My trip to Sudan (Texas!)

These are the people I'm related to! I hadn't seen them since I was 8 years old, and I didn't remember anyone. But they remembered me...(My dad's brothers and sisters, left to right: Wanda, [me], Theron, Orville, Lynette, and Dale).





My uncle Theron most resembles my dad, but he is a couple of years younger than my dad would be, and he's much shorter.








This is my aunt Wanda and me.













Here is a picture, from my estimate, taken around 1940 of my dad, his brothers and sisters, and his parents. From left to right: Dale, Jack Hill (holding Wanda), Theron, Lenna Hill (holding Lynette), Orville, and the tall kid is my dad, Don.

My daughter...future DCI champion...

Here are some outrageously awesome pictures of Kaylie at her performance in color guard at the game against Fossil Ridge on Friday night. I am so proud of her!!!







...and a video of the best rifle toss EVER:

In Honor of one of the Best Cats on the Planet...

October 18, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was lucky enough to have known Binkley for a week. I loved him as my own. My home was his. I wish it could have been longer. Binkley was diagnosed with bone cancer in his jaw today. I had to say goodbye to him - and even though he was only mine for one week, it was as hard to say goodbye to him as it has been any of my own animals in the past.

Let me just say that whoever the scum is that found out about Binkley's condition, then cowardly threw him out on the streets to defend himself - you are the worst kind of person and deserve no forgiveness. I don't care what Binkley's former name was or who he belonged to; I will forever know him as "Binkley," MY cat who I will love forever and will see in Heaven someday.

Binkley, I love you with all my heart. Tell Molly and Neb I said hello, and that I love them, and I will see you all someday soon.

Kaylie's 16th birthday!

We went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in Southlake - here's Kaylie blowing out her candle!















Here are Kaylie and Lee Ann:

The next day, Kaylie and Lee Ann went horseback riding...we posted the link to Black Mustang Ranch if you'd like to go - we HIGHLY reccommend it!

Kaylie jumps her horse, Raz:

Lee Ann rides her horse Blaze:

Updated 12.04.07! - new water tower...this is excitement.

Update - 12.04.07: Wow - what a difference a day makes! I went to work one morning last week, and the tower looked like this (note the big "pipe" on top).


Then...I drove by it again on the way home for lunch...4 or so hours later....and this is what it looked like!! How did they do it??

Update - 10.29.07: They have painted the "bowl" and put the town name on one side. I actually live in Fort Worth, but Saginaw is the town I drive through to get to work.

They've added two layers to the "bowl" since I took my last picture. I wonder how big it's going to be?

This is the new water tower they're building on my way to work. I'm trying to figure out how they're going to hoist that big bowl all the way up when they're finished with it. They've added another layer to it since I took this photo. I'll take a picture of it again soon.

is this necessary?

Ramsey is very good about getting in his kennel, but he doesn't have to like it...and when he's ready to eat, not even the Dog Whisperer can calm him down. (ok, I'm sure he could...)

Rosie takes a nap...

Well, here it is folks...I caught Rosie falling asleep sitting up in a chair. Poor little thing...she was probably tired after a long morning of having Ramsey chew on her ears. Once again, I forgot that turning the camera to the side results in a sideways-video....I'm a dummy.

our anniversary weekend...

the view outside our hotel room (you can see our tiny white car at the bottom!)

Ben in our hotel room...before the concert.

me in our hotel room...

We had tons of fun. We went to the Rush concert and stayed at the Hyatt Reunion in downtown Dallas. woo-hoo! The concert was really loud, but sooo fun.

our latest addition to the family...

This is Evan McDreamy. He goes everywhere I go in the house. When I sit at the computer, this is what he does. Ben named him Evan. I was calling him "Dreamy." So, his name is now "Evan McDreamy."

this is a test...

...of the emergency blogging system.