Ode to my car

Today I am in a sentimental mood. My Expedition is 10 years old---I have had it for 8 years. It has 162, 517 miles on it and counting. There have been many memories in it and many, many travels. To begin, the girls have had many changes in it from dance to friends houses to softball to basketball to church activities to volleyball to many camps and more friends houses to band camps and practices--loading and unloading. Girls...girls ...girls have been piled in the car and even slept in. In fact Mike and I have even slept(not well) in the expedition. It has been to many places Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Canada, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Kentucky, and of course Texas. I am sure I have forgotten some places but you get the message. It has also traveled through many places as well---- It has been a great vehicle to have after driving a minivan for 7-8 yrs.. This car even trudged through our first daughter's driving which is a really good test. Next is number 2 daughter---hopefully she will do well with this piece of machine too. It is fun to overlook other cars when traffic is over booked or look down on ppl. too. LOL. I like to push the speed limit whenever I can---just to show we can haul butt. My girls laugh---what a fun SUV this is! Whenever we go on vacation we have our trusty SUV---we pack it like a mule and love every piece of it. What a great mule it is. Eat your hearts out!!! This year will be lots of packing---colorguard equipment again, snare drum, bags and bags of stuff and even some college trips. Maybe this cool SUV will drive our daughter to college!!! Yeah-baby!!!

Reflections--

Today I am anxious. I officially have a senior in high school. Wowser. Many seniors have come and gone---now mine will be in the same boat. She is getting her senior pictures done today since she has such a social load of work and band we thought it good to do it now before the temps. also get past 103 degrees. Today it will be 101-102. Her thoughts for her pictures were her varsity jacket with Homestead and Keller high plastered all over it because she still is a spartan at heart and an indian ; a nice picture of loveliness; a texan portrayal for fun; her snare drum from school; and whatever she might come up with that is top secret. We went to Charming Charlie's to get accessories for her outfits---she was overwhelmed with the colors that the store had to offer because it is huge! But---off we went with our purchases. It has been fun planning this part of her senior year. The next step will be shelling out money for her cap and gown---invitations---yearbook--ads in yearbook--band parties and events---competitions and what not. She has already taken her college tests and will most likely take another in October. her top picks for college are BYU-Idaho-1st; BYU -Utah-2nd; maybe a college in Ohio. Boys have become a hit on her list--but--oh no serios ones yet. Thank you thank you thank you!!!! It is kind of weird seeing her change in her looks-I have been looking at the past 3 years and am amzed at how she has matured in looks---she is still goofy-which one of her teachers in 4th grade told her not to change---WELL she hasn't . If you don't like her goofyness-TS!!!! AMny friends in Indiana and a couple here found it stupid...and didn't appreciate it for what it is worth---toobad for you. We like goofy. So here's to our senior!!! Wahoo!!!

And the Tree came Tumbling Down!

The final cut.

Above the night of the storm. below--the next day looks.

Last Wednesday we had terrible storm---tornado sirens all over were bursting with sound---- It was me and the cats. Girls were at camp and Mike was on the road home. I took quick check to see how trampoline was doing and heard the most piercing siren and decided to run to THE CLOSET! I grab Misty (furball) and put her in down bathroom...couldn't find LILY...got treats and still couldn't find her and then---- I saw green fly across my front of house and decided to run to safety. This was stinkin serious. My purse and important documents and Misty were with me---I hoped Lily was good where she was and listened to storm around and occasionally the TV cooperated. Then lights out!!! I got a little worried...it was quiet, I looked outside and saw my tree was down...down... The winds were still going 70 mph and I just hung out around the closet just in case. No tv though. I couldn't get my weather radio to keep on... I called Mike---no answer I knew he was smart. So here are the pics of our gone tree. I made it fine--just really weird. Glad the girls were gone and just the cats and me were there to worry.

Final games for X-treme

Pysching the other team out...kicking the bat and lookin' tough!

Monday was a hit! Two games back to back ...Gretchen's team beat the number 3 team 13-2 and onto the number one team for the fourth time...can we do it???? Here she is---stealing to third with flair! The game results---the other team won by 7--but what a fight two double plays by Gretchen and another girl--gretchen caught 2 poppers way in the sky---don't ever bat to her baby!!! She slid to second base to get a girl out!!!! A fellow player missed catching the ball and "G" caught it under her---WOWSER!!!! Can she play or what! She makes it look so easy. We really had fun watching the whole team for 4 hours--