes, she did just get engaged at Christmas ~ nothing like a short engagement! It's a shotgun wedding of sorts ~ only the bride isn't knocked up ~ thank god! We are actually pretty excited about our weekend getaway ~ the kids are in the wedding and there will be all kinds of fun stuff to do ~ I will be getting a "desert heat" wrap at the spa on Saturday before the ceremony ~ let's just hope I don't get all kinds of claustrophobic as soon as they wrap me up! We are also getting a private tour of one of the historic homes, and the wedding as well as where we are staying is at a beautiful plantation in Natchez. It is pilgrimage weekend, unfortunately since my children are in the wedding that means they will be in Natchez with us, so I don't get to go tour all of the beautiful homes that I would like to ~ oh well, maybe we will make it back another year to check it all out. Instead of the usual cheesy ring bearer pillow I managed to score Hunter a really cool ring bowl from a little Etsy shop called Paloma's Nest ~ the bowl is AWESOME! If you are ever looking for something of this type, or an anniversary gift, baby gift, etc. you really must check her out! She was really very nice and got me a bowl even thought the usual turnaround time is 14 days (I just ordered it on Sunday and had it by Wednesday). So thank you Caroline with Paloma's Nest ~ I know my sister will LOVE the dish! Hopefully our drive will be uneventful ~ we'll see how well Maisie fares in the car for this extended time ~ although it took us 8 1/2 or 9 hours to make it to Dallas when we evacuated for Ike and she did pretty well. Now that she gets to face forward and can see out of the windows and watch TV I figure it should be alright ~ keeping my fingers crossed though just in case! I will post pictures of my fabulous little kids in their wedding finery when we return as well as all of the wedding details for those who didn't get to attend.

Mr. Liver's 15th Anniversary

15 years ago today my dad got a new liver ~ sadly this also means that another family lost their loved one on this day in order for this to happen. I remember it like it was yesterday ~ I was a senior in high school and my brother was in college in between quarters and had literally just driven into the driveway in a fully packed GIGANTIC U-Haul. He had come home in a U-Haul because he was changing campuses, but couldn't get into his new apartment until the new quarter started ~ so here we were out in the driveway unloading the GIGANTIC U-Haul when we got the call. Dad was actually in the hospital, and had been for about a week, getting IV antibiotics for an infection ~ at the time he was # 1 on the transplant list, but they had taken him off of the list while he was in there ~ a real emotional blow to all of us. Luckily he was being discharged the next day and when they got the call that they had a match, they decided that this was probably a pretty good time to give him that liver ~ I guess they figured any germs he could have possibly had were dead! When mom called, Bryan and I stopped what we were doing, loaded up, and headed off to the hospital. On the way there we had to go by my dad's plant to pick up some paperwork, and after that we were off to the hospital once again ~ now of course I was speeding and got pulled over on the way in the big city of Pasa-get-down-dena ~ the cop asked why I was speeding, and when I told him that my dad was about to have a liver transplant he looked at me like I was crazy! He informed me that he was sure the liver would still be there when I got there if I were to be driving the speed limit ~ apparently he thinks they just let the harvested organs sit around in coolers for an unlimited amount of time. Whatever! So he let me off with a warning and off we went again! When they were preparing to wheel him off for the surgery it was a real emotional roller coaster ~ we didn't know if we were ever going to see him again ~ to make matters worse the week before all of this he had gone completely deaf over night and so the only way we could communicate with him was to write notes. It was an incredibly long surgery ~ over 14 hours ~ during which he tried to die on the table on them a couple of times! Being that he is a stubborn old bird though, he pulled through and hasn't looked back ~ the liver is the best part of him at this point in time! I remember my first trip into the ICU to see him ~ mom had tried to prepare me for how bad he was going to look because of all of the tubes and things coming out of him. When we walked in all I could say was he looked FANTASTIC! Despite all of the tubes and wires he looked phenomenal! He was actually white again instead of yellow! His new lived had started doing its job as soon as it got in there ~ normally they will reject their new organ in the first week, dad never rejected his. He was home not many days after the transplant and was like a whole new person. If it weren't for the generosity of the family who donated their loved ones organs my dad wouldn't be here today. He would have never seen me graduate from high school or college, or walked me down the aisle, and he would have never had the opportunity to meet his 4 grandchildren. We have never met the family who gave my dad the gift of life, they wished to remain anonymous, but I would still so love to meet them and be able to thank them in person for the 15 additional years they have given us. My dad is an "old timer" in the transplant world ~ I thank god for every additional day I have with him, and pray for many more to come. I love you daddy!