Still in Kyle

I know you've been waiting for the answer to the age old question: So, did she cook or didn't she? Well, believe it or not I did. The only problem was that everyone ditched me but Dustin (who would never miss a home cooked meal) and David (who knows better than to miss a home cooked meal). Hailey and her children bailed out on us and headed to San Antonio to meet with Robert after his daily Army training session was up. I think she had wished that she had stayed home with us after that, as she spent all evening trying to retrieve the car keys that she had locked in the trunk. If only she had put her extra set that was resting in the car console in her purse, all could have been averted. I'd say live and learn, but at my last inquest the extra set was still in the console. Hmm. Last night, Hailey and the girls headed back to San Antonio, with David, Kayla, Kristi, and me following to join Robert (I still prefer Bobby, but he's all grown up now) for dinner. Upon arrival, we find out that we had at least an hour wait because some of the units soldiers somehow could not follow the rules. Boys will be boys, so they paid the price with a little scrubbing. It all worked out and we still squeaked out just enough time to have a sit down meal, before Hailey had to drop him back at the base. Hopefully Bobby's unit will mind their p's & q's, so that they can get their usual weekend leave. Good luck on that, guys!


To read comments, please click on the thoughts box above. Thanks!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

We've been playing a whole lot of "princess" since we've gotten back to Kyle to join the rest of the clan hanging at Fort Knox in Kyle. I haven't decided who is having more fun playing the role, though the jury is in on who makes the prettiest one. I had second thoughts about posting that first pic but then a wise man once said, "It is what it is". We took our fully clad little princess grocery shopping at H.E.B. or Heb as niece, Hailey, refers to it. Being Canadian, we will forgive her...ok, an honest mistake for anyone not residing in Texas. Anyway, when we got home we decided that missy's magic wand must be the real deal, as we ended up with a few extra items that mommy, nor great aunt Sybil put in the basket. After our grocery run, we tossed our home cooked menu plan you out the window and headed to Luviano's for supper. Soon this blog will be appearing in Spanish if I don't stop this Mexican food obsession. I mean it's not like David and I hadn't stopped just the day before on our way back to Kyle at Los Cucos. We met up with friends, Ed and Karen, that we originally met in Doha for a two hour meal that still wasn't long enough to catch up with all the news here and there. Now if I don't get off this computer, my rescheduled home cooked meal may not get done. I'll let you know if those plans played out later (don't hold your breath). Tootles.

Note to Kim: I knew that you were in the middle of sending your hubby back to Doha the day we were passing through. I'll hopefully be coming back through the area before leaving the country, so keep your pearls handy...I'll be giving you a holler!


To read comments, please click on the thoughts box above. Thanks!

Where Art Thou, Mike?

Our Port Arthur destination has been one meal after another. We're hanging out with my mom who is the only person I know that likes to eat out more than me. She has a collection of menus on file that she would peruse over and over if only her macular degeneration would cooperate. Thankfully that doesn't affect her appetite. In the last three days we've eaten at Casa Ole Mexican Restaurant twice (are you noting a pattern here?), Luby's Cafeteria, Applebee's and Texas Roadhouse. We've kept the fridge stocked with Texas grown Blue Bell ice cream just in case we have any hunger pangs between feedings. We had a nice visit today with some of my siblings, niece and in-laws at Cypress Glenn Nursing Home where my dad hangs his hat. We're thinking about maybe a little Italian for supper. Whatcha think? Life is good.

I just received this from Kristi back in Kyle. This is our great niece, Sophia, dressed in an old dress of Kristi's from her little girl days...all of seventeen years ago. Kristi ate, slept, and literally lived in this dress for as long as she could. The stains are all over it to prove it. We have always lovingly referred to it as the "fwincess" dress since Kristi could not pronounce princess. Sophia's sister, Myah found the dress hanging in Kristi's closet and dressed her in it. It brought an instant smile and sweet memories when I opened the picture message on my cell phone. Cherish the moments, they grow up so fast.


To read comments, please click on the thoughts box above. Thanks!

Health Break

We made it to our birth to adulthood home town of Port Arthur, TX yesterday afternoon. There was a nice summer afternoon thunderstorm with showers to welcome us. Have I mentioned lately how nice it is to be in Texas? Rain is just one of the perks. We spent yesterday afternoon, this morning, and this afternoon to get in all our medical attention. There's just something about getting your health care in the U.S. that's so much more reassuring than in a foreign country. Well, for now, anyway. Oops, did I say that out loud? David had a suspicious spot on his lip that his sister, Sherry, kindly pointed out to him while we were visiting in Tennessee. Being that she and their mom have been diagnosed with melanoma, she highly suggested that he have it looked at. I must have been out to lunch on this one, because I'm such a mole freak always making David model for me so that I can check his body out for any "unusual" sightings. We were lucky enough to get into a local plastic surgeon to look at it yesterday. That's David in the consultation room above right. We sort of felt like we were back in Doha when we walked into it...not your typical treatment room. Lucky for us, there was a cancellation today and they squeezed David in to have it removed. The doctor seems to think that it's going to pass with flying colors by the pathologist, so we'll keep our fingers crossed. I'd give you an "after picture", but I don't think he feels like smiling for me. I bet you guys are so relieved that it wasn't a visit it to the proctologist that I chronicled. :D Cheers!

Are you at risk? Click here for more information on melanoma. If you have any signs, don't delay in checking it out!

To read comments, please click on the thoughts box above. Thanks!

What to Do?

Today's tasks:


Both of us...

Country drive

Breakfast in Wimberley on the square

David...

Fix our car after paying $3100 to get it out of the shop on Friday

Fix Kristi's car after paying $950 to get it out of the shop yesterday

Drive to Austin to remove Kayla's water saver from her shower head so that she can survive

Replace light kit on ceiling fan in guest bedroom

Get car inspected

Work on other people's cars (he's such a good Samaritan)

Me...

Round two of vacuuming up the roly polies (how do you spell that??) and cat hair.

Make guest room presentable for incoming company arriving tomorrow.*

Clean rest of house A.D.D. style...you know what I'm talking about.

Rearrange den furniture for fourth time...ok, I think I finally like it.

Decide where David is taking us to dinner.... decision made with the help of Dustin. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant in Buda. Imagine that.

It's great to be chillin' in Kyle with nothing to do :D, but all that is over as we hit the road again tomorrow morning. We'll meet the girls for a little IHOP and then next stop Port Arthur, TX or in the vicinity there of.

*Our out of town company coming in tomorrow is our niece, Hailey, and her two children from North Carolina who will be making our Kyle house their home base for the remainder of the summer so they can sneak in a few visits with our nephew soldier in training stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. We salute you, Robert!

To read comments, please click on the thoughts box above. Thanks!

Home Sweet Home

We said our goodbyes in Tennessee and are back in Kyle, TX to regroup before heading out to visit my side of the family tree. We'll be here not quite long enough to
completely dust the cobwebs that have accumulated after a year of absence. Dustin doesn't seem to mind coexisting with them, however he did draw the line at the kitchen which was surprisingly spotless when we arrived. Time at home in Kyle means cleaning, repairing, car maintenance, dorm decorating, and
endless daddy do's which makes us feel fully at home. Throw in a trip to the Texas Roadhouse for a steak dinner and it's a perfect ending to a great day. Dorothy was right, there is no place like home.




To read comments, please click on the thoughts box above. Thanks!

Picnic Pics

Here are a few pics from yesterday's Knox family reunion at Maury County Park in Columbia, TN. The weather was beautiful, if not a bit too chilly. Kristi was the only one prepared as she was equipped with a sweatshirt. Seriously, the date was July 18th for Pete's sake. The rest of us fought off goosebumps the entire afternoon. We had record lows this morning of 57F and it is a beautiful 73F right now at noon! Our trip here is winding down as we'll be catching our plane to Austin later this evening. It was great seeing all of David's family together, along with the extended family at the picnic. Thanks for the Tennessee hospitality. Looking forward to next time already.




































































To read comments, please click on the thoughts box above. Thanks!