Baby shower center pieces

A few months ago my aunt asked me to help her with a baby shower for her grandbaby. Here are a few photos of what I came up with

grandfather update...

My grandfather was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. It's AMAZING how everyone in the family is helping with every detail to make sure my grandparents are taken care of. You can look at my grandmothers face and see every emotion she is holding in. She is holding up okay. She's trying to be strong for everyone. He is at home and receiving oral chemo. I don't want to get into too much as this is so hard on everyone in my family.

Lily and I joined my grandma and Aunt Yolanda to celebrate my great Aunt Estephana's 83rd birthday! She loved the gold clog type shoes Lil got for her. My mother and her were very close when my mom was growing up so she decided to name her first baby after her...Estephana=Stephanie! I love her dearly.

After being away from my family for many years it's so great to be able to be here in times like these.

My head is spinning...

because we have been so worried about my grandfather. He had open heart surgery and appeared to be doing well. He was in a really nice and new nursing home doing rehabillitation. He was so strong and then fever struck him. He had a fever for 2 weeks and after being admitted to the hospital they discover cancer. The most devistating news yet. They are testing to see where it is. They looked at the stomach and colon which was negative tomorrow is more tests on his liver and they'll be taking some bone marrow.

Proud of Bob

We have been busy, busy, busy. I was working on brainstorming for new ideas for hair accessories. I'll post some photos later.

Austen had a basketball game on Saturday and they lost pretty bad. He played against 3 of his classmates. He and his bud made a plan to get the mom's together for a meet and exchange of kids during his game. This friend is the first friend to share his love of music. It's so cute. They call each other and put the speakerphone on, Austen plays his guitar while Devon plays his drums!

They finally had a real jam session on Saturday. I realized, that day, how tolerant to noise our neighbors can be, whoa!

Bob has been in Phoenix a few days now for a company convention He called yesterday and told me he received an award for being number one in the company for volume revenue and received another award as well. He works for Convergint Techonologies. http://www.convergint.com/ He has a photo for me to post when he gets home. I'm so happy for him! He works hard, but still takes time to help coach Austen's basketball team and is going to coach his baseball team this spring. So proud of you hubby!!

We will be traveling to Brenham for Valentine's day for a guitar festival in Round Top

Papa took Austen, Bob, and cousin Jack last year. This is a first for Lil and me. Lily has really developed a love of music as well. I can't wait to see what happens with that!

I had some time this morning...

so I thought I would talk about my babies. Austen played in his very first basketball game this Saturday. I was a little nervous for him, as was he. He's my little worrier. He didn't score any points, but had a few assists. He handled the point guard position well, and was surprisingly aggressive near the end of the game. Bob assisted the coach. I was very proud of both of them. Bob took a few people to motocross after the game. I don't have any photos of that, but they had a great time!

Bob talking with the kids.

My little point guard about to pass the ball to his new friend Cade.

THEY WON 17 to 16!

Lil is a busy body ALWAYS, when she's not mixing potions of my lotions, shampoos, and perfumes (she says she wants to be scientist or doctor) she's making messes elsewhere. I love her! She has such a personality and loves to take care of people, but she makes messes everywhere she goes. I just don't see how a little girl can create such catastrophic messes.

Brick wall, water fall, _______ thinks she's got it all

but she doesn't and I do so boom with that attitude

peace punch Captin Crunch I've got something you can't touch

bang bang choo choo chang wind me up while I do my thang

Reeses Pieces Seven Up mess with me and I'll mess you up

I said this in the kitchen one day after she told my dad about her day at school. She said there was a little girl in her school who "thinks she's all that". She wanted me to teach it to her so I told her one time, and that's all it took. I told her she wasn't allowed to say this in school. What do you know??? Yesterday, after asking her how school was, her response was "mom please don't be mad, but I had to say it because ____ was being mean so I just had to tell her, but I said it in the bathroom so no one would hear". That's my little rebel. We had a talk about hurting other people's feelings. I know in the end it was my fault for even opening my mouth.

Here is a picture of her and her friend she had over on Tuesday.

Coming Soon...

Finally what I've been waiting for, a place to showcase my crafts! I've been making "stuff" for so long and have been holding out on making them in a larger scale, number one because of time, the time away from my first priority...my family. I've worked with people in the past and have had a few boutiques around the US ask if I would consider making some of my tutus for them to sell. I was scared. Scared of over extending myself where I wouldn't be available for my kids. Then a friend of mine who owns an antique shop in downtown New Braunfels suggested I put some of my "stuff" in the store. I thought about it, but just never motivated myself to take the time to work up a plentiful amount of inventory. Well a couple of weeks ago she suggested we go into it together...SHE will be my motivator! Another added bonus is she has two little girls herself. Her daughter and Lil met in gymnastics class a couple of months after moving here. They have become great friends and will be able to have play dates as we work.
I'm very excited to see what comes of this project. The store is called Red Rooster Cafe and Antique Co. It's an awesome store and is crazy busy in the summer.
Bob swears the blue cheese burger, in the cafe ,is the best he's ever had! http://www.theredroostercafe.com/
Thanks Lila for your friendship and motivation!!

I'm feeling sorry for myself today.

My grandfather had heart surgery on Wednesday. He's a very stong man, yet he has been livng with type 1 diabetes, insulin-dependent. In his older years the side effects of diabetes have gotten worse.
He was feeling sick, cold like symptoms, when he stopped eating and just didn't feel right so my mother and her family decided to take him to the hospital last week.
Many tests later they realized he had at least 4 blocked arteries and needed to have open heart surgery. They operated on him Wednesday. He did very well. They ended up having to unclog 5 arteries! The doctor later said he operated on a 52 year old man a couple of weeks ago that wasn't making as much progress as my grandfather (he's 74). It was a rough week for my grandfather, grandmother, my mother, and all his children.
What I learned out of this situation is that God is great. He is there for us when we need Him. We are His faithful servents and He will not abandon us in times like this.
I also can't help but reevaluate my health issues. I don't understand that out of 8 children and 23 grandchildren I had to be the one to have diabetes. ONLY ME!!
I've been ignoring it for the past year. I was diagnosed in July of 2007. I started excercising and paying attention to what I ate for a few months and then stopped everything and ignored it.
I haven't been feeling well and have been checking my levels and they just don't seem to go down even with starting my medicine again. Oh...and my husand has it was well. Today's not a good day. I'm going to spend my evening tonight reading and researching.