So Tommy and I don't usually go out together without the kids, but this week we had another chance to go see the Stars play - and we invited Dave and Stefanie to go along. The Stars played a terribly disappointing game, and I think the guys were a little bummed, but Stefanie and I had a great time - as evident in the following videos!

The guy sticking out of my head in the following pic was the reason the Stars lost the game - he was a voodoo terrorist with a potty mouth. I yelled at him and told him the loss was his doing. He shut up after that - yep, that's right - I am super intimidating.

It was raining hard outside, that is why we look so rough - we had just gotten soaked!

OR...Or we just need makeovers real bad!


This is how the guys look all the time - tommy goes to work everyday making that face - really.

Video set up: The Stars had given the game away - with little hope of recovery, and the crowd was sad - so Stefanie and I tried to create our own excitement...

See, Tommy and Dave - don't we make things so much more fun?! You guys are lucky to have such happy girls on your arms!!

Zacks Cookies!

Saturday night after driving all of the kids home from the Plano dance, I had to stop at the grocery store for Sunday's dinner. BFF Zack was with us and decided that he wanted some homemade chocolate chip cookies. I bought some more chocolate chips and told him that if he wanted them, then he had to bake them! He agreed and sure enough, after church and dinner, he was ready to bake.

Love that apron!

Notice the lop-sided pan?

It's because of that huge cookie on one side! That poor little cookie was probably so scared!

Finished product

Tommy isn't so sure of Zack's abilities and is taking no chances with his sweet tooth!

Maggie keeping him company while he waits for the last batch to bake.

Notorious T.I.M.

A few nights ago I asked Tim to jump in the shower and get ready for bed - our usual routine. He did get showered, however he had a little trouble with the get ready for bed part!

Instead, he came out of the bathroom ready to put on a little show for me - He felt I needed a lesson in what it means to be Chris Brown!

This is a bit of what I saw... clearly,

'he knows what girls want, he knows what they like!'

This is his favorite of the videos we took that night - I loved the outtakes, but he thought they were embarrassing - not cool enough for the blog. They really are hilarious!

(Pause my playlist and lean your head to the left)

He's a GANGSTA baby!

GO STARS!!!

Last Thursday night we went to a Dallas Stars hockey game - always a family favorite activity! This night was no different - we had a great time! The game was exciting and, as usual, the atmosphere was wild! Tim's favorite part is when the National Anthem is sung - he loves to hear the crowd yell, "STARS" when the word is sung!

"...whose broad stripes and bright STARS..."

"... Oh say does that STAR spangled banner yet wave..."

Maggie loves the cute players - and the cute spectators!

Tommy is able to get free tickets from his investors, and that is what he and I like the best! We love hockey and we love the Dallas Stars!!!

Blessings #5

I am grateful for:

Tommy: Free Dallas Stars tickets, getting to have some fun with my family and friends

Jenni: my camera, tommy's support, funny kids, a good neighbor, co-advil, tommy staying home friday morning to let me sleep in and nurse my cold, getting to have lunch with tommy - on a weekday! That NEVER happens!!

Maggie: markers, my boys, Haley for putting up with my bad mood, friends to sing and dance with, Carlie's jokes, non-strict parents who let me have fun and take me places, my phone, dad for fixing it - again!

Tim: having Charlie to wake me up every morning, Zack letting me borrow his PSP, mom helping me with my black history project, Maggie's brownies, daddy coming to lunch with me on friday!

Yum Yum!!

OK, so I have yet to make Tommy a special valentine dinner and dipped strawberries - circumstance has prevented it every day.
So, tonight was the night!
That is until he called to let me know he had to head out of town to Wichita Falls again. He has a big job running up there and it seems like he is driving there all of the time!
The strawberries just can't wait another day, so Maggie and I went ahead and made them.
Tim would have had fun dipping them, but the lure of his Wii is much to strong!

maggie dipping

me dipping

keeping the chocolate from Haley

Haley is fast, but too short to get it!

I don't know if the berries are going to last until Tommy gets home...they are already going fast!

Remodel

So, our remodeling is almost completely finished! Whoo-Hoo!!! We took out the carpet everywhere except the bedrooms (living rm, piano rm, stairs and game rm) and put down wood. It looks really good with our tile. Then we had a cabinet guy come in a design a cabinet for the gameroom t.v. and a desk for the computers. We moved Maggie's room to the guest room, gave her my attached craft room and moved my craft room to her old bedroom - did you get all of that? Go ahead, read that again!

Tommy built her some cabinets in her new living room (old craft room) for her t.v., made her a magnetic wall, and of course we painted and completely redecorated for her. It isn't all quite finished, but super close! Curtains are next on the list and my craft room still needs to be organized. Here are a few pics: More of Maggie's room are on her blog (see my blog list)

magnetic wall! SWEET!!

my craft room

and she huffed, and she puffed, and she blew the fence down!

Mother nature did a number on our fence last week with all of her Strong winds. Thank goodness most of the fence had been replaced with previous windstorms and only a small section of old, week fence was left to come down.
Tommy is awaiting shoulder surgery and was hesitant to tear his "hanging by a thread" tendon any farther, so he asked two of Maggie's friends - Zack and Jacob - to come help him out.
He ended up with not only the boys, but also brothers, fathers and friends of those boys! One of the other neighborhood boys called to offer his services too, but we declined since he had more than enough help already.
Thanks to all who were willing to put in a little of their sweat and time to give Tommy a hand!

i snapped this picture out of my window because I didn't want to be the dorky wife taking pictures while the men tried to work - but I really wanted a picture!

from left - russell, zack, brian, tommy, jacob, dave

Valentines Day 2009

Unfortunately, this Valentines day weekend wasn't the romantic holiday that it should have been. I have had a stomach virus - YUCK - and just wasn't into celebrating. However, the kids did do some fun things!
Let's start with friday. Tim had a party at school - I am room mom, so I had to put aside my nausea and focus on the kids for a few hours. He decorated cookies, had pizza and drinks, played "love- lingo- bingo", exchanged valentines, played a game and won 2nd prize in the box decorating contest - for his LEGO box!

Then Maggie had an 8th grade social/valentines dance at her middle school. Again, ignoring my nausea - I was a chaperon. They had a dance with a really good DJ set up in the gym and a cake walk, dance dance revolution, rock band, and a photo booth set up in some of the nearby classrooms. Maggie would not have gone except that student council was in charge, so she had to - but I think she ended up having a good time anyway. Then I drove her and some of her friends out to Terrell to have a late, late dinner at the IHOP.

Kaleb, Haley, Maggie, Jimmy, Landon, Josh, Trey

Saturday morning came - actually Valentines Day!- and I got up and found cards and candy for me, Maggie and Tim from sweet Tommy. Of'course - still trying to not throw up anymore - I will wait on that candy! I actually forgot to give the kids their valentine from me!

Tim's card from Tommy - Tim thought it was funny!

Then I left my family to go photograph a wedding (mine and Stefanie's first paying job!) Not long after I returned home, Maggie and Tommy left for the TCU vs. BYU basketball game. Amber, Maggie and Carlie BYU is winning...of'course!

That brings me here - skipping church so as not to spread my stomach virus to anyone in our ward family! The plan for tomorrow is for me to feel better (cross your fingers) and to make Tommy a wonderful dinner and chocolate covered strawberries.
Happy sort'of Valentines Day to my family!

Blessings #4

I am grateful for:

Tommy: a good chiropractor, my job, help from friends when the strong winds blew our fence down.

Jenni: Organizational tools for the house (file folders, Rubbermaid tubs, etc), finally getting to hear Tommy's high-council talk at our own ward, a daughter who likes things neat and tidy, my camera, texting because it keeps me in the loop with Mag and her friends, the fact that the Young Women think I am cool enough to invite me to go to Battle of the Bands with them, Tim, Matrix Biolage lotion, nice weather, good books and a porch swing. (those last three worked together nicely this week!)

Maggie: a 97 average in English after FINALLY changing teachers!, candy, teachers who love me and let me get away with stuff, my super sexy new blue jacket (check my blog for pics), friends - old and new, daddy for bringing home the yummiest treats from the bakery every week!

Tim: an A on the math taks benchmark test, getting to play at Jeremy's house last weekend,
daddy, my friend Emma - for making me a "newspaper" with pictures that she drew, my bike, Zack- for playing basketball with me and sticking up for me when another guy threatened me!

Tim!

This is just a quick "TIM"blog.

He made a new purchase, said something that I found really witty, and was just cute this week!

I took the kids out for some photos earlier in the week and Tim wasn't willing to stop listening to his music for even a second! P.S. How cute is he?!

This is what I found after I asked him to sort his laundry for me! Yep - he's my big helper!

Helping me make Maggie's favorite dinner for her -

Her braces were making her teeth hurt and she needed the soft yumminess of some Chicken Pillows!

(OK - I take back the sarcasm from the previous photo!)

Tim's big purchase - He loves his new shoes!

Tim's witty comeback:

Tim in the very back of the Suburban - Maggie's friend Josh in the last row seat (in front of Tim)with all of his school stuff piled up next to him -

Tim trying to climb over to get in a seat and get buckled up -

Tim: "Josh, move over"

Josh: "No"

Tim: "Josh, come on - move over"

Josh: "No, I'm not moving"

Tim: "Josh! MOVE!"

Josh: "Just climb over me!"

Tim -climbing over Josh to next seat: "Fine - Rosa Parks!"

Maggie and Me: DYING LAUGHING!! Ha Ha! Tim is so funny!

I love you, Tim!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Steve!

This is our Uncle Steve - he lives in South Carolina and we don't get to see him very much, but WE LOVE HIM!!! Today is his birthday and we wanted to celebrate him.

Uncle Steve and Tim

Uncle Steve and Stephanie - nice hair, Steve!

Tim, Uncle Steve and Maggie

Tommy and Uncle Steve

Tim, Uncle Steve and Maggie

Uncle Steve, Nana and Baby Maggie


We hope you have a great Birthday! We love you so much!

Of all of my brothers who have a birthday today, you are my favorite!!

Enjoy your Birthday Song video and a few outtakes!

Academic Pep Rally

At Tim's school, Claybon Elementary, they have an Academic Pep Rally every six weeks to honor those kids who have done well on their report cards. Everyone gathers in the gym and they sit by grade. Any kid who makes the A/B honor roll gets to wear an A/B tattoo, and every kid with straight A's gets a tattoo and gets to run a lap around the gym while everyone cheers for them! It is super exciting! Then they hand out special P.E. and Music awards, perfect attendance awards, accelerated reader awards and a "student of the six weeks" is chosen. Then each grade performs a cheer which is then judged by selected parents. An award is given for that also.

Tim was "Student of the 6 weeks" last six weeks and was SUPER thrilled! I have never video taped this event before and thought he would like to see it on my blog, so this video is for you Tim - I am so proud of your Academic Excellence!!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Tim is the last to run CRAZY into the gym. (it was also Jersey Day at school this day - no uniform required!!)




That is Tim in the Dallas Stars Jersey - it was actually NFL Jersey Day - a nod to the Super Bowl - but Tim says football is stupid, so he wore a Hockey Jersey! My little non-conformist!

His class joined with 4th grade for their cheer - They WON!!

P.S. He didn't want the cheer video taped, so after I taped it, he told me "That's gonna cost you 20 bucks!"

A non-conformist and a bit of an extortionist too! Boy, I know how to raise 'em, huh?!