On Mother's Day

On Mother's Day, Ken treated Anne and me (and two kids!) to an afternoon at the ball game, watching the Astros from one of the suites. It was a beautiful day, and the big roof was open ... the first time I've watched one of these games in open air. Usually it's so hot and humid, the roof is closed and the a/c is on!

We had a wonderful time!

Honoring Band Seniors and Families

Thursday night, Sept 23, was when the Band Seniors were honored before that night's football game. What a nice, big, talented group of students!

Here are the seniors and their families as they were grouping themselves before walking onto the sidelines of the field. If you click to "biggify" this photo, you can see Ken in the red shirt at the very left of the photo. Anne is visible a bit more to the right (blonde, sunglasses), then Parker's head and shoulders (yellow shirt), and Austen's shoulders! Kira was there, but she's not tall enough to be visible!!

Here they are on the field: Parker, Ken, Austen in band uniform, Anne, and Kira. I'll add a video of all this if I can figure out how to get it off the camera and onto my computer!

Some pre-game shots of the Panther cheerleaders and others preparing for the football team to run out onto the field.

The band is preparing for their "stand music" which will include the National Anthem. It's a very large high school band -- well over 200 students.

Memorable days

Anne's surgery was on August 5, and she came home from the hospital today. She's very happy to be home, and her family is happy to have her back, too.

Thanks to all our family and friends who kept Anne in their thoughts and prayers. =)

Here are a couple of photos of Kira, modeling some of her new school clothes for her mom! What a darling girl!!

Independence Day 2010

We all went to Judy and Will's in Richmond, TX, yesterday afternoon -- for dinner and good company and then a bonfire and fireworks when it finally got dark! After getting about 6" of rain on July 2 and 3, the kids could shoot off fireworks with no chance of setting stuff on fire ... other than the bonfire, that is, which was there to help get rid of a large tree downed by a windstorm a while ago.

Judy fosters cats and kittens for the Houston SPCA. Currently she has a few who have had to have a leg amputated, a litter of kittens with no mama-cat, older cats, and others with special needs.

Here is Anne (and Austen in the background) with one of the kittens. They are precious!

Parker, with a kitten:

Kira with a kitten:

The bonfire!

Kids and fireworks!

And here's a short video I took of one of the very successful fireworks, called Fiesta.

Mother's Day at the Astros game!

Here are some photos from our Mother's Day afternoon at the Astros game. Ken and Austen were working, but Anne, Kira, Parker, and I had a wonderful lunch, not to mention one of our favorite views of the game - from the far end of center field!

Parker and Kira had unlimited sodas and goodies.
Loads of fun!!