Texas

So while we were in Texas we got a few photos and did a bit of sightseeing, saw the Alamo, which was awesome. 

 At the Alamo

 Philip and Jessica... They got engaged a few days later!!

Wicked

 We went to Houston to see Wicked!  It was a fantastic musical.  Elizabeth was very excited and we bought our goodies first because we were early.  Here we are in the Hobby Center before the play.

 Not supposed to take pics in the theater.  So we snuck this one just so you could see how HUGE the dragon over the stage was.  It was just thrilling to be there, and though I was skeptical the play was off the charts awesome. I can't imagine anything topping it in my lifetime. Lighting, music, audio (we could even hear, very well, in the top back balcony), acting, singing, orchestra, story... well it was all just perfect. Afterwards, we were desirous to avoid the throng around the vendors so we asked an usher for another way out, and she pointed and we jogged... straight down to the stage door and got AUTOGRAPHS!!

 Madame Morrible

 Galinda and Elphaba.... they were so cute, Galinda was still sparkly and there was still green makeup in Elphaba's ears :)

 And the Wizard of Oz!  Thank you all so very much for giving us a FANTASTIC performance!!!

Shakespeare, Bloody Shakespeare 2

Queen Anne has just lost her husband and her father to Lord Gloucester, who killed them personally... then Gloucester comes to the funeral, to woo Queen Anne! The nerve!

 She calls him all kinds of names... including "Lump of foul deformity!"

 But she's just a squishy girl and she can't kill him....

So after weighing her options, she agrees that it would be politically prudent to ally herself with the victor...
But in all, it's a very shouty-righteous anger type of scene, and Elizabeth was great! She is also the costume master and made the uniforms for the guards and some other costumes for other scenes.  She is amazing!!

Dancing

The girls got to go to a Homeschool Prom Dance and here they are all dressed up!

It was Katie's first dance!  Both girls had a great time with their group.  Greg took these pics with his phone, and I think it makes the girls look chubby.  And I couldn't fuss too much about Katie wearing black. Elizabeth was given her dress by a friend and Katie got hers at the thrift store for $10.00.  That's the way to get dresses, boys and girls.  None of this monthly installment business.  They will pass them around along with the other dresses they are collecting with their friends. 

Birthdays

April is Birthday Month for both Katie and Philip.  Philip came home for the birthday week from school.  So thoughtful of them to make a week between semesters just for us!

 Katie asked for an Oatmeal cake, hold the coconut and nuts.  Here she is in her favorite shirt. In case you didn't already know, Katie was selected for the Louisiana All State Choir, the only girl from her school. Definitely something to be proud of!! Katie was welcomed into Mia Maids and got some great cards and a shopping trip!

 LOTS of Candles on Philip's chocolate layer with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting. Gonna need some milk with that (preferably poured right on the cake). 

It was great having him home.  We kept him busy and tried to feed him up a bit since he is very slim and trim and about to go back to college for another semester.  He showed Elizabeth some of the swing dance moves he learned last semester, proving that college wasn't wasted on him!! 

Climbing Trees

 So there is this big ole tree at the park.  It's just calling Katie to come climb... so we did.

I can't help but think the tree finds it funny.  Anyway, get out there and enjoy nature!  The weather here is glorious right now and we know all too well how hot and sticky it will soon become.  For now, though, it's perfect for climbing trees and planting...anything... and just getting some fresh air and listening to the mockingbirds.  What a wonderful place we live in!

Working in the Yard

 Like everyone else, we are out working in the yard.  A few weeks ago the missionaries came over to help us turn the pond into a garden.  That is our huge "alien plant" (Probably sisal) that is all tied up and ready to be hiked to the curb.  Just for reference, it's in the next picture behind Katie.  HUGE and very thorny.

 So here is the garden now.  We planted Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. with a little parsley in the front, then Greg added a box and we're putting basil and thyme in it. Because I love them.  That brick wall is the back of my closet.

 Close up of the tie wall, just making sure my newly repaired lens is working!

 Here is another view. You can see Greg is also building a brick path. We have moved these bricks around a ton.  Got them after a hurricane when a two-story wall of a nearby apartment complex flexed and popped them all off. Sweet!

 Back fence with the very much trimmed jasmine hedge and my tomatoes and peppers.  Red, yellow and orange bell peppers are so great grilled we eat them a lot so we thought we should grow them! Peppers usually grow well here. 

 Tilly guarding the yard. She is by far the largest destructive force right now. Of course in a few months when the sun's unrelenting heat bakes the plants, we'll see if I can keep up with the watering!

 Some fun peach blossoms

 And some orange blossoms (too bad you can't smell them!) And if you know how to naturally stop the leaf curl thing going on let us know!

 More peach blossoms and below, tiny peaches

Lots of mulch going on between all the other projects too.

Of interest, Greg has a very discriminating palate. He can tell when companies change the way they process something and usually figure out what it is. He buys Mexican Coke because it has no high fructose corn syrup, he likes the old flavor of the sugar.  So off and on over the years he has noticed changes in Cocoa Krispies, his favorite cereal (I know, Lori, makes me think of his Cocoa Pebbles taste test!) and he noticed some were not puffed "right", and they were shiny, and didn't taste cocoa-y enough.  Then he noticed they were from Mexico.  We have been on a rampage to buy up Made in the USA Cocoa Krispies ever since.  Makes me wonder if the Kellogg's company is plagued by the same problems as Hostess, and they are hedging their bets with the unions by outsourcing.  Sad indeed.  I was very sad to hear about Hostess, we never thought a company so big would fall... not that I have bought any in years! But it is an American Institution and part of our American-ness to have twinkies and ho-hos and Hostess Cupcakes.  I hope the government and unions make it easier for companies to thrive without leaving our borders.  

Alex posted that many Africans think Chameleons are poisonous. (He said they couldn't bite, they have no teeth!)
SO I got on google, the great source of all knowledge and lots of opinions too, and here is what I found out about Alexander's Chameleons!
"(From a South African on Yahoo Answers)
No, they're not poisonous...if they were I'd be dead.
Native Africans do have a lot of superstitions regarding them though...
...
they believe that if they touch one or get bitten by one...
...
they'd become white! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Although they aren't poisonous, they do give one nasty bite. It feels as though someone is pinching you with a large pair of pliers.

Source(s):

I'm South African and have been bitten by;
- snake
- monitor lizard (also ouch).
- chameleon...
and quite a few bugs."

 

And (I did not correct spelling, obviously!) Cthulhu the Dreamer shared:

"chameleons CAN bite, but so long as you listen to their body langauge and dont try to handle them unless necesarry, you should be fine. they can be quite territorial and generally shouldbe left alone and kept alone unless trying to breed them. some species are more aggressive than others though.

poisonous?? no where near! no clue where u heard that from...the only "poisonous" [scientifiaclly speaking, venomous] lizards are the mexican beaded, the gila monster and according to new research some species such as iguanas have minute concentrations of venom. but no, chameleons are not poisonous but they do bite.

if you want one as a pet though, they dont last long in captivitiy, become stressed very easily, dont like to be handled. they are quite a hassle, and very costly when it comes to enclosure costs and whatnot, i would advise not gettingone if thats what you were thinking of."

 

SO there you have the skinny on Chameleons. Which are very cute. But they have strong jaws, Duck, so keep your fingers away from that tiny mouth!