Esther and Valentin

We had the joy of welcoming my neice Esther and her boyfriend Valentin. 

They came for 5 days, a little too short of a visit, if you ask me....

More pics of thier visit on my facebook.

Nous avons eu la joie de recevoire Esther et son copin Valentin.

Ils sont venus pour 5 jours, c'etait un peu trop juste pour nous...

Plus de photos avec eux sur facebook

School's back in session...

We love that School BuS!!!!

Coyote Chase

Today, a coyote got between Chloe and I and boy was it scary!

She was behind me as we were walking in Jones forest. 

I turned around and saw that she was frozen and stopped following me. 

I kept walking. I turned around a few seconds later and she was still there. 

I kept walking, turned around again and saw a big coyote chasing her away from me! 

I thought I was going to lose her! 

I ran as fast as I could toward the coyote while screaming to Chloe to come to me. 

I kept running and screaming. 

After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably just 20 seconds, 

the coyote gave up the chase and returned to the woods. 

It could have been the speed of Chloe that deterred it, 

or it may have been the crazed woman screaming frantically after it! 

I'll never know, but I am so grateful this encounter ended like it did. 

Of course, I forgot to put my pepper spray back in my pouch. 

We got back late last night from Cincinnati. 

I had left the pepper spray in Texas. 

Note to the Tooth Fairy

Photo Shoot at the Park

  

Daily walks With Sarah

One of my favorite things this summer while in Ohio,

was our daily walks in nature with the dogs.

I am so lucky to have a such a good friend as Sarah!

Friendships like that are rare...

Float my Boat

Happy Mellow

Nickname for Amelie?

So Amelie is going to Bible school every morning for a week.

I noticed that the cute crafts she is bringing home have the name Amy written on it.

And that the kids there are calling her "Amy".
She wants to change her name because some kids
on her school bus were calling her "Omelette"!

How on earth did they get "Omelette" from Amelie?

Kids can be so mean sometimes!

Anyhow.

Amy is Ok, but she doesn't look like an Amy to me.

I'm trying to talk her into being called something else,

that is more unique...

I though about Melie, but the kids were quick to let me know that it sounded like Smely!
So, here are other ideas I found online:
Millie, Emmie, Mimi, Ellie, Mia, LeeLee, Lili, Alie, Amie.
My Favorite: Emmie.

To Be Continued...

I've turned my daughter into a real poser!

Daddy's Boss is Mean...

Conversation with Amelie as she climbed in bed with me for a morning snuggle.


Amelie: Can daddy come stay with us for a week?
Moi: No, he can't, he's got to work.
Amelie: Can't he work on his computer here?
Moi: No his boss won't let him, not like his old boss. 
Amelie: Daddy's boss is mean! Why does daddy have to work all day!!!!
Moi: Because that is what daddies do. So we can eat, have clothes, a home...
Amelie: Why did daddy have to get retired from his old job?
Moi: How about you talk to daddy about that?

A cheap MOOOOO Date

Justine went on a fun date last week on Cow day! 

She was told to dress-up as a Cow from head to toe, 

be hungry, and bring her swimming suit... 

DJ came to pick her up, also as a cow, and took her for a free meal at Chick-Fil-A

Followed by some water fun at a water park.

I love the Creativity in the cow costumes made out of kitchen garbage bags!
Notice the plastic sticking to Justine's legs!

J'aime la creativite des costumes fait de sacs poubelle!

Justine a eu un super date la semaine derniere;
elle a du se deguiser en vache, avoir faim et emmener son moyot de bain. 

DJ est venu la chercher, lui aussi deguise en vache,
il l'a emmener a Chick-Fil-A pour un sandwish gratuit,
ils se sont ensuite amuse a un Park d'eau.

Quel bonne idee! 

Belated-BirthDay-Pool-Party For Amelie

 Amelie had so much fun at her Belated-Birthday-Pool-Party!

She was so happy to have all her friends from Cincinnati with her!

Oh...What Happiness!

 Amelie c'est bien amusee a sa fete d'anniversaire (oui bien en retard)... 

Mais comme elle etait contente d'etre avec ses amis de Cincinnati!

Oh... Quel Bonheur!

In the woods

Happy To Be in Cinci!!!

After a long long long drive across the country,
we arrived in Cincinnati late Saturday Night. 

I decided to come after Alexi was taken to the hospital. 

Mike had the 4th off so it made sense to leave this week-end.

We left Firday to pick up Emric from Trek in Oklahoma
 before he got on the bus to head home.
So our usual 17ich hour drive became a 25ich hour drive!!!! 

Oklahoma state is quite pretty, I thought it was all flat and boring but it wasn't.

Alexi was released from the hospital the day we arrived. 

Yesterday, he had some good news: 

He had slept well through his night,
and was considerably noticing a difference in his health. 

He started a new medication along with all the other stuff he is taking.

We are crossing our fingers and hoping this will help.

Mike got back in Houston on the 4th and will fly back to Cinci to drive us home in August. 

Emric has gone trekking...

Emric just left to go on a Pioneer Trek to Oklahoma. 

3 buses full of youth from 14 to 18, Ma's and Pa's, trail hands, cooks and so forth,
are on their way to Sooner Cattle Ranch. 

They will be back next Saturday morning. I'm so exited for Emric! 

It is a neat and unforgettable experience. 

Justine, Mike and I did it last year.

Mike and I were Ma and Pa.
We had 11 kids in our Trek Family.

It really was hard, hot, and awesome!

This trek has it's own-updated-frequently-blog:
(that I will be checking every 5mn so often)

SpringTrek

Emric vient just de partir pour un Trek Pionnier en Oklahoma.

3 bus plein de jeunes de 14 a 18 ans, de Ma's et Pa's, de cuisiniers et d'aide de sentier... etc,
sont partis ce matin pour Sooner Cattle Ranch.

Ils reviendront Samedi matin. Je suis contente pour Emric!

C'est une experience inoubliable et unique.

Justine, Mike et moi, y sommes alles l'annee derniere au Kentuky.

Mike et moi etions Ma et Pa.
On avait 11 gosses dans notre famille de trek.

C'etait dure, chaud et genial.

Ce trek a sont propre-mise-a-jour-frequement-blog:
(que je vais toutes les 5mn souvent visiter)

SpringTrek

(Click on colored words for links)

A few of 'those days'

This past week-end, we battled lice
Yuck!!!!! Amelie's 1st time, and hopefully the last!!!

Apparently it is pre-levent in Texas.

Yesterday, a plate, a glass and a vase were broken.

Today, Mike had a car accident (minor no injuries) but his fault.

2 hours later, in Ohio, Justine had a car accident with ticket but no injuries.

(We are afraid our insurance is going to go way up!)

Tonight, Alexi was taken to the emergency room. 

He is not doing so good...
He has been sick with an autoimmune disease for a year now...
He will be trying his 4th medication.
Nothing is working.

I feel bad I can't be there for him.

Tomorrow, I want to drive up to Ohio.

But I should wait for the week-end,
so Mike can help me drive the long 17 hours to Cincinnati.

Tubbing and Boating on Lake Conroe

We had a lot of Fun this past week on our boating trip as the Beehive class. 

I even got on the tube!!!! It was great!

 

Moments

What's that Stink?

For the last few days, there has been a bad smell in the house. 

I checked the pantry and found a rotten onion. 

After Church, as I walked in the house, that something-is-dead-smell was still in the air... 

After dinner, Mike had the thought to look up in the attic. 

(A week ago, a guy came to spray the perimeters for bugs, around the house and inside. 

He also put a couple of traps in the attic. )

Sure enough, a HUGE RAT was dead in one of the traps.

I guess texas has big bugs and big rats! 

So gross! 

Mike buried it in the woods next to our house. 

Ces dernier jours, il y avait une odeur super mauvaise dans la maison.

J'ai trouver dans notre placard un onion pourri.

Apres l'eglise, l'odeur il-y-a-quelque-chose-qui-est-mort etait toujours dans l'air.

Apres le dinner, Mike a eu la pensee de regarder dans le grenier.

(La semaine derniere, un gas est venu pour traiter les allentours de la maison et l'interieur, 

pour les petites bestioles. Il a aussi mis 2 pieges pour les betes plus grosses dans le grenier.)

En effet, un GROS RAT etait mort dans un des pieges!

Degoutants!

Mike l'a enterrer dans les bois pres de chez nous.

Road Trip on Memorial Day

Since Mike had a day off, we had to get on the road. 

We decided to go explore some of the Texan beaches.  

We drove to Freeport (not nice at all, hated it!)

We stopped at Surfside Beach (about 1h1/2 from Houston). 

Not going there again! I like Galveston beach a whole lot better!

We spent the night in Port Lavaca. 

There, the beaches are inland, no surf or soft sand. 

We then drove to Port O'Connor, to Rockport, where it started to look a lot nicer.  

From there we took a ferry to go to Port Aransas.

Nice beach, sand and surf!

Looks more like Florida.

It's on Mustang Island that connects to the well known and visited Padre Island. 

It is a 4 to 5 hour drive from Houston, and well worth the time. 

Unfortunately, we were only there for a few hours before we had to head home... 

Now we know where to go to find nicer beaches.

That's Justine and Amelie in the waves behind Mike...

I can't wait to go back and go further south to Padre Island.