Summer 2012

This has been an AWESOME summer and I still have a few weeks remaining!!! Here are a few of the highlights: 
1. My best friend of 40 years & I celebrated our 50th birthdays with 6 days in Jamaica. We had so much fun catching up and reminiscing past memories. 
 2. Ray & I traveled to Rogers, Arkansas in June. We visited friends/colleagues and I went to the Crystal Springs Museum and it's amazing! 
3. I got my dream car - a brand new 2012 BMW 325i. I've always admired them and I can say their advertising is correct - it is The Ultimate Driving Machine!!!  
4. We spent 10 days in CABO- our favorite destination. We have amazing friends who own a fabulous condo. Three of our close friends met us for the final few days. We celebrated Brian's 40th birthday and it's one we won't soon forget...thank you Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo!!! 
5. NaShae & Ryan started building a new home in April and it's progressing beautifully. They should move the end of August.  
6. I am changing school districts. This will be my 26th year in education and I will be teaching third grade in Northwest ISD - one of the premiere school districts in Texas. I plan to complete my remaining 5-10 years of my teaching career with this district.  
7. Valoree spent 6 days with us. We went to the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, IMAX theater, and spent lots of time swimming in our pool. She is such a sweet girl!!!! 
 8. Tex & Jes (my two chihuahuas) are precious and bring me much happiness, along with lots of white fur to clean off dark hardwood floors (ha)!  
9. I LOVE the OLYMPICS!!!  These amazing athletes inspire me to be my best everyday!!
10.  We are traveling to Houston in a few days to see Rod Stewart & Stevie Nicks in concert. This will be a blast from the past!!! 
11.  I enjoy my beautiful home and outdoor living paradise everyday-I can honestly say "There's No Place Like Home!!!"
I am very BLESSED and I thank GOD everyday for my many blessings!

Backyard transformation

original backyard

begin construction

Ray's outdoor kitchen

landscaping frontyard

landscaping

pool, arbor, outdoor kitchen, firepit, & landscaping completed after 3 months

Happy Birthday!

Today is my beautiful daughter's 23rd birthday! God blessed me the day you came into my life.
Happy Birthday, NaShae!!! !

Snow 2010

Picture of our backyard this morning
This is @ 10 this morning...more snow has fallen!

New Years Eve - Times Square

Ray & celebrated New Years Eve in Times Square. It was FABULOUS! This was my 3rd visit to NYC so we didn't do the TOURIST thing. We went to several really neat places - Buddhacon which is the restaurant where Carrie & Mr. Big's rehearsal dinner was in Sex & the City, Spice Market in Greenwich Village, Giovanni's Italian Restuarant in Little Italy, shopping in Chinatown- Ray didn't like it at all, but I love it, FOX News studio, and other neat places. We had a wonderful time but I'm glad to be home. My next visit will be with Shae in the SUMMERTIME- probably celebrating her masters graduation or 25th birthday!!!!

New York City

Chenal Elementary School

This is the elementary school where I will be Assistant Principal this year. I am very excited!!! This is a brand new school and I'm thrilled for this opportunity.

Happy 1st Anniversary!

NaShae & Ryan are celebrating their first anniversary today! It doesn't seem like a year since your beautiful wedding! We wish you many more happy years together!!!

LAST DAY!

Today is my last day of school! YEAH!!!!
I will be traveling with Ray and enjoying my time away from school!

Happy Anniversary

Hot Spring 1995

San Antonio 2008

Happy 14th Anniversary to my wonderful husband, Ray.

Wordless Wednesday

Special Gifts

NaShae made these silhouettes of Tex and Jes and the Family scrapbook for me for Mother's Day. Handmade gifts are the best!!

International Reading Association Convention

I had a wonderful trip to Minneapolis attending the reading conference. There were seven literacy specialist from my district who attended. We went to seminars, shopped, ate lots of good food - Bubba Gumps Shrimp Co., Rain Forest Cafe, Twin Cities Grill, etc. The highlight of the trip was going to St. Paul to see the musical Legally Blonde and eating dinner at an authentic Italian Restauant - Cosetta's. It was a fun trip but I am glad to be home!

Happy Birthday!

See NaShae's birthday message below. I had to post early because I am still in Minneapolis.

Happy 22nd Birthday, NaShae!

2 years

4 years

12 years

14 years

17 years

My baby girl is twenty-two years old today! She has brought more joy and happiness into my life than I could have ever imagined. She is beautiful, caring, sweet, and successful.
I can't wait to celebrate with you this weekend!

Awards Banquet

Ray & I attended my school district's annual awards banquet tonight. I received the Bobby G. Lester Excellence in Education award. I was truly honored to receive this award. My district has 37 schools, 18,000+ students, and over 2,000 certified teachers. I received a beautiful plaque, cash stipend, and my picture on the wall of fame in central office. It is an awesome feeling to be recognized by your colleagues.

amazing product

I don't usually advertise products or clothing (except Coach handbags)

but this Jergen's natural glow lotion is awesome! I have been a sun bum

my whole life. My dermatologist recently told me I can't use tanning beds,

or fry for hours in the sun any longer. I have used this lotion for a week and

I am as tan as if I'd gone to the tanning bed. If I had found this years

ago, I could have saved my skin alot of sun damage. Buy a tube of this lotion if you want the look of tan skin without the damage from sun or tanning beds.

EVENTS

My Proudest Moment...watching Shae graduate

from college in 3 years, 3 days after turning 21!!!

New York City celebrating 21st birthday...I promised

her we would go to NYC to celebrate her 25th, 30th, 40th, & 50th, then

she's on her own because I will be 76!!!

Beautiful Bride and happy Mom

New Kid on the Block

I am going to attempt this thing called blogging! I enjoy reading many of your blogs so NaShae is going to help me along the way! What an awesome way to share life's journey!!!