boys and dirt...

What is it with boys and dirt? The two are attracted to each other unlike any other attraction I've seen. Why do I even TRY to keep them or their clothes clean?

too much to do...

I am not able to keep my desk clean - ever. This time of year (the end of the school year), however, is always worse than usual due to the extreme overload of things going on in our lives. I'd like to say that I know exactly where everything is in this mess, but sadly I must admit that most of the time, I don't even know what's under there. I do try to straighten it up now and then, but the clutter re-accumulates so quickly it almost doesn't seem worth it.

two peas in a pod...

These two are: "Partners in Crime," "Frick and Frack," "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum"... "Two Peas in a Pod". The adventures they go on daily are worth a blog of their own. Cecily, usually in lead, with her happy-to-go-along brother running up the rear (carrying all her gear) is a sight often seen in these parts. They play school (Cecily is the teacher); do arts and crafts (Cecily comes up with some GRAND ideas); catch worms and try to sell them to cars passing by down on the road; find "crystals" in the garden and try to sell those also; make up plays, dances, puppet shows and magic shows; build forts and castles out of cardboard boxes, chairs, tables, blankets and whatever else they can drag out; the list could go on and on...

I love to watch their interaction. I love that they're so close. I love that they sleep together almost every night. There was a time when I was sad that Cecily wouldn't grow up having a sister who was her best friend. Brock may not be a sister but he is still her best friend...

april showers bring may flowers...

Our yard is LOVING all this rain!

calm...

Just before bed tonight and all was calm in the Powell house. Noone running around, no silly games, no fighting, no wrestling... just peace, quiet and CALM. So very, very wonderful.

free labor...

Cayce put the boys (and one poor friend) to work this afternoon shoveling gravel and spreading it out in worn spots on the gravel road. Brock loves any work Cayce can up with... cutting down trees, hauling brush, gardening... you name it, Brock is up for it. Colton and Reece? Not so much - but with proper convincing (i.e. "You WILL help me and you will help me NOW.), they are so there. Cecily is good to help with anything also but today Daddy decided it was male bonding time... lucky girl!

a day of storms...

Ball games cancelled. Dance performance at Main Street Festival cancelled. What was supposed to be a busy Saturday for the Powell family, ended up being a lazy day spent inside. This picture shows why... It was taken at 11:30 this morning, although it looks like nighttime. Alot of wind, lightning and rain (3.5 inches recorded in our backyard!) but thankfully, the forecasts of large hail and tornados avoided our area. As our day comes to an end, all is well here.

little girls love dolls...

As a child, I LOVED dolls. Seriously, I cannot emphasize how much I LOVED dolls. I loved playing "Mommy"... I took care of them: "fed" them, changed their diapers and clothes, talked to them... I even dreamed about them. Cecily loves her baby dolls also - she's not quite as obsessed with them as I was, but nonetheless she does love them. There's "Baby Emma" (her first) and Stacy & Sam (twins). In addition, she also has her "big girl" dolls - they are the ones pictured above. The one with braids was mine when I was a girl (Heidi). Terri Lee (brown/white dress) belonged to Cayce's mom when she was a little girl. The others (Samantha, Chrissa and Sleeping Beauty) are Cecily's. She plays with ALL of them.

I love that some things don't change with time. Little girls love dolls. Just like her grandmother and her mother, Cecily takes care of her babies and when her friends come over, they join in also. She wants to be a mommy, just like I did. It's not something I've taught her; just something she "is". Just like it was something I was, and something Grammy was.

spring cleaning...

I spent most of yesterday and today cleaning the house and the back porch. Both were in a sad state, but the porch, in particular, had seen better days. Covered in dirt, cobwebs, pet hair and a blanket of yellow pollen, it was in desperate need of being "Spring Cleaned"... and so I did. I washed every piece of furniture, vaccuumed cushions, swept and mopped the floor and even cleaned windows. Now, it is once again our quiet, serene retreat... where we can sit and watch the rain fall, read a book, visit with friends or even take a nap (as my dear husband has been known to do a time or two).

With two, cats, one dog, four children and countless numbers of kids' friends, the "sparkle" won't last long, so I'll enjoy it while I can!

run colton run...

A runner I am not but it sure is fun to watch my children run!

my friend lynne...

My friend, Lynne, found out about one year ago that she had breast cancer. Wow. Then came a whirlwind of events that one hopes to never endure... a mastectomy on June 3rd followed by three months of chemo treatments and then most recently, two reconstructive surgeries. She kept her hair as long as possible, but finally had it shaved the first week of August as it was shedding just too much by that time. Since then, it has been rare to see her without her wig. Today, though, when we met for lunch, she was wig-free so we snapped this picture together - her first with her new, stylin' cancer-free hair!

Cancer is such a ugly word and an even uglier illness to have to battle. It's a word noone wants to hear... certainly Lynne was no different. It was difficult at first but after the initial shock wore off, she decided to tackle the disease "head on". As a friend watching from the sidelines, I was amazed by her strength, humbled by her weakness, and inspired by her positive spirit. I am thankful she is my friend and I am even more thankful that she can now proudly say that she is a cancer survivor!

an apple a day...

Two more apple trees delivered today so our Granny Smith tree isn't so lonely. The new ones are Gala and Golden Delicious... mmmmm... can't wait to taste one!

cayce's handiwork...

Cayce loves growing his vegetables but finding the time to get the gardens prepped and ready isn't always easy. Over the last couple of weekends, he has spent every possible minute that he could steal away from our crazy schedules, pulling weeds, tilling soil, mixing in fertilizer and planting what will hopefully turn into a "bumper crop" of produce. Today he was out past dark and still isn't finished but the finish line isn't far away now...

happy reece...

Reece loves people. He loves his friends. He loves being silly, playing games, eating junk and just hanging out.

Tonight, at his 11th birthday party, he was in heaven because it was the epitome of all his loves (minus video games). 13 of his closest friends from Grassland, BGA and church all arrived at our house at 6 p.m. ready for 3 hours of outside playtime. Just. Play. Outside. That's it.

I did nothing - except provide the food (which was definitely an important part of the evening!). They played "Capture the Flag," "German Spotlight," and "Death Watch" - a game made up by Reece consisting of two teams: "FBI" and "Prisoners"... apparently it was the favorite of most of the boys.

It was an "old school" party, completely planned by my sweet 11-year old son, and it was a huge success. I am proud of him and I am thankful for the friends he has chosen.

glow galaxy...

Brock had his birthday party tonight at Glow Galaxy, along with his friend, James. The boys shared a party and invited all the boys from their class at school.

It was a rip roaring, wild good time and all should sleep well tonight! I know I will.

happy birthday, reece!

Birthday breakfast of choice for Reece? Krispy Kreme donuts, of course! Same thing year after year... he is a creature of habit when it comes to his precious sweets.

Happy birthday to my little Reece boy... the reason I will always REJOICE and GIVE THANKS on tax day!

last glimpse of my 10-year old...

Tomorrow, this sleeping angel will be 11 years old! Where, oh where have the years gone?! Surely it's not possible that my little Reece Boy, aka Smiley Boy, could be so old?! Reece was my baby who only wanted me. He was our child who always had a grin from ear to ear and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. A child who marched to the beat of his own drummer. Always curious. Always lovable. And always a mess.

He's not quite as lovable these days - but he still loves being loved on - just won't admit it. He still loves Mama, but Daddy is pretty awesome, too. Still smiling, curious, mischievous, and still a mess. All traits that get him into trouble (alot) but also traits that will allow him to make a difference in this world. Oh how I love this boy.

our first rose of the year...

I was just walking up to the front door and there it was, staring up at me - slightly hidden beneath all the foliage but yet, waiting to be noticed. Soon, the bushes will be covered in blooms but today, it's just one - standing tall and proud and oh so very bright with it's crimson red petals.

Each and every day brings a new blossom or bloom all over our yard, and across the countryside... it's enough to lift the deepest of spirits. Looking around this time of year, I'm not sure how one cannot be amazed and in awe of God's amazing power and majesty...

our first azalea bloom of the season...

picnic and play...

Reece, Cecily and Brock enjoy a 2-hour long Sunday afternoon picnic while playing with their MANY Webkinz animals. My mega zoom lens allowed me to capture this picture without the kids even knowing I was in the area...

spring break comes to an end...

...the Era sunrise that greeted us as we awoke at 6 a.m. to get packed and ready for our long trip home today. Breathtaking.

After nine days and 2500 miles, we are finally home. In our absence, trees bloomed, flowers blossomed and the grass became thick and lush again. This is the exact same picture I took the day before we left... shows how much everything changed while we were away. So very, very nice to be home again.

birthday boy brock...

Happy 7th birthday to my baby, Brock!

His birthday breakfast of choice? Donuts, of course!

Dawn asked what Brock wanted for his birthday and his reply was, "To ride on one of her horses." Not only did he get to ride, but this time she let him hold the reins... what a great birthday for our cowboy wannabe child! Thanks, Aunt DD!

farm day...

So all we have to do to get our kids outside more is buy some horses, a 4-wheeler, trampoline and pool. No problem.

take me out to the ballgame...

It was a cold, windy night for game #2 of the Rangers' season... and to top it off, they lost. But what a wonderful time we all had!!

on the road again...

We left Austin this morning after a hearty, homemade breakfast of "Migas," thanks to my sweet brother, Ricky. After a 4-hour drive, we arrived in Abilene and were blessed to get to spend a couple of hours with Cayce's dear Uncle Everett and Aunt Peggy. We miss them so much and always enjoy any time we can steal from them. They always make everyone around them feel special, important and encouraged... what a gift. Through them, I have always seen Jesus...

After our visit with Peggy and Everett, we spent a couple more hours "on the hill" at ACU and then made the trek to Era, Texas... home of my sister and her family. This is a picture of the beautiful sunset that greeted us at their home.

more hill country flowers...

Flocks

Bluebonnets

austin reunion...

My brothers, sister-in-law, mom and my own family all met in Austin at Ricky and Courtney's home for a mini-reunion of sorts. This was the first time I have been with this many members of of my family (at one time) in almost 12 years! Between the cascarones (Tony was such a good sport!), the comedy show interviews by Tony with Ricky as his sidekick, the UT Spring game (which all my boys attended!), yummy food, and a wild game of LCR - my sides were aching from laughing so much. What a special time and wonderful memories.

92 years of tradition...

Today, my family was able to join in the very old Calmbach Family tradition of "Flower Picking". The last time we were able to go was 6 years ago. Colton, Reece and Cecily remember that visit and were so excited to be able to go again. This was a "first" for Brock as he was only one year old last time and didn't remember it at all...

92 years of picking flowers every Easter Saturday... a tradition started by my great-grandfather in 1918 and still going strong today. This year, I counted around 100 relatives in attendance.

Flower Picking means... visting DeLeon's Store in Elmendorf, Texas, for ice cream and cascarones... picking any wild flowers we can find... wine in plastic cups for the adults... all the junk and soda the kids can consume... races for all ages... and of course lots of visiting and laughter.

Later, we all head over to my great aunt and uncle's house to make "nests" on the ground out of the flowers - nests of all shapes and sizes. Every baby, child, teenager and college student has a nest - the adults just help and supervise. Volleyball and card games take place till the wee hours of the morning. People sleep anywhere they can find a flat area. During the night, the Easter Bunny comes and delivers baskets to all the nests and hides eggs. The next morning, the kids line up in age order (youngest to oldest) to go outside and check their nests. Then head back inside and line up again for the egg hunt. The younger kids hunt "real" eggs and the teens hunt plastic eggs with money inside (these are MUCH harder to find). Then it's chill time - time to play, eat breakfast and start getting cleaned up for church services.

I love traditions - I was raised in a family rich in traditions. Some, I have tried to carry on in my own family today and we've made some new ones of our own along the way as well. Flower Picking was always one of my favorites growing up and though we are not able to make it back from Tennessee for this event often, my children look forward to it just as much as I did.

on the road...

On the road again today... travelling from Texarkana to San Antonio. Long trip ahead of us but we all had a great night's sleep, and everyone's in a good mood... can't wait to get to S.A.!

texas wind...

Today, we began our Spring Break trek to and THRU Texas. We arrived in Texarkana around midnight tonight and were greeted by the familiar Texas wind as seen in the picture of these flags flying outside our hotel. (Taken with Cayce's cell phone.)