Mi Perro, Mis Amigas, y Mi Familia

I have been bad about blogging, so here is a quick catch up of our social life for the past two weeks... Karen and Robbie had us over to their house to watch the first Spurs/Mavs playoff game. Karen invited Molly, since her Shih Tzu Greta was going to be there, as well as a Morky (Maltese-Yorkie mixed breed) Punky. Molly was a little bit of a bully, but not in a mean way...she just wanted those poor little girls to play with her so badly and they were a little unsure of her. They were all really cute together though!



Last week we met Stacy at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch another of the Spurs/Mavs games. We were stared at, since we were the ONLY people in the joint with Spurs stuff on, but whatever. It was fun and Stacy and I got to have lots of girl talk before Zac got off work and showed up. :)

Saturday morning I went to McKinney to watch Nati's soccer game and help Amy celebrate her birthday. Nati was such a cute little soccer stud. Breagan is the coach and he is so good with all the kids. That is a lucky bunch of kids and parents...they have a great coach!

I made cupcakes for Amy for her birthday, and even though I was two weeks late seeing her, I still sang and made her blow out a candle! :)

Claire and Batman...I mean Nati, looking cute as ever...

Saturday on my way home from McKinney my dad called and casually said "what are y'all doing tonight?" I told him we didn't have plans and he said "how 'bout some company?" We were so excited for the impromptu visit from my parents!! I love that they just got a wild hair and decided to come! It was quite a treat. They arrived in time for dinner so we went out to eat and then came home and watched old home videos. I know that might sound boring and cheesy to some people, but it was Rusty's 6th birthday, and all the videos we watched were puppy videos of Molly and Rusty...they were SOO cute!! :) Sunday morning we decided to take the dogs on a fieldtrip to a nearby lake. It was a little cool when we got in the car at home, but somehow a fifteen minute drive and the new location later we opened the car doors to a crazy-windy really eerie weather phenomenon. I tried to capture how windy it was...I can't explain it. Just trust me!

We had to fight just to stand. The water on a small lake had waves and whitecaps and everything from the wind!

Molly would not get in the water (so that should tell you how crazy the weather was!) but her paws got a tiny bit wet. I tried to make her ride in the back of the car on the way home, but just look at that face! It lasted maybe 2 minutes and then I put her in the backseat with us. :)

Last night we had dinner with Cody and Rheanna at a new Tex-Mex place they just opened near us. All you Abilene people will appreciate what it was...TaMolly's! Remember that restaurant near the mall? We just got one about ten minutes away from us. It was pretty tasty, but the company was even better! Look how happy Mr. Colt was after dinner! :)

Just in case I never mentioned it, we have amazing friends and family. I feel like a very blessed little girl!

Easter in Burnet

We went to Burnet to be with Zac's family for Easter this year. It was a wonderful couple days, and there is nothing like being surrounded by family, all under one roof! We had so much fun watching Eliza...she is in a wonderful stage and is so fun and funny! Here's the weekend in a (very big) nutshell. (Oh, I accidentally uploaded the pics as small instead of medium, but if you want to see them bigger, you should be able to click on it and it will open a window with the picture larger!)

Friday night we had dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant in that area...Tamale King! If you are ever near Burnet or Buchanan, I HIGHLY recommend it! :) I miss their cheese enchiladas!
Saturday morning we went to the annual Bluebonnet Parade. You might not know it, but Burnet is the "Bluebonnet Capitol of Texas!" Every year they have Bluebonnet Festival which is always the second weekend in April, which just happened to be Easter weekend this year. There is a fair set up, with rides and all, but we skipped that part. We went down to the square just in time for the parade, and walked around to see the different booths and people watch. Eliza was a blast at the parade, waving at everyone who went by.

No joke...this is a group of women called "The Plungettes." They wear red white and blue and dance through the parade carrying toilet plungers. It is quite a sight! :)

This horse's eye really blew my mind. Then Zac pointed out that he had green glittery hooves. Wow!

Wait a minute! I know that lady! :) Lynn had to march in the parade with the bank she works at. She was the perfect parade participant because she had the biggest smile of anyone!

Haha, look at this expression! Her eyes can talk, can they not?

Eli got there late Saturday night because he had to work all day Saturday. He works at Central Market, and since they were closed on Easter Sunday, when he left Saturday, they let him take tons of food with him. We had the best breakfast of muffins and juice and all sorts of delicious CM stuff on Sunday morning! :) Of course Eli and I stayed up late talking on Saturday night after he arrived. I'm so lucky that one of my best friends is also my little brother! I love you Eli!!
The three guys looking handsome at the church.

Of course I had to...

After church there was an Easster egg hunt for the toddlers in a Sunday School room. Eliza was pretty good for her first time around! :)

What a cute family! Okay, not to brag, but I gave Eliza that cute shirt AND those jeans! But that was when she was only a few months old...and it felt like it would take FOREVER until she would fit into them. I can't believe she is already almost 18 months old!

Trying on Uncle Eli's shoes. Doesn't every kid have a picture of themselves in their dad's shoes, or someone's big shoes? haha...too cute!

Eliza had just realized that there is a jungle gym under the dining room table! I bet that will not be the last time she climbs on it.

And finally...Eliza got to eat a chocolate rabbit. She loved it! She got so messy, but that was part of the joy of watching her eat it!

As you see, it was a fun filled and heartwarming weekend with the fam! :)

Sun in the sky, you know how I feel...

Wow! The Lord works in wonderful ways! Just last week my cousin Ellen posted THIS video on her blog. It truly spoke to me and for days I could not quit thinking about it. Zac and I have said for awhile now that we would like to adopt one day, and after my cousin Ellen adopted Nati from Ethiopia, and I saw their process and learned more about that fragile nation, I felt called to adopt from Ethiopia specifically. Just yesterday, I got online to Gladney's website, and requested they send us information on international adoption.Today, I get online and start checking my favorite blogs, and I come across so much stuff, on not just adoption, but Ethiopia!! Coincidence? Nope!
People I have mentioned this to have already started asking questions. Here is how I have answered them so far...
1. "Why?" Well, why not? God calls on us to open out hearts and reach out to the poor and needy, and specifically orphans. We have the ability to help.
2. "Can you not have your own kids?" We might be able to, we might not...we don't know that yet. But we are not considering adoption because we can't have our own...we just know that there are already living breathing babies and children in the world who need a home.
3. "Why not adopt from America...aren't there kids here who need a home?" I have nothing against anyone who chooses to adopt domestically. I applaud all people who choose to adopt. I just personally believe that kids who are not adopted in third world countries have much Much MUCH harder lives than kids in America who are not adopted. Obviously foster care is not ideal for a permanent placement, but our country has a system set up that ensures that children do have homes, food, and schooling. Other countries do not have that, and these kids face much graver conditions. Also, Ethiopia is heavy on my heart. I feel drawn to it. I want to help. We don't really see situations like this one in Texas:

It started out as a small idea, but honestly, with each day that goes by, I feel more and more called to adopt. Lately though, it has not just been an internal thing, it seems everywhere I look I am seeing and hearing about Ethiopian adoption. PLEASE check out Katie and Courtney's blogs...I could not have worded them better myself. I was moved to tears. I literally had to get up and go get a kleenex and get myself together before I could start typing this. I'm not sure if it was the material I saw, or just the fact that things are really starting to click inside of me, and each day it seems to be more of a reality than just an idea. I am scared but excited, feel overwhelmed, yet determined. I can't wait to see how the Lord uses me and Zac, and what He has in store for our future and our family! :)
PS-Y'all know I LOVED the movie Seven Pounds. I watched it again this weekend with my cousins and I loved it just as much the second time. (Even though it's kinda like Sixth Sense, and after you have seen it once and know the end, it's not quite the same, but it's still good!) When I saw that movie in the theater, there was a song that stood out to me. I had never heard it before the movie but it was such a powerful piece in the film that I had to go home and google it. Well, the soundtrack to Seven Pounds is just the orchestra stuff, and none of the songs with words, but luckily my internet skills helped me find the song elsewhere. Well, the song has been stuck in my head since I watched it again on Saturday, and I have been singing it all day. It's beautiful and emotional and all the good stuff. Well, how funny that tonight when I sat down to watch American Idol, my favorite guy Adam sang that song!!!
"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life...and I'm feeling good!"

(The song is called "Feeling Good" by Muse. Originally it was by Nina Simone, so obviously it is a remake. Michael Buble also has remade it, and I like his version too.)

Try Not to be Green...with ENVY!

Happy Earth Day!! :) Please be "green" as in Earth Friendly EVERY day, not just today.

Now let's get to the real reason for the post. Eli, Ryan and I just got tickets to go see Beyonce in Dallas this summer! We got really great tickets too! Ryan joined the fan club just so we could get the best possible tickets!! I can't wait! Here is a sneak peak she gave Ellen...



If you weren't jealous before, aren't you now? Oh my gosh! So exciting!! She is so, like totally amazing! I saw her live once with my cousin Robin, but it was at the Austin Rodeo when we were seniors in high school, and it was with Destiny's Child. I have been loving B a long time. How could you not? She is fabulous!

PS- If you watched the video, you heard that Thierry Mugler designed her clothes for the tour. What a co-inky-dink!! I was just googling him yesterday! Why? Well, one of the ladies I teach with smelled DELICIOUS all day long yesterday and I finally asked her what it was. (I AM A PERFUME JUNKY!!!) She told me it was a perfume by Thierry Mugler. I got super pumped, because I already have one of his perfumes, called Angel. I even bought Zac the male version of it. It is so scrumptious. His fragrance line is cool because they come in these gorgeous glass bottles, and they are refillable!! Well, the one she was wearing, that I want is called Alien. That is a really weird name for a fabulous perfume, but it is the first official item on my birthday wishlist! (hint, hint! haha)

90 is the new 70...

My Granny in Midland turned 90 on April 3rd. It was a wonderful weekend of family, fun, and playing outside. It was quite a celebration, as my Granny is a very loved and special lady. Here is a rundown, and a few pics from the weekend...


I rode with Ellen and Nati and Claire to Midland on Friday morning. We had a fun car trip and the kids were a fun excuse to eat Krispy Kreme and McDonalds. (Too bad I don't have their metabolism, haha!) Ellen and I had great conversation and the trip flew by. When we got to Granny's, I met some family I had never met before. They live in Arizona and came in just for the party!! I told you my Granny is loved! We had people come from London, California, Arizona, and all over just to help her celebrate! After some introductions and hugs we headed down to the duck pond and the park. Here's Madeline and Sutton and Emma at the duck pond...

Sutton is the son of one of our cousins! I didn't even know that others in the family had adopted besides Ellen and Breagan, so I was so excited to meet Sutton and his sister Emma! Sutton is only five, and Madeline is almost three, but look at the difference! That boy can eat, too! :)

Yay! Matt and I used to hang out lots when we both lived in Austin, but now that he is in London, and I am in Small Town, TX we only see each other a few times a year. I cherish the time we get to spend together!!

It was the most beautiful day on Friday! Robin, Liz and Madeline enjoyed the swings...

When we got home from our outdoor adventure, it was about time for dinner. Friday was Granny's actual birthday and she wore a pipe cleaner tiara all day to help us remember. I think you deserve to do whatever you want when you are 90 and in great health! You go girl! Isn't she cute, though? Just look at her!

Madeline waits patiently for her playmate Molly to finish eating. :)

We spent Friday night at my cousins Heather and Brad's house. We always have so much fun there, and since they have three teenagers, they always have the best stocked fridge and pantry!! :) Since the church part from 3-5 was going to have tons of food, we decided to skip lunch and just have a hearty brunch. Brad made us each our own omellette, just the way we like it! They were delish! We even had some Mimosas....yum! Once we got to the church, there was an overwhelming number of people there. I bet somewhere between 200-300 people showed up. It was come and go, so not sure of the exact number, but it was alot! The kids looked so cute all decked out...



My cousins and sister looked great too!

This is our family. This is just the immediate family. (My Granny, her four kids and their families, so all my aunts and uncles and cousins...I think we are up to 34!?)

The Special Lady, herself...

My cousin Amy (from my mom's side) came for the celebration. Andy and Zac both had work obligations and could not attend. Here is our family shot. :)

That night we had a big dinner at one of the Bar-B-Que joints in town. Amy and Claire looked so cute in their pink!

I loved Granny's colorful shirt! :)

The BBQ dinner was amazing, and I was reminded by how truly BLESSED I am to have such an amazing and close knit family! My cousins are like extended brothers and sisters, and I appreciate my parents and Aunts and Uncles for emphasizing the value of family to us when we were young. I used to think that our family was "the norm" but now I know we are kinda unique.

Here Comes Goodbye

So I told y'all earlier that this is my first season following Dancing With The Stars, but I am totally hooked, 100%. Tonight was a results show, which means they have guest performers. Tonight Rascal Flatts sang, and Julianne and Tony danced to the song. It was seriously the most impressive dance I have ever seen, and I have been exposed to ALOT of dance in my life! Granted, it was two professionals (as compared to one professional and one "celebrity" like it is on Monday night), but still...it was so awesome. Even if you don't watch the show, or know who the people are, and even if you don't like Rascal Flatts (I'm not their biggest fan, trust me) just watch the video. The tricks are amazing, and there is so much emotion in their choreography. Sigh...I will get off my soapbox now, but I wish I could move like that!



PS-It's not fair that Julianne Hough can dance like that AND have a an amazing singing voice! She won best Top New Artist and Top New Female Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music Awards! Maybe you recognize this song? I really like this one. I wish I had just ONE of those skills! :)

The Circus is My Destiny

Yes! I am FINALLY blogging about the Britney concert! :) It was so so much fun, and a real treat for both the eyes and the ears! I could go on and on talking about all the amazing aspects of it, but instead I will keep it brief. Stacy and I met for dinner at Gloria's and then headed to the show. Our seats were in the third balcony, one row away from the very tip top, but it was still AH-MAY-ZING!!! I loved the Pussycat Dolls SO much too! They sang live and were very high energy! I've always liked them, but I am a huge fan of them now! Check out this song Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny) from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack! The crowd went crazy when they performed it! I am also MADLY in love with this song by PCD...they are seriously talented!
Here is a view from our seats, and this is even zoomed in...



The costumes for both Brit and the dancers were awesome. I could see them better than my camera captured them, so I didn't get many great pics, but here are a few of her amazing outfits. The Circus one...

At one point she slowed things down and sang on this floating umbrella. It was very pretty and made me think she has come a long way since that awful picture of her with an umbrella which was taken just over a year ago. She is wearing a Bollywood type outfit at that point...

And of course for Womanizer she got to play a cop. A sexy cop, I might add.

I took a alot of video at the show, but some of them didn't turn out that great. I liked this one though...look how over-the-top everything is!! It made me feel that it was worth every penny of the ticket price! :)

Also, you won't be surprised that I am admitting to the world my nerdiness by posting the following videos. Yes, I put on my reporter hat again (not literally, just figuratively) and recorded my thoughts before and after the concert, and also interviewed Stacy at the concert. Enjoy (Enjoy at my expense, haha, it's all cool. I'm secure. Or stupid. One of the two)...
(excuse the horrible angle and the gum chewing)

(excuse the huge cough drop stored in the side of my cheek)

(excuse the raspy voice)

And just in case you are wandering what songs she sang, here is the set list...

CIRCUS
Perez/Parade Intro
Circus (Funky Remix)
Piece of Me
Thunderstorm Segue
Radar

HOUSE OF FUN (Anything Goes)
Martial Arts Segue
Ooh Ooh Baby/Hot as Ice
Boys
If U Seek Amy
Me Against the Music (Bollywood)

FREAKSHOW/PEEPSHOW
Everybody's Looking for Something (Sweet Dreams) Segue
Freakshow
Get Naked
Britney's Hotline
Breathe on Me/Touch of My Hand

ELECTRO CIRC
Break the Ice Segue
Do Something
Slave
Dancer Solo Segue/Heartbeat Segue
Toxic
Baby One More Time (Remix)

ENCORE
Womanizer (Extended Remix)
Circus Reprise: The Bow

Welcoming Bo

Throughout the campaigns and elections, I was so curious as to what type of dog the Obama's would get, assuming Barack won the presidency. I was excited yesterday to find out they finally got their dog, a Portugese Water dog, also known as a "portie." He is named Bo, after Michelle's father, who was nicknamed "Diddly." Look how cute this picture is:
Makes them seem like a real family (I mean they are a real family, but I guess I mean it makes them seem like the average American family). I remember when Chelsea got Socks. I didn't even like cats, but I thought it was cool that one lived at the WhiteHouse, and that the president had a pet. I still think that is cool, and I think the girls will love having Bo around. I can't wait to watch him grow, and hear even more stories. For a cool video of the Obama's playing with Bo, and his first introduction to the press, click HERE.


PS-Not sure why the text is underlined and it won't let me un-underline it, so sorry!
Also, at the Annual White House Easter Egg Roll, hosted yesterday, look at what book the family chose to read to the kids. Love it! :)

5 Down, Many More To Go...

Okay, so I told y'all awhile back that I was going to read as many Newbery Books as I could possibly get my hands on. This morning I finished my fifth Newbery Award winning books, and started my sixth. Here are the five I have read, in order of my favorite to least. (I liked them all, I just LOVED the ones closer to the top.)

Bud, Not Buddy
Shadow of a Bull
Kira, Kira
The Giver
The Whipping Boy

I have been telling everyone I know to read Bud, Not Buddy. It is about a ten year old little black boy during the Great Depression who is looking for his father. I can not explain to you how much I enjoyed this book. Please read it, I think kids and adults alike would fall in love with this story. It is written from the boy's perspective and he is outright hilarious. I was sad when I finished the last page, and I wish there was a sequel! It only won the award a few years ago, but I heard tonight in class that it is already a required reading book for sixth graders in our district! I bet they will love it, but I think adults would get more out of it, assuming that some of the story or references will go over the 6th graders' heads.
Shadow of a Bull is about a ten year old boy in Spain whose father was a legendary bullfighter. His father passes away when he is three, so he doesn't remember him, but everyone in their small town constantly talks about him, and can't wait for him to turn 12 so he can start fighting bulls too. The only problem is, he does not want to fight bulls, so he has to decide whether he should let the town down and follow his heart, or step up to the plate and put himself in danger.
Kira, Kira was also awesome, it is about a young Asian girl growing up in America. It is written from her point of view, and like Bud, she is pretty funny in her wording and observations.
I had read both The Giver and The Whipping Boy before, but as a young child, so it was fun to re-read them and have a whole new perspective.
Anyways, the point is...Children's Literature rocks, and can be enjoyed just as much OR MORE by adults. I highly advise you read these, but if you only read one, get Bud, Not Buddy. Believe me, you will thank me! :)

PS-I know I am WAY behind on blogging! I hope to be posting soon about the following:
-the rest of spring break (a special visit from Eliza and her parents!!)
-Granny's 90th birthday in Midland
-Easter weekend in Burnet
-college, doctors, life, music

SB: Saturday/Sunday

Saturday morning we woke up and ate a free breakfast at our hotel. I love those waffle machines where you get to pour the batter yourself, and wait for two minutes...they taste so good and remind me of my fun college days. :) We packed up quickly and went straight to the Experience Music Project in Seattle. It is pretty amazing...I just wish we had more time to explore it! Our plane left at 2 and we had to make it to the airport and turn in our rental car and all that, so the EMP was pretty much the only thing we had time for, and we were rushed through that. I can't explain how awesome the museum is, except to say that it's interactive, and if you like music at all, or history, since music usually goes along with what is happening in the world, you would love this museum! The building itself is really cool from the outside. Here is an aerial view, taken from the SpaceNeedle, a few days before.


And this was just a little collage I found online of different parts of the exterior of the building. It's really really cool. I took lots of pictures of it myself, but this was nice, because it is all in one.

Here is Zac as we are walking in...

I guess I felt like I was supposed to pose like a rock star? haha, I'm a dork, y'all already know that.

There is a HUGE (at least two stories!) cyclone of instruments, mostly guitars. It was cool!

It is interactive, and you get to play with all sorts of instruments and sound equipment. We got to go in this soundproof room and play with a sound board. You won't guess what the song was to experiment with...Sweet Dreams!! I love that song! :) Here is a short video of us playing...

On the way out of town, we had a tiny bit of time so we drove by Safeco and Qwest, so Zac could get a better view of them.

I thought this was a cool piece of art, and very appropriate for the city...a windblown umbrella.

Sniff, Sniff! Goodbye Seattle, Goodbye Northwest. Goodbye ocean and tall trees and rain.

Hello Texas, here we come...

Funny story about our clothes...I got dressed at the hotel while Zac was in the shower, and then he got dressed when I was gone to get breakfast. What do you know...we both put on a black shirt with a gray v-neck sweater over it. Haha, um I guess that's what happens when we spend 24/7 together. :)
We got to watch the sun set on the plane, and it was indescribable. If you think that it's pretty to see a sun's reflection on water, you should see the way it looks on the clouds! Wow!

Rheanna and Cody and Colt picked us up from the airport to bring us home. We were all hungry and decided to stop at Taco Bell for a 10:00 dinner. :) I have not eaten inside a fast food chain like Taco Bell in a long time, but it was so fun to be there with friends, late at night...felt kinda like high school, haha!
Sunday morning we woke up with one thing on our mind...MOLLY! We drove to Waco and met my parents and Zac's mom for lunch at Texas Roadhouse. It was neat to tell them all about the trip while it was fresh on our minds, but I have to say the best part was being reunited with our baby girl, who we had not seen since Monday morning! Here's a pic of the family reunion...


And what better way to celebrate being back in Texas. and with the Molser babe, than by taking pics in the bluebonnets! :)