tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86241481631316646532024-03-13T22:15:47.553-05:00The Adventures of the Family Pharaon...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger747125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-28071936624590461902016-03-08T08:24:00.001-06:002016-03-08T08:24:58.862-06:00Noble is 8!Today is Noble's 8th birthday!<br />
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Eight years ago today our lives all changed (again) as this little man entered our lives. It's been such a fun ride ever since.<br />
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Happy birthday, Nobley!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-66022778780085390832015-12-01T05:33:00.000-06:002015-12-01T05:33:00.004-06:00A Taste of Black Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While in Granbury last Thursday for Thanksgiving, Kayci told us that she wanted to go Black Friday shopping. She didn't want anything in particular - she just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.<br />
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Kristi and I tried to explain about Black Friday to her and to explain that we had absolutely no desire to get out early and fight the crowds and all the madness that you see on TV. Be she was unconvinced. Sometimes you've just got to do something for yourself before you'll believe.<br />
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Well, there aren't exactly a lot of shopping opportunities in Granbury, Texas. Sure, there's Walmart, but there's absolutely no way that you're getting me to a Walmart on Black Friday. If there's going to be a fight or a trampling, it's going to be at a Walmart, and there's no way I'm taking my daughter to a public trampling. Not one this far from home, anyway.<br />
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So I decided we'd go for a much lower stress option - Michael's. I worked at Michael's back in high school and had to work a couple of Fridays after Thanksgiving (no one called it Black Friday back then - we just called it The Busiest Shopping Day of the Year because apparently we weren't the marketing geniuses that we are today). Anyway, I can well remember opening the doors on The Busiest Shopping Day as fifty frantic women and an occasional husband or lost hobo streamed inside to get all the great deals on dowel rods and eucalyptus. Plus, Michaels was advertising that the first 21 people in the door at every store would get a $5 gift card and that one super lucky person would get a $20 gift card. So those were the stakes, and we decided we could handle that action.<br />
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Oh- did I mention that the fact that the store didn't open until 7 played heavily into our decision? No? It did.<br />
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We got up at a respectable time and got out the door at 6:30-ish. It was 39 degrees outside, so standing in line for more than a little bit for Black Friday sale we didn't really want to go to to buy something that we.... well, let's face it. Nobody really buys anything at Micheal's if there's a Hobby Lobby anywhere in a 200 mile radius.<br />
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We pulled up to Michaels at 6:45 to find that the line outside consisted of zero people and wrapped zero times around the store. There was one other car in the parking lot, but it turned out to be an employee waiting for the manager to let her in.<br />
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Score one for the "I hate crowds" crowd. But it was disappointing to our girl, who really wanted to see a Black Friday honor killing in the parking lot.<br />
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But Kayci wasn't to be deterred. She hopped out of the car and stood by the door in a one person line. She even respectfully stood off to the side so as not to appear to be crowding the front door as a worker put out the Doorbuster bins. But she was clearly the only one there.<br />
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And then it happened.<br />
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About three and a half minutes until The Great Opening of the Doors, a lady pulled up, hopped out of her car and proceeded to walk around Kayci and stand directly between Kayci and the door. She had just cut the only person in line, and a 12-year-old at that.<br />
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Boom. Black Friday.<br />
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Kayci handled it with grace. She looked at us as if to say "what the hell just happened?" - even though she would never say such a thing. So we go out of the warm car and calmly went to the trunk of the car and got out my Black Beauty - the baseball bat I use only on Black Friday - and taught that lady a lesson... Walmart style!<br />
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Okay, so what we really did was get out of the warm car and just go and stand with Kayci for the next couple of minutes until the doors opened. I *may* have shot the cutter a couple of glares when Kristi wasn't looking. We got our gift cards as we walked in through the door, calmly. There was no pushing. There was no shoving. Everything remained polite. Three other people had shown up at the last minute and we all got gift cards. Everyone except for Kayci, that is. 18 and older only, dontyaknow - regardless of where you were in line.<br />
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And the cards we got were the $5 variety. I bet that line cutter lady got the $20 card. I hope she got a splinter from her balsa wood right in her her line cutting fingers.<br />
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Twenty minutes later when we left the manager was still standing at the door with a box of gift cards to hand out waiting for the first 21 people to enter the store.<br />
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But the important thing was that Kayci got to experience a little bit of Black Friday on a small scale. Luckily, that little taste of the devolution of humanity was enough for her.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-68730742507452235442015-08-24T14:26:00.000-05:002015-08-24T14:26:29.973-05:00First Day of School 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Happy first day from Kayci and Noble!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-72689194972000012762015-01-26T12:19:00.000-06:002015-01-26T12:19:15.274-06:00Posts from the Original BlogI've recently run across some posts that both Kristi and I made from our original blog from when Kristi was pregnant with Kayci and when Kayci was first born. I'm going to be posting those here so they exists somewhere besides on my computer.<div>
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These posts are an interesting look back at a really scary and magical time in our lives. I hope you enjoy them.</div>
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-James</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-3626628784781787872015-01-11T15:52:00.000-06:002015-01-11T15:52:00.332-06:00Kayci is Blogging!A few years ago, Kayci started a blog of her own. She didn't update it very often - after all, she was only five when she started it. But as of today, she's revamped her blog and is determined to blog again regularly, especially with things related to baking. The girl LOVES to bake.<div>
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So <a href="http://kayciclara.blogspot.com/">check it out if you get a chance</a> and be sure to sign up to receive e-mails whenever she posts.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-55586269989202491012014-12-29T14:44:00.001-06:002014-12-29T14:44:19.959-06:00How was my Christmas?<span style="font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">How was my Christmas?</span><br />
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Many people have asked how our Christmas was. Thank you for asking! I can say without reservation that this was one of the best Christmases I've ever had. It wasn't what I got. It was so much more than that. </div>
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This year our kids woke us up at 5 am with such genuine excitement (after having peeked at what Santa brought them, that is...). We opened presents and we played as a family. We relaxed and napped and went to a movie and took time to sit and read. And did I mention the nap?</div>
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We didn't have to hurry up so we could leave town to go somewhere and we didn't have to clean up quickly or to cook because people were coming over. And it was awesome. </div>
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I got to play action figures with my son and snuggle with my daughter. I got to lay in the yard looking up at the beautiful blue sky with Kristi. </div>
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Ten years from now when Kayci is home from college and Noble is in high school and all they’ll want to do is go off and be with their friends, this is the day I’ll want back. The perfect day. </div>
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When I say “I wish every day was Christmas Day,” this is the day I’m talking about.</div>
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It was our little family just being and playing together. And it was priceless.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-40527270816980675892014-08-25T20:37:00.001-05:002014-08-25T20:37:47.715-05:00First Day of School!Today was the kids' first day of school! Noble started first grade and Kayci started sixth grade. We had a fun morning and the kids had great days in their new classes.<br />
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Our yearly first day photo is little bittersweet this year because not only are the kids getting so big, but it'll also be the last year for a first day photo in the Little Green House.<br />
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Here are also some photos of Noble as he arrived to school this morning. There are none of Kayci because we're strictly forbidden now from walking her in to school on the first day. Frankly, we're glad she even lets us speak to her in car line.<br />
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We hope everyone had a great first day of school!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-90703054579593141772014-03-12T07:01:00.000-05:002014-03-12T07:01:00.844-05:00Six!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Six years ago, we had no idea of the joy that awaited us. </div>
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This spring break, the only set item on our agenda was "celebrate Noble!"</div>
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So, we did.</div>
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The fun started a day early with a celebration at school. I was shocked that Noble actually requested a birthday shirt, because he has developed an aversion to my "funny shirts that make people laugh at him." Oh, okay. So I let him design this year's shirt, and what he came up with is SO Noble. </div>
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He's old enough now to understand that his birthday is the day he was born, not the day of his party. </div>
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For his classroom celebration, Noble chose root beer floats. A friend mentioned it last month, and it stuck with him. And they were a big hit with his friends, along with the mustaches we brought along. Noble started a unibrow trend...because that's how we roll around here.</div>
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Last year, we told Noble that from 6 on instead of big parties he could have a few friends over to camp out or have a sleepover, whatever he chose. Well, when he found out that "Mr. Peabody and Sherman" was coming out the day before his birthday, he decided that he wanted a movie party. (You know me: I'd been asking him for MONTHS what he wanted to do...even if it was a little party, I wanted to plan. But it turns out, it wasn't about me. Shocking, right?) So, not quite two weeks before the big day, he finally decided who he wanted to invite. This was the world's easiest birthday celebration--no invites, no favors, no cake...it's the opposite of any party we've ever done before, and it was exactly what Noble wanted. </div>
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Around here, our tradition is to decorate for the kids so they wake up to a little birthday party. Since we have cats this year, we had to really think that part through!</div>
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Noble came out of the bedroom at 6:00, which didn't surprise us at all...it's his new number, after all.</div>
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Daddy & I created a scavenger hunt that would take us through the activities of the day, starting with "get dressed!"</div>
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Thank you to all of you who called, texted, and even face-timed to tell Noble "happy birthday!" </div>
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We let Noble choose breakfast, but we weren't surprised at all that he chose donuts (another birthday tradition, started by Lynn wayyyyyyyyyy to close to 20 years ago!). Reasons #6798 and 6799 we love living in a small town: Mr. Dale gave Noble a free birthday donut, and Ms. Dorothy led the whole store in singing "Happy Birthday to You" to our boy. Only she forgot his name, so she sang to "Sweetie"--cracked Noble up! (Or, as he would say, "cracked him out." I don't know why.)</div>
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This is so Noble--while he was opening gifts, I had to talk to him about showing his gratitude better (we couldn't get him to make a decent thank you video for Aunt Susan and Avery). I didn't realize it until later, but he totally taught ME a lesson. Daddy & I wrapped up his birthday book, and that was it. We didn't mention any other gift because it was part of the scavenger hunt. You know what? That kid opened the book and thanked us and we played with it for a while (it's the Wookie book, so the buttons make different Wookie noises). He was happy with our gift. And that was that, we went on with our morning. When I realized later that Noble was totally content with a small gift and didn't blink an eye, I realized that he DOES get gratitude, and he could teach me a thing or two. Do you know what he asked for this year? A baseball bat and a book. Jhido and Kayci took care of those, so Daddy and I were left guessing about what to get. Luckily Daddy and Noble got out the bikes last week and his gift became obvious. It was time for our big boy to get a bigger bike!</div>
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Noble's second clue led us to the store, where we let him pick out his own bike. </div>
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Of course he had to try them out to find the perfect fit. </div>
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And what do you do when you get a new bike? You ride it!</div>
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After an easy ride around a parking lot, we had tons of fun going up and down the hill down the street from our house. </div>
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I loved seeing Kayci's pink cheeks--</div>
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I'm so glad it's the time of year when we get to play outside!</div>
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Whenever we asked Noble what he wanted to do ON his birthday, he had the same answer: Horseshoe Junction! So, despite the weather, we went. For the first time we bought the kids wristbands, and that made a huge difference--it was fun to know there wasn't a time limit, or that they could only ride so many rides. The kids had a blast, and so did we! The rain held off until the afternoon, so we got to play outside for a long time. :)</div>
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After almost 4 hours and a yummy lunch, we took a break to go home and take a nap. After dinner we went back and played for a couple more hours...the kids were THRILLED. And tired!</div>
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While Noble napped, Kayci made his birthday surprise (his requested dessert was: "surprise me!"). We are so proud of her, that she can bake a cake or cupcakes from start to finish with no support. And Kayci loves being our official baker of the Pharaon family. :)</div>
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She couldn't wait until dinner to show him her creation--Kayci had to wake him up. I love how they love each other (even though they've now started to pick on each other...but that's another blog post).</div>
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Grandma came over for Noble's birthday dinner. He cannot WAIT to have a wiggly tooth, and is convinced he'll lose one any day now. It's been bothering him that he doesn't have a tooth pillow, so Grandma helped him out. Now to have something to put in it...</div>
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Noble's birthday dinner request: meatball soup. YUM!</div>
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Kayci chose Noble's favorite color for his cake--I'm not gonna lie, I was worried about orange cake because I assumed it would be orange-flavored. Thankfully, it was not. :)</div>
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Yes, we let the birthday boy cut his own cake. And eat two pieces. </div>
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Noble will tell you he had a great birthday, and we had a lot of fun celebrating our boy!</div>
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And the fun continues...his favorite friend gave him a helicopter, and I'm not sure who has enjoyed it more. Well, I am sure, but we'll pretend it's Noble. :)</div>
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And the next item on our Spring Break agenda? Nothing. </div>
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So far, so good!</div>
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MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-81153063869064715792014-02-11T11:40:00.002-06:002014-02-11T11:40:57.091-06:00Guess who's going for a limo ride????Oh, I'm sorry--I meant to say, limousine. Because every time I say limo, someone (ahem) corrects me.<div>
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Noble turned in his form today, with 21 items sold. A big ol' thank you goes out to:</div>
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Jhido</div>
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Uncle Ronny</div>
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Bev</div>
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Nana</div>
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Auntie Lynn</div>
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and Grandma...</div>
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...thank y'all so much for making Bubby's latest dream come true! You can expect your thank you in the mail just as soon as he gets that ride.</div>
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Y'all are the best!!!</div>
MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-90294342402150106782014-02-06T14:55:00.001-06:002014-02-06T14:55:16.885-06:00Noble's FundraiserWhen Noble came home last week and informed me that he "needed" to sell 20 items for the spring fundraiser so he could ride to Cici's Pizza in a limousine, I informed him that he'd better get to work. So he did--he made a really cute video for y'all asking you to buy stuff from him. <div>
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But I can't get it to load. Sigh.</div>
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So, if you want to help Noble realize his new dream of riding in a limo, please go online and buy something. Anything. Or, if you want to order from me, give me a call and I'll have Noble take your order. By the way, if you want to know what Noble recommends, it's the cookie dough.</div>
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Specifically, the colored cookie dough. </div>
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Cause you could make snakes and stuff.</div>
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And who doesn't want to eat cookie snakes, y'all?</div>
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If you've got free money and free time, head to <a href="http://www.joecorbi.com/">www.joecorbi.com</a> and you'll need this info:</div>
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Online Group Code: <b>70KRAEBT</b><br />
Seller ID: <b>840065</b></div>
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If you're wondering, this isn't exactly how I pictured Noble doing the work himself, but you can bet he'll be writing some thank you notes.</div>
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Hopefully, on a picture of him in a limousine. :) </div>
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MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-20051504678675199062014-01-03T14:54:00.000-06:002014-01-03T14:54:12.780-06:00Kayci and Noble Search for BigfootIt's been a few years since we shot one of these, and our recent camping trip to Bastrop State Park was the perfect opportunity - especially now that Noble is old enough to do a little acting.<br />
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Enjoy...!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/83309701" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-44427349893360936182013-11-01T06:45:00.004-05:002013-11-01T06:45:52.417-05:00Halloween 2013We had a really fun Halloween this year! Kayci dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Noble was Spider-man.<br />
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We started the evening off by going to take photos of the kids in their costumes. Then we headed over to Grandma's for some early trick-or-treating and then the REAL fun began...<br />
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Every year we take off from our house and walk almost half a mile to find houses that are handing out candy. It seems like there are fewer and fewer every year. By the time we finally get there, the kids are tired of walking and we're just ready to be done already. Then there's the long walk home... So this year we got smart and drove to the street in our neighborhood where we usually trick-or-treat. That worked out well. The kids visited several houses and we loaded up in the car to go home for dinner (we had picked up Schlotzki's).<br />
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We watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and then headed out to the porch for our real favorite part of the evening - handing out candy. We didn't have as many trick-or-treaters as normal, but that's okay. The kids got to hand out some candy to a few kids before it was time to head inside for bed.<br />
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The kids were exhausted after their day. Noble, in fact. was so tired that after I read him his story, he just rolled over and fell right asleep. That almost never happens.<br />
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It was a fun day, but MommyGirl was happy to get the house back to normal and went around last night taking down the Halloween decorations and putting up the Harvest decor.<br />
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Here are a few photos of the kids in their costumes. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-19104102983116302122013-09-19T06:42:00.001-05:002013-09-19T06:42:48.541-05:00The Family That Creates Together...This week is the Washington County Fair. The last couple of years I've entered some photos in the fair photography contest and have usually done pretty well. Last year Kayci entered a couple of photos, as well, and won some blue ribbons for her work.<br />
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This year <i>both</i> Pharaon kids decided they wanted to enter photos in the fair. Noble entered a photo he took with his iPod looking out the car window as we were driving one day. Kayci entered a photo she took of Noble a few weeks ago at church. Both Noble and Kayci knew exactly which image they wanted to submit and they stuck to it.<br />
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I entered three photos - a shot of a basketball player leaping, a light painting of Independence Hall at Washington-on-the-Brazos and a photo of a dinosaur statue at Dinosaur Valley State Park.<br />
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As my pal, Matt Parker, said - "the Pharaons did very well."<br />
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Noble won a red ribbon for his photo, Kayci won Grand Champion of her division for her photo, I won Grand Champion and Reserve Champion.<br />
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It was a good haul for the Pharaons, but most of all, I was proud that the kids wanted to participate and to show their creativity.<br />
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I'm so proud of our little knuckleheads.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-23723692594334552332013-08-10T10:29:00.001-05:002013-08-10T10:29:32.548-05:00What's the big eye-dea?Yesterday was one of Kayci's favorite days of the year...her annual eye exam. She was excited to get new glasses, and had her fingers crossed that she'd get to try something new, as well.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/08/10/656.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/08/10/s_656.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />That's right, this responsible young lady got contacts. Popped them right in and that was that--she had no trouble taking them out at bedtime, either. So impressed with her! She's been wearing glasses for a little more than two years, and it's been a long two years for a little girl who loves, loves her sunglasses. So the first thing we did was to buy her a new pair of sunglasses to celebrate!<br /><br />I also got glasses when I was 7, but my vision had probably not been great for a while. That's why we were so vigilant about checking Kayci's vision--and we STILL missed it. I felt horrible when James pointed out that she was squinting. :/ We took her right to the optometrist and I'll never forget the look on her face when she put her glasses on for the first time, or the wonder in her voice when she talked about how much brighter the colors were. It was pretty cool to see that face and hear the wonder again yesterday when she opened her eyes after putting the contacts in. To be able to see when you open your eyes, without glasses, is something people with good vision take for granted. I got all choked up to see Kayci experience that for the first time since getting her glasses.<br /><br />It was a big day. Sigh. She also got glasses, but our insurance doesn't cover new frames for her until next year. Kayci chose the frames I have (sweet, right?) but luckily, the ladies talked her into a more reasonably-priced pair that were a little smaller. For a while there, I told James it felt like I was hemmorhaging money...those fees add up, even with insurance! One of Kayci's classmates was also in the store, and I was reminded of how blessed we are when they had to leave without glasses because they didn't have insurance and couldn't afford them. My heart broke for that Mom who wants the best for her kiddo, just like we do. So that ended my personal pity party about our bill. <br /><br />Given that I missed when Kayci's vision went bad, I have been watching Noble like a hawk for any signs of squinting, etc. I asked about an eye exam for him and the staff was like, well, we can take a look. Think about it-many 5 year old boys can't readily identify letters, etc. But Noble climbed up in that chair and took the regular eye exam...the doctor was floored, and said she'd never been able to test a 5 year old before. I noticed he was hesitant when there was a group of letters on the screen, and I finally figured out that he was trying to figure out what the "word" was! I think he breathed a sigh of relief when I told him they were just groups of letters, not words. :)<br /><br />I had been telling him and telling him, you probably won't get glasses for a long time, we're just checking your eyes. Well, imagine my surprise and his delight:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/08/10/657.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/08/10/s_657.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />These were his favorite, because they're a cross between Daddy's glasses and Uncle Ronny's glasses. No kiddy frames for this little man!<br /><br /><br />MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-45396997792137283532013-06-18T07:05:00.002-05:002013-06-18T07:05:36.499-05:00a Kayci Storyten years ago today our lives changed, and a beautiful baby girl taught us that you can love more every day.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="451" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/68608698?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-91272441349915217562013-05-25T06:14:00.001-05:002013-05-25T06:14:33.314-05:00Krause Talent Show 2013Yesterday Kayci and her friend Kate sang Taylor Swift's "Our Song" in the annual Krause Talent Show. She did great, and we're so proud of her for having the courage - time and time again - to get up in front of large groups of people and perform. Three years ago, she danced. Last year she played piano and this year she sang a duet.
We're constantly amazed at the talents of our Bitty and we thank God for her every day.
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/66934882?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-40749218067061355622013-05-23T06:38:00.002-05:002013-05-23T06:38:40.877-05:00Last Day of Preschool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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...feels like it was just yesterday.MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-23156446749107367822013-05-03T06:35:00.001-05:002013-05-03T06:35:14.146-05:00Coming Soon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
May's a busy time for all families, I know. </div>
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On Wednesday this week, I registered *this guy* for KINDERGARTEN.</div>
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And next week, our big kid tours the MIDDLE SCHOOL! (In Brenham, Elementary ends at 4th, Middle School is 5th and 6th, Junior High is 7th and 8th, and then there's High School...I feel like I'll blink and then it will be here. :/)</div>
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Back to May...tonight is Jr. Maifest. Kayci's a Ring of Fire girl (4th from the left in this pic), and we're going to do our best to keep her warm while she's waiting to dance. :) Say a little prayer for all of the kids in costume and the families in the stands tonight. Maifest is such a great tradition, and I'm so grateful to live in a community that keeps traditions alive. Tomorrow morning the Maifest parade is at 10, if you're interested. Kayci will be on float #34. Not that they're reading, but we so appreciate the royal families and all that they do for the kids of the community. Maifest is tons of fun!</div>
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On May 16th, Kayci's in her last program at Krause: "Science Rocks!" Yes, she and her <strike>nerdy</strike> smart friends are STOKED. That's also my last PTO meeting as President. Woo hoo! :)</div>
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May 18th is Kayci's Piano Recital @ 10 AM at the Presbyterian Church. If you want to come and enjoy the music of some awesome kids, let us know and we'll give you more info. </div>
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And fingers crossed, the Krause Talent Show is May 24th, probably at 1:30 or 2. Hopefully Kayci and Kate will be in it this year, singing a Taylor Swift song. Kayci's got new boots and she's ready to go!</div>
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Oh, and those feet on the right? Noble's Chucks are getting too small, so we told him we'd buy him new shoes. He *sniff* told me he didn't WANT Converse, he needed Skechers so he could run faster and play harder. Stinkin' commercials. But he's super proud of his new shoes!</div>
<br />MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-19709773684654043612013-05-01T05:27:00.001-05:002013-05-01T05:27:36.364-05:00Reading BlankieLast night we got home late after Maifest practice and dinner at Grandma's. On nights like that I read really short books to Noble at bedtime. Last night I chose one of his favorite books of all time - Blankie, which is a board book that is really meant for babies but which he still loves.<br />
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On one page, there is a picture of a family that looks remarkably like our family and I've always pointed to the characters and asked him "who is this?"<br />
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"Daddy."<br />
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"Who is this?"<br />
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"Mommy."<br />
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"Who is this?"<br />
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"Kayci."<br />
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"Who is this?"<br />
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"Noble." (but last night he said "me.")<br />
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And last night I pointed to the other little boy on the page and asked "who is this?" This question usually doesn't yield an answer or he'll tell me "I don't know."<br />
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"Randell" was the answer last night.<br />
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Randell is one of Noble's best friends at school, and I don't know why but his answer made me so happy. But when he answered, he just <i>sounded</i> so happy.<br />
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Later in the book there is a page that contains the words "birthday cake." <a href="http://ipharaon.blogspot.com/2013/04/write-stuff.html">As you might've seen</a>, Noble has been learning to read and write and "brfday" is one of his favorite words to write out. As I read it and turned the page, he stopped me and asked me to go back.</div>
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"That doesn't say "birfday. That says Birt day."</div>
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Then I explained to him about the th sound and how it sounds.</div>
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So that, unfortunately, might be the end of "birfday," but it shows me that he's taking a lot of pride and delight in his newfound ability to read and sound things out. And especially important - he's asking questions about it.</div>
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I just love that boy more and more every day. It's so fun watching him grow.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-64156300011984648472013-04-11T07:51:00.001-05:002013-04-11T07:51:39.369-05:00Write StuffIt's so much fun when kids are just learning to read and write. I saved reams and reams of paper that Kayci wrote on during her PreK year, because everything just seemed so amazing! <br /><br />Noble's at that stage now...the other night, I was reading the menu to him and I left off "Mac & Cheese" and "Pizza" because I really didn't want him ordering those at a Mexican restaurant. He listened closely as I read, then asked me to read it again. This time he pointed and said, "What about these two?" I think that's when the balance of power shifted slightly in our little universe!<br /><br />Tomorrow is Uncle Timmy's birthday, and Noble was SET on being the first one to write on his card. It seems somebody has been learning some new sounding-out skills that are pretty cool when combined with his memory. Oh, that kid!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/04/11/551.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/04/11/s_551.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />If you don't speak preliteracy, that's "happy birthday from Noble & Kayci." I almost hate to put this one in the mail...thinking this pic makes the Project Life cut this week!<br /><br />Happy Thursday!<br />MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-74485954188489622392013-04-02T05:22:00.001-05:002013-04-02T05:22:20.329-05:00Vote for Mrs. K!<br />
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You guys know I'm a big fan of Kayci's school (hopefully Noble's school, next year!) and Kayci has been blessed with wonderful teachers all 5 years so far. I'm hard to impress, but her 4th grade teachers have really knocked my socks off...they work HARD, y'all. I was worried about 4th grade being tough, but while they're working on some pretty hard concepts, the teachers are putting in time behind the scenes to create hands-on experiences and finding ways to present things in more than one way so the kids really get it. And they do it all without complaining--you know I'd know. :)</div>
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4th grade is different (for parents, anyway) because the teachers never ask for ANYTHING. No snacks, no extra supplies, nothing. The kids get special snacks every Friday, but the teachers do it all themselves and don't make a big deal of it. This sounds like a little thing, but my teacher friends know what a big thing it is. I'm telling y'all, these ladies are wonderful, wonderful teachers who are obviously passionate about what they're doing.</div>
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One of Kayci's teachers, the famous Mrs. K. (well, she's famous at our house because she loves Texas as much as we do!), is in the running to go on a Toms giving trip. You know Kayci is a big fan of Toms, and she'd love to help Mrs. K make her dream come true. The voting ends in 10 days, and Mrs. K is a good 2000 votes behind the winner. Could you guys please take some time and go vote for her? She's a wonderful lady and teacher, and we'd love to see her win this awesome experience! Thanks!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.toms.com/ticket-to-give/flags/2282" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.toms.com/ticket-to-give/flags/2282</a></span></div>
MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-86497238334907092022013-04-01T06:08:00.000-05:002013-04-01T06:08:07.982-05:00Happy Easter!Happy Easter (a day late!) from our family to yours! He is Risen, indeed!<br />
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It doesn't seem right to share the "after" without the "before," lest you think things are always easy around here. :) Turns out, photographers' kids can sometimes be the WORST at posing for pictures...which totally explains why most of our favorite pictures of our kids are the candids. Sigh.<br />
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<br />MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-45552571553515038712013-03-19T15:31:00.001-05:002013-03-19T15:31:23.757-05:00Happy birthday, DaddyBoy! Happy birthday, DaddyBoy!
We had fun decorating on the sly, until I realized that Kayci was slyly pumping me for information-"what time do you decorate for our birthdays?" I caught on fairly quickly, since her letters to Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny usually include a request to sign the letter and put down what time they were at our house.
Back to the decorating...Kayci made a banner,<br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/03/19/1682.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/03/19/s_1682.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='106' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />and so did Noble. <br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/03/19/1683.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/03/19/s_1683.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />They're hard to read in these phone pics; Kayci's is a collection of things we love about Daddy. Noble's reads: we (heart) goofy Daddy. He drew a picture of each of us--I wonder what his future psychologist will make of the fact that Noble drew himself much larger than Daddy?
We had our usual morning birthday celebration, although we were running too late for Daddy's favorite, Big Daddy's tacos, and he had to settle for birthday donuts (which not-so-secretly thrilled the kids & Mommy).
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You won't be surprised that I kept Daddy's "big" present under wraps, then. :)
<br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=13/03/19/1689.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/13/03/19/s_1689.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Enjoy them, Boy-I'm just sorry you had to wait so long!<br />MommyGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892435877564285271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-39043116254849070282013-03-15T16:02:00.000-05:002013-03-15T16:02:20.431-05:00Enchanted Rock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Noble asked me a few weeks ago when we were going to go hiking again. That gave us the idea to give him his own hiking backpack and some hiking supplies (water bottle, compass, magnifying glass, etc...) for his birthday. And if you give a Noble a backpack, he's gonna wanna try it out...<br />
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So with the weather absolutely AMAZING during spring break, we headed out Wednesday to hike Enchanted Rock as a family.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiUcOKwiqATfO-U0eAIp0C_MKARq0IOnQ9cYgKtKMKJyDVbtQ6oWqW3EtB0QjySy1PnahXMEpvIHwVgAt0ew9esATyZtiy4GPp3VSyeW9akWyTUR2lQKDoxMknp-fvdhEwz4xXS59ehf6/s1600/IMG_0342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeiUcOKwiqATfO-U0eAIp0C_MKARq0IOnQ9cYgKtKMKJyDVbtQ6oWqW3EtB0QjySy1PnahXMEpvIHwVgAt0ew9esATyZtiy4GPp3VSyeW9akWyTUR2lQKDoxMknp-fvdhEwz4xXS59ehf6/s320/IMG_0342.JPG" width="239" /></a>We woke the kids up early that morning and hit the road around 6:00am to make sure that we got there before it got too crowded. But we spent a lot of time at Buccee's, so we ended up getting to Enchanted Rock around 10:00am and had to wait in a short line to get into the park. (hint: the line that comes up from Fredericksburg is <i>waaaaaaay</i> longer than the one that comes in from the north from Llano. Save yourself a couple of hours in line and take the north route. You're welcome.)<br />
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This was the kids' first trip to Enchanted Rock and Kristi's second, although it was her first time to hike it. And it was the first time I got to hike it when I wasn't in a hurry. So everyone was excited.<br />
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We hiked up the giant rock, and we were so proud of the kids. Neither of them complained about being tired or that hey were hungry or thirsty or wanted to go or anything. They were having such a great time!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnOEh35eF8r8fRWP0LtiaU8AbbwGfTSBOn2LOgPO3kEloO7Btd7k5yfwFS6SFF1y7-xJWkNOzC9iDQxTTB-qnT3Tr0V5EpUI-0GgomfQ4erKl8PQzx5XaI2mEf_TKbhJGk4VHoTgOWLEa/s1600/IMG_0343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnOEh35eF8r8fRWP0LtiaU8AbbwGfTSBOn2LOgPO3kEloO7Btd7k5yfwFS6SFF1y7-xJWkNOzC9iDQxTTB-qnT3Tr0V5EpUI-0GgomfQ4erKl8PQzx5XaI2mEf_TKbhJGk4VHoTgOWLEa/s320/IMG_0343.JPG" width="239" /></a>We finally made it to the top after about 45 minutes of walking. By that time our breakfast had pretty much worn off, so we found a shady spot and had a nice picnic lunch. The kids had a great time looking at all the cactus and different rocks and bugs.<br />
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Then we began to explore and make our way over to the hill next to Enchanted Rock called Little Rock. Along the way, we stopped to examine some large boulders and caves formed by boulders that had broken loose.<br />
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When we finally got to the top of Little Rock, we were all a little tired from all the hiking, so we sat down for a snack. And we took a nap right there on top of Little Rock! Noble took the best nap - about an hour and a half - before we finally woke him up to head down the hill.<br />
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Once we had hiked down, we headed to Fredericksburg, where we treated ourselves for a fun day with ice cream!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8am7O0E9kQ-h3WBmRB4ebIJzrE-JVk6OEUVWFpethsqt1d3_PqzRNWlOv9swaxTP1gAdIPO-TOfsANYx62GoHa45uliYyvSNTSdx-rn3vJk8UMFZhtKTXxQvbq0WiD8H7UGBloiquCZz/s1600/IMG_0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8am7O0E9kQ-h3WBmRB4ebIJzrE-JVk6OEUVWFpethsqt1d3_PqzRNWlOv9swaxTP1gAdIPO-TOfsANYx62GoHa45uliYyvSNTSdx-rn3vJk8UMFZhtKTXxQvbq0WiD8H7UGBloiquCZz/s320/IMG_0362.JPG" width="239" /></a>It was a perfect day - perfect weather, time outside, exercise and time together!<br />
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Happy spring break, everyone. We hope that yours was as awesome as our was!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8624148163131664653.post-67593623665634109442013-03-07T12:06:00.001-06:002013-03-07T12:06:01.714-06:00Bluebonnicator: March 7, 2013It's the return of the Bluebonnicator!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYJpCXnc7Y1V3lBrVvRrc-kGIYtZ0CUfd6eNG8tirvsO4cXAvHEtYKDxSPj1SfmirVgb8pXmFvz7SRBMnuhzP1SgWGS4XYJqTMUsEY0QgeoOD6PUYlQ6QbFBndn0eDm7uiCTmZpYjL9JM/s1600/TheBluebonnicator30Percent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYJpCXnc7Y1V3lBrVvRrc-kGIYtZ0CUfd6eNG8tirvsO4cXAvHEtYKDxSPj1SfmirVgb8pXmFvz7SRBMnuhzP1SgWGS4XYJqTMUsEY0QgeoOD6PUYlQ6QbFBndn0eDm7uiCTmZpYjL9JM/s400/TheBluebonnicator30Percent.jpg" width="300" /></a>This year is shaping up to be a very good year for bluebonnets in Brenham! Just one week into March and there are already bluebonnets in full bloom in and around town. That's perfect if you're coming into town on Saturday for Noble's birthday party. Bring a camera, take a drive in the country and see some bluebonnets while you're here!<br />
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I've had reports (and photos) of bluebonnets popping up all over. It's not peak season yet, but they're starting out great!<br />
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This week's Bluebonnicator is at 30% - the highest start of Bluebonnet season in Bluebonnicator history!<br />
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This would be a good time to remind everyone about some general guidelines:</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Don't trample the bluebonnets. </span>Try to step only in the areas between the bluebonnet plants. It might require you to what I call "the bluebonnet hop", butit will keep the plants looking great for everyone.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Don't pick the bluebonnets</span>. Period. Get some seeds off the bottom of the plant instead and grow your own! Besides, it's against the law to pick the bloom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Don't go romping through people's yards and fields to take pictures without permission.</span> It really, really makes the locals mad when "city folks" come up and go on quarter mile hikes into their pastures to take their family's picture in the bluebonnets. It's private property, and it's just rude. Most times, if you'll just ask permission it will be okay, but there are plenty of great photo opportunities on public land. The state makes sure of that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Watch out for fire ants!</span> The same kind of soil that is great for growing bluebonnets is also prime for fire ants. Watch out! [and watch out for snakes, too!]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Ask a local.</span> As I said before, there a lot of great photo places to take your family's photo in bluebonnets. And a lot of them are very easily accessible, but might not be able to be seen from the highway. Ask a local where some great shots can be had as you buy some Blue Bell ice cream or a sandwich or an antique from their shop.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Don't cross a fence.</span> I've heard a lot of stories since we moved up here about tourists crossing fences. Some stories involve getting chased by bulls, some involve broken fences and some involve animals getting loose. But every one of the stories involved trespassing and ticked off the land owner. I've been guilty of this in the past - I admit it - but now I know better, and I'm letting you all know, as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Have a great time, outdoors.</span> Get outside and enjoy the spring air and the sunshine. You can't see the bluebonets from your living room couch, folks. Unless you live in Brenham, that is. ;)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0