New picture pages!

 

So here are my three newest digital layouts...Printed the top two to display in my frames.

I just love Rick eating the big Cheeseburger...he finished almost all of it! What a kid!

Whaky Weather Thursday Forecast!

It's spring in Abilene: Snow possible

By Michael Freeman freemanm@reporternews.com
Thursday, March 26, 2009

Three-day forecast

Today -- Windy with a high near 85, low 48
Friday -- Windy with temperatures falling to about 41 by 5 p.m. Overnight low near 32.
Saturday -- Sunny with a high near 66.
Source: National Weather Service

Thunderstorms rolled through the Abilene area midday Wednesday, dropping 0.09 inches of rain and penny-size hail in some parts of the Big Country.
But hail may not be the only frozen precipitation parts of the Big Country might receive -- some areas to the north of Abilene might get snow Friday night.
Of course, that's after an expected high of 85 degrees today.
Wednesday's cold front brought Abilene its biggest rainfall amount since March 13, when 0.74 inches of rain fell, according to the National Weather Service in San Angelo.
Abilene's total rainfall for the year to date is 1.88 inches, more than an inch below the average rainfall of 3.16 inches. Southern parts of Abilene received most of the rain and hail Wednesday; however, Fire Station No. 1 on Grape Street reported penny-size hail at 11:30 a.m.
"We received a lot of calls of pea-sized hail, and we got a few calls reporting anywhere from penny- to nickel-sized hail," said Hector Guerrero, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in San Angelo.
Hail measuring ¾ of an inch was recorded in Silver Valley in Coleman County, which is about 40 miles southeast of Abilene.
Most of the severe weather occurred southeast of Abilene, Guerrero said.
The weather service issued a severe weather warning for Taylor County at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, but the thunderstorms had passed through by 1 p.m.
The National Weather Service could issue freeze advisories Friday, Guerrero said. After today, temperatures should plummet. On Friday, the National Weather Service is predicting temperatures dropping to 41 degrees by 5 p.m. It will be windy throughout the next few days.
Blizzard watches have been issued for the Amarillo area.
"It's going to be chilly, but the good thing is it's spring, so it'll warm up soon," Guerrero said.
Temperatures should climb back into the mid-60s by Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Wordless Wednesday

Family Day & Graduation at BCT

We visited Jason at BCT in South Carolina and here is a sampling...it will be updated when I have time this afternoon!

Here are Dan and Jason arm-wrestling! (Updated)

Jason with all his 'stuff'. After graduation we went to his barracks to pick him up and found he had packed all his new bought luggage with stuff! Where did he get all that?! No wonder the PX had piles of luggage for sale!(Mama, da habt ihr einen teil davon gekauft!) They curb on the economy there very well!

Here is Echo Company all in formation...can you see Jason? Well, left back looking over all is the kid!

We got to take Jason to the airport, we also took him out to eat. So the story is this..."We had a "Garmin" to tell us how to drive. One fun part is that you can search for a Restaurant and it takes you there! So we found a Greek restaurant and drove 20 miles (or whatever it was) to find the location but not the restaurant (it will be a Mexican eatery soon!). So we found another Greek restaurant about 7-9 miles the other direction...so we let Garmin take us there...not yet open, coming soon! So we decided on going down a road that Jason had heard about which was full of eateries...well, we found the street and the place we were looking for (forgot the name of it) and it also was closed. Now we decided to drive along the road and look for anything that sounded good...stopped at Ryans all-you-can-eat and had fun there. Jason is back that is all that counts :-) Then off to the airport, drop of our luggage, and sit in rocking chairs waiting for the plane. That gets boring after a while, so lets go behind the security and look for something else to do. We had coffee and ice coffee and sat there for a while. Jason challenged Dan to armwrestle, well first it was Tiffany's turn but she said her arms were too short, so here is Dan trying hard to beat Jason, but that kid has accumulated muscles and Dan gets beat.

(Hey Dan, remember the good ol' times when you pretended Jason was stronger and he got to beat you!? Well, those days are over!)

Jason, Happy 27th Birthday!

Back from South Carolina!

Pictures will follow tomorrow...can't see out of my eyes for all the burning...soooo tired!

The House is empty!

Yeah! I am 50! Can you tell?!

Yes, I am 50 and I admit to it!

My friend said: "50 is the new 40", so I just re-live the 40's :-)

 

Breakfast was gift giving. Earings and necklace from Parents and Rick!

(after I already got my gift from Tiffany and Jason [have to take a pic of that and post it])

 

Our trip to San Angelo (here I thought Kristy really wanted to go to San Angelo with me just to find out that her and my parents were just trying to get me out of the house!)

When we came back....

 

...I was greeted with sash, glasses & 'Mardi Gras' necklace all showing off the 50!

  

And my husband had flown in the Executive Chef of the Ritz Carlton from Boston, just for ME! And my sister too!

 

They were cooking all day, just for my surprise party!

 

Here is the Chef with all his creations!

  

Kristy and Anita

 

Rick and Ronny (our nephews) with party hats!

  

Ronny and I (thanks for the book I will have to read on the plane to S.C. next week! Have to take a picture of the cover and post also!) 

The party room...see the cake with the candles? Have to download Sandra's pictures, she took better ones I hope...not long distance shot :-)

Our Visitors!

As I wasn't at home when they all arrived, they had to make their own dinner...poor mother! Why is Ronny just watching?

Rick helps me make pancakes...good job!

 Dan and Rick working on computer and Nintendo...did I take that picture...can't remember what they were doing.

Dan tried to get Jason's old car started and the dogs remembered the golden olden times and wanted a ride!

Rick plays Mario Kart on the Wii while Oma sleeps!

After Rick is in bed Ronny and I get to play Wii, oh, I think everyone was in bed when we started to play!

The family around the computer...who computes together stays together!

Hmmm, I think Rick was beating Cousin Ronny!

Dan and Ronny building airplanes for Rick, the first one Ronny shot off went right behind the Schrank! Hey, just like old times when Jason made paper airplanes. If we ever move the Schrank we will find paper airplanes!

Mario Kart against Tiffany! Yeah, this is fun and we need to do more!

Tiffany, any comments? 

I think we were playing tennis this time!

The Camarro up on stilts! (1969 convertible).

Yep, Rick on the Wii and Mario Kart

 

Rick is the one who will be fixing Jason's Z! Yeah Rick!
Dirk and Ronny also worked hard on it, but mostly it is Dirk who works on it...looks good, Happy Birthday Jason!

 

For that hard work you deserve a big Cheeseburger, especially if we can buy them for half price :-)

 

Building a Lego Truck, you might be surprised, but this little 4 1/2 year old can build this one all by himself. He also did an airplane in the airplane. Have to take pictures of that also.

Yesterday was unofficial pink day at school!

It was TAKS testing all day so we didn't see our student workers, but when our last worker of the day was able to come in and work for a few minutes we just had to take a picture as Kristy (the boss), our worker (she who shall not be named in this blog), and I (Kirsten) all wore pink!

Last night on the Animal Channel

Watch the first elephant aunt be pushed into the lake by the bigger elephant. And later as the real Mama slowly joins her baby and then leads it to safety. On Animal Channel they showed the struggle of the baby even longer! At the end the baby got stuck in the mud coming out and the big elephants cleaned out a channel for it with their feet so it could walk out.

Now this is what I call a good Mama!

Going down Memory Lane...

...looking through old pictures...yes, OLD! Found these and thought I'd share them!

This was 1982 in Fayetteville, N.C.! And our dog Duke! What a mutt...and mischievious! 

See my car? A Datsun 310...2 door! With a hatchback!

The only time Jason didn't have a dog was when we first moved back to Germany...but we got one when he was 5...have to look for those pictures and add them here!

Well, it is too hot in Texas and too dry also...

...so what is happening? Fires! The one today is pretty close, only about 14 miles SW from Abilene. When we went shopping tonight we actually got to see some flames from the fire. Only had my cell phone, here are the pictures I took with it.

 

If you want to read the Newspaper article, click here.

And for a short video on KTAB, click here .

Now they are saying that their are too many people with cell phones watching the fire and their cell phone usage is interfering with the communications. Stop using cells!

Should be a wordless Wednesday, but...

...well, I don't have a picture I want to share ":-( Oh, well.

Actually the only thing I have to say is that we booked our hotel, our car, and are waiting for our airplane tickets which we got with the vouchers we got from last year's flight. Found out they have to be actually mailed in to American before I get my discounted tickets...oh, well, so we wait! But I want to be able to make it to Jason's graduation in S.C. We are so looking forward to that! What fun it will be.
We just love getting letters from Jason telling us what he is doing there and his experiences. Of course he only tells us some of it and never all :-) We'll have to wait till we can spend some time with him and then he'll get to talk, talk, talk! The one time he called us it wsas way to hard to come up with a question for him. We were just shocked that he called us, and the 11 minutes went by way to quick...that was 3 weeks ago :-(

Well, that is all for today, maybe Dan and I can actually go and do something fun and show you a picture of it next time I blog...

Our Update...

...isn't very long :-) Nothing really is happening anymore as we just keep following the days to our works! Oh, well...
Now we actually sat down and had our own little Valentines' Celebration. I don't think we ever did that before...where, oh where is the romance in our life? Hmmm...better not ask to detailed a question or you might actually answer this one!
I talked Dan in to ordering Steak Express' Valentine Special, 2 Nolan Ryan Steaks, 2 Baking Potatoes, 2 Salads, 2 Cherry Cheesecakes, and 2 large Iced Teas! Well, when I called the guy actually told me they were out. Luckily I called as Dan would have said 'Thank You' and hung up. I stayed on the line and had a conversation with the guy who verified my phone number and then asked what I wanted...Valentine's Special...was my reply and he asked how I wanted my steak...he actually pulled my leg and I fell for it!!! Oh, my...I am getting old when they can do that and not get an argument!
So, I ordered it and Dan went and got it later. I set up the cozy room infront of the fireplace, after all it was cold! And waited for Dan. Then we served our take out on china and had wine with it (the ice tea went in the fridge :-)) Then I forgot to light the candles, I did put them on the ottoman, and the flowers (which Dan got me for Valentine) hid the fire place :-( Yeah, I told you we are very romantic around here!
Then we realized that we are way to old to sit on the floor to eat, well, actually I could have, but Dan...you get the hint? LOL
Well, here is at least a picture so you can enjoy all the trouble I went too, and Dan will remember it for a long time...I hope at least! I'll ask him in a month or so what we did on Valentine's Day.

Cheers with wine from Kristy! It was good! 

It was good food! Eat your heart out! Only thing better would have been Perini Steak house. Guess we'll have to take the parents next time they come. Maybe Sandra and Clayton will be here too. Have to introduce Clayton to a good Cowboy Steak! 

Salat and steak and potatoes and wine...who can ask for more?

Oh, yeah, here are the dogs asleep...Rhowdie needs a pillow for his head!  

And Jaeger loves his memory foam mattress.