The Dodd Squad

Another C & C

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

New dolls for Christmas

Watching Sleeping Beauty

Eleven months til the next one!

2012-01-25T07:00:00.004-06:00

Christmas Morning: It got pretty hectic. We had quite a crowd: 11 extra adults and 2 extra kids.

Fishing at the Lake House. Fun times with worms and minnows.

Chris and Taylor surprised us Christmas morning and that of course was the best present ever!!

Boys are weird, but entertaining

2012-01-23T23:10:00.002-06:00

You totally need life jackets, when pretending to play football in slow-mo. Duh.

Things that Make you Go Ewww

2011-12-01T07:16:00.001-06:00

We have about a hundred trees in our yard (not really), so we have tons of leaves, pine needles, and limbs. They accumulate in a pile for me to burn every so often. Since we've been in this drought, I haven't been able to burn for several months. Finally, the burn ban in our county has been lifted! So, I started burning... (this pic is at the end of two hours work)

After finding a snake (which I did not get a picture of), I found this guy. He is a frog. I have lived in ETX for 30 years now and have never found a frog this big just out in the yard/woods. Toads, yes. They are like cats in the Patterson Addition--everywhere. But not frogs.

You could tell he was different than a toad. His head was more pointed and he really watched you, turning his head as I moved my hand. Weird.

Look at those legs! I knew he was a frog once I saw those.

This is behind our house. We have a creek that runs through our yard and empties here. I thought it would be a good home for him.

Good luck Big Guy!

Turkey Week

2011-11-28T14:01:00.003-06:00

For Thanksgiving this year our family trekked up to Topeka Kansas to visit Mark and his fam. The drive wasn't as bad as expected and I'm really glad we went. Cate loves to get to play with other girls (which doesn't happen often), so she had a blast, as did the rest of us. I know my mom will read this so don't take offense Mom, but Nicole cooked a huge Thanksgiving meal single handedly and Ben and I both think it was the best one we've ever had! There were five pies!! Thanks Nicole!

We Be Yammin'

2011-11-02T07:34:00.000-05:00

Fabulous Las Vegas

2011-10-31T15:54:00.001-05:00

Just the Girls...

2011-10-17T23:08:00.002-05:00

Can you tell that Cate's feet are airborne from excitement?

This past week, Mom, Cate and I hopped a plane to Vegas!!

Not quite for the typical reasons...we visited my brother and his family. More pics to come on that, but for now I just wanted to say to Mom and Cate, thank you. I had such a fun time with both of you.

Mom, we haven't spent time together like that in a looong while, and I miss it. I'm glad we went together. I've always been thankful I got you for my mom and I know I don't show it or say it much. But being with you this week was a blast for me.

Cate, how did I get so lucky? You were a perfect angel child. I couldn't have asked for a better behaved kid. You sure made this trip easy on me and I really enjoyed getting to be with you. When Taylor said we were friends, she hit the nail on the head. I'd never thought of it that way before, but I sure felt it this week.

I love you both dearly!!

First Home Game 2011

2011-09-27T14:00:00.004-05:00

Dear Connor...

2011-09-01T10:04:00.006-05:00

Connor loves ice cream!

This has been hard.

It is awful for me to watch you leave the house every morning in tears. You don't like school--it is too long. I agree wholeheartedly.

It comforts me to know that when you get there you are happy again, smiling and laughing and even participating in class. PE was hard the first week for you, but yesterday you told me it's your favorite thing.

I know you have friends and that helps me too. You are such a leader. That is one of the many things I absolutely love about you. You stand up and command attention from everyone around you. It makes me eager to see what you will become someday.

You need this. You need the education obviously, but you need to be away from me and around other people. I think I've helped you get this far, but you need others to teach you more. I know this and it helps me. There are a lot of days that I want to pull you out of school and wait until next year. But I realize that's not the best option for you.

I hope you are a good example. I truly believe you are. You have never been a follower and I hope you can lead others to choose the right. Make me proud Connor--I know you will.

Love,
Mom

And then there were two...

2011-08-22T22:04:00.002-05:00

Two at school.

And two at home.

I am anxious

2011-08-20T10:35:00.004-05:00

I keep getting asked what I will do with just Cate at home. It will be nice and quiet for sure. But, I can't say I'm really excited about it.

I will miss Connor.

And Caleb. Caleb has already done one year of school, though.

Connor is a leader. He takes Cate on adventures to the zoo in our backyard. And they also go to Great Wolf Lodge every day and sleep in a hotel. They play well together and I will miss that. She will too I suppose, when she realizes it's just the two of us everyday.

What are we going to do?

Fun in the Sun and Sand

2011-08-01T14:10:00.003-05:00

Jamaica Beach on Galveston Island
This was Connor and Cate's first time at the beach and Caleb's first time that he will/does remember. They loved it! Boogie boarding on the waves and playing in the sand didn't get old even after 5 hours!

Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens
This is a huge rainforest habitat contained in a glass pyramid. There were several animals and fish living here. The butterfly section was really cool. They had 3 white-faced-something monkeys that are all brothers and liked to wrestle. There were some other smaller really scary looking monkeys. None of these were confined in any way. It was pretty cool to see them roaming around but the scary ones totally looked like they might jump on us at any second. They didn't :)

The Strand District. La King's Confectionery.
Galveston has a historic section with tons of shops and cool old buildings. La King's is an eclectic sweet shop that features ice cream, candy, and soda fountain goodies. We just had the ice cream and it was pretty good.

The Aquarium Pyramid at Moody Gardens
Favorites were the sharks, seals, penguins, and seahorses.

We stayed at the hotel at Moody Gardens which is somewhat of a resort I suppose. They also had a third pyramid dedicated to a Discovery museum and IMAX ride-film. There was also a large old timey paddle river boat that took you out for a short ride, Dinos Alive exhibit, and a small water park.

This. Was. In. My. Closet.

2011-07-15T09:21:00.003-05:00

Yes, its tiny.

But, still.

I don't know what kind this is, so please enlighten me. I've found this kind at the house before.

Let's hope this is the LAST one.

Documenting, not bragging

2011-07-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

These are some of my most recent projects. From top left clockwise: Ruffle bag, baby owl hat, popcorn bag, circle granny square pillow.

Independence Day

2011-07-05T21:02:00.003-05:00

Swimming at the dock.

The boats lining up to grab their spot for the show.

We had a good time at the Lake House. Thanks Mom and Dad!!

They've Changed a Little

2011-06-30T11:07:00.003-05:00

Lucky Seven

2011-06-24T10:24:00.004-05:00

I have avoided blogging about Caleb's birthday because if Caleb is turning another year older, it means I am as well. We share our special day, just like my brother and I shared it growing up. And this birthday for me was somewhat of a 'big' birthday. Not that I have the photos to document it. Which I suppose is for the best, but for some reason Ben does not take pictures of me even when he is behind the camera.

Caleb requested a Dallas Mavericks cake which turns out is very hard to do. The horse and basketball logo doesn't look all that complicated, but with butter cream icing it just doesn't translate, for me at least. So I did some of the logo and included his name and age where the horse should have been. You really can't see the cake in this picture and you're not missing much.

I've seen a lot of interviews for kids on their birthdays lately and decided to try it. Here are Caleb's answers for this year.

1. Who is your best friend? Travis

2. What is are some of your hobbies? Practice soccer

3. What is your favorite animal? panther

4. What is your favorite food? pizza

5. What is your favorite dessert? brownies

6. What do you like to do with your family? play

7. What do you want to be when you grow up? Not sure

8. What makes you happy? Being around my family

9. What makes you sad? When I’m away from my family

10. What is your favorite movie? Cars

11. What is your favorite book? Diary of a Wimpy Kid

12. What was the best part of your b-day? swimming

13. What do you like to wear? Regular clothes

14. If you could go anywhere for vacation where would you go? Dallas

15. What is your favorite game to play? Blurt

16. What is your favorite sport to play? football

17. What is your favorite team to watch? Buckeyes

18. What is your favorite thing about school? science

19. If you had $100 what would you buy? A car-when I’m old enough to buy one

20. What is something that happened to you this year that you hope you never forget? My birthday

Father's Day

2011-06-19T06:56:00.001-05:00

Lovin' the Lake

2011-06-14T18:15:00.005-05:00

My cousin Melissa and her hubby Todd visited my parents at the Lake House this past week. We spent about four days out there in the water.

A Decade of Love...and Sometimes War

2011-06-06T14:03:00.010-05:00

On June 2, 2001, this happened:

(This is the only pic from our wedding on my computer. Isn't it weird that we used to use film??)

We started out by celebrating with the kids on Thursday. Jason's Deli and Lunar Mini-Golf.

On Friday, we dropped the kids off at Gma's and Gpa's and headed to Dallas.

WoooHoooo!! No kids!!

We ate at a nice Mexican Restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. We saw some historical markers and took a few night pictures.

Saturday we visited the Dallas Arboretum which was quite impressive.

And finished off our quick getaway with Freebirds burritos and Sprinkles cupcakes. Both are to-die-for.

And if you live in E TX good news--the manager told us Freebirds is coming to L-view and Tyler!!! That alone made our trip worthwhile :) No such luck with Sprinkles I'm afraid...

Thanks Ben for an awesome 10 years!! Here's to MANY more!!

Speed. I am speed.

2011-05-24T10:24:00.004-05:00

East Texas Track Club All Comers Meet in Hallsville

Long Jump- 2nd Place
800m- First Place
400m- First Place

Congrats Caleb. You make me proud.

Just to prove I could

2011-05-20T10:08:00.002-05:00

Ever since Nicole introduced me to Ana White and her fab furniture building website, I've wanted to build a bed. I've done a few of her other projects and thought it was time to tackle the beast. I chose this one because it looked cool and the storage could come in handy.

It took a good few hours in Lowe's to choose all the wood. Then I spent the rest of the day cutting the wood and the next two days at Ben's shop building. My SIL Becca helped me begin the building. I finished up alone and along the way learned how to use a pocket hole jig. Scary. I spent another two days filling holes, sanding, and painting.

Overall, I spent about $130 and approximately 15 hours to cut and build the bed. It sounds like a lot but it went pretty fast.

I also wanted to build this cool stool to help Cate get into the bed. It took a couple of hours and Sarah and Becca helped me with that too.

Cate loves the bed and now that we have another full bed, we can fit more guests!!

*The quilt on the bed is one my great grandmother pieced together. She completed the top and I put a back on, quilted it, and bound it. It won't stay on Cate's bed. My next project is a quilt of her own.

Have you pinned yet?

2011-05-16T07:48:00.000-05:00

So my latest love on the www is Pinterest.

So awesome.

You know how you see cool things in magazines and tear out the pictures and save them in a notebook for further reference? You can do it online now too. See a picture somewhere and love it? Pin it!

It's a website that allows you to have your own space to save anything you see on any website. It saves a picture of your cool find with the link from the source. Other people on Pinterest can see the things you pin and vice versa, so stuff kinda spreads like wildfire.

I've become quite addicted.

See?

The bad thing is you have to be invited. So thanks to my friend Ralphie, I'm in. And you can be in too. Just ask me and I can invite ya!

It Happened Again

2011-05-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

I reflect...

2011-05-08T22:54:00.004-05:00

I really considered doing a post yesterday in dedication to my mom just to let her, and the world, know how much she means to me.

I didn't.

Because I'm a slacker.

And I didn't think I could be eloquent enough to adequately convey my feelings.

So...I love you Mom and I really look up to you.

Any who...

After deciding I wouldn't be composing an elegant dedicatory post, I turned my thoughts toward my feelings of motherhood. As in me being a mom.

And this is a little hard for me because I don't think I have the feelings of a typical mom. I know I have been blessed with extremely easy and awesome kids.

But...

I often wonder if the moms who put heartfelt confessions of how much they love being a mom are just making it all up.

Whoa!! I know you're shaking your head now thinking how awful it is that I actually just wrote that.

But each time I read one of those blog posts (I just read three different ones), I feel horrible. Why don't I feel like them? Why can't I just LOVE being a mom? It's something I've struggled with for almost 7 years now.

I just feel like it's a really hard job that doesn't seem to be very rewarding. Sure, it's cool to hear them laugh and see them all playing together peacefully. But sometimes it would be really nice to just be alone. And yes, I do get some alone time. But I feel like the few hours a week I do have, are not nearly enough and always leave me craving more. I'd like to clean the house and actually have it stay clean for the rest of the day. I'd like to be able to fix a meal and not hear everyone complain that they don't like what is on their plate. I'd like to do laundry and it not take the entire day.

SELFISH, I know.

It seems I have a hard time focusing on the positives of being a mom. And I do actually realize there are some of those too. Believe it or not, I have actually improved. I feel like I am much less cynical than even last year. I try to count my blessing. I try to have an attitude of gratitude. But there are times I feel sorely under appreciated. I enjoyed Mother's Day, but it left me wishing every day could be Mother's Day in the sense that I felt somewhat appreciated, when I usually don't. I wasn't showered with gifts or even service. But the kids did seem more thankful that I'm here. I realize they don't understand all that I do for them. I know I didn't understand everything my mom had to go through. And maybe later in life they'll reflect on how much I actually worked for them as their mom.

Right now I'm trying to focus on enjoying being home with them. I'm trying to LOVE having them as little people that I get to take care of. I know it's not the easiest or funnest. But I only have a few years with them. I need to cherish this time and relish it.

And I'm trying.

Really.

Another Hair Clip

2011-05-05T10:30:00.003-05:00

I've wanted to make some flowers for headbands lately and gave this one a try. I found the tutorial on Little Miss Momma here though I did things a tad different. I hand sewed the circles of lace to the felt instead of gluing and added a clip so the flower can be interchangeable.

It's that Time Again!

2011-04-26T10:19:00.001-05:00

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...for me

2011-04-05T07:46:00.001-05:00

Two Best Friends on a Birthday

2011-04-04T11:47:00.003-05:00

We have a three year old.

The Great Outdoors

2011-03-18T23:32:00.003-05:00

Gone Fishin'

2011-03-13T16:53:00.003-05:00

The Reeler: She's happy as long as she can reel it in.

The Expert Caster: No instruction needed. Hand him the pole and watch out.

The Frustrated Fisherman: Reel inconsistencies make him want to quit.

The Look-at-Me Fisherman: He's the only one that caught anything and he's proud of it!

Can You Tell I Get Bored Quickly??

2011-03-05T22:46:00.005-06:00

I needed a small bag for my wallet and phone. So...I made one. I found this one here.

I changed a few things--the handles and ribbon specifically. I couldn't find a purse handle so I just crocheted it. I wanted to use the flower I learned from the hat, so I found a way to incorporate that. I think I'll make another with the ribbon though since it's so cute.

Artsy Fartsy

2011-02-12T07:39:00.003-06:00

Pattern found here at Purlbee.com.

Second Crochet Project

2011-02-11T07:35:00.003-06:00

My second project as a crochet-er was a hat for my two year old niece. Sarah has made this pattern a million times- including once for Cate. It was fairly easy once I got the hang of it. I just adore the flowers!

First Crochet Project

2011-02-10T07:08:00.003-06:00

Since Daniel and Sarah have moved here, she's taught me to crochet and I've taught her to knit. For my first crochet project Sarah taught me to make these slippers. She found the pattern here.
These were cool to make and are actually pretty comfortable to wear.

Almost Gone

2011-02-06T10:54:00.004-06:00

Finally.

I have to say I'm really tired of this snow. It has snowed TWICE this year. Can you believe it?? It snowed TWICE last year too. And these weren't little dustings that are fairly common to Texas. These were all inch-es. Really. This is too much.

Snow is nice and pretty for a day I suppose. Though it is a nightmare getting kids in and out of the house. And Texas kids don't seem to really care for the snow. It's too cold and wet for them. Give them a blue chlorinated pool and they're golden.

Seriously.

Give us the pool.

Once there was a snowman...

2011-01-12T07:15:00.000-06:00

Again??

2011-01-10T11:33:00.004-06:00

Almost 11 months ago to the day, we had a large snow. We were psyched because it's unusual to get a heavy snow fall in East Texas. Here we are again though and the schools let out for the occurrence.

I'm so excited!!!!

2010-12-07T07:08:00.003-06:00

In one month.

Daniel & Sarah will be here.

They're coming for good!!!

I can't wait!!

My kids can't wait!!

My Day a Year Ago

2010-12-01T09:45:00.005-06:00

I thought I'd check my photos and see what I was doing on this day last year. Here it is:

Apparently, I had started working on the Den Re-do. There were several layers of wallpaper on the lower half of the wall and the upper half was, and still is, paneling. In this picture I've completed the wallpaper removal, sloppy mudded for texture and painted the lower half of the wall.

Here is that room today:

Eventually I finished, though I don't remember how long it took. I glazed over the paint on the bottom half of the wall and painted the paneling. Ben built the mantel and shelves for the brick wall. I still need some cool decorations though. Maybe for Christmas...

Ten Dollar Ledges

2010-11-24T06:17:00.000-06:00

At the same time we bought the wood for the ladder shelf, we also purchased a few pieces for this shelf. Mine cost about $15 since we bought nicer wood than the cheapest grade. I knew I needed something in my den and I really wanted to build the Tryde table to put there originally. That didn't work out, so this will do instead.

Ladder Shelf

2010-11-22T17:57:00.003-06:00

This project was a bit tougher than the Tryde Table. You really need two people for this one. The plans are here and the whole project cost me about $35. We changed a few things up in the construction. We built the shelves a little sturdier and I changed the overall size and number of shelves. I like how I could modify it to fit the space I wanted, although that was one of the hard parts--we had to really pull from our geometry and algebra days!

Next project here.

Tryde Console Table

2010-11-12T15:02:00.002-06:00

Another project courtesy of Knock-Off Wood.

Cost: approximately $50
Time: approximately 6 hours to build, another day to paint

This will go behind my couch.

Now I'm searching for another project. I think this will go well in the boy's bathroom.

Good Answer

2010-11-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

This quote is from a past prophet of the Mormon church, Spencer W. Kimball. I think this logic could help a lot of people.

"If all the sick for whom we pray for were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith."

I know someone who doesn't seem to understand why some people have to suffer while others prosper so much. I was just struggling with this concept myself last night as I watched a show in which young boys in Africa were taken from their homes and turned into soldiers. I asked Ben how it's fair for my kids to be born here in America in a fairly affluent home with so many conveniences. This quote helps me understand that it isn't necessarily fair, but that is it necessary.

Alter-Ego Night

2010-10-31T16:12:00.002-05:00

Yammin' It!

2010-10-23T07:25:00.001-05:00

Attitude of Gratitude #7

2010-10-15T07:07:00.002-05:00

I went back and forth about having this final post as my moooost important blessing. Which is definitely my family and faith. But I don't really want to draw this out, so I'll keep it simple.

I'm thankful for my family. I love them. I think they love me. I'm glad we'll be together til the end of forever.

I'm thankful for the beliefs I have. They help me along each day. I'll break those beliefs down for ya right here, real fast.
1. I go to the church that Jesus started when he was on Earth a long time ago.
2. Jesus set it up so we all could get back to Heaven where we started off in the first place, and spend forever with our families.
3. Life is a test to see if we'll make good choices or bad.
4. Pass it on.

Yes, there is definitely a lot more to my church than that, but I wanted to keep it simple. If you want more detailed but still simple, look at this.

Those are the Articles of Faith. In 13 short paragraphs it sums up exactly what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about. And if you have questions about the church, do me a favor and actually ask a member of the church instead of someone else.

I think this series of posts has helped me be a little more grateful for the awesome things I've got going in my life. Hopefully, you've benefited in some way too!

Attitude of Gratitude #6

2010-10-14T07:06:00.002-05:00

I. Like. To. Bake.

This helps.

In fact, I love to bake so much I'm considering looking in to opening a bakery in Gilmer. Considering.

Ben got this mixer for me right when we moved to Gilmer. And it's been well used since.

Is it wrong to be thankful for so many materialistic things? I mean, if I lived a long time ago before Kitchen Aids were around, then maybe I wouldn't have this extra bit of fluff.

But I'm still thankful for it.

Attitude of Gratitude #5

2010-10-13T07:24:00.004-05:00

I'm thankful for books.

Reading is therapy for me. Being a stay-at-home-mom can be quite taxing.

Reading gives me an escape from my stress-inducing-mundane life and that's all that keeps me sane sometimes.

Just to prove how taxing staying at home can be--I've read 67 books this year.

So if you're interested in reading Young Adult, I can surely let you know what's good. And if you've got suggestions, I'm all ears.

Thanks to all those brave men and women who pour out their hearts onto paper. You take me away to new worlds.

And thanks to the Upshur County Library. If it weren't for you I'd be broke and have no shelf space.

Attitude of Gratitude #4

2010-10-12T07:45:00.005-05:00

I'm thankful I live in a small town.

It's is roughly 5,000 people. Small to some I suppose.

I like being able to get to the store and back in 15 minutes. Or head down the road for a quick trip to the library.

I like that my kids will know everyone in their grade in High School.

I like the fact that I know a lot of people who live here. And they know me.

Maybe that'll come in handy someday if I ever start my own business. :)

Attitude of Gratitude #3

2010-10-11T07:39:00.003-05:00

I'm grateful I have a college degree.

I haven't used it a whole bunch but it does mean a lot to me.

Thanks Mom and Dad!!

Attitude of Gratitude #2

2010-10-10T07:22:00.002-05:00

One of my biggest blessings is that I'm able to stay at home with my kids while they're young. It's definitely not the easiest jobs. In fact I think it's the hardest job to have--just ask Ben--I tell him all the time :) And most of the time I don't even consider it a blessing--more of a curse!

But I am blessed that I'm the one that can raise my kids and watch them grow and hit milestones. And teach them their ABC's and a million other seemingly inconsequential things.

Like how to drive a Power Wheels Monster Truck.

Thanks Ben to going to work everyday and giving me this chance!

Attitude of Gratitude #1

2010-10-09T07:25:00.003-05:00

I have a problem with not being thankful enough for my blessings.

And I have a lot of blessings. :)

So for one week I will journal what I am thankful for, in an attempt to recognize the things that shouldn't go unnoticed.

The inspiration for this came from President Monson's talk in the Sunday morning session of General Conference. You can listen to it here or see what General Conference is here.

Today I am thankful for:

I love living close to family. It's a big deal to me.

I want my kids to grow up knowing their grandparents. I didn't have that opportunity and I wonder how much I missed out on. Luckily for my kids, they have both sets of grandparents in the same town!

I'm thankful for the other family that I live close to. It's awesome that my kids get to grow up with some of their cousins. Instant best friends! It's also a blessing to me personally. I love my brothers and sisters in law like they are blood. They set great examples for me and my family.

I'm grateful to be close to family!!!

This room...

2010-10-07T07:51:00.003-05:00

...has been a thorn in my side.

...has been my prison for the past two plus weeks.

...has been a nightmare!!

The room is the boys' bedroom.

Though I don't have before pictures, I can tell you when we first moved in the wallpaper was dark blue with large tulips. We tore that off almost immediately when the kids discovered just how much fun it was to tear wallpaper apart. For the last two years it's been a cream colored floral print that must have been original to the house. I've had no motivation to re-do their room because I knew just how hard that wallpaper was going to be to take down. And I didn't know how to repaint.

I finally decided on what to do and since I hadn't worked on the house in about a year I figured it was time. I painted the walls khaki. On the large wall I did diamonds in argyle fashion*. *Disclaimer: Do not attempt unless you're willing to spend many hours taping. I used white, orange and mixed my white and khaki to get a cream color. I also painted one small wall the same orange as the diamonds.

I painted over the wallpaper to get everything white. I also had to mud the seams so they wouldn't show.

I am a messy painter. I dropped a can and it exploded here.

The Wall. My Bane.
Let me just tell you I thought this would be much easier going in.
I thought I'd just have to tape everything off twice and paint my two colors.
Wrong.
I may have done something wrong that made me have to tape off the diamonds three times--with one time cutting the tape to fit inside the diamond lines. If I messed up, I can't figure out where. It was hard.

The step-by-step process involves this:
1. Determine the width and height you want your diamonds.
2. Draw a wall of rectangles that match that height and width.
3. Once you have a wall full of rectangles, measure off the midpoint of each line in the rectangles.
4. Connect all the midpoints with a really long straight edge to form the diamond.
5. Tape. A lot.
6. Paint.

Finally finished!

I'm done!! And I've vowed to not finish the rest of the house!!!

Not my favorite thing...

2010-10-05T07:35:00.000-05:00

Setting up the tent.

Copper at the pond.

Racing on the pier.

The tent is up!
And for some reason they think it's one of those blow-up-jumping-things.

Campfires are good.

Getting ready for bed.

We woke up to this. And cows.

Matt came with pancake mix and sausages.

Camping just isn't my cup-o-tea.

I'd never done it until six years ago to the day!! When we had Caleb as a baby we went camping for the first time in Hobble Creek Canyon in Utah. It took six years to get me to go again!

Overall we had a great time. A fast treat/getaway for the kids. I'd do it over again.

Next year maybe ;)

She wasn't really asleep...

2010-10-03T07:27:00.000-05:00

I'm embarrassed to say this isn't the first time this has happened. Two other times at night she has gone into my room, gotten out some markers and marked on my wall and bed. Fortunately my sheets are dark, and the room hasn't been repainted.

This time she was supposed to be taking a nap.

She wasn't.

She brought the markers to her room and drew on her sheets, wall, and headboard.

Luckily it came off of the wall and headboard.

Not easily though--just ask Cate. It took her a while.

Flashback...

2010-09-27T15:10:00.003-05:00

I'm sick of my Gator Farm post so I had to find something...here goes.

Today six years ago...

September 27, 2004We lived in Provo, UT.

Sarah and her kids were there for something.

Berkley was still young--four.

We lived in what we thought was a huge, nice house on 7th East--since we saw it in March we realized just how ghetto it actually was.

I was a newly-christened stay-at-home-mom.

I was bored.

Ben was finishing his final year of school at BYU.

Apparently our trash can was over-flowing. Aahhh!!

Gator Farms: WT or not?

2010-09-10T19:56:00.003-05:00

When my B-I-L said "Let's go to Shreveport to the Gator Farm for Labor Day," (paraphrasing there) I was a little skeptical.

I mean, Gator Farm?

Really?

It was actually pretty cool. There were lots of animals that let us feed and pet them. And there were several animals the Tyler Zoo doesn't even have.

So are we WT for going to a Gator Farm?

(WT is my polite way of saying White Trash--just trying to keep it clean here, folks.)

Maybe not.

Because then we took the kids to the Science Museum and made them lay on a bed of nails!

Ready for the Buckeyes!

2010-09-06T07:25:00.001-05:00

Cate, Connor, Peyton

First Home Game of the Season!

Already?

2010-09-04T09:40:00.003-05:00

Second week of kindergarten and he's already in to Bandz.

Yikes!

I guess I should mention that this was a reward from the school for being a Star Student.

He was the first one of the year chosen from his class!!

Go Caleb!

A letter...

2010-08-30T11:53:00.004-05:00

Dear Caleb,

It's been one week now.

The house is a little emptier. Not always in a bad way though. ;)

We miss you, and sometimes I think you miss us. Other times, I'm sure you're having a blast being in school. I know you're making friends. I hope you're setting a good example. Ben and I talk about how we wish we had a hidden camera on you so we could see how you act at school. Are you as crazy at school as you are here?

I'm glad you get this chance though. It will be good for you. Just like it's good for us here at home. I'm getting to know Connor and Cate better. I can't believe how different Connor is than you. He talks all the time! And he looks up to you so much. He's so ready to go to school next year just like you.

I love you and I'm glad you came first. You're such a help to me and such a good example to the other two. Make us proud!

Love,
Mom

One Down, Two to Go...

2010-08-24T09:11:00.004-05:00

Ready for Kindergarten.

No turning back now.

He made it through the day, so I rode with Kim to pick everyone up together.
After 30 minutes of sitting in line, we finally see the school.

It's now been about 45 minutes of sitting in line.

There they are! They put in a hard day's work.

After Caleb got home, he'd remember things here and there to tell me. One thing he said was that he didn't realize he'd be gone the whole day. He did have fun and I think going to school makes him feel like a big kid.
Even if it makes me feel kinda old. :)

Knock-off Wood Rocks!

2010-08-13T07:10:00.001-05:00

The Penny and the Frog

2010-08-11T07:17:00.001-05:00

This was not one of the frogs from our make-shift aquarium. This is actually a toad and there are several on and around our back porch hiding here and there. This was the smallest we'd seen so far.

A Day at the Lake House

2010-08-09T07:06:00.000-05:00

Our first time swimming in the lake. The kids loved it.

A Really Big Pair of Pants

2010-07-31T07:19:00.000-05:00

Thursday we traveled to Jonesville Texas where the T.C. Lindsey General Store has been in operation since 1847. A museum lover since early childhood, I enjoyed browsing the antiques. The kids had a surprisingly good time too.

Boo-ya!!

2010-07-16T07:15:00.000-05:00

Hope You're Having Fun Mom!!

2010-07-13T08:37:00.001-05:00

Mom and Grandma.
about 1972

Mom, if you read this can you find a picture of their wedding and bring it home?

Flashback...

2010-07-11T16:29:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I Wish They'd Stop...

2010-07-02T12:52:00.001-05:00

Another Year, Another Addition...

2010-06-02T07:53:00.002-05:00

Nine years later and we have three wonderful kids and a new puppy named Copper.

He's a four month old Cockalier.

(That's a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.)

Wish us luck--he likes to chew!!

Even if You Don't Live in Hawaii...

2010-05-28T07:27:00.002-05:00

...you can still grow your very own pineapple!

From this:

To this:

I've had this pineapple for several years with no indication it would make fruit. A friend told me to put a piece of (any) fruit in the crown of the plant and it would produce a pineapple. I placed a small whole orange in the center of the plant and a few days later a tiny bud sprouted. Now the fruit is growing its own crown and we hope to harvest soon!

Our Middle Man Matures...

2010-05-11T07:47:00.001-05:00

Hello, Goodbye...Part II

2010-05-07T07:14:00.000-05:00

This lay on my back porch Thursday morning.

I found out they aren't nearly as cuddly and cute as I thought they were here.

I don't know how long he'd been laying wounded on the concrete.

It was 8:30 when we found him. Apparently he feel from our 2 story roof and suffered some internal injuries. (Yes, I consider myself a vet at times.)

His limbs were working okay, he just whimpered and cried and could hardly move.

I set him by what I believe to be his tree hoping he'd make it home. He did, just not his Earthly home.

Rest in Peace Baby Raccoon.

Tell Waldo Tardo I'm sorry.

Hello, Goodbye...

2010-05-04T12:29:00.004-05:00

We first met Waldo Tardo in my parents' pond.

We brought him to live in our makeshift aquarium full of tadpoles.

He had a good life.

Until he was crushed by a rock.

Sorry Waldo.

Please forgive me--it was an accident.

Rest in Peace.

Here We Go Again...

2010-04-20T10:47:00.003-05:00

Too fast...

2010-04-10T07:07:00.001-05:00

The Hunt is On...

2010-04-08T09:59:00.002-05:00

Cate worked with Becca and Mikael.

Connor flew solo.

And Caleb is just weird.

(But we still love him.)

Why Not to Live in a Pine Forest in the Spring...

2010-04-02T15:54:00.002-05:00

The pollen is a slow murderer-of-clean cloud.

It is a silent but deadly film infecting everything it touches.

There is no escape.

A garage can no longer help you here.

It takes no regard of wealth, race, or religion.

It will consume us all.

Since you liked the last one...

2010-03-30T06:59:00.001-05:00

I'll take you back a little further.

Christmas 1983
I think.

He Wears Short Shorts...

2010-03-25T07:48:00.000-05:00

Summer 1985

How...

2010-03-22T22:29:00.001-05:00

Personalities...

2010-03-19T07:17:00.000-05:00

The Mischievous One.

The Quiet One.

The Haven't-Figured-Her-Out One.

I Miss Their Long Hair...

2010-03-17T07:07:00.001-05:00

Ten Down...Two to Go

2010-03-15T07:02:00.001-05:00

Ben and I took our first trip away from the kids recently. Daniel was getting married in Utah so we hopped on a plane with Ben's parents and spent a long weekend in the Salt Lake/Provo area.

Siblings minus Joe, Mark, and Jacob.

Sisters and Sister in Laws minus Kim, Nicole, and Mallory.

Dodd sisters with their mother.

Me keeping Linda warm at the temple while we waited for everyone to finish taking pictures.

Happily Ever...

2010-03-12T17:20:00.002-06:00

We're Back...

2010-03-10T12:15:00.001-06:00

Surprise Gifts in the Mail!

2010-03-02T19:32:00.002-06:00

This isn't something I'm used to.

But I can't say I don't like it.

Thanks Taylor!

I Promise She's Not My Favorite...

2010-02-26T09:50:00.003-06:00

Weird...

2010-02-22T13:17:00.003-06:00

Every. Day.

Loves laying on the stairs.

On her tummy.

On her back.

Love. Her.

It's here...

2010-02-14T07:32:00.004-06:00

Thursday Night

Friday morning on the way to Kim's.

Before we left out house, I measured five inches of snow in one spot. There were places that had more I'm sure. Neither Ben nor I can remember it ever snowing like this in our 20 plus years of living in Gilmer. That's not to say it hasn't happened sometime in those years, but even we were raring to get outside and play!

Caleb and Connor had a good time in their first-able-to-play-in snow. Cate wasn't that excited, though she did enjoy joining everyone in throwing snowballs at her dad.

It's coming...

2010-02-13T09:18:00.006-06:00

Thursday February 11, 2010

Monkey see, monkey do.

Cate in the morning...

2010-02-03T09:38:00.002-06:00

He's no Seabiscuit...

2010-01-17T21:34:00.006-06:00

Meet Teeko.

Umm...We live in Texas, right?

2010-01-08T09:07:00.003-06:00

I didn't sign up for this...

Top 10 Things That I Hope Happen in 2010

2010-01-01T01:00:00.002-06:00

1. To have a happy and healthy family.

2. To see my Utah and Las Vegas family.

3. To take a vacation that doesn't involve going to visit family.

4. For Mom and Dad to move into the Lake House and love it.

5. For a canine addition to join our family. I want a Cocker Spaniel or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Opinions?

6. For Connor to become less aggressive toward his peers.

7. For Caleb to enter Kindergarten with minimal tear-shedding.

8. The Dodd household to be diaper free!

9. To actually win one of Pioneer Woman's contests.

10. To be more positive!!

Warning...May Contain Images Not Suitable for Young Children...

2009-12-26T20:53:00.003-06:00

From garbage can to tied to a tree.

To dinner plate.

...

2009-12-23T09:06:00.002-06:00

What's under the blanket??

Well, I'm glad you asked!

It's a dead wild pig, of course!!

Oh yeah, it's already been gutted and liberated from its head.

Now it's stuffed in a trash can packed on ice sitting in my garage.

This is what happens when Dodd boys converge.

Lewis Carroll was wrong?

2009-12-06T21:23:00.003-06:00

I never particularly loved Alice in Wonderland, but I happened upon this book in the library and thought I'd take a chance.

I'm glad I did.

Classified as Young Adult, this book occupied my spare time the entire weekend. Here's the synopsis:

You know the myth...

A little girl named Alice tumbled down a rabbit hole and proceeded to have a charming adventure in the delightful, made-up world of Wonderland...

Now discover the truth... Wonderland Exists!

Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, was forced to flee through the Pool of Tears after a bloody palace coup staged by the murderous Redd. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life only to see it published as the nonsensical Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alyss had trusted Lewis Carroll to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere would find her and bring her home. But Carroll had gotten it all wrong. He even misspelled her name! If not for royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan's nonstop search to locate the lost princess, Alyss may have become just another society woman sipping tea in a too-tight corset instead of returning to Wonderland to fight Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts.

Meet the heroic, passionate, monstrous, vengeful denizens of this parallel world as they battle each other with AD-52's and orb generators, navigate the Crystal Continuum, bet on jabberwock fights and travel across the Chessboard Desert.

The Looking Glass Wars unabashedly challenges our Wonderland assumptions of mad tea parties, sleepy dormice, and a curious little blonde girl to reveal an epic battle in the endless war for Imagination.

Just beware, this is the first book in a trilogy. Luckily all are published, though I haven't read them yet. Hopefully they're as good as the first...