Living In Frisco

To Our Marine….

2009-08-04T22:11:00.001-05:00

You are so close to coming home… we love you and can’t wait to see you. Keep safe and keep alert!

I love my Nieces and Nephews

2009-08-04T22:10:00.001-05:00

My nieces and nephews are great … they are wonderful young men and women and I just wanted to say so!!

So hugs to Aa,Ph,Ra,Re,Ch,Ti,Ke. Can’t forget Miss B…she’s growing into a sweet young lady!!

Welcoming Our Troops Home

2009-07-05T10:46:00.001-05:00

Dallas-Ft Worth and Atlanta airports are the 2 points-of-entry for our troops returning home from the Middle East. Today, my 2 sisters, my brother, and I decided to go out DFW International Airport and help welcome home the men and women who are serving our country to protect our independence!

We arrived early so we could find our way to the receiving area. It was a wonderful experience and we all hop to get to go again!!

L-R Nancy, Patrick, Linda, and Kathy

My Son’s Son Was Born Today

2009-05-21T18:00:00.001-05:00

What an amazing day this has been … my grandson was born today at Noon .. weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 20” long.

Mother, Dad, and Baby are doing wonderfully. More later.

Visit to Holland

2009-05-06T22:32:00.001-05:00

Maurits has been back to Holland several times .. but I always stayed home. Last year when his two cousins, Zus and Ilse came to visit, Zus told us about a party she was planning for her 80th birthday. I said how fun it would be to be there for that. Well that’s just what we did.

We left on Tuesday 14 Apr and flew from Dallas to Washington DC Dulles Airport. From there we switched to United Airlines (thanks to Maurits’ son Pete!) and flew to Amsterdam via business class. We are s.p.o.i.l.e.d!!!

We landed in Amsterdam on Wed 15 Apr and were greeted by Hans and Droeb, Maurits’ friends from his Navy days. They drove us to Den Haag to our hotel. Luckily we were able to check in since we were there really early in the day; we changed clothes and took off to explore the area around our hotel.

Later that afternoon, Zus called and we made arrangements to meet her at the bus stop outside the hotel and we took off for Scheveningen, a modern seaside resort with a long sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. At the end of the pier is a bungee jumping facility! We enjoyed a cocktail and snacks at the end of the pier and then strolled back to the bus stop.

Thursday we met up with Zus and Mette (Maurits’ sister-in-law) at Central Station and caught a bus to Lisse to go to Kuekenhof Gardens. This is an amazingly beautiful place … I’ve never seen so many tulips in one place ..heck I’ve never seen so many flowers in one place. We spent just over three hours there and never did see it all.

Friday was more roaming around town and then Droeb came and picked us up for sightseeing. We saw the Peace Palace and World Peace Flame .. quite impressive.

We grabbed some lunch and took it to Droeb’s house where I got to meet his wife. I had heard so many wonderful story’s and was finally glad to meet this lovely family. We visited and ate and then Droeb dropped us off at Rudy and Mette’s house (Maurits’ brother and sister-in-law). We ended up having a light dinner with them and then Droeb came and picked us up and took us back to our hotel.

Saturday we slept in and took our time getting up and dressed. We got some breakfast and then headed out for more walking around and taking some pictures.

We saw the Mauritshuis (Maurits House)

The Mauritshuis is a 17th-century palace in the heart of The Hague. The museum it houses has a world-famous collection of paintings by such Old Masters as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Jan Steen and Frans Hals.

Binnenhof building - where the Dutch Parliament are housed.

These buildings were across the street from our hotel!

This is a view of the inner courtyard of the Binnenhof buildings .. almost expect to the Knights of the Roundtable! If you look close at the fountain you’ll see something sticking out on the right hand side.	Here’s what it is!!!

Saturday night was the big party! It was a wonderful celebration for Zus .. her family treated her like royalty and through skits, song, and story telling, showed her how much they love her and cherish her.

Sunday we woke up early and met up Mette, her daughter Inge and her boyfriend, Han, to go and visit Madurodam! Madurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale. It is amazing to see the detail of the buildings, animals, autos, boats, etc. Even the trees, shrubs, and flowers are to scale. Afterwards, we went back to Rudy and Mette’s and we all visited. This was my first time meeting Inge and Han and I’m so glad that after all these years we finally did!

Monday we relaxed and walked around some more through all the backstreets checking out the stores and took some more pictures. Tuesday morning at 7:30am Droeb picked us up and we drove to Amsterdam to Schipol Airport and started our journey back home.

I feel very blessed to have made this trip … getting to meet so many more of Maurits’ relatives, seeing his brother and sister-in-law again. Meeting Droeb and Hans! I really hope we get to go back and see some more of this beautiful country!

Tim and his first 13.1!

2009-03-30T22:08:00.001-05:00

My nephew Tim ran in his first 1/2 marathon. He did really well and is convinced he will probably run again!

Tim and his medal	Crossing the Finish Line
Tim and Dad (my brother)	MEDALS!!! Tim, his dad Patrick, his Aunt Nancy (my sister) and Uncle Prax (Nancy's husband)

Cavanaugh Flight Museum

2009-03-07T21:39:00.001-06:00

We took a short drive today to the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, TX ... we wanted to see the Liberty Bell B-17 during its weekend visit. We only got to see it for a few minutes since the purpose of for the visit was to give rides to those daring to do so!

The Cavanaugh Flight Museum opened in October 1993, the brainchild of its founder, entrepreneur Jim Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh placed his growing collection of historic aircraft in the new museum.

From the beginning, what set the Cavanaugh Flight Museum apart from most other aviation museums was the quality of the aircraft collection and the airworthy condition of nearly all of the aircraft on display. Many museum aircraft continue to fly on a regular basis. On any given day, visitors may see aircraft active on the museum's ramp. The museum's maintenance facility allows visitors to look beneath the skin of such famous aircraft as the Sopwith Camel, the P-51 Mustang, or the German Me-109 and to talk with the mechanics who keep these warbirds flying. This is a rare opportunity not found at other aviation museums. In addition, the museum has other facilities for visitors to enjoy: an outdoor picnic area, an air conditioned canteen, a large aviation art gallery and a large gift shop.

Maurits loves the old planes. There were several there from the Navy and he could really related to them. For me, seeing one of the medi-vac helicopters used in the Viet-Nam war was very humbling. I can only imagine the story's that could be told by those who were carried to safey in it.

Kylie and Cheyenne

2009-02-28T11:13:00.001-06:00

Kylie is now the proud owner of her own horse. What a proud day for her!

Meet Cheyenne!!

Random Thoughts...

2009-02-04T21:47:00.001-06:00

Out of Work - Part 1: We all know there are a lot of people out of work; we probably know someone personally. For me it's my sister Nancy .. she got laid off just before Christmas and so far has managed to keep her life going because of connections with a part time she's had for quite some time. She had an interview here in town on Tuesday and she said it went well. I hope the company chooses to find out what a wonderful person she is and how dedicated to her work she is, find out about her organizational skills, and her drive and determination that will wow everyone she works with.

Out of Work - Part 2: At work, my HR manager and I were fortunate to get permission to get a temp from a local agency to help us out with some of the more mundane parts of our job ... filing, cleaning out files, etc. I say mundane only that it's one of those jobs that are easily put off and pile up and continue to bug you because you just wish you had the time to get them done but hey .. it's boring work and it will always be there.

Fast forward to Monday of this week and our temp, Wilma, comes in and right off the bat I can tell she is a winner. Wonderful personality -- calm, personable -- found out she has been unemployed for 2 years; lost her home to foreclosure, is renting an apartment; has grown kids; has brother who lets her borrow/share his car. Anyway, we show her around, explain how to get in and out of the building with her badge and remind her to be sure to take the badge with her even to go to the LGR because if you don't you'll be banging on the door saying, "Let me in!".

Her administrative skills are a blessing ... she has completely cleaned out my files; alphabetized my closed/cancel files (4 boxes worth); relabeled all the files that are open and current. Yesterday I over heard her say to herself what a blessing this job was ... it's so peaceful! I'm like, WTH does she mean by that? So I ask her. She said that she's had a variety of temp jobs and by far this one is the most relaxing and peaceful one. It's purposeful and calming ... I guess I never looked at filing, labeling file folders in that light but I have to tell you that if that was the only job I could find at the moment ... well, Wilma has taught me to be thankful and enjoy the peacefulness of just an otherwise thankless task. I looked in my file drawer after she left for the day and I smiled and felt a real calming effect come over me. Thank you Wilma!!!

ps: I almost forgot ... she was able to log some certificates for me into a form that will be transmitted to our corp. office ... now that is one tedious-thankless-job-period-end-of-sentence... but she did it with a smile! May God Bless and keep you safe, Wilma!!

Bosses - They Come and They Go: I've been with my company for 7 years now and I'm on my 7th boss! Holy Mackerel. I have to say that I reacted very badly when I got word yesterday I was losing the best boss I've ever had in my working career. I'm not ashamed but sure wish I could have withheld the melt-down until I got home. What now ... stay tuned!!

Life Challenge: Hugs to my brother .. he'll understand.

Teeth: We're born without them; then we get baby teeth; then we lose those and are blessed with getting 'adult teeth'. No matter how hard you try and take care of them, sometimes you live your the rest of your life with a full set, or you may lose a few here and there and have crowns or bridges. Then there's some, like my hubby, that no matter what he did, it was a losing battle. So earlier this month he had the remaining few actual real teeth removed and has been fitted with dentures. Not a fun thing to do by any stretch of the imagination but I have to say he's been a real trooper and is finally just this week able to pretend he can bite down on really, really soft food without it causing pain. A few more months and he'll get somewhere between 3 and 5 (not sure yet) implants and a new set of dentures (in lieu of the temporary dentures) and by years end he'll be as good as new. The best part is no more trying to keep the last few real teeth he had because they were breaking down and there was never any warning! He's such a trooper and tries really hard not to complain.

I'll sign off here ... counting my blessings and looking forward to the possibilities of what's to come for 2009.

From Columnist Norma Adams-Wade - Dallas Morning News 1-21-09

2009-01-21T18:52:00.001-06:00

I read this article today and really enjoyed the simple message and thought ... Right On!!!

------------------

Good advice: We should take president's message personally

12:00 AM CST on Wednesday, January 21, 2009

This "next day" after the inauguration of the nation's historic 44th president also is an important juncture in our personal lives.

People are waking up to a new morning across the nation and around the world, presumably looking around for signs of change.

Is the air different? Is the attitude of a neighbor, friend or foe different? Do you feel greater optimism, if the White House occupant was your candidate – or increased dread if President Barack Obama was not your choice?

Now that the calendar has flipped to this page, and a call for responsibility and accountability has gone forth, who can stand clear of the fray? The responsibility for change is not the government's alone.

Here are a dozen suggestions to get us started on our part of this national extreme makeover.

Just for today:

1. Say "thank you" each time someone opens a door for you.

2. When in a car, throw no trash out the window.

3. If you subscribe to the hip-hop fashion of sagging pants, pull them up and wear a belt. Try it. You might like it.

4. To students who have a substitute teacher in the classroom today, be respectful and cooperative as if your final semester grade depended on it.

5. If you are used to cursing in public, look around before uttering expletives. If you see a senior citizen, a woman or child, hold your tongue. If the words slip out anyway, please apologize.

6. To bosses whose secretaries and assistants make your job run smoothly, tell them so.

7. To employees who are often late to work and slothful, leave home earlier, get to work on time and stay focused.

8. While shopping, if an item of clothing falls off the rack onto the floor, pick it up – and, preferably, hang it back on the rack.

9. Call or visit an ill friend whom you have put off visiting.

10. If you're a homemaker who feeds your family fast-food hamburgers or pizzas, serve fruit, fresh vegetables, baked meat and a healthy glass of water.

11. To Dad or Mom, when you arrive home from work, block out 20 to 30 minutes of quality time with your children and spouse.

12. Make your own list of changes that must begin with you and that ultimately will make ours a better nation.

My Christmas Present

2008-12-26T18:39:00.001-06:00

Look at what I got for Christmas from Jeremy and Susan !!!!

To say I cried is an understatement!!!

The big winner is... Miss Kylie!!

2008-12-23T19:03:00.001-06:00

December 20th, Kylie participated in a Show and won got 5 first place, 2 seconds, a third, 2 Grand Champion and 1 Reserve Champion.

A Date With My Son

2008-12-14T17:35:00.001-06:00

Jeremy and I spent some time shopping today ... I wanted to get him a new pair of shoes and needed him to pick them out. So we headed out and at store #3 he found the perfect pair!

We then met up with my family for lunch.

Here's me and Jeremy.

Here's my nephew Philip with his girlfriend Erin,

and my nephews Philip and Tim

From Wedding Gown to Maternity Clothes

2008-11-25T14:30:00.001-06:00

Four years and 6 months ago, I helped my future daughter-in-law pick out her wedding gown. Susan, her mother and I spent hours searching for the perfect gown.

Today ... I helped Susan shop for her first maternity clothes :) What a joy it was for me that she allowed me to do this for her.

I feel so blessed to be part of Jeremy and Susan's life and to help them get ready for this next chapter in their lives.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone ... I know what I'm thankful for!!

Nemo is Running Again

2008-11-17T21:42:00.001-06:00

Our Polaris pool cleaner, nicknamed Nemo, was dragging his proverbial cleaning butt ... couldn't keep out of his own way or do a decent cleaning job! We were afraid that after 5 years it was time to replace him.

After searching in local stores and on eBay .. I was not thrilled at the thought of having to spend upwards to $500-$600 for a new unit. Just before logging off, I saw an add for a 'tune up' kit for our model ... and discussed it with hubby who thought it was a good idea. So we bought it.

The kit arrived a few days later...and this past weekend Hubby spent about an hour rebuilding Nemo and WOW ... what a great difference it makes. Nemo is really doing a good job cleaning up everything in his path and is climbing the walls (literally!). I'm thrilled that this worked out so well.

Hugs to you Hubby!! You ROCK!!

Double Celebration

2008-10-29T22:04:00.001-05:00

Rudy and Mette celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a grand celebration hosted by their daughters. In the picture below they are riding on a Parisian bus similar to one they rode in on their honeymoon! The celebration also included Mette's birthday!!

RIP!

2008-10-29T21:45:00.001-05:00

Maurits likes to bake and will often times take the old banana's and whip up a batch of banana nut bread. This last time though, he accidentally grabbed the bottle of sesame oil instead of the bottle of vanilla. He realized what he had done the minute he poured it in but it was too late. He tried to scoop it out; but when it was all said and done ... this is what I found on my kitchen counter the morning after!!!

Wilkens Horsewoman!

2008-10-19T14:09:00.001-05:00

Check our Miss Kylie in her first show. We couldn't be more proud ... and is it me or is she looking more and more like her Mom!! ;)

Another loss :(

2008-09-30T20:07:00.001-05:00

A sweet 12 year old boy lost is his battle with cancer this past weekend. I've been following his story for probably about a year now. Stephen loved music, baseball, and also enjoyed photography, baseball and was a Black Belt in TaeKwondo. How sad it is that we lost this sweet young man; how sad that his mother, father, and sister will have to go through life without him. The only thing that helps is to know that he is with the Lord and no longer in pain or distress. Bless you Sweet Stephen ... I for one am so very impressed in the way you handled it all.

A horse of course ...

2008-09-30T19:54:00.001-05:00

Kylie loves horses!! Here she is with Casper (he is a pure breed Arabian)!!

It's amazing how grown up she is looking!

The wonders and dreams of her life to be are ahead of us!!

Hey Miss Kylie ... Grandpa and I are so proud of you!!!

A day of painting ...

2008-09-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

My company has an implemented an initiative called Blue Sky, that encompasses the many programs, sponsorships and events that affect personal employee growth and reflect environmental stewardship.

Yesterday a group of us from three different accounts in the Richardson and Plano area met at 7:45am in downtown Dallas to help paint a house for Habitat for Humanity. This was not only a way for us to meet our co-workers; but it also allowed us help, in a small way, make someone else's dream come true. That dream of becoming a homeowner! As our day got underway, we learned how to spackle and caulk in preparation for the actual painting job. The young woman who is going to occupy the home was there working along side us and that just made it even more enjoyable! To see the sheer joy on her face as she described what it was going to be like for her and her daughter to have their own home was a measure of delight I've not seen in a long while. When I asked what part of the house she was most excited about, she said the Master Bathroom! And then she took me by the hand asked me to go see it with her. Now I can understand having a nice bathroom ... but to me all I can think of is the bigger it is the more cleaning it needs! Well shame on me!! To her it was the joy that it was all hers .. not having to share; having room to turn around without bumping into the wall.. the sink..the door.

The whole experience was rewarding as you might imagine ... but oh, boy, am I sore!!!

A Mother's Loss

2008-09-12T18:03:00.001-05:00

Today, my good friend Susan, said goodbye her sweet boy. "D" as he was fondly called, died after a three year battle fighting Rhabdomyosarcoma. When I saw D last, about 2 weeks ago, he and his sister had just come from renting a movie and they were standing at the kitchen counter laughing about something. Maurits and I were there to drop off some things the family could use to accommodate family coming to visit and I got shake D's hand and give his sister a hug.

On a forum we all frequent, there is this:

"Someone once told me that D never said, "Why me?" because that would have meant it would have been someone else..."

My heart is breaking for Susan ... 22 years with a child is not nearly enough. For reason's known only to God himself, he needed another angel and therefore he chose D.

My heartfelt sorrow, prayers and blessings to Susan and her family. To D's friends... I can only imagine how much you miss and I sure hope you know how blessed he felt to have you in his life.

Susan ... we love you.

My crazy brother...

2008-09-07T10:55:00.001-05:00

Some of you know how much my brother just "loves" to go to Walmart ... so while in town this weekend, he went to get a few things for our family get together and sent me a text message asking if I needed anything. I sent a message back and said only a picture of you with the Greeter!

Here's what I got!

Life in General ...Ups and Downs!

2008-09-07T10:25:00.001-05:00

So, my Dad was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer. Scared us all silly to say the least. He is being treated with radiation and chemo and so far is tolerating it fine. He gets tired more often but his appetite seems fine and his spirits are good. He is, as we all are, praying for his complete recovery, God is the real healer. Dad has a Caringbridge site Caringbridge Website There, his family and friends are keeping track of his progress and posting messages of encouragement, etc.

My brother is going through some changes in his life; I won't expound here but please keep him and his family in you prayers. There is no illness; but nonetheless love and support are needed.

A very dear friend of mine is having her life tested in the most awful way -- her son has cancer and is now on hospice care. Your prayers needed for this family, please.

On a positive note .. my son and daughter-in-law are both taking classes at the local college. Susan is in her 2nd year of working towards her degree in "Rocks" as I like to call it. She loves anything to do with geology and we've taken to keeping our eyes open all the time for that one special unique Rock! Jeremy is taking classes that are enhancing his management skills for his job. We enjoy monthly dinners with them and Susan's parents where we get caught up with each other!!

I celebrated the 29th anniversary of my 29th birthday this past Friday! No matter how you look at it 58 is still ... 58!

My 2 sisters, Nancy and Linda, are going to participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk ... this will be Nancy's 5th and Linda's 1st walk. Here are links to the pages where you can make donations to their efforts: Donate to Nancy Donate to Linda

Well I've rambled on enough ... Happy Sunday!

Bec's Tat!

2008-08-17T10:24:00.001-05:00

My nieces decided to get tattoos -- Bec sent me a picture of hers. Not sure what Rachel's looks like .. if she sends me a pic I'll post it! Won't be a bit surprised if their Mom goes and gets one next <<wink>>!

Met a really nice lady yesterday ...

2008-07-19T18:36:00.001-05:00

Her name is Dana and she is married to a Frisco Firefighter. She and the other wives of Frisco firefighters have formed an women's auxillary.

One of them, don't know her name, has developed non-Hodgkins lymphoma (cancer) and Dana is working hard to help raise funds to help this women and her family with their normal daily expenses as they fight through this challenge.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know how proud I am to have met Dana ... she has such a wonderful heart and spirit and everyone who gets to meet her or already knows her should be very proud to have her in their life!

Happy 4th of July America!

2008-07-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

I've gotten out our small flags and have decorated the front sidewalk!!

Here's pictures of family having fun in the pool!

Tim, Patrick, Kevin	Tim
Philip (getting caught up on all the gossip!!)	Kevin
	Aaron (all the way from LA!)

Dunaway Cemetery - Frisco, Texas

2008-06-28T11:26:00.001-05:00

Today I had the privilege of attending a ceremony whereby the Frisco Heritage Association unveiled a historical marker at the cemetery about a half a block from my house.

If you double click on the image you should be able to read the wording!

This is part of the old community of Lebanon. The house has a wind mill and a water tank in the front. There is a building on the east of the house that was once a store. Most of the graves are for the Dunaway family.

Foster Dunaway came to Texas around 1846 and settled in Dallas. He ran the first drug store in Dallas. He later moved to Lebanon and opened a drug store. The store eventually became a general store. It was the third store in Lebanon. Because of the difficulty of getting supplies during the Civil War, the store was closed. The Dunaway's continued to live in the area. The cemetery was deeded at the time that the land was sold. There are provisions for an access road also. The access road has been plowed under. The deed is listed in Vol. 210, p 255. According to the deed, Preston Road was about ¼ mile east of its present location at Lebanon.

Book Signing

2008-06-21T21:04:00.001-05:00

I attended my first book signing last night! Janet Evanovich who writes the Stephanie Plum series was signing her 14th book in the series, at the Barnes & Nobel in Plano. Linda and I are die-hard fans of her and took off at about 20 to 9 last night to go get in line to get our copies signed. Love my sister ... she bought my copy as a treat for me!! Gotta admit I was surprised at how many people were there at that hour. Heard the author was signing from 6pm - 11pm! Talk about writers cramp.

Early Birthday Present (LOL)

2008-06-14T19:31:00.001-05:00

So my sweet husband found an ad in the newspaper for the Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse I had mentioned I'd like to have some day ... It was about $40 less than I had seen it for sale a month ago. So off he dashed to the store and bought it for me ... as an early birthday present! Not sure about this since my birthday is not till September!

It is a really, really nice keyboard - so quiet and easy to use w/lots of buttons that act as shortcuts for many of the usual shortcuts!

Thanks, sweetie

I love it and I love you!!

25th Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure - North Texas Chapter

2008-06-07T16:47:00.001-05:00

Woke up at 4:50 a.m. this morning to get ready for the Komen walk in Plano held at the EDS Campus. First I went and took care of my friends dogs - Polly and Rudy - and then headed over to Nancy's house. We left at 6:30 a.m. to head over to the walk. We were almost there and a Plano cop was racing down the road in front of us and then stopped. He started blocking off the road about 15 minutes too early! We circled back around and found our way to the parking garage.

The reason I'm writing this is to celebrate my sisters -- Eileen, Nancy, and Linda. Linda is a breast cancer survivor - she was amazing as she fought through the chemo and radiation last year. Today, she wore her pink survivor's shirt proudly and marched in survivor's parade along with the other 1-5 year survivor's. Eileen, who lost her life to breast cancer - I searched through the hundreds of pink ribbons for the one I bought that has her name on it but I couldn't find it. As I was looking through them all searching for her name, I had tears in my eyes just thinking of the shear numbers of people who have been affected by breast cancer. Eileen, we love you and miss you horribly. Nancy pointed out to me today how much Rachel looks like you :). Lastly, there's Nancy - where would I have been without you today? She was my encouragement to keep going. I'm not a wuss... really... but it was so hot and humid, and I've not been out walking or exercising for months and I really was not confident I could do complete the 5K. (how horrible is that!) Love you sis for pushing me (talking to me the whole way) through the course. You were my hero today.

Sean Graduates High School

2008-05-28T19:36:00.001-05:00

Maurits' grandson, Sean, is graduating from high school this year. It seems like only yesterday when we got the call from Pete, Sean's dad, that his son had been born. Sean is a wonderful young man who we know is loved by everyone and has a great spirit and loving heart. His love of golf binds him closer to his granddad!

Sean ... we love you and wish you CONGRATULATIONS!!

Visit to Pat and Wanda's

2008-05-23T21:12:00.001-05:00

Friday, we drove up to see my brother (Patrick) and sister-in-law (Wanda) and nephews (Kevin and Tim) who live in Rose Bud, Arkansas -- just outside of Searcy. They have a wonderful home in a peaceful little town and it's an absolute joy to visit with them. While there we drove to a small country store called Vans's in Heber Springs ... Van's sells just about every kind of jam/jelly known to man; also nuts, spices, and not to mention dried fruit (can you say L I N D A). We got some cashews, peanut brittle, Vidalia mustard, and a small bag of coffee my brother recommended. We also made a stop at RoZark Hills Coffee Roasterie, Inc. ( http://rozarkhillscoffee.com/about.html ) If you are a fan of coffees of many variety of flavors you will love this place - they roast the beans onsite! After visiting these two places, we ate dinner at a delightful restaurant ... Wanda had eaten there before and her recommendation was right-on!!

After dinner we headed back home and rounded up the nephews for a game of hearts -- Wanda bowed out because her allergies were kicking up; so Patrick, Maurits, Kevin, Tim and I faced off and ... well ... guess I have to say it...Tim Won! :)

We left today and headed back home -- boring 6-hour drive - not a lot to see between Rose Bud AR and Frisco TX. I read out loud from a book and Maurits enjoyed it. It's the story of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture ... it's a great book filled with wonderful stories of life lessons. True to form ... the last hour of the trip was (is) always the longest!

Join us in sending prayers to our service men and women in all our Armed Forces and also in remembering those who have lost there lives protecting us and our country. Happy Memorial Day!

GRADUATION DAY IS HERE-- Tim, Rebecca and Mike

2008-05-10T14:22:00.001-05:00

My nephew Tim is graduating from Searcy HS today! We love him and are very proud of him. He has worked hard and is a wonderful young Christian man who will make his mark on this world!

<--Here's one of his Senior Pictures!

Here's Tim in his cap and gown! -->

My niece Rebecca is graduating today from college -- her degree is in Criminal Justice. We hope she knows how proud of her we are and how much we love her. Here's Bec ... L-just getting home from graduation R- opening her gifts

Mike ... this is Rachel's boyfriend ... he is a sweet young man who is getting his degree today in Occupational Safety and Health. We are proud of you Mike .. you have so much to give the world! We're really happy that you are part of Rachel's life and that she shares you with us!

Here's Mike with his Mom, Dad and Sister and her fiance

Celebrating with Rachel!

2008-05-04T17:57:00.001-05:00

We gathered over at Linda and Mike's this afternoon to celebrate Rachel's birthday... we were sitting on lawn chairs hanging out by the garage ... eating snacks and sipping on margaritas

Here's Max with his party decoration on!

And here's Rachel with her Mom!

Mini-Vacation - Winstar Casino via Gainesville

2008-04-27T14:37:00.001-05:00

We took off Friday afternoon to go to Winstar Casino in Thackerville, OK. We stayed overnight in Gainesville at a new La Quinta Inn. Getting there proved to be more of a challenge than it needed to be but then that's what happens when you follow instructions from the internet that just don't mirror what you actually experience! See, we were to exit at a certain place then make a left then a right ... but when we exited we were on a stretch of frontage road that appeared to only go right. So we pulled over and called the hotel to ask for directions and they said yes, to go right. So we did ..well we ended going backwards and came to a major intersection in town and still no hotel. So we stopped in at a store and got instructions again only to end up heading in the wrong direction (again) on Hwy 82! Needless to say when we started seeing signs for Sherman (TX) I knew we were definitely going the wrong way! So we turned around, stopped in at another store (really neat place on Highway 82 that sells western home decor) and found out we were finally going the right way and were about 16 miles from our destination! We headed back to 35W then drove north 2 exits and voila!! we found our hotel. Turns out we were less than 1/4 mile from the hotel the first time we got off the freeway but because we couldn't see anything due to the terrain we had no idea!!

We checked in at the hotel and relaxed for a bit and then drove up to Winstar Casino about 10 minutes up the road ... being Friday night the proverbial buffet was seafood so Maurits was in 7th heaven!! Being non-smokers (and ex-smokers to boot) the place reeked to us and within minutes our eyes were feeling the effects. Hate to admit we got used to it but we only ended up being able to tolerate about 2 hours of it.

Saturday we drove into Gainesville and went to Frank Buck Zoo ... really sweet place .. got there early so the were no crowds yet.

I didn't bring my camera so these pictures were taken with my phone.

The stone monument above Maurits is 2-sided; one side is a lion and one is a giraffe (see below)

The giraffes were feeling particularly frisky ... doing the neck rubbing and just about tied themselves in knots!

It's a small zoo but perfect for families!! Check it out at www.franckbuckzoo.com. We took our time and strolled around. Really enjoyed it!!

We left the zoo and head for the Outlet Mall and did some shopping, then ate lunch. Afterwards we went back to our room for a while. We drove back up the casino for dinner and played the slot machines some more. No winners here!!! :(

Have to tell you ... it's no comparison or replacement for Lake Tahoe or Reno (or Vegas I'm sure but never been there!). Next time I think we'll head over to Shreveport LA!!

Mike & Linda!!

2008-04-19T19:09:00.001-05:00

Mike and Linda stopped by today ... Linda's first time on a motorcycle!!

Mike - Linda - Maurits

Mike - Linda

The Game Night Gals!

2008-04-19T18:05:00.001-05:00

Once a month a bunch of us get together to play games ... board games or card games! Here we are from last month!!

It's a lot of fun!!

One last Cousin visit picture !!

2008-04-14T18:47:00.001-05:00

This pretty much sums up the crab dinner! These three were just having way too much fun :)

Sad Saturday

2008-04-05T21:57:00.001-05:00

It's been a rather sad Saturday ... first my sister found out an acquaintance of hers who had cancer, passed away rather unexpectedly; then this morning while checking the website for Baby Ethan, I saw the post from his Dad that Ethan passed away this morning after a valiant fight to recover from Leukemia. Then while checking emails, I found a message from family in Arkansas (North Little Rock area) where the tornado and bad storms went through earlier this week ...well their whole neighborhood is pretty much devastated. By Gods will, our family and their home are safe. So perhaps that's the silver lining.

Please say a prayer for Kim's family and Ethan's family as they work through the grieving process. And keep the families who suffered damage from the tornado in your prayers that they can quickly recover and their neighborhoods become whole again.

Zus and Ilse Come to Visit

2008-03-26T14:50:00.001-05:00

Maurits' cousins from Holland came for a short visit. They are here in the US to visit their sister in Atlanta and decided to come see us, too.

Ilse and Zus	Ilse and Maurits
Zus and Maurits	Kathy and Zus

It's Snowing in Frisco!!

2008-03-06T18:44:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful scene it was today ... that is if you're not having to drive in it!! We got lots of snow (for us!) Schools closed early and I just know that the kids had the times of their lives. Here's a pictures taken in our back yard.

Little Rock Marathon

2008-03-06T18:36:00.001-06:00

Prax, Nancy, and Patrick ran the 1/2 Marathon in Little Rock AR this past weekend and their #1 Fan (moi!) was there to support and cheer them to the finish line. Here's 2 pictures ...

Before !!

and after (wearing their medals) !!

A Good Laugh

2008-02-24T12:22:00.001-06:00

Austin Marathon!

2008-02-17T11:03:00.001-06:00

Prax and Nancy ran the half-marathon in Austin this weekend

Bib 15726
Prax Rivera
02:02:28

Bib 15727
Nancy Rivera
02:02:28

Not sure how anxious they are to run this one again ... according to Nancy, there is a "mountain" on the course!! ;)

Here's the elevation map! Remember they ran the 1/2!

Houston Marathon and Half Marathon

2008-01-13T13:16:00.001-06:00

Nancy ran the half and Prax ran the full ...

Nancy's time: 1:59:55 (9:10 pace) "a personal best"
Prax's time: 4:16:48 (9:49 pace)

The newest US Marine -- Semper Fi!!

2008-01-04T05:13:00.001-06:00

My brother and his family, are in San Diego for the graduation of 3rd Battalion - India Company - Platoon 3209 where Kevin is. Today is graduation day and Kevin will be officially a US Marine. Here's a picture Patrick captured on his cell phone camera.

I'll have more news and hopefully photos after my brother calls later today. CONGRATULATIONS KEVIN .. we're so proud of you.

Graduation Day Photo:

And one more!!

New Years Eve!

2007-12-31T17:03:00.001-06:00

Here's hoping you all have a safe and fun NYE!!

May 2008 be a joyous and happy!!

Sibling Photos

2007-12-25T19:38:00.001-06:00

Here's a slideshow of the pictures my brother, sisters, and I had taken at Central Park here in Frisco TX!

Kevin's Platoon PIctures

2007-12-21T21:32:00.001-06:00

Click Here and then click on Platoon 3209 ... when the screen loads, he will be on the top row...9th from the left! Looks so grown up!

Update on Recruit Reilly

2007-12-19T05:17:00.001-06:00

Kevin called his Mom yesterday ... she was thrilled as you only imagine a mom would be. They are heading for the Crucible which is scheduled to take place Christmas Day .. so please keep Kevin and all his fellow recruits in your prayers that they make it through this final big test of the skills they've learned. Graduation is January 4th ... then we can call him a US Marine!! Way to go Kevin ... we're proud of you and love you lots! Keep your faith with you at all times and you'll be just fine.

Prax, Nancy & Pat -- Running the Rock!

2007-12-09T09:08:00.001-06:00

It's about 9:06am Sunday December 9th ...They are running the 1/2 marathon at the Dallas White Rock Marathon and they just took off. I've registered to receive their times at certain points that will be sent to my cell phone. I'll update this message as we go! God's speed for a safe race ya'll!

UPDATE

They're done! Here's their times:

We're so proud of you!

Photo of the Mr & Mrs!!

2007-12-08T15:37:00.001-06:00

We were over at a park in town and had this photo taken...

Getting into Christmas Spirit

2007-12-01T14:55:00.001-06:00

We've started our holiday decorating ... Here's a picture of our tree and a close up of the angle on top.

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-22T11:11:00.001-06:00

The bird is in the oven! All 22.3 pounds of it! Started cooking at 5:15 a.m.

Smells so-o-o good. It's about 11am now and in about another 15 minutes we'll take it out and let it rest. Then carve it up!

I'll be back with more details later....

OK..I'm back - WOW What a fantastic meal ... we had so much food we could have easily fed another 5-6 people!! Nancy, Prax, and Philip along with Mike, Linda, Rachel, Rebecca, and Chris and Mike's Mom, Dorothy, were here to share this wonderful feast with us. We had turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, broccoli salad, cranberries, rolls, sweet potato casserole,gravy, pumpkin pie, pecan/pumpkin pie and banana pudding pie!!

First ... Here's the Cook!!

Here's Mike and Linda getting started on the food!!	Here's Prax, Nancy, and Philip getting their dinners!
This is Linda and Mike's daughters Rachel and Rebecca and their grandmother, Mike's Mom, Dorothy!	And these two are Nancy's Son, Philip and Linda's Son, Chris!

Those missing: Our brother Patrick and his family - live in Arkansas and celebrated this holiday with Wanda's Mom, Vivian; Aaron - he's in LA living and working; Kevin - he's in boot camp in San Diego; Jeremy and Susan - they were at Susan's parent's house but came by later; our Dad stayed home with wife and her daughter and brother and their dear friends who are elderly who I know were very much appreciative for the day!

We sure hope your Thanksgiving was as blessed as ours!!

Pre-Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T17:13:00.001-06:00

I had the day off today so slept in till 6:30am :) My sisters and their families are coming to dinner tomorrow so MW and I got started on the pre-stuff we could do ahead of time. We got the snacks ready; the dressing cooked up and in the frig; got a huge pitcher of ice tea ready to pour. Dug out all the different platters and serving dishes and have them set aside. I made up a batch of toasted cinnamon pecans for munchies!! Got the turkey cleaned up and and ready to go ... gotta get up early-early tomorrow to get it in the oven by 6am the latest! Can't wait for when the house will start filling the aromas of all the good stuff cooking! I'll try and take some pictures to share!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our family and friends!!

Saturday Before Thanksgiving

2007-11-17T19:54:00.000-06:00

We started making plans for Thanksgiving dinner ... my 2 sisters and their families will be joining us the year. We're having all the favorites and sharing in the duties. I'll take pictures as the day unfolds.

Today it was about 81 degrees for our high but the promise is for cold weather or T'Day!! We'll see. Till later...ciao for now!

BOO!!

2007-11-01T20:15:00.001-05:00

Check out Noah in his Halloween costume! What a cutie pie!

PINK Everywhere!

2007-10-27T18:04:00.001-05:00

The 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk for the Cure is underway in Dallas ...

Day 1 Fri Oct 26: Started out at Southfork Ranch and ended up at Fretz Park in Dallas. I stopped in to see Nancy on my way home at 'camp' ... As I drove there, I realized that the street I was driving along was the route to camp; so I saw walkers dressed in all kinds of fashions and decor; some walking faster and some walking slower ... but you could see the pride in their step and eyes! Nancy and the group she was walking with found themselves coming into camp around 2:30pm (ish) and they were #8, 9, 10, & 11 finishers for the day ... we'll them decided who filled what slot! :) The coolest thing to see was a "sea" of pink tents ... each tent houses 2 walkers. It was pretty neat to see!

Day 2 Sat Oct 27: Got a call from Nancy at 10:30am...she and her 3 walking mates were at the lunch stop! They had to wait until the food tent opened up! Got a second call around 4pm ... they made it into camp (same place) at around 2pm ... not sure what their placement was ...seems there some dispute! One of the mates is sorting it out.

I'm so proud of her - as are all her family and friends! No words can express it. Tomorrow is the final day ... with closing ceremonies at Southern Methodist University. Same place as the first time Nancy did this 3-day walk 4 years ago! Beautiful setting...watch for more details and photos!

Day 3 Sun Oct 28: Prax swung by my house and picked up me and Linda and we drove down to SMU. As expected the afternoon was beautiful ... as was the setting for closing ceremonies.

We met up with Nancy at the holding area .. here she is with Prax.

As is becoming tradition, here's Nancy posing with her Diet Coke and Peanut M&M's!!

We are all so proud of you Nancy!

Click here to see more pictures

A Man and His Dog

2007-10-20T16:28:00.001-05:00

Uncle Dick with the mascot of the resident center where he and Aunt Mary Carol live.

This dog means the world to him. I love the smile on his face, don't you ?

Clothe-a-Child

2007-10-20T15:47:00.001-05:00

Nancy and others from her church, participated in the Clothe-a-Child program today.

Each child is given $100 to purchase clothes. Volunteers assist the children and their families in picking out items and helping keep track of the amount spent. Nancy said that she had a family of 3 children so that mean they had $300 to spend. They spent, $299.12!! The whole experience was very rewarding she said and hopes to volunteer again next year!

Komen Race for the Cure

2007-10-20T15:34:00.001-05:00

Here's Tim with his winning Mom !!

Linda, Rachel and Mike, and I participated in Dallas Komen Race for the Cure today in Dallas. We headed out on the train around 6:40am. The whole scene was really crowded already by the time we got there about 25 minutes later ... We did not get pictures this year :(

Update 10/26: The event photographers got this picture of Linda and I

Wanda participated in the same race only her's was in Little Rock. She medaled ... not sure what her time was but will update this post when I find out. Here's Tim with his Medal Winning Mom!

MW In Holland

2007-10-19T20:17:00.001-05:00

Maurits left for Holland on Monday the 15th ... his plane was delayed about an hour leaving DFW but it would not affect his connection in London to Amsterdam!

He landed in Amsterdam Tuesday the 16th...his brother and sister-in-law picked him up. Although I'm sure he was exhausted, I bet he perked right up as soon as he saw the restaurants and could smell the food ... I bet he drooled all the way to his brother's apartment!

Yesterday, Thursday Oct 18th, his niece Inge and her boyfriend, Han, came to visit. Here's a picture of Inge, Maurits, and Mette (Inge's mother/Maurits' sister-in-law!) outside the restaurant they were at. Notice the smile!!

Here's a picture of Rudy, Mette, and Maurits before dinner was served! I just know Maurits felt a million dollars!! :)

I hope he is taking pictures with the camera he brought with him .... but either way I know he's enjoying himself, and I know that Rudy is loving every minute of having his brother there.

Love you honey and miss you too ... eat some nasi goring for me!

Flag Bearer Honor

2007-10-16T17:25:00.001-05:00

Nancy just got invited to be a Flag Bearer at the opening ceremonies for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk coming up this Fri/Sat/Sun. What an honor that is for her to be recognized in that way!! We're proud of you Sis!!

So Cal Living!

2007-10-16T05:33:00.000-05:00

Got some pictures from Aaron and thought I'd share ... he is enjoying the new life he is building in LA....thankful for the opportunities and eager to start getting his work noticed! I think he's even surprised himself at how much he likes it in SoCal!

Awareness! October's the Month

2007-10-13T20:02:00.001-05:00

We all know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month .... this disease has hit our family hard twice now ... my sister Nancy will be doing the 3-day walk here in Dallas starting on the 26th and ending up on the 28th. But ...before that, she ran the 5-K Komen Race for the Cure today in Wichita Falls, TX with her husband Prax. Their son (my nephew) Philip did the 1 mile fun walk with a group from his work.

Here's Nancy holding the medal she won for FIRST PLACE in her age group!! Congratulations Sister!!

Chicago - Marathon

2007-10-13T17:57:00.000-05:00

This is a bit late in posting, but I went to Chicago with my sister, her husband, our brother, and a friend of my sisters. We left on Friday October 5th and landed around 2:30pm ... we found each other near baggage claim and then headed out to catch the shuttle bus to the rental car lots. We drove to our hotel in Schaumburg. I met up with a coworker who lives nearby for dinner with him and his wife; while the other went and had Chicago style pizza!

On Saturday we took off about 9:30am ... drove to the train station and headed in to downtown Chicago. We strolled around a bit thru a park and the guys got themselves a hot dog!

Then we headed for the marathon expo where the runner picked up their race packets and strolled through all the vendors selling their wares!

We head back to the hotel with a pit-stop at an itialian eatery for pasta which is a favorite of runners the night before a big race. We ate our fill and were back in our rooms early.

We got up and hit the road at 5am Sunday morning. Got into to Chicago around 6:45am .... worked our way through to the start line area. They guys stretched and limbered up. The amount of people was quite staggering in my view having never experienced anything like this before.

L-R Jeff, Patrick (our brother) and Prax (Nancy's husband)

Nancy and I got ourselves some matching t-shirts thinking the guys could pick us out of the crowd easier! Sounded good anyway!

The marathon ended up getting canceled about 3.5 hrs into the race due to excessive heat. Our guys all finished which is testimony to their training and perseverance.

Belly Laugh ... We all need one!

2007-10-04T20:14:00.000-05:00

Look at Noah!

Enjoying life to its fullest!!

Oh to be young again!

Our Trip to Carson City

2007-09-17T05:34:00.000-05:00

We snuck away for a quick vacation heading off to Carson City NV. Maurits played golf in a 2-day tournament with friends from California. It was really nice to see these folks again ... for me, it had been over a year since I last met up with them all. We flew out on Thursday and arrived at our hotel in Minden NV (yes..same place where they are looking for Steve Fosset), we stayed at Carson Valley Inn. We stopped in to see some friends, Nancy and Will, who live there. They have a wonderful home and the back yard is landscaped to entice the birds to come visit. We saw a family of quail darting back and forth in the shrubs!

On Friday, we drove to Topaz Lake ... we were a bit disappointed in that we both thought it would be more like Tahoe Lake :( Here's Maurits staring at the lake and I'm sure he's thinking, "This is what you made drive all the way down here for?" Across the street, out of site of this photo, is a sign that says Welcome to California!

We spent the rest of the day driving around a bit more and then had dinner with our friends Greg and Marilyn.

Saturday and Sunday was golf! Both courses were brutal .... not a shade tree in sight!

On the scond day, on the 18th hole, we were visited by this little guy --->

We were supposed to fly home on Monday but out flight was cancelled and finally got home safe and sound on Tuesday afternoon!

Congratulations Linda and Happy Birthday too!

2007-09-01T19:52:00.000-05:00

My sister Linda completed her last round of chemo on Thursday the 30th ... and celebrated the 22nd anniversary of her 29th birthday on Friday the 31st. She is an amazing woman ... I love her very much and am so proud of her!

This is the chocolate chip cookie our sister Nancy made for Linda to share with the staff at the oncology center who took such good care of her over the past 16 weeks ~ chemo every two weeks.

These are the flowers that Maurits and I gave Linda ... eight pink roses ... one for each chemo treatment she put up with!

Family and friends threw a surprise party for Linda Friday night the 31st and oh boy was she surprised!

Here's Linda (far left) w/friends and Nancy (fourth from left) and me (on the right)

Rachel's Time Away from It All!

2007-08-19T18:39:00.000-05:00

My niece Rachel finally got some time away from work and everything...she and her boyfriend Mike went to Riviera Maya for a few days. I'm so glad she got to have this time away to recharge and energize!

A Great Weekend

2007-08-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

Had a great weekend ... my brother Patrick was here, my nephew Philip was in town too. Friday we met up at my Dad's house for margaritas and dinner ... then on Saturday morning most of us went to see Bourne Ultimatum ... awesome movie! We Saturday after the movie we hung out by the pool at my house... Here's Philip relaxing!!

Tomorrow's Monday :(

2007-07-28T11:56:00.000-05:00

Sean and Kylie on vacation in Florida!!

The Marine's Get Their Man!

2007-07-17T05:11:00.000-05:00

My nephew Kevin (white shirt)

recently took the oath to become a US Marine!

We're really proud of him!

Here he is with his family -L-R:

Tim, Wanda (mom),

Kevin, Vivian (grandmother) and Patrick (dad)

MW Pays Tribute to Linda

2007-07-11T07:21:00.000-05:00

While on a recent golf trip to Graeagale CA Maurits showed his on-going support for Linda by wearing his Pink n' Perky hat!

Komen Race for the Cure - June 2nd

2007-06-03T15:19:00.001-05:00

Team Housewright - Perky-n-Pink participated in the Komen Race for the Cure Saturday June 2nd; here's a few pictures to share...

<-- Here's Linda all decked out in her Pink n' Perky Hat and Survivor Shirt.

Here's the three Sisters --->

< -- Proud Dad with his daughters

Linda in the Survivor's Parade ---->

2007-05-31T07:16:00.000-05:00

Pete and Kathleen have sent us this latest picture so we're posting here to share with the family! Looks like they are ready for summer!

Welcome to Frisco - Irv and Harryette!

2007-05-24T21:29:00.000-05:00

My son's in-laws have decided to join us all by moving to Frisco !! So we want to give a big Texas welcome to Irv and Harryette!! We know that Susan is thrilled to have her parents closer by!

Kristle and Mark's Noah!

2007-05-21T19:54:00.000-05:00

These pictures are simply adorable!! Noah is the son of Kristel and Mark -- I'm going to embarass Kristel by telling ya'll that the first time met her it was her first birthday!! She and her brother, mom and dad were moving into their new home the same week we did. That was back in 19 (oops almos gave it away!) in San Jose, CA. Oh my gosh...how time flies!!

Here's Noah loving the grass outdoors!

Noah loves his mashed 'taters!

Here's Noah sleeping off all the fun!

Visit with Bailey Jeanne!

2007-05-19T14:41:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday on our way to Kevin's graduation, Nancy, Prax, and I stopped in to see the Runkles..here's some pictures.

I took this picture of Bailey thru a red balloon!

Here's Bailey with Aunt Nancy and Aunt Kathy

Bailey holding her brother Andrew

Aunt Nancy and Bailey

What a cute smile!!

Graduation - Searcy Style!

2007-05-16T21:53:00.000-05:00

On Saturday May 12th at 7:30pm my nephew's graduation ceremony at Searcy High School kicked off! We're so proud of him ... here's some pictures!!

Dad, Grad, Mom, Brother

Heels and HIlls

2007-05-07T05:27:00.000-05:00

My sister Nancy ran a half-marathon Sunday. Nancy says, "Ran the 2007 Inaugural Heels and Hills Half Marathon this morning over in Las Colinas...start time was at 7 am and finish time for me was my PR (personal record) of 2:16...that was my watch time, the event wasn't chipped time so we'll go with that!!! It was a nice course except for the hills, which wouldn't have
been so bad had it not been windy!! Was a little humid this morning but had some nice breezes along the way...ran by the Canals of Los Colinas and it was pretty!!!"

Nancy approaching the finish line!!

Prax & Nancy in front of the Mustang statues

Cousins Gerard and Joe Visit their Folks in California

2007-04-25T21:26:00.000-05:00

Our cousins Joe and Gerard stopped in to visit their parents and shares some pictures with us. Joe is taking the pictures ... this is Gerard with his Mom and Dad, (my Uncle Dick and Aunt Mary Carol). My Uncle said that they had a good time.

My Sister Linda

2007-03-31T17:32:00.000-05:00

My sister Linda is recovering from a double mastectomy after 4 spots were discovered in her left breast -- she has a remarkable attitude and is literally holding court while all her family and friends love and support her. She is recovering from the surgery so well she is sneaking out to the bank and lunch w/friends! We're so proud of her strong attitude ... We thank God for giving her her the strength to battle through this.

Now for Some Happy News

2007-03-10T10:17:00.000-06:00

My brother in law, Prax, ran his first marathon in Little Rock, AR last weekend! Congrats Prax!! Next stop? The Chicago Marathon in October!

My sister (Prax's wife) and my brother ran the 1/2 -- they all had fun (but wished they had trained better)!

Irregardless ... we're all proud of them!

I Hate Breast Cancer

2007-03-10T09:21:00.000-06:00

Now that I have your attention ... my sister Linda has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be having an MRI on Monday ... surgery is scheduled for March 20th (maybe sooner). Please, please, please keep her in your prayers. We're hoping to set up a Caringbridge website so that more details and ongoing updates can be shared with all who love and support Linda. I'll update this message when its set up and ready for you to see. Linda's Motto: Beat The Hell Out Of Breast Cancer!!

Going for a Sunday Drive

2007-02-25T17:52:00.000-06:00

Today, Maurits and I decided to go out to lunch .. decided to go to Ruby Tuesday's in McKinney. Had a nice lunch and afterwards we decided to "take a ride". We said we drive till 3pm and turn around come back home! Had no idea where that would take us. It was about 1:30pm. So off we go ... heading north on 75, recognizing some of the names of the towns we see. Then Maurits see a billboard for Choctaw Casino in Durant OK; he mentioned it might be fun to go there for just a short while. I said well let's see how far we get while keeping an eye on the clock and remembereing our 3pm deadline! I guess I knew we were close to Oklahoma ... just not quite how close. By 2:25 we we're pulling into the parking lot of Choctaw Casino ... found a quarter slot machine ... we each spent $20 and when that was gone we found our way to the front door and headed out! It was .... 3:05pm!! We then took a slightly different way back and all in all had a great afternoon! We love exploring like this. Next time.... maybe Shreveport ... who knows! There's so many places to explore!!

Winter in Frisco

2007-02-02T15:19:00.000-06:00

Here's what the weather gods brought us Thursday Feb 1st!

this is a metal garden art that sits out by our pool -->

<-- more by the pool

This is taken out the window from on of the bedrooms --->

The Big Freeze

2007-01-25T19:58:00.000-06:00

During last weeks big freeze one of my favorite trees outside my window got a heavy dose of icing!

Here's a picture all frozen

and after the big thaw!

Upcoming Grad

2007-01-23T21:22:00.000-06:00

Here's a picture of my nephew Kevin ... his senior pic!

What a cutie!!

White Rock Marathon - Dallas, TX - Dec 10, 2006

2006-12-10T16:33:00.000-06:00

My brother, Patrick; my sister, Nancy; and Patrick's friend, Eric Cole, participated in this years 2006 White Rock Marathon .

Their unofficial times are:

Patrick 2:00:15 Nancy 2:19:25 Eric 1:56:01

Here's a picture taken after getting back home -- (sorry it's fuzzy) L-R Patrick, Nancy, Eric

Chris on the Rooftop Ho-Ho-Ho!

2006-11-25T12:14:00.000-06:00

Our nephew Chris helped us put up the Christmas lights this year! Stay tuned for more pictures as the Christmas season progresses.

Bailey and Andrew

2006-11-22T05:38:00.000-06:00

Received these pictures from Keith and Janie ...

Bailey on her first day of Kindergarten ->

< ---- And here's Bailey's brother,

Andrew ... isn't he a cutie pie!!

Here's Bailey and Andrew dressed up in their costumes for Halloween ->

Andrew was Wonderbread and Bailey was Sleeping Beauty!

60 Miles in 3-Days ...

2006-10-30T05:45:00.000-06:00

Well she did it!! My sister Nancy completed her third Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure of Breast Cancer. They started out on Friday Oct 27 at Texas Stadium in Irving, TX and ended up at the Forth Worth Stockyards Sunday Oct 29. Nancy and her good friend Leisa teamed up with some other ladies for this journey.

Nancy's husband and I along with Leisa's husband, son, and daughter-in-law drove over for the closing ceremonies. It was a wonderful day - the sun was shining down on all the walkers. The count was approximately 2400 walkers who raised $16.1 M dollars for the Search For A Cure! Amazing!!

Part of the tradition that has arisen from Nancy's participating in this event is her reward at the end ... Diet Coke and M&M's!! :)

Not sure if you can see this one very well; but here's an attempt to show you the crowds!!

The closing ceremony had the walkers coming in first; then the walkers who were breast cancer survivors; then came the support staff--crew and medics -- they got a rousing round of applause from the walkers!! At the end a group walked in holding hands making a circle and standing inside the circle was a walker carrying a flag ... the flag was a symbol of those who lost their life to this horrible disease.

Then it was time to find Nancy and Leisa (and our cars!) and gather their bags, and head home.

Nancy and Leisa -- You are our heroes!!

2006-10-28T16:33:00.000-05:00

Walked (with some jogging thrown in) the 2006 Gary Burns Fun Run today ... chip time is 41:30:9!! I'm so thrilled w/the time; big improvement over last year! Pictures will come later.

Walking for the Cure!

2006-10-22T20:57:00.000-05:00

Linda, Nancy, and I did the Komen 5K Walk today down at the Northpark Mall in Dallas. The route was a bit different this year; we wound through several nice neighborhood areas rather than along major road ways. There were 25,000 +/- and as usual it was hectic and lots of fun. I saw some amazing photos of loved ones taped to peoples shirts ... made me want to hug them all. We rode the DART train down to the site this year and it was way more fun and less stressful! Last year we got done and headed back to our cars only to find we were blocked in by the walk route and had to sit around for an hour waiting!!

Nancy will head out on Friday, October 27th for her 3rd Komen 3-Day Walk ... they take off in Forth Worth ... walk to Arlington, and then finish up on Sunday at the Forth Worth Stock Yards. I'm really hoping I can get over to watch her come across the finish line. It's a breathtaking experience to watch all the wonderful people who push themselves to the limit for this great cause to find a cure! Please keep Nancy in your prayers that she has a safe and joyous experience.

2006-10-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

My sister Linda got a new dog named Max! Here she is w/Max celebrating the twenty-first anniversary of her 29th birthday!

2006-09-16T20:47:00.000-05:00

My sister, Nancy, is walking the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure in late October .... this is her third time walking in this incredible event. This year she signed up to be a walking coach/trainer and this photo was taken this morning after she led the group on an 18 mile r/t walk.

I'm so proud of her for undertaking this incredible feat ... all for the love of our sister, Eileen, who lost her life to breast cancer.

Nancy is in the blue shirt and shorts in the front-middle...the one w/the badge on! Congratulations to all of you ... I wish you a safe journey and many blessings -- may the friendships you are forging last for a lifetime!

Guess What I Got For My Birthday ....

2006-09-05T22:13:00.000-05:00

My sweet husband got me an Apple iPod! Oh my gosh...I'm having such a good time learning how to use it. I was jamming to some tunes I downloaded and had my earphones on....singing along....but I was reminded the iPod didn't come with singing lessons :) Oh well...who cares!! I love my iPod and love my sweetie!!

2006-09-04T13:56:00.000-05:00

Bailey Jeanne - August 2006

My Dad and Terry Anne just came back from a visit in Arkansas and stopped in to see Bailey! She is getting more and more beautiful!!