Galveston Day Trip

Breakfast at The Huddle House

Blake & Manda at the beach

Lunch at The Rainforest Cafe, Galveston Island

This picture is of a large boat that was smashed into this building. The boat is on the left. The building was destroyed. I wish I would have gotten more pictures of the damage still left from the hurricane. It was really horrific and sad. One house had lost an entire side and we could see into a bedroom with the blankets on the bed still. 

Saturday I went with Blake and his mom, dad and grandma for a day trip. First we ate breakfast then we headed down to Galveston for the day. It was really fun to be with his family. I loved it! When we got down there we drove around and looked at different things. We saw monuments from different wars, a Carnival Cruise line that was docked, and a lot of the damage from Hurricane Ike. It was so relaxing and nice to drive along the beach. We ate lunch at The Rainforest Cafe there. It was such a wonderful day! I was thankful to have my nieces watch the girls and I was so thankful for the invite with the Murdock family. 

Putting Up The Christmas Tree

The day after Thanksgiving the adults braved the crowds for the Black Friday sales. I was disappointed with the lack of great deals out and by the small crowds it looked like I wasn't the only one.  When we got home we put our Christmas tree up. It was fun!  I think the tree looks good! 

CrAzY LiFe!!!!!

Eating lunch with the girls at school~ Balance Amanda Balance

I forgot to get a picture of the three of us eating lunch (what a shocker, my brain...) so we got one at home!

Manda & Blake time! Notice the huge laundry pile in the background. Doesn't it look glamourous! I think it's a permanent pile. ;)

Can we get any crazier over here? Life is certainly hoppin!!! Check it out! Life with four girls is busy enough but add an amazing social life, running a business and the holidays and you have enough to make you go insane!!! haha Here are some pictures from the past couple days. My business open house from a few weeks ago was a success and I am coming up on my deadline to have all my orders complete... and just in time for a second open house! Aagghh! It is such a blessing! The girls have been on self propelled mode with a lot of their homework while I try to keep my cool. They have been figuring out a lot of their own dinners too lately. Laundry piles up all the time (as you can tell in the bottom picture haha) and the housework is never up to my Par!!! But, life is rewarding right now and I am very happy! Oh, the other day we were driving in the car and Cali said "Mom, you  may want to start making dinners again!!! I am sick of Captain Crunch!!!!" Oh I felt so bad! I have made dinners every night since then! And no, it wasn't yesterday when she said it. It was three dinners ago :) 

Sidenote~ gas is down to $1.59 here! Yes!!! Is it imaginable that it will drop less than $1.00? I think it may!!! 

Girls Disco Elf Dance

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Loving the Gas Prices

I use this blog as half my journal so I wanted to make sure and note the gas prices today! I got gas and filled up 3/4 of my tank for like $30.00! I seriously doubt we will see gas prices like this for long but I am soooo loving it while it lasts! I think we are all in shock that they have dropped over $2.00 a gallon from what they were a few months back! Yes!!!!

Dancing Elves!!!

Okay, I am having the best time with these videos! My little sister sent me the one with her kids first and I was laughing so hard there were tears! Every time I see her daughter it cracked me up so much! Her smile is just too cute and doesn't she look natural on that body! 

Then, Angie sent me one of her and me! Too funny... I had to put them on my blog! Shake it, shake it!!! We are so awesome!!!! I love the ending when we are really getting into it and I love the Macarena!!! 

Dallas Baby!!!

Me and Sweet Baby!

Our dinner with Michael, Angel, Shannon and Jared

The Birthday Boy! The surprise was so fun! Check out his dinner! It's called "The Whole Enchilada"!!! He had to take some home in a box! Oh, you would have thought that I ate this meal because I went to close their van door with my bum and I DENTED the door pretty bad! Seriously- I put a huge dent in it- Happy Birthday Mike??? Sorry about that...

After dinner the kids were conked out at Angel's house! This is Rylan laying over Ellen and Taylor! It was sooo funny.

Tay-tee and KK sleeping upside down in the chair! How do they fit!!! It was adorable!

I think we look good! He is so gorgeous! Thank you Ku'ulei for taking the pics!!! 

This past weekend Blake and I and the girls went up to Dallas! It was quite a roadtrip! If Blake can survive the car ride, I am certain Blake can survive AnYtHiNg!!! hahaha 

We had a great weekend! Saturday we were able to visit with Paula and her family and we were able to meet their sweet little baby, Millie. She was yummy and I loved her! It was the best being able to visit with her again! Saturday night we surprised Michael for his birthday and we went with Shannon and Jared & Michael and Angel out to LaHa Ranch for dinner, DoubleDip ice cream for the best StrawAna in history and then went to see Quantum Solace. We had the best time with them and we laughed a lot! I LOVED it! I fell asleep during the movie though.  A lot of action, too confusing and we were too close to the BIG screen. haha  Saturday night we hung out with Ku'ulei and the kiddies! It was soooo good to chat and be together... just not enough time in the weekend to spend the time I want to!!! Sunday we went to church and I loved that too (can you tell I LOVED my weekend), it was great to see friends! I was sad I didn't get to spend more time with more people! Sunday we had lunch after church at Angel's! It was my favorite meal that she makes! It was special! I think in life that relationships formed and kept are the most important things!!!! I am happy though to be back in Houston- at home-and I am grateful for a wonderful weekend with those I love! 

MandysWallCandy Open House

I am excited to announce that my Open House was a success! I am so happy with the turnout and support from yesterday when I had my first open house for the little growing business. I am happy to share that I had 27 items on display! It was a great feeling! Please check out what is new with my vinyl creations at www.mandyswallcandy.blogspot.com! Happy Holidays!

Houston Wildlife

Tonight I walked into my bathroom and was startled to find a guest on my wall! I have these guests on a weekly basis here in good old Houston!!! I can't even count how many lizards I have removed from inside our home. I ran back out after seeing it and noted (to myself) how gross they are when they are not outside, then I proceeded to use the ladies room and told the lizard to not jump on me (haha). I was going to leave it but I thought it might scare the girls if they were to see it in the morning so I trapped it between an old doggie dish and my dust pan and as I was scooting it across the wall I smashed it's tail! Now come on... that is just disgusting! Poor lizard, I felt bad as I put it outside tail-less. :) Then I wiped the tail off my wall! Enjoy!

Halloweenie Night

I loved that Cali brought home a little puppet from school that she made from a book and it was called Halloweenie! It was about a dog. 

Our Halloween night was fun! It started out with a bunch of whining and complaining and the girls were so anxious to go out so out we went!!!  Shannon, Jared and the kids came with us and we just went around our house. The kids made bank! I have great memories when I was growing up when we went to Santo Thomas every year. I will always remember the house that gave out sodas! I would never waste money on that but I am glad they did it. :) 

I am glad Halloween is over and now I am loving picking up candy wrappers around my house!! Man, I have complained a lot about this holiday. Sorry, I will promise to be more uplifting now!!! Kell, I was thinking about you and your family last night with the Longhorns game. 

Happy Girl

I am such a happy girl. There are so many reasons on WhY i am so happy! Here is just uno: 

I got gas yesterday for $1.99 a gallon! uh huh... life is goooood. haha

Goodbye Sonic 99cent Sticker

You all know how addicted I have been to Sonic Cherry Limeades!!! Four years ago a sweet, wonderful, caring "angel" gave me a 99 cent car windshield sticker for any 44 oz drink at any Sonic. I think it was a sticker from heaven! It was coveted. (haha heaven and coveted, doesn't sound exactly right) Seriously it was hard to get your hands on one of those stickers and I was so thankful because for the last four years (at least) I have gotten a Cherry Limeade almost every day of the week except Sundays. If you do the math I got my sodas for half the price of all other Americans haha. I don't think Sonic was thinking when they put out those stickers and I definitely don't think they planned to have people use them four years later! They should have put an expiration date on them haha. Anyway!!!! I started to feel really guilty recently to use my sticker anymore so I peeled it off yesterday. It was a solemn day. :( I had to do a little mourning because now I pay full price... EXCEPT when I buy at happy hour any day of the week for half off drinks and half off drinks before 11am. :)