Besties

There's nothing like posing for pictures with your BFF.

There's nothing like having a post ballgame snack with your BFF.

And, there's nothing like a good squeeze from your BFF.
We're so glad that Jordan lives on our street.

Hopped Right to It

The Easter Bunny Gang ready for the hunt.

And away they went.

They searched high...

...and they searched low.

Austin was "all in" this year. No bush was too scary.

I can't believe these girls missed these eggs.
They're right here on the ground.
What? They fell out of my basket?
Darn small kids basket.
Next year I want the gigantor basket.

Her basket over-floweth.

Hey, I'm pretty sure I had more eggs in this thing.

Yep, according to my tally, I'm 3.5 eggs short.
MENNAAAAAAA!
(Menna is how he says Brenna)

Don't look at me.
I can't help it if he can't hold onto his eggs.
If they're on the ground, they're fair game.

Spoils of the hunt.

Splendor in the Grass

Here's another photo taken by our neighbor and friend, Wendy. Austin absolutely loves rolling around in the grass... short grass, tall grass... it doesn't matter. The first time I saw him do it I thought, "Oh boy, he's gonna be itchy all night", but it doesn't seem to effect him. I'm not quite sure how to categorize the look on his face, but I love the intensity with which he is staring into the camera. I also like way the light hits the tops of his head and shoulders.

One of the things we love about our new neighborhood are the people. It's so nice to live in an area where people actually spend time outside and enjoy each others' company. With the nice weather recenlty, we've made it a habit of going outside between dinner and bedtime. We may be the only one's outside at first, but eventually we make enough noise, and others join us. The adults chat, the older kids ride bikes or play chase, and Austin tries to sneak into the street when we're not looking. What is it about the street that is so appealing? Why would anyone want to crawl around in dirt and engine residue? Oh yeah, I forgot... he's a boy. It's in his genetic make-up. Well, we've got to take advantage of this wonderful weather, for soon the heat, humidity and MOSQUITOES will arrive, and we'll be holed up in our houses with the kids wreaking havoc on our living rooms. Sigh.

Quarry Work

On our Spring Break trip to Arlington/Haslet, we spent a few days with my parents (Fred and Margaret AKA Granddad and Nana). One day when Austin was napping, Granddad took Kassadie and Brenna outside to the massive backyard that sports a playground, work shop and lots of, get this, rocks. It just happens that every mailbox on the street has a lovely brick or stone enclosure, and theirs is just a plain old mailbox on a post. When Granddad discovered all the natural rock in the yard, he decided he would put it to good use. It was just convenient that some cheap labor came along to aid in the endeavor. Yes, Granddad put the girls to work digging up rocks for his decorative mailbox enclosure. It went a little something like this:

Gather the "proper" tools

Then start digging

And dig some more

Rope your little brother/cousin into putting
the rocks you dig up in a bucket

Once the bucket is full, take it to the tractor trailer

and dump it out. Repeat this process for about 3 hours,
or until Granddad says you can stop.

Try to take the tractor for a joy ride when

Granddad isn't looking.
Keep an eye on the trailer at all times.
There are rock rustlers in these parts.
Load up the help and head to the collection pile.
Practice the art of chucking rocks off the trailer.
Be careful not to hit the person next to you with a rock.
We wouldn't want OSHA to show up.
Reward the help with a well deserved tractor
ride around the yard.

So if you find yourself invited to Fred and Margaret's, be advised. There's plenty of work to be done!

Like a Box of Chocolates

With Austin you never know what you're gonna get...

One minute he's playing ball with determination,

And the next he's climbing on something
that is bound to topple over.
Raising a boy is such an adventure.

Photos courtesy of Wendy Pierce, neighbor and friend.

Goodbye Chelsea Girl

Today Brent and I said good-bye to our first "child" together. Chelsea Lynne Cook was a part of our lives for almost 12 years. She was my 30th birthday present and the puppy of Brent's parents' dog Sadie. When she was born, the white fur on the back of her neck formed the letter C and that combined with her beautiful red coloring made her the dog for us.
Chelsea put up with me adorning her in bandannas for every occasion. Here she is ready to help me give Brent his 30th birthday present - NASCAR driving lessons at Texas Motor Speedway.
She weathered 3 moves across the country and back and us bringing 2 small humans into her life, but through it all one thing remained constant - her passion for running and leaping to catch an airborne object.
So intense was this passion that for a while we couldn't say the word Frisbee or ball in her presence. We had to resort to "flying circle disk" or "b-a-l-l" to avoid sending her into a tizzy. It was almost impossible to ignore those laser beam eyes that practically willed you to pick up the ball and throw it for her.

Even in her last days with us, she still had the desire to retrieve. She was a bit slow at it, but she did it none-the-less. I always said she'd play ball until her dying day and, bless her heart, she did.
Chelsea was also a good companion. When Brent would go out of town, she'd curl up next to me in bed to make sure I wasn't lonely. Our house seems quite empty now that she's gone, and I'm a bit lonely without her shadowing my every move.
Even Jennie, our other Border Collie, is feeling the loss. And after we explained what was happening to Brenna, she said, "I don't want to have only one dog." We don't either, but now she is at peace and no longer hurting.

Good-bye old friend. I hope you find an angel to throw your ball for you. We love you and will miss you so.

All Smiles

Glad I captured this moment, because these days, they can be fleeting.

Future Lady Charmer - I'm just sayin'