Hot and ready

Not bad for feeding us for $5

Yeah, I know, its not really my cup of tea, but its Cheep!

By the way, it is very hot, like 100 degree hot.

but oh so pleasant; 

No sticky humidity!!!!

Pas mauvais pour nous nourir tous a 5$.
Ouai, je sais c'est pas ce que je prefere, mais c'est pas chers!
Au fait il fait super chaud, 40, mais c'est si plaisant;
Pas d'humidite!!!!!

Crazy 23 hour Road Trip & Family Ties

The stuff we do for family!

If you would have told me, just a few years ago, that I would be taking a road trip to Utah,
from Houston, WITHOUT Mike, I would have said you are nuts! 

But, here I am, without him, with 3 kids, taking such a trip.

 Granted, Justine is doing half the driving, 

my trusted phone is doing the navigating, 

we are doing it in 3 days, 

we have plenty of electronic entertainment, 

and last but not least, 

Amelie and Emric are never sitting next to each other.

This all helps, but the main reason I am doing this is to have the cousins together for 3 weeks. 

Including their cousin Corentin from France.

To me it makes it all worth it. 

I love my family, cousins and all.
I remember my dad often taking us to visiting oncles, grandparents, second cousins, great aunts/onles,
and so forth.
At the time I wasn't too thrilled as a kid and teen, but I am so grateful my dad took me with him.
I would give anythiing to relive those precious moments.
I would be so much more attentive and interested in them...

So, it is important to me,  that my kids have a sense of family ties too.
Especially since we live so far away from my family in France!

So, here we come Las Vegas! 

(we are meeting the Browns and Corentin there for a week)

Les choses que l'on fait pour la famille!
Si vous m'aviez dit, il y a quelques années, que je ferais un voyage de route jusqu'en Utah du Texas,
SANS Mike, Je vous aurais dit que vous etes fou!

Mais me voila, sans lui, avec 3 enfants, qui prend un tel voyage.

Accordée, Justine fait la moitie de la conduite,
mon téléphone portable fait la navigation,
on le fait en 3 jours,
on a plein de divertissements électronique,
et dernièrement mais pas sans poids,
Amelie et Emric ne sont jamais assis l'un a cote de l'autre.

Tout cela ça aide bien mais la vrai raison pourquoi je fait un tel grand voyage,
C'est pour que les cousins, cousines soit ensemble pour 3 semaines.

Leur cousin Corentin de France compris. 

Pour moi cela en vaut la peine.

J'aime ma famille, cousins et tous!
Je me souviens que mon père nous emmenait souvent visiter les cousins,
 tantes, grand parents, grand oncles/tantes, second cousins, etc.
Je donnerais n'import quoi pour revivre ces moments précieux.
Je serais plus attentive et intéressée a eux si ce serais possible!
C'est important pour moi, que mes enfants, comme on vit si loin des uns des autres,
 aient un sens de lien familiaux.

Donc nous voila, Las Vegas!
(On rejoint la famille Brown la pour une semaine.)

What some of us do when it pours.

Baby Fawn

Occasionally Justine or Emric will take Chloe for a walk when I can't.

Justine took her this time behind the lakeside pool where Amelie has swim practices.

Chloe found this baby fawn.

It is so adorable!

It came up to Justine and stayed with her!

I kinda wish I had walked Chloe that day!

House Tent and Crepes

We had a great family of 5 come hang out on Sunday afternoon.

Jamie is going to watch Chloe while we are gone next week, 

it's such a relief, I din't want to put her in a "Pet Resort"

She has been joining me on my walks a couple of times a week with her cute puppy Piglet.

 Dennis, her husband, gave Mike a blessing of healing for his recovery.

Mike had set up this little tent in the back yard before Girls camp.

I told all the little kids to go play in the tent.

But it is currently so unbearably hot outside! 

(And will be that way for a few months...)

So Mike had the great idea to suggest:

"Lets bring the tent inside!"

Within 5 mn it was in!

Right in the middle of our downstairs!

Amelie (and all her animals) slept in it that night!

And it is still there...

I made yummy crepes for everyone.

With Nutella, Chestnut Cream or Sugar.

It is always a big hit with Americans!

Une super famille de 5 sont venu nous voir Dimanche apres-midi.

Jamie va garder Chloe la semaine prochaine pendant qu'on sera en vacances.

C'est un grand soulagement, je ne voulais pas l'envoyer dans un "Hotel pour chien"

Elle a commencer a m'accompagner les matins en ballade avec son chiot adorable Piglet.

Dennis a donner une benediction de guerison a Mike pour sa jambe.

Mike avait mis une de nos petite tente dans le jardin.

J'ai dit aux enfant d'aller joue dans la tente. 

Mais il fait trop chaud en ce momment pour etre dehors dedans.

(Et cela va etre comme cela pour quelques mois.)

Donc Mike a eu la bonne idee de suggerer:

"Mettez la a l'interieur!"

En 5 mn c'etait fait!

En plein millieux de mon salon et salle a manger!

Amelie et tous ces animaux y on dormis la nuit!

J'ai fait des bonnes crepes pour tous.

Nutella, Creme de Marron, ou Sucre

C'est toujours bien apprecier par les Americains!

Yellow sock & Doctor Visit

Today Mike had his follow up visit with his Surgeon.

He was pleased with how his leg is healing.

No infection or complications, despite the occasional and unfortunate bad nursing.

He got a smaller brace and started putting weight on his leg.

Hopefully in a few days he will be able to get around better and take less pain meds.
And loose the big blue ice pad.

He is starting physical therapy tomorrow.

He has been wearing this yellow sock since the surgery! 

Very stylish isn't he?

The fancy white ones are special socks, they prevent blood clots.

Aujourd'hui Mike a eu un rendez-vous avec son docteur.

Il etait satisfait avec la guerison du genoux a Mike.

Pas d'infection ou de complication.

Il a commencer a metre du poids sur sa jambe.

On espere qu'il ira mieux dans quelques jours et qu'il aura moins de douleur.

Il commence sa therapie demain.

Il a porter cette chaussette jaune depuis son operation!

Il a du style mom Mike!

Oh, et les chaussettes blanches sont tres speciales, elles empechent les caillots sanguins. 

Car Troubles

Why? Oh, why? 

Does this always seem to happen when I don't have my man able to help me?

Mike is either out of town or, as it happened yesterday, out of commission!

I do not like dealing with car stuff!

I do not like going to get the oil change.

Last time I did one, I got charged $80!

Mike was beside himself that I paid $80 for an oil change!

'Well, I said, they told me the car was high milage and needed the better high milage oil.

I tried to call him but of course I couldn't reach him!

On my own again...

So I just listened to the expert!

Besides

Men:

Don't send a girl to do a man's job!

Oh, I did get the tire fix for free...

Might it be because I am a woman?

That nice bending job was the kids trying to put air (without succes) 

in it so I could drive it to the car place.

Pourquoi? Oh, Pourquoi? 

Est-ce ce que ce genre de truck arrive toujours quand mon homme 

ne peux pas m'aider?

Mike est soit en voyage, ou comme en ce moment, infirme!

Je n'aime pas m'occuper des voitures!

Je n'aime pas enmener la voiture pour faire la vidange.

La derniere fois que j'ai fait cela, j'ai payer $80!

Mike etait hors de lui que j'ai payer autant!

Ben, j'ai dit, ils m'ont dit que la voiture avait beaucoup de kilometre, et que j'avais besoin d'une huile special."

J'ai essayer d'appeler Mike sans succes.

Alors j'ai fait ce que le specialiste recommandait.

En plus,

Les hommes:

N'envoyer pas une fille, faire un boulot d'homme! 

Oh, J'ai eux le pneu repare gratuit...

Peux etre que c'est parce que je suis une femme?

A Very Bad Nurse!

So yesterday, I felt really really bad!

 Mike was 'needing to' and finally able to take a shower since his surgery. 

During the day, I did all the stuff I usually do when he's at work, 

while checking on him once in a while.

I took kids to swim practice, walked Chloe, went to Zumba, 
went to Costco (with Justine to get her a Acer Netbook for College), 
which took 3 hours!!! 
Only one Costco had it and it's a flipping hour away from our house!  

Needless to say, I was gone most of the day.

I did think Emric was going to help him, while I was gone,
but Emric slept until 4pm.

Bottom Line

I got him in the shower around 5pm.

Went downstairs to refill his ice thingy, cleaned up the kitchen a little,

then saw that Emric had missed watering some flower pots in the yard, 

so I watered them, 

while I was there I picked up Chloe's toys... etc.

Well, you get the picture!

Coming from the house, I hear this faint call:
"I need some help..." 

Oh no! 

Mike had been in the shower. Sitting there. Abandoned. 

By the time I got to him he was feeling really sick, faint, nauseous, white as a ghost or yellowish!

He eventually threw up and felt OK enough to go back to bed with Emric's and my help.

Once in bed exhausted, he said to me in his no-one-cares-about-me-voice:
"No one fed me lunch..."

Ahhhh! Talk about Guilt!!!! I was full of it!

All he had all day was a small bagel I made him for breakfast 

and a fruit smoothy Justine made him in the morning.

I for sure I could not be a nurse,
I get queazy just hearing about side effects of medicine,
see needles going into flesh, 
or see those I love (ie: Alexi when he was 5) with broken arms,
and I would forget about my patients all the time!

My poor Guy!

I am happy to report that

I am taking extra good care of him today!

Mike's Disabled Handy Dandy Shower Chair

Emric's Scout Sea Base Adventure

It was a lot of fun and no one threw up or anything and there weren't any injuries. 

We saw sharks and dolphins and Sea Turtles! 

The ocean was all kinds of shades of blue. 

When we were above water 300 ft deep, it was an amazing shade of light blue and 

the waves caused a lot of rocking it was like a roller coaster!

My favorite thing was snorkeling and finding cool stuff. 

We got to raise and lower the sails, I got to drive the boat too. 

We cleaned the boat and took care of it. 

We walked along a beach in the keys. 

I even got to go on another boat and swing off into the water. 

We saw two sunken ships, one about 100 years old, another a motor boat.

My friends caught a stingray in a bucket and then released it.

We visited a Museum of treasures found in a sunken ship with silver ingots.

Our bishop was there 20 years ago helping them bring in stuff. 

He helped carry in a gold chain that was massive and heavy he says.

We got a lot of souvenirs. 

I bought a shark tooth necklace,

 and a authentic replication of a gold dub loon neckless,

 that is awesome and I am wearing it now. 

I got a yin-yang bracelet that my friend got one too so we match. 

We ate at a cool restaurant.

On our way back we went on a airboat ride in the everglades.

Emric

Emric doing a can-opener 

Emric is in a red shirt and grey shorts in the bottom left

Happy Fathers day!!!!

So Mike has had breakfast and lunch and dinner in bed!

not just today, but since Friday.

I almost didn't make Dinner tonight.

The busy week has caught up with me!

I am so tired...

I took a power nap and asked Justine to help me make dinner.

We made some extra cheesy and crispy Chicken Enchiladas with a salad.

Mike got a few 'you're-a-great-dad-cards' from the kids and I.
He is a great dad!
We do love him very much!

Mike has been wanting an IPad for years now.
He always gets things for the lot of us but not very often for himself.
So Amelie, Justine and I went and got him one at the Apple store.

He has been working so much and hard lately.
Like really a lot!

This little forced break is good for him.
Unfortunately, it would have been better without his knee thing.
But at least he has time to set up his very new man-toy

Thank you Mike for being such a great Dad!
And to my own father and all the fathers out there:

Happy Fathers Day!

Dry Storm

On friday night, a storm came through our camp. 

I ran to close all the windows of the tents.

The wind picked up and brought in some cooler temperatures.
It was so wonderful!

But to our surprise and relief, no rain! 

That cloud looked pretty scary! 
Reminds me of a huge spaceship with a huge beam going down to earth!

Vendredi soir, un orage est passe dans notre camp.

Je me suis vite depeche de fermer les fenetres des tantes.

Le vent n'etait pas trop fort et a emmene des temperatures plus fraiches. 

C'etait si agreable...

Mais a notre grande surpise, il n'a pas plus!

Le gros nuage dans les photos etait super effrayant!

Il ressemble a un gros OVNI avec un faisceau qui va sur la terre

Rise and Shine

More very favorite moments during the camp where the sunsets and bed time.

A wonderful breeze would go through our tent and cool us off. 

I could hear all the critters sing.

The girl's chatter and giggles.

I loved looking from my bed at the beautiful starry sky!

Then I would put my ear plugs in and everything would be muffled and quiet ...

And I was off to dream land.

I would wake up to the 6 year girls (their last year of camp) shouting/singing

Rise and shine

And give God the glory, glory

Rise and shine

And give God the glory, glory

Rise and shine

And give God the glory, glory

Children of the Lord

Texas Countryside

I really love discovering the Texas countryside.

Huge fields

Ranches

 Horses 

Longhorns

Big trees

Open skies

I've always had a love affair with trees.

Mike has tried many times to talk me into buying a brand new house.

Each times without succes. 

I have to have mature trees around our house and neighborhood.

It's for my well being...

I know he spoils me!

J'aime beaucoup decouvrir la campagne du Texas.

Grand champs

Ranches

Cheveaux

Vaches a grand cornes

Gros arbres

Grand ciel

J'ai toujours eu une affaire d'amour avec les arbres.

Mike a essaye plusieurs fois d'acheter une maison toute neuve.

A chaque fois sans succes!

Il me faut des arbres etablis autour de notre maison et notre voisinage.

C'est pour mon bien etre...

Je sais il me gate!

Camp Bovay

A few moments and things I loved about camp

Going to bed at night in a tent

Hearing the bugs and birds chirping

Waking up with the sun

Interesting bugs

Quelques moments que j'ai apprecie au camp.

Me coucher le soir dans un tante

entendre les oiseaux et inscects chanter

Me revereiller avec le lever du soleil.

De betes interessantes

Surgery

I came back from camp for 24 hours to be home for Mike's knee surgery.

Everything went well.

Unfortunately the Surgeon found some arthritis in his knee! :(

If you think Mike asks a lot of questions when lucid,  

it is nothing compared to when he's had some happy drugs!

Je suis revenue du camps pour 24 heures afin d'etre a la maison pour l'operation du genou de Mike.

Tout c'est bien passer.

Malheureusement il a trouve de l' arthrite dans son genoux :(

Si vous penser que Mike damande beaucoup de questions quand il est lucide, 

c'est rien comparer a quand il a des 'happy' medicaments!

Girls Camp

 Wed morning, I left for Camp Bovay just an hour from home. 

For our Ward's girls-camp-once-a-year-trip.

Our makeshift tent fly! 

I forgot the second bag for my tent in my garage...

We were pretty proud our ourselves 

(Barbara & I, 2 tarps, rope and no man involved!).

Our showers and toilets. 

I bleached and cleaned them real well the next day!

when we got there, they were kinda gross with lots of bugs. 

I was too busy setting up camp to clean them the first day.

But taking a cold shower that night was so wonderful!

Other than the fact that I shared it with a huge spider. I called her Charlotte. 

I kept my eye on Charlotte the whole time.

The next person showering killed her.

Our Camp Moto 

Reach Higher

Shine Brighter

With an Olympics Games theme.

Our ward was France of course!

The girls tents. 

We have 10 girls total +2 that tent with the older girls.

Storm damage

This could have been our car! A tree fell on it.
This happened in the parking lot at the pool Justine was working at at 4:15pm. There were tornado warnings too...
Justine was safe; she took refuge in the stinky-storm-proof-pool-bathrooms...

Needless to say she did not have to teach! And got to go home early after the storm calmed a little!


Ceci aurai pu etre notre voiture! Un arbre est tomber dessus. C'est arrive dans le parking a 4h15 de l'apres-midi, la ou Justine travaille. Il y a meme eu des avertissement de tornades aussi.
Justine n'a pas etee en danger; elle s'est refugier dans les toilette de la piscine qui protege contre les orages et ouragants.
Elle n'a pas eu besoin de travailler, tout a ete annuler a cause de l'orage. Elle est rentree des que l'orage c'est calmer un peu.

Storm and Crazy Mom!

At 4pm a sudden storm came thru Houston.

High winds, (bent one of our trees)

Thunder

Lightning

Very heavy rain

I personally love storms!

I have taught my kids not to be scared of them either.

How, you might ask?

Well, when they were little and a storm was coming on,

I would grab a light blanket and the kids and we would run around the back yard

making it fly in the wind, shouting and laughing!

The neighbors probably thought I was a very Crazy mom!

I remember Alexi and Justine looking at me like I was a little nuts at first, 

but then would happily join in seeing me having so much fun!

We would get under the porch as soon as it would start dumping rain. 

Then move inside and watch from the comfort and protection of our home.

It quickly became a tradition! 

Now none of them are scared!

One thing I did that actually paid of! :)

And there is the Crazy Oncle Laurent that showers in pouring rain!
See here

Amelie's little girl friend Maddy was so scared, she freaked out!

We tried to calm her down, we called her mom too. 

She finally calmed down when she knew her mom was on her way and Amelie got a game out: Headbands and started playing it with me to distract her. 

She gave in the fun, joined us in the game and forgot about the storm.

When her mom picked her up, she was totally fine.

 Her mom told me when she picked her up 1 hours later that during Hurricane Ike,

A tree had fallen on Maddy's bedroom!

No wonder she was so scared!!!

That also explained why she did not want to go upstairs.

Poor thing!

That big tarp on our porch was covering a little tent Amelie was playing in. 

It was her club house.

Club Name: 

"Girls just want to have fun"

Club Rules: 

Be nice

Share everything

Share 

If you make a mess clean it up!

Oh Boy! Do I LOOOOOVE those rules!!!!!
Can we all be part of your club Amelie????
I want them to be lived by everyone, everywhere and at all times!!!!

Slap Me Pleeeeeease!!!!!

Amelie has a scab on her chin, she can't stop picking at it.

She knows it's not good and wants to let it be so it can heal.

Amelie to moi: If I pick at my scab, can you slap me?

Moi: No, I can't do that! You are the only one that can decide to stop picking at it.

It's called self discipline.

Amelie: Pleeeeeeeeeease?

Amelie to Mike: Can you slap me if I pick at my scab, pleeeeeeease?

Mike: I can't, you just have to choose to have self control.

And went on to tell her, when he was little..... something about chewing his nails.

Amelie to Justine: Can you slap me, pleeeeeeease?

Justine: Sure!

Unfortunately we will not know what Emric would have said?

He left yesterday for a week, with boys from his Scout troop for 

 SeaBase: the Florida Keys Adventure 

Justine's Graduation

So, Graduating in the Woodlands has been quite an event,

or should I say 'lots' of events!

When I graduated in France, 

the extent of my celebrating my years of high school,

 was going to the school after we took our finals and looking on a list posted on the school doors.

I jumped up and down when I saw my name!!! 

Oh, and my diploma was mailed to me.

That was over 20 years ago, not sure if it's still the same now?

It was quite a different story of what happens in America!

If I remember correctly, there was:

* A Senior Picnic by the Woodland's lake

* A Senior Prom Dance at the Marriott

* A Graduation ceremony at The Pavilion

(where every 900+students walks one by one and gets congratulated)

* An all night (11pm till 5am) Lock down 

where the Seniors played games, 

had all you what food, won prises, won money! 

Justine came home with having won $138, she had so much fun!

Basically, they really celebrate, have fun and get recognized.

I'm not sure what I think? 

Was my graduation in France too little? 

I think maybe yes...

Is graduation in America too much?

I think maybe a little...

(oh, and it's all planned for over 900 students, by lots of volunteers, 

and donations in moula, time and stuff)

I do have to mention I very much dislike the school color! 

A very ugly unattractive green!

The pics are really bad, we were sitting quite far!

The finaly

A Welcome Peaceful Break

 Between Mike's busy work schedule,
and all the graduating events,

we were able to go with his sweet Aunt Shirley to the Houston Temple.

 I always love being there.

I love the peaceful and quiet feeling I enjoy within and without it's walls. 

And I always come out wanting to be better!

And loving my hubby and family more.

(Ok, I admit it, that feeling sometimes is short lived, but that is why I need to go often!)

Balloon Sword & Happenings

Currently, since school has been out, with all our schedules,

2 kids swimming, 1 diving, Justine working at different times of the day,

I 've been in the car a lot!

Mike has been working a lot!!

When I say a lot, like 65 hours this week!

One night he worked from home, slept 30mn, then went to the office for the day!

He was practically falling asleep on his way home that night!

I really don't like it when this happens.
Actually I hate it!

I worry so much about him!

And we miss him, especially Amelie.

Amelie at a friends Bd party

Clean up in a Jiffy!

Amelie is not feeling too good since last night.

She got what I had and her Aunt Shirley had.

Anyhow, this morning she threw up in the stairs from coughing.

She had just eaten a bacon and egg sandwich.

I was busy making a yummy smoothy for Mike and I 

and didn't want to clean it up right away.

Next thing we knew, Chloe had it all cleaned up!!!

She can be very useful! 

Besides being a wonderful, loving, fun, companion...

 Did I ever mention that I LOVE not having any carpet in the house!!!!

Clean up was so easy!

1st day of June, 1st day of Summer Vacation

8:00am

Took Justine to her 1st day of Training as a swimming instructor.

8:15 am

Took Chloe for a walk in the forest.

Got mad at some kids who left bottles and cans of beer around and in the lake!!!

They even broke one! There was glass everywhere!

So disrespectful!

9:30 am

Went to Zumba Class. 

I'm getting the hang of it now.
I've been doing it for 2 months.

10:30 am 

Made a huge healthy smoothy

1:00pm

Play time at the pool with Amelie

We lap swam.
She was a mermaid.

We raced in the lazy river.

I won!

Read a little of my book that is so good.

3:00pm

Left overs for lunch

9:00pm
While Mike took Amelie and Emric to see the Cincinnati Reds play the Astros.
The Reds Won!
Movie with Shirley and Justine
"Snow White and the Huntsman"
I still don't care much for Kristen Stewart as an actress!


12:00am

So happy to be reunited with my Bed!!!