Barn update

We STILL don't have power, but we're whittling away at some of the things that we can get done. The good news is that they've at least put in the poles & hung the wire. I'm thinking by Christmas, or May, we might be finally in the apt. :)

Here's the floor after the 'acid' treatment, ready for the stain/paint.

Yep, that's me getting my feet torn up by sticking to the 1st coat while adding the 2nd coat. It was pretty weird feeling - as if I was tying to walk on extreme fly paper! I love the shiny, red color though!

Clifford's first set of stairs & they're awesome - an exact fit!

You can also see some of the 'ice cream parlor' colors that we painted the upstairs :)

Now we just have the rest of the lights, trim board, put in the wall between the kitchen / bath, & install all the plumbing.

Random happenings

Here's just a few pictures from the last few weeks.

Spent 4 wonderful days at convention. My mom, niece Sara, Aunt LaVonda, & cousins Colette & Courtney came from NM and my cousin, Davina, and her 2 kids were there as well. We took over one whole side of the barn and it was fun to 'relive' convention days. I love this picture of Lillie combing Colette's hair - the cycle continues!!

We've had so much rain lately, that we have a few lakes develop at the ranch. Toby & Brinka loved jumping/swimming in the water to cool off!

This knarly spider was crawling over my car. I think he then went into the engine block... lovely!

Last one bites the dust...

Clifford's good friend, Earl, got married to Courtney on Saturday. Ryan was able to make it from FL, so the gang was almost all there. Just missing Nathan! Here are some pictures from the wedding - taken on the iPhone, so not the greatest quality!

Ryan, Clifford, & Earl - big smiles all around

The happy couple

What???? Clifford has on a tie - and it's purple?!?!?

Toasts to the happy couple. (I think Courtney was smart to not have 'open mic'!)

Cutting the cake

Mom's Birthday

Mom's friends threw a b-day party for her 60th and they surprised her with getting me there too! It was a great surprise to see her expression when she realized that I had come. We'd talked about me not being able to since they're coming out for Georgetown in 2 weeks.

The party was based on the poem: "When I am old, I will wear purple".

Mom & I in our purple & red

LaVonda, mom, Grandpa, & Lequice

"She's the oldest" or "She did it" - who knows, it's always someone else's fault!

(LaVonda, Lucretia, mom, & Lequice)

Hat? check... Boa? check... Glasses? check... Beads? check

Officially the newest member of the red hat society.

(Yes, it's purple, but such an awesome hat!)

How mom came to the party - since we kept telling her that she was old, she dressed the part.

The slip & socks/shoes combo has got to go!!

Reason to wear sunscreen!

The latest adventure has provided me with the perfect Harry Potter costume for Halloween. Last month the dermatologist did biopsies on 2 small spots on my forehead (.5" from hairline) and found basal-cell carcinoma. Skin cancer, but the best type to get since it doesn't spread. I went into the surgeon this week to have the little spots removed. Hmmm, maybe I should have had more referrals! I now have a scar from my hairline to eyebrows! They had to go in 3x to get all the cells, so guess that's why the big scar. I've had some interesting stares and my students have come up with some awesome stories! (mauled by a bear, knife fight with a gangsta, etc) The black eye is from the anesthesia settling, but it adds to the drama!

Day of the surgery

Day after the surgery - when I finally realized how BIG the scar will be. It looks better now, so hopefully a new hair style isn't on the books! I'm hoping to take the stitches out this weekend or have the school nurse take them out on Mon.

Plumbing project

Finally got all the parts/tools to replace the faucet in the kitchen. I can't believe how tight it is down there. Not sure how plumbers actually get it done! Of course, I had some 'help' during the process. If only he had opposable thumbs....

More Toby adventures

Here's a 'typical' evening with Toby:

1. Give him a bath with the anti-bacterial soap due to a skin infection. Toby HATES getting a bath, so lots of treats are involved to get him in & stay in the tub. (He also hates sprinklers & will go out of his way to not get wet)

2. Take the dogs to park so they can run off their energy & hopefully dry off from bath

3. Go on a new path that leads around to a cliff area that overlooks the Brazos river, where Toby promptly jumps into the river!! (btw...Alligators love this river) What? This is the dog that doesn't like water! Noooo, of course we like river water because it's where we're not suppose to be! He came out of there looking soooo smug & proud of himself. I, of course, do not have a towel so we have to walk around & around hoping that he dries off enough to not get my car completely wet.

4. Come home for another bath with anti-bacterial soap to get the river cooties off. Lots of treats involved again...

I have a spastic dog. Brinka on the other hand, walked beside me, didn't get in the water, and was a model dog all evening. Go Brinka!

Lastly - Clifford snapped this picture yesterday. He didn't even move!