#182/365--Dugout Secrets, or Brothers and Sisters

#181/365--Bubble Contest

#180/365--Lord of the Rings

If not my favorite movies of all time, it's in the top three.  <3

#179/365--Heat

Leather seats in the hot sun on a hot summer day = not a good match with summer dress and bare legs

Yeah.  I had to sit on a towel.  Not pretty, but functional.

#178/365--Bad Calls

#177/365--Music and Fireworks, or 17 on My List of 40 Things

Chris Tomlin

Switchfoot

What an amazing evening.  Good friends, good music....the weather and fireworks were perfect.

:)

#176/365--Life's a Dance, or 30 on My List of 40 Things

Life and the two-step have a lot in common. 

Both take practice and learning from your mistakes. 

Everyone has a different take on it.

You have to learn how to follow someone's lead.

Sometimes, you step on people's feet.

It's fun to get caught up spinning around.

You have to look where you are going, or trust your partner.

Most importantly, though, you have to have fun.

This is Gene.  He gives dancing lessons.  I attempted to learn how to two-step.  And I also attempted to practice.  What I learned quickly is that people two-step in their own way.  You just have to follow their lead.  Or, be a good leader.  Which is a lot easier said than done.  I just need more practice!

#175/365--Never Grow Up

My heart smiles at this conversation I had with Lauren while I was with Mikey at baseball practice. Little girls grow into teenagers grow into young women grow into old women...but no matter what age...we still like to play dress up.





I never got the pic that she "sent" me...but I do have one in my mind...and that memory will never die. <3

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#174/365--Lone Star Series, Game 3

It's the Astros vs. the RANGERS!  The two Texas teams--National League vs. American League--all for the Silver Boot trophy!  And, more importantly, Dollar Hot Dog night!  We began our night waaaay up here, the cheap (or not so cheap on premier game nights) seats...

And then...as if by a stroke of luck...in the 6th inning, we were able to upgrade our seats (well...long story short, we knew some people with great seats...who had empty seats around them...and we...um..."snuck" down, so to speak...)

and we were even seen on TV!!

(you know you can see me right there with the famous "sunglasses" headband!!--that's Lauren beside me and then Mikey.  On the other side of me--my niece, Maya; above Lauren, our good friend, Julia, my niece, Jenna, and my sister-in-law, Julie)

It was a good night.

#173/365--Boot Scootin'

This really should have been on my 40's List. I am a country girl at heart and have always wanted to own a pair of cowboy boots. Now...I do!!



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#172/365--More Coasters

Here were the coaster officers...

...holding me accountable, making certain that I would not go back on my word to ride the New Texas Giant...

...and...I did!  It was awesome!  I loved it!

Today I also rode Mr. Freeze...which I did not like so much and kept my eyes closed the entire 40 seconds of the ride...

...more coasters and thrill rides to come...

stay tuned!



#171/365--Pedicures and Oreos

I visited the nail spa today with a friend of mine...

...and she brought me...

...and it was my mom's first pedicure ever!!

:)

#170/365--Orientation, or The Beginning of 31 on My List of 40

So humbling. Makes you realize what's really important in life.





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#168/365--Friday Family Time

Time for movies and meals...

Nanna's here!

#167/365--What? Where?

Our poor dog.  How is it even possible for  her to walk around with all that fur covering her eyes?

#166/365--Mother/Son time, or 5 on My List of 40

Michael and I got to spend a little QT together today while Lauren was off doing her thing....we volleyed the ball around the racquetball court for almost two hours. I figured it was best to learn how to actually hit the ball off the wall and practice doing that for awhile, then I came home and watched some youtube videos that taught the rules and how to score it. Now, among the things that I will need practice in now...anyone up for some court time? :)

((I don't know why the pics have that green tint other than it was the "court-lighting"))

#165/365--Checkmate, or 9 on My List of 40

#164/365--Facing the Fear, or What Used to be 23 on My List of 40

When I was younger, roller coasters were no big thing for me. I loved them. Steep hills, dips, twists, turns, corkscrews, flips, speedy drops. At some point in my life, I developed a fear of them. If I had to look at a timeline, I might say somewhere right around when I had my kids would be about the time this phobia developed. Odd, right? Maybe. Maybe not.

I could wax psychoanalytical right now and tell you how as a young teen, I didn't realize my capacity for death, I thought I'd live forever, as most young people do. When I became responsible for two lives, and as an adult, realizing how dangerous coasters can be...focusing on the freak accidents that have happened...caused me to become leery of the monsterous machines.

I could explain here that the longer I stayed away from coasters, the more fear and anxiety developed. I would also explain that perhaps, as my children got older, and began riding these coasters and thrill rides themselves, that perhaps I felt more in control of the situation on the ground, as opposed to up in the air with them.

This year, my fortieth, I have decided to attempt to gain some control over this fear. Coasters was on my list of 40 things to do before I turn 40, but I recently took it off in order to add something I've never done before (which was to play BINGO--also not quite as thrilling). Today, we used our Six Flags passes and rode some of the rides that scare me a little. This will probably take a few different posts due to long lines and limited time. Even though it isn't on my list anymore, I'm still attempting to ride all the coasters at Six Flags. ((Maybe I feel a little guilty, also, for taking it off the list))...

Today I rode the Titan (twice!)...

...and Batman...

This one was my favorite of the day!! I got to take my flips off and dangle my feet in the air!

We rode some other rides also, but these were two of the main rides that cause anxiety for me.

Next time around, I'll ride the New Texas Giant. Yes, I wimped out this time, but I'll tell ya, no sooner had the kids run to get in line than I changed my mind and wanted to ride. But the line on that baby was at least an hour long! Saving it for next time...

Don't believe me? Just you wait...

I have these darlings pushing me!

#163/365--Burned Pizza

...and no, I don't have a picture of it.  But what I do have a picture of is our activity of the day.  Yes, you guessed it...BASEBALL! 

#162/365--There Was a Farmer had a Dog, or 23 on My List of 40

My sweet friend, Allie, texted me this morning and asked if I'd go play BINGO with her....and what do ya know? I've never played BINGO before--nope. Never.


















Tada!! One more thing checked off on my 40s list!

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#161/365--You Should be Dancin'...or 25 and 15 on My List of 40

Tasting a little Vino...

...and doing a little dancing...

Completely fun!

((#40.5 on my list of 40 things=buy a pair of boots))