Annie's Ad: Sprained Ankle

I bet you're guessing that I have a sprained ankle due to the title. Well, you're right! Pretty much! We don't know if it's a sprain or a strain! I don't know what the difference is but it's probably not important! On Wednesday night, we had skills (which is a intense softball practice that focuses primarily on your fielding skills). We did a bunch of warm ups like running, stretching, etc. and we were about to start throwing. So i grabbed my glove and jumped over one of these HUGE softball bags. I didn't jump high enough and ended up having my foot point REALLY far down. I just want to remind you that I am flat footed so my foot can't point really far down in the first place. My ankle started to hurt really bad. So I limped over to one of the coaches and asked if I could take a break because I hurt my ankle. Luckily, Mailey's mom was there. She saw me and helped me over to a table and got me ice for my foot. She called my dad and he rushed over here. I hopped on one foot to the car for about half the time. Dad carried me the other half of the way. Of course, Dad all of a sudden became a qualified doctor and looked up online how to fix a sprained foot. He found this abbreviation called RICE. This stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. He did all of these things for me and it was feeling better. The next day i went to school on Will's old crutches while my friend carried my back pack for me! I got home and my ankle, the top of my foot, and my toes were swollen! And today they kind of looked purple! So mom did the smart thing and called the doctor. I'm going in today at three. We'll find out if I have a sprain or a strain. I want to say thank you to Mailey's mom for helping me at softball, mom and dad for helping me around the house, Callie for making my lunch and dragging my heavy backpack into my first period class, Kayleigh and Sydney for dragging my backpack around to the other subjects and for turning in my papers for me, Evie and Will for helping me with simple tasks around the house, and everyone else for their love and prayers! Thanks y'all! I'll tell you the results when i get back from the doctor's at 3:00 today!

Annie's Ad: Fun with the College Kids

As you know (if you read this blog often), Katie and her two colleagues, Tristan and Athena, were here for the weekend. They got here at 11:30 p.m on Friday night. And guess what the first thing we did was? We played Just Dance 2 the wii game!!! It was so much fun!!! Athena won most of the time! Unless i was playing the game (JK)!!! Then we fell right asleep!!! That game gives you a great workout!!! The next day all the kids woke up around 8:30-9:00 a.m while the college girls slept in till 11:00 a.m.!!! It was crazy!!! Well, Kara and Alexis went to a b-day party and Will had to go to a basketball game. So that left Katie, Athena, Tristan, Callie, Evie, and me left. So Katie drove us to Fort Worth. It took us forever!! The GPS kept saying there was only 12 more minutes left, but it took us another 45 minutes to get there. There was a lot of traffic. But we finally got there. We went to a petting zoo there and saw the cutest baby goats!!! I'll have to show you guys the pictures later but Katie has to send them to me first. We also had a lot of fun before Katie got here. All of the kids went to the dollar section in Target.

We all loved the Irish section. What can i say? It's in our blood!!

Here's some more pics of Kara buying us socks!!!

Here's a picture of Alexis playing with a foam sword!

Here's Kara playing with a fairy wand!!!

Now they are tired of me taking pictures of them!!!

We had a lot of fun!!!

Annie's Ad: Kaotic Kids

A friendly foos ball game with Dad, Alexis, Annie and Kara
A fancy dinner served by mom and dad..... Will, you are right , your eyes were closed!

OK first of all, i know that that's not how you spell chaotic, but kids started with a "k" so i figured i should make chaotic start with a "k". I just wanted to let you know i know how to spell. Anyway there is a LOT going on at our house right now! Although it is quiet right now (everyone's as school), it won't be for long. My friend Kara George (the one i went on the ski trip with) is staying over here for a couple of nights because her parents are at a golf tournament. (By the way, her dad isn't golfing. They know a famous golfer in the tournament. Ever heard of Stancowski?) So she slept over here last night and she'll sleep over here until Sunday. Alexis (my other friend) slept over with us last night, too. I don't know if she's going to sleep over here again tonight or not. I know they both slept over on a school night, but it was a special occasion. But we also are having our cousin Katie and her two friends from college, Tristan and Athena, stay over here. It's going to be so much fun! We recently found some little kid pics of Katie that Callie and I are going to use to embarrass are older cousin. We love Katie dearly, but embarrassing her is just part of our jobs. Well, we're going to have a full house this weekend. Also, Mom is leaving to go to Chicago tomorrow. Our great-aunt Shirley (her aunt) is really sick right now and she's going to go visit her. We're all praying for Aunt Shirley. I wish i got to know her better. Mom is pretty sad that Aunt Shirley isn't feeling good. We all are, actually. So it will be a pretty crowded house without Mom to put it under control. Wish us luck!!!

~Annie

WE LOVE YOU AUNT SHIRLEY

THE FUNNY THING IS, I REMEMBER ALL OF THESE OUTFITS.....
AND THESE TOO! BEAUTIFUL ......... I look so happy to be in my Aunt Shirley's lap.

Aunt Shirley

This is my Aunt Shirley. She is an amazing aunt and always has been.
This is actually one of my first memories....being held by Aunt Shirley....watching a little toy clown ride a unicycle on a wire strung across our living room. See him in the right hand corner?

Its hard to know where to start describing my Aunt Shirley! She has always been there for me and for all of her nieces and nephews. She always makes each one of us feel like one in a million. She is the one that is one in a million! She inspires me and knows me. She has encouraged me and challenges me to live a life for God.

We got to see Aunt Shirley a lot growing up. I remember her sleeping over at our house and all cuddling with her on the big, green pull out couch and reading Bible stories. We would go out to her house every summer for at least a week. I remember a few occasions when it would last longer than that. It was always a magic time. Aunt Shirley taught third grade, which automatically made her the coolest. She would let us come set up her class room with her and once I got to spend the day with her in class and meet her students. When we were at Aunt Shirleys, we stayed up late, played games, made doll house furniture and dressed up in her old prom dresses. She came to all of my plays and shows and graduations. She has a great sense of humor and can make ANYTHING fun. (Sarah, remember speeding to Pentwater with her and having our dolls sing opera?)

She is a wonderful aunt. I am so grateful to her. She has been and continues to me an inspiration to me.

Aunt Shirley, we love you so much. We are praying for you to feel better as soon as possible , and get well. Love to you from Texas.....

Annie's Ad: Ski Trip

Hey, It's Annie! As you probably already know, my friend Kara invited me on a ski triprecently for the whole weekend! It was so much fun!! We went to Red River, NM and i did a bunch of Blue hills.

This is a picture i took on my phone while we were skiing down the mountain! Isn't it

beautiful? To think that that could have been God's sandcastle!!! This is a view from outside our cabin! There were a bunch of sleds we got to use!!!

We also got to go tubing down a hill! Kara, A.J., Gabe, and I got to do a four person train while tubing.

Here's some more pictures of the ski trip!

Kara at the cabin!

Picture of the mountain on the way back home!!!

A picture of me on the mountain!

Duct Tape Wallets, Anyone?

pretLast night was Bridlewood Elementary School's "Mini Society". Will and his classmates had to pick a project or recipe that they could make for under $20.00. They then had to bring their wares to the gym...I mean market....to sell to their eager customers (their parents and siblings.) There were stress balls, and cotton candy, cookies and raffles, pet rocks and beaded rings and book marks....but nobody else made cool duct tape wallets. Will made 30 wallets and sold them for $3 each...and sold out with in a half an hour. All the money goes to their fifth grade trip and end of year party. Thank you KATIE D. for finding cool duct tape for Will, you are the best cousin ever!

Super Bowl and Annie Comes Home!

Annie came home from her ski trip with the Georges.....we missed her so much! The Gilmartins , Smiths, Georges and Lundborgs came over for the Super Bowl and her friends gave her a huge welcome.
Here is Annie and Spencer wringing Scout's neck.
That is a lot of kids, and we are missing Will and Ryan!
Our own half time show.....Dance party on the Wii and Will singing for all of us (nice hat and sunglasses, Dude....)

Snow Scenes from the Circle

Patrick, Ryan and Will, waiting to ambush.....
Mr. G. pulled the kids around the block on the knee board....

Chase and Trevor shovel the driveway...
Gotcha, Helen!
Evie and Davis look innocent, but they are waiting to throw snowballs at passing knee boarders!
Callie takes a turn!
Alexis and Callie ....
There goes Evie!
Go, Davis!

Snow , the hot tub, and great friends! The Woods girls (Christina and Elizabeth) came to stay the night, and Miranda and Aidan came too.
Aidan and Will jumped in the pool before this picture....

Dinner at Uncle Charlie's

Welcome to Uncle Charlie's, a bar and grill establishment that apparently has been flourishing for years, without our knowing it, in our game room.....
Known for their amazing desserts (klondike bars with caramel drizzled all over it), beautiful, candlelit atmosphere, and extremely good looking wait staff....
And they even have a staff photographer to take pictures of the patrons!
We will definitely be coming back again......

Last night, we had dinner at "Uncle Charlie's Bar and Grill."

The kids were working hard all day to surprise us. There was lots of whispering, trips to the kitchen, requests for horseradish (?) and stern orders not to go upstairs. By the end of the night, they had a menu made, cool music on the electronic piano playing, candles lit, and amazing desserts prepared for us.

Happiness is the kids having fun, loving on each other, klondike bars, snow days...... and a bar and grill in your game room.

The Magic of the Snow Day

Snow on the circle.....
Since this picture, everything is covered.....
We are loving the snow!

We are on our 4th snow day, which is pretty unheard of for Texas.....and we are loving it. As I write this, it is snowing harder than I've ever seen it here.....huge flakes!.....and covering the thick ice that is all over the streets. So we are staying in, and staying safe. Jim takes the suburban into his office, which is close, and calls back with a report on the streets. I trust his driving in these conditions more than anyone else (thank you, growing up in Chicago!) but he has seen quite a few accidents and spinning cars. Poor Texans, usually our snow is gone in a day. Anyway, Annie is gone on a ski trip with her friend , Kara, and other than a few trips out to see the neighbors, we have been content to stay in. I've been working on my office and making huge, organizational progress. Jim has come home early every night and we have had long, nice dinners , uninterrupted by sports practices. The kids have been getting a long, and playing with each other, and enjoying each other, and laughing, giggling, and being creative. I love snow days.....incredibly thankful for these four snow days!