Where Jared spends his days...

This is the Austin Community College's Fire Academy Training Center.

Jared spends each weekday here from 8am-5pm.

Then 2 nights a week he stays extra for Physcial Training.

This the the tower that they practice climbing, see the picture below to see what it's like to be climbing up a REALLY high ladder with breathing gear on.

Jared is 2nd from right.THIS is hard work!  Good job Jared!

Honkey-Tonkin'

On Tuesday night we decided to enjoy an evening at a local 'Honkey-Tonk' called the

Rattlesnake Inn.  No joke.

It's out in the middle of NO WHERE and they have free karoke night on Tuesdays. 

Enough said, right?

Scott looks guilty of something here? 

Madison was the hit of the party!  She surprised all of us by singing 2 songs - by herself! 

Listen to a little clip of her singing Dolly Parton's 'Jolene'.

Sorry about the background noise & people playing pool. We're at a bar, remember?

She is most certainly her Dad's daughter... she was AWESOME!

Dillon brought a friend and NO that beer bottle is not his. 

Went home today

My parents went home today after visiting with us for a week!  I wish they could stay just a bit longer... The weather will stay in the 70's here meanwhile be icy & cold in Iowa.  Local Iowa schools were cancelled today due to an icy, freezing sleet. 

Some folks here in Texas don't know what I'm talking about when I say sleet.  That seems weird to me, but I guess it's where you're from...

We mostly just hung-out this past week.  There were a few days of rain and a few days of boys with the flu (Jared & Dillon both had the flu... or food poisoning... or a migraine... whatever it was).  Sorry Mom & Dad!

I think we spent most of our time eating.  At least that's what I did.  My waistband is telling me so.  Ugh. Good food = good times, right? 

Go Dillon!!!

Belated Christmas 2009

We celebrated Christmas last weekend with Steph's family &

Jeannetta's family.  We had a FULL house!

Tim brought Jewels, Margaux brought Danielle,

Josh brought Chelsea and Dillon brought Cody.

Score for Dillon!  Awesome gift!

Isn't Hannah's smile the cutest!

I'm thinking the Chef's hat might be a bit on the small side. 

Or is Josh's head simply too big..?? lol

Merry Christmas Steph!

Happy Birthday to Andrew on the 1st and to Kurt on the 4th.

Kurt & Jeannetta had an anniversary on the 3rd too!

Rugby season starts today

We're off to another Stony Point season of Rugby today!

We have 2 games in Austin today.

We (as in Dillon) are going to play these games today a bit 'light' since Dillon injured his right hand in practice on Tuesday night.  Right, Dillon???

He & I were convinced he had broken a bone in his hand & went to get x-rays to prove it.  Even the nurse practitioner thought it was broke according to the x-rays.  BUT the radiologist deemed it a 'normal' right hand and now Dillon is back on the field ready to play today! (Wrapped & splinted, of course.)

One of my true concerns today is the weather.  It is going to be 40 DEGREES today.  That is FREAKING COLD for this area.  I know I can bundle up for the duration & go sit in the truck if I need to... but Dillon & the other players will be wearing short shorts & short sleeved shirts.  No pads.  No helmets.  Hard ground. 

Hmmm... I'm predicting a rough day.  I'll let you know.

New Years Eve

We went to Scott's "not-brother''s house to bring in the new year.

I found this VERY cute kitty there!

And Scott found this VERY cute kid!

This is Isaac, James' son. He's two.

Fun @ supper

Jared's 'girlfriend' Brittany. Her look says "Do I claim that I'm really with him?"

Carrie

Here is my childhood friend, Carrie. As fate would have it we both ended up in Round Rock, Texas! This picture is from April, 2009 when we got re-aquainted. Carrie passed away to be with the Lord on Sunday. She & I shared such fun childhood memories.

Sad. Sad for her family.

She was sick for a long time & put up a courageous fight.

Glad she is not in pain any longer. But still sad.

I know I Must Have Hurt You, Caused You Pain

I know I must have hurt you, caused you pain.
More, I know that I have lost your trust.
I wish I had that moment back again.
To pulverize my carlessness and lust.
Sometimes we have to lose what we most cherish
To understand how much we are in need.
We play with life until we nearly perish
To dare the darkness, though within we bleed.
I need you as the Sun must have a rose
To turn its empty radiance to glory,
Or as a nation needs someone who knows
The secrets of its long-forgotten story.
I know my need of you more than before;
Thus for my trespass you many trust me more.

Author: Nicholas Gordon

I read this tonight. Unbeliveable how much I wish I could hear these words spoken to me.

Christmas Eve @ the Cole's

Merry Christmas!!

wish you were here

It's amazingly warm for

this time of year!

Look what I found!

I was on the computer this morning when Macey started scratching really, really hard

on the front window.

I leaned back in my chair to see what she was freaked out about.

Right there in the front bushes of my house was a

cute grey cat. Awww...

So I jumped up & ran outside in my pj's to see if I could get it to

come to me.

I was totally thinking that I could catch this stray cat & keep it for Christmas.

Then I noticed the short tail.

And the white scruffy around its face.

HOLY COW!

That's a BOBCAT!

(BTW - I didn't take this pic - but I wish I did!)I watched it scamper across the street when another one came from the

area near the back of our house, near the side yard.

They weren't very big - I think they must've been young.

First I called "Here Kitty-Kitty"

but that scared it & it started to run away.

Then it came back to meet up with the first little guy I saw.

I made a 'kissing' noise & it acted like it might come to me!

I panicked & made a quick movement

that sent the two of them running into the woods behind the house.

Dang!

I almost had a really cool Christmas gift for Madison.

Quincy

Quincy will go to the vet for surgery on Friday.

He has a cyst growing under his eyelid that is giving him some grief.

He's going to have it removed & we decided to get his

teeth cleaned too since he'll be anesthetized (i spelled that without looking it up!).

I don't know quite what to expect with this teeth cleaning thing.

Seems awfully expensive - please comment if you think it's worth it.

Quiet time

When I got home from work tonight there was no one here. Just the dogs.

Nice.

And quiet.

I've had a lot on my mind lately & it seems like my mind never rests. Which wears me out.

Jared & Dillon are each at work and Howie & Scott are busy. Madison's at a friend's house.

Here are the books I'm currently reading to help me re-group & re-prioritize. I've had these books for years and remember gleaning some valuable insight from them. They are really helping me... again. I should take advantage of this quiet time & read, but I rarely find time to update here. Hmmm...

random pics one night

Merry Christmas! 2009

We bought a new Christmas Tree this year.

The old one broke its leg. Literally.

We decided to go 'designer' this year & do the tree in

Red & Gold.

I think it's very pretty!

Something new

Madison & I have new things!

Madison has Strawberry-Blonde hair! And I have new glasses.... Enjoy the next pictures where we model for your viewing pleasure. heehee. lol