Rainbow

I walked outside to see this very brilliant rainbow

Picture Says it Alll

Friday afternoon......

The girls after a full week of school and early morning Seminary.

Football...Opening Game

Hooray! High School Football is here. They had their first game last night. We won 42-21.Way to open the season Cougars! We do miss seeing Matthew on the field, but at the same time it is less stressful

 and we can just watch and enjoy.

Our excited football fans!

Football Has Begun

Jacob had his first day of Junior High  football practice yesterday and it was a hot, steamy Houston day. I only watched for a little bit because it was too hot. It was 101 when I was there. It was 105 when I picked him up. I just watched from a distance with my telephoto zoom lens. There were many Dad's that set up camp along with umbrellas and drinks(non-alcoholic of course, school grounds), no BBQ going on though, or they could have had a real tailgate party. There still weren't as many Dad's there as there was at Matthew's first Jr. High practice in Midland. Some Dad's asked if I could even tell which child was mine. I could, by his shoes and the way he stands and runs. I was relieved when he took his helmet off for a drink , that I was actually taking pictures of the right boy.

It just looks hot!

It also feels hot!

Getting a drink, but he said the water was really warm.

This is the point that he actually sees me with my camera in the car.

I could have gone right up to the field and really been embarrassing.

I think I was the only Mom there:)

South Padre Island and Port Isabel Light House

For our Anniversary, Dale and I took a trip to South Padre Island for the weekend. It was really relaxing. We toured a light house when we first arrived and spent the next two days on the beach.  It was a lot of fun, especially when you are with your best friend. 

Dale, thanks for 20 great years!!!!

The Light House

It was really hot inside. I ws glad to get to the top and stand outside to enjoy the breeze!

The Beach

Just a quick walk from our hotel.

Dale at sunset

Marti after sunset

After sunset from the hotel parking lot

A beautiful sunset on Friday night!

Still Sparks After 20 Years

Happy Anniversary to us!! We went to Taste of Texas for dinner and after dinner we got free cheesecake complete with a sparkler and a picture. We would have acted like we liked each other more,but I was afraid of getting burned by the sparkler.    

Girls Camp 2010

Girls Camp has come and gone this year. It was a hot one! We had temps of 100+ all week. I went up as a Stake Leader, but stayed with the YCL's(5th year girls) because we had a leader drop out at the last minute and was having a hard time finding a replacement. I got to room with Kathy Cline who has worked with level the past 3 years I have been up there and is such a great leader for these girls. These girls have a lot of responsibilities and Kathy is there to guide them and make sure things get done and she is also fun!! The girls were great!! On Wednesday another person(my friend Eleanor) showed up to help out with the YCL's but I decided to stay with the girls since they were so fun to be around. They were worth giving up an air conditioned cabin!! This was Brittney's last year, so it was a little sad to see her up there doing her final 6th year program, the spiritual highlight of camp. I kept looking at her thinking, when did she get so grown up. A few tears were shed during that program. Makenzie was a 3rd year. She had fun with the ward , but will be moving on to 4th years where they get to start being leaders. I love Girls Camp and the opportunity to be there with my girls!!

Brittney and I arrived on Monday and we never get tired of this street sign. Makenzie arrived with the Wards on Tuesday.

Pictures of my girls in the craft room, on the lake and skit night.

These are the girls I was with. They had the best camp skit EVER!!!!! It was called Twil OZ. The Camp theme this year was "There's no place like home" so they combined Twilight with the  Wizard of Oz and had the best parody I have ever seen. It was so goo that they were asked to do an encore performance the next night. My friend Eleanor was taping it, but I think she was laughing so hard she couldn't keep the camera still. Hopefully someone will post it on Youtube or something so I can share it. The girls also got to spend a day on Lake Conroe, wake boarding and tubing and they also took the opportunity to run a large pare of undies, that they bought for the Rules Skit, and run them up a flag pole. I can't tell you how awesome this group of girls were. they always did what you asked them to do and did it with a smile!!  

OK, so I had to try on the tinman outfit. It was an old costume that Kathy Cline's daughter wore in a Marching band program.We all got a good laugh out of it. I was running around the camp in it because it just glowed in the dark and looked funny as I raced by. Everyone got a good chuckle out of it,(glad I went poddy before I put it on because I laughed really hard also) but it was hot to wear, so I was glad that the 6th years invited me and my partner in crime into their a/c cabin and gave us popcicles! One of the 5th year girls also gave me this heart. Kathy is now trying to find me one of these outfits from another band parent. This outfit is a must!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Friday, I took the 5th years out to the lake for boating, but I couldn't stay because I had other Stake responsibilities that day. I got back just in time to see Makenzie playing some game and wipe out. She now has a nice big scrap all over her leg....OUCH!  That night the Bishops all came up. We were all wearing our camp shirts. We had Dinner all together as a Stake. After dinner each ward wrote a song about their Bishop using a Primary tune. It was really funny and sweet to hear all the different songs. After that we all meet as Ward and our Bishop gave a devotional and we had a Testimony Meeting.

Besides the heat and some bad chigger bites, camp was great!

                                                                                                                                              

Camp=Stress

Nothing like getting ready for Girls Camp to add a little stress to your life.

I got all the t-shirts ordered and they were a few days late getting here, but they got here. I spent yesterday sorting them out by Wards and by Age Group. Made all the name tag and got hem in their plastic container with the camp schedule. Just need to hook the lanyards on them and then put a wrist band in for the girls who are  class 3 certified swimmers. Sound like I have it all under control, right?? Well, I got a new list of people coming to camp last night and there were may extras who weren't on the list when I ordered shirts a few weeks ago. You say get extra shirts, I did like 12 of them and we are cutting it close even with others dropping out. So yay, I get to go through all the shirts again and make changes.  I also have to make more name tags and still waiting on camp directors to send me the swim certification cards. They've only known they had to send them to me for 4 months now. I've called them this week and have sent them 2 emails also so the I guess I should have given them more time. 

Camp will be fun!

My organized piles that are all put away, just to have to be pulled out again and redone.

It's Hot!

Temperature(not factoring in the humidity) while waiting in line at Sonic for my Diet Coke/lime. Enough said!

Responsible Kid.... Parents??

While mowing the yard yesterday afternoon, in 100 degree weather, a neighbor boy came up and tapped me on my back. He is selling raffle tickets for football and already hit our family up the day before. He said, "Excuse me, Mrs Smith. I'm not allowed to go by myself to peoples houses I don't know. Would you go with me?" I apologized and said no, since I was in he middle of mowing. I guess his parents saw me outside and had him ask me since I was already outside in the heat. He did talk a neighbor boy(Makenzie's age) to go with him. Yay for the nice neighbor boy! Boo for his parents.