Life in the Sunshine State

Diamond Head

2012-01-04T19:27:00.000-10:00

Today, Taris went to work and the rest of us hiked to the top of Diamond Head Crater. It was a great hike, but there was a lot of vog in the air. (Vog: volcanic smog) The view wasn't as great as it has in the past, but our company was still impressed.

Taking a break

View of Honolulu/Waikiki

At the top

View of the trail we went on to the top

They've landed!

2012-01-03T18:31:00.000-10:00

Our first visitors of 2012 arrived today. Jim and Beejae, Taris' parents, arrived on island this afternoon and will be vacationing with us for the next 16 days. We have a very full schedule. I am so excited to have people at the house! Tourist activity here we come!

Here is the itinerary for their trip. It was sitting in a welcome basket full of local macadamia nuts, North Shore chocolate, and water.

Honolulu City Lights

2011-12-25T23:32:00.000-10:00

Every year, the city of Honolulu opens up city hall and creates a holiday wonderland. They sponsor a Christmas wreath contest and break out the HUGE Santa and Mrs. Clause. We thought this was a nice cap to the evening and you just can't get more holiday like than streets filled with lights and a 30 foot Christmas tree all decked out. We had a great time taking in all of the festivities.

These were some of our favorite Christmas wreaths entered in the competition:

Here are the highlights from the lights:

Merry Christmas from Waikiki

2011-12-25T19:46:00.000-10:00

Taris and I spent Christmas at home and alone this year. It was quiet, but a nice change of pace for us. Since it was just the two of us, I opted not to cook and we headed down to Waikiki for dinner at one of the fancy little restaurants on the strip. We ate "dinner" (at 4pm) at Wolgang Puck's Steakhouse. It was absolutely wonderful! We enjoyed the atmosphere, the company of the two of us, and of course all of the amazing food. Believe it or not, I did not take one picture of us at the restaurant. We finished in time to take a walk on the beach to watch the sun set over the ocean. It certainly was not our typical Christmas and most definately not the weather we are used to, but we both loved not having to bust out our winter coats to head outside.

Christmas Morning...sort of

2011-12-24T22:17:00.000-10:00

For those of you that know me, you know I hate waiting to open presents...especially at Christmas. And I hate keeping secrets on what I am giving. Since we didn't have to wait for Santa Clause to visit our house, I convinced Taris that we could open our presents on Christmas Eve. We both got what we wanted and then some. The highlight was my ipod and Taris' highly requested beats by Dr. Dre. I bought us the X360 Kinnect. Which was probably the funest toy ever! Here are a few highlights from the present opening.

Christmas Card

2011-12-24T09:28:00.000-10:00

I finally got our Christmas card in the mail on Christmas eve! I was so busy taking care of my sisters cards and waiting on a convenient time to take a family picture with Taris that I was completely OUT of creativity for my own card. After a chat with my sister, Alexis, we settled on this as the final product. Taris insisted on an entire family photo (with the dogs), but we did not drive all the way out to one of the two dog beach parks on the island. Next year...much better planning...and hopefully not an unexpected, last minute trip home to take care of our rental in Abilene. Merry Christmas everyone!

North Pole Express

2011-12-04T21:30:00.000-10:00

For Mason's birthday, everyone went to the North Pole Express (formerly Polar Express) in Grapevine. I was SO glad that I got to go too! Everyone had a great time. It was crazy cold and actually snowed the next day! There was so much to do: a train ride with Santa, a visit with Santa at the toy store, ornament making, and hot chocolate. It was such a great memory maker.

Mason, Kendall, and Tucker
Doesn't Tucker remind you of the kid from "The Christmas Story"
He finally figured out that his arms could move!

Kendall would not go up to see him alone...and did not want to sit on his lap

Kendall decided she could try and touch Santa

Oh the many attempts at a group picture

Tucker LOVES pez

Rachel, Mason, Tucker, and Mike

She got a Christmas bell

A little more warmed up to Santa

The conductor

Our train car

Mason made a sleigh

Kendall and Alexis with the finished ornament

O, Christmas Tree

2011-12-01T11:50:00.000-10:00

I love putting up the Christmas tree each year. This year, while I loved getting it out and putting it up, I didn't feel like pulling out all of the Hallmark ornaments this year. So, our tree is not personalized at all this year! And although I love the simple theme of red, white, and silver, it just isn't the same when it comes to the memories that all of the personal ornaments bring to life for me. Next year, I will fight the plastic packaging and the individual boxes...because it really is worth it.

Adventures in Stained Glass

2011-11-04T21:50:00.000-10:00

I decided to be adventurous and take a stained glass class at Hickam Arts and Crafts. The piece that we are to make in class is a Christmas wreath made from holly leaves. There was no time wasted. We got right to work on the first day of class learning how to cut the glass with all of the tools. It has been so much fun so far. I am looking forward to seeing my final product!

My work space

Traced my leaves and ready to start making my first cuts

Pearl Harbor

2011-10-17T14:48:00.000-10:00

On Monday, we packed Ashley and Alexis up for the airport and took them to Pearl Harbor. They have a great walk through museum that sets up the events of December 7. There is also a submarine and battleship that you can tour (which we didn't have time to do). After the Arizona, we did lunch, dropped Taris off at work, and explored the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island. It was so neat. The museum is actually housed in original hangars from the area. It was a great way to end the weekend. We were so glad that Ashley and Alexis were able to stay a few days extra to see us.

View of the Bowfin, Ford Island bridge, and Honolulu

Ready to watch the informational movie before getting on the boat

Part of the Arizona

All of those that have survived the Arizona and have since passed away

View from the memorial wall

One of the two anchors that are on battleships

A diagram of where the memorial is located in relation
to the ship under water

The parks service guide that answered all of the questions

Entrance to the Arizona Memorial

Bowfin submarine

We tried out the simulators. Taris would NOT have been proud.

Getting ready to hop into the cockpit

Alexis had a hard time landing. Fourth time was the charm...sort of

Tractor used on the only privately owned island in Hawaii. The Robinson
family (the owns...still) tilled the entire island so that it was not able to be
used as a landing area by the enemy.

Plane from the Doolittle Raid

Close up of a plane from the Doolittle Raid

One of the original hangars during the attack has
now been added to the Pacific Aviation Museum

Original gun from one of the ships from battleship row

The blue glass is original glass with original bullet holes from the attack of
Pearl Harbor

North Shore

2011-10-16T21:00:00.000-10:00

On our last full day, we took Ashley and Alexis to the North Shore to see some LOST sights and to experience Matsumoto's...the BEST shave ice on the island. The shave ice did not disappoint. It was SO good! It was a bit windy and not super warm, but we had a great time enjoying the sunshine and relaxing after all of the excitement from the snorkeling and luau from the day before.

Policeman Beach...the original beach used for LOST.
This is where the first season was filmed and where the
plane crash and original camp was set up.
(Alexis LOVES the LOST show.)

Plenty windy. Great day for kite surfing!

More snorkeling. I supervised and kept an eye on our stuff.

Taris holding ours...we shared. Lots of sugar
for us, since we don't eat any,

Everyone in front of the sign

Paradise Cove

2011-10-15T22:00:00.000-10:00

While Ashely and Alexis were here, they wanted to make sure that they went to a luau. I did my research and Paradise Cove was listed as number one. So, we tried it out. They had lots of activities to partake in and they put on an excellent show. Once again, tons of pictures!

Another great sunset

Snorkeling with the Rogers

2011-10-15T15:00:00.000-10:00

Alexis and Ashley (my sister and brother-in-law) were on a cruise thru the Hawaiian islands and when it was discovered that we were moving to Oahu, they were able to extend their trip and spend an extra couple of days with us touring Oahu. We had quite a full few days planned. They got off of the boat at 8 am and we were off to Ko'Olina for some snorkeling. (For those that know me, you know that I DON'T swim...at all. So to say that I was looking forward to this trip would be slightly inaccurate.) The Ko'Olina area is a beautiful area that is literally down the road from us. The snorkeling was great and I think that everyone had a great time. We saw a ton of fish, great sea turtles, and even some dolphins! I took a ton of pictures of our little adventure....you have been warned.

The area that we took off from

First dolphins spotted

Getting ready to go in

Had my life jacket on the whole time

Alexis ready to go in

Ashley getting ready for snorkel #2

Attempt #1 to float with the dolphins

Getting ready to go over the edge and hang with dolphins

Floating with the dolphins next to them...and underneath them

Boat from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie

Happy Birthday Taris!

2011-09-24T14:27:00.000-10:00

We kept Taris' birthday a little low key this year. Taris took the day off and went golfing, while I ran around trying to get some last minute stuff taken care of. We gave gifts on Thursday, so that he could actually USE his gifts on his birthday. We live in Ewa Beach and to say the least there are a TON of golf courses around us. His parents and I bought rounds of golf to three different courses around our neighborhood. (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the Kama'aina rate...that means local in Hawaiian.) As a bonus, the girls and I gave him surfing lessons and spear fishing lessons. Taris played Ewa Beach Golf Club on Friday and then we used a Groupon for dinner at a restaurant in Waikiki...Padovani's. The food was excellent and they recently let their liquor license lapse, so you could bring your own wine...great money saver! We went to the movies and headed home. It was a very full day. We had a great time just celebrating with the two of us.

Hawaiian Lawn Mower

2011-08-29T13:19:00.000-10:00

We sold our lawn mower and put our weed eater/edger in storage. (You see, most of the houses that we came across for rent seemed to come with lawn care so I wasn't all that worried about bringing anything with us.) Well, there are two unique things about the house that we picked...1.no lawn care included, 2.no washer and dryer. (This is one of the only places that did not offer either of these...go figure!) We did get lucky. There is a shed in the back yard area and miraculously there is a lawn mower back there. Now, before you get all excited, let me warn you that it is NOT your normal lawn mower. This bad boy is OLD SCHOOL. It is of the push design of the 1950's. I used it for the first time today. Wow! Does it give you a workout! Definitely very adventurous for me. One more thing to make this move that much more unique!

Isn't she a beauty!

The quality inner workings

And because I haven' t posted any pictures of the girls...especially not at the new house...

Abbie is a little under the weather today

Kacey

Distracted by a bug flying around her

Roxanne
She is usually my photo dog, but I guess even she can close
her eyes in a photo!

Aloha!

2011-08-26T10:20:00.001-10:00

I have been here for one week today and the Internet is officially connected....as in five minutes ago and the tech is still here! Now that I have joined back up with civilization and have no house to unpack (at least three more weeks) I will be catching up on the blog...I promise!

Fun at Gram's

2011-08-12T13:29:00.000-10:00

Everyone went to Gram's house (my mom) for dinner. The kids had such a great time playing with each other.

Mason loves all things boy. But he really loves planes and cars.

Tucker is holding my lens cap in his hand.

I was trying to catch a picture of him and he was trying to help me by putting
the cap on. He is just brilliant!

Wanted to show how big Kendall was to Tucker.
Kendall: age 2, Tucker: age 1. Wow!

Mason loves Kendall and wants her to play with him all the time. She loves
his airplanes and sometimes is OK with playing with him.

Fire in Ranger

2011-08-12T13:28:00.000-10:00

On our way to my mom's house, we came across a huge brush fire on Ranger Hill. You could see the scorched earth from the highway. It was super close. Traffic was really slow, so I was able to catch some pictures of the land...post-burn.

Dress Up

2011-08-11T13:28:00.000-10:00

Kendall LOVES playing dress-up, She is so her mother's daughter...and most definitely a Byers. She is also very good at convincing her very gullible Autie E to participate. Kendall picked out a pink and black tutu and safari hat and insisted that I put it on. Needless to say, the little tutu was NEVER going to fit my waste, but it did fit my neck! The things we do for the kids we love.

St. Augustine

2011-07-03T13:23:00.000-10:00

To continue our last visit of the main land, we spent the rest of our holiday weekend in St. Augustine and at the TPC Sawgrass Marriott. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the US. It has lots of history and a great little place to visit. We saw the famous lighthouse, fort, and pirate museum. We even ran into Taris' instructor and wife (from his time in Afghanistan). It really is a small world. We had a great time exploring this quaint town.

This bucket was weighted, so that you could see how
heavy the oil was that the caretaker had to carry up the
stairs of the lighthouse. It was NOT lite!

View from the top of the lighthouse

The fort

Tourist pirate ship

Time to Get Back on Track

2011-06-28T16:10:00.000-10:00

I promise, I am getting back to blog land. To say it has been a little busy around here would be an understatement! We are in full moving mode at the house. Things are really starting to heat up around here and it is getting a little too crazy to sit down and blog. I have plenty of things to blog about, I just can't seem to find the time. I promise I am working on it, so please keep looking below for my favorite...back dating!

Foley Hot Air Balloon Festival

2011-06-18T13:23:00.000-10:00

We had the opportunity to go to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley, AL this year. It is the seventh largest in the world. It was a lot of fun. It was a bit too windy for the balloons to actually take off, so they only did the glow, but it did not disappoint. I am so glad we were able to mark this off of the list of things that we hadn't done yet in while living in Florida.

Abilene Zoo

2011-06-01T13:24:00.000-10:00

While Taris and I were in Abilene, we visited one of the boys favorite things to do...the zoo. We had a lot of fun and Grams met us up there too. The Abilene Zoo has the best feature I have seen anywhere...there is this bridge that goes across the giraffe habitat and at the top you get to feed them! It is so neat to see that huge tongue come out looking for the cracker. The giraffe is Mason's current favorite animal so Rae usually spends a lot of time on the bridge.

Isn't Tucker too cute?!

Loved that the squirrel was helping himself to the food for the zoo animals

Puzzle Time

2011-05-28T13:34:00.000-10:00

Kendall loves puzzles. She wanted to do all of them in her closet while Taris and were there. I caught a few moments of them doing puzzles together.

Kendall and the Pink Car

2011-05-27T23:19:00.000-10:00

When we arrived safely back in Dallas, Alexis picked us up and we stayed at the Rogers house for a couple of days before heading to Abilene. Kendall had to get out her pink car and ride it up and down the halls. She was going so "fast"! This little "car" is a Disney princess mobile with sound effects. She LOVES this thing!

Kendall and Daddy reading her souvenier from California...a board book all about
the 49ers football team...her daddy's favorite!

Happy Anniversary! Let's watch some planes refuel!

2011-05-26T13:39:00.000-10:00

We spent our 10th anniversary on a plane trying to escape a typhoon that was headed for Okinawa. The highlight of our flight was getting to see a fighter refuel from our plane. It was awesome and something I know that I would not normally get to experience. There was no real fan fare to celebrate our momentous occasion and we didn't even take a picture together. By the time we landed in Guam (around midnight), the ONLY thing open was the flight kitchen. So, our anniversary meal was two box lunches.

This is what we just randomly saw out the plane window

Refueling. They let us lay in the boom pod next to operator...way cool!

American Village Ferris Wheel and the Arcade

2011-05-23T13:36:00.000-10:00

Today the Marshall's took us to "American Village" to ride the ferris wheel. It is huge...and on top of a building. They do some crazy things in Japan. Turns out, every Sunday is "couples day" and you buy one ticket, get one free...awesome!! Anyway, the wheel actually never stops turning, it just goes SO slow that you have plenty of time to climb into the cage and secure the door. It was a great time and some GREAT views!

Can you believe it...a picture of me?!?! Getting ready to take off!

The Marshall's neighborhood

So serious!! Steve and Kathleen battling it out on
Japan's version of Rock Band.

This was just too funny to pass up. This shirt was for
sale in one of the shops. They love "American" things.
Can you find the error?

Date Night in Okinawa

2011-05-21T13:37:00.001-10:00

Steve and Kathleen had a Change of Command party to go...Steve was in charge...and they hired a babysitter for the boys, so they made us reservations at the Transit Cafe along the sea wall and just down from their house. So, Taris and I had a night out on the town and tried to stay out late enough for the babysitter. We had a great time. It was our first time alone on our month long excursion since we left California! The food was amazing. The location did not disappoint. The drinks were great too.

Our view

Decided to practice my trailing lights and starbursts

Shuri Castle

2011-05-20T15:48:00.030-10:00

One of the only castles still standing after the wars on Okinawa is Shuri Castle. We went out there for the day while Jackson was at school. The rain was coming down in sheets when we left, but the sky finally cleared out when we got to the castle. It was beautiful. Such great history. I even convinced Taris to become a full fledged tourist and dress in time period costume and get our picture taken! I won't post all of the photos, just a few highlights.

Entrance to the castle. This is the original enrty.

View of the castle from the ground

View of the area of Kathleen's house

Very Japanese. They love the peace sign in pictures. I guess you could say it is their "cheese"

Taris and I in our fancy outfits

Japanese Parks

2011-05-19T03:48:00.005-10:00

Japanese parks are unlike any parks that you would ever find in the states. They are insane and I must admit, look a little unsafe, but CRAZY fun!

Observation Tower. It had way too many stairs!

The slide

The slide had this design all the way around

Steve and Jackson

If you didn't slide on cardboard, you would be VERY sorry

Kathleen and Jackson

Jackson had SO much fun!

Contrary to what these pictures show, I did ride down the slide (but not as many times as Jackson).

After the park, the Marshall's took us to Coco Curry House. All they serve is tons of different meats with curry. It is super yummy, and looks like a waffle house. Super fun!

Dr. Fish and Sushi Go round

2011-05-18T15:46:00.000-10:00

For lunch we went to Sushi Go round. It is a very popular American eatery. I was still a little sick, but Taris enjoyed it.

After lunch, Kathleen took us to Dr. Fish. It is a pond that you stick your feet in and these fish come and eat all of the dead skin off of your feet. To say that it was wild, would be an understatement. Overall, it was a memorable day.

The Seawall and Cocko's

2011-05-18T03:48:00.000-10:00

A visit to Okinawa is not complete without a trip to Cocko's for some pampering! They specialize in manicures and pedicures....and they are amazing. Kathleen and I both got pedicures. These are not quite the same in the states...not a lot of soaking, but they make up for it in the AMAZING art for your feet! And I do mean amazing! As you are getting your service you look through these books that have 2,000 designs and then you have to settle on just one! Let me tell you, it is tough. All of the designs are hand painted and the detail is just exquisite. Enough about it, here is the picture:

The Marshall's live just two blocks from the seawall. It was such a lovely evening to walk to area and just take it all in. The seawall has graffiti on a large section of, which makes it interesting.

The helicopters were doing some training along the see wall

Glass Making

2011-05-17T18:39:00.000-10:00

While making salt, we discovered that we could create some glass items. We decided to make beads. It was SO much fun. After all three of us made beads, Kathleen and Taris created key chains (Taris made mine) and I made a necklace for Taris. Brace yourselves...more pictures.

the color options

Starting my glass bead

Kathleen making her bead

Not my best look, but it is one of the few that I am in

Taris starting his bead

Taris melting the glass for his bead (for me)

Finally built on the rod. Making it even and smooth

The beads cooling...it took an hour

The extra beads used to make our items

Taris making my key chain

Kathleen's key chain

Taris with the key chain he made for me

Taris sporting his new necklace

How to Make Salt

2011-05-17T15:45:00.000-10:00

On one of Jackson's school days, Kathleen took us to make salt. Okinawan salt is sought after around the world to cook with. I just couldn't pass up the once in a lifetime opportunity to MAKE my own Okinawan salt! We went to the Gala resort for our adventure. It was so much fun. Gavin didn't get to participate, but he was a great sport. The process is in the pictures below. Did I mention how good the salt was! I may have to buy more.

the "stove"

Taris is ready to cook with his "spoon"
Okinawan pot he picked out

Cooking, cooking, cooking.
The key is to stir slowly and consistently

Finally getting a little movement

Really cooking now

Stirring post cooking to finish getting the moisture out

Kathleen filling her pot

Trying some salt with the awesome rice cakes

Mine and Taris' pots full of our salt we made

Huge salt pieces from Okinawa

Taris and I in a rice cake

Enjoying some salt caramel ice cream

Okinawa Aquarium

2011-05-16T15:44:00.000-10:00

Today (in the crazy sideways rain), Kathleen, Jackson, Gavin, Taris and I ventured out to the Okinawa Aquarium. It is the second largest aquarium in the world! (It used to be the first, but this little place called Atlanta built a larger one.) It may not have the biggest tank, but it puts a dolphin show that might actually put to shame Sea World. We had a lot of fun...even in the rain.

These are super popular in Japan. They have them everywhere!

The spiny lobster

The dolphin show

Hula hooping

Outside the aquarium...end of the day

Yoshi Hachi

2011-05-15T17:51:00.000-10:00

The Marshall's took us out to one of Steve's sushi places, Yoshi Hachi. The owner is Yoshi and has fed many famous people. He used to have a place in the states, so his walls are filled with him standing with lots of celebrities. If you ask, he will pose with you with his samurai sword. After dinner, and so AWESOME sushi (which I did not capture on film), we had our picture taken. It was a great place to start our Japanese adventure!

The Wall

Taris, Yoshi, and I

Space A Adventures

2011-05-13T21:13:00.000-10:00

I have been a little absent from the blog these days. We have been partaking on a GRAND adventure to get to the other side of the world...Okinawa, Japan to see some friends of ours. It is our first time to attempt Space A (the military equivalent to stand-by). To say that it has been an adventure would be an understatement. We are currently in the Tokyo airport getting ready to finish our last leg of the journey to Okinawa. Did I mention that we started this little adventure two weeks ago? I will update with all of the fun once we get settled in Japan.

The End of Space A...and the begining of commercial

2011-05-13T03:43:00.000-10:00

We spent a WONDERFUL week in Hawaii with our friends (and sponsors of our new base), the Graham's, but time was getting close to when we HAD to be in Japan. See, we had been trying to catch a flight the entire week. We came to Hawaii because there were SO many flights going to Kadena from there. Of course, once we got to Hawaii there seemed to be a lot fewer flights. When a flight finally came through with some promise, it was completely full before it even landed...it originated from Travis. (Apparently, you can't win for trying!)

Taris and I contemplated buying an airline ticket for me and him getting there when he finally gets there with Space A. I kept putting off the idea because I hated to think that we were going to have to BUY a ticket! In case you are new to the blog, my traveling adventures have not been without a few bumps in the road....I have three words for you Charles de Gaulle. Did you know that half the week that we were in Hawaii, Japan (more importantly Okinawa) was experiencing an early typhoon! So, the five flights that were originally scheduled to arrive at Kadena were being diverted to Yukota (Tokyo) which is several ISLANDS away!!

Three days before the Sunday that we had to be there, there was a flight that had seats available to Kadena with a hop in the middle to Guam....not normally a big deal. I had a terrible feeling about the flight. Turns out that it was going to stay on the ground 24 hrs in Guam. Normally that is no big deal, but let me do the math for you. The flight was going to leave around 12 am Hawaii time. The flight is around five hours long. That would be 1 am local time...the NEXT day...Saturday. We would then stay on the ground 24 hrs (two nights in a hotel) and leave Sunday morning around 2 am. If everything stayed on track, we would literally be walking from the plane straight to church. I am sorry, but I have to put my foot down. Taris and I talked about it and decided to throw the money down and buy 2 last minute tickets that left the next day. The flights were smooth and easy. We even stopped for a snack at the Tokyo airport. We made it there on Saturday night and were up and ready to go for church the next morning...at 8:00!

Taris enjoying his lunch

What was left after my lunch of gyoza (dumplings)

Tokyo

The sunset over Tokyo

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T00:49:00.000-10:00

Since we were in Hawaii for Mother's Day, we went to the Hale Koa with the Graham's for brunch. It is a military hotel on Waikiki beach. It is absolutely gorgeous! The brunch was great. We stayed after to enjoy the pool and the ocean on the property. (The amenities are offered to all id holders.) The sand is not as smooth as Pensacola Beach, but at least we now will have REAL waves. I did an awful job of taking pictures, but I did get a couple of random ones of us on the beach.

Space A: Hickam Edition

2011-05-07T00:50:00.000-10:00

We finally got out of California on a flight to Hickam...we just knew it would be easy to get from Hickam to Kadena...more on that later. The flight was empty. (Apparently everyone gave up and decided to purchase tickets home to Honolulu. No one seemed to be going any farther than Guam and CERTAINLY not all the way to Japan.) We were met at the Hickam Terminal by our future sponsors (when we finally move there), the Graham's, who let us crash at their house for "just a day or two at the most". They took us to the main drag of Waikiki for dinner. More to come on the "vacation in Hawaii".

Taris on the C17 to Hickam

Space A: Travis Edition

2011-05-06T00:49:00.000-10:00

We started this Space A adventure to go see our friends, the Marshall's, in Okinawa, Japan. Taris and I decided that we should try flying Space A out of Travis AFB, CA. It always has plenty of flights out to Kadena (Okinawa, Japan). We flew into Sacramento on Monday morning and rented a car to drive the 45 minutes to Travis. We just knew that we would make it out on the first flight. Boy were we wrong! We ended up getting bumped off of the flight. We were stuck in California for four days. (In those four days we got to see the area and catch up with some old friends...more on that later.) We got out on a flight to Hickam AFB, HI just knowing that we would catch the tons of flights that head from there to Kadena...stay tuned for our adventure in Hawaii.

Fairfield, CA

2011-05-04T01:42:00.000-10:00

Fairfield, CA is the home of Jelly Belly jelly beans and a Budweiser factory....among other things. It is also the home of Travis AFB. We had plenty of time to check the place out.

Up first, the Jelly Belly factory. We enjoyed a great tour, the sample bar, and of course photo opportunities!

Next, the Budweiser factory. I didn't take hardly any pictures at the factory. It was a lot of fun (even for someone who doesn't drink beer). Trust me, if you ever have the chance to stop in at a factory for a tour (there are several across the country) I recommend it.

Stay tuned for miniature golf, Napa Valley, and busting out of here.

Touring Napa Valley and Wine Country

2011-05-03T01:42:00.000-10:00

Since we had some time to kill in California, we decided to head to Wine Country for the day. We had lunch and toured a little in Suisun Valley, then headed to Napa. It was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day and a great place to go back to visit. I told Taris that next time we would have to do the Napa Wine train tour! The one thing that I didn't seem to get a picture of was the cupcakery that we went to...Sift. They won Cupcake Wars on Food Network. They were tasty and it was neat to go somewhere that was famous.

lunch eatery

sign at Mankas Corner

where we tasted and purchased our wine

the crazy protesters...oh California

they had some great art all over the downtown area

Southwest Airlines

2011-05-02T01:17:00.000-10:00

My friend, Kathleen, is a pro when it comes to the Space A adventures. She has been giving me the ins and outs of how to get around in the system. One of the best tips was the military rate offered by Southwest Airlines. They offer a military rate that only has to be bought 24 hrs. in advance...which is what you need if you are trying to fly Space A. I have never really flown Southwest that much (they don't have a hub in Pensacola), but if you can get to a hub it is the way to go. They are so easy to deal with and it is a great option when you need a last minute ticket! If only they flew to Hawaii.

Happy 2nd Birthday Kendall!

2011-05-01T13:21:00.000-10:00

Over the weekend, we drove to Dallas to help celebrate my niece, Kendall's, second birthday. It was at a park this year and had a garden theme. It was a lot of fun. I created the birthday invites, along with the cupcake picks, cupcake wrappers, thank you notes, and thanks for coming tags. Lots of pictures were taken...I will try not to bore you with them all. Here is a sampling of some of my favorites.

Ashley, Kendall, and Alexis

Kendall and Gramms (my mom)

She LOVED the pinata

Her other favorite thing was letting
the balloons fly into the sky

Guess Who is Home!!

2011-04-23T09:55:00.019-10:00

Taris got back from his one year remote today, and I couldn't be happier. He has actually been away from the house since January 2010. This was by no means our first rodeo in the deployment world...more like number six...but it was certainly the longest. Now that he is home we will be starting that fun and painful journey of PCSing, but I can't complain about our destination. I don't have a lot of pictures from him coming home, but here are the few that we have.

Some of the welcoming party

My only picture of meeting...with both of us in it

The Sand Pit

2011-04-16T17:06:00.000-10:00

Let me introduce you to the sand pile. My neighbor and I had it delivered the other day...we are splitting it. Ir didn't really look like all that much to split, but once you start to eat, sleep, and drink it...it seems to not be disappearing! In Florida, people buy sand to spread over the uneven spots in the yard and to help with the grass growth when the dirt is so compacted that the grass can't take good root. I am waiting for all of my hard work to pay off...hopefully soon!

Aloha!

2011-04-01T15:36:00.000-10:00

We finally got our orders. I would think from the title that the new destination is already given away, but we are going to...HAWAII! Taris will be taking a staff job at Hickam for Pacific Air Force Command. He will not be flying, but at least we are at a great destination. We will be on Oahu, home of the state capital Honolulu. I am excited and stressed about the whole move. I will have plenty more to talk about as we continue down this crazy adventurous road.

Happy 50th!

2011-03-21T16:00:00.000-10:00

We had our annual meeting tonight. It was a great time, but I am so glad it is over. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary of our credit union. The night was great. I have tons of pictures, but I can't post most of them, so these very few will have to do.

The entrance

Our entire staff

Concert on St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T15:18:00.001-10:00

On St. Patrick's Day, Bethany Christian Services was hosting a free concert with Mark Schulz. Bethany Christian Services is one of the adoption agencies that we are looking at to start our family. Mark Schulz is a christian artist that is a huge supporter of their agency and he himself is an adopted child. The concert was outside in downtown Pensacola. The weather was perfect and I was so excited to be there. I didn't take a lot of photos and the ones I did are not all that exciting, but here they are anyway. Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day!

Abbie

2011-03-16T14:51:00.000-10:00

Abbie has been hobbling around lately. I decided to take her into the vet for a check. It has been a little over a year and a half since she had TPLO (knee replacement) surgery and she has been limping on that particular leg. Good news is...no second surgery, the knee seems to be holding. Unfortuately she is suffering from arthritis. I guess she is just getting older. I can't believe that in May, Abbie will be 9!

Roxanne

2011-03-15T15:10:00.000-10:00

I took Roxanne to the vet yesterday. She has ear infections in both ears! We had to have a culture done and will know the extent of the infection by Friday. Fingers crossed. There is a possibility that she could have an antibiotic resistant infection. Which would have some implications on our possible future moves. Hope I have good news to report on Friday!

GAC

2011-03-03T16:49:00.015-10:00

I was in DC to do a little work. I was sent to the Governmental Affairs Conference. It is a conference for credit unions across the US to come together and learn about different bills that effect credit unions. The conference culminates with "hike the hill", where we meet with the different Senators and Congressmen that represent our districts. As a bonus for this little trip, I even got to see some old friends friends from our old squadron in Abilene. OK. Brace yourself, picture overload. (Do you expect anything less from me?)

view of the stage

Day one: Christina and I waiting for opening session

John Schneider, co-founder of Children's Miracle Network

Arianna Huffington

Mary Matalin

Congressman Bachus

John Boehner

Debbie Wasserman Schulz

Smithsonian

2011-02-28T17:21:00.000-10:00

I had a VERY small window to take in one museum and I choose the American History Smithsonian. Unfortunately I only had time to hit the highlights, but the highlights were awesome! Warning: Another parade of pictures.

Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers

Charlie McCartney

Lou Gehrig

Stradivarius

The detail is amazing

Julia Child's kitchen

C3PO

Touring D.C.

2011-02-27T12:12:00.000-10:00

I am in D.C. for the GAC conference for my credit union. I have had a little bit of time to check out the town and do a little sight seeing before the "official" start of the conference. I took a ton of pictures. So, don't say I didn't warn you...picture overload below!

Future Picasso

2011-02-24T16:47:00.000-10:00

I went to the latest Squadron Spouse get together...at the Pink Picasso! I have been dieing to try this place out. The group has to agree on the painting that everyone will paint (from about 10 options) and we did the Pensacola Beach ball water tower. It was as awesome as I thought it would be. It has been a while since I have been able to attend a wives group meeting, so I really needed this. I honestly can't wait to go back and paint the next canvas! Now sit back and enjoy the parade of pictures.

The starting point

The finished product

Trying Something New

2011-02-22T16:35:00.001-10:00

I am trying something new these days...dry shampoo. It is supposed to be healthier for your hair. I am going on day three and so far so good. I have not yet tried this out on personal trainer days, and quite frankly I don't know if I am that adventurous yet. So question: Do you ever use dry shampoo? If so, what brand?

I'm a Star

2011-02-21T16:22:00.000-10:00

We are celebrating our fiftieth anniversary at the Credit Union. To celebrate, we are running several commercials throughout the year. This is our first one...and I am in it! If you look quickly, I am the person crossing the lobby in the purple cardigan and black pants.

The Girls

2011-02-20T17:17:00.000-10:00

I have not been very good at keeping up with the blog...or anything else now that Taris is gone again and things are getting back to single parenting mode. I did want to post some recent pictures of the girls that I took a few days ago. (These are really for Taris and his SUPER slow Internet.)

This girl loves her ball. You would never know
that she had a stroke.

Kacey was resting while chasing ALL of the
squirrels and birds from the yard.

Abbie's favorite spot in the house...our bed

Postal Surprise

2011-02-17T17:18:00.001-10:00

I got a huge surprise in the mail today. Taris sent me a card! I know this sounds strange, but the more he deploys the less I get in the mail. On his first deployment I got letters and cards regularly. (Maybe I should chalk that up to just being married for a little over a year.) After six deployments (this being the seventh) and almost ten years of marriage, the need for mail seems to have gone out the window. Don't get me wrong. Deployments have come a long way...from timed 15 minute phone calls and super limited email, to internet in the room with Skype to video chat. (I don't even know if the place Taris is at has a morale tent with phones.) So, with all of that who needs old school mail. Well, my love language says I do! Taris always says that there just isn't any cards where he is. I told him to bust out some crayons and markers, dig deep into his inner artist (which he shouldn't have to dig far since his mom is an art teacher), and make one. Well, he did! He wrote a note inside and I have already read the thing four times. It was a great Valentine's day treat. (To go along with the beautiful bouquet of flowers he sent to the office.) Thanks honey for filling my love tank...even when you aren't here!

Rachel turns 29

2011-02-08T12:46:00.002-10:00

My younger sister, Rachel turned 29 today. She is the youngest of the Byers' girls. She is an amazing mom, great wife, and a wonderful sister. We shared a room for 15 years. We know each other inside and out. I hate living so far away from her, but I can always see her and the boys on Skype. Happy Birthday Rae!

Taris' Squadron

2011-02-06T17:33:00.001-10:00

When Taris got back from his R & R, he sent me his squadron photo and "hero" shot. I know...he is HOT in the flight suit.

Can you find him? First row, third from the left

My Word

2011-01-31T17:05:00.002-10:00

I listen to K-LOVE every day at work. They are doing something really nifty. Instead of making new year's resolutions they are encouraging everyone to claim a word for themselves this year. A word that focuses on your vision for the future, both on a personal and spiritual level. I prayed for days for God to make clear my word for 2011. I was at lunch one day and saw a sign that left me not doubting what my word should be.

Courage. Courage to step out of the boat and take a step in faith. Courage to do my job with morals and values. Courage to trust God enough not to worry about what our future holds. I am excited about what 2011 holds for me and our family. And I claim COURAGE as my word this year.

Finally having ourselves a merry little Christmas

2011-01-15T16:10:00.003-10:00

While Taris was home visiting for his two weeks, we were able to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Our gifts to each other were supposed to be our vacation extravaganza to Dallas and Vegas, but we all know that I am not the best at following rules. I brought home the gifts from my sisters from my visit to Abilene and of course the girls and I had items under the tree waiting for him. I did awful taking pictures, but Taris got lots of movies, per his request.

He got Toy Story from Ashley and Alexis

Taris got a much needed upgrade to his MP3 player

Viva Las Vegas

2011-01-14T13:00:00.003-10:00

At Taris' request, we took a vacation to Las Vegas while he was home. We had a great time. We stayed at the new City Center in Vegas at the Aria. (It was a great location and a really nifty place.) We even caught a show while we were there. We saw David Copperfield at the MGM. (It was good, but he is getting old.) We both enjoyed playing the slots...I was on fire. We even enjoyed a day at the hotel spa. I was not super good at taking pictures, but I was able to capture a few!

View from our room

These cats reminded me of the girls

Finally got Taris his Irish food

The conservatory at the Bellagio

It is the year of the rabbit

Hoover Dam

Snow Day

2011-01-09T17:01:00.002-10:00

While we were in Dallas on Sunday, we had an extra special treat...SNOW. I know for some of you this is not that exciting, but I haven't lived anywhere with snow in a while and I was super excited. Unfortunately, the rest of the company around me did not share my excitement. I did venture out to take some pictures. I tried to get Taris involved in making a snowman, but he said no.

Family Reunion

2011-01-08T18:00:00.005-10:00

While Taris was home on his two week R & R, we headed to Dallas to visit his family. His parents graciously hosted a get together for all of our friends and family that could make it on Saturday. We had a great time and it was wonderful to see everyone. (Most hadn't seen Taris for over a year.)

Christmas with the Hawkins

2011-01-07T18:51:00.001-10:00

We opened gifts with Jim and Beejae after the Jim Brickman concert. It was a nice end to the evening. (On a side note: I am not in any pictures, but I got the new Pioneer Woman cookbook and I am super excited.)

An Evening with Jim

2011-01-07T14:12:00.003-10:00

While we were in town visiting Taris' parents, Jim Brickman happened to be performing with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. (Do I have all the luck or what!) We bought tickets for his parents and us to have a night on the town. The orchestra performed on its own for the first half, then with intermission they reset the stage and Mr. Brickman performed for a good hour to hour and a half. He talked a little about each song and then did a medley of the top love songs at the end. It was a great night and I am so glad that we were able to go. I didn't take my fancy camera. In fact I only had my phone, but our seats were not bad. Here are the few photos that I was able to take.

Playing Catch Up

2011-01-02T15:05:00.000-10:00

I am slowly getting ALL of the Christmas vacation posts completed. I am now feverishly trying to complete them and catch up on everything before Taris gets home. Please continue to check the blog and scroll down for all of the updates.

Project 365

2011-01-01T14:03:00.000-10:00

A new year, a new goal. I started a 365 photo blog last year at the start of Taris' 365 deployment with big hopes, BUT things happened and it went by the wayside. So, I am starting fresh. I have updated my link on the side (My Project 365). I would love to have you follow me. This year has some HUGE adventures and changes in store for us and I can't wait for God's plans to be revealed to us.

The Perkins

2010-12-28T15:15:00.006-10:00

I spent my Christmas vacation at my sister's house. It was so much fun hanging out with Mason and getting to know Tucker better. They were gracious hosts and I hated to leave. Mason kept asking when I was coming back to HIS house to visit. (He was not interested in knowing when I would be in Dallas.) I took a TON of pictures, so here comes the long train.

Lightening the Queen

2010-12-27T07:21:00.001-10:00

Mason got the movie "Cars" for Christmas. He has not been introduced to a lot of movies (of any kind). He is in love with "Cars". We watched it two days in a row while I was visiting. He kept call it Lightening the Queen. He finally asked his mom why he was a queen, because queens are girls. Rae told him that it wasn't Lightening THE Queen, it was Lightening MCQueen. He is so funny!

I love that he has his own little container of popcorn, like he is at the movies.

Musical Family

2010-12-25T14:43:00.001-10:00

It never fails. We always seem to get together for a sing a long at every holiday family gathering. Usually we get the church hymnals, but this time Uncle Todd and Curtis decided to play Maw-maw's guitar and ukulele. They found music to "She'll be coming around the mountain"...it was the easiest to teach themselves to play. They didn't do too shabby! Curtis' fingers began to hurt on the ukulele strings, so Maw-maw took over the guitar and Todd played the ukulele. It was a fun way to spend the late afternoon of Christmas.

Christmas Morning

2010-12-25T10:18:00.075-10:00

There is no other way to describe Christmas morning...it was a ZOO!! Santa was SUPER generous as were the grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. We had a great time watching all of the kids excitement from opening up the gifts. This is all of the gifts awaiting the kids on Christmas morning. I couldn't get everything in the same shot.

Kendall, Alexis, Ashley, Gramms (Mom), and Pops (Dad) came over to Mike and Rachel's house early Christmas morning. Mason should have been up, but wasn't. Mike woke him up and the kids came into the living room (aka my room) for the big reveal.

Mason got this really cool train table from Santa. It was very neat and must have taken Santa HOURS to put together. Mason loved it so much, that he was not all that interested in opening all of his other presents.

Kendall got a rocking horse from Santa. You press one ear and it makes gallop noises and the other ear makes horse noises. She was SO excited. She just wanted to ride all day.

Poor Tucker was a little late to the party. He wanted to sleep in a little. He had no clue what the big deal was, but he was his usual charming self.

Here is a montage of some of Kendall's highlights. Al and Ashley bought a big stuffed bear for the boys and a dog for Kendall. Poor thing thought that both of them were for her. She got a new fancy dress from Gramms and Pops, a grocery cart and play food from Taris and I, a baby stroller from Rae and Mike, and lots of books.

Like I said earlier, Mason played with his train set more than anything else, so I don't have a lot of pictures of Mason Christmas morning. He did get plenty of other things though: a really cool helicopter, a doctor kit, and of course some play dough.

Tucker had a very nice Christmas, but he did not open a lot of gifts. We opened gifts just about the entire week I was at his house. I can't believe how big he has gotten. (He is bigger than Kendall!)

Gramms asked for a Sonicare tooth brush and a carpet steam cleaner. Pops asked for a new pocket knife and the latest Glenn Beck book. They were both pleasantly surprised with their Christmas haul.

On a side note, it is amazing how much Tucker looks like my dad. If you look at old photos from my dad as a baby, it is just uncanny!

All in all, I think this was a VERY productive Christmas morning!

Santa Cookies and Reindeer Food

2010-12-24T19:53:00.002-10:00

After our all day Christmas Eve, I went back to Rachel and Mike's house to get ready for Santa coming to visit. Rachel talked with Mason on the way home as to where we should put the reindeer food. She asked him if they should put it in the front yard or back yard. He said that they park in the backyard. He then corrected himself and stated that the reindeer actually land on the roof, but definitely the backyard. Rae asked if he wanted to put the carrots on the plate with Santa's cookies. He looked at her and said, "Mom, reindeer are dirty and are not allowed in the house, so we need to put them on the ground in the back yard". Rae agreed. That nephew of mine is SO smart...I am not biased at all! The collage below is of Mason spreading out the reindeer food and carrots, putting out Santa cookies, and of course a family picture. When Mason was outside putting the food out, he saw his baseball laying in the grass in the yard. He had to hurry and pick it up because the reindeer might eat it.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T14:51:00.001-10:00

I flew into Abilene Christmas Eve and was greeted by quite a large welcoming party. Mom, Al, Ashley, Kendall, Rae, Mason, and Tucker were all there to shuttle me to MawMaw's house for presents and Christmas dinner. We had quite a gathering for Christmas this year. Todd (my mom's brother), Nita, Kayla, and Curtis were there. We had a great time playing games and catching up with everyone. And to think, this is only day one!

Clockwise from left: Rae and Tucker, Kendall after pie, Al and Ashley, Mason

Clockwise from left: MawMaw, dinner table, Curtis, Todd

Lightroom

2010-12-15T17:29:00.000-10:00

I have recently discovered a new favorite...Adobe Lightroom 3. To say that I am diving in head first is an understatement. Learning this photo program has been a SLOW process. (And I would be lying if I didn't say that it is a little frustrating, but I refuse to let this program get the best of me.) The things that this program can do to take my pictures from good to great are so exciting! Hopefully, you will be able to see a huge upgrade in photo quality as time goes on. I know I can't wait!

Grocery Snacker

2010-12-13T16:31:00.000-10:00

I was unloading groceries today. As I was putting things away in the fridge, I kept hearing this rustling. Abbie was smelling something in the bag, but she just wouldn't give up.

Apparently, she just couldn't stop eating her buffet of grapes!

Sometimes I just don't understand these girls!

Feel the love

2010-12-11T17:58:00.001-10:00

I guess the girls were needing some bonding. I love when they cuddle with each other. Aren't they too cute?

Surprise

2010-12-09T15:49:00.001-10:00

For the last few days, I have been leaving the dogs out to roam the house while I am at work. (It is my first time since Roxanne's accident.) I am trying to get them ready for the dog sitter over the holiday. The picture below is what I came home to. Obviously, the girls couldn't wait to bust out of their kennels.

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-05T17:26:00.001-10:00

Last year I splurged on a pre-lit tree and I am thrilled to report that I am still in love with it. I actually stayed up on Thanksgiving Eve to put it all together. I decided that since I was having to put it together and (more than likely) take it apart alone, I would go a little lite on the ornaments. There is something about turning on a Christmas tree at the end of a long day that just brings happiness to the heart.

Black Friday

2010-11-26T15:47:00.001-10:00

It is family tradition to be those "crazy people", as my mother in law would say, to wait in line, fight the crowds, and get the deals. I took a newbie to the Black Friday adventure out with me. Our first stop was Toys R Us. They were scheduled to to open at 10 pm on Thanksgiving. We arrived at 9:30, saw the massive line, and decided to forget about it. So, we headed over early to Target. Now, Target didn't open until 5 am the next day, but we were there and in line by 11 pm. We both got everything that we were shopping for and headed over to Belk. They had a great sale on clothes, so I stocked up for all of the kids. Needless to say, I had all of my shopping done and I was back home in bed by 8:30. The one thing that I have learned is that I am getting too old to be staying up all night to get the deals. Happy Black Friday and bring on Cyber Monday!!

Thankful

2010-11-25T15:46:00.000-10:00

Thanksgiving 2010 was a very relaxing day. With Taris still deployed, I did not receive any visitors to entertain. I spent my holiday at home and had lunch with my neighbors and some friends. I volunteered to make my yeast rolls, my favorite side dish, green bean casserole, and every ones favorite...homey baked ham. It was a great day and I could not have asked for better company...well maybe Taris there with us. I didn't take a lot of pictures. I did bust out my tripod and attempted to take pictures of me working in the kitchen. I discovered that my new fancy camera was not compatible with my shutter remote. So, all of my pictures of me are a little blurry, but they are what I have, so enjoy.

Still Here

2010-11-16T17:03:00.000-10:00

Wow! It has almost been a month since I last wrote on this thing! I am so sorry that I have been MIA. I am adjusting to our new normal these days with Roxanne, single parenting, and juggling all of the day to day activities. I promise, I have things to write about. My life has not been super exciting, but I do have things that I need to document. Besides, I always find writing on the blog to be very cathartic...and lets face it, these days I need it! More to come soon...I promise.

WE'RE DEBT FREE!

2010-10-19T02:31:00.001-10:00

You read right!! We are officially debt free! Wow! It feels good to write that! (Can you tell how excited I am?) We have actually been debt free for about a week, but with everything that has been happening lately I just haven't had the time to write about it. In seven months, we managed to pay off almost $40,000! Boy does it feel good!! I can't wait to see the doors that God opens for us to use his money to help others that come across our path. Thanks Dave Ramsey for kicking me back in line and getting me motivated. It has only taken me until I was 30, before I realized the importance of living debt free. I am so thankful that Taris and I agree on how we choose to spend and save our money. The road hasn't been easy, but Taris has been VERY patient with me. (Now we can start saving for that international bundle of joy that has been calling our name!)

Update on Roxanne

2010-10-18T01:51:00.000-10:00

Roxanne is doing better, but the road of recovery will be long. She has been showing signs of her old self a little more each day and we are so excited. She now wags her tail when you say her name and is eager to run outside when Kacey gets a desire to go chase something out the doggie door. She shows sign of feeling in her right leg, especially when she is having a running dream and she will move her leg when she is laying down. She has not made the connection when walking yet, but I know it is just a matter of time. She loves her time on the floor with me...because she seems to think that she has busted out of jail from her kennel. Her favorite thing right now is to be able to go to the middle of the yard and just sit or lay and soak up the sun. We have been so blessed with her recovery so far and are waiting for the ultimate miracle of her running and catching her ball...her first love.

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day

2010-10-15T01:20:00.001-10:00

Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day. You can go here for more information about this nationally recognized day. Obviously, it holds a special place in my heart. Today, please remember and pray for all of those that have been affected by this tragedy.

Roxanne

2010-10-11T05:24:00.000-10:00

This has been a really tough week and I can't tell you how excited I am that it is Columbus Day and thus have the day off. On Tuesday, I came home to let out the girls and fix the fence. I opened the doggie door, they all ran out, and I heard this awful screaming. I looked outside and Roxanne could not move her back half. She was trying to get up and just was crying out in pain. I knew my vet closed at 6 and I needed to get her in the car. I got everyone inside, locked the other two away, and quickly discovered that I could not lift 65 pounds of dead weight all the way into my car on my own. I ran next door to get my neighbor. She helped me load up Roxanne (in her car) and she drove me to the vet. I quickly learned that Roxanne either blew a disc or she had suffered a spinal stroke. (The disc is a much better outcome, so I was praying hard for that.) The vet called ahead to the emergency room (where Abbie had her knee replacement) and Gena drove us there. When we arrived, the surgeon was completing a procedure, so the on call vet did an initial exam and was able to give her some drugs to make her more comfortable. The surgeon finally came in and after his exam, informed me that Roxanne had more than likely suffered a spinal stroke (or FCE). They were going to do some tests and would be in a few to give me the bill. (This place prides itself on money up front.) Without thinking, I told them to do whatever they had to do, but Roxanne had to be OK. (See, Taris picked out Roxanne...if it was up to me, we would be a one dog household. With Taris deployed, I just couldn't handle it if she didn't make it.) The doctor gave me a reality check of what the future might hold and the quality of life issues that would go along with that. I sent Taris an email to call me. The vet called that night to let me know that our worst fears were confirmed...a stroke. Taris finally called at almost midnight and we Skyped about everything that happened.

The next morning, the vet called to let me know that Roxanne was able to move her back right leg and she could go to the bathroom on her own. She has been home since Wednesday and we have been following the doctors orders to a T. We do our exercises three times a day, only get out of the kennel to go potty and lay on the floor, and are trying to lose a few pounds (to make it easier for her to carry all of her weight on three limbs). She has shown some movement in her left leg, but not when walking. She is a fighter and has come leaps and bounds in just a few days. They say that after about six weeks, what you have is what you get. Obviously, we are praying for a full recovery.

I know that some of you might think that she is just a dog, but when you can't seem to have kids, these girls are all that keep me sane when Taris is gone. They have seen me at my lowest and my highest and I couldn't imagine a life without them. Hopefully I will have good news about her recovery to share soon.

I swear!!

2010-10-03T13:08:00.000-10:00

I had every intention of playing catch up today on the blog, but I didn't get the memo from my laptop that it was going on hiatus! The laptop (that acquired after the fiasco of the Charles de Gaulle airport) that I have only had since April 10th, decided to crash...and crash hard! I called the warranty line only to discover that I could get my computer up and running right now, but I would lose everything. The lady asked if I had anything important on it. Um, YES! Only all of my photos from the last time I saw my husband up to now! She proceeds to tell me that I will need to contact someone to back up everything before we restore it. She of course can't walk me through that...what was the price of the warranty for then, since I have to now pay someone to rescue my computer for me. Technology is not as awesome as I always make it out to be! Hopefully by the end of the week we will be up and running like nothing ever happened.

Journey to Vegas

2010-09-13T03:40:00.001-10:00

I am out here for the week for a conference for work. It was quite a journey and an adventure...which we already know I always have. We (my boss, her husband, and I) made it and are squeezing in all of the fun on Monday because it will be all work starting Tuesday. The conference is at the Venetian...which is quite nice. My boss and spouse have never been to Vegas, so it is fun watching them take it all in. Here are some pictures from getting to Vegas...room pictures to follow.

waiting at the DFW airport

Phoenix airport

Plane broken

at the Phoenix airport

Finally loading our bags in Phoenix

A neighborhood in Arizona...built in a circle

The strip

The other half of the strip

Happy Birthday Sara and Seth

2010-09-12T11:20:00.000-10:00

On Saturday, I went to a joint birthday party for Sara and Seth. (Sara is my little neighbor who turned eight and Seth is one of her good friends who turned six.) They had this crazy huge water slide, which was a huge hit. I had a great time and really enjoy all of the festivities. Here are a few pictures from all of the fun.

Click It Up a Notch: Picture Share Friday

2010-09-11T04:51:00.000-10:00

Click on the button and check it out. Here is my submission for the week.

I am still working on learning to use a different camera, but here is Roxanne.

50mm, ISO 800, SS 125, f3.5

My Fancy Purchase

2010-09-11T04:17:00.000-10:00

After writing about my awful camera experience, Taris finally called to check on the girls. I told him all about the camera and Canon and deciding to get the original one fixed...next month is scheduled to be a super exciting month for us. To my surprise, he thought that it would be a good idea (and investment) to go ahead and get my camera fixed AND just buy a new one...within the price range he quoted. I found an upgrade for under my allotted spending cap...thank goodness I only needed the body. So, let me introduce you to my new camera.

I upgraded to the entry level "professional" grade, the Canon 50D. It is much more user friendly when using manual mode and I am having to practice a lot to get the feel of this camera, but I am very satisfied with my purchase so far.

With Much Sadness

2010-09-08T18:52:00.000-10:00

It is with much disappointment and sadness that I must write the following. I copied this from my Project 365:

So, here I am in the Rock Your Camera class and what should happen? I am sure you can guess...my camera is broken! Yes. Thank goodness I decided to jump on the wagon and get my first assignment done...kind of. I spent the evening on the phone with Canon. My camera kept giving me this error message about my battery. I did some research, to discover that I needed to update my firmware. So, I did. Now, my camera will not take a picture, turn on, nothing. I was informed by the nice man at tech support that I could send it in and get it fixed for a starting price of $190 or just go straight to the customer loyalty department and upgrade my current digs. I decided to do what Dave Ramsey would want (and Taris) and pay the small fee to hopefully get it back and working. I am just praying to have it back in a week so that I don't really miss any of my class. The problem is that I am going to be out of town all next week and really wanted to take my camera with me to complete my assignment. Oh well. Here is hoping that the issue is an easy fix.

Rock Your Camera 101

2010-09-06T13:13:00.001-10:00

I am taking a photography class from Clickin Moms. I am trying to learn how to get off of auto and jump into that scary and adventurous world of manual! My photo inspiration, Courtney, loves this group and has really enjoyed everything that she has learned, so I decided to use my monthly stipend and take the plunge. As I post my pictures on the forum for critique, I will try to post them here as well. Here goes nothing...

Mason

2010-09-01T17:03:00.001-10:00

Mason talks so much more now...once he warms up to you. He is becoming such a little adult. His favorite shows right now are Olivia, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Wonderpets. Mason loves to sing along to the Wonderpets theme song...it is so funny to see him get so excited.

Tucker

2010-08-28T16:53:00.001-10:00

I got to meet Tucker about two weeks after he was born and have not been able to see him since then. It is amazing how much babies change in almost 3 months. I definately have some picture overload on this little man.

Kendall

2010-08-23T15:00:00.000-10:00

I haven't seen Kendall since her birthday party. She has grown SO much. She moves with a purpose. She loves to walk, loves to explore, and LOVES to talk. (I wonder where she gets that from?) I took WAY too many pictures of this little girl. I will try not to overload you...OK I lied...major overload.

Alexis was not impressed with Kendall's new bow look.
This girl wakes up with her hair in a hot mess!

Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks!

Her favorite new toy was my suitcase. It lived in the
living room...aka my bedroom

Shoes and purses. This kid is SO related to her
Auntie E...awesome!

Kendall loves her "bear"

She loves to ham it up for the camera

Future model

Kendall is teething in a big way

The Tunnel

2010-08-20T01:46:00.001-10:00

Mason has this giraffe tunnel. I don't know who bought it for him (it was his favorite Auntie E), but he has finally taken a liking to it. I think that it is funny that he brought it with him to Aunt Alexis' house. Mason always wants Kendall to do what he wants and he gets frustrated when she doesn't listen to him. He was super excited when she took the plunge and went through the tunnel...with a lot of coaxing from Ashley. Anyway, many memories were made in this tunnel and I thought I should share some of the pictures with you.