Fun in the Sun!

A couple weeks ago, we took a quick trip to the Texas coast. South Padre island is about 30 minutes max from the Mexico border. The sand there is different than anywhere else on the Texas Gulf coast-it is actually clean, white and free of debris! It was a much needed trip for us as a family-the boys needed a change of scenery and I too needed a big distraction from the day before we left when I had to put my cat to sleep. Anyways, I loved just watching the boys play and actually get along-amazing what happens when video game systems are taken out of the picture! ha! Eric has the strong Hispanic gene in him-so he browned to the point of looking burgundy! :) Blake and Trey lived in the sand simply digging...not building anything interesting...just digging holes. Should I be worried! ;) We threw diets out the window when we left and stuffed our faces with anything we could get our hands on that would ensure instant diabetes or heart attack. My only gripe is that 18 total hours of Spongebob playing on the DVD player on the back of my headrest was enough to make me want to swim across the border and take my chances with Homeland Security!

Could I be that old???

OK, so I am so behind already just after posting one and only blog! Is this just a glimpse at the trend to come. I seem to not have any time away to "play" on the computer. If the kids are not demanding of something...Manny is! He has started hating the laptop...I try to tell him that he is just jealous of the fact that I might have friends and he is just a lonely old man! ;) Anyways, last month my "baby" turned 14! For the first time ever, Manny missed a bday with one of the kids. He has always been in town for them, but this year his work in KS fell on Eric's day! :( We just celebrated the night before, but it was still not the same. Anyways, we had to "settle" on doing his bday with people like my sister, Kristi. She begged to come and for me to pay for her meal! Gah Kris, have you no shame! Anyhoo...we had a lovely dinner with my parents, the boys, Moocher, I mean Kristi and sweet Olivia. It kills me that Eric is going into high school! How do I have a child that old already??? Must have been that pregnancy at 13...;)

One of Eric's favorite gifts...a new drum throne. He is a drummer and loves it! Little does he know that the seat was custom molded to my butt so I could double it as my bike cushion...hey, a girl's got to be frugal!

This is how I have to give my "baby" sugars now...on my tip toes and I am 5'9"!!!

Aunt Kristi and Papa giving the bday spankin'! Eric was thrilled...

She's a classy one, that Kristi...I kept trying to tell her she had something in her teeth, but she couldn't find it.More sugars for the birthday boy...

the lil' bros entertained themselves with fangs, I mean chopsticks...

Well, let me introduce my family...

This is my honey, Manuel (Manny). Or as my sister likes to call him to get on his nerves...Man-You-Ell! :) We have been married for 15 years. He is such a good Dad to the boys and equally a good Uncle to his many nieces/nephews. He is hilarious and makes me laugh. Though we get on each others nerves alot because we each have strong personalities (ha ha!), I couldn't imagine being with anyone else! :)

My firstborn, Eric. He is 14 and a very polite young man with a good heart. He is my "mini me" in personality. He has a funny sense of humor that he shares only to those closest to him-kinda quiet by nature, but a great boy!

My sweet Blake. He is 8 and the prayer warrior in the family-loves to pray for those hurting. He is a tenderhearted kid and is a quiet spirit. Loves to snuggle!:)

My baby, Trey. He is 3 and the HAM of the family! He has such intense emotions-good and bad! Makes me belly laugh daily!!! Love that booger!

These are my babies...

I also have 2 step daughters, Natalie and Morgan. Natalie is 21 and Morgan is 18. Natalie cuts hair in the Dallas area and Morgan is about to leave for the University of Texas at Austin next month! Go Longhorns! :)

This is Natalie...

This is Morgan...

OK, so I cannot believe I have actually taken the plunge, made the move, given in to the pressure. I am really not that interesting, so what could I possibly say or share that would entertain anyone? Maybe I should create a secret fantasy life and start posting things like, "Today, I was simply pulling in to a Starbucks and accidentally rammed a man's car parked next to mine, causing the side panel to fall off and exposing hoards of drugs wrapped in tape! Little did I know that I single handily brought down the biggest drug lord in the North Texas area with ties to the Mexican Mafia! Ahhh, just another typical day for me!" See, that has so much more pizazz. So to all that pity me by reading this blog, I will try to refrain from discussing how much lint my dryer produced today or how long it took me to check out of Walgreens. Here I go...my blog journey begins...(did I sound dramatic enough with my closing line?)