Our Super Fantastic Blog

Biker Gang

2009-04-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

We haven't been keeping up with the blog enough. Getting caught up today during the rain storm. A couple of Sundays ago we met up with Shelly to do some road biking at Hershey Park. We did 20 miles and all had a great time.

Post ride

Sicko

2009-04-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

Robin has been sick on and off for a couple of weeks. Today it has been pouring rain too so there's nothing to do but watch TV and movies and lounge around with Sam.

Zzzzzz

The Loooong Drive Home

2009-04-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

We woke up early to begin our trip home. Since we didn't know when we'd get out this way again we decided to make a slight detour and see what Marfa was all about. Marfa is about 30 minutes from Alpine and Alpine is about 1 minute from the middle of nowhere. Marfa is unique to say the least. There are 2000 residents and I think nine art galleries. About half the residents are typical small town folks and the other half are straight out of Austin. Marfa is the polar opposite of Terlingua. And thank God for that. As we were eating lunch Robin looked at our car and noticed that we had a flat tire. Since I wasn't used to this car's spare being under the car I thought I'd get the flat fixed rather than bumble around trying to change it. Since it was lunch time on a Saturday I learned that everyone was closed. I knocked on the door of a closed auto parts shop and a very nice man opened the door, aired up our tire and made several phone calls until he found a mechanic on duty. Our quick stop for lunch in Marfa turned into a three hour layover. As unusual as Marfa was the people were even nicer. If you're going to get a flat in the land of No Country For Old Men I highly recommend you do it in Marfa.

Marfa water tower

We drove around looking for a place to eat lunch for a bit before we saw this "roach coach". We decided to give it a shot since there were about 40 people in line and eating. The Food Shark was actually really good.

Minor setback

Big Bend Day Four

2009-04-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

On our last day we decided to head out to the Santa Elena Canyon along the Rio Grande. I originally wanted to rent a canoe or kayaks, but that in itself may have been an all day affair. Instead we decided to see the sites by foot. Once we got near the water we couldn't resist going for a swim. Floating on your back in a 100 foot wide river and looking up to see 1000 foot cliffs on each side of the border is pretty amazing. Another great day.

Lone bluebonnet growing out of the sand next to the Rio Grande

Robin at the end of the road

The Santa Elena Canyon at the Rio Grande

We had to check out the water. When we got back to camp there were signs that said to be careful not to drink from the river as it "may have a laxative effect".

Santa Elena

Post swim lunch break

Big cliffs

Unusual stick plant with red flowers on the ends

Big Bend Day Three

2009-04-01T18:43:00.001-07:00

Neither of us really wanted to get up on day three. We each had some serious aches and pains from our hike up and around the South Rim. We decided that this would be a good day to cut back on the exercise. We biked a bit and did a couple of short hikes, but spent the bulk of the day driving through the park.

We also left the park to the west to check out Terlingua and Lajitas. Lajitas is a small town with an upscale resort. It seemed really nice if you're looking to relax in the middle of nowhere and play golf. Terlingua on the other hand...where to begin. It was a mining town prior to WWII and is a ghost town now. There are a couple thousand people that live in the county and supposedly about 20 people that live in Terlingua. I've heard that lots of people think there is something neat about this place. Not sure what is neat about hanging out with freaks and outcasts that think living in ruins in the middle of nowhere is a good idea. For some reason I couldn't get The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes and every other creepy horror movie I'd ever seen out of my head.

Getting ready for a short bike ride

Huge cliffs at Boquillas Canyon

Boquillas Canyon on the Rio Grande

Flowers magically growing out of rocks

This is one of the hot springs that feeds into the Rio Grande. I didn't think that 105 degree water out in the desert sounded all that great at first. It was actually very relaxing until the Boy Scout troop in this picture showed up.

This is a very old cemetery without any signs that Robin spotted while we were driving. There are about 25 plots there overlooking the Rio Grande.

Luna's jacal (hah-kuhl). My man Luna built this out of rocks, wood, mud and cactus around 1850. He somehow not only farmed this desert land, but he also lived here until his death at the age of 108.

Old Terlingua jail that is now a public restroom. My personal highlight of Terlingua was the sign above the toilet. "If it's yellow let it mellow. If it's brown flush it down."

Ruins of Terlingua

Big Bend Day Two Deer

2009-04-01T18:36:00.001-07:00

I need to hire a blog editor. This guy got left out.

Near the top of the mountain we saw this deer eating. We were 15 feet away from him but he didn't seem to care about us. He never budged during the five minutes we rested there.

Big Bend Day Two

2009-03-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

Since this was our first entire day we thought we would try the big hike. After a ridiculous power breakfast of eggs, sausage and a leftover steak we headed out to the top of the South Rim. After chugging a ton of water we loaded up our backpacks with close to a gallon each of water along with a few Gatorades and a bunch of food. Need to be prepared when hiking 13 miles roundtrip up and down a mountain.

Let's hike

Casa Grande

Getting close to the top

At the top of the mountain. 7000+ ft. There used to be 100 miles of visibility up here just 30 years ago. Due to pollution it's now half that.

After you stop staring at Robin's awesome style check out Mexico 50 miles in the background.

Not sure how I missed this guy but apparently I stepped right over him. Robin wisely stayed behind and screamed till he moved on.

Still hiking

Odd rock formation on the left

We learned that hiking up a mountain stops being fun sometime after the 10 mile point. Robin wasn't too excited to see the end of our hike still so far in the distance.

We drove through this old tunnel on the way to to the showers that were 30 minutes away.

Javalina near camp at night

Journey to Big Bend

2009-03-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Robin had spring break so we decided to check out Big Bend. We didn't know many people that had made it out there as it's 500 miles from Houston. We had a great time and I definitely recommend it if you like the outdoors. Our pictures don't do it justice.

The long road

We made it!

The beginning of our first hike
Sunrays over the rocks
King of the mountain
It's hard not to take a picture everywhere you look.
Here we are at the highlight of our hike, The Window. Ten feet behind us there is a several thousand foot dropoff.
Part of the mountain on the hike back up
Robin in front of Casa Grande. Scouting out the next day's hike.
First night in the tent

Health Smoothie

2009-02-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

Can't remember if we have been boring lately or if we just haven't had a camera handy while doing the exciting, blog worthy things we do. Anyway, here's a healthy and tasty snack or meal:

-banana

-1 or 2 egg whites

-handful of almonds

-6 or 7 spoonfuls of uncooked oatmeal

-spoonful of wheat germ (whatever the heck that is)

-spoonful of flax seed (no clue what this is either, but I think it's better for you than bacon)

-vanilla yogurt

-bunch of frozen berries

-some OJ

-mix in blender

Serving size: a lot

The ingredients

Yum

Sewing!

2009-02-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

Last year for my birthday I asked for a sewing machine and my parents got me the Singer pictured below. This year for my birthday they got me sewing supplies. I have finally taken the machine out of the box and am ready to sew! In January I went to a sewing class with my friend Carrie and learned some basics. Last night I set up the machine and got ready to sew. I was able to successfully thread the bobbin and the needle and was very proud of myself. I also did a test run of different stitches and settings on the machine with scrap fabric. I am officially ready to sew! I will post again soon with my first project. I am going to make a pillow from a pattern that I got with the birthday loot. More to come...

The machine, in it's temporary set up. I am definitely going to need a bigger table!

More Washington, D.C.

2009-02-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip to D.C. I've been pretty busy catching up on everything since we got back and haven't taken the time to post anything.

On the tram to the Inauguration. It's 4 a.m.

At the Black Tie & Boots Ball

And at the Washngton Monument, before the We Are One concert.

Inauguration 2009

2009-01-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I am in Washington D.C. this week with a group of 17 high school girls for the Inauguration. My cousin, Stacey, is also traveling and staying with us. And thank God for that. I don't think I would be here typing this if she weren't here helping me! Let's just say that yesterday was a true test of patience and nerves. I'll lay out the day for you in a timeline:

Monday, January 19th
7:30 a.m. - Met with girls for breakfast before their daily activities with Close-Up to discuss plan for Tuesday
9 a.m. -Left hotel and went to Georgetown, walked, shopped, ate, etc. (We were told in one of the stores that Cher had left minutes before we walked in !)
7 p.m.- Left hotel for Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball sponsored by the Texas State Society of Washington D.C.

Tuesday, January 20th
2a.m.- Returned from ball and slept for 45 minutes
4:00 a.m.- Met students in lobby and left hotel for the metro. Metro was packed when we got off at our stop near the mall in front of capitol. It was shocking to see so many people this early in the morning
5:00 a.m.- Arrived at our sport on the mall at which we would remain for 8 hours
6:00 a.m.- Trip to the bathroom (port o potties) to retrieve two girls who had to go and could not get back. This was unbelievable...I could see the students 30 ft away and they couldn't get to me. I told them to stay where they were and I went after them. It was the most horrible time I think I can remember. People would not let me get through, were asking for money to pass and even flat out refused to let me through and to even move one inch! I finally made it to the girls and we tried for about and hour to get back to the group. I didn't get much sympathy when trying to get back even though explaining the whole time that I needed to get back to my students. Eventually we were crawling, yes, on our hands and knees, to get back to the group. It was scary- but we eventually made it.
9:30 a.m.- Crowd finally shifts enough that we are no longer having to lean against one another and be continuously pushed. It was extremely cold and windy, but we tried to keep bouncing to stay warm.
11:45 a.m. events are now underway and crowd is much better. There was so much excitement around at this point, it was awesome! I have a great video of the swearing in of Obama, and the crowd cheering and waving flags all around us.
1 p.m.-the next test for us of the longest day...getting home. We had made a plan to walk back due to the mass crowds of metro and the fear of losing the student in that mess. We walked 5 miles back to the hotel.
4:00p.m.- we made it back! And are so exhausted and in so much pain from the day- I couldn't believe it was over and we made it back. There were many times throughout the day that I didn't think it would be possible. 12 hours of constant crowd, pushing and walking.

With all of this, we decided this day was the most memorable ever. And not only for the history...it was the longest, coldest, most trying day that I could ever imagine, much less live through. I will definitely remember this for the rest of my life and will have a story to tell my kids and grandkids.

I hope this doesn't sound negative, just a true description of the day. I have decide that this is the only Inauguration that I will ever need to attend- good thing I picked such a big one!

I feel like I am 80 years old today. So sore and tired from yesterday. If you think this is an exaggeration, try standing in 20 degree weather for 8 hours, then walking 5 miles. :)

It's Officially Christmas!

2008-12-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's official...it's Christmas at my house. The tree has been up, the decorations out and the spirit in the air, but now it's definitely here. Santa's helpers (Robin and Alex) spent the past two days wrapping all of the gifts that we will be delivering to family and friends this year, and it was intense! You can see from this picture. The Charlie Brown tree has almost been overtaken with presents.

It's Snowing In Houston!

2008-12-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not these white spots are snowflakes. If this isn't crazy enough I was wearing shorts and flip flops yesterday. Not sure if I'm going to have a snowball fight with the neighbor kids or build a snowman first.

Tell me more about this global warming thingy.
Sad cold grill

Cold plants

Astros Owner, Drayton McLane

2008-11-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

Recently I was able to attend a luncheon honoring Drayton McLane, Astros owner, for ethical leadership. Local schools were invited to bring representatives and a student to the award luncheon and a dialogue prior to the award with the recipient. Drayton said many great things during the talk and I was very impressed by the discussion. He was inspiring in the discussion and he talked much about the influence of his parents, his morals and Christian values. Check out the following link, http://instantnewswestu.com/.

Robin, IWA Student, Drayton McLane Jr, Sr. Lauren (President of IWA)

Smoked Turkey

2008-11-17T16:23:00.001-08:00

When I was at the grocery store they had turkeys on sale for 39 cents a lb. I've never made more than a turkey sandwich, but for this price I figured what the heck. Since I don't really mess with the oven I decided I should bust out the smoker and see what happens. To my surprise it was one of the best turkeys I've ever had. Maybe I'll need to make another grocery store run before Thanksgiving.

Prepping the turkey
Taking his temperature on the smoker

The final product

Sam's new sweater

2008-11-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

Today I went to the Nutcracker market with my Mom Carol and Aunt Donna. Alex and I have noticed that Sam has been shivering outside in the recent cold weather. I told my mom about this and we found a few dog shops at the market. She bought Sam an early Christmas present- the beautiful sweater he is sporting in this picture. He looks very studly in his new threads.

Bowl-A-Rama!

2008-11-16T17:21:00.000-08:00

Friday night we went bowling with a group of friends. We all had a great time and snapped some good pics of the action. If you'll notice on the last picture, I beat Alex in the first game! Unfortunately, I think he beat me the next round. But there are no pictures to prove that!!

Excellent technique.

Ready to roll.

Scoreboard!

Disgusting or Delicious?

2008-11-15T18:27:00.001-08:00

I grilled up some burgers last night and had a couple of leftovers so Robin suggested we make some patty melts today. Not sure why but I decided to put a fried egg on top of mine. Robin told me I was sick, but the joke was on her.

Delicious!

Missouri Game

2008-10-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Austin Saturday afternoon to watch the #1 Longhorns play. Most experts thought this would be a close game as Missouri was ranked #11 and had national title aspirations. What do they know? Before they knew what hit them it was 35-0. They had no answers for us and we could have beaten them by 50 if Mack had wanted to. Hard to believe how good we are when this was supposed to be a down year.

Robin posing in front of the ESPN Game Day van.

Halftime

Backyard BBQ

2008-10-05T17:35:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we decided to have a BBQ and invite some friends over to watch the Horns. I moved a second TV into the living room so we could get our football overload. Robin made stuffed jalapenos that I put on the grill and her famous 7 Layer Dip. I grilled some brats and smoked some ribs and a pork shoulder. Everyone enjoyed the grub and the girls hung out in the backyard and talked about fashion and boys while the guys watched the Horns dominate Colorado. Wish everyday was Saturday.

Pork shoulder smoked for 15 hours.
Shredded to make pulled pork.

Quite possibly the world's greatest pulled pork sandwich with Robin's cole slaw and homemade BBQ sauce.

Farmer's Market

2008-09-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

After cleaning out the fridge post-Ike it was time to restock with some healthy foods. We decided to load up at the almost completely Hispanic farmer's market, Canino's. I don't have a lot to compare this to, but this place has to be one of the biggest farmer's markets anywhere. If you're looking for lots of great fruits and vegetables for cheap and your Spanglish is at least so-so like mine this is the spot.

The Mustache

2008-09-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things you can do after a hurricane that you normally wouldn't when you lose your power. You can catch up on sleep, play dominoes and hangout by candlelight. When your power is out at work and you're working from home there's one thing you must do. Grow a mustache. Yesterday our Mexican friend Johnny told me that I look like a Mexican. I think that is as big a compliment as he could give a guy.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

While there was not any damage at my house, we did encounter some stinky trash during clean-up. I had to put on a special mask to avoid gagging and help Alex.

Not a good picture, but there were several branches around the yard and all around the neighborhood. Power was restored at my house on Wednesday night.

Tour de Pink 2008

2008-09-07T13:21:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed our first bike ride this morning. We rode the Tour de Pink, a ride benefiting Pink Ribbon Project that supports breast cancer research and survivors through the arts. There were multiple mileage options and we chose 23 miles, and we were on mountain bikes. We were exhausted by the end, but it was a really great experience. I am ready to get a road bike now and want to join a bike group in Houston. I'm not sure if Alex is as pumped as I am yet, but I am ready to ride!! After the race there were many things going on; the main stage had a few bands, a preview of a musical about cancer and other dancers and performances. The MC of the events was Cynthia Cooper, former Comet and now head coach of Prairie View A&M women's basketball. Coop was very entertaining and we were able to meet her and take a picture. All in all it was a great time and I think we'll be doing it again.

Go Alex, Go!
Nice and refreshed after a pit stop where we got ice cold pink bandanas to cool off with.

Cooooooop!

Brontasaurus Ribs

2008-09-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

College football season is here so I had to break out the smoker. I've only done pork ribs before so I figured I'd try some beef for a change. They were good, but I think I'll stick with pork from now on.

Eat your heart out Fred Flintstone.

Easy Grilled Chicken Salad

2008-09-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

-Marinate chicken breast in Girard's Light Champagne Salad Dressing, cilantro, salt and pepper
-Grill chicken, corn and bell peppers
-Mix with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and any other vegatables you want to add
-Add a little more salad dressing
-Dig in

Poooooooor Sam :(

2008-09-01T18:44:00.001-07:00

We spent the Labor Day weekend in New Braunfels with cousin Stacey and Carl. Sam came along and he spent a lot of time with River, Carl & Stacey's yellow lab. He really likes her, but I think she got tired of him...we left them alone for a while and came back to find Sam's bed shredded with the cotton stuffing scattered about. Fortunately, Sam is not too picky and still slept in it all weekend.

"That's okay, River. I'll be dreaming about you." -Sam

Happy Anniversary --51 years

2008-09-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

Happy anniversary to Granny Liz and Jimbo! They celebrated their 51st anniversary on Saturday night with family in Victoria. Alex and I were not able to atted, but I did get to talk to Granny and wish her a happy day. Fifty one years...pretty amazing! I found a photo of Granny and Jimbo from our family cruise last year. We went on a 7 day Carribean cruise last summer to celebrate 50 years; it was a great trip.

Granny & Jimbo
Dad, Mom Carol and me-- squeeze together!!
My parents, Howard and Carol, on the cruise (2007).

Ralston, OK

2008-08-24T19:09:00.001-07:00

These pictures are from my Papa's grave in Ralston, Oklahoma. He passed away December 13, 2007. My Aunt Louise took these pictures and sent them to the family. Mema is going to Ralston for a family reunion and will get to see the headstone and bench in person for the first time over Labor Day weekend. We all helped her pick out the picture on the front; I think it looks awesome.

Cowtown

2008-08-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

We visited my parents in Fort Worth this weekend. We hung out with family, some high school friends and ran around town. There's a lot more to Fort Worth than cows, but the Stockyards make for amusing pictures.

Twice a day everyday there is a cattle drive down the middle of the Stockyards.
Coolest government job in town

Longhorn

Cattle drive

Big cows on big steakhouses

THE boot shop

Welcome to the Stockyards

Campechana

2008-08-17T15:53:00.001-07:00

We decided to see if we could make campechana like we love ordering at Goode Company Seafood. Shrimp, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, avocado and our version of some cocktail sauce. I think our version may have been better.

Only In Texas

2008-08-12T20:02:00.001-07:00

Robin and I were passing through Schulenberg on the way to Hallettsville when this sign caught my eye. As if this isn't ridiculous enough they also offer a drive thru.

"Yeah um, gimme a couple sixers of MGD, a bottle of Jack and one of them there Smith & Wessons."

Fishing Tournament

2008-08-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Two weekeds ago Alex and I participated in the 6th annual Readin', Writin', and Reelin' Fishing Tournament in Port O'Connor. We fished with our friends Lauren and Chad from Houston. The tournament benefits my elementary school in Victoria, Nazareth Academy.

We ended up winning 1st place in the Sopt Pot by having a redfish with 11 spots. We also placed 5th in the combo stringer (5 trout and 2 reds) with a combined weight of 19.3 lbs. We had a really great time fishing and we made it all day with no illness! The last two fish we brought in were caught by Alex and me as we were racing to make the weigh in. There was much excitement!

My first catch, but out of order...Alex actually caught the first fish of the day, please see below. numero uno Fortunately, the next few were keepers.
Alex and I hooked up fish at the same time. It was really fun! We were racing to bring them in.
And here they are.

Oregon Part II

2008-08-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

Mmmm......cheese.

Inside a shipwreck at appropriately named Shipwreck Beach.

Alex having fun off the trail.

The gang

Kennedy checking out the sights while hiking with Robin. Gayle, Shelly, Mema, Kennedy, Stacey, Robin, Sheryl
Having fun by the fire before roasting hot dogs.

Shelly and Robin

The beach at sunset.

If the airlines didn't have a 50 lb. weight limit this rock would've been mine. Talk about a bargain.

David, Gayle and Sheryl

Gayle, Ryan and David in the forest.

Stacey and Mema taking a break from hiking.

The ladies keeping warm on a cold July day at Cannon Beach.

The Haystack

Oregon Part I

2008-08-05T18:19:00.001-07:00

In July we made a trip to the Pacific Northwest. The first part of our trip was spent with Alex's family, who were having a family reunion. They get together every other year, and this year's destination was Portland, OR. The trip worked out really well for my family too.

While with Alex's family we visited the falls along the Columbia River, Mt. Hood and scenic routes around the Columbia Gorge. On the final evening of the reunion days we all had dinner together at a microbrewery, McMinimans on the Columbia. It was nice to meet Alex's family- for both of us! Alex has not seen many of these relatives since he was very young.

After time with Alex's family and his dad we traveled to Seaside to meet up with my family at a beach house we rented for the week. Seaside is a cute little beach town just a few miles north of Cannon Beach. We went on a few hikes, had a camp fire/cookout at the beach, rode bikes, played games, watched movies, and just hung out together. We had a great time all week and were sad to leave. On the way back to Portland we stopped in Tillamook and went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The tour is really neat- you can watch the assembly line slicing, packaging and checking all of the cheese they produce. They also make ice cream and milk. The ice cream was awesome! Many of us took Stacey's suggestion and ordered marionberry pie ice cream. Marionberry is an Oregon favorite and the ice cream was so good. I was craving it the other day, but unfortunately it's not available in Texas (or maybe this is fortunate...). We'll add more pics, but this is Part I of our Oregon trip.

Some of Alex's relatives from the reunion.

Robin, her mom Shelly with baby Oliver and Stacey.

Overlooking Cannon Beach.

Alex and Kennedy on the long hike.

Robin and Stacey

Relaxing on the beach after our seven mile hike.

Cousin Stacey and Robin at Cannon Beach.

Those two little specks are Alex and Dad getting a closer look at Latourell Falls.

Mt. Hood in mid-July.

Alex and Dad at Multnomah Falls, the 2nd tallest waterfall in America.

Florida

2008-08-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, we went to Florida for a few days. I had a conference on relational aggression ("girl bullying") in Orlando. Alex came along and on the days that I had afternoons free we went to the beach and to Epcot. We drove to Clearwater, which is on the Gulf side for our first afternoon trip. Then we went to Epcot the following afternoon and Cocoa Beach (Atlantic side) on the last day. This was Alex's first trip to Florida, and I think he liked it.

Clearwater Beach

The nice guy that took our pic the first time suggested that he take a second one from the waist up. Fat guy from Texas apparently needs to hit the gym before going back to Florida.

We're not in Texas anymore.

Honey I Shrunk the Kids Show at Epcot (in 3D)!

Who's a tourist?

My man Mickey is sort of shrimpy.

Alex, Goofy and Robin. Goofy is in the middle.

Memorial Day at Lake Somerville

2008-08-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

Memorial Weekend with Aunt Gayle, Uncle David, Heather, Ryan and a few of their friends. They have a camper trailer, boat, kayaks, and many fun games. We spent the weekend playing games, boating, tubing, kayaking with Sam and riding bikes. We had a great weekend and will definitely be joining again in the future.

Alex, me and Heather's friend David. This one was great; I'm catching some serious air! The funniest thing is the next picture in this sequence is missing Alex...he got thrown off right after.
Gayle, Ann, Heather and Robin on a ride.

Alex, Heather and Robin on a tube ride.

Alex grilled burgers one night while we rested after a long day on the water. Here he is grilling and you can see the campsite in the background.

Ruidoso

2008-08-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

So we've taken a few trips this summer and have a lot of blogging to do to get started...

Going back a few months, we went to Ruidoso, New Mexico in March. My grandparents have a timeshare there and invited us to spend the week. Unfortunately, the snow was not very good, but we did get to try out snowboarding for the first time. Alex was much better than me. He picked it up quickly, while I had some trouble and fell too many times and got a little discouraged. Needless to say, we only made it there one day with the lack of snow and my severe soreness the next day. I think Alex would have liked to go one more day...

My grandpa Jimbo rode along one of the days when we drove to White Sands and through the Lincoln National Forest around Cloudcroft. The white sands were very cool, all you could see were white dunes for miles. We had a great time on Spring Break 2008!

Believe it or not we're not in Hallettsville, TX

Lots and lots of chainsaw carvings.

I took the pic above in a store in NM. Apparently Saturday Night Live's "Mom Jeans" skit below is real.

White Sands
This is Robin showing some of her best snowboarding moves.

Who's the homeless guy with Robin?

Sam the Dog

2008-07-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is General Sam Houston.

Stupid Blog Name

2008-06-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

No I'm not an Asian immigrant that barely knows the language. Apparently we're the last people to start a blog and all of the names were taken. After entering about 10 names I got frustrated and typed in the name of the most ridiculous tomato plant in our garden...The Super Fantastic Tomato. Eventually the owner of Super Fantastic China Buffet is bound to be upset that this name isn't available to him.