Hot Air...

Karl and I were able to go and see his grandmother again last weekend. She is still learning about me as well as I am about her.

Grandma Hazel is wonderful. She and I met for the first time back in March of this year and it is so much fun to learn things about Karl's side of the family. I am glad that we are this close to her and that we have the ability to go and see her.
Grandma Hazel lives in Lincoln, IL. This last weekend, they had a huge hot air balloon festival and art show. GH bought more girl clothes for the baby....and we had a great time looking around at all of the art work.
Karl spent most of his Saturday evening with the balloons and the crew. He was able to walk right up (almost inside the balloons) and ask questions and see first hand the work that goes into getting one of thoes huge things off the ground.

Karl and Grandma Hazel

We saw 29 balloons go up in one evening and it was worth seeing and spending time with family!

Sherry proved me WRONG...

(Sherry) Well, since I don’t have a blog, I am e-mailing you my 8, and thanks a lot for the confidence in your blog that Karl and I would actually do it. I guess I showed you…and…I expect a formal apology on your blog just because you didn’t think I would do it.

8 Random Facts from Sherry McDonald Turner

1. Three of my biggest pet peeves are people that smack their food or gum, old people driving, and people that text while they are driving. I can’t stand to hear people smacking their food or gum. Smacking to me is what fingernails on a chalkboard is to everyone else. I can’t stand old people driving because they are bigger hazards than 16 year olds (and I have nothing against all of your grannies and pappies, they just shouldn’t drive). And, it was bad enough that people became more focused to talking to their friends instead of keeping from killing from someone, but now we all have to TEXT while we are driving. Where does the madness end????

2. I regret not taking more advantage of the time that I had with my brother when I had it. Although we were closer than most brothers and sisters growing up, I still feel now that I have lost so much time with him and regret the fact that I will never get that time back. Now our lives are so pre-occupied with other interests and responsibilities I feel like I have lost the chance to truly be close to him again, and I would do anything to have that time back. However, I love the person that he has chosen to marry and I think that makes it even harder because I love spending time with them and I don’t feel like I have made it a point enough to tell them how much I love them and their normalcy that I don’t get from my in-laws. (And yes, I just accused Andrea of being normal!) If it were up to me to be in char ge of the "plan" for my life, I would live next door to Karl and Andrea for the rest of my life.

3. I am always busy doing something and I hardly ever finish a really big project because I get side tracked and pre-occupied doing other things. I have at least 3 half finished scrapbooks because I can never just sit down and do one because I am too much of a perfectionist. I can’t just put pictures in a book or on a page. I always have to make them cute and pretty and even and all of that obsessive compulsive stuff that I spend 3 or 4 hours and only get two pages done.

4. I work way too hard. At home and at my job. I have realized lately that I need to slow down and take time to relax because otherwise I am going to be 80 before I start to experience my life. And then, I am going to be one of those old people that is someone else’s pet peeve on the road because I never went anywhere when I was younger.

5. I love spontaneity and surprises. I love to be surprised and I love to do things in the moment. There is nothing better to me than a true surprise. I love to be in the car and going to one place and change my mind in the middle and go somewhere else that sounds like more fun. Unfortunately for me, I have married a planner. Chad can’t go anywhere without a plan and can’t do anything without planning it first. I, however, could live the rest of my life without a plan and be ok with it!

6. My favorite animal is the giraffe. I love all animals, but my favorite has to be the giraffe. I don’t know why, but when I see them I can’t help but want to squeeze them because they are so cute. But, I do have to say that I love my cat, Angel. She is my buddy and we both know she is more human than cat. I used to think that the best thing about animals what the fact that they don’t back talk or make comments when you say things to them. However, my Angel has managed to conquer the greatness of back talking me when I make her get out of the bathroom or move or something. I love God’s creatures!

7. I live for the weekend. Enough said.

8. My mom is one of my best friends. Every time I talk to her or am around here I learn something new. I have never met anyone like her. She can do anything, grow anything, and make anything. I strive to be like her every day because she is the strongest woman I know. It seems like nothing can take her down and I envy that trait. I want to be like her when I grow up.

THANK YOU, SHERRY FOR PROVING ME WRONG....I'LL TAKE IT ANY DAY!

TAGGED...

I was tagged by Lyniel. I'll try not to have a bad attitude so here goes. Oh wait, did that last sentence reflect my bad attitude?Here are the rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (if you don’t have a blog, email me)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

8 random facts

1. One of my biggest pet peeves is to hear styrofoam rub against glass or to pull a cotton ball apart. I don’t like the sound of the rubbing or the fell of the cotton ball.
2. Lord Willing, I want three healthy kids. They will more than likely all be Texas transplants, but still Texans at heart…and Aggies too!
3. I am not a good long distance friend. I love being with people and enjoy my time wherever I am, but I stink at calling and being a close friend to those far away.
4. I have never had a favorite book of the Bible. I have always wanted to say that I had one (strange) but I can’t decide between; Job, The Peters and Ephesians.
5. I have one of the greatest families in the world. Karl and I are so blessed to have all that we have been given and my daily prayer is to keep that long line of love running thick and centered on Him.
6. I am not a big jewelry person. I love my two rings (wedding ring and Aggie ring) and my ear-rings are always the same (my first anniversary gift and my h.s. grad gift). My necklace was a gift this last Christmas/5th Anniversary and I wear the same jewelry daily. I am a very plain person and like life that way (unlike my two older sisters-who I could use a little lesson on changing things up every now and then).
7. I enjoy living/working out/going to church/learning from/laughing with my middle sister. I enjoy going to see/spending time in Mexico/sitting and talking/acting like I know Spanish/going to church/laughing with my oldest sister. I enjoy spending time/playing games/shopping/meeting at the airport/going to church/laughing with my sister Sherry.
8. I want to be just like my mom. I talk way too much and listen way too little. I am already naive like her (so far, my list is short). I need to work on the shutting up portion of being like Lynda. Mom is so giving and PATIENT. She loves everyone and I have not met a person that she can’t find something good about them to share. I love to hear her pray and want to be the Godly mother she is to me daily.
I guess that this wasn’t as bad as I thought…I nearly kept going….So, I tag; Sherry, Heather and Karl. I’ll post Sherry and Karl’s if they ever do it!

Trip to Texas

Karl and I were in Texas a couple of weekends ago to give a surprise birthday party for his mom. This year she turned 50!

Cindy (Karl's mom) is the middle one in flowers.

Sherry (Karl's sister) did a great job of organizing everything and we pulled off the surprise!

Just in case...

Just in case we have missed each other going to and from....Lyneil and Andy are going to parents yet again! Neil is 17 weeks along and 7 weeks tailing me. Needless to say, Christmas and will be an event with our new one and spring break to Paris will be a trip with FOUR kids to Paris!

Look out Mama Z, you'll need a week off after we leave...hehe

Neil seems to be doing so well. She is looking good and running (literally) after Braxton and Brazos. This one came as a surprise, but we are just as thankful. I am personally hoping for a GIRL!

All is well in the Beck / McDonald house hold. Neil is such a hoss. She never stops. So much to learn, so little time!

Mexico Mission Trip 2007

Lyneil wasn't kidding when she said that she had some trouble downloading in Paris. I finally got some of the pictures to work...(Above: This is dad at the church building in Jimenez with Ashlin. She is the youngest of the preacher's daughters. She is 6 months old and cute as a button.)

Karl and the men worked on building a gate for the church. Karl and Sheradon did all of the welding. The gate looks great!

Karl and I after church on Sunday evening in Jimenez.

The men that worked on the gate. At this point, we are packed up and ready to head out of town to return home. I will post more pics later.

We had a awesome trip. It seems that it gets better and better every year. I think it is all in the perspective of the beholder. The mountains were beautiful and the workers were plentiful. Pam and mom and kitchen crew did an outstanding job with every meal and Amy and Jorge pulled off a yet-again fantastic VBS.

Micah Fry, Chad Graves, Karl and Jorge pulled together and orgainized our devos for us every evening. They were the best that I can remember. Our mission for the week (that has continued): I will please God today more than yesterday. I can't say that everyday I have been able to pull this one forward, but it is in my head and I am striving to make things better for serving Him more today than I did yesterday. This is one hard mission. Remember, it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. Join us if you dare....

Which one will it be?

Over the 4th of July holiday, my wonderful sister-in-law and her husband were kind enough to pick us up from the airport and transfer us to Paris. We decided that since we have been a family for FOUR years now, it was time to do some fun pictures. My plan was for us to meet up with our cousin Paige who owns Paige Pearson Photography but I could not get my stuff together and therefore we are saving her for a later date! But, being bound and determined we were going to have our pictures made, like it or not, we did. Karl and I took our camera home and had some other cousins come out and take some pictures of us. Now, my goal is to have some of them framed. I need help deciding which ones will be framed for now. Hopefully, we will make this an event that I can update more often than FOUR years...but for now....

(All of these will need to have some work done on them to touch them up. So, before I pay someone to do just that, let me know which ones we should work with! Thanks for your help!!)

All four of us. Sherry (Karl's sister), Chad, Andrea and Karl

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