WicKeD WeST tExAs SuNsEtS

You never know when you are going to walk out the front door and there is going to be a gorgeous orange glow in the sky. tonight was one of those nights - this is about 30 minutes after the sun went down and stayed around for about an hour.

NEW YEARS 2008

carlsbad caverns - new mexico

down under.........in new mexico

from the top of the sand dunes of monahans to a chilly 800 ft. below ground level to the caverns of carlsbad, n.m -- today we took tyler and kathryn to another west texas(nm) wonder. funny, how all my life, living out here and actually visiting carlsbad many times to see my grandmother, we never went out to the caverns. what an amazing trip it was, unbelievable sight. we all had an incredible time, "hiking" down the caves and seeing and learning about the spectacular sights and ecosystems. we even had lunch and a break at the cafe -- along with a bathroom, gift shop, and elevators at the 750' mark. none of us could figure out how they came in and made this place underground so "modern." ..... all the walkways and ammenities and electricity. we weren't able to see the bats, as they are all migrated south to mexico for the winter months -- i think i was glad about that......over 400,000 of them fly out every day (when they are there) at dusk to eat insects for thier meals and return every morning at dawn -- must be an amazing sight to sit and observe that. anyway......would highly recommend it to you if you are ever in the area----it's a pretty good workout though--thank goodness it was all DOWNhill and you had to take the elevator to get back up to the street level!

it's NOT snow..... white sands of WEST TEXAS

this gives a whole new meaning to "playing in the sand." what fun we had taking the kids to Monahans. this is a place i spent many of my young years at -- birthday parties, dune-buggy rides, waxing and surfing my own personal "surf board," eating gritty, sandy hotdogs (only the best), and grinding the sand between my teeth and emptying pockets full of sand out. I loved it when we got in the car yesterday and kathryn was like - "i have sand all in my teeth." welcome to west texas! :)

beaches of west texas.............

better known as the Monahans Sandhills State Park. Fun time there today with Tyler and Kathryn. Not quiet the same as the Florida beaches and much more of a workout!

this sand is sooooooo cold!!

prepping the disc with a little wax

READY........

SET..........

GO - TYLER - GO.....

the big hunt....they really do have deer out here!!

tyler finally made it to midland for the holidays (via a 5 day stop over in coppell with his roommate, brooks - to visit his family and to camp out overnight to shop at the REI garage sale) just in time for the big west texas hunt with the mccrary men. it was a very successful hunt with all the guys getting a buck and a few doe too. unfortunately, bruce's father was not able to come this year due to a bout with strep throat. however, we have plenty of venison for a while........ tyler and his 8 point........

bruce and his 6 point

the mccrary men --- brothers/cousins/uncles/nephews --bruce/tyler and jeffrey/guy--could jeff and tyler pass for brothers or what!!

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW.....

we woke up to a beautiful snow on Thanksgiving morning. Snowed ALL day, flakes as big as feathers. it was so beautiful. snowed thursday, played football playoff game on friday NIGHT -- and yes it was COLD-- freezing - and yes we got beat after sitting out in the mist and below freezing temps for 4 hours!!
- then the snow returned on sat and then again on sunday -- sunday morning going to church out here in the wide open fields - nobody on the roads -- was an amazing site. wish i would have had my camera then..........

rOaD TRiP 2007 -- NAC to MidLaNd

what a GREAT weekend -- the girls come to midland from Nac!! who-hoo!! Julie, Jill, Cynthia, Kim and then Hannah came up from TECH to spend the weekend with us. Friday Night Lights was the main agenda - and the REBELS were REBEL STRONG "trashing" those crosstown rival dawgs from Midland high to a crowd of about 20,000. It was so much fun. Also on the weekend was plenty of shopping, food, church, laughs, hugs, talking and a little bit of blood, (sorry jill), sweat and tears -- plenty of those came sunday. thank you so much for coming to see us.... i LoVe you dearest friends and miss you!!!!

it's been a long time...............

OK...now I have a new camera for Christmas, so maybe I will update our blog. It's been way too long. We have been in Midland now 6 months!!! Can not believe it. Still an adjustment for me. Bruce is loving it. Still giving it time and one day at a time. Tyler is home for the holidays and that is good. Dreading the holidays coming to an end............Tyler back to College Station and me -- back to my dreaded job............. Keep the prayers coming.

YEAH!!!..........tyler is on his way HOME.........

Tyler's time in London is UP..........after almost 9 weeks he is returning home today, home to Midland for the very first time. He will have a very long day -- starting before 2:00 am this morning to catch a train to Gatwick and probably not getting back to the house until 11:30 pm tonight. If you are reading this today (7/25) please send some prayers up for him -- safe flights (2 connections), that he might get some rest on the plane/s, and that he makes all of his connections -- especially the one from Houston to Midland at 9:15 tonight -- it's a tight squeeze and it's the last flight out to Midland tonight. ANXIOUSLY awaiting tyler's arrival!!! :)

first view of our new home........WOW!!

we have arrived to west texas.........

i thought this shirt was very appropriate

for the 523 mile "journey"

loading up in nacogdoches
ONE was NOT enough............his and hers :)
we are now living in MIDLAND, TX USA -- although it feels like we traveled to another country along the long way ..... and what a long way it was. we took out in BOTH our trucks on the afternoon of june 9th. i say BOTH our trucks because when we started loading on friday the truck that we "thought" and were told by Uhaul that would hold ALL our belongings --- well -- it DID NOT -- so on saturday morning we had to go rent ANOTHER big truck to get all our stuff in ... and we filled it up. so, when we got both trucks loaded down -- thanks to all of you that helped us -- especially bob -- he had bruce's 26' truck loaded to where you could not even stick a toothpick in it! haha it was unbelievable! i drove a 24' truck and we had to leave my car behind. (we will finally pick it up this friday from bruce's parents) we headed out feeling like the beverly hillbillies -- i would not reccommend this mode of moving to anyone -- but it did save us about $4000+ -- so now all said and done -- i guess it was worth it. but it was not fun by any means -- here's just a clip of the first 60 miles --- i had trained Sadie, our-2 yr. old border collie, in a dog crate all week -- well when we had to switch to the truck cab, her crate blocked my vision in the right hand mirror -- so she had to come out to the seat -- well, riding in a car is not something that she has done much of -- so she was all over the place -- under my arms, on my back, up on my neck -- and all the while I am "freakin" over driving this big ole truck --- and then it starts pouring rain and i don't have a clue where the wipers are --- rule #1 -- when you drive a truck --- check out all the controls and fix your mirrors BEFORE you start out! haha -- needless to say, i was quiet stressed. when we got to Crockett, i got the pills out and sedated ms. sadie mae, checked out my controls, fixed my mirrors and we continued on to georgetown. things were much better the next 3 hours. we spent the night at bruce's parents (about 200 miles) and then went on in to midland on sunday (about another 325 miles) -- sunday was a VERY long day. started out at 8:30 am and got to midland about 5:30 pm. (with a lunch stop with our very good friends randy/kathy in san angelo -- thank you!) i have never prayed so hard and for so long as i did on this trip. it was so scary at times and when i followed bruce it always looked like he was going to tump over to the right at any moment or go off the shoulder. my knuckles were so sore from gripping the steering wheel so hard and my neck and shoulders so tight and tense from that big ole steering wheel. all in all -- thank the good Lord -- we made it in one piece -- furniture and all. we closed on both houses on that monday, june 11 and had some LEE football players at the new house to unload us. there are boxes EVERYWHERE and we are unpacking slowly. thankfully, neither of us has to report to work until later in August -- so we have the time to go slow. i miss nacogdoches terribly and all my friends -- but the weather here is wonderful!! i look forward to the day we host one of you in our new home. i will post pictures as i get them -- i don't have a digital anymore, so the pics are slow to come as i finish up a roll on the "old style" camera. these are pictures from when we arrived -- my FIRST time to see the house finished -- it was beautiful!!!

tyler celebrates "21" early in COLEFORD at the ROMAN BATHS

out front of the Roman Baths in BATH
and inside the baths



visiting his "host family" from 3 years ago in Coleford -- andy, tyler, joe and sweet alice -- in BATH

bithday bbq with joe, tyler and simon and katy -- other friends he met on his mission trip three years ago -- absolutely beautiful and an escape from the big city of London and busy life of Keningston/Chelsea

when it rains.....it pours......and lightning STRIKES!!!!!

we just can't get out of here fast enough. the boxes are all packed, bruce is home and everything is set to go for the big move ...... and then on tuesday night a big bad storm rolls into town about 7 pm. we are out eating and "admiring" the big rainbow watching and commenting on how bad the lightning is between the rainbow. little did we know that when we would arrive home -- that "wretched" lightning had "danced" around our house and made a direct hit on our driveway. strangest thing we have ever witnessed (or not). poor sadie mae -- she got a front row seat and has not been the same since. the pictures show where the lightning hit -- then ran through the rebarb -- sending major shock and power surge through the house and then exited in many places on the driveway. needless to say, this was NOt a good time for this to happen since we are moving in 8 more days and closing on the house. all we have done for the last two days has been working with different contractors trying to get everything fixed before bruce has to head back to midland.....although he was scheduled to do that today. i am so thankful he was here and is able to stay until we get most of the damage taken care of. keep us in your prayers --- we are so thankful it was not worse.

happy birthday tyler and kimberly ...... 21 and 24

tyler and kimberly celebrate their birthdays before tyler leaves for london. this is the 8th year they have celebrated thier birthdays --- tyler on june 10th and kimberly on june 9th. they have come a very long way since they were 14 and 17. this is tyler's 4th year in a row that he has been gone on his birthday -- starting with his 18th when he went to london his first time!! how many of you can say that you celebrated your 18th and 21st birthdays in london????

under construction......in midland

the house in midland is coming along. suppose to be ready for inspection on june 4th with move in on june 11th. can't beleive it is here.......so fast!!! i don't know if you can tell in the pics, but we had bruce go through the house and write scripture down on the foundation in every room...........STANDING ON THE WORD OF GOD --- thought it was a great way to pray over our new home........... what better foundation to have under us as we start a new chapter in our lives ........

london bound...........summer abroad

this is tyler's flight enroute to london from houston. it is about 11:45 pm central time -- that means it is 5:45 am london time ---- hopefully he is sound asleep on that plane. he left at 7:10 pm and looks like he is just getting to the atlantic --- he is about half way -- scheduled to arrive monday morning at 10:00 a.m. (4:00 am central). the weather is looking nasty for his arrival -- 41 and rainy ......... brrrrrrrrrrrrtoday we took tyler to houston to board his plane for london, england. he will be doing an internship in london this summer for the next 6 weeks. he has been assigned to a very "elite" real estate firm, hampton's international --- located in chelsea. he will be living in a flat in kensington about 1 1/2 miles from his work place. although he was not able to be placed in his first choice of financial planning -- he is very excited about this real estate firm. kathryn will be arriving to london in two weeks for her internship at an elementary school along with taking one class. tyler will stay two weeks after his internship finishes to "hang out" with kathryn. they already have planned two side trips --- one to paris and one to rome. tyler will be travelling to coleford this weekend to stay with his homestay family that he met 3 yrs ago when he was on a mission trip in coleford, england --- about 2 1/2 hours north of london by bus. it is all very exciting. we are very proud of tyler and very excited for this opportunity he has worked on through texas A&M. it should be an adventure of a lifetime and hopefully will gain him incredible international experience and work contacts for his future in the finance world. he will turn 21 on june 10th while he is in london.....funny thing...he turned 18 in england on his last trip over there! ;) please pray for his safety and his health and his experiences while he is abroad and that he will continue to make good choices and STAND FIRM while he continues to grow up soooooooooooo fast!!! you can check out his blog by clicking on his link on the sidebar....................

we found a home in midland......

after getting a contract on our home in nac .... we found a home in midland. it is out in a new sub-division in NW midland that is growing up fast. homes were hard to find in midland -- the market being extremely "tight." so, we decided to go with new construction -- so i get another brand new home!! ye-haw! :o) the timing is perfect -- with construction being complete around june 4th and closing planned on june 11th. it will be here before i know it and most likely before i am packed up. we will be living in holiday hill village and that is about 5 minutes from my school (oh yeah, i have a job now too teaching 8th grade US History at ABELL jr. high and also Blue Team Leader) and is also about 10 minutes from LEE. great location for us -- this will also put us on the odessa side of midland and make it easier for my parents to visit. this picture was taken about 2 weeks ago -- we now have a nice double brick flowerbed full of landscape bushes in across the front of the house and the kitchen counters are in with some appliances and the painter is working hard.

home sweet home............

what can i say.....as i was taking these pictures, tears just started rolling down my cheeks....ahhh --- this is my FAVORITE time of the year in nacogdoches.....i'm gonna plant me an azealea or two in a pot and take em' with me to midland.........