May 1 - Tonight, Michael and I got to witness Geraldo on live national TV, anchor the breaking news of "speculat[ed]...facts" (and several other faux pas) surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden.
May 2 - After a rainy night with amazing sleep, I woke up to the wonderful smell of beans permeating throughout the house. I can't wait for dinner tonight!
May 3 - Chick-fil-A Icedream!
May 4 - As I left for work this morning, I saw three pretty red birds "playing" (I don't know what they were really doing, but it looked like they were playing.) in one of the neighbor's front yard. I needed the reminder of God's beauty seen in His creation this morning.
May 5 - No cavities!
May 6 - Our FIT refund posted to the account today. Since we filed so late (note April's Good Things...April 15th to be exact, and I didn't postmark it until the next day), I didn't expect it this quickly. Very exciting!!! What an exciting Game 3 to attend...so much fun!
May 7 - Lunch at Bread Winners with Kristen! I always love eating at Bread Winners, and I had fun with Kristen crossing some items off her wedding to-do list. (Also, while I was enjoying an awesome lunch, Michael was at home laying down mulch. He did an AWESOME job!!)
May 8 - Happy Mother's Day! I hope all the mothers out there had a wonderful day celebrating them. I am so blessed to have an amazing mother. I love you!
May 9 - Breakfast for dinner...YUM!
May 10 - Lunch date with Jeanie and Alaina. Love these ladies!
May 11 - Fun night playing What's Yours Like with Foundation Group friends.
May 12 - Nice walk with my hubby after dinner.
May 13 - Beautiful day today! I hope the nice weather continues into the weekend.
May 14 - Great day hanging out with Mom. Michael and Chris weeded and mulched the entire back yard, spread fertilizer on the grass, and finished mulching the front. It looks great! Chris, thanks for coming out to help Michael!
May 15 - Michael and I bought some flowers to add a little color to the flowerbeds. We got everything planted in the back, so now we just have to plant the rest of the flowers in the front. Michael also planted a small garden with cilantro and several pepper plants!
May 16 - We got all our flowers planted in the front. It makes such a difference to have a little color!
May 17 - I got our appraised property value (and thus our taxes) lowered! The CAD had proposed almost an 8% increase to the value, but I got them to agree to over an 11% decrease! This was a great start to the day and definitely made getting up so early worth it.
May 18 - Cut and color...I love getting my hair done! We also got to have a late dinner with Sean and Melissa at Cheddar's...great food and even better company!
May 19 - Even though the Mavs didn't win, we had fun at the game and enjoyed our "stadium" dinner of corny dogs and chips in the car on the way to the game. :o)
May 20 - I had the day off to clean the house, run errands, and do a little shopping for the birthday boy!
May 21 - I got to spend the morning with Mom while the boys fished and took first place in the Texas Fishing Forum White Bass Tournament! Tonight, we went to Mom and Dad's house to enjoy some delicious pizza and watch the Mavs' game with my family. We enjoyed hanging out with them, and the Mavs won!!!
May 22 - Fun "surprise" party for Michael! Even though he had caught on, he still had a great time. I'm glad it's over, and I don't have to try to hide it any more!
May 23 - Impromptu dinner with Mom and Dad...always great! This time we had homemade taco salad, chips, queso, and salsa. Thanks for cooking Mom. It was all delicious! We also got to finish it up with what was left of Michael's birthday cake.
May 24 - Dinner at Houlihan's with Mike and Paula, followed by watching the crazy storms blow through.
May 25 - Happy 30th birthday Michael! I love you!!!
May 26 - Clam Bake! (new post to come soon...stay tuned)
May 27 - Dallas World Aquarium this morning followed by the Rangers' game tonight.
May 28 - Fun, relaxing afternoon running around with my husband...after we dropped Paula off at the airport, we had lunch at Arby's, stopped at a few dealerships to look at trucks, drove through Sonic for HH, went to the Bass Pro Shops, and made a return to Party City. I had fun running errands with you Sweetie!
May 29 - Fun day at the lake with family and friends!
May 30 - We spent our holiday cleaning out the garage. It is so nice to have that project done! Michael worked very hard, and the garage looks great! After working hard in the garage, we got to enjoy a nice dip in the pool with friends, followed by pizza and strawberry shortcake!
May 31 - After work, Michael and I enjoyed a nice swim before heading to Bible study. It felt good to get back in the pool after not swimming for so long.
May 31, 2011
May 30, 2011
Happy Memorial Day!
I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day! After having a few days off last week, it was nice to stretch vacation into this week. I'm glad we only have a four-day work week this week!
We actually celebrated at the lake a day early. We got up yesterday morning and headed out to the Kirks' lake house. This was the first time that Michael and I had been to the lake house, and it is very nice! It was so quiet and peaceful out there, and we had some really nice weather. (Thanks to Lynn for all the pictures of our time at the lake!)
Michael and I got there in time to join "the adults" for a late breakfast. It was all delicious, and it was nice to eat out on the back porch looking out at the lake!
Once all the "kids" showed up, we ended up having 16 people total at the lake house. We had a nice afternoon, relaxing out on the porch and visiting. I spent a good portion of that time in the hammock, which was nice!
Mid-afternoon, we had a HUGE and delicious lunch. I think everyone enjoyed it, and of course, we all ate too much! Bob smoked a brisket, which was amazing! We also had honey baked ham, spinach salad (with strawberries, blueberries, avocado, and walnuts), potato salad, pinto beans, fruit salad, macaroni and corn, cabbage salad, and rolls.
By the time we finished eating, we were ready to enjoy some time in the water. The water was the perfect temperature! It was too shallow to get the boat out, but we still had fun swimming. Melody even waded out a little ways.
While some of us were enjoying the water, David, Tyler, and Michael went to get the jet skis in the water. Unfortunately, they had some trouble with one of the jet skis. Also, during the process, Michael smashed his pinky pretty good and had to ice it when he got back to the house.
It was really swollen, but we couldn't find a needle to relieve the pressure. When it got worse, Michael remembered that there was fishing gear, which should include fishing hooks. A fishing hook makes a good substitute for a needle! He said that it felt much better after this.
We all enjoyed sunset out on the porch before heading home.
Thanks to Captain David and Melody for hosting everyone at their lake house! We had a great time!!!
Since we had a fun day yesterday, we decided we would be productive today. We got up and spent the day cleaning out the garage. We were able to take some stuff up into the attic, some got trashed, we sold two boxes of books to Half Price Books, and we organized what was left. I didn't get a before picture, but it looks so much better now!
After working hard in the garage and getting hot and sweaty, we got to enjoy an early evening swim in the Taylors' pool, followed by pizza and strawberry shortcake. What a great ending to a long weekend!
We actually celebrated at the lake a day early. We got up yesterday morning and headed out to the Kirks' lake house. This was the first time that Michael and I had been to the lake house, and it is very nice! It was so quiet and peaceful out there, and we had some really nice weather. (Thanks to Lynn for all the pictures of our time at the lake!)
Nice catch!
Michael and I got there in time to join "the adults" for a late breakfast. It was all delicious, and it was nice to eat out on the back porch looking out at the lake!
Once all the "kids" showed up, we ended up having 16 people total at the lake house. We had a nice afternoon, relaxing out on the porch and visiting. I spent a good portion of that time in the hammock, which was nice!
Mid-afternoon, we had a HUGE and delicious lunch. I think everyone enjoyed it, and of course, we all ate too much! Bob smoked a brisket, which was amazing! We also had honey baked ham, spinach salad (with strawberries, blueberries, avocado, and walnuts), potato salad, pinto beans, fruit salad, macaroni and corn, cabbage salad, and rolls.
By the time we finished eating, we were ready to enjoy some time in the water. The water was the perfect temperature! It was too shallow to get the boat out, but we still had fun swimming. Melody even waded out a little ways.
While some of us were enjoying the water, David, Tyler, and Michael went to get the jet skis in the water. Unfortunately, they had some trouble with one of the jet skis. Also, during the process, Michael smashed his pinky pretty good and had to ice it when he got back to the house.
It was really swollen, but we couldn't find a needle to relieve the pressure. When it got worse, Michael remembered that there was fishing gear, which should include fishing hooks. A fishing hook makes a good substitute for a needle! He said that it felt much better after this.
We all enjoyed sunset out on the porch before heading home.
Thanks to Captain David and Melody for hosting everyone at their lake house! We had a great time!!!
Since we had a fun day yesterday, we decided we would be productive today. We got up and spent the day cleaning out the garage. We were able to take some stuff up into the attic, some got trashed, we sold two boxes of books to Half Price Books, and we organized what was left. I didn't get a before picture, but it looks so much better now!
After working hard in the garage and getting hot and sweaty, we got to enjoy an early evening swim in the Taylors' pool, followed by pizza and strawberry shortcake. What a great ending to a long weekend!
May 26, 2011
Good Tunes and Grilled Food - Clam Bake Edition
Michael checking in...
This time around, I wanted to try something new. I am a big fan of "family style" meals, and especially those that involve cooking most (if not all) of the food in one big pot. Crawfish boils and low country (shrimp) boils are big players in my idea of great food get-togethers. For a while now, I'd been wanting to try a clam bake on the grill. Clam bakes (and lobster bakes) are big in the Northeast, and while I certainly wouldn't want to live up there, I can't fault them for this great food idea!
The plan was to take some fresh clams, smoked sausage, corn, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms, and throw them all in my cast iron dutch oven and set that in the grill. While that was happening, we thought we'd munch on some fresh cheese and crackers from Central Market. Near the end, I'd throw a couple of lobster tails on the grill. And all the while, we'd put on an old archived Grateful Dead concert. That's right, the original jam band, just country enough to be down home, just mellow enough for dinner, and just trippy enough to make you feel a little hippy-ish. Very cool indeed.
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While that begins cooking in the grill, prepare lobster tails with Old Bay seasoning.![]()
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All in all, it was a success, although I definitely learned some lessons about how hot a cast iron pot will get and how it will char the food that touches it. (It's cool...just an excuse to try it again!) A big thanks to my mom for sponsoring the meal. More thanks (as always) to my extra hip wife for indulging my need to grill and listen to music. Thanks to Central Market for being a cool store with fresh seafood and lots of tasty samples! And thanks to the Grateful Dead for making trippy country-rock. Like Jerry said, "What a long strange trip it's been."
BONUS: My top five Grateful Dead songs that I didn't know were Grateful Dead songs when I first heard them because somebody else was singing them (in no particular order)...
This time around, I wanted to try something new. I am a big fan of "family style" meals, and especially those that involve cooking most (if not all) of the food in one big pot. Crawfish boils and low country (shrimp) boils are big players in my idea of great food get-togethers. For a while now, I'd been wanting to try a clam bake on the grill. Clam bakes (and lobster bakes) are big in the Northeast, and while I certainly wouldn't want to live up there, I can't fault them for this great food idea!
The plan was to take some fresh clams, smoked sausage, corn, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms, and throw them all in my cast iron dutch oven and set that in the grill. While that was happening, we thought we'd munch on some fresh cheese and crackers from Central Market. Near the end, I'd throw a couple of lobster tails on the grill. And all the while, we'd put on an old archived Grateful Dead concert. That's right, the original jam band, just country enough to be down home, just mellow enough for dinner, and just trippy enough to make you feel a little hippy-ish. Very cool indeed.
Rosemary bread and great cheeses from Central Market
Start with a cast iron dutch oven lined with kelp. Then add potatoes...
onions...
corn...
sausage...
clams...
mushrooms...
plenty of lemon juice...
and a little cooking wine.
While that begins cooking in the grill, prepare lobster tails with Old Bay seasoning.
Add those to the rack above the clam bake.
Set the table.
When it's all done, you've got a great meal, and only one dirty dish to clean up!
Delicious!
All in all, it was a success, although I definitely learned some lessons about how hot a cast iron pot will get and how it will char the food that touches it. (It's cool...just an excuse to try it again!) A big thanks to my mom for sponsoring the meal. More thanks (as always) to my extra hip wife for indulging my need to grill and listen to music. Thanks to Central Market for being a cool store with fresh seafood and lots of tasty samples! And thanks to the Grateful Dead for making trippy country-rock. Like Jerry said, "What a long strange trip it's been."
BONUS: My top five Grateful Dead songs that I didn't know were Grateful Dead songs when I first heard them because somebody else was singing them (in no particular order)...
- "Tennessee Jed" - originally heard a studio version by Bruce Robison verison
- "Sugaree" - originally heard a live version by the Black Crowes
- "Wharf Rat" - originally heard a live version by Ryan Adams
- "Scarlet Begonias" - originally heard a studio version by Jimmy Buffett
- "Stealin'" - originally heard a live version by the Black Crowes
May 25, 2011
Happy 30th Birthday!
Michael got to enjoy an afternoon playing golf with his dad. Afterward, Mom, Dad, Mike, Paula, Michael, and I enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Roy's!
It is a fun place to celebrate special occasions, and the food is amazing. When we got there, they had a menu board with a special message for the birthday boy.
After the wonderful meal, we somehow managed to find room to indulge in dessert.
Michael was excited to get home to open his birthday gifts.
He was very excited about the screw gun from my parents. Now he has something to add to his toolbox, and he can get started on some of the projects around the house. :o)
He had a few guesses on what was in the big box from me, but I think I finally managed to surprise him.
He was not expecting 30 gifts! I knew he would be so excited when he opened this gift, and his reaction did not disappoint.
He was anxious to locate gift #1, which was ONE coffee mug. It only took a few seconds after he opened the second gift (2 flies) to catch on to the pattern. Unfortunately, I had to get a little creative to keep it going, but it was still fun! A few of my items were a stretch, but they were almost all things he has wanted/needed or things that he will enjoy taking to work to snack on. I had also purchased a few items before this idea, so I had to work them in somehow. He enjoyed searching for each gift and working his way through the list. I don't know if I had more fun shopping, wrapping, and labeling, or if he had more fun opening!
As Michael worked his way through the numbered gifts, he opened the following:
He was very excited about the 1981 Top Billboard Hits CD. He had fun seeing what the top hits were the year he was born.
The membership to the Variety Monthly Club was also a big hit. Over the next twelve months, he is expecting monthly shipments from the following clubs: Hot Sauce, Ice Cream, Beer, Sirloin, Pizza, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Coffee, Jerky, Tea, Salsa, Lobster, and BBQ Sauce. I'm also anxious to get these shipments each month!
Michael has been talking about the 30 for 30 box set for a while. I just knew that once he caught on to the pattern, he would know what gift #30 was. However, he was so excited about having 30 gifts to open that he didn't really think about it, and he was very excited to open the last one and see the box set that he has been wanting.
Either Mike or Michael asked if there were 31 gifts in the box, including "one to grow on." I told them that there were only 30. However, when Michael opened his ESPN box set, there was a surprise baseball cap inside. I quickly announced that (even though I hadn't known it was in the box) that was his "one to grow on." That worked out well! :o)
After all the gifts were opened, we sang "Happy Birthday!" and enjoyed some strawberry cake with cream cheese icing (a must-have for a Michael Jackson birthday celebration).
To top off the evening, we got to watch the Mavs win to wrap up the Western Conference Championship! We are looking forward to cheering them on in the Finals!!!
Happy 30th birthday Michael! I love you, and I hope you had a wonderful birthday. I enjoyed celebrating it with you!!!
It is a fun place to celebrate special occasions, and the food is amazing. When we got there, they had a menu board with a special message for the birthday boy.
After the wonderful meal, we somehow managed to find room to indulge in dessert.
Michael was excited to get home to open his birthday gifts.
He was very excited about the screw gun from my parents. Now he has something to add to his toolbox, and he can get started on some of the projects around the house. :o)
He had a few guesses on what was in the big box from me, but I think I finally managed to surprise him.
He was not expecting 30 gifts! I knew he would be so excited when he opened this gift, and his reaction did not disappoint.
He was anxious to locate gift #1, which was ONE coffee mug. It only took a few seconds after he opened the second gift (2 flies) to catch on to the pattern. Unfortunately, I had to get a little creative to keep it going, but it was still fun! A few of my items were a stretch, but they were almost all things he has wanted/needed or things that he will enjoy taking to work to snack on. I had also purchased a few items before this idea, so I had to work them in somehow. He enjoyed searching for each gift and working his way through the list. I don't know if I had more fun shopping, wrapping, and labeling, or if he had more fun opening!
As Michael worked his way through the numbered gifts, he opened the following:
- 1 Coffee Mug (30th theme)
- 2 Flies
- 3 Power Bars
- 4 boxer briefs
- 5 calorie per serving fruit punch drink mix
- 6-pack of IBC root beer
- 7-oz. box of Oats and Peanut Butter Fiber One Bars
- 8 dress socks
- Volume 9 Sudoku puzzle book
- 10 songs on the 1981 Billboard Top Hits CD
- 11 packets of Kool-Aid
- 12 monthly shipments from the Variety Club ("...the gift that keeps on giving the whole year!")
- 13g of fat in Peanut Butter Snickers (which were totally worth the fat content, by the way)
- 14g of protein in Teriyaki Beef Jerky
- 15mL Visine Dry Eye Relief
- 16 oz. Rold Gold pretzels
- 17 Bailey's chocolates
- 18 Green Mountain Breakfast Blend K-cups
- 19 Lumens Maglite
- 20 English Breakfast Tea Bags
- 21-dollar gift card to Starbucks
- 22g sugar in peanut butter M&M's
- 23 flavors in Dr. Pepper
- 24 practice golf balls
- 25 packets single serve strawberry lemonade drink mix packets
- Size 19-26 x 700 Bike Tubes
- 27 fl oz water bottle
- 28g Aveeno cream (for the next time he has poison ivy)
- Goodbye 29 - Thirty Things to do When You Turn Thirty
- 30 for 30 ESPN DVD box set
He was very excited about the 1981 Top Billboard Hits CD. He had fun seeing what the top hits were the year he was born.
The membership to the Variety Monthly Club was also a big hit. Over the next twelve months, he is expecting monthly shipments from the following clubs: Hot Sauce, Ice Cream, Beer, Sirloin, Pizza, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Coffee, Jerky, Tea, Salsa, Lobster, and BBQ Sauce. I'm also anxious to get these shipments each month!
Michael has been talking about the 30 for 30 box set for a while. I just knew that once he caught on to the pattern, he would know what gift #30 was. However, he was so excited about having 30 gifts to open that he didn't really think about it, and he was very excited to open the last one and see the box set that he has been wanting.
Either Mike or Michael asked if there were 31 gifts in the box, including "one to grow on." I told them that there were only 30. However, when Michael opened his ESPN box set, there was a surprise baseball cap inside. I quickly announced that (even though I hadn't known it was in the box) that was his "one to grow on." That worked out well! :o)
After all the gifts were opened, we sang "Happy Birthday!" and enjoyed some strawberry cake with cream cheese icing (a must-have for a Michael Jackson birthday celebration).
To top off the evening, we got to watch the Mavs win to wrap up the Western Conference Championship! We are looking forward to cheering them on in the Finals!!!
Happy 30th birthday Michael! I love you, and I hope you had a wonderful birthday. I enjoyed celebrating it with you!!!
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