The Celebration

After a very long drive in the rain from Houston to Tulsa, we went out for yummy Mexican food for Abby's birthday. Mexican food is her favorite and she requested Ted's! Both sets of grandparents came and we had cake and ice cream afterward. Abby got to wear the "birthday sombrero" while they sang to her (can you say "lice breeding ground"?)

Juju went the extra mile and surprised her with a Hannah Montana cake.

She had a great birthday!

Happy Birthday, Abby!

Today we celebrate the birth of sweet Abby! She is 8 years old! How did that happen? She still seems like my sweet little baby, but she has turned into a big girl. She is even going to "spend the night camp" next week.

To celebrate we had a sleepover this past weekend. She wanted to have friends over to swim, a pinata and a sleepover. She had 5 friends plus her sister and it was the perfect size group.

It was the easiest party I have ever thrown. The girls were all well behaved and actually slept! I think Abby had a lot of fun! Tonight we have dinner with both of our grandparents!! I love you, Abby!!!

Tall Girl

Meet, Hannah! She is 10 years old, 5 feet tall and shoe size 8 1/2. I am amazed. She is blessed with height and it won't be long before she passes my 5'4" height.

This One Is For Penny

Penny:

You won't believe how much I saved this week at Kroger playing The Grocery Game!!! I know this is getting obnoxious, but I saved $78. Isn't that crazy???!!! You wouldn't believe all of the food in my freezer and my pantry. It's nuts. Go sign up and give them my e-mail address: amanda@lazymoms.com as your referral! It's time, Penny!!!!

Sincerely,

Your friend with $78 extra dollars this week

Fun With the Fosters

Allison decided spontaneously to head to Houston one more time this summer. Scott was going to be out of town and she decided to kill time with us. We werer thrilled. We really didn't do too much as I think both of our summer budgets are just about shot. But, kids don't need too much entertaining when they have cousins around. They had some time in the dressups:

some time in the pool:

We also hit Chuck E Cheeses one day and an indoor playground, but honestly, they just had the most fun "being" together. Hannah and Jack discovered Yahtzee and Ali and I even got in on that action.

I must give a shout out to my man, Dan. He was a huge helper in the child department. Monday night he watched kids so we could go for a walk. Tuesday night he let us go play tennis for 2 hours. Thursday night we had a fun girls night with my Aunt and cousins. Wednesday night he begged me not to leave!!! But, watching 6 kids is no easy task for anyone. Thanks for helping, honey!!!

Lassie, Come Home!

Tonight Daniel and I were sound asleep in bed when I was awakened by the rattling of a door knob. It startled me so bad I woke Daniel up and we both jumped out of bed. Someone was trying to get in our house. There was no mistake about it.

After all the mistakes we made in our last emergency, I immediately picked up the phone and called 911. After Daniel grabbed the fireplace poker, his weapon of choice, he noticed that the back gate was open. Yep! Someone had been in our backyard.

While I'm giving all the details to 911 we hear the front door rattling. Coco, our black lab, is trying to get in the door. I quickly realize that Tyler, our little neighbor across the street had been swimming tonight and probably didn't get the gate shut all the way when he left. But, where was Sadie?

We couldn't find her anywhere. This is very uncharacteristic of her. If Coco can get away, she makes a break for it. But, not Sadie. She knows how good she's got it.

Daniel hopped in his car and set off to find her. After about 30 minutes I made him come home. I felt helpless being at home by myself. I wanted to trade spots and go look for her. I drove around for about 45 minutes when I saw a police car. I flagged him down and asked him if he had seen a yellow lab. He said no. He was called in to patrol the neighborhood. He asked where I lived and I had to tell him that yes, we were the 911 callers. How embarrassing! He was very sweet and told me he would call if he saw the dog.

I went on my way and kept looking. I saw a skunk in someone's front yard. Wouldn't they die if they knew that? Thankfully, it didn't spray me. My head was halfway out the window whistling for Sadie.

After about 10 more minutes Daniel called me. 911 called him back. The police found the dog. Lucky for us they had our number because of our 911 call. Seriously, so embarrassing!!! Your tax dollars at work, people!

I went to where the policeman was waiting and told him I was sorry I couldn't provide him with a more exciting night. I was sure finding lost dogs wasn't on his mind when he signed up for this job!

Anyway, we got our prodigal dog back safe and sound. The girls have no clue any of this even happened. Slept thru the whole mess! Daniel is now snoring and my heart rate is just now starting to come down from hearing that door knob rattle!!!

Look What I Won

From PS Designs... Ok, so it's hard to see. I took it with my iphone and the closer in I got the blurrier the picture got. I need a fancy camera and some photography lessons! I won this on my friend Betsy's blog. She personalized it for me with all three of my girls names. It's super cute! Thanks Domino Girls!!!

Update on The Grocery Game

I had a successful first run at The Grocery Game. Go read about it here! You won't believe what I saved!

Fort Bend Fit

Besides family, the thing I miss the most is running! I need the support of others to run. It's very hard for me to get up and run at 6:00 in the morning if I'm not meeting my buds. I need the accountability. Plus, I love the camaraderie. It has really been a hole here for me in Houston.

After catching up with my running friends in Destin, I realized I need to get back in it. I signed up for a program here called "Fort Bend Fit". I had heard of Houston Fit through my cousin, Courtney. She has done it for years and Fort Bend Fit is just a spin off of Houston fit for those of us in the burbs.

This morning was our first run. They encourage anyone to come. The first run is only a 2 mile run and then they add on a mile each week depending on if you are training for the full marathon or the half marathon. I'm going to do the half-marathon. (My theory is that marathons are kind of like kids. While you are in the midst of it you love it and can't imagine not doing one. But, once you are over it you are really over it. I've done 4 marathons and the thought of doing one now grosses me out. I've had 3 kids and the thought of having another one grosses me out! Get the analogy?)

I loved loved loved it this morning. I love being up before the rest of the house. I love visiting with other people. I love a good sweat in the sunshine. I'm so excited I signed up to do this and wish I had done it last year!

The Grocery Game

So Stephanie and Lazy Mom Leslie have talked me into playing The Grocery Game. This is what Stephanie has to say: "Many people ask me how I’ve been able to save thousands of dollars. The majority has been using one tool - The Grocery Game. I’ve been using this site for over two years. I guarantee it works."

Lazy Mom Leslie just started and she is already seeing a savings. The Grocery Game relies heavily on stockpiling. You buy things when they are at their cheapest and store them for when you need them.

I am not going to buy items or brands that I don't normally buy. I am also not going to run around town to different stores to get the best deals. I am going to shop at my Kroger and possibly Wal-Mart. I NEVER clip coupons, but I am going to start getting the Sunday paper and follow what The Grocery Game tells me to do. I will report back in a few weeks on how I am doing. This is going to be pretty challenging for me because I am not a smart shopper at all.

If you would like to join me in The Grocery Game, click here for a free 4 week trial and be sure to give my email address for the referral. (amanda@lazymoms.com)

Red, White and Blue

Red- the color of the barbecue sauce I ate on Saturday!

White- our favorite fireworks...

Blue- the color of the water that we splashed around in..

Running Buddies!

While we were in Destin, the best coicidence was that my old running buddies from Tulsa also happened to be there. Karen was staying just 2 doors down from us at Seacrest Beach and Sheri was just 30 minutes away in Destin. Three times during the week Sheri made the drive out to us and we were all able to run together. It was awesome. Sheri lives in Dallas now and I, of course, in Sugar Land so this was a real treat for us to all be together. And, it really was coincidence.

The Car

Unlucky 13

Tomorrow Daniel and I celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary. While we were on our honeymoon in the Grand Cayman, he was stung by a fire ant and had to be rushed to the hospital for an anaphylactic shock. Here is the story of our day yesterday:

Daniel was stung by a fire ant early this morning while cleaning the pool. He came inside, we gave him Benadryl and an Epipen shot. We waited to see if he would have a reaction which in hindsight was not very smart. After 5 minutes he told me he needed to go to the hospital. I said I would call 911 and he said no you can drive me. About a mile into the drive he lost consciousness and started to foam at the mouth. I, like a crazy woman, proceeded to drive 70 mph in a 40. VERY STUPID! I came upon a light that was turning red and I thought I could beat it. Well, I couldn’t and we crashed. When EMSA finally arrived Daniel’s blood pressure was 60/40 (Yes, that is correct…no 1 in front!) and they say he was 2 minutes from going into cardiac arrest. I thought he was probably dying. Daniel tells me that he felt himself slipping away and didn’t think he was going to make it. The girls were there crying. It was a horrific scene. After about 15 minutes they took him to the hospital. I got a ride to the hospital where I was greeted by the chaplain. I now really thought he was dead, but he was starting to come to. Daniel says after he woke up they said, “now, we need to tell you that your wife had a wreck trying to get you to the hospital” and he was just as scared for us. He has no memory of the wreck.

He is home now and doing great. We are both very emotionally shaken up. Ellie Grace is really having a hard time with it, but the other two are doing great. EG won’t be in the same room as Daniel b/c she says this reminds her of the day.

Thanks to those that prayed and we would appreciate continued prayers. I am sure we will be very sore from the wreck. I am pretty certain the car is totaled. The other drive is ok and he was very compassionate and forgiving.

Thanks again for all the prayers, support, emails and calls. We had precious friends who swooped into help me and the girls. We love you all and are reminded how very precious life is. We are thanking God for His hand upon all of the events. Today could have turned out much differently.

Vacation Part 2

After a fun day in New Orleans we made our way to Destin. We actually stay at a place outisde of Destin near Panama City called Seacrest Beach. It's about 6 miles from Seaside.

What a great week we had. We shared a house with my parents and right next door was my sister Allison's family. It was so precious to have a whole week with family of uninterrupted bliss! No work, no activities. Just hangin' with the family. The only thing missing was Kristie. She and Kurt had their 25 year class reunions that week and couldn't make it work.

The girls absolutely loved the ocean. Usually on these trips we have to split our time between the beach and the ocean. Not this time. They preferred the ocean. It was great.

This year we let Hannah and Jack rent bicycles for the week. The neighborhood is like Wisteria Lane and there are tons of kids everywhere. Next to us is Rosemary Beach and they have a whole "town" set-up. At first, Jack and Hannah didn't know what to do with their newfound freedom. When we were kids we could hop on our bike and be gone all day. In this day and age, sadly we can' let our kids do this. Jack and Hannah were at a loss for what to do. But, it didn't take long for them to figure it out. They loved having those bikes!

Ellie Grace loved the proximity of her cousins. She told me she wished we could always have "connecting houses". Me too, Ellie Grace. Me too!

Vacation Part I

On the first leg of our trip we stopped off in New Orleans. It is only about a 4 1/2 hour drive from Sugar Land and we wanted to get the vacation off early so on Saturday morning we headed out bright and early. After we checked into the hotel we went to Mother's for lunch. It was recommended by so many people. In fact, when President Bush came to check on the hurricane this is where the mayor brought him for lunch. It's just a little dive. Nothing fancy at all. You go thru a line cafeteria style, but oh is it ever worth it. Absolutely delicious. I highly recommend it!

Next, Big D and I argued about what we should do. He wanted to just go walk around the French Quarter and eat, see some sights and hang out. I really wanted to do a city tour. The tour was pretty pricey, but I ended up winning and then had to worry if it would be worth the money. He wanted to make sure the girls saw the famous sights of New Orleans. While I wanted to do that too, I really wanted to see the hurricane area and see how things were progressing.

If you are anywhere close to New Orleans, you MUST go on this tour. It was heart wrenching. I cannot even find the words to tell you the devastation that still exists in the Lower 9th Ward. Here are some pics I took. Look closely at the writing on the house. In the days after the hurricane, rescue crews would come by the house and identify their group, post the date and then post how many bodies they found inside. If this doesn't grab at your heart nothing will.

I also fell in love with Brad Pitt. I am amazed by all he has done for these people and really not received publicity for it. Yes, he might have too many kids and Angelina is a little odd, but what he has done here is astonishing! Here are some pics of the houses his organization has put up:

The next pic is an abandoned house. Look closely at the roof. This is where the homeowner had to break thru the roof to climb on top to avoid the floods. We all remember the images from the news of people standing on their roofs, but seeing this in person really made an impact on us.

I could go on and on about what I saw, but I'll stop. Just know that these people are still hurting and are in need. I was so moved that I am praying about a possible mission trip to help them. I have a friend who is doing a family mission trip in August to put on a VBS while they are there. Our church doesn't currently have anything scheduled to go there, but I would love for you to let me know if you know of any future trips. I would also love it if you go too!

Ok, back to the fun stuff. After the tour (which we ALL loved!) we went over to Jackson Square and then to Cafe Du Monde for some yummy beignets.

After dessert, we went to dinner. My kids LOVED having their dessert first! We had more yummy food and then headed to bed. Destin in the morning!!!

My Cute Shoes

We have just returned from our family vacation to Seacrest Beach near Destin, Florida. I will be posting about it the next few days. One story you won't want to miss is the story of my shoes! I posted it on Lazy Mom's. I'm too tired to post it here too. Make sure you go find out what happened to my shoes!

Joli

This week my precious friend, Joli, from Tulsa came to visit. This was so sweet of her because all 3 of her kids were at camp and she chose to use her adult time to come see me! Joli and I have the kind of friendship that we can go for months without talking and then pick right back up where we left off - like no time has passed.

Tuesday night she was dying to meet Lazy Mom Leslie, so the three of us and my other good friend, Julie, went out for a girls night. We had a great time and it was fun to show off my "new friends" to my "old friend".

Wednesday we just hung out by the pool and talked. We talked so much during her visit that after I dropped her at the airport Abby said, "you guys sure talked alot!" We stayed up close till midnight each night giggling and telling funny stories.

Today I introduced her to my favorite store, Soma. I think Joli wasn't understanding why we were going there, but she fell in love and went home with lots of goodies! We finished up with a yummy lunch before I dropped her at the airport.

I already miss you, Joli! Thanks for coming to see me!!!

Swim Team

Most of you know that all of the Herrold boys were swimmers growing up. There's nothing their Mom would love more than for one of her grandchildren to also swim. Hannah swam for Cedar Ridge one year. It was lots of fun. She probably had about 30 people on her team and they swam against the other local Country Clubs during the summer. It was very low key, but a good time.

Well, swim team is HUGE in Texas. We signed all 3 of our girls up for the swim team at Sweetwater (Sweetwater Surfers). There are 200 people on their team PLUS a waiting list. Huge I tell you!!! They started swimming every day after school for an hour the whole month of May. The first meet was tonight. Or, I should say IS tonight. Daniel, Hannah and Abby are still there. These meets are lllllooooonnnggg! We had to be there at 4:00 and the word on the street is that it will wrap up around 10:00. (One of my friends just texted me, "I hate swim team!" LOL)

This picture is in the parking lot. The swimmers are divided by age and gender. This is essentially staging! It looks like a tailgate party, but not nearly as fun!!!

The girls did great and loved every minute of it. Ellie Grace participated in a freestyle relay and individual freestyle. She got 1st place in the individual race and although she did great in the relay, they were unfortunately disqualified. She did walk away with a great participation ribbon though!

Abby won first in her relay (she swam the anchor!), first in backstroke and second in freestyle!

Hnnah won first in her relay (she swam butterfly), first in backstroke and first in butterfly. At the time of this writing she still had a couple more events.

And now, I must gush over my husband! He has willingly and voluntarily taken charge of our volunteer duties. (Each parent must work 3 half meets.) He let me and Ellie Grace leave around 7:30 and is still there with Hannah and Abby. What a trooper!!!

I promise not to gush every Monday, but this post is for Grandma!

Party of Five

Last week I kept my niece and nephew (Emma and Luke) while my sister Allison was out of town. Her hubby won an awards trip with his job to BERMUDA for a week!

I was thrilled to have them, but a little daunted at the task of having 5 kids for the week and going back to the toddler stage! They were little darlings, though. They made their parents proud. Luke LOVED the fact that we have a pool in our backyard. He said he is going to tell his Mom to get him one of those. It was my secret weapon to wear them out everyday! I forgot how tiring it can be to have little kids around the house. I did manage to squeeze in a couple of much needed naps during "rest time"!

The best part is that we get to see them in exactly one week when we hit the beach in Florida! We cannot wait!