Klein Ward Summer Picnic

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Gabe & Benjamin getting drinks.

Beanie eats a doughnut for his main dish! Our standards have gotten so low this past year…we hope to reintroduce vegetables now that we’re a bit more settled!

A gaggle of girls catching toads and the jealous boys looking on!

Our new ward is huge. Really big. We have 3 or 4 Sunday School teachers who trade off teaching every week. Seriously. They make up callings so everyone can have one. I realize this won’t last long because there is a new church being built not very far away and everything will be rearranged and we’ll probably lose half the ward but, still…it’s a nice respite. Not that I don’t enjoy serving. It’s just very nice to not have to magnify four different callings for awhile!

So far we have met only really nice people. Nadine’s best friend is my new Mariyn Godby. She’s wonderful (but I still miss you Marilyn!). There’s a piano playing beautiful woman who reminds me so much of my cousin Leslee Bartlett (and she just got called to Stake YW Pres – lets hope she isn’t there quite as long as Leslee was as Stake Primary Pres!). Let’s see…today we saw a glimpse of a Jared Boldt serving in Primary with his computer. It’s funny how you see people you miss in people you meet. I don’t have a new Sheila Lauducci or Benay Derr yet but I’m looking…not that either of those women could EVER be replaced! I just need a cheap substitute.

While we are enjoying our new ward (you can see pictures of the ward party here), we certainly do miss the Gretna Branch. Our hearts were there when it was formed and will always be there – even when it becomes a stake.

Buried Alive in Boxes!

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Don’s on vacation this week to help unpack and get things straightened out…and to enjoy the first week in our new home…but instead of unpacking, we’ve mostly been fielding calls and running around trying to help Wells Fargo finally get our mortgage file complete and to closing today. It took an executive complaint – after our third loan officer left (this time for jury duty), I spammed ever single board member and executive that I could guess an email for – and one of my pleading emails got through. The VP and Regional Manager who called us the next day had not heard about the mess from their minions…and one of them mentioned she wished it had come “up” from below instead. She said they received it as an executive complaint. I hope upper management realizes what a mess this North Houston and Woodlands office of Wells Fargo Mortgage is. We think it would be wonderfully ironic should the manager who couldn’t get anything done had to show up to closing today since all of those who have been finally getting our file done are too far away. We HOPE to let you know. Still planning on 1 p.m. signing today…wish us luck prayers! We could certainly use them. I have to say, though, with the attention we’re finally getting that Wells Fargo is trying to make things right and those in authority certainly can get things done…they’re reimbursing us first month principal and interest in a check to any non-profit we name plus no underwriting fee, processing fee or loan origination charge. Plus, an additional credit on the survey (over $2,000 in apologies, basically) to help offset the cost of having to pay the sellers for the week of the lease. We still don’t know the final numbers but I am so relieved they’re making it right…we stepped into a hornet’s nest and a soap opera chain of events behind the scenes at Wells at the Woodlands office and we didn’t know it until it was too late!

Buddha Hand Citron Fruit Tree

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Picture from White On Rice.

We have inherited at least two Buddha Hand Citron fruit trees. The fruit is amazingly ugly but it SMELLS so good! It smells like a not-tart-lemon. Or a lime. Or a sweet lime. Obviously very difficult to describe but it’s wonderful! I’ve heard of a few uses:

1. Soak the rind in sugar and make a citrus flavored sugar. There are some interesting ideas on Chowhound.
2. Remove the pith and candy the peel.
3. Cut off the fingers and dice and use as you would lemon zest (same taste, less bitter). There are some good looking recipes over at flavorandfortune.
4. Make lemon vodka liqueur…okay, not for us since we don’t drink but maybe you can cook with it? It sure is pretty in the bottle, anyway.

You can buy the tree from Bay Flora for $67 or you can buy the fruit online at Local Harvest for $20 apiece! Geesh! Wish I knew where I could sell them for that in Houston!

Hanging…

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No pictures or fun things today yet…we’re hanging in there and praying Wells Fargo gets their act together. The previous owners kindly let us lease back and move in last Friday but the extended contract ends this Friday so we really need them to get our file processed quickly and we keep getting empty promises and the runaround. Pray for us!!! More pics soon.

Settling In…

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I’m too tired to even post a picture though I have a few really good ones of piles of boxes. The boys had an 11 or 12 foot tall fort created with boxes IN THE ENTRYWAY so that we couldn’t even get to the door if we wanted to.

We love this house. It feels like a little bit of heaven. We love the paint colors. We love the layout. I adore the kitchen and master bedroom – it is so big that Cole claims we could cut it in half and give him some extra yard outside! I am a bit afraid to go upstairs and see how the boys have unpacked their things! Back to the kitchen…I’ve been there for 2 days straight…it’s not a gas stove or a double oven (both were on my “must have” list) but I am so happy with what is here. I love the tile and the cabinets. I want to paint the inside of them Martha Stewart bluish green (probably the same color the previous owners used on the wainscoting in the laundry room which is DREAMY). Not only did the previous owners leave us a welcome basket of CHOCOLATE (dark, too!), she labeled all the house color paint cans with the room it was used in AND THE YEAR/DATE it was used…seriously, I wish everybody could buy a house from people as nice as we did. We were extremely blessed to meet them. Our own house “touches” will come in good time…I’m going to just enjoy our family being in a home again for awhile first.

The Zellmers really took good care of their home. The only hitch we’ve run into is our fridge won’t fit in the laundry room. Well, it fits in the slot but there is a windowsill in the way…not sure what we’re going to do about that yet. Our chest freezer was going to be sold but now Don thinks maybe that will fit instead. Let’s see…what else do we love? The kids love the big tub in the master bath. It’s not as big as our old one (nor is it a Jacuzzi) but they were all very pleased and seemed to like it more. I think not being a Jacuzzi is a plus.

The dog is in heaven. She keeps trying to sneak off into the field by our home. I bought a new rug for the kitchen today and she has claimed it.

The movers will need to replace 4 things: 1) Ben’s bunk bed headboard/footboard got lost before they even hit Texas (was never received in the warehouse) and 2) The loaders in Gretna damaged a big dresser on industrial wheels that we used to store the boys’ toys 3) my jogging stroller got damaged, and 4) a miscellaneous box of blankets was lost. Not too shabby for 20,720 lbs of stuff, I think. The only thing that breaks my heart is Ben is sleeping in Alex’s old room on the floor for now until his bed can be replaced. It’s okay, though, he is snuggling in blankets and the carpet is very soft. Hmm…as I type this he is sleeping in my bed. Not good.

I hear sawing upstairs. The older boys have taken my serrated kitchen knife and are building cardboard forts in the playroom. They asked for duct tape about an hour ago while I was preparing a lesson for church and I didn’t put two-and-two together…I’d better go take some pictures and see if anybody is bleeding!

More later when we’re coherent again.

Grogan’s Mill Farmers’ Market

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I’ve been looking for farmers markets (or farms!) close to me that have raw cow’s milk (I see lots of raw goat milk) and grass fed beef. I’ve been having a bit of trouble finding just the right place. I have lots of links left to check out from the Weston A. Price Foundation but I did find that Grogan’s Mill in the Woodlands has a farmers’ market with organic veggies and grass fed beef starting in October through the beginning of December. I’ll have to check it out in a few months! If you know of a farm, please email me.

Back to School Shopping

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So it’s time for back-to-school shopping and I am not ready. Not even close to ready. I probably will hope that when we unpack on Friday that relatively new clothes, socks, and underwear will magically appear in my boys’ rooms and they’ll be ready. And shoes? Haven’t even thought about them (well, okay, so I thought about it but only long enough to write it down here!). All I can think about is making sure we have enough cash for closing on our new home on Friday which means not another dime will be spent until after then. Since the mortgage guy quit last week and every good faith estimate has gone up and up in final cash at closing cost per subsequent revision, I think we’d better sit tight until we know the final numbers! Our file has been in limbo-land and we are hoping and praying (and triple checking) to make sure that we don’t fall through the cracks. Friday is 2 days away, people!!! I think I’ll be too tired this weekend but maybe next weekend we can replenish the skivvy drawer if need be for school.

p.s. The jeans above are L.L.Bean’s Katahdin jeans on sale for $12.99. Not bad for the quality! Although, I hear Old Navy has some for $10 this week. Happy online shopping for those of you with the funds!!

Handmade Charlotte – Delightful Blog!

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Don’t you love this desk reminiscent of Danish design? You can read about the designer and source on a delightful blog I ran across entitled Handmade Charlotte. Written by Rachel Faucett, the blog is a treasure trove of great ideas and design blended into one. Go on over and take a peek – you will love it. Be sure you have more than 5 minutes, though, because you will wander…

Graphic Design Blog

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I’m running low on time and have lots of interesting posts to link up to today so I am going to skip pictures on some of them! Don’t be deceived – follow the links for some fabulous eye candy and content!

Don sent me a link to Graphic Design Blog the other day. They had a list of really neat logos that were worth checking out. I noticed another link on their site to creative twitter backgrounds. Great stuff, indeed!

Mercer Arboretum in Spring, Texas

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We had a great time at the Mercer Arboretum last weekend. Here are some of the pictures but you can see them all at our flickr account.

Jack’s eyes in this one crack me up!

It’s such a beautiful area that people go there to take just about every kind of picture (choir, wedding, etc.). We stumbled upon a crowd of people with matching shirts, cowboy hats and boots. They looked so neat! Then we saw what they were there for: the most beautiful 15 year old hispanic girl. I guess it’s a tradition. All I know is she was luminous. They had two Hummer limos and it was very ceremonial looking. I snapped a couple of shots because I had just never seen anything like it before!

Don’s Cousin Becky!

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We have been so time disoriented while not being in school and moving that we lost track of what day it actually was and forgot that Don’s cousin Becky was flying into Houston for a very long layover this past Sunday (she called from the airport while we were getting ready for church). We finally picked her up but I was so sad – I had made dinner for a couple of families in the ward and it took just about every vegetable and good thing we had in the house. I was planning chicken and rice or mac-n-cheese or pb&j for dinner (really) and I was so embarrassed when we had to eat normal just-to-get-by family food. She said she was so sick of rice and beans (she had been traveling internationally) that id didn’t matter. What a sweetheart! We haven’t seen her in about 8 years and she still looks just the same – always beautiful! Thanks for coming to see us, Becky – next time I promise we’ll have better food.

Cicadas Everywhere!

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Update May 3, 2024 (almost 20 years later who keeps a blog that long?!): Polished and cropped the photo using my iPhone’s auto filter. I’m seeing a spike in Google traffic for this photo so I thought I’d share an updated one in preparation for the cicada-apocalypse of 2024!!!

Previous post:

Don brought this in ON THE KITCHEN TABLE and it was alive and had just been born. Gross, huh!!! But kinda cool, too. I love this pic – makes me think of the cliche “turning over a new leaf” somehow. These things are neat at a distance but the other day as I was coming home from a run, one hit me right smack in the shin and freaked me out a little. I’m easily bug-freaked. Imagine that.

Making Balloon Animals & Flowers

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Cole has such a great talent for origami. Who knew it would apply equally well for making balloon animals! He picked this skill up very quickly and has created some wonderful things. His favorite tends to be the monkey (I’ll have to get a pic of one of these!) but he made several flowers for a family in the ward whose mother is sick. He is such a talented kid! He calls it aerogami but we call it balloonagami. Whatever you call it, there’s a lot of balloon squeaking going on around here…

Dose of Reality

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These pictures are from the Guerilla Potty Training Series that has been going on lately. Ben does a great job all around but isn’t quite there yet…almost. I know he could do it if we were better about having him go but frankly I’m not quite up to it. So, he’s using Pull-Ups and keeping them dry for the most part! Wish us luck as the war continues…

It’s hot today and we’re all inside. Today is one of those days where I think maybe, just maybe, I was not meant to be a mother. My nerves are shot…when does school begin again??? I love my kids. I’ve just seen too much of them lately. I need some quiet time – and not only when I’m sleeping. Part of the problem is that I signed up at church to take dinner to two families this week and I have been to the grocery store 3 times today. I want my own kitchen back. Whine, whine, whine. I know, but it’s true: the kitchen really is the heart of the home. It has been a rough year: not comfortable in our own home while showing it, selling our house for nearly a year, moving a thousand miles away and not into our new home even yet. I am so looking forward to unpacking! I need a serious lesson in how to be happy in the here and now…

Even while I whine, I know I am just venting. I am thankful for many things. I’m thankful for a kitchen to cook in and not a hotel room or apartment! I’m thankful that I’m not the one needing meals today. I’m thankful that we are blessed with plentiful food and too-plentiful-desserts. I’m thankful my kids have voices, healthy bodies, and brains, even if they use them to annoy one another daily.

I’ll just leave you with one funny note: our kids have been playing way too much Nintendo DS. I told the kids to stop playing so much and save their brains. Cole immediately announced to his brothers, “Okay, boys, go to File, then Save.” Very clever, but really not very funny!!! Let’s hope if I put this picture of you up on SparkBark that you will learn to not pose with your finger up your nose again (and You’re Welcome!).

Porch Ideas & Inspiration

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I can’t wait until December…it might be cool enough (not to mention mosquitos) to actually go outside. I dream of sitting on a porch watching my kids play OUTSIDE. The only thing to do here is swim, swim, swim, and it’s not bad but my kids are getting a little bored. I can’t wait to set up a little patio in our new home. There is a concrete area in the driveway separated by a wrought iron gate for the kids to play and a small concrete porch in the back yard off the kitchen. There’s not much room for furniture but some of these ideas have me thinking about what might be possible! Tip: Our realtor told us that if you paint the ceiling of your outdoor porch gray, you won’t get mudwasps building nests up there…only gray. Old wives’ tale or truth (anybody know)? All the pictures are from Better Homes & Gardens.

Check out these outdoor living areas. In my fantasy life, I would have a beautiful outdoor porch with a fireplace. I just love the idea of an actual fireplace (or brick oven!). It seems so much more substantial than a little copper pit, although those can be fun, too. I have a girlfriend who got so desperate for roasted marshmallows that she would roast them in the kitchen over her gas stove! I have another girlfriend who likes S’mores so much she purchased a S’more Maker. Yes, a propane fueled appliance just for S’mores.

The only thing that is missing from these porches is a swing. I have the family porch swing that I used to swing on when I was little. It needs some work but it means so much to me and throws me right back to childhood where my cousin Danny and I would play superheroes on it. He was always Batman or Superman and I was Wonder Woman. Good times.

The last picture I wanted to share a thought on is the idea of a sleeping porch. I have read about sleeping porches before in books and had always thought of them as trashy. I simply lacked imagination. Since visiting our friend’s Highlighter Cabin a couple of summers ago, we love the idea of a sleeping porch. They had a room where we slept where all the windows opened shutter-like and it was basically a screen enclosed porch. It was heaven. Our whole family slept there and it was so peaceful and relaxing. I would love to repeat that night with my family over and over again.