Get Ready...Get Set...Let's Drive....

Drive and drive and drive. This is how we started our vacation on Friday May 28th.  I decided that I was going to plan everything out and work hard two week before getting everything ready so that we could leave on vacation no later than Noon on the 28th.  HAHAHAH! Not going to happen.  I had to be at the doctor's office at 730am. I was hoping that I would be done and on my way home by 830 at the latest and well that just was not in the cards as I did not get home until almost 11am.  Then Heather, Alex and I loaded up the dogs to take them to the kennel for their vacation.  Back to the house and we have to put the seats back in the van and finish the last little bit of packing that we could not due until the day we are leaving.  Finally we had to clean up the house. And those were just the errands for the house.

Next, after loading the van up we had to run and take care of a few things. We had to get strings for Heather's guitar because she wanted so badly to have it fixed and for Grandpa Pullen to teach her to play while we are home on vacation.  Then Alex decided that he did not like his haircut from the week before and that the lady did not cut it short enough so he thought he would try and save me some money and do it himself. Well that did not work so well so we had to stop at Super Cuts to have Alex's mistakes corrected.  Oh well! At least he likes his hair cut this time and I have to say it looks better now than the first time. Next we had to stop at FX games because Alex was getting new games for his PSP to help entertain him on our 21 hour drive. Finally, on our way out of Harker Heights we had to stop and get gas.  Wow! We did not get on the road til 530pm.

Okay so we are 5.5 hours later than the time I had planned to be leaving...bummer but it just seemed like more and more things kept coming up so that being the case I have learned that some where along the way there must be a good reason for us not leaving on time and I just let it go.

830pm arrives and we are pulling into Lone Oak, TX to check out some Rottie pups to see if they have any for Heather that meets the requirements that we have and made a list on.  We have been looking for a Rottie that first is not to dark or too light in her markings. Has a nice size head, perfect bite, has a good ball drive, alert to her surroundings, and has a personality that we can mold into being a protective lover, yet still be mentally stable.  These are big shoes to fill!  We think we may have found her! Heather and I will be co-owning her and we have chosen the name Justice Von Nighter.  So 1030 comes and after meeting the puppies we think we have gotten the best one,  We also got to mingle and play with the other Rotties there, Justice's father, mother, grandparents and other rotties the kennel had.  We really had a nice time with them, but then again any place that there are Corgis or Rotties and Heather and I will have some fun.  This time Alex seemed to enjoy it as well.

Time to move on.  We get back in the car and are on the road again. Our next scheduled stop was planned to be Nashville, TN other than for gas, I thought that this would be a good half way point to stop, well at about 3 am I was really starting to feel tired with all the driving so at 422am about 40 miles outside Memphis, TN I called it a night for about 2.5 hours.  I got some much needed rest as well as the kids.

After a very good nap I headed on down the road and decided to try and make up some time.  I was so hoping to be able to make it in time for my sister Tori's Graduation and if not for that at least an early evening arrival so that we all could get a good night's sleep.  We made up great time through Memphis and actually had made up the 2.5 hours of nap time that we had by the time we got to Nashville.  These are pictures of Memphis, TN.

The distance between Memphis and Nashville is a few hundred miles so the kids slept on the way since we only slept for a few hours.

However, once we made it there I took a wrong turn and we ended up in downtown Nashville.  Oh well, guess this was Gods' way of saying get a good meal because we ended up taking an exit to turn around with a Cracker Barrel so we stopped there for lunch.  So much for making up that time.  LOL!

As we were driving we found many interesting things. I found out that we had an extra passenger that I did not know about. He seemed to have slipped in at the house and had been so quite that I didn't even know he was there until I came back to the car at one of our stops.  His name is Nike.

I think the most interesting thing that I saw as a driver was Ty Pennington's tour bus!  Yes we even got pictures of it as we passed it and they passed us several times on the trip. Alex and I are avid Extreme Home Makeover watchers and Alex and I have memorized the two buses license plates they use and this was one of them.  It was great!

We finally arrived safe, and sound at my father's house also known to the kids as Grandpaw Pullen's at 140am.  Word to the wise.  When you are about 80 miles out from your final stop it is not a good idea to take No Doze and drink a large cup of coffee, you'll be so wired that you can't sleep and talk non stop.  I'll remember this on my way back to Texas.

Heather, Alex and I took several pictures while on our drive and I will share them all enjoy!

Luau

The month of May is filled with birthdays in our family.  Alex starts the month off on the first then comes Tiffany on the 17th, followed by my brother and sister both at the end of the month.

Sticking to themes this year, Tiffany decided that she wanted to have a themed party as well.  The theme she choose for her party was a Luau.  The planning for this party was so easy and yet so much fun.  Nana and I headed out to Walmart to look for luau things and we were so excited when we got there to see that everything pertaining to a luau was on clearance.  We were able to get a box of plastic leis as well as fake flower leis, the grass skirts for girls to wear, the grass skirt for the table, paper hanging pineapples, and parrotts, the luau straws, cups, fish netting, plates and napkins.  I went online and created and printed invatations for Tiffany to pass out at school.  Walmart even had a luau birthday cake!

Due to the Rabbit Fest going on in Cove last weekend Tiffany decided to postpone her party til this weekend in order to make sure her friends could come as well as the fact that she had just gotten out of the hospital last Monday. 

Saturday, we all got up early and started decorating.  We hung little lights with paper lanterns on them around the porch, hung up the fish netting, and the pineapple and parrots around the porch.  We decorated the table outside and got the grill ready to go.  You can't have a luau without a bbq.  I prepared skewers of ham and pineapple, I also took thick pork chops and diced them into large pieces and then marinated them in Hawaiian sauce, once they were done we took those and put them on skewers with fresh cut pineapple as well.  We also had teriyaki sauce and marinated chunks of chicken in it and then put those of skewers as well.  We then took little paper umbrellas and put cheese chunks and different pieces of fruit on each one.  We had gotten strawberries, melon, watermelon, pineapple, grapes for the different pieces of fruit. We also had a veggie tray and chips and dip.  For those that may not like the skewers we also had hot dogs. Nana was our griller for the day and for drinks we make virgin strawberry margaritias for everyone.

When we were out getting the food we came across a palm tree cooler that really made the yard look great. For games we had coconut volleyball, which is played with a water balloon and a towel.  Pop the coconut, where we blew up brown balloons and tied them to each of the kids ankles and they had to run around trying to pop everyone elses balloon without theirs getting popped.  We had a coconut war where the kids all had water balloons and got to toss them at each other like dodge ball and finally we had a limbo.  The music for the party was great as it was the Beach Boys Greatest Hits.

To finish off the party Tiffany had her best friend Kayla spend the night and we watched a movie and this morning they took all the photos from yesterday and each got to make a scrapbook of their memories from yesterday. 

I have learned that these theme parties take about the same amount of time to set up and plan as a regular birthday party and yet they are more fun and organize for the adults.  It was a great way to include people of all ages and have fun.  I think during the games the adults had more fun watching the kids.

Flight number 11

Wow!  My son is now 11 years old.  How time flys.  Speaking of flying, Alex really wanted to have a birthday party this year so instead of just having a regular old birthday party, I decided to go with a themed party.  The timing for the theme that Alex chose could not have been better. Alex decided that he wanted his party to be centered around planes.  He came to me and said, "Hey Mom how about calling my party Flight Number 11 since I am turning 11 years old."  I thought it was a great idea. 

It turns out while we were planning his party that on May 1st, which happens to be his birthday, was the local Air Show in Temple.  I told Alex to choose 3 of his friends and for part of his birthday Nana and I would take them to the Air Show and then later when we came back we would have dinner and cake with any other friends he wanted to have over as well as a sleep over.  Alex chose to to have his best friend Glenn, Keyton, and Andrew to come to the Air Show.  Unforunately, Andrew could not come to the Air Show, but was able to join us for dinner and the sleepover. 

The Air Show was a blast.  Glenn's family joined us for the show.  We all had a great time and the planes were awesome.  It was such a blessing to be able to spend the day with the kids and make new friends as Glenn's Mom and I had recently met and live just down the street from each other.  The show had a lot of action and when they brought out the planes from the Vietnam era they actually showed what the bombs looked like as they went off.  They showed the kids how the older fighter planes took down planes and the stunt planes were great as well. 

 They kids even got to go into an M 4 which is a simulator to see how it would be to actually be in a flighter plane and a space shuttle launch.

The planes and the show from the Vietnam Era really had the boys excited and the rest of us had a blast watching the boys reaction.  The best part of the actual show for the adults was the newer Fighter Jets from the Air Force as when they did their fly bys we could feel the heat from the plane from about 200 yards away as it went by.

When the show was over I had planned a HUGE surprize for all the boys that they still talk about.  We were heading out to the car and they boys were a little restless.  They had been talking the whole time about how they wished they could go up in a heliocopter or airplane.  Little did they know that I had arranged for them to get a heliocopter ride just for the three of them with the adult flying the heliocopter.  It seemed like a great idea and I was so excited for them.  When we got over to the heliocopter site and the boys learned that the were getting a ride they were to excited.  I decided that I wanted photos of the flight for them so they took my camera up in the heliocopter with them and they got some really great shots.  When the time came for them to take their flight I all of the sudden because the worried Mother and started second guessing whether this was such a good idea to send 3 boys ages 9, 11 and 12 up in a heliocopter without a parent.  My Mom and Bobbi (Glenn's Mom) assured me that they would be fine and to just stay calm.

Alex and the boys had a blast.  They talked about it all the way home and for days about it.  Even now they still talk about it.  When we got home Jon had gone and gotten a styrofoam plane and hung it from the ceiling in the dining room and the table was set ready to go.  Two more boys we call the twins, Andrew and Kenton joined us. We got a great cake with a plane on it that was just like the ones that the boys had seen at the Air Show and it was a great evening.  To finish the evening off we had gotten The Tooth Fairy for the boys to watch as they camped out in the living room for the night.

The following morning we had biscuits and sausage gravy, bacon and eggs and chocolate milk before sending the boys home.  What a great way to celebrate Alex's birthday. 

Following a girls dream

Tiffany is my child that is very athletic.  As much as I would like to say I am surprised, I am not.  Her father, Joey played basketball and baseball in high school and was fairly good at it. I played volleyball and softball in high school as was fairly good as well.  It is nice that Tiffany was blessed with her own athletic ability.  She is the type of person that no matter what it seems to be if it is a sport or art work and you take the time to teach her the basics of it she takes that and runs with it in no time flat.

Tiffany started playing volleyball three years ago when her sister showed and interest and played in school.  At the time Tiffany really wanted to play, but her school did not have a team for sixth grade.  So Tiffany practiced with her sister a few times and then asked me if I would coach her since I used to play.  So began Tiffany's start in Volleyball. I would spend at least 3 days a week coaching both Heather and Tiffany and although both girls can play Volleyball, Heather would rather do cheer-leading and dance than to play volleyball.  Heather can play volleyball, but it is not her strongest sport. Tiffany on the other hand really took to the sport.  After working with me for a year, she decided to go out for the 7th grade team.  I was really happy to see that all the time I spent working with her really paid off when she was chosen for the varsity team in her 7th grade year. Tiffany did really well in the 7th grade and was given more training and encouragement by Coach Begley.  This past year we missed the try-outs for the Copperas Cove Jr High 8th grade team, but this did not discourage Tiffany.  She kept practicing on her own and did not let that stop her at all.  In February she went out for the Copperas Cove Spring League and again made the team.

We are now nearing the end of the Spring League and she has been doing so well.  Not only is she playing spring league Volleyball, but she is also made the Copperas Cove Jr High Tennis team as well.  It seems like there is not a day that goes by that we aren't at either Volleyball tournaments, Volleyball practice, Tennis practice or Tennis Tournaments.  Tiffany even has most of her Tennis Tournaments on Saturdays, which means for her that Saturday morning start for her at about 530am and she doesnt normally get home until about 6pm from the tournaments.  She really has been working hard.  To top it all off she is playing two sports at the same time and is still keeping her grades at A's and B's.  I have been really impressed with her.

Last week while we were at a volleyball tournament I was told that the High School Coaches had been watching Tiffany during the games.  I did not think much about it until tonight.  Tonight Tiffany's team was the last team to play tonight and half way through the team I saw all four of the high school coaches come to the side of the court that she was on and start watching the game. Again, I tried not to think about it and kept on cheering for Tiffany and giving her encouragement and guidance.  Towards the end of the game Tiffany was up to serve and she had been doing well all night then she missed her serve.  I could tell that it really upset her.  The head coach for Copperas Cove High yelled out to her and said,"No biggy Tiff, next time just toss the ball a little higher."  I saw this smile come across her face as she shook her head yes at the coach.

Later, after the game, I asked Tiffany about this, she told me that she was upset because she knew the coaches were watching her and she muffed up her serve.  I asked her how she knew that they were watching her and she told me that last week and today during UIL the Jr High Volleyball Coach had pulled her aside and told her that she really wanted Tiffany to make sure she did well at the games and to really pay attention to her techiques because the Head Coach at the high school was asking about her and really watching her for one of the teams next year.  Rumors are now comfirmed. 

This all really means a lot to Tiffany because she really wants to go to college on a scholarship.  Even though we are no longer in the Copperas Cove School district, I have decided to keep Tiffany in this district for several reasons.  Copperas Cove ISD is a one high school town, therefore, there is a larger opportunity for Tiffany to shine when it comes to her abilities in sports.  Next, CCISD has a fantastic Volleyball and Football program.  It is the only school in the area that offers Volleyball and Football training and practices all year long for the members that make the program, meaning that there will be a lot of opporunity for her to really get good at her sport.   CCISD also is not as large as the schools in Killeen and really has the ability to focus on education and sports.  Tiffany has a better chance at getting a sports or art scholarship in the CCISD system then she would in KISD.  So even though that means I have to drive her back and forth to school daily it is all going to be worth it in the end as she is working towards that dream of getting a scholarship to Harvard.  Next week I will have pictures of Tiffany playing volleball for everyone.

A boys adventure

Alex has really been having a blast here at our new house.  He has made some really good friends.  God knew that it was time for Alex to learn how to have more than one friend at a time and we had no idea when we purchased our new house how many boys there where on this street alone and that all of these boys that Alex would make friends with are good boys that he can really learn a lot from.

Thursday, Alex had an early release day from school and I went to get him from school as I now do everyday. (Alex is back at his very first school he attended when we moved here and for him this is yet another wonderful blessing and gift from Heavenly Father.  We all love Clear Creek Elementary School.)
Alex and his friend Glenn went to the field behind our house and clear on the other side of it is a canal that is full of water. Next thing I know Glenn and Alex are walking back with a white Styrofoam cooler really slow.
My Motherly instincts tell me to stop them at the edge of the yard and ask them what they have before they got any closer. (We have a lot of snakes here and the last thing I wanted was them to bring a snake into the yard.) They tell me that they have a baby turtle.  So Glenn and Alex take the turtle to Glenn's house.  The next day Glenn, Alex, Andrew, Kent, Shent and Alex and the aquirinum with the turtle come to the house.  All the boys ask me if I will let them all keep the turtle here.  After talking to each of them and having each of the sign a contract that their parents saw as well it was agreed that Alex could keep the community turtle at our house and the rest of the boys were responsible to make sure we have food to feed it.

First thing on the list was that they were to find out what type of turtle it was.  They had problems trying to find out the exact species, but Alex said from the beginning that it was an alligator snapping turtle.  I really need to start listening to him when it comes to the names of animals outside.  He loves to watch the animal channel and discovery channel on tv and I realized that he actually does learn a lot from them.  Which was proven today.  Jon went online early this morning when he got home from work to see what type of turtle this little guy was so that we could make sure that we had the right food for him.  Low and behold Alex was exactly right.  This turtle was in fact an alligator snapping turtle.  Now this was really neat to me.  We looked on the map and found out that this type of turtle was not even supposed to be in our region that it is mainly found in far eastern Texas.  That more than likely with all the rains we have had that it came here via the rivers and canals. 

Now the down side to all of this is that we also learned that this species of turtle is what is called a threatened species and it is highly illegal to own or capture this type of turtle unless you have a permit for this type of turtle.  This type of turtle has been known to get to be about 15" to 26" round and weigh up to 250 lbs.

When we read this we decided that we would wait for Alex to get up and explain this to both Glenn and him and then we would have them take the turtle back to where they found it so that no one gets into any trouble.

Tiffany decided that since Glenn could not go that she and Jirah would help Alex take the turtle back to its family.  Alex had told us that there were several of them where he got this and even a very large adult one as well. Although Alex was sad that he could not keep the turtle he said that the turtle really did need to go live with its Mom and was willing to take it back.  Jon and I talked and decided that if Alex really wants to have a turtle that we will be getting him one from the pet store for his birthday.  When we told Alex this he was very happy. 

Our NEW Home

I wanted to take a moment now that I have a few minutes to introduce you all to our new home.  We are so happy to have this home and it was something that truly was given to us by Heavenly Father.  We found the house early on the morning of my birthday.  Funny thing about this was that Jon had asked me about and hour before we found this house if there was anything that I really wanted for my birthday and I told him, "I have prayed for us to have our own house again."  After making breakfast for the kids I decided to get on CraigsList and just look around.  This house was just listed on the sight for sale by owner.  I called the gentleman about the house and Mom and I left a few minutes later to look at the house.  The next thing I know we are signing papers and were handed the keys.  We are so happy with this house.  No house is perfect unless you build it from the ground up yourself.  There are some things that we want to do with the house as time goes on, but we love it just like it is too.

We have four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a two car garage, a large living room, kitchen, dining room, and most of all a good size backyard.  We need to put up a fence on the back side of the property and on each front side of the house, but that we are working on.  We actually have to wait for our shed to be delivered before we can put up the fence because it comes on a tractor and trailer and they have to place it in the back, but that is okay in the meantime we have the kennels for the dogs when we can not be right there to watch them.  Once the shed is here and we build the fence we will be building a kennel run area with concrete flooring. 

This house was such a blessing for us and we found out later that this really was a gift from God when we learned that one of the two people that we used as a reference happened to be the previous owners best friend. God truly does open a window even if it is just a crack for people you just have to look for it and squeeze through it.  Enjoy the pictures.