Fabulous Army Life

In a heart-wrenching decision (for me, anyway), we allowed our teenager to fly -- alone -- from Washington DC to Austin, Texas.  For some, that may not have been a big decision and for others, we may seem crazy for letting him do it, but for us, it was a good choice. This poor kid was the best-informed, best-educated, best-prepared, best-prepped passenger on the plane.  We spent a great deal of time talking him through every possible scenario, testing him on what he would do in each scenario, and reviewing every single airline policy, procedure, and guideline.  We walked him to the very edge of security screening and kept our eyes on him until he absolutely had to enter the waiting area for his flight.  We alerted our Texas connection and reminded him to call and text when he landed, when he de-boarded, and when he met up with Uncle Danny in Austin.   It was no surprise that he made it there just fine and was happy to make the trip (sort of) alone. ...

I grew up in north Texas in a family of avid Dallas Cowboys fans.  In fact, to my knowledge, everyone in north Texas was a football fan, and all of them were firmly in the silver-and-blue boat of Cowboys fandom. I remember watching Sunday afternoon football with my dad and thinking it was every bit as sacred as church services.  Early on, my sisters and I would be bored to tears, not able to watch anything else on television on Sundays ... so we would get paper and pencils and have a contest to see which of us could write the most number/name combinations on both teams before the end of the game.  Anything to pass the interminable time that passed between kick-off and game end. Later, I grew to enjoy the sport.  I learned the difference between offense and defense, how to tell a fullback from a free safety, and why grown men scream at a TV screen when their team misses a field goal on 3rd and goal.  I  was proud to be a junior high and high school che...

Leaving Texas -- our home state and the place we've been stationed for the past 7+ years -- has not been easy on any of us.  With all of our immediate family members along the I-35 corridor in Texas and my boys having spent a majority of their lives here, it's truly home to us.  Due to some military-kid-miracle, Trey attended only one elementary school (Kindergarten through 5th) and spent his first year in Middle School with many of the same kids he's known since he started school.  Joshua enjoyed a local private Kindergarten and spent 1st - 3rd grade at the same elementary his brother attended.  Our neighborhood, library, sports program, swimming lessons, and basically all daily life events have been steady and familiar for years.  Giving that up to enter a completely foreign area will be a challenge, for sure. Now, we're in the process of trying to see everyone one last time before we head to the great unknown in Washington DC.  One priority is always...

Whew!  Packing and loading are complete and we begin our Trek-Across-Texas to see family and friends before making our way to our new assignment in Washington, DC. Fare thee well, Fort Hood and Harker Heights, Texas!  We will miss you! Driving away from our Texas home.

Some of our classmates at the 2009 Homecoming game ... yes, our 20 year reunion! My hometown will celebrate it's homecoming football game this weekend.  I won't be able to be there for it, but many will flock to the stadium to cheer on the Sanger Indians.  My nephew, age 9, will be a part of the festivities this year as a young football player.  Too cute!  I was able to go last year, our 20 Year reunion year (!!) and had a fabulous time catching up with old friends. Homecoming was always a super-fun week in small town Texas high school.  A week of crazy dress days, pep rallies, and displays of school spirit!  Since football reigns supreme, this was a huge event in my little hometown.  I loved it all every year ... and reminiscing about it brings back a flood of fun memories for me. The traditional bonfire pep rally was held the night before the big game ... and was always guarded carefully lest past students set in on fire early! The pep r...

As the temperatures soar into the 100s in central Texas, my sons and I have been seeking refuge from the heat. They would be completely content to play Nintendo DS and computer games from dawn until dusk, but the mommy in me can't allow that to become a full-time habit. Killeen Water Park So ... we venture into the Killeen Water Park (which is fabulous!) and the local jump house, Wazoo's, and get to the lake as much as we can, too. But sometimes, it's good to be home and so we've also found some great at-home activities as well. Both boys like crafts and have made a variety of "Bendaroo" creatures out of the waxy sticks (that stain your hands if you get really sweaty) we found at a craft store. We broke into a "Digusting Science" kit to grow germs and test antibacterial soap, and enjoyed some lengthy games of Sorry!, Sorry Sliders, and Mancala. Wii Outdoor Challenge One of our all-time favorite games is a Wii game called "Outdoor Cha...

Okay, okay.  I promise to stop posting about Texas so much ... it's just that with travelling for Spring Break, we kept finding cute signs and sayings along the way.  Here are a few more of my favorites! You know you're in Texas when ... It is the middle of winter and the AC is running. Mosquitos are biting at Christmas. Every other block there is either an adult novelty toy store, BBQ restaurant, dollar store, or church. Saying "Merry Christmas" is the standard greeting in December (not "Happy Holidays"). While driving along, every fifth sign or so has a Texas flag or "Texas" in the name of the store. You've gotten a sunburn while driving. You automatically wave at those you pass. A truck or combine has pulled to the right shoulder for you so you could pass. A building has three huge flag poles several stories high, with one USA flag and two Texas flags. It's bright, sunny, short sleeve weather one day, and it's snowing the ...

We spent the last part of Spring Break in the Hill Country and enjoyed our time there so much!  We saw our first Texas bluebonnets of the season and were lucky enough to see a family of four bald eagles before they left their nest for the year. While visiting this beautiful part of Texas, we came across several great Texas quotes and quizzes and I wanted to share some of them with you here.  You can only claim to be Texan if you can pass the following test! You can properly pronounce Amarillo, Bexar, Buda, Corsicana, Decatur, Ennis, Lancaster (the town), Lancaster(the street), Mexia, Palestine, Pflugerville, Waco, and Waxahachie. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel. You’ve ever had to switch from “heat” to “cool” in the same day. You know that the true value of a parking space is by the availability of shade, not the distance to the door. You measure distance in minutes and/or hours. You listen to the weather forecast b...

People here in Texas have trouble with all those "shalls" and "shall nots" in the ten Commandments. Folks here just aren't used to talking in those terms. So, some folks out in west Texas got together and translated the "King James" into "King Ranch" language. (1) Just one God. (2) Honor yer Ma & Pa. (3) No tellin' tales or gossipin'. (4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting. (5) Put nothin' before God. (6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal. (7) No killin'. (8) Watch yer mouth. (9) Don't take what ain't yers. (10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff. ** Cowboy's Ten Commandments posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, Texas.

Here are some little known and very interesting facts about Texas and things Texan: Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles Beaumont to Chicago: 770 miles El Paso is 14 miles closer to San Diego than to Houston World's first rodeo was in Pecos, July 4, 1883. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach for Rice University in Houston. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978. The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which over 8000 lives were lost on Galveston Island. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was "Houston." King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July 1979. Texas is the only...

Photo:  The day after our snow storm, my oldest son stands with the remains of his snowman. There's nothing like Texas weather.  The famous saying is ... "If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a few hours.  It will change."   Being a native Texan -- only spending a few years out of Texas courtesy of the United States Army -- I can attest to the validity of that.  In Texas, you never pack away a wardrobe.  You're as likely to need shorts and flip-flops in December as any other month.  You only need sweaters a few days of the year and breaking out a heavy coat is an annual event at best. Besides the weather, there's a specific lingo in Texas that you should know about.  Here are my top five Texas words you need to know: Ya'll (plural = All Ya'll) Howdy Fixin' To I reckon Over Yonder For some more fun Texas Talk: Texas Slang Translation Texas Talk Enjoy, Ya'll!