A Tale As Old As Time

Last night I had a night out with two of my favorite ladies.

Kelli, Brooke and Belle at the Aquarium Downtown

I met up with Kelli and Brooke at Houston's 'The Aquarium Downtown' restaurant for dinner.  This was an early birthday present for our Brookie Bear...and though I considered a different place, I am so glad I went with this instead.  I can't say that I enjoy their food all that much, but she thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance of the place.  It was worth every penny to see her so excited about the all the fish and to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over her surroundings.  (The Ladies Room looks like the inside of a mermaid's castle.)

After sharing a dessert of creme brulee and a make your own sundae, we walked back to the Hobby Center for the night's real treat...

Source: Joan Marcus

Disney's Beauty and the Beast: Broadway Across America Tour.  What a show!  I loved it, and so did my little princess who sang along and tried to twirl in her seat.

Brooke and I at the Hobby Center's Sarofim Hall

I think Brooke got so swept away in the performance that she wanted to be on the stage herself.  Her mom and dad had better get her back in dance classes, and maybe drama classes too!

It was a wonderful evening and I so enjoyed sharing the theatre with my granddaughter.

Friday Night Lights: Brenham

It has taken me time to be able to even post about last Friday night's game against the Brenham Cubs.  The reasons are many:

1. For all the playing time that our #63 got last week against Tomball Memorial, he spent that much plus some on the bench this week.  Not sure what is going on, but he sure was heartbroken over the lack of playing time.
2. Brenham is THE RIVALRY game of the year...and we lost, 14-24.  It was a close game until the half.
3. I really did not understand the strategy on the field this week.  It looked like John L. Smith was calling in the plays from Arkansas. (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.) Of course, that may have had a lot to do with...
4. My football buddy and love of my life wasn't able to make this week's game as he was out on a dove hunt with customers and vendors this past weekend.
5. Due to lack of playing time (a couple of special teams plays and two defensive plays that were 'kneel downs' at the end of the game) I have no pictures to share this week.  Not even of the helmet.  Will just wanted off the field, to the field house to change and go get something to eat.  {Side note: He was so passionately ready to play in that last drive that he mowed one of those Brenham boys over when he came across that line!}

On the positive side, we had a crowd to watch the game and enjoyed the time with family and friends.  We made Meagan promise not to go into labor way up in rows W & X.  That would be a long way down!

This Friday night we will be traveling to Willis...after we welcome our newest granddaughter into the world that is.  It is going to be a FULL day for sure!

Friday Night Lights: Tomball Memorial

Friday night the Bulldogs hosted the Tomball Memorial Wildcats for the first home game of the season.  If you have never attended a game in Bulldog Stadium, you are missing quite an experience.  It is a state of the art facility that some colleges I know of would love to have.

As I fought the rain to make it into Waller for dinner before the game, I was so glad that I had given in to my gut instinct and picked up a handful of rain ponchos earlier Friday morning.  The weather man had assured us that  rain was to be out of our area by 3 pm, but that was more like when it began.  I had half jokingly asked ladies from my Bible study group to pray that the Lord would keep the rain from falling over the stadium...and as I made my way over 2920 I could see the sun breaking through over the stadium while two blocks away I had to run into the restaurant to keep from getting wet. 

It was a good sign for things to come!  (No bad moon rising on this night.)

The thunderstorms had held me up in Houston so that I was unable to make it home before the game to pick up my camera.  If you would like to see pictures from the game, you can log on to http://www.wallerbulldogsports.com/football.html.  There is a great photo of William making a tackle during the second half (#153) and another of the team huddle (#205) after their 42-22 win over the Wildcats.  (Both pictures are in '2012 9/14 Varsity Football 2'.)

After the game, Bri, Davin and I met him at the fence so that Davin could say 'hello' and I could let him know who to be looking for when he left the field house.  This was his weekly helmet check photo:

All of the new is gone and I am wondering if there will be any paint left on this thing by the time the season is over. 

He gulped his dinner down practically by the time we made it out of the drive through line, then he drug himself into the house and straight to bed.  I'm thinking Varsity football is hard on a young man!  Ha!

Pondering The Sunrise

Soar high in the skies, O God!
Cover the whole earth with your glory!

Psalm 57:5

The Message

 

I snapped these pictures as I was driving in to work on Thursday.  Fall is here!  (At least most of the days lately have felt fall like.)

Weight Loss Wednesday: Surprised

It has been nearly a month since I checked in for Weight Loss Wednesday.  It is sad how easily I am distracted from my goals!

Just this morning I was flipping through my index card notes from early 2012 when I came across my list of goals for this year.  Needless to say, I was quite deflated when I realized how few I had even attempted.

So, here I am, ready to chip away at this goal again.  I stepped on the scale last Wednesday morning to find myself .4 up from my last post.  I succumbed to the defeat and gave up trying.  But by Monday morning, I knew that it was time to accept the gift of a new week and begin from there.  I began by tracking every bite again.  This morning the scale read 2.2 pounds lighter than last Wednesday!  I was so surprised.  I have 2.2 pounds left to be back at my 'before steriods' weight.  "Come on, Fonda!  You've got this!"

I know I need to add the exercise back into my daily schedule...but for right now, I just want to celebrate the baby steps.


FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

"Be brave enough to accept negative feedback as a possible call to action, but not a definition of your identity.  And while you enjoy the positive feedback, refuse to get bloated by it."
                                                                       Lysa TerKeurst
                                                                       Made to Crave: Day 15

Honestly

After my morning Bible reading this morning (I'll admit I've grown lazy in this discipline), I picked up the 'Made To Crave: Devotional' by Lysa TerKeurst.  This is what I copied from Day 13 to carry with me today.

"Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress."  1 Timothy 4:15

"I think we all get to a place sometimes where we have to honestly assess, 'How am I doing?'...I know certain things about myself need to change, but it's easier to make excuses than tackle them head on...Idolatry is trying to get my needs met outside the will of God."

I'm not sure if that little excerpt conveys the full extent of my struggle today, but would you please pray?  With me and for me.

Thanks!

I love you guys.

Bulldog Varsity, Baby!

Last Friday night, the Waller Bulldogs traveled to El Campo to meet the Ricebirds in their Varsity Opener.

In the words of CCR:
"I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin'.
I see bad times today. "

The Ricebirds are preseason favorites to win their region this year...and after this game, I can believe it.  I am pretty sure more than one of their players will be seeing action at a D1 college next year.

Here was our #63 with a great block at the end of the 4th quarter.  They have him playing right tackle due to injuries. 

It was a heartbreaking 0-31 loss for the Bulldogs.  Yet Will walked up to the stands after the game so proud to show us his 'brand new' helmet covered with scratches and a huge chunk of paint missing from one side.

He has a lot of heart, that boy of ours...even if he needs to add about thirty pounds to play that position. 

The drive to El Campo was a solid two hours, but that didn't diminish his cheering section by much.

I am just glad that the longest drive of the season is out of the way.  Here's to a much better season to come!