Almost 10 and Celebrating with Friends!

Our little boy is hitting the 2 digit numbers on July 6th. Ten years have passed so quickly! He's brought an unending supply of laughter and love to our family.

He had a HUGE birthday celebration last Saturday at Fred's office with about 30 of his closest friends from school, the neighborhood and taekwondo.

The girls stick together and scream all the way down!

Fred is ALWAYS in the middle of the fun!

Corbin trying to reel in the big one.

Jonathan, Mati and Gio

A Boy and His Dog

Pleasure Doing Business in Vegas!

Is this man really working? I know the "ladies" are!

Where's Waldo?

I'm home (again) while my husband is off (again) to some exciting destination.
Granted, he is entertaining a client, thereby "working" and thereby enhancing our income. I take some comfort in knowing he will be mildly miserable since the high temperature will be 108 degrees today at his location!
I am quite sure if I had accompanied him on this trip, our income would have taken a significant hit...anyone know where he is?

A Poor Man's Cancun

Mexico it ain't, but we're having a grand time being together! Before our kids start 4 hour a day taekwondo training and before the Platts head to Georgia for Travis's soccer championship tournament, we're enjoying a few days in Sargent, Tx which is southwest of Houston near Freeport.

The first night brought a fire at the top of one of the electrical poles directly in front of the house next door. Winds were blowing about 30 miles per hour and we were sure flying sparks were going to ignite trees, bushes or houses. The electric company put out the fire and with small sparks still dancing on 2 poles, we went to bed. I woke up about every hour expecting to see the yard in flames, but thank you, Jesus that He heard my prayers!

Those of you who know Fred are aware he cannot go on any vacation without creating some kind of adventure. Today we drove 3 miles down a dusty, bumpy, road to find the "best" spot of beach there is to find on a Texas Coast. You can see from the picture above that even Galveston beaches rank a little better than here, but there was water and waves and things to explore!

Scooter loves water and equally loves napping. He's covered with

a towel to protect his pink belly from getting sunburned!

This man, however, did not have a towel to cover
him while he was napping on the beach!A little summer reading and relaxing!

End of The Year Activities

Corbin and his best buddy,
Chandler, at field day.

Here's Gabbie and her friend, Sydney, at last Friday's end of the year dance for the 7th grade class which Fred and I helped chaperone.

The more things change the more they stay the same! Do you remember middle school dances?

*Girls scream every time the DJ plays a new song!
*Girls cluster in groups and dance, leaving the boys to stand around on the edge, with their hands in their pockets?.
*Girls pretend the boys are not in the room, though they are desperately wanting to dance with them.
*The DJ FINALLY plays a song that breaks the ice and the boys join in the cluster!

Here to Stay!

Elvis/Cooper/Murphy and finally the name that will
stick..."Scooter", is now an official member of the family!

Rent-a-Pet!

We have taken in a Jack Russell/Fox Terrier dog on a trail basis. He's been with us since Saturday and boy, 2 dogs make for a different household!

We thought another dog might be a cure for Rowdy's major case of separation anxiety. He loves his crate...as long as the door is open. When we're away, I'm pretty sure he never sits down, never stops panting and never stops training his ears to listen for the garage door to open. Oh, to have a dog we could leave unattended in the house without worry he'll shred the curtains on each side of the door for a third time! Supposedly this dog can have the run of the house and never get into trouble.

Elvis, his name from the group who rescued him from the pound/Cooper, his name from his foster family and now Murphy, named by the Fontana's, has done a pretty decent job of easing himself into our lives. Where Rowdy is NOT a dog, Murphy is. Murphy loves the pool, loves to bury bones in the backyard and as you'll see by this photo, LOVES kids and slept with Corbin all night. A boy's dream! Rowdy is a Mamma's dog through and through...a little on the sissy side but Murphy is working hard to change that! Murphy knows Rowdy is in charge and he lets him be the Alpha dog. Maybe now Rowdy can finally be the man he was intended to be.

Looks like Murphy might be staying!