***WARNING!***

Tomorrow's Saddle-Up Saturday post has been cancelled. Jack was awarded a bankruptcy auction through one of the local banks, so Gracie is vacationing with Marmie, Popi & PaPa while Mom & Dad do lots of work - tune in next Saturday though!

Also up this week...
-Popi's early birthday celebration (Sunday)
-2 visits to the Rodeo (yee haw!)

ya'll come back now...ya hear?

Fat Tuesday in Galveston!

The beginning of the parade -get used to the guy on the right - I think he's in every shot I took - I can't be mad at him though - everything he caught, he gave to Grace, which enabled her to take a bag full of beads to school this morning and share them with her friends.
See...

We painted Gracie's face before we left the house (a butterfly outlined in purple, filled in with bronze-it was just eyeshadow so I wouldn't have to do a lot of scrubbing later) and she fell asleep on the way, so most of it came off. She still loved it though!

Let's just call him Ralph - he was our bead-giving pal -

Hey Ralph - wuzzz up!?

These little girls were just the cutest - they were really rockin' out!

...and guess who just had to get in on the jam session???

My little dancin' queen...

I am grateful that...

- I didn't have to drive into Sugar Land today - Tracey has been sick and hasn't fixed our internet issues at the home office, so I'm working from home today!


- I have a REAL potty! As I've mentioned, Tracey is remodeling and that means all of his floors were ripped out, which in turn means that Cheryl and I have been peeing in a bucket for two weeks now! Since I get to work from home today, that's not an issue!


- my daughter loves to bring me fresh flowers - even if they're really weeds.

- I get to see my family this weekend for my Daddy's early birthday celebration!

- It's at least partly sunny today!

Saddle-Up Saturday

...and I'm actually posting on a SATURDAY! Glory be...wonders never cease!

This is how we started our morning off - BUBBLES!

There is no question - this girl loves the water! The first time she really smiled as an infant - yep, she was taking a bath!

I woke her up a little early so she'd have time to play - looks like it paid off -

In preparation for St. Paddy's Day...

You can't help but smile when you look at these guys...

...and after a quick stop for donut holes - her favorite breakfast (I know - not exactly the breakfast of champions, but if she can't indulge now, well...)- we were at her lesson.

My buddy - just look at those eyes - mesmerizing...

I've tried every way possible to put her hair up where it stays out of her eyes, but that helmet just gets us every time!

Jump! She looks like a star!

Another pic of the eyes -

Her lesson is over and I've successfully brushed her hair out of her eyes - doesn't she look so happy?

Then, of course, she wanted her picture taken with Pal.

This is why Daddy didn't come to her lesson today - we're finally having our barn roof repaired from Ike damages. That's Alex up top - Jack is being smart and working from the INside of the barn! Gracie had to go make a visit as soon as we arrived home -

Oh, she is funny!

This girl...she totally cracks me up! She had only been up a few minutes and I was at our desk checking email and this is how she greets me - she has three red stamps on her forehead from doing a good job in her Spanish class, purple princess heels, her Valentine bandana around her waist and her cell phone tucked in to her panties...what happened to her nightie, you ask? I'm guessing she put it on one of our poor dogs or cats, but honestly, who knows?!

We resumed our swimming lessons on Tuesday. She did a good job considering she still has a sinus infection. This is her "backstroke arms" exercise and the next is a new exercise called "the wiggles".

Saddle-Up Saturday

What kind of weather is this for Valentines Day? It was wet, cold and yucky. You're gonna think I was drunk in some of my video shots, but it was just frigid out there...

Here's something very Valentiney though...my very frigid twinkle toes...or maybe I should say wrinkly toes...and, yes, it was cold, but I always wear flips... I had lots of company on this lovey dovey day...not my black and white buddy - I guess he was gettin' lovey dovey elsewhere - but this sweet kitty is tellin' ya "hi"
and this monster of a thoroughbred is bidding you his well wishes....

and this kitty - he's not much for having folks love on him, but he sure was having a jim dandy time frolicking in the hay...

Kacey was back, wearing her knee brace, but feeling much better...

Pal was really clippin' along here and she kept her airplane wings out - she continues to amaze us...oh, and we want to give a big shout-out to Miss Becky -last week, she commented how glad she was that Grace gets to do this - we are too! Thanks for the well wishes...

"This saddle is sooo heavy, Mommy"

We're just a little backwards...

Another "red light, green light" victory!

Happy Hearts Day Everybody!

My baby girls, Lexie and Gracie, are sending big squeezes and smooches to you all -

and, now for the random photos that I've been saving, but won't ever get around to posting about otherwise...last time we went to see Aunt Francie, Grace and I took her to lunch and she left her reading glasses in my car...Jack David is caught putting them to good use! tee-hee-hee :) I also had video of him snoring, but he made me delete that file - I know, darn!

I think my neighbors are getting ready for the Houston Rodeo trailrides...this was last weekend...when you live out in the country, there's just no tellin' what you might see!

...and this is my new home away from home - this is the house that Tracey is now renovating (hence, the big orange box to the right) and that we home-office in...

Jack took Grace and I to Churrascos last night for Valentines so we wouldn't have to fight the crowds this evening - since Grace was born, he has taken his girls to dinner in Galveston every year, but given this is a Mardi Gras weekend AND Valentines Day, we thought better to change tradition...yikes...can you imagine???

We hope you all are feelin' the love...

The Star of the Show!

OK, so my home computer crashed - yes, the brand new one that I just got for Christmas. Jack and I are both so frustrated - him because he spent good money to get a nice computer and now it's pu-put-blah and me because I knew I had to get up this girl's birthday post - luckily, I have a work computer now...

This is Dana Brown Boone and it's her birthday today - Happy Birthday! We went to school together way back in the day (snow, all uphill, the whole bit - we're OLD now!) and she's a sweetie!
This is from one of our Choir trips in Austin - we were roomates at the Holiday Inn!!! The following cruddy pictures are courtesy of the wonderful throw-away type cameras we all used back then - but hopefully these few shots will bring a smile to your face...I can hear Barbra Streisand singing"Memories" in my head :)

That's me in the light blue top in the middle and Dana is to the right - we're singing the National Anthem at our high school football game...but for now, we'll all pretend we're singing "Happy Birthday to YOU"

You and Tammie Parsons Falls at our Prom -

Another Prom pic - was it you and Matt? I think Matt was his name...it doesn't matter...only John matters now :)!

Have a totally wonderful day - have a cupcake for me!

Saddle-Up Saturday

Well, this was a different kind of Saturday morning than the last several...Daddy wasn't with us, but Marmie was - she came in just to see Gracie ride and help me with a little yard work - when we got there, nobody but Ms. Robin was around. Ms. Kacey had hurt her leg the day before and so Ms. Robin called all of the older girls that she usually teaches while Ms. Kacey teaches Gracie and moved them to the next hour - we had the whole place to ourselves and Grace got to ride in the big arena this time! Not only that, she buckled all of her tack, cleaned Pal's feet, brought Pal up and back and had full control with no "security tie" to Ms. Robin- Pal was ALL hers! She was over the moon -

Ms. Kacey did come and show us her ribbon that she got last weekend for placing 6th in her division last competition season out of 50 girls. We're gonna send her a "get well" card this week and hopefully she'll be better by next lesson...
Gracie bringing Pal up from the pasture -

Doing all of the "front work" before saddling up -
The technical stuff - where to put her thumbs when holding her reins...
...how to sit up straight...
...how to get in jump position...
...with your head UP...
"good job" - smiles all around!
...changing leads...
Grace is getting the lesson, but Pal and Ms. Robin are getting the work-out!
See? no security tie - it's just Grace, Pal and the wind... about 30 seconds after this was taken, Pal was spooked by some dogs on the road. I was looking at the dogs, but Marmie saw...she and Ms. Robin both said that Pal's front feet came OFF the ground and that girl - she STAYED ON!!! Ms. Robin was so proud! And, I didn't have a heart attack. Yikes.
My buddy and me...
Pal and Grace in the "home stretch" -
Marmie couldn't stand it - she had to love on my buddy, too!
As always...some action shots...




I think it's supposed to rain tomorrow, but I hope you guys have a happy Monday anyway! Maybe it will send this insane wind that we've had for the past several days on it's merry way -