[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.7″ custom_padding=”0px|||||”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.7″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.7″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.7″]What is it about suddenly having time that makes me think I can do anything? And I
Print Recipe Upside Down Shepherd’s Pie Another of my favorites from eMeals. Source: emeals.com Course: Main Course Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 15 min
We recently were alerted to a charge on our credit card for $11,600 at Bloomingdales, New York, which prompted me to ask, who does that???
[WARNING – THIS IS AN UNUSUALLY LONG POST, AND SOMETHING OF A TEAR-JERKER. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED!] On Friday – the last day of school –
Tonight, the two older boys had High School Band Night, where next year’s band gathers to meet the director, learn a little about how to
(I have been trying to get this up for a week so the contest was actually two weeks ago by now.) Well, we are back.
Well, the band did it! They placed 4th in prelims and 3rd in finals and they are going to the State Marching Band Contest to
We performed this afternoon and just learned we made it into the final 10. We march tonight to see who goes to State! Also,
Lone Star placed 4th in the prelims; 5th in the finals. Great showing by the Lone Star band!
We are in Little Elm, watching the preliminaries, and Lone Star just left the field. Here’s the video: Update: We placed 2nd in prelims –
Last night was the first annual band night at the Star and all 9 Frisco High Schools were represented. Lone Star did really well and
Not really a big story here. We have started letting the kids take turns picking where we eat out after church Sunday. Actually, it’s much
It’s not actually raining here. In fact, it hasn’t rained here in such a long time that when Brad was in Alabama this week and a
Our dog, Snickers, should have been named Princess, for she is no doubt the most revered member of our household. She is adored and loved
Well, after plaster, we started filling the pool with the hose, per Sammy’s instructions. And it filled all day and all night and by the
It’s been a few days since I last wrote because, frankly, nothing has happened. But today was PLASTER!!! I’m SO EXCITED!!! I got all my
So today is Thursday, the day we were originally supposed to get plaster in our pool. Plaster is the polymer coating on the inside of
Friday came and went, and we got both green tags – for the pool (pre-plaster) and for the arbor (pre-pier). Then on Saturday – the
Day 30 was a real disappointment. I thought this week would be a flurry of activity. Turns out, not so much. On the 31st day,
So the decking is in, but not the stuff that goes between the bricks. Which is okay because it still looks fantastic. I’m especially thrilled
Turns out, installing the pool decking is a LOT of work. Here’s the progression: Meanwhile, because life can’t be all perfume and roses, we found
When Brad told me the forecast for today included a 100% chance of rain, I nearly started to cry. At the end of the day
I thought the stone masons would finish yesterday, but they did not. This job of theirs is by far the biggest yet. Today is the
The stone masons are back!!! I am so. very. relieved. After yesterday, I wasn’t sure I could take another day with no progress. Mother’s Day
Well THAT JUST SU-, er, I mean, THAT JUST STINKS! (I almost said a bad word but stopped myself just in time, for those readers
I’m depressed. There is nothing happening on the pool, except for the electricians, who came yesterday to hook everything up to the breaker box in
Today, the stonework continued, but is not yet complete. We will have to wait through a weekend before they return.
On Day 15 of our pool build, we got all the water pumped out of the shell. It was an impressive amount, but I was
Nothing is happening on the pool, with the exception of getting the gas hooked up to the equipment, because the next big step is installing
Nothing happened on the pool today, probably because we had a ton of rain last night and the yard is a soupy mess! However, I
This morning – early – the plumbers were back. It was no later than 7:30am when they arrived, since they were already working when I
Finally, something is happening with the pool! It was dormant most of the day, but when the plumbers arrived, they arrived in force!!! They even
My apologies for this post. It’s been a continual source of frustration!!! Hopefully this will be the last update! Day 6 was a pretty dull
Wednesday morning was Gunite. In fact, the Gunite people arrived at – I kid you not – 6:45am. It didn’t take much to get Samuel out of bed.
I’m writing these posts with a few days of hindsight, since I didn’t begin the day we started on the pool. However, today was pretty
Between the last post and this post, we had a weekend. And on Sunday night, a really bad line of storms blew through the area.
Once the excavation was complete, the crew with all the steel re-bar showed up to create what’s called “belly steel”. It was fascinating to see
For the past year or so, we’ve gone back and forth about building a pool in our back yard. There were pros, there were cons,
We recently celebrated Matthew’s 11th birthday. I have a few pictures from the party but not much to report. It was fun and I bribed
Dave Ramsey would be proud. My boys are growing up and learning the value of a dollar, and for the past two weekends, they’ve sold
When I was growing up, we used to wait with bated breath for the Sunday paper and the part we called the “Funnies”, aka the
For Spring Break, we rented a little cabin in Arkansas, at a place in the Ouchita Forest. It was amazing. I loved sitting on the
For months now, I’ve been hearing all the hype surrounding the movie Frozen, but just never made it to the theater to see it. But
So I've started watching the TV show Parenthood. I was told by several people that I should watch it when it first started because there
I listen to the local Christian radio station, and every year around this time, the stories start coming out about “random acts of kindness” or
