Will The Real Mark, Brad, and Tim Please Stand Up...

or something like that...

We went to the "World of Wildlife Museum" in town the other day and to my amazement, 2 of my cousins and my brother were represented there. Although, with the name "World of Wildlife", I shouldn't have been to amazed. It's true, it's true, right there before my very eyes were Mark, Brad, and Tim. My cousin Kelley got left out - but he's not the "wildlife" type anyway. He wouldn't have been running around with such hoodlums. Mark and Brad are pretty much the "family clowns" so it's appropriate they were on the same team. And Tim, well, this just goes to show blood is thicker than water...he turned on his partner! And judging by the heads all around the display, I'd hate to see what the "trophies" would be if this would have been a game of Rook! (In which case Kelley would definitely have been involved.)

"What's this" I wonder. Looks like a serious game going on.


"No, It can't be!"


It's Mark and Brad.


And Tim.


At this point I'm not believing what I'm seeing.
I think the boys do clean up nicely don't you? I mean, look at the before and after pictures...once they're all gussied up.

Mark



Brad (and to think I was brave enough to let him hold my first born!)


Tim


Kelley - he's handsome too, and tends to keep out of trouble.



The things you didn't know you didn't know about my family.
(hummm...wonder how us girls would be depicted??)

Handmade Gift

Lucky you! The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2- What I create will be just for you.

3- It'll be done this year. (might be a little while)

4- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

So....who will be the first 5 people?????

I love these two Munchkins...

...and my new camera. ;)

He Makes Me Smile

You know what's funny...hearing a 2 year old talk with an East Texas accent. Just wanted to share that thought. Some of you have "commented" (read made fun of) on my accent over the years, but you ought to hear Jacob. It even makes me laugh sometimes. That boy can make my heart smile like no one else. (except maybe his sister)

Trip to Florida

I'm back...from Florida. ;) We left 70* weather to come home to an ice storm...can I go back?? I've been trying to get pictures uploaded along with commentary for each one for the last couple of days but Blogger is giving me a hard time so I figured if I was ever going to get any pics up the fastest way to do it would be in a slide show....

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This was just before we got on the airplane in Dallas. Jacob looks super cool in those infamous red sunglasses and Lia checks out her super cool feet she's recently discovered. And David, well, he's "Super Cool Dad". ;)



Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Torres. Theirs was the first place we went after getting off that plane. This was the first time any of David's family got to meet little Miss Lia so it was special.



Lia sleeping soundly in Great Grandpa's lap.



Jacob and Caitlin D. - they're twins...can't you tell! ;)



One day Cindy & Daniel and David & I (along with "the sucklings") got to go out shopping at a really nice outdoor shopping center. The three older kids stayed with Mimi and Grandpa - it was a win-win situation for everyone. ;)
Daniel w/ Liam; David w/Lia



Three Little Monkeys
Jacob(2), Addison(1), Noah(3)



Grandpa sure knows how to make a girl giggle.



Noah and Jacob enjoy a snack of pickles...it's a good thing that wasn't Cindy and I or the rumors would be flying by now! ;)


Daniel and David with the three older kids...this was in St. Augustine right by the fort. It was an absolutely perfect day to be out!


My girl and me.


The entire Torres clan. We were all together for the first time in over 2 years so of course we had to take a family picture. The last time we were all together 3 of the 5 "babies" hadn't been born yet, and Zack wasn't an "official" member. We're glad to have them all 4 now.


Us 4


Daniel & Cindy; Noah, Addison, Liam

Saturday afternoon we had a get-together with some of our friends at a local park.

Karen D. with Lia.


Jim & Sarah K.


"Popeye" graced us with his presence. (aka Caleb K.)
Proud Mom looks on.


Marvin C. and Sam D.


The three "Birthday People". Caleb and David Sr. share a b-day and Great Grandma's was a few days before.
Caleb was 12
David Sr. - 60
Great Grandma - 80


Fred, Sharon and Freddy B.



Bonnie & Marvin C.
(Marvin is a fellow Native Texan - not sure what he's doing with that blue and orange jacket on!)


Rhoda and Francis N.


Lia gets lap time with Uncle Daniel and Liam. She thinks he's pretty cool.


Bath time for 3 Little Monkeys - Jacob's not sure what to think about all the action. It's a bit different different than taking a bath by yourself. ;) They had a great time "washing" each other's hair.


Lia and Liam.
They're 6 weeks apart.


Lia thinks Mimi is pretty cool.


Happy Lia.


Jacob had a great time in Grandpa's swing. He wanted to be out there any chance he got. Of course Grandpa was usually happy to oblige.


We left 70* weather in FL to return to an ice storm in Dallas. Lovely. We made lemonade out of our lemons though. My Mom was supposed to pick us up at the airport Tuesday night but she couldn't get up there so we stayed in a hotel at that airport that night. Then the next day we left our luggage at the hotel and had the shuttle take us to a nice mall that was just a few miles away. We stopped at the Rain Forest Cafe for lunch - Jacob loved it. If you've never been there you should go if you get a chance. They have life sized Rain forest animals throughout the restaurant and you feel like you're eating in the Rain forest. Our table was next to the elephants which did their "thing" every few minutes...of course just as the server was about to take our picture the elephants "came alive" and I got smacked in the head by its trunk. It was pretty funny actually.

Our family, sans elephant with his trunk in my hair.


Nana and Papa were finally able to make it up to Dallas to retrieve their "precious cargo". ;)