Today is February 11 - Happy Birthday to Don!!

Don 2009 - 48 years old


Don 1979 - 18 years old (love the hair!)

Happy Birthday to Don!! Or as the girls say...."you're old Daddy". When we first met, he did have blonde hair, but just not the long locks (he was in the Air Force). He says it took lots of hairspray to maintain that look back in the 70's. Everyone always wonders where our girls get their blonde hair, now you know!!!

We will be celebrating his birthday in San Antonio. We're leaving this morning to go with Sarah's choir for their TMEA performance. Looks like Mexican food is a must for tonight!!

I will set aside my sarcastic sense of humor for a minute to let Don know how much I appreciate him. He ALWAYS puts our family first and is 100% involved and engaged with our family. I tell the girls they are so lucky to have a daddy like Don. I didn't have that experience growing up and I know he is shaping our girls to become wonderful women. Thank you Don for adding fun to our family. If it were up to me, we would be totally practical and never leave home. After 18 years of marriage I think I'm starting to learn to go with the flow (Don is saying "oh, really"). But thanks for loving me when I don't. I'm so grateful that he is slow to anger and puts up with my tirades over the "ant hills" as he calls them. And just because he loves me, he cleaned out his closet!!! Probably got tired of hearing me complain, and even though the mess didn't bother him, he spent the time to make me happy. Don is a wonderful man, friend, husband, and father. I pray for my girls to marry someone like their daddy. We've grown up together over the last 18 years, and I can't imagine life without him.

I love you Don and Happy Birthday!!! Can I be sarcastic now and crack some old-man jokes???

Dull Week

Here's a quick snapshot of what's been happening in the Riley house......

Friday - Kim notices swelling under arm; Katie spends the night with a friend

Saturday - swelling of lymph nodes make armpit look like horror movie; Sarah has choir rehearsal for upcoming TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) - see previous post on 1/16/09.

Sunday - Katie is extremely cranky getting ready for church; Kim's armpit hurts! Katie comes home with fever. We all watch Superbowl with Katie sick and Kim with low grade fever. Woo Hoo!!! I bet no one else had such a great Superbowl Party!

Monday - Katie wakes up at 4:30 with 102 fever and throwing up; Kim notices red streaks running up arm. Don goes to work, Kim calls doctor, Katie goes to doctor, Don comes home, Kim goes to doctor!!!! Katie is negative for flu/strep. Kim has infection from shaving cut (we think) and is on antibiotics and told to make sure and have annual mammogram (it was already scheduled for later this month).

Tuesday - Katie wakes up at 5:30 with 101 fever and throwing up. Don goes to work, Kim can't go to work. Don comes home at 11:00. Kim goes to take Sarah her wallet at school for the book fair (at least she asked for her own money) and then goes to work. Kim comes home at 2:00 so Don can go to appointment with oral surgeon. It's now 4:30 and Sarah cries over algebra homework, Don says "I'm going running!" Sarah has to get dressed to be at school at 5:30 for dress rehearsal concert (full makeup, hair, dress, hose, puffy eyes from crying).
Kim runs to WalMart for groceries/medicine and gets back in time for Don to go to 7:00 concert with Sarah's choir. Kim and Katie watch American Idol, Don and Sarah get home about 7:45.

Wednesday - Katie wakes up at 1:30 with 102 fever, Don gives her medicine and water. Katie wakes up at 6:30 with 101.9 fever , throwing up and is becoming a difficult patient. Sarah makes it to school on time. Don goes to work and Kim stays home and misses first day of new Bible study. It's now 12:30 and Katie had 102.5 fever an hour ago. I talked with nurse and she told me to keep doing what I'm doing and call back tomorrow if her cough gets worse and we may do a chest x-ray.

So far no one else is sick. I'm doing better; the redness is gone and swelling down. Don has an appointment in another week to get his implant from a tooth that was extracted last year. Sarah is excited about the trip to San Antonio next Wednesday for TMEA. Don and I are going with her as long as everyone can get well and stay well.

I sure wish the week would get a little more exciting!!!

p.s. there has been a bright spot in my life. Last week I got an anonymous note in the mail from someone in church who wants to be my "secret encourager". She wrote some very uplifting words and says she prays for me. She left me flowers in the student area where I teach on Sunday mornings, and I just received another note in the mail. She calls herself "Sophie" and will later reveal her identity. So "Sophie" if you happen to be a reader of my blog......thank you!!!! You have brought great joy to my heart over the last week.

More dog pictures

Sam: "Does anyone know of a retirement home for old dogs?"


Sam: "Why did my family bring home 2 crazy dogs?"


Dixie: "I'm tired after going on a run with Don, but give me a tennis ball and I'll play!"


Ranger: "Why do Sarah and Katie keep humiliating me? I've got to quit being so nice!"


I had to post this funny picture of Ranger and then thought I would add the other 2 dogs as well. Don and I are struggling to make a decision about Sam, our 15 year old lab mix. She is not doing well health wise, and we took her to the Vet today to talk about options. She is just not the same dog she used to be and part of it is old age and having 2 young dogs around who constantly harass her. Sometimes we feel for her safety because Dixie and Ranger can be so rough with her. Anyway, without going into all the pros and cons, please keep our family in your prayers as we try to decide what is best for Sam and for our family. And to all of you dog lovers out there, don't read or go see "Marley and Me" without plenty of Kleenex!

Volunteer Mom

Being silly....they wanted me to catch them jumping, but I couldn't quite get the timing right!

Here's my piece of advice for today....when your 13 year old daughter asks you to drive some of the choir girls to get their pictures made, DO IT!!!

The Smithfield Middle School girls Varsity choir needed to have pictures made for their upcoming February performance in San Antonio for the TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association). This is an invitation only performance for choirs across the state of Texas. The choir director says it's like the football team going to the state championship.

So, they needed to have pictures taken to create a program they will take to the performance and couldn't secure school buses to drive the girls. On Monday, Sarah calls and asks me if I can drive some girls on Wednesday. How could I turn down her request? We met after school and I watched in amazement as 65 girls poured into the choir room to change into their formal dresses. The clothes were flying, hair being styled, makeup being applied, giggling, talking, just imagine. I just took it all in.

I drove Sarah and 2 of her good friends to the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens for their pictures. We were there from about 4:30-5:30 as they took small group pictures and the large group shot. Then the photographer handed her expensive cameras to these 7th/8th grade girls for them to take candid shots of each other. She's braver than I would be. I got some nice shots of the girls and am glad I got to see this wonderful group of girls and their bubbly personalities. The ride home was long because of rush hour traffic and one highway accident. But it was great being a "fly on the wall" as the 3 girls giggled and talked non-stop in the back seat. I won't share any info since I don't want to embarrass Sarah. But oh what you can find out just by driving 13 year olds around. I'm very proud of Sarah and the girls she calls friends. So if you are ever wondering whether or not to chaperone your teenage kids, go for it, you just might have fun and learn more about your child.

Dogs rule!

I just had to post these cute pictures and ask the question.....who's really "living the life of Riley" in our house? Dixie and Ranger or us mere humans?

Riley Reunion Pictures

Riley Reunion

We had so much fun during our week in Gulf Shores. The beach house was incredible, the weather beautiful, and so many laughs with family we hadn't seen in 3 years. We spent time on the beach and I think my two girls were the only ones to come back completely wet. Too cold for me to even put my toes in. We enjoyed a private group dolphin cruise and saw several dolphins up close and personal. After the cruise all 34 of us went to eat at Lambert's - "home of the throwed roll". What a fun place to eat and way, way too much food. Several family members visited the USS Alabama and Fort Morgan. There were lots of games and cards played and many laughs to go along with the fun.

New Year's Eve brought about an impromptu talent show with many participants. Don's cousin John should be voted "the most talented" (or at least the one brave enough to let us laugh at him through so many of his performances). The "east coast time zoners" could not figure out how to celebrate New Year's when the ball in Times' Square actually dropped at 11 p.m. central time. I think Don and I helped them understand.

New Year's Day was spent watching football games, walks on the beach, family pictures, book reading, game playing, and overall just relaxing. It was such a peaceful place to bring in the New Year. Can't wait to do it again in 3 years........where will we go?????

Oh, by the way, I need to tell about our "red-neck traveling". Don just had to take the new truck to show it off to his family. Since it was raining on the day we left, he packed our luggage in black garbage bags. What a sight.....driving down the highway in the rain, with bags flapping in the wind. To add to the shame, we stopped at a hotel on the way down and the bell boy had to carry the garbage bags on the cart up to our room. What a memory!