I've forgotten to mention we have critters. Alex has a toad named Lucky. He needed to keep an observation log of a reptile or amphibian for a merit badge he started at camp, and fortunately there are A LOT of frogs and toads around here. Little factoid for you: a toad is a frog, but a frog is not necessarily a toad. He's named Lucky because I mentioned he was the lucky one of all the choices Alex had outside and he decided he liked that for a name. Alex decided, not Lucky. Since Alex figured out how to feed him, he's seemed pretty content in his tank.
We also have a cat. I obviously had not mentioned this to anyone in my family because they were all asking "whose cat is that?" Fluffy is a black and white kitten who lives in the garage at night, or when we're away from home, and out in the garden during the day. She was found as a very young kitten by our neighbor, but they couldn't keep her because of allergies. We decided to take her so they wouldn't have to take her to animal control.
At some point, Kyrie would like to have fish. I'm sure at some point we'll figure out how that works. Maybe I'll remember to include that in the blog when it happens.
Sorry I don't have any pictures.
Trusting in Jesus,
Naomi for the Colliers
Monday 24 September 2007
Thursday 20 September 2007
Birthday month
I'm a year older now and on Saturday, Aidan turns 8. One of my sisters has a birthday this month and so does my nephew. September is the big birthday month.
For my day, Tartan took me out to dinner at an Indian (India) restaurant. We also picked up a temporary cell phone to see whether it was signal or phone that was so rotten. It turns out that it was the phone. So as soon as I get the opportunity my birthday gift will be a new mobile phone.
Last weekend we took the camper out again for the boy scout family campout. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. It was a nice little break, though I wish I had socialised a little more, but that's never been my strong suit. Abigail, on the other hand, knows everyone in the troop now, I think.
This coming weekend, my extended family is congregating at our house. Most have only seen pictures of the outside, so we get to show off. The weather's supposed to be good and we're all looking forward to it. I hope we have it fairly clean before Saturday.
Trusting in the Lord,
Naomi for the Colliers
For my day, Tartan took me out to dinner at an Indian (India) restaurant. We also picked up a temporary cell phone to see whether it was signal or phone that was so rotten. It turns out that it was the phone. So as soon as I get the opportunity my birthday gift will be a new mobile phone.
Last weekend we took the camper out again for the boy scout family campout. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. It was a nice little break, though I wish I had socialised a little more, but that's never been my strong suit. Abigail, on the other hand, knows everyone in the troop now, I think.
This coming weekend, my extended family is congregating at our house. Most have only seen pictures of the outside, so we get to show off. The weather's supposed to be good and we're all looking forward to it. I hope we have it fairly clean before Saturday.
Trusting in the Lord,
Naomi for the Colliers
Friday 14 September 2007
San Antonio
I haven't downloaded the photos yet, but we had a great time in San Antonio. We had a pretty full day on Friday, despite being up really late Thursday night trying to deal with disgusting insects in our camper. We visited the Missions Visitor Center and Mission San Jose- one of several (re-built) Spanish missions in San Antonio. The chapel there is still used as a Catholic church today. We plan on making more trips to San Antonio to visit the other missions and have the kids complete their Junior Ranger booklets. After that we went to the Botanical Gardens where they had a new exhibit based on Bug's favorite: Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego. The butterfly bushes indeed had butterflies all around them and I am wondering if I'll ever find the time and a place in our garden for a couple. We went back to the camper where I at least took a siesta. We bought dinner at the KOA campground we were staying at so we could hurry into the rec room we had reserved to finally watch part 2 of the two-part Doctor Who that we saw part 1 of just before we moved back to the States. To end the day, we went and splashed around in the campground swimming pool for a little while before heading off to bed.
Saturday we spent the whole day at Fiesta Texas Six Flags- an amusement park. Tartan and Kyrie rode a couple of the rollercoasters and the rest of us opted for the more mild rides. I did go on the Wile E. Coyote\Roadrunner coaster with Kyrie, but that's about as exciting as I can take. That and the log ride. The river raft ride was interesting. Aidan and I got fairly wet, but Kyrie and Abigail got utterly soaked. Alex was barely touched- much to his satisfaction. They went with Tartan: he and Aidan got pretty wet, the girls were soaked, and Alex escaped again. I don't know how he managed. Even Kayleigh was able to enjoy a couple of rides. On the Scooby Doo Haunted House ride you get a laser gun to shoot at targets during the ride. I think she really enjoyed pressing the trigger to hear the funny sound it made. We enjoyed a couple of the musical performances that they have several times during the day. The girls went up to say a few words in the mike at the country music show, but you couldn't really hear them. I suspect they've had some kids scream into the mike so they turn it way down. The one-hit wonders show and the other "oldies" medley show were fun and all three girls went to dance with the performers and Abi got microphone-time again which really pleased her. Kayleigh was really tired by then and just stood there, but she gave the gal a big hug at the end so that was cute. I had forgotten to charge the camera battery so I think it had died before then. We do have pictures with some of the characters at the park, like Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, and Wonder Woman. Hopefully I'll eventually post a few. We bought a few souvenirs just as the park closed at 8pm and then started the drive back home. Our church had their first Sunday at Kaufman elementary school and we wanted to be there for it. It went very well and without a hitch. We look forward to seeing God make use of all that room we have now.
This weekend we're going on the boy scout family campout with Alex's new troop. The weather's supposed to be good. We didn't feel any of the effects of the sudden hurricane (Humberto) that developed in the gulf. It was a compact storm, so it didn't reach as far inland as we are, but people in Beaumont and Port Arthur are without power.
Time to get the kids up for our school day followed by hurried shopping and packing for the weekend!
Trusting in the Lord,
Naomi for the Colliers
Saturday we spent the whole day at Fiesta Texas Six Flags- an amusement park. Tartan and Kyrie rode a couple of the rollercoasters and the rest of us opted for the more mild rides. I did go on the Wile E. Coyote\Roadrunner coaster with Kyrie, but that's about as exciting as I can take. That and the log ride. The river raft ride was interesting. Aidan and I got fairly wet, but Kyrie and Abigail got utterly soaked. Alex was barely touched- much to his satisfaction. They went with Tartan: he and Aidan got pretty wet, the girls were soaked, and Alex escaped again. I don't know how he managed. Even Kayleigh was able to enjoy a couple of rides. On the Scooby Doo Haunted House ride you get a laser gun to shoot at targets during the ride. I think she really enjoyed pressing the trigger to hear the funny sound it made. We enjoyed a couple of the musical performances that they have several times during the day. The girls went up to say a few words in the mike at the country music show, but you couldn't really hear them. I suspect they've had some kids scream into the mike so they turn it way down. The one-hit wonders show and the other "oldies" medley show were fun and all three girls went to dance with the performers and Abi got microphone-time again which really pleased her. Kayleigh was really tired by then and just stood there, but she gave the gal a big hug at the end so that was cute. I had forgotten to charge the camera battery so I think it had died before then. We do have pictures with some of the characters at the park, like Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, and Wonder Woman. Hopefully I'll eventually post a few. We bought a few souvenirs just as the park closed at 8pm and then started the drive back home. Our church had their first Sunday at Kaufman elementary school and we wanted to be there for it. It went very well and without a hitch. We look forward to seeing God make use of all that room we have now.
This weekend we're going on the boy scout family campout with Alex's new troop. The weather's supposed to be good. We didn't feel any of the effects of the sudden hurricane (Humberto) that developed in the gulf. It was a compact storm, so it didn't reach as far inland as we are, but people in Beaumont and Port Arthur are without power.
Time to get the kids up for our school day followed by hurried shopping and packing for the weekend!
Trusting in the Lord,
Naomi for the Colliers
Wednesday 5 September 2007
A week off from school
First, Kyrie had her stitches taken out on Saturday and she's fine. She's supposed to keep it covered with a band-aid (plaster) for two weeks. Hopefully it won't leave much of a mark.
Tartan is taking vacation time this week. We celebrated Labor Day by doing as little labor as possible. :) Tuesday I took Alex to see the doctor for constant low-grade headaches. We think it's probably allergy-related: things in the air here that weren't in Scotland. He, Kyrie and Aidan also started their physical education class at the YMCA in the afternoon. Today we went and sold some of our books, and came back with a few- but far fewer than we traded in. We also stopped at a piano shop (Forsheys) to find an upright piano for the boys. We didn't make a decision right away, but I think we'll be buying from there. We've also had someone come to put in a wall of bookshelves up to the ceiling to partially close in the upstairs family room. There were shelves that went part way up and then there was an opening to the living room downstairs. It let a lot of noise through and we thought it was also potentially dangerous. We can always use more bookshelves, too.
Tomorrow we head out to San Antonio to see some of the Spanish missions and spend Saturday at Fiesta Texas. Fortunately, I checked their opening times and discovered they're only open on the weekends right now. We originally had planned on going Wed to Fri.
Trusting in Jesus,
Naomi for the Colliers
Tartan is taking vacation time this week. We celebrated Labor Day by doing as little labor as possible. :) Tuesday I took Alex to see the doctor for constant low-grade headaches. We think it's probably allergy-related: things in the air here that weren't in Scotland. He, Kyrie and Aidan also started their physical education class at the YMCA in the afternoon. Today we went and sold some of our books, and came back with a few- but far fewer than we traded in. We also stopped at a piano shop (Forsheys) to find an upright piano for the boys. We didn't make a decision right away, but I think we'll be buying from there. We've also had someone come to put in a wall of bookshelves up to the ceiling to partially close in the upstairs family room. There were shelves that went part way up and then there was an opening to the living room downstairs. It let a lot of noise through and we thought it was also potentially dangerous. We can always use more bookshelves, too.
Tomorrow we head out to San Antonio to see some of the Spanish missions and spend Saturday at Fiesta Texas. Fortunately, I checked their opening times and discovered they're only open on the weekends right now. We originally had planned on going Wed to Fri.
Trusting in Jesus,
Naomi for the Colliers
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