Shhhh!!!

This is a big secret...

I've been it keeping for days...

Don't tell Kimberly!

This past weekend......

(drum roll)

Craig and I enjoyed our first dip in the pool!!!

It's still a little chilly, 77 degrees, but on the really warm days the water feels gooood.

No pictures will be posted due to the glare of pastey white skin.

Tropical Landscape

When Hurricane Ike destroyed our pine tree, which we didn't want in the first place, we wanted to replace it with a palm tree.  We love a breeze gently blows the frawns.  There is something calming about their sway.

We finally found the perfect tree; a Queen Ann Palm.

Thursday morning 3 men delivered and planted the palm. I was really surprised there were only 3 men. The tree is huge and very heavy. I kept asking if more men were coming to help. The foreman laughed and said " No just the 3 of us". I really expected a disaster but to my surprise it went off without a hitch.

Tree delivery

Off the trailer and into the hole

Lifting the tree

Straightening the tree

In order to give the front of the house a more tropical "feel" we also bought a 3 trunked Pigmy Date Palm.  It brings a more uniform appearance to the landscaping.

Craig loves his tree

Thanks to an extremely cold winter (the coldest in 20 years) many of our plants froze so we also added several ferns and other flowering plants which I have no idea what they are called but they're pretty.

The finished product

Hopefully we will not have such an extreme winter this year so we won't have to replace so many plants.

Craig is content

Sailing, Brunch and Hoola-hoops

Not much has been happening in my little corner of the world except tax prep, estate work and trimming/removing dead plants that didn't survive our "coldest winter in 20 years".

We did get out last weekend.

Craig and I went for our half day mentor sail in Galveston Bay.  We had completed our keelboat class in November and have been waiting for warm weather to take our mentor sail.  It was a beautiful day on the water.

On Sunday, the Davis', Craig and I went to The Last Concert Cafe for brunch.  It's a little hole in the wall in downtown Houston.  On Sunday's they have a brunch menu and a "jam session" with local musicians.  Interesting thing is the front door is always locked so you knock to get in.   

Laurie was told about the cafe by a friend of hers who described it as "someplace I think you will like because a bunch of hippies hang out there".   With a description like that who wouldn't want to try it.

We really had a great time.  We all tried to hoola-hoop.  Albert was the funniest.  He had never hoola-hooped before but finally got the hang of it.

The food was good and the music was great. We are definately going back.

A Visit to the Big Tree

A few weeks ago, Craig and I along with our good friends Albert and Laurie went on a short weekend trip to Rockport.  We thought we would get out of town for a few days to enjoy some sun and warm weather.  No warm weather was to be found.  A strong cold front blew through so instead we enjoyed tollerated cold and wind but still had a great time.

Along the way we went on a short side trip to The Big Tree.  The signs pointing the way actually said "Big Tree".

We saw tons of shrimp boats in harbor.  The weather was so bad with the wind and cold the shrimpers were not out nor were there any sailboats.

We did venture to Port Aransas for the afternoon and drove along the beach.  Laurie and I got out and chased the seagulls just to stretch our legs but most of the time was spent driving around sightseeing and visiting a few little shops.

One interesting thing that happened while we were gone was a Blue Moon (I think that is what it was called).  The moon was suppossedly 10% brighter than a regular moon.  It was beautiful.  You could see the lines and craters with the binaculars.  It was so big you felt like you could reach out and touch it. 

Information plaque at the Big Tree

To read-click on the photo to enlarge

and pardon the bird poop...it is a plaque under a tree after all.

Laurie and Albert

Craig and me

Shrimp boat fleet

Forest and Bubba inspecting a shrimp boat

Blue Moon

And Chloe is Her Name

Kimberly and Mark have chosen a name for baby G.  She will enter the world as Chloe Diane Grantham.  Photos of the nursery are also posted on Kimberly's blog.

May 24 can't get here soon enough.  We are ready to meet her.

We Are Having....

a Granddaughter.

Today the doctor confirmed Kimberly and Mark will welcome a baby girl sometime around May 24.

The report said 10 fingers, 10 toes and looks very healthy.

May 24 just happens to be Craig's and my 30th wedding anniversary.  She will be the perfect gift and Craig is thrilled he won't have to remember another date.  This way he can forget the anniversary and not be in trouble. lol

2009 Happenings

2009 has come and gone.  In looking back it seems not much happened yet so much happened. 

The biggest news events from the year were:

January-Joshua moved back home to work on a 6 months internship.  I know it was tough on Josh living with us since he had been away for 4 years but we all survived.

February-Josh turned 23.

May-Craig and I celebrated 29 years of marriage and Joshua officially graduated from Texas Tech.

October-Kimberly and Mark annouced Craig and I are going to be Grandparents.  Josh purchased and moved into his first home in the Austin area.

November-Craig's brother Brent passed away at the age of 52.  Kimberly hosted her first Thanksgiving in her and Mark's home.  Mark turned 27.

December-Kimberly turned 27.  All the kids were home for Christmas eve.

Those are just some of the high points of this year. 

Now on with 2010.