A Day in the Life

How Sweet it is!

2010-04-22T17:40:00.007-05:00

So, we're learning about plants at school...what plants need...what plants have...etc.

Two weeks ago we planted tiny seeds in a tiny green house for mother's day presents. The kids are AMAZED at the little green sprouts that have emerged. So, being the over-achiever that I am we've added some plant stuff to the classroom!

Our sweet potato is on day 11 of development and boy-oh-boy is development slow! But we're excited because 'Sweetie' now has two little root shoots and just the beginnings of purple nubs where the fine vine will sprout from!

Our avocado pit looks good...it looks like an avocado pit. From what I've read we won't see much for many more days and then we have a short window within which to plant the sucker in some soil before deterioration begins!

But today...today is exciting because we've started a mini-kinder-garden (Earth Day...how appropriate)! I nabbed an old aquarium from the science lab and we laid river rocks on the bottom for drainage, covered by a potting mix and we inserted some black eyed peas, Lima beans, pinto beans, black beans, and kidney beans! The beans are right up against the glass so we can observe the growth of the root system once the seed hull breaks loose! Yes, that's my reflection in the glass of the aquarium.

So, hopefully as things grow and provide unlimited observations, I'll be able so share them with you!

Cameron Park Zoo, Waco

2010-04-03T13:14:00.007-05:00

The littlest map reader started us out at the Gambon Monkey enclosure. We stopped at the photo opportunity and found some spotted ladybugs!

Little M chilled out in her stroller when we entered the lakes and streams exhibit. It was nice and cool inside the exhibit. After this shot we drove over to the aquarium windows and checked out all the big fish!

The aviary was neat because the birds were so very close to us! The 'bird on a wire' was literally right above us as we exited the lakes and streams exhibit. He just sat there surveying the area. I was just glad he didn't give us a special souvenir to wear home ;)

One of my favorite animals of the day was the Jaguar. He was napping next to the plate glass window and had his huge paw up against the glass. So many kids marvled at how small their hands compared to his!

Lovey carried our exploration magnifier with her a lot and examined the Jag very closely.

One of the exhibits was of the night creatures of central Texas. We got to see skunks, raccoons, bats, and of course, barn owls. The lighting inside of the exhibit allowed me to take some photos without disturbing the animals.

I don't know what kind of bird this is but I thought he was magnificant!

This gentleman as well! What an amazing creature!

Clearly everyone on this family trip likes to take photos! Missy, Mom and me!

The Austin Kite Festival

2010-04-03T12:37:00.003-05:00

When Missy and the girls came to visit this Spring Break we had a week of fantastic Austin weather! The annual Zilker Kite Festival that had been rescheduled the weekend before was in full swing and after twisting through some hilly Austin neighborhoods we found ourselves parked in front of the Austin Nature Center, which happened to be closed for the day, and just feet away from the beginnings of a beautiful day in the park with kites (and kite eating trees) all around us!

Little M enjoying a Pineapple Basil pop from Austin's own all organic "GoodPops." Pretty good stuff actually!

One area of the kite show was roped off for the super-sized kites that must have been in excess of 20ft!

Lovey and her superstar sunglasses taking in all of the "flags" she could see in the air.

Hundreds of 'flags' flew on a perfectly windy day in Zilker park. Lovey word for 'Kite' was 'Flag' until the kite festival...she now knows exactly what a kite is!

Is that a drip I hear?

2010-01-02T16:03:00.004-06:00

Well, I didn't hear a drip but I did see what appeared to be a wet spot on the ceiling. Dan and I bolted up to the attic (where the water heater is housed) to see what the problem was. After taking a photo of a blue canister suspended kitty-corner over the water heater we made a trip to Lowe's and got an education in "potable water expansion tanks". Apparently, the blue canister that sits above the water heater is a "bladder" that controls the pressure when water is turned on and off in the house. Supposedly without this "bladder" the water heater would make a knocking sound like one might hear in the pipes of a much older home.

We discovered that the "drip pan" that was holding up the PWET (potable water expansion tank) was entirely rusted and had disconnected from the drain spout. More than one of the metal strips holding the drip pan to the beams in the attic had rusted through and had broken loose.

So, here are some Before, During and After photos of our exciting Saturday morning home repair adventure.

As you can see here the 'drip pan' is tipped forward, away from the existing drain spout.

Sorry for the rotated angle, however it shows just how far away the drip pan was from the drain spout!

The outside of the Potable Water Expansion Tank had to be cleaned off and inspected for any damage or cracking...

The original drip pan caked with layers of rust...!

We had to get creative in our repair as Lowe's doesn't carry or even know of any small (12"x12") drip pans with drain spouts. So, we used a plastic storage box and a 1/2" wood bit and made our own hole.

We independently suspended the PWET to hold it up out of the drainage container. We then positioned the plastic drainage container and used liquid nails to attach and seal the hole in the box to the existing draining spout.

We'll have to check on the seal after the glue has seasoned overnight. We had to remove some insulation from the attic and treat several wet boards. There is no mold or mildew but I'm just overly concerned with such possibilities. My super-sniffer has not picked up on any indication that there is a growth in the boards up there.

We thought we were out of the woods, so to speak, upon completion of this project. However, when Dan went outside to turn the water back on, the pressure jolted the pipes and I then noticed a small drip on ANOTHER pipe connection. You cannot really see the small pool of water around the base of this connection.

The leak is where the copper piping meets the plastic ring...there is evidence of rusting in the copper pipe. I thought copper was sturdier than this! The house is 7 years old! I'd expect pipe degradation in an older home but not here!

Painting Party

2010-01-02T15:35:00.004-06:00

Dan and I have been having fun adding some color to our lives...and by that I mean we've been painting!

The color on our living room accent wall is called "cinnamon stick". Dan did a fabulous job of taping off the arch that leads into the hallway for the two secondary rooms and guest bathroom.

Initially we were a little worried about how we would transition from the cinnamon stick wall but we thought we'd try taping off instead of wrapping around into the hallway.

As you can see, the taping job was beautifully done and we have a crisp line.

The cinnamon stick color wraps around from the living room into the kitchen and really sets off our new floors!

Next on our list of things to do is replace the window treatment in the living room and finish refinishing the end tables and coffee table to better coordinate with our new floors!

We are LOVING how good the kitchen furniture looks against the new paint.

We are considering wrapping the cinnamon stick around the rest of the kitchen...and might even resurface the kitchen cabinets a clean white!

Our entry way has been painted as well. The color here is called "Warm Caramel" and we've really "warmed" to it! Dan was the one who picked out this color and initially I was a little wary of it but now I just love it!

I love how our moulding and white trim just pops now! If we didn't have such angular ceilings I'd want to put crown moulding in.

Even the furniture looks new in front of the new color! The chairs currently are covered in a cream backed birdie pattern but we want to change it out to either a solid blue that will pick up on the area rug and stoneware dishes we have OR maybe a taupe that would be more neutral (would have to coordinate with the walls otherwise it might clash...) or even a cream to go with the curtains... lots to think about!

More shots of our beautiful wall! The color inspiration is Dan's couch. The blue-red area rug in the foreground will be leaving as soon as we find a replacement...

I especially love the new wall when we have the wall sconce lit and the lamps on...the red glass in the Tiffany lamps glow beautifully and really pick up on the cinnamon stick tone! Hmmm, looks like we need to center the couch...!

Christmas in South Austin

2010-01-02T15:23:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas! Dan and I joined John & Darby & the boys for their visit from Caroline & Max at the SoAusPerk home. Eli was very excited to see me arrive with an arm-load of wrapped gifts ;) He was very patient and even waited until Uncle Dan and everyone else was ready to watch him open presents!

Jed has this gift opening thing down pat!

Just love the "Ho! Ho! Ho!" on the PJ flap!

I joined the barbershop quartet at a young age...

Snugga Bugga?

2010-01-02T15:09:00.004-06:00

We are a family of snugglers. Dan walked into the bedroom the other day to discover Abby (Lt) and Silas (Rt) curled up on the bed dozing. Silas woke up for the photo.

After working on some "nesting" around the house we had decided it was nap time. Dan crawled into bed and was quickly joined by both dogs and both cats. Abby quickly took her position of "Queen of the mountain" while the boys curled up in the nooks and crannies that one's body creates when they lay on their side. Wait, where is Silas? Silas is actually burrowed under the blankets curled up against Dan's chest, which is where he often sleeps, for this photo.

Because of Reese's leg(s) situation we are trying to train him to utilize the doggie stairs at the end of the bed. AJ has gotten quite adept at this new skill but Reese is reluctant. At bed time he takes his place on his dog bed to the left of Dan's side of the bed. It isn't until the following morning that he wants up on the bed to snuggle. As it stands, our sleep (in our queen bed mind you) includes AJ and, for most of the night, Abby & Silas. It's a full house and we love it!

Playing Catch-Up...the month of November

2010-01-01T22:01:00.006-06:00

I haven't posted since September and the year ended without any updates! So, in an effort to wrap-up and close-out 2009 I'll make a final post for the year...

In November, Dan and I made our annual trip to New Braunfelds for Wurstfest. This year was also our second annual trip to the Tour de Gruene. I rode with Dan in the non-competetive group ride earlier in the day. The course was much changed from last year and not as enjoyable for us. Granted, my experience could have been dampened due to the multiple spills taken on my bike two months earlier...let's just say my ride wasn't as relaxed as it was last year! Too many overpasses to traverse and too many inexperienced (hello kettle) riders made me too nervous!

The turnout for the Individual Time Trial wasn't as impressive this year because Lance Armstrong didn't attend. Oddly enough, the organization of the event was far superior last year even though the same people ran it this year and for the past dozen or so!

After we took some recovery time from our rides we got ready to go to Wurstfest and enjoy the sumptuous feast of brats, fried potatoes, sauerkraut, brochen, roasted corn on the cob, and funnel cake. Did I forget beer? Can't forget beer at Wurstfest...!

Dan and I got 'kickered' out in boots and jeans for a little boot scootin'! Fun Fun Fun!

On our way home we attended Merle's wedding to Tom. Dan worked with Merle at the AG's office. The views at Vintage Villas overlooking Lake Austin were great! I can only imagine how much more beautiful it is when the lake isn't 30ft low...!

Happy Quads...

2009-09-10T19:55:00.003-05:00

We've got ourselves some of the happiest four legged beasts I've ever seen! Abby loves lounging with her daddy :)

Silas loves snuggling with his momma

And AJ just loves to lay around the house!

Estes Park, CO. PFR'09

2009-08-16T13:32:00.005-05:00

As the Perkins family all start to post their accounts of the fantastic PFR'09 I find myself compelled to share the Leander Perkins Family account of PFR'09.

Originally Dan and I planned on camping our way up to Estes and back but with Dan's schedule keeping him in court up until our departure we decided to shed that layer of complication and just find pet friendly accommodations on our North bound route.

Diego, our Explorer (Dora's replacement) got a check-up before we started the long trek up IH-35. Day one was our long day as we drove all the way to Hays, Ks and stayed in a clean but microscopic Baymont Inn. AJ and Reese are fantastic travelers :) Each stop along the road was met with compliments for our "well-behaved, beautiful" dogs! Ha! I can go with the "beautiful dogs" business but...

Day two of driving was fairly short with a quick 5hr jaunt from Hays to Denver for our visit with the Stapleton Perkins family.

Dan and Steve rode in a group ride (Copper Triangle) on Saturday and Laura and I got pedi's on Sunday. I laughed about how the ladies in the salon complained about the 'heat'...16 degrees cooler with no humidity felt like heaven to me!

On Monday we arrived in Estes and dropped AJ and Reese off at Linda's pet care (no dogs allowed at the reunion cabin as per the Y-camp rules). Wow. One word for the Fairchild cabin is wow. Oh, another word is HUGE! What a wonderful space to host a family reunion! Two stoves, two microwaves, two dishwashers, two fridges, plenty of counter and storage space! Wonderful! The view was amazing and now I wish we would have spent more time sitting outside and enjoying that view.

Dan and I went into town daily to play with the dogs at the bark park. I'm not sure who had more fun...us or the dogs! On Wednesday we took Caroline into town with us and took Orvis to the park as well. Swimming and running was just what the boys needed!

Not only did I get to go on my very first hay ride this trip, I also rode my first horse! Frank (named after Frank Sinatra...one blue eye) was a great horse and even let me drive some of the time. Dan's horse, Bill, wasn't as agreeable and didn't let Dan drive much at all! I heard a lot of "whoa Bill, don't crowd Frank" from behind me.

We missed the Sprague Lake hike but tried a hike of our own up Emerald Mtn. Unfortunately the trail we were looking for was closed off for revitalization so we stayed on the available trail and eventually circumnavigated all of Emerald Mtn. After four hours we were ready to get back to the cabin. It was a lovely day with my Danno.

On Friday the party ended. Courtney and Cliff had to zip back to Texas with the girls and get Cliff on a Sunday plane for the work week. John and Darby loaded up the boys after a fun morning of zooming around and playing and followed Steve & Laura to Denver for an overnight visit before loading onto a south bound plane for Texas. Dan and I stayed one night in Broadview with Max and Caroline soaking up the phenomenal view. Cousin Julie and her fiance came for dinner and we talked and played Boggle for what must have been hours!

Dan's final adventure of our vacation culminated as he jogged across the finish line at the Boulder 5430 Triathlon. Laura and I camped out at the reservoir beach with Will and Alex for the morning. The boys played and played and played in the water with their trucks! It was fantastic. Max and Caroline arrived in time to watch Dan cross the finish line and to catch up with Steve after his foot injury.

So, back in the car for the long drive home. As much fun as we had we were ready to get home. I think the dogs missed their cats (hmmm?) but I know they missed their Mommoo (I know I missed her).

I took more photos than are in the slide show but I wanted to share my favorites (there are so many) with you. I've never embedded a slide show so I hope it works!

First Austin Symphony in the park of the summer.

2009-06-01T22:32:00.002-05:00

So Dan and I made it out for the first Austin Symphony in the Park concert of the summer series this past Sunday evening. Two summers ago we spent most Sunday evenings at the park listening to the Austin Symphony. The venue is different and we aren't as happy with it but the music was still great and the boys had a wonderful time. Lots of people to sniff at and other dogs to raise the alarm.

AJ and Reese enjoyed a lovely 2009 sparkling agua. After pouring, the agua was allowed to breathe until it reached peak enjoyment.

After his 2nd bowl full AJ got a little silly.

Vanity, thy name is Reese. Isn't he pretty!

Jed's Dedication - Easter weekend

2009-05-03T20:13:00.006-05:00

Dan and I attended Jed's dedication on Easter Day. Unfortunately I didn't get many good photos because it was rather dark.

While I didn't capture the actual dedication of Jed, I did catch some of the special event :)

Lounging around the house with the family.

2009-04-26T19:47:00.003-05:00

Nothing better than lounging on the couch with the Big, Big.

Unless the Big, Big decides to crawl over ya!

OR crawl behind you...

Such a snuggly boy.

Christmas with Lovey

2009-04-26T17:32:00.004-05:00

Little Lovely sittin' pretty.

"Uh-oh, Who me?"

Such a big girl!

Oh no...here comes Elmo! Apparently we're on the lookout for an "Abby Cadaby" doll so if you see one...let me know!

Now, isn't that the cutest?

My sister calls her daughter 'Lovey' on the Graco blog (where she works and the ladies in the office blog about their experiences as parents) so I'll call her 'Lovey' here as well. Mom and I visited the middle sister over Christmas break and loved our visit with Lovey. Since our visit the little sister has been born. She doesn't have a blog name yet and I don't have a photo to upload at this point but she is mini-Lovey all the way! Adorable :)

Christmas Day at Oma's house

2009-04-26T16:44:00.003-05:00

Dan and I took our boys over to Mom's house for Christmas day. It's so nice to be able to take the boys over to mom's whenever I want to visit for a little bit. They love Dutch's doggie door but they haven't met Lovey or Audry. They sniff around and know there is something else in the house. Dutch really enjoys having the boys over as well and is perky for several days after a visit.

Graduation

2009-04-26T16:25:00.003-05:00

Graduation day December 19, 2008. Up until the end of my final class I was under the impression that everyone in my classes was making straight A's. It wasn't until I was reading the graduation program that I realized just how few of the graduates of the Master's Program were graduating with a 4.0. My cup of pride swelleth over!

Dan and I had the sun in our eyes! Squint, Squint! The beautiful bouquet is from Dan in celebration of my final day as a student teacher.

Back Room Make Over

2008-12-01T18:39:00.004-06:00

The "Before" photo of our back bedroom. Yes, the room had become a bit of a dumping ground for any and all things not currently used...

We measured and leveled...

And cut and trimmed...

We painted and sealed

Until we had built in shelves inside the closet.

The room did not have a ceiling fan so we picked one up at Home Depot but didn't like any of the color pallets so we sanded down the blades and painted the fan blades to match the wall base color and ceiling.

Dan used Dad's table saw to miter the chair rail trim that we mounted around the perimeter of the room.

One thing we learned about taping was to stick with the blue painter's tape (hahaha! I'm feeling a little punny right now I guess). The green 'bull frog' tape was super sticky and actually pulled paint off the wall. In this photo you can see the "Ho Hum" color on the top part of the wall. "Ho Hum" is a Winnie the Pooh paint color available through the Walt Disney line of paint colors with Behr paint. Go figure...ME choosing a Winnie the Pooh color...!

We taped and taped and taped....

Then we taped some more!

But we are super pleased with the end result! You can't see it in the photo but the trim that Dan cut with the miter saw have an ivy vine that trails along the trim in the green that matches the stripes. Another painting technique that we learned about stripes is that you should paint the base color over the tape to seal off the little nooks and crannies BEFORE painting the accent color. We learned that by the 3rd and 4th walls...!

Can't wait to start the other guest bedroom!

Vivian's Birthday Dinner.

2008-12-01T18:20:00.003-06:00

I forgot to get these photos posted...Jed was still cookin' in the oven so not in the photos unless you count the bump hiding behind the ginormous soda cup.

Eli and the girls got some 'tats' at the restaurant. Later Eli and I would go back and get a balloon animal. Eli picked out a fishing pole and a balloon fish. I bet he was thinking about the fun he had up in Estes at the fishing pond.

Vivian's Shamu face paint.

Emma Grace selected a fabulous Unicorn for her paint.

I just love these little family events.

Thanksgiving Fun at Perkins' Place

2008-11-30T21:45:00.003-06:00

Eli and Uncle Dan at the end of an enjoyable evening.

Vivian was tickled to get to hold lil'Jed.

AJ curled up with 'Gramma' on the ottoman. We are a comfy bunch :)

Reese LOVED having Princess, Orvis and Boone to play with him and AJ for the night. They played with toys that have sat untouched for months...!

As you can see, the boys were quite tired after their company left for the evening. We had a wonderful time having family over. Holidays are fantastic but are much more fun with family to enjoy them with.

The triumph of the night was in capturing this family photo. The rest of the dogs were sent out of the house because the first photo was mostly hound hiney...

Tour de Gruene

2008-11-08T11:16:00.006-06:00

So, I participated in my first organized cycling event. Dan and I drove down to New Braunfelds on Friday night so we could get a good night of sleep before getting up early and going to Gruene for the annual Tour de Gruene.

We've gone to Wurstfest for three years in a row now. We just love all of that fun Oompah music and great German food but this year I suggested that we participate in the Saturday morning cycling tour of Gruene. I think it surprised Dan that I would make such an insane suggestion. The tour distances were 15, 30, and 40 miles. Considering I had only gone 3 miles at a time previously I was nervous about signing up for the 15 mile tour! Dan was awesome, he stayed with me even though that meant he only got to go 10 miles an hour (on average) for the next two hours!

Within the first ten minutes on the bike we saw the aftermath of what I would describe as a gory wreck. The lady cyclist was laying on the ground, her bike bent several yards away in the grass, bleeding from her head, moaning and struggling to stay conscious. Talk about nervous. At that point I was ready to hop off the bike and walk back up to the starting line. But I kept going, with my personal cycling trainer by my side, and had a fantastic day.

It took me about 1hr 45minutes to pedal 15 miles and I know that must sound tediously slow to everyone out there but I was so pleased with my ride for the day. I did have to walk up two hills, not necessarily because I couldn't pedal up but because so many people in front of my stopped to walk and I couldn't get around them safely. Honestly I think it saved my legs for later.

I don't have any of the tour photos to share but I do have some of the photos I took of Dan's individual time trial from later that day. Lance Armstrong participated in the annual event and I got some photos of him as well. Dan won his age group and Lance won overall with a time difference of 6minutes 50seconds. Pretty sweet huh?

Dan just coming out of the chute.

Dan coming up on the finish line (just out of the photo frame to the right).

Lance getting ready to change after his warm-up loop.

Lance starting his competitive loop of the time trial course.

I had to include this photo because you can see Dan's name at the bottom of the photo with his time and then Lance's name at the top of the shot. I just thought it was neat to capture their names together (in the same place) for an event.

The flowers were only props for the winner's photos! Not that we need dried flowers with feather accents around our house (although Abby and Silas would love that...) but I found it funny that the top placers for each division took photos with the same flowers.

Student Teaching

2008-09-28T10:02:00.004-05:00

Just a short post to update those curious about my Student Teaching experience. I just completed my 3rd week in the classroom and I am enjoying getting familiar with my new surroundings. Forest North is a smaller elementary school than I where I worked before so I'm having an easier time learning the campus and the faculty/staff which is nice for me. On Friday my professor visited the classroom to observe. I'm pleased to report that she was very positive and even passed along a compliment from my administrator which apparently is high praise from her.

Next week I will co-teach the Reading lessons and the week after that I'll be solely in charge of the Reading lessons. Each week I'll co-teach and then take over a new subject until I am teaching all of the lessons. My cooperating teacher will still be in the classroom for those lessons, however, there will come a time near the middle/end of my student teaching experience when I am totally solo in the classroom.

I'm a little nervous about writing lesson plans and then actually using them. I've written lesson plans for my coursework but I never used them so this is new for me.

Y-Camp Nature Hike

2008-09-07T21:05:00.004-05:00

Dan, Caroline and I signed up for the Emerald Mountain hike but 20 minutes away from the camp my boots fell apart! Literally the treads fell off the bottom because of dry rot. I purchased the boots years ago from REI but I guess I made a bad choice by storing them in the garage with my camping gear. I'll remember that when I eventually replace them. Caroline was able to continue the hike but Dan and I went back down to camp with my treads flopping out in front of my boots.

So, we signed up for a nature hike for the following day. I wore my tennis shoes and was just fine. The name of the group was "Nature Walk" and for the most part it was, indeed, a nice stroll through the woods, however the terrain proved to be challenging toward the end. It really was more of a HIKE than a WALK.

Dan & Caroline toward the end of the hike.

Earlier in the day we crossed a bridge and watched the stream flow beneath us. I liked the remnants of a previous bridge that remain.

Time for my botanical shots. You know how I love taking photos of flower blooms.

The light green banana pepper looking appendages at the top of this pine tree are immature pine cones. I don't know that I've ever seen immature pine cones before so I just had to snap.

Play Day

2008-09-07T20:41:00.003-05:00

Eli and John sped around the race track on our play day. Alex was too young for the go-karts and was a little sad by it as you can tell from the next photo. Or maybe he just wanted my camera.

Never fear, he found something fun to do!

Later that day we went to a playground area with a pond. The cousins had a great time running. In the distance of the photo you can see a backhoe...which explains the excited, running boys!
Will was back at the cabin with Steve. He wasn't feeling well.

I LOVE this photo of Eli running back from the fence. It reminds me of the Friends episode where Phoebe runs crazy and Rachel is embarrassed by it but realizes how fun it is to run crazy.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-09-07T20:17:00.002-05:00

For our one year anniversary we stayed the night at Black Canyon Inn. This is the view from our front porch! The room was beautiful, the view was beautiful and our evening was beautiful. On the property of the Black Canyon Inn there is a restaurant called the Twin Owl. Some history about the Twin Owl...they used to have beautiful pink napkins ;)

We balanced our camera on rocks to get this shot. I think it looks very 'Stepford Wife' but a photo nonetheless.

Dan's anniversary present to me was the necklace & earring set made of Boulder Opal. Don't be confused by the name as the opal does not originate in Boulder, Co!

For Dan I made a photo book of our first year together. I really enjoyed putting it together. I had it delivered to the Y Camp in Estes Park and picking up my package proved to be more difficult than I anticipated.

Another view from the room. We ate our wedding cake topper with fresh fruit piled on top. It was actually really good for one year old cake!

Driving to Colorado

2008-09-06T18:40:00.001-05:00

July's excitement centered around our second-annual trip to Colorado. We loaded up the dogs, packed the camp gear in the trailer, and hit the road!

You can see in this photo just how excited my boys were about traveling. Dora (Dora, Dora the Explorer) is obscuring our new trailer. Right now the trailer is an open utility trailer but we intend to build an enclosure for our camp gear so we can secure items when we are hiking or otherwise away from the site. We got the trailer because we simply don't have the room to take our camp gear, the dogs, and luggage on a long trip...so we now have a trailer to haul it all!

Last year we stopped at the Capulin Volcano on a whim. This year we whipped past the extinct volcano but snapped a photo and remembered.

Drink time! In case you can't discern from the photo...we had stopped for a break and filled a bowl for the boys and they were simultaneously drinking. They were practicing for a little known Olympic event - synchronized slurping...

On our way to Denver we stopped and spent the night in Colorado Springs, Co so we could visit Garden of the Gods. We took the boys for some hiking and while they enjoyed the extended time out of the car, the visit to the Garden was definitely for us people! I visited G. of the Gods as a child and loved it then too! The name says it all.

This photo is of the same mountain! Can you spot the same climbers in the left photo? We saw the climbers and got pretty excited when we zoomed in on them climbing. Pretty good zoom for a point and shoot camera!

A nice couple offered to take our photo. I'm always a little leery of asking people to take our photo. I'm always a little afraid they'll run with the camera. At least it wouldn't have the same twist as European Vacation if the camera did get stolen...! Ah, that Chevy Chase...funny guy.

I took this photo for Dan. He saw an eagle living in the rocks.

Maiden Voyage

2008-07-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

Woo Hoo! Dan built up a bicycle for me. We picked my beautiful, new, glossy black and red bicycle on Thursday. Mom and I had driven downtown to go to lunch with Dan and after a lovely "le pot pie" from La Madelines we stopped past the bike shop and picked up my new toy! I got a red, black and white helmet to keep my noggen protected. Dan helped me pick it out since I know little or nothing about cycling or the gear involved. The helmet itself has bug netting to keep flying insects out of my hair! Clever...

It's a "starter bike" just in case I don't get the "itch". When we were in AustinBikes the guy kept showing me a beautiful bike for only $2300. I just giggled.

Friday I rode a bike for the first time in over 20 years... I was, of course, nervous about balance, etc. We started out in our cul-de-sac and Dan gave me directions on starting with me push-off foot up. It took two stops (stop signs within the neighborhood) for me to catch on to pedaling for a bit before flipping over the second pedal cage and slipping my foot in. After that my starts and stops were much smoother. I didn't know what to do with the gears but Dan gave me nice simple instructions for when and how to switch gears.

At one point, going down hill, we were up to 18mph! I started to brake after that because it just felt a little fast for me... I could just imagine someone backing out of a driveway and me spazzing just before colliding. Dan says that I have great pedaling form (I keep my knees in) and is/was impressed with my balance. I had fun and we took three laps up and down the main road in our neighborhood for a total of 3.5 miles. My hiney is sore but I'm looking forward to taking more laps the next time we ride (later today perhaps?)

I'm now a believer that being on a bike fitted for a person is much more comfortable than a spin bike at a gym. I was, reasonably, nervous about getting on a bike because I have historically experienced such hip discomfort when on recumbent bikes.

Dan took a goofy photo of me with his camera phone but I don't have it to post here. However, I do have a photo that Dan took of the bike with our camera.

Hello from Niagara Falls!

2008-06-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

My niece Erin graduated from high school at the end of June so Mom and I traveled to New York to be a part of the celebration. We decided to make the trip our summer vacation as well so not only did we get to visit Wendy's family we also visited with Missy's family and spent two days being blown away by the majestic power that is Niagara Falls.

Mom caught me playing 'photographer'.

To be a bird gliding over the edge of Niagara would be exhilarating! I can only imagine the freedom the gull in this photo is experiencing.

I wish the photos we took could begin to truely represent Niagara. These simply do not do the falls justice. The falls in the forefront of the photo are the Amerian Falls.

I had a lot of fun capturing little creatures with my camera. I'm sure the photo is fairly pixilated because I had my camera on maximum zoom and the squirrel was still pretty far away.

Mom took this photo of me at the International Boundry Line. My fear of heights was starting to kick in...fortunately she snapped the photo and we were on the move again.

The observation deck is also the elevator shaft down to the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Mom and I visited both locations on Day 2 of our Niagara visit. We got mixed in with the most obnoxious tour group.

While in Canada we walked around a lot and visited the formal gardens. I liked the formality and linear aspects of the gardens. I'd never have such a formal garden but it was neat to see.

Bracelet Day

2008-05-31T09:46:00.000-05:00

The week before school ended my class planned a little surprise for me. I knew something was up because I'm usually not called to all ends of the earth at the same time on my campus! The morning started off with my paper machie project. Nikita and I were planning a "Fiesta Friday" for the last day of school and we wanted Pinatas but knew we would need more than one since some of our students don't wait for very long. Anyway, the students really got into the paper machie process and we covered 5 balloons! I was very pleased with the way they listened to directions and stuck with the project.

So, on to the surprise! When I finally got back to the classroom after the "goose wild" chase the kids were all waiting for me in the room.

Nikita coordinated the idea of giving me a charm bracelet and each student put a charm on it. Andrew got me a tiny blue flip-flop because he loves shoes so much. Each charm represents a student, something they loved doing with me. I was so touched.

Here is my little "Tigger." He bounces everywhere he goes! I'm trying to show off my bracelet...not put him in a headlock.

Will and I worked together for two of the three years I worked at CRE. He has grown in so many ways and it really has been a joy to be a part of that growth. Nikita took photos of each of the students with me and the bracelet and I've GOT to get photos printed out and thank you notes written and sent. There are several families that I intend to keep in touch with. I've invested too much in their children to just not see how things continue to progress!

I'm excited and scared about moving on. I'm sad about leaving CRE and my classroom because I finally found my voice on that campus. But hey, I've learned a little more about myself and can use that new perspective in the next chapter of my education experience and I'm really looking forward to that.

Rock Climbing with Dan

2008-05-26T21:01:00.000-05:00

On Mother's day Dan and I hiked Enchanted Rock. Mom and the boys stayed back at the camp, the granite trail from the day before was just too much for AJ & Reese's paws. The hike itself was a little more than one mile, but in that mile hike climbs 425ft in elevation which is pretty darned steep!

Dan and I took photos at the trail-head before taking off on our hike. I started off with the wide-brimmed had to shade the back of my neck, as I got a little too much sun on Saturday, but the wind kept stealing it so I had to give in and stuff it in Dan's backpack.

Here we are at the summit.

"WOO-HOO!"

With as tired as my legs were from the four mile hike the day before, I felt quite the accomplishment for summitting Enchanted Rock. After climbing 425ft in elevation, in a very short time, I revised my earlier thoughts on what tired legs feel like.

Dan ran ahead to check out some HUGE boulders. Dan looks absolutely tiny standing in front of them. You can't really see but a little kid ran into the shot and sat down at the edge of the rock.

Then Dan and I tried our hand at "bouldering". Man-o-man my hands hurt after scrambling up those rocks. I almost lost my grip a few times but was able to regain my finger hold.

Dan was quite adept at grabbing onto the granite chunks. All this and no lessons! Ah, well we had fun pretending to rock-climb...it's probably a good idea we were never more than two feet off the ground!

Surprisingly there was quite a bit of shade on top of Enchanted Rock. It's amazing to me to see how adaptive life is. Flowers, grasses, cactus, and trees clung on to every grain of soil and every drop of water on the solid surface of the Rock.

I really enjoyed our day on Enchanted Rock. Everything was so beautiful and the weather was oh so cooperative. On Saturday night, around 3am, many of the campers packed up and left because the wind picked up and sounded really scary even though it never rained. I actually got out of the sleeping bag to put away everything that we had left out on the table earlier in the evening. Of course that was after I laid there, wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling of the tent wondering if things were going to get rough and rainy or if the bad weather would quickly blow though. AJ was nervous because of the bad weather and burrowed in with me. He actually curled up under the blankets with me. He is such a snuggler!

I'm still not sure how I photographed this pretty little bird. She had been on a tree much further away but by the time I got my focus she took off. Next thing I knew she was in the tree above me and she sang a few notes while I snapped the photo and promptly flew off! I was so excited that I caught her!

It's a good thing Dan was along. He used his super-human strength to hold two massive boulders up. I am married to the strongest man in the universe!

Flora & Fauna of Enchanted Rock

2008-05-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

I took entirely too many photos of little flowers and plants on our hike on Saturday. I've included some of my favorites.

The gnarly hole in this tree was rather deep. I tried taking a photo down into the hole but didn't want to get my hand in there!

Out on the granite flats little plants managed to scrape out an existance. This formation looks like a hard boiled egg to me. Green eggs and ham anyone?

Lovely lavender blooms with a bee in the left flower.

Most of the cactus blooms were solid yellow but this bloom had a delicious pop of orange-red at the base. It really jumped out at me.

The new cactus pads are almost soft to the touch.

Ferns curled out from under the rocks at every twist and turn of the path. A minature forest exploded in the most unlikely of places.

Just something pretty...

Isn't it amazing how life will perservere? How in the world did the tree make it on the flat of one boulder crushed up against another boulder? Looks like this shot should be on an inspirational poster about making the best of what you've got.

I should have put my hand or foot into the photo so you could really see just how tiny this cactus plant is. The cactus wasn't much bigger than the pad of my index finger.

I hope you enjoyed my plant photos. I know I had fun poking around on the trail taking them.

Hiking With Mom & the Boys

2008-05-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

On Saturday of our visit to Enchanted Rock, Mom and I took the boys for a hike on the "scenic loop" that was described as a light hike by one of the park rangers. Well, the distance wasn't daunting but the terrain proved otherwise.

There were lots of puddles and streams for the boys to cool off in which they appreciated greatly! I carried water for them in a hand held dog dish but they weren't very interesetd in the water bowl...they wanted their agua au natural.

AJ was the adventuresome hiker. You can't really tell from this shot but this must have been a 20 foot drop that AJ and I peeked over. Some of the trail was "developed" but much of the trail was granite gravel that eventually tore up the pads of the dogs' paws. We had to scramble over boulders and through streams on the "scenic loop" and the dogs were so excited to be out on their adventure for the day that they didn't even complain about their feet.

We were pretty close to the end of the hike at this point. The dogs were obviously pooped so we rested for a while. I couldn't get a signal on my phone so I couldn't let Dan know where we were. He had gone out for a ride earlier in the day and Mom and I anticipated being back at camp long before the 4 hours that expired while we were out for the day.

We both got too much sun on our necks in spite of the reapplications of sunblock. When I was loading the backpacks with bottled water I felt a little silly packing so much H2O but we used it all! It was exhilariating! Mom is the one who taught me to camp as a child. We always had so much fun camping as a family when I was little. It was a joy to me to take mom out for the weekend and show her how much I can do!

Leave it to Reese to smile for the camera. Mom and I felt awful about having to push the dogs further but there wasn't much we could do to complete the hike. The boys didn't move once we got them back to camp but by Monday afternoon they were both back up on their feet and I got a warm welcome home from school for the day.

Dan and I have promised ourselves and each other to walk the boys more often so they don't have such delicate feet.

The Birdies are here!

2008-05-18T19:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, so you remember the bird nest that I found in our Grapevine. Well, when we returned from Enchanted Rock on Mother's Day I discovered that the eggs had hatched but I didn't get a photo on that first visit. I feel a little guilty about poking my big nose into their nursery but I just can't help it! I'm so curious about them!

So, I couldn't wait any longer for an update. There are three fuzzy little birdies in the nest. I'm so glad that horrible storm didn't knock them out of their cozy little home last week. I know this isn't a very good photo but I was trying to be quick. At least in the photo you can make out a beak and some wings.

Silverlake Tri - Pearland Texas

2008-05-18T19:18:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the post title is a little misleading! Dan and I stayed with Becca & Grant again and got to spend some fun time with Connor. He's such a little ham for the camera. He is crawling all over the place and even sometimes crawls up on all four.

You can tell he is gonna be mischievous can't you?!? Connor is super coordinated and constantly moving. Talk about a hand full! I could just nibble him up!

Here is someone you might know! I didn't manage to get a shot of Dan on the bike. He is just too fast for me. I did, however, capture a photo of him about 1/2 way through the run. At this point he was third. It was pretty exciting to catch him two times on the course for the day. When we saw him on the bike I shouted, "Good Morning!" and he waved but it turns out he didn't actually hear me shout good morning. The Tri had over 500 participants and he finished 20th overall so WOO-HOO for Dan!

I've got more Enchanted Rock posting to do now...

Rock formations at Enchanted Rock

2008-05-12T17:52:00.000-05:00

This rock reminds me of Venus carvings / fertility carvings from the Paleolithic Period although it's obvious whoever placed the rocks on top for a head thought the same thing!

The rock formation in the center of the photo looked like a hooded cobra to me and mom. I have included a blown up copy so you can see the snake better! So many of the rocks looked like animals or people, it was almost like cloud watching.

Mom and I liked this rock formation. It looked like three clay jugs perched atop a well.

I think this one looks like a clay model of a face. I included a blow up so you can see him better. I took way to many photos on our four mile scenic hike around the base of Enchanted rock. There was so much to look at. The trail was a lot more challenging that we originally believed but I'll get to that in subsequent posts...

Here is the Rooster head!

We have house guests!

2008-05-12T17:28:00.000-05:00

We have a 'volunteer' grape vine on the side of the house in front. The weight of the vine has made the trellis lean over. I reached into the grape vine the other day to pull it back up and a bird flew out which scared the heck out of me!

It was after that I discovered the beautiful nest and eggs! I'm not sure what kind of bird we've got nesting in our grape vine but the momma bird is grey and white on her wings while her eggs are light blue with brown speckels.

Upon returning from our camping trip to Enchanted Rock I peeked at the nest for an update and we've got three fuzzy baby birds! I didn't take a photo because of the flash...I didn't think that would be very nice. Besides, I think I'm pushing my limits with momma bird and I don't want to endanger the babies.

My Gerber Daisies are back in full bloom. On either side you can see that my Begonias made it through another winter.

The folks at the Austin Nature Center said that birds re-use nests so I'm suppose to leave it alone once the birds fly away.

Babysitting Eli

2008-05-11T17:59:00.001-05:00

Dan and I spent a lovely Saturday evening with Eli when John and Darby went to their friends' wedding a few weeks ago. The weather was awesome so we played outside for a bit.

Eli's truck had already zoomed out of the frame for this photo but he was having a grand old time zooming the truck back and forth across the patio.

Uncle Dan and Eli had a great time showing each other the cool noises they can make.

A little explanation is necessary for this photo...

Eli needed to potty so he dropped his drawers, whipped off the diaper and made water...He was just going about his business so confidently that we just assumed he was doing an everyday duty. This is his independent attempt to put his jeans back on and I scooped him up right after this photo so we could go in for bath and bed time.

I took a super cute video but am having difficulties getting it uploaded...perhaps I'll figure that out at a future time...

Eli's 2nd Birthday

2008-04-14T20:59:00.000-05:00

Elaiden (Eli's buddy and co-guest of honor) got wings and a wand and she flitted around the house like a fairy princess for the day. As you can see she was just too tickled! Eli isn't too sure about this photo is he?
I don't know who this is but isn't she just adorable! I didn't realize until now that I actually capture some of her spit-up on film...

Eli had Dump-Truck Cake. The gluten-free chocolate cake had TWO dump trucks loaded with cake crumbs on top with lots of yummy little candy bites. In the second photo you can see Eli almost not able to wait till the Duck cake candles were lit so we could sing to both him and Elaiden. He did a great job blowing out his candles.

I got to meet Darby's cousin Jaime, her little girl Payton and her baby Miles. The photo with Eli in the middle cracked me up because that would be Payton if she had three little ones! I got to hold Miles while Payton played on the play scape in Elaiden's backyard.

By the end of the party the clear favorite toy was a little firetruck that Eli got. He did such a great job of sharing with Elaiden. I had total camera envy at the birthday celebration as everyone there had fabulous cameras and were just snapping away. 8+ mega pixel cameras are getting more reasonable...hmmm

Inks Lake 04/08

2008-04-14T20:12:00.000-05:00

Oh we had fun at Inks Lake and here are some photos that we want to share. Aren't our boys cute! We hiked, we swam, we lounged. What a wonderful weekend! We've got to book more weekends before they fill up!

We stopped at a BBQ place on our way into Burnet to pick up dinner. We stopped there because last year when we camped Inks Lake the BBQ place was OUT of food by the time we pulled out of town on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately the BBQ place had changed hands since then and well, the BBQ wasn't all that...

Our first night was really chilly so we drove to Marble Falls the next day to pick up some blankets and some other items we discovered we needed on night one...like starter logs to get the damp firewood started. I just loved this jumble of rocks topped with the gnarled tree. My picture just cannot do this view justice.

Check out this sleepy boy! The neighboring campsite couldn't get over how good Reese & AJ were because they didn't bark the entire weekend. They wanted to know our secret...exhaustion!

When I was broadcasting the dishwater I noticed this small herd of deer behind our campsite. Aren't they delicate? They weren't too sure of me and sprung away into the thick once I tried to get closer.

John, Darby & Eli were camping at Inks Lake the same weekend with their small prayer group from their church. Eli visited our campsite several times and liked visiting with the boys.

Eli took this photo of me. Isn't he a burgeoning little shutterbug!

Night two rocked out with bratwurst & sauerkraut with potato salad and Shiner Blond. One of the brats jumped into the coals but we rescued, rinsed and replaced on the grill top. It was a close one but all ended well.

Breakfast both days included scrambled eggs, hash, toast, OJ and coffee. Yum :) I don't know why I find the challenge of putting together a meal in the great outdoors such fun!

Connor's First Tri

2008-04-14T19:47:00.000-05:00

Well, not actually...! Dan had a triathlon in Galveston and we drove down to Houston to visit Becca, Grant & Connor before the triathlon. Dan drove down to Galveston on Saturday to meet up with his friend Mace. Becca and I packed Connor up and drove to Galveston on Sunday morning to catch a glimpse of Dan running in the Tri. Well, we didn't see him running the Tri but we did see him walking up to the conference center after he walked six miles back from a double flat tire and had to drop out of the race.

It was a very nice weekend and we look forward to visiting Pearland again and again and again :)

Happy Birthday Danno!

2008-03-19T22:06:00.000-05:00

On Sunday the 16th Dan celebrated his (drum roll please...) 38th Birthday! It was an unusual birthday celebration that started the night before at Sherlock's for fish & chips. Then the party continued over at Alamo Draft House to see Pulp Fiction on the big screen. The movie started at midnight (happy birthday!!!) and we didn't get home till after 3am! Talk about tired!
The next morning, after much sleeping in, I made brunch and Dan opened his basket-o-bike-gear and as you can see from the photo he got a new jersey and some new socks. The socks have a little tricycle like a hot wheel on them.

After brunch we moved outside so Dan could detail his bikes and I sanded the coffee table. I only got about 60% finished but I'm well on my way to having a coffee table that matches the end tables.

My sister Wendy celebrated her birthday on St. Paddy's. Oh, and Dan's twin Steve had his birthday on Sunday as well!

A Visit to Nana Perkins'

2007-12-30T22:26:00.000-06:00

On Saturday the 29th Dan and I traveled to Decatur with his parents (Max & Caroline) to see Nana (Dan's Grandmother - Max's Mom). What a pretty day! Not only did I get to meet Dan's Nana but I also got to meet his cousins and their families. Everyone was so nice :)

On top of having a nice day with family we also got to play with the dogs.

Reese and AJ LOVED playing with "Uncle" Orvis in the fields, between the hay bales, and just about anywhere else there little legs would carry them.

You can tell from all of the lolling tongues that all three boys were having a blast!

Update on school

2007-12-14T09:07:00.000-06:00

I completed my finals last Friday and grades will be posted by the 17th of December. Dr. Kinard let me know via email that I got an A for the semester in ECE 5318 Advanced Early Childhood Development! Woo-Hoo! I'm just waiting to see if I maintained my A in CI 5330 Multicultural Teaching & Learning. When I turned in my last two assignments I already had a strong A going in the class so I'm pretty sure that I'll have a 4.0 for this semester.

I've registered for my final semester of coursework for Spring 2008. I have one class to take and then I'll be student teaching in the Fall of 2008. Technically speaking I will have completed the graduate program in May but I won't actually complete my Certification until after my semester of student teaching.

It has been such a long journey and I am so grateful to have such supportative family and friends. Thanks you guys.

Christmas is Upon Us!

2007-12-14T08:54:00.000-06:00

Dan and I attended a retirement party for a co-worker of his last week. We were having such a good time that we didn't make it back up to Round Rock in time for my school holiday party.

In the photo above we have the 'flash ON' photo - harsh lighting to say the least and next we have the 'flash OFF' photo - nice and fuzzy.

The photos have that fun Christmas light haze. This morning on 'Good Morning America' I learned that changing the ISO setting on my digital camera will help crisp up the photos without losing the soft light from the Christmas lights. I haven't had a chance to try this new technique out yet but I'm going to see if it really works.

Note to self...

2007-11-29T16:13:00.000-06:00

Okay, today when I got home I made a discovery... It is not a good idea to leave bags of flour and sugar on the counter...as you can see it looked like our boys had a good time while we were at work today!

I'm sure it looked like a bad episode of "I Love Lucy"... There I was vacuuming my little heart out, not realizing that the bag was full and that I was effectively spraying a fine powdery mess out of the back of the machine. Yikes! I hope I didn't ruin my vacuum.

I think the cats must have hid in the bedroom all day not wanting to get mixed up with the crime scene because there were no little feline paw prints among the mess...all canine...I could totally be on CSI! Ha Ha.

The Great Pumpkin

2007-10-20T17:46:00.001-05:00

Today Dan and I took Reese and AJ with us for a visit to Red Barn's Pumpkin Festival. We met John, Darby and Eli there mid-morning and then traveled to South Austin for lunch after we had visited all that there was to see at the pumpkin festival. I think Eli really enjoyed all of the people watching, game playing and animal petting that he got to do. I know I enjoyed watching him. Reese and AJ just enjoyed getting out of the house for the weekend :)

Isn't Eli just beautiful perched atop the pile of pumpkins!

Ah, there was a bit of a delay in getting this page posted. Our laptop has been on the fritz and I haven't been able to upload photos from it. I finally have broken down and I'm using the desktop in the guestroom.

Belated Ironman Wisconson Post

2007-09-18T22:15:00.001-05:00

Good Morning swimmers! This photo is my favorite shot of the morning. Dan and Steve had just gotten to the edge of the water.

Unfortunately I didn't capture any great bike shots so you'll have to visit Dan's blog to see the professional photos for those photos. I did, however, get some shots of the Perkins Twins while they ran on State Street.

Iron babies hanging out! Alex and Will were such little troopers :) Here we are taking a lunch break while Dan and Steve continued to run, and run, and run.

Mr. Steve Perkins (second place...again? What, was it 6 minutes out of the chute? Well, at least you're bridging the gap.)

Iron Babies at the end of a long day! I'm not sure how they were asleep at this point with how loud everything was at the finish line!

Ah, I finally got my Danno back at the end of a very long day.

I had a fun day running all over Madison, Wisconsin and I was glad to call it a night.

Great Green Goddess!

2007-09-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

When I got home from school (work) tonight before going to school (school) for the evening I spent some time in the backyard with Reese and AJ. Check out the beautiful green spider that I spied on a leaf of my Morning Glory vine. The leaf is well over 5 inches across! Makes for a big spider wouldn't you say?

The spider has amazing barbs covering all eight legs! I'm hoping I can identify the specimen by searching online.

Welcome to the world Connor Reed!

2007-09-16T23:13:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the world Connor Reed! Congratulations to Becca & Grant! Connor arrived at 2:32 am on Sunday, September 16th 2007 weighing a whopping 8lb5oz and measuring 20 inches!

Look at this proud daddy!

While I'm not actually Connor's Aunt Lisa I certainly felt like a proud aunt cradling little Connor in my arms. He is absolutely beautiful!

Even Dan got in on the snuggle time :) Connor looks so little in Dan's big arms!
Connor's nails are sharp and he scratched his beautiful little face! Becca and Grant put the softest little socks over his hands to prevent additional scratches. You can't tell from the photos but Connor has quite the little head of hair!

School Bells are Ringing.

2007-09-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

My first week back to school was exhausting! I'm enrolled in two graduate courses this semester and my course work started the same week as school so I have been extra tired this week. I miss my old team but I'm excited about my new team and what the school year has in store for our class! I won't be posting photos of my students but I wish I could. We have a great group so far.

My sister Missy and her baby arrived yesterday for a visit and we are having such a great time playing with baby Madison. I can't get over how quickly she is growing. Dan and I are dog sitting cousin Boone for the weekend and I'm feeling highly outnumbered by the four legged fuzz balls as there are three dogs and two cats in the house. I do have to say that I'm very pleased so far, all five animals are getting along so I'm not having to close anyone off for safety.

Ironman Wisconsin is this next weekend and Dan is very excited about race day. I'll be spectating and cheering Dan on along side Caroline (Momma Perk) & Laura (Sister Perk) ~ (Sure, I will cheer Steve on as well but not as loudly as I'll cheer for Dan! ;) heehee) and of course the twins (Alex & Will) will be there too. I'm excited about the trip and our four legged kids are excited about spending the weekend with Oma & Opa. Personally, I think Abby & Silas are afraid that we've acquired a third dog and they aren't too happy about it! No worries, cousin Boone goes home tomorrow.

Not much else is going on besides getting back into the swing of my studies, work at school, and of course being newly weds :) Can you believe we've been married SEVEN weeks at this point!

The Dunraven Inn

2007-07-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday of our week in Colorado we all took a break from cooking and had a lovely dinner at The Dunraven Inn.

Dan and I were both "fat & happy" for the short ride back to the cabin for the evening.

Shauna called it an early night since she had to be on the trail by 3:30am. Hikers need to summit Long's Peak and begin their descent before the mid-morning storms rolled in. Otherwise the hikers risk being exposed to the lightning "strike zone." That sounds pretty nasty to me! Waking so early and hiking so far made for a very long day for Shauna, and even with as exhausted as she was upon returning we all knew she was glad to have accomplished her goal. WooHoo Shauna!

Look carefully at this photo to see the hummingbird's wings fully extended. I've never seen so many hummingbirds in my life! Dan took several photos at Charlie Eagle Plume's on Thursday but I haven't downloaded those photos yet. We took some video as well but haven't had a chance to preview those images either! So much catching up to do!

More Candid Shots

2007-07-30T22:39:00.001-05:00

I picked up the photos from four more of the disposable cameras this afternoon. I like being able to get the images on CD so I can share the pictures so easily!

Now THAT'S CUTE!

My Girls! I attended Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) with Becky (left), Elizabeth (center), and Jennifer (right). Madison (center, left) is Elizabeth's little girl. Look at that gorgeous red hair!

Is someone sitting to take this picture or is this the handiwork of one or our very short photographers? Julie, Vivian, & Emma Grace had a blast running around taking photos...at least the developed film would indicate so!

Awww, happy couples! Models to live by :)

I am so pleased with how the wedding cake turned out! The wedding cake was much prettier than I imagined. Speaking of which...I had a piece after lunch today...YUM! Michelle Hyzak made both the wedding cake and the groom's cake. (Hyzak Cake Designs 512-423-8770)

Nature Shots

2007-07-30T12:44:00.001-05:00

I love how vibrant the colors are in this photo. I'm hoping the colors pop as much for you as they do for me.

When I took the photo of this stalk of pretty purple flowers I didn't notice the colony of ants swarming the top of the stalk.

Isn't it neat how pretty daisies pop up wherever they like in Roosevelt National Park.

This fallen tree is full of swirls and whirls that I find fascinating.

This little guy was not afraid of people near the waterfalls. A couple taking a photo in front of the waterfall were actually trying to shoo the chipmunk away. Fortunately he came back so I could get a photo of him. It became clear that this rock was his place to "people-watch" from.

What a long day!

2007-07-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday Steve was in charge of the babies so Laura, Shauna, her uncle David, and I hiked for 6.4 miles and spent a fantastic day taking in the beauty. There was such an eclectic mix of people on the trail. Some people looked like they were prepared to spend a month "roughing it" in the wilds of the mountains while others looked as though they got lost on their way to the mall.

Here is an aerial shot of yesterday's Bear Lake. Pretty neat to see it from so high up. The brown pine trees dotting the landscape have a sad story...pine beetles are killing trees throughout the forest and so far rangers and tree specialists don't know how to stop the prolific bugs. Dan and I had noticed patches of dead trees on our drive to Estes but assumed there had been a fire in that area. Now we know...

I love the way the mountains reflect off the still pool of water in this shot.

This is at Lake Haiyaha. We all were blown away with the serene beauty of this lake.

Estes Park, Colorado

2007-07-30T11:22:00.001-05:00

Look who went camping! What a fun day out and about with Will and Alex! Shauna, Matt, Laura, and I went for a 2.4 round trip hike in the Roosevelt National Park. The boys were full of happy, excited noises! Lots of chattering occurred between the twosome of as they reached for tree branches and scanned the skyline for things to look at. Matt "took one for the team" and carried Duck all the way UP and most of the way down. Shauna "power-walked" Will (Duck) the rest of the way down because he was getting fussy and needed to get out of the carrier and move about on his own.

What an incredible view! I believe this is Bear Lake. The water was teeming with life and covered with lily pads and blooms.

Another shot along the way.

I snapped so many more shots but wouldn't have space to post them all!

There were so many little lakes and streams to stop at and enjoy. I could have spent the entire day just listening to the water.

Catching Up

2007-07-30T10:54:00.000-05:00

Hello All! I figured it was time to catch up on some posts! We haven't gotten our professional photos back from the wedding photographer yet. We should have them within the next two weeks.

Here is a photo from the Bride's room prior to the ceremony. Pictured left to right are: Becca, Vivian, Lisa (ME!), Caroline, Courtney, and Emma Grace.

After the ceremony we had the opportunity to take a photo with our pastor Dr. Fred Morgan. Dan and I really love the words he chose for our wedding. I look forward to receiving the audio recording from the wedding. At our church Sunday services are recorded for the homebound and our wedding service was recorded as well so we will have an extra special memory captured to listen to for many years to come.

Mom captured a great photo of her girls, minus me, while the photographer was busy taking photos of the Perkins family. Pictured are Julie, Wendy, Missy, Michelle, and Erin. This photo goes on the wall :)

Dan made arrangements for us to stay at the historic Driskell hotel in downtown Austin on our wedding night. What a great surprise! The room was beautiful and the hallways were full of Austin memorabilia.

Happy Birthday Darby

2007-06-02T23:31:00.000-05:00

You only get to turn 30 once and Darby did it right! Good food, great family & friends, and of course chocolate cake. What else could you need? Oh yes, the margarita machine! Good Stuff! I'd like to share some of my favorite images from the day...

"I'm pretty good with a Bow-Staff."

"YEA MOMMY!"

"Run Elmo, Run while you still can!" Wait, are these two related? Red shirts...brown eyes...

I tried to warn you Elmo but thanks for the candy!

Dan will have to help me upload the video I captured of the death of Elmo in the morning... I'm not very savvy in that department. Dan and I love stocking up on Eli time. Yeah for Birthdays and fun gatherings.

Wedding Bells...getting louder!

2007-05-30T14:49:00.000-05:00

Wow, is it really already May 30th?!? Things in the wedding department seem to be moving along nicely.

Last week Dan and I met with our cake lady...had some lovely samples...and contracted with Michelle Hyzak to bake the wedding cake and the groom's cake (couldn't miss out on the chocolate!)

I meet with Lisa (the church organist) on Friday to select ceremony music. Dan and I have GOT to mock up a program to give to Pastor Fred. He gave us a due date of June 1st and we haven't even started!

I've got boxes of wedding stuff stacked around the house and really need to get my organizing rear in gear!

We've got tons of music for the reception but I'm learning that with play lists you've got to work on the order of things...now we just need to confirm with Penny at the church that we can plug the Nano into the sound in the fellowship hall. Sorry, no Gansta Rap at this reception...

Next on our list is a trip down to the licensing office to get our marriage license!

School Is Out For The Summer!

2007-05-30T14:31:00.000-05:00

Wednesday the 24th was my last day with the PPCD students before summer break. I forget how emotional the last day of school is from year to year. Many of our students won't be returning. Some have graduated on to general education Kinder classrooms while others will attend new campuses due to the redrawing of district lines.

My lead teacher Lisa (I'm Ms. L in the classroom...the kids know who they are talking to but the adults get confused!) is taking a position as a Resource Teacher at Live Oak Elementary. She is very excited about the new challenge and will be using much of the training and education that she has but can't employ in the PPCD classroom. Tammy, the other Education Assistant, in the classroom won't be returning either due to family commitments so next school year is going to be new in many regards for me!

This morning I registered for my Summer I class. I received my textbooks in the mail yesterday. I've started spot reading in the text about assessment of reading and writing difficulties. I loved the prerequisite to this course and know that I will learn a lot in the next four weeks. I actually really like the summer sessions because they pack the entire semester into daily classes instead of weekly marathons! Classes during the long semester make for very long days.

I've registered for two courses in the Fall semester. If all goes well I'll be slated to take my student teaching semester Spring 2008.

Mom and I used both vans to move her classroom home for the summer and nearly made it in one trip! I'm learning to LOVE my minivan! I never thought I would say such words!

Buescher State Park

2007-04-29T18:25:00.000-05:00

On Dan's blog you can read about our first camping trip which was to Inks Lake State Park.

It was a 'one-nighter' but a great introduction to camping in general as well as camping with dogs!

On our second adventure into the world of camping we had an even better time tackling more daunting challenges such as breakfast!

I am proud to say that we had bacon, pancakes, fresh brewed coffee and fruit. Last time we had cut fruit and a danish from the store that we attempted to heat over some hot coals.

Here you can see me posing with Reese and AJ next to the elusive double-head, banded 'line-marker'. This amazing display of color was caught on camera by Mr. Dan Perkins. Not often are these beauties found in the wild! An amazing experience I assure you!

Our first day was spent setting up camp and feeding ourselves before it got too dark. The camp ground was full of cyclists and the spandex clad dudes were impressed with Dan's Guru that he brought to ride on Sunday morning.

Picture this: Dan sitting in a chair cleaning his bike drive train (happy Dan), Reese & AJ snoozing on the tent 'patio' (happy dogs), and your's truly simmering up some sauerkraut & bratwurst in a pot of Shiner Blonde (happy tummy!). Fresh corn on the cob was soaked in Shiner as well and grilled up nicely over the fiery hot coals. I nearly forgot the hot german potato salad! E-YUM!

Needless to say our after dinner walk with the boys was followed closely with S'mores and bedtime.

Wildlife we saw (aside from the double-head, banded 'line marker' that is): Lots and lots of butterflies, a huge moth in the shower, a bird flying around like crazy in the bathroom (which I reported to the park staff so they could get her out safely), an overly confident squirrel, a cool little pointy nosed frog, some crazy little inch worms and a juvenile copperhead snake. Did I mention Dan nearly stepped on the thing! I'll let him tell you about that.

My cool little frog dude. He was probably about the size of my thumbprint. One minute he posed for the photo and the next he shot back into the water.

Here are my cool little inch worm friends. They were all over the place. I got to use the super-duper close-up function on the camera to capture these little lovlies. They were just having a grand old time on the slender green vine. Dan had a hoot over how many photos I took of little inch worms along the trail. And flowers. And half-eaten trees. And butterflies. Next time I'll remember to charge the camera battery before we leave...!

You can't see the copperhead very well in the photo but he is in there! The photo was taken with AJ's lead in one hand and the camera in the other. When the snake started back to the trail and lifted his head we decided to skip the 'better shot' and move along.

I'm glad to say that I see many more camping trips in our future :) Snakes and all! Dan and I have some reading to do...!

Eli's Birthday

2007-04-14T19:41:00.000-05:00

Almost an entire month later I'm posting just a few of the moments that Dan and I captured at Eli's 1st birthday party. (I wrote this blog entry on 4/29, but post-dated it.) He thoroughly enjoyed that cupcake! Uploading a video was NEW for me tonight. Dan walked me through the steps.

Here are Eli and Ellaiden getting interested in the RC car that Steve, Laura, and the new Perkin Twins sent. Check out the 'Sweet' Spidey in the foreground.

Here is Eli coming up to thank me and Dan for the Rockin' musical instrument set that we got him. What a cutie bug!

Dan just gets such a kick out of the mini-cammo pants. Quick! Where's Eli? Oh, there he is. Elmo was a hit at this party.

To end this lovely weekend John and Darby had the pleasure of having Eli dedicated into Mosaic (their church). What a beautiful cross outside to remind us what Easter weekend is all about.

A Year in Review

2007-04-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

A quick recap on the year...Dan and I met in mid-April 2006 and had our first official date May 19th at the South Congress Cafe. It was a lovely evening filled with good food, great conversation, and some light flirting. A second date was certainly in store! Well, the second date begat a third date, a fourth, and well...you know the rest of the story!

June and July held plesant summer Sundays spent listening to music in the park. August held an exciting trip to Chicago for the Accenture Chicago Triathlon over my birthday weekend. Back to school while September and October blurred past.

The first week in November Dan and I visited Steve and Laura (Dan's twin brother) and their twin baby boys (Will and Alex) aren't they sweet! Denver was awesome. Mom and Dad were our guests for Thanksgiving dinner and let me say that Mom and I put on a mean Turkey dinner!

Christmas was spent in Pennsylvania with the family. Missy glowed in her last month of pregnancy. Dan's arrival missed meeting Wendy and her family by one day. We had a great holiday spending time with family. I love the holidays.

Missy went into labor on New Year's Eve. Dan proposed on New Year's Eve and I said, 'Yes!' New Year's was a BIG day for our family! Madison Olivia was born on January 1, 2007 and is a happy, healthy, beautiful little girl. She has very proud and blessed parents. (Way to go Missy and Mike!)

Oma Sherrie & Opa Chuck now have four beautiful grandaughters!

Spring Break 07 was spent with Missy and Madison. I'm not sure we could have taken more photos! What a nice visit but far to short to say the least. It was so nice to be there for Madison's baptism.

Entering the world of Blog

2007-04-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've decided to join the world of Blog and give this a shot. I don't know that much about blogging but I certainly do enjoy keeping up with Dan's family via their blogs. I'm hoping that my family will hop on the bandwagon so I can keep up with those nieces of mine! Next on my to-do list is to learn how to use my IPod...!