A Change is Gonna Come

Prom Girls

2009-04-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

There is just something so fun about girls in prom dresses in the spring time. They remind me of a bunch of Easter eggs...so colorful and looking pretty in the grass:) Kelsie and her friends found their dresses in Dallas on one of our college tour trips so it has been fun to see the full circle of preparation that takes place...the shoes, the jewelry, the hair...it's a lot of work!!! But the result was a fun and memorable evening for all. We helped the girls get ready, then the moms went out for dinner to help us get over the anxiety of how much our daughters have grown up:)

Time Flies!

2009-04-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well we finally had Nolan's senior pictures made. Mr. Lena took them out at Avery Ranch during sunset. He is the parent of a friend of Kelsie's and the husband of Kelsie's second grade teacher:) Photography is a hobby of his and we just love him! He also always does the girl's soccer slide show for HS soccer and says his ultimate goal is to get those parents crying...and we do! We looked through several hundred photos and tried to find one favorite to send with his announcements...a very difficult task but this is one of my favs.

Love is in the Air

2009-04-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well Randy's brother, Danny, got married last Saturday. The event was at The Arbor Walk which is just off hwy 79. I didn't even know it was there, but it's a little winding road that leads you back into a beautifully landscaped area surrounded by trees. I was thrilled that the rain stopped that morning and it turned out to be a gorgeous day as they were married outdoors. We had lots of laughs with Randy's sister, brothers and their kids. They had a smoothie bar which was a big hit and of course there was dancing;)) Randy and his brother, Jerry, decided that they needed to go decorate Danny's car so around midnight they headed out with 6 teenagers in tow to draw hearts on the windows and tie cans to the back of the car.

Birthday Fun

2009-04-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

Well Nolan turned 18 and I turned...40 something! Well we are 30 years apart so you do the math:) One of our favorite restaurants since the kids were little has been Benihana. Each time we hope we get a chef who has learned some new tricks and of course we look forward to the usual tricks...when they light the fire, when they throw shrimp in the air for us to catch in our mouths, the smokestack made out of onions, etc. Our guy was great and had some new "material" for us...and something new...since we were celebrating birthdays, they brought us ice cream and took our picture. All in all a great meal and fun way to celebrate.

Spring has Sprung

2009-04-01T07:54:00.001-07:00

I felt the need to change my picture today. I took pictures of how the creek looks now...finally some rain has brought back the beautiful shades of green. We've been taking college road trips and our most recent trip to Stephen F. Austin allowed us to visit with Tori and see some lovely azaleas. We visited the farmer's market and got some delicious cheese, then Tori took us to a great local Italian restaurant (our trips are really all about the food!)

March Madness

2009-03-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a bit like life is on fast forward lately and wishing I could push a magic button and make it slow down. Have you seen the I Love Lucy episode where she trying to sing along with the record player and it speeds up and she is trying to keep up with it? We are in college visit mode with Kelsie...I think we've hit 6 so far with 3 more in the coming weeks. Today we are off to Nacogdoches to see SFA...the bonus is we get to see Tori and we are going with our road trip buddies from soccer so we will have fun! I could end up with a whole scrapbook of Kelsie's college visit adventures. Nolan was so easy....UT or A&M...pick #1 or #2. But now for him it is the never ending adventure of applying for scholarships...due dates and deadlines, essays and transcripts...lots of money out there if you can survive the process and get chosen among the busloads of students who are also scrambling to find tuition money:0 And to add to my fun, Nolan decided to paint his room (seems a little late to me:) and we found termite damage in his walls. The little critters arent' there anymore but Randy is having to replace 2x4's and sheetrock so now Nolan is living in the den and his has always been the room that I didn't visit much cuz you can't walk across the floor without tripping on stuff. I am thinking this is one of those tests of patience...dang I hope I pass...I've never been that good at test taking:0

Veggie Pick Up Day

2009-03-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was my first veggie pick up day! The pick up spot is just a few miles from my house on Sam Bass Road...very convenient. I encountered a box full of green!!! Salad greens, broccoli, arugula, garlic, radishes, mustard greens, spinach, mint, parsley...and a few tomatoes, oranges and a grapefruit. There aren't quite as many varieties ready for harvesting right now, but as the season progresses we will get to enjoy carrots, potatoes, celery, asparagus and much more. So I sauteed the greens and spinach with the fresh garlic to go with our beef dish and put some mint in my tea! Oh and added an orange to our fruit salad. Tonight we'll use the lettuce, broccoli & tomato for a salad. The broccoli was more like little sprigs instead of thick stalks which I really like cuz it blends nicely into a green salad (I forgot to take a picture before we ate it:) We will see what next week's harvest brings.

Veggies!

2009-03-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

I have been on the waiting list for Johnson's Backyard Garden for about 6 months. I just got my email that my name finally came to the top of the list so I joined. The farm is part of the movement for Community Supported Agriculture and is located just east of Austin. Once a week I will go to a pick up spot in Round Rock and get a box of fresh organic veggies for $28.50/week. On their website you can see what will be in your box each week and there are even recipes especially for vegetables that are more difficult for us average people to know what to do with:0 I have really been trying to eat more fruits and veggies so I am so excited...the kids were like, yea, whatever:) But I'm hoping that when they taste the freshness they will be hooked as well. I'll let you know next Wednesday when I pick up my first harvest:)

Free Breakfast at Chick-fil-A

2009-02-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love Chick-fil-A???? It's one of my favorites so imagine my excitement to see the free breakfast headline in the newspaper:) It's happening February 9-14 from 6:30-10:30am. The article said that the location on Louis Henna was participating...not sure about other locations.

Monday, Feb. 9th Free Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit
Tuesday, Feb. 10th Free Chicken Biscuit Minis
Wednesday, Feb. 11th Free Sausage Biscuit
Thursday, Feb. 12th Free Chicken Biscuit
Friday, Feb. 13th Free Chicken Biscuit Minis
Saturday, Feb. 14th Free Sausage Biscuit

Free Grand Slam Breakfast at Denny's

2009-02-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

You know how I love to share freebies that I see advertised...Tuesday, Feb. 3rd from 6am to 2pm...free breakfast at Denny's:)

IHOP is offering free pancakes on Feb. 24 in celebration of National Pancake Day.

This will be the fourth year that IHOP has celebrated the national event, with nearly 1,400 IHOP restaurants throughout the United States giving guests a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Diners will be asked to donate what they would have paid for the free pancakes, or more, to their local children's hospital or another charity. IHOP is hoping to raise $1 million for Children's Miracle network, a nonprofit helping children's hospitals and other causes.

Last year, IHOP gave away more than 1.5 million pancakes and raised more than $875,000 for charities.

Changes

2009-02-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

I changed the title of my blog today...borrowed from the Sam Cooke song. It is an appropriate theme for so many things in my life right now. Some changes I am looking forward to and some are just going to happen whether I like it or not. First and most simply I am anticipating the change of seasons. Can't wait for the green grass, flowers, spring cleaning and warm breezy afternoons. Change, as in, "the change." I am not welcoming this one so warmly, but it is a reality that I am learning about and dealing with. Career change, as in closing my business of 10 years and now enjoying some time to slow down, re-group, be at home and decide what is next for me. Family change, as in being 6 months away from Nolan leaving for college and having Kelsie leave the very next year. And more generally I am hopeful for changes in our country and looking for ways that I can be a part of a positive change. I read this quote by an anonymous writer..."Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become." Yea that fits perfectly...I'm working on it one day at a time and it may take me awhile:)

High School Soccer Blues

2009-01-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

Blues....as in frozen, ice cold blue northern season is here again. On a positive note, Nolan is not playing this year so now we only have to freeze for half as long. I will never understand how those girls can play in the cold, but I guess if you are running around chasing a ball your body heats up a little. For the first time the girls had an alumni game and with Kelsie being a junior, she used to play with many of the girls who were on the alumni team so it was fun for her to see them again. Hopefully they will keep up the tradition and pretty soon she'll be an alumni...gasp! I took this picture at a tournament a few weeks ago in Killeen...it was ssooooo cold and windy Saturday morning and the girls on the bench were doing their best to stay warm.

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

Once again we enjoyed our standard traditions for Christmas Eve. We have family over for dinner and we play games for as long as we can stay awake:) Of course then Randy and I stay up late wrapping the Santa presents and I make sticky buns that I can just pop in the oven Christmas morning. The kids still, yes still, leave the plate of cookies for Santa and I take their picture by the fireplace. Then Randy helps them build a fort in Davis' room and they all sleep together, yes still! I love that they still want to enjoy our traditions even if they are teenagers. They are still just kids to me!

Happy Physics World!

2008-12-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

Kelsie and her friend, Jessica spent 12, yes 12 hours straight working on their Physics project Saturday night. Last year Nolan had to build a bridge out of spaghetti and glue for physics class...to get an A it had to hold 100 pounds. Of course Randy was involved with this one...actually at one point we had 6 people working on it...school has become much more demanding since I was there a hundred years ago!!! After I spent the day scrappin' with my SBF ladies, I was up until 1 am baking for our trip to Belton...they were up until 3:30am!! That's when I heard the cheers after their project worked all the way through after resetting it numerous times! Check it out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0CjzitWJ5c

The Belton Family Christmas

2008-12-15T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well another Belton Family Christmas gathering has come and gone. There are 11 cousins and with Danny getting married in April, we expect a few more little Townsend cousins in the future :) Lisa hosted us at her house this year since Randy's parents house is in need of repairs and currently being repainted and repaired. We did a re-gifted Chinese Christmas which was lots of fun...so much fun that we decided to do it again next year along with the regular drawing of names. Next year we will each draw a name instead of just doing it for the kids, but with with a smaller $15 limit. Next year is also our turn to plan/cook the food and we heard requests for our shish-kabobs on the grill...very tasty but I don't enjoy all that skewering!

Photos and Bargains

2008-12-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

Thank you to my friend, Susan Helmer who encouraged me to send in my fall photo of the creek behind our house to the KVUE weather contest. Mark Murray chose my photo for the Friday night newscast last week and it is posted here under December 5th http://www.kvue.com/sharedcontent/advertising/ads/kvue/photocontest/

There are lots of awesome photos if you go back and look at the previous months! While poking around on their website after I signed up for their updates, there is a great link called "Discounts in Austin" where I found discounted restaurant gift certificates. We bought a 2 for 1 certificate for Hoover's. If you've never been there, it's great home cooking and we traditionally go there before we head out for the trail of lights.

Another great bargain I found...had a ladies night out at Johnny Carino's. There were six of us and we ordered 3 family platters to share, salad and had a pitcher of Italian margaritas (and one of the ladies added in a coupon for free dessert:). With tax and tip we each paid only $13! On Monday nights when you dine in, you can order family platters for the price of a single entree. It's a great place to go hang out where they don't rush you so if you are feeling like Italian, check it out!

Elgin Tree Farm

2008-12-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

We have been going to the tree farm in Elgin every year since I can remember. I have pictures from each year (I think I need a chipboard Christmas tree book Pam:) and this was the first year that there was no pile of hay for the kids to jump on. There was a hay maze that Kelsie and I checked out, but it said "no climbing on the hay bales." I have such vivid memories of them playing on that pile of hay, playing king of the mountain and pushing each other off then getting into the car with pieces of hay stuck all over their clothes. And even as old as they are, they were still asking, "Are we gonna get candy canes?" There is a little basket of candy canes at the counter where you pay for the tree and of course they always sneak a few more than 1 :) Nolan was sick but we made him go anyway and you can see his excitement!!

Texas Fall

2008-12-03T07:10:00.001-08:00

Well it's not Vermont, but I did snap this photo right in our own backyard. There isn't much water left in the creek behind our house but Kelsie and her friend went on a canoeing adventure over the break. Thank goodness for those few trees that bring us fall colors!

We did shop!

2008-12-02T13:47:00.001-08:00

My dear daughter talked me into to doing the black Friday thing. So she brought 2 friends and I begged my friend lynn to join us for our adventure. The most difficult thing was trying to stay up until midnight after eating our big turkey dinner and laying around the house watching football on Thursday.

Our adventure began at the midnight outlet mall extravaganza. As we approach the mall on I35, we see streams of cars lined up to get into the parking lot...made me think of that long line we always wait in to go to the trail of lights. I'm thinking...hmmm...where is my cozy bed? We enter the parking lot and we quickly see that it will be much like a crap shoot to get a parking spot. We see people already heading back out to their cars, smiling with bags in hand obviously happy with their doorbuster prizes. So we decide to drop the girls off and continue the hunt for a parking space. We quickly thought of other things to do while they shopped...is there a Starbucks open?, let's just pull over and nap, what restaurants are open? But of course we decide, why should they have all the fun! We laughed hysterically many times as we would see a space, rush to the next aisle only to see another car waiting with their blinker on. So then we resort to the "following anyone walking with bags to their car" method which resulted in people waving their fingers at us and mouthing "we aren't leaving" or to us naming each group of shoppers "where is that boot lady" (she was wearing boots) or "follow the three stooges" (3 innocent guys walking to their car:) Now we are all the way out by the movie theatre and about to give it up when we pass a row and Lynn yells..."there's one!!" So I swiftly put the car in reverse (she only had a mild case of whiplash) and zoom to the open spot and see that there are actually 2 spots so the guy behind me was thrilled! They get out of their car and I hear the guy yell "SUCCESS!" and we are all laughing and thinking "what the heck are we doing here."
The girls found some great bargains and we found a few. Sadly there were at least 4 stores that were going out of business so the sales were plentiful. We continue to be dumbfounded as we see all these people shopping in the middle of the night and finally at 3am our stomachs are growling so we finish up the bargain hunting and advance to the only place open at 3am in Round Rock...IHop.

Our amazement continues as we have to wait 15 minutes for a table and see couples with little babies (maybe they were up in the middle of the night anyway) and big groups of people. After all this we decide, well it's already 4:45 and Target opens in 15 minutes (so I thought). So we drive to Target (there were 3 things there that I really wanted) and it doesn't open until 6am so Kelsie says, "Well let's just go to Kohl's until Target opens." I'm thinking oh to be young and full of energy again. So we continue with the plan and I found a digital frame for my dh's office and so we continued on to Target. I tell the girls there are just 3 things that I want to buy, it shouldn't take long. I find my treasures, checked out with no waiting and then call Kelsie to tell her to come up front. She says, "Oh we went back out to the car" where I find them laid out across the seats. It was a fun and crazy night, but not sure I'd do it again. The older I get, the longer it takes me to get over those all-nighters:)

But the funniest thing about it all is that for the major gifts that we're getting for the kids, we found the best deals online and shopped in our jammies from home:)))) That's my kind of shopping!

To shop or not to shop...

2008-11-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

So every year I debate about fighting the crowds the day after Thanksgiving for those bargain prices. Some years I've done the early morning thing and other years I stayed home and slept in my warm cozy bed. I'm truly wondering what will happen this year with our sagging economy. Will the crowds be worse or are people just cutting back altogether? I came across a website that has "leaked" many of the Black Friday deals. I am amazed that there is an entire website dedicated to Black Friday!! Regardless, here is the site and if you are shopping for something particular you can see if it will be worth your while to get up in the dark and stand in lines:) You can sort by store, item, etc. so Happy Black Friday to you! (http://www.blackfriday.info/)

Hook Em'

2008-11-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

Well after about a month of indecision, Nolan made his college choice known last night. We are chillin' out, watching reruns of The Office, and he says, "Hey mom, we can go ahead and put down that deposit on UT." And I'm on the computer and half watching the TV and half listening and I'm like...OK. (I reminded myself of my father who used to do 4 or 5 things at once and we could go up to him and say...Daddy, can I have a hundred dollars? Daddy, can I go to Alaska?...and he would always reply "OK" cuz he hadn't really heard a word we said.) Once I came back to earth, I had to ask him...OK, so this is your decision...it's final? And then he shrugs!!! I'm thinking..I'm not going to put down a deposit on a shrug! So then he laughs and says, "Yes I'm sure." In retrospect, just this week he came home telling me about several of his friends making their decisions and who was going where and I think that spurred him to make his commitment (peer pressure but in a good way!) So now I can relax and start getting used to the reality that he is moving out, but he'll be just down the road. I took each of my kids' pictures in this onesie...hard to believe that many years have gone by:)

Mangia's 20 cent pizzas this Weekend!

2008-11-13T05:56:00.000-08:00

You all know how I love bargains and this is one of my kids' favorite pizza places. There's one meal I won't have to cook this weekend :)

To commemorate the 20th anniversary, Mangia wants to give back to Austin and its thousands of customers by offering 20 cent pizzas! This Saturday and Sunday, November 15th & 16th, buy one pizza at regular price and get a second pizza of equal or lesser value for just 20 cents each. No gimmicks, no tricks - it is Mangia Pizza's way of celebrating their birthday and sharing it with you! But that's not all, every purchase of $10 or more in November receives a $5 Mangia gift certificate (redeemable in December and January).

Gift Exchange Ideas

2008-11-10T19:36:00.000-08:00

OK...I need help! We are doing a gift exchange with Randy's family for Christmas. We've done lots of different formats...Chinese Exchange, Draw names & make a wish list, etc. etc. Has anyone heard of something fun and different with a gift exchange??? We need a game that is cheap and fun cuz there are 11 kids in the family.

Decision Time

2008-11-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

Well, Nolan has realized that his hard work paid off! He was accepted to UT and to A&M. Now I really am trying to be objective (orange) and help him look at the pros and cons of each school (Hook 'EM). He is in the decision phase (Austin) and seems to be in limbo when you ask him which way he is leaning (The Eyes of Texas). So now I am trying to help him figure out what other information he needs to help him make that final decision (Bevo). No seriously, each school is wonderfully different and either would be a great opportunity!!! But I think he really would look better in that burnt orange :)

Save Your Sticker

2008-10-31T05:44:00.001-07:00

I love to check out walletpop.com. They have lots of info on freebies (scroll down to the freebie blog), ways to save $$, recycling, etc. So yesterday I read if you go by any Krispy Kreme on Nov. 4th and show your "I voted" sticker you get a free star-shaped doughnut. Now I personally prefer Round Rock Doughnuts and I don't have a Krispy Kreme near me anymore and I'm really trying to cut down on my sugar intake, but hey if I happen to be driving by one on Tuesday (and remember to bring my "I voted" sticker since I voted early) then I'll get a free doughnut. I also read that Taco Bell was giving away free tacos to celebrate the first stolen base in the World Series, but I read it after the fact and since I'm not a baseball fan I was like, oh is the World Series going on??? Anyway you can also play the rice game (www.freerice.com) where you take a multiple choice vocabulary test and for every one you get right, grains of rice are donated to the UN World Food Program. I don't think I fed very many people, but I did send it to my kids to help them study for their SAT :)

NHS

2008-10-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

Last night Kelsie was inducted into the National Honor Society. Nolan was on the planning committee so he handed out programs and ushered the new members. It's really kinda cool that we can go to an event and see both of them which happens often since they are only a grade apart. Of course when one of them leaves for college right after the other, I won't be thinking it's too cool. I think I found the perfect investment for me...Kleenex! Oh well...just think of all that scrappin' time I'll have! OH wait..nevermind. I'll have to get a real job to help pay for those college years.

It's a Miracle!

2008-10-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has an almost 13-year old boy can probably relate to my frustration of trying to take pictures of him. I have many pictures of the top of his head or of a blanket on top of his head or the back of his head as he avoids every picture that I try to take. I'm not sure what is going on in that supposedly developing brain of his...I think he's already taken too many hits to the head in football. Maybe he's been playing without his helmet when the coach isn't looking! Anywho, he was chosen as an outstanding student for the first 6 weeks of school and of course they have the little ceremony at school. This year as 8th graders they have earned the pleasure of having the ceremony in the library instead of the loud and lovely gym. Ok now I know he's not smiling...he's even scowling I think, but I did get his face and he is even standing next to one of his parental units!

Visa Card Raffle

2008-10-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

I know how you all like to gamble with your money! Kelsie's club team is hosting a raffle for a $500 VISA Card to help raise money for their trip to the Final Four Tournament in North Carolina this December. The tickets are $5 each and one lucky supporter will win a $500 VISA Gift Card...that would cover my Holiday Shopping! The drawing will be held on November 22nd. If you want to play, send us a check made out to Lonestar 93 Red and we'll fill out your tickets for you and get them turned in. Also leave us a comment or shoot me an email so we'll know to look for your check. Thanks yall!

Darlene Stopped by to say Hi!

2008-10-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

OK...most of you reading this know Darlene. Well she and Roger have moved back to Texas and are living in Irving. They are crossing their fingers on job prospects and are just so happy to be back home. Darlene was in town helping to take care of Jordyn while Amanda had thyroid surgery...all went well and Amanda is doing great so that is a relief. She hopes to come back soon and when she does we'll plan for a SBF reunion!

Crazy Carl

2008-10-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

I took two of my friends who had never been to Esther's Follies down to 6th street. It had been awhile since I had been, but with an election around the corner I knew the skits would be priceless and it was as funny as usual. When I was at UT, the Follies was just getting started and you could go watch the dress rehearsals for free...great cheap entertainment for poor college students. Well now tickets are $20, but still not bad for a couple of hours of constant laughter. The highlight is Crazy Carl who is part of the show complete in his bra and thong balancing a rose on his nose seen through the windows that are at the back of the stage. Of course we couldn't pass up a photo op with Carl. Dana took the picture so I had to paste her in to make the photo complete. After seeing my attempt at Photoshopping skills, Kelsie said to me, "Mom, you need a job!" She was not complementing my skills...she was saying I had wayyyyyy to much time on my hands.

Sweet 16

2008-10-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Well it's official...Kelsie is 16. We went on her birthday to get her license so now I get to be worried about 2 kids driving around the city. They are sharing the Mustang...that will be an adventure I'm sure but so far so good. At least now the Mustang will be clean...she's already wanting to take it to the carwash. The night of her birthday we took her and 5 friends to the Alamo Drafthouse to watch The Office. Apparently they also show the debates during which the audience plays drinking games like taking a drink every time they hear the word "friend" or "Maverick!" We also celebrated with her soccer team over the weekend on our trip to Oklahoma for soccer. It was eerie being in Oklahoma during TX/OU weekend but we had a great time razzing those Okies in our burnt orange shirts...especially after the game :)

College visits

2008-10-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

On the days when I'm not monitoring Nolan's college application process, I am taking Kelsie on college visits. Her ambition is to play soccer and that's another story all-together. I have helped her research Texas schools that offer women's soccer programs and we created a spreadsheet with all of the information. Now we are picking throught the list and fitting in visits on weekends inbetween the madness. So far we have seen Texas State and Southwestern and were able to attend their soccer games as well. The whole process has become much more competitive since I went to UT a hundred years ago! Back then it just seems like my friends went to UT or A&M and that was that. If you were a decent student, you got in and figured the rest out later. Such big decisions for my little kiddos!

Why Jell-o?

2008-10-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting back into the blogging world. The quote about jell-o fully describes my life at this point in time. I have 3 teenagers and my every day is much like jell-o...mostly sweet, but very messy, jiggly and uncontrollable. You know, my teenagers are somewhat moldable like jello, but nailing them down on anything is next to impossible. My oldest, Nolan, is in the process of applying for college...each day is a struggle and we are digging our way through the sticky process..."Did you ask your teacher for a recommendation letter?" "Did you register for the SAT?" "Did you finish your second essay?" "Do you really want to go to college:)?" "Did you order your transcripts?" I'm like the teacher in Charlie Brown and all he hears is wah, wah, wah! Well I guess we'll know we're really in trouble if we end up with pudding instead of jell-o...that really would be a mess!