Our LuLu.....

This is LuLu. She is pretty much amazing. Her heart is every bit as big as her hair, and if you ever need to find her, just look for a glowing light of bling.

LuLu and I have been through many road trips, boyfriends, and adventurous experiences together. We never exactly lived in the same house through college, but there were about as many days and nights we spent together as apart. We have yet to encounter a problem we could not solve by sitting on a couch, curled up under a blanket, sharing a two pound bag of animal crackers.

I informed Brandon early on in our relationship that when he got me, he got 3 women in his life. Me, my sister, and LuLu. Like it or not…..that was the deal. No negotiating. He seems to have accepted and adapted to us and our craziness well, and there is no doubt in my mind he wouldn’t jump over the moon for LuLu. Her drama and hilarious blondeness drives him up the wall, but he actually thrives on it and loves every minute of her just being our LuLu.

LuLu has spent a little over a year now in Ghettoville, and to say the least I selfishly hated it. She was way too far away to just hop in the car and be there in an instant when one of us needed to hash out our day. But although her journey took her miles and miles away from us, it also brought her miles upon miles of teaching and life experience. She has seen and heard things from fourth graders that I am sure I did not have a clue about until at least my freshman year in college. I really don’t know how she did it. After hearing her teaching stories, I am certain I would have ran screaming within the first week.

LuLu dealt with Ghettoville well, and although it has most certainly been tough in more ways than I have room to mention, she is a stronger, sweeter, smarter, more beautiful person because of it. The GOOD news is that LuLu will now be close to us again! She is going to be a Bronco and I am super excited because purple is one of my favorite colors! We have already scheduled weekly dates at Spoonfuls (because birthday cake yogurt makes any day better) and I have begun stocking up on animal crackers for those long couch conversations that will certainly be in our future. I hope everyone has a LuLu in their life. She just makes the world a happier place.

My favorite pic of us ever. Right before my wedding.

 This was on Brandon and my first date. She's been with us all the way through :)

Thank Heaven for Ice Cream & Cake!!!

 Thank you so much for ice cream!!!

We had Riggin his very first birthday party (at Dee and Papa's house anyway.) We had it all, swimming, presents, family, and most importantly ice cream & cake!! I really don't think Riggs even noticed that other stuff. 

He got tired waiting on us to sing so he started his song off.... 

......and we finally got that singing stuff over with and got to the important stuff......

...........and more of it......     

...........and more of it......

 .....have to say he gets his love for sweets honest. It's in the Glaze blood......

.....also, ice cream breaks were a must between presents.....

....each and every present........

Have your Cake, and Eat it too.......

It was hot, nasty, windy just plain yucky yesterday evening……again. I am sure there are a hundred and one things Brandon and I could have worked on outside and in the house, but honestly, we just didn’t want to. So….we decided to drive up and see if the wind was calmer and weather cooler in Meadow. It wasn’t. But the good company made up for it.

We drove up and found Katie washing her lawn mower. Yes, big huge straw hat, old holy t-shirt, flip-flops, kid playing in the mud, scrubbing down her lawn mower. Like me and my rabbit hunting, she shares that Southern Woman Pride.

Brandon left with Rusty to do something with cows. Katie showed me her garden. Ryder drove around in his little ranger. And Riggs ate. And ate. And ate. I seriously cannot remember a time from when we got there until we left when he was actually full. He even went to sleep with a bottle in his mouth!

He ate some strawberry cake, orange, goldfish, sausage, carrots, cereal, popsicle, strawberry cake (I know I already mentioned it, but he was passionate enough about it to mention twice) He eats twice as much as Ryder, who must be strapped down and threatened to finish his plate. And if you have a plate of food, you automatically become Rigg’s best friend. He is pretty laid back and calm, but when it comes to food, patience is out the window and he will use full capacity of his lungs, just to let you know he is there and NEEDS food.

He has another birthday party at Dee and Poppa’s Sunday, and I am positive he could care less about presents, just give that boy some CAKE!!!

The one and only thing he hasn't liked, yellow flowers!!

The big ONE....

365 days ago I was waiting on somewhere around the fourth floor of a Lubbock hospital. I had called the back couch in the corner and was doing my best to ignore the gaps between the three seats as I lay across them in an attempt to be comfortable. I remember Dad and Ricky flipping through the TV channels and making a comment that you can buy anything at 1:00 in the morning. Mom and Cindy visited, and I don’t remember for sure but I would think it’s safe to say Mom had whipped out her stitching or knitting to pass the time.

Then, much like the first time, Rusty nonchalantly walked in, hands in his pockets, and said, “Well, he’s here.” I bet we hadn’t been there thirty-minutes! We went in to see the healthy Momma and baby and I can remember thinking he was SO tiny. Right over 6 pounds and perfect.

That little skinny baby has come a long way in his one year of life. He attended his first steer show at two weeks old, walked down the aisle of my wedding, toughed out the coldest Fort Worth I can remember, and most importantly, has learned several defense techniques to survive and keep up with his big brother.

I can’t wait to watch Riggin grow and his personality come out more. While they have their similarities, he and Ryder are already really different in many ways. No doubt he is his own little man, and I’m pretty sure those wrestling matches Ryder starts today may be finished by Riggs later on. Even at one he is tough and holds his own. He has a ‘bring it on’ attitude and his older brother has an endless imagination. No doubt they will get into mischief and cause their momma and daddy some trouble, providing great entertainment for us.

So here’s to you, Riggs. Happy Birthday, we love ya!!!!

Farm Chicks.....

Mom and I finally had a free Saturday and a few veggies ready to do what she has been wanting to do for years, have a booth at the farmer's market. We picked the veggies, loaded up her Tahoe, and off we went to sell our goodies. We were hoping to not have to carry a bunch back home and pawning off lettuce and carrotts to everyone we know. That, however, was no worry.

The farmer's market starts at 9:00am. Mom went to get a few more small bills and change for our little cash bag, just in case. She got back at about 9:10, and I had sold ALL the squash and zuchini and about all of the lettuce and carrots, which were gone by 9:30. The only thing that took until 11:30 to sell out of were the beets, and tons of people stopped by and said they'd never even tasted a beet (which is why we are going to have a little tasting bowl of it next time). We were so excited and fired up now.

We came home and Mom started watering and I planted more squash at my house. We had the best time visiting with people and were busy little bees bundling and packaging all the veggies up as people stood in line to purchase our goodies. It feels good to be in such high demand. :)

 

Momma at our booth, after we sold out of almost everything.

My bell pepper, I couldn't save them from the wind in our garden so I decided to baby them in pots.

Yes, he is useful.

Our Cherry Tomatoes!! I'm so excited about these. EVERYONE that came to

our booth wanted tomatoes. They're going to be our cash crop :)

Ryder and I ate a honeydew melon the other day and planted the seeds out of it.

We weren't exactly consistant, but hey, they came up so I'm thrilled!

I will be babying these......

.......and these.

And after a great morning we got to top it off with some cuties and a great evening!

And now for part two of my story. I came to the decision to get rid of the rabbits yesterday and the above contraption just wasn't doing the trick. Usually the coyotes do our rabbit hunting for us, but since they are laying down on the job it came to taking manners into my own hands. My mom gave me a shirt not too long ago that says "Raised with Good 'Ole Southern Values. Shoot it, Stuff it, or Marry it."

So I did what any classy southern woman would do. I put on my flipflops and best straw hat, grabbed my .22 and went rabbit hunting....in my front yard. I hated to get rid of those rabbits, but I had spent way too much time and money on my flowers and garden to have them eating my blooms and digging holes in my mulch. And let's just say I am a pretty good aim.

Evidently my geraniums were Sunday brunch.

 

Dang bugs seem to like my pretty flowers too. Guess I'll have to get my spray gun after them.

Bad Bugs......

Brandon and I had a pretty good little parent test this past week. Not one I wish to re-experience anytime soon (or ever again), but it happened, it is over (well, for us anyway), and I think we passed with flying colors.

We kept Ryder the other night. Did the usual of playing outside, he helped me water my garden and flowers, watched some Iron Man, that type stuff. He fell asleep on the couch, Brandon carried him to bed, and then….. it hit.

I won’t go into the gory details (just in case your reaction is like my husband’s) but let’s just say the bathroom, sheets and quilt on both our bed and the guest bed, several blankets, couch, and most of the floor in our room got to be unexpectedly deep cleaned. That’s right, 12 times. How that little 3-foot-tall munchkin had enough in him for 12 times I will never know, but he made it through.

I have to say I was proud of Brandon. Although he kept his distance (I found him on the living room floor in his sleeping bag as I was putting the second set of sheets in the washer about 1:00am), and although he didn’t actually clean any of it up (heaven forbid), he DID bring me a roll of paper towels and went to the store to get some Sprite (unfortunately our little country store, Denise’s, didn’t have Pedialite. Go figure.)  

After about 24 hours Ryder man was back to 100mph, but…… I got it. And about 5 hours later, Brandon got it…..and about 5 hours later, Mom got it…….and about 5 hours later, Riggin got it.

Last night was my Monday in Meadow and about 8:00pm Katie said she was getting a headache and feeling yucky, and…….yap, Katie got it. Rusty’s response was much like Brandon’s. I found him on the living room couch this morning. Can’t blame him. It is a mean little bug, so if you see it coming your way, turn around and run. Fast.

Just roll with it......

So this is what my husband showed up with late last night. It is a car. Oh, I’m sorry. A “Race Car”. Apparently there is a big difference there.

If the first thing that popped in your mind was. “Why?” Then welcome to my world. And did he call his wife before making this little purchase. Uhmm…..no.  Not at all. Just woke up to it parked in my drive way this morning.

I realize he got bored last weekend and talked about how he needed a project to work on, but I didn’t think he would take such drastic action. He is so super excited about it that I can’t help but be happy for him. (Plus I kinda spent a lot on a new camera a few days ago.)

Anyway, I guess I'll just roll with it and we'll be race car people now. Or at least for however long this little phase lasts. It is like an 80’s or early 90’s Mustang.  I really don’t know, but anyway, I told my sister I’m going to get me some hot pink leg warmers and colorful hair scrunchies so I look the part when riding in it. Actually it isn’t even street legal, so you probably won’t see us cruising around Sonic.

My cousin LuLu is thinking she will paint it zebra striped and turquoise this summer. We’ll see how well that flies with Brandon. As you can see it needs some glaming up though, and if there is one thing LuLu knows, it is how to bling out.

So anyway, this is our new car. Yay.