I'm headed to Arlington, TX!

Hey Ya'll!

I'm on my way to Arlington Texas for the Texas State Special Olympics Summer Games!  I'll be competing in cycling (the 1K and 5K) on Saturday and hope to come home with some gold, silver or bronze medals in my pocket!

[Editor's Note: Ummm, this post was supposed to be completed and sent out on Thursday.  Clearly that didn't happen.]

The Round Rock Roadrunners are bringing teams to compete in Basketball, Track & Field, Tennis and Cycling.  When I'm not competing I will be cheering on my teammates at the different venues or checking out the athletes village.

Check out our wheels.  It's like we are total Rock Stars!

My suitcase is the pink and purple polka dot one.  I thought you'd want to know.  And the case of Dr Pepper?  Totally not mine, but its very much a Texas "staple".  And you'd know all about it if you had read my post about the Dr Pepper bottling plant tour we went on in March.

Of course I am smiling.  I'm waving good-bye to my adoring fans!

Mom will be there with her camera and will no doubt document the heck out of my cycling tournament.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Mother's Day Revelry...5 days late

Yeah, I know Mother's Day was 5 days ago, but I am just now getting around to editing the pictures. And guess what?!  I'm actually in one of the photos.  Only fitting, since these pictures were taken to celebrate the joys of motherhood.  (Excluding chicken pox, head lice, and potty training of course.)

Kent is a pro when it comes to finely chopping an onion, or expertly trimming a tree, but he doesn't seem to share the same enthusiasm as I do when handed a camera.

As a matter of fact, whenever we are on vacation and someone approaches him with a camera and a request to take their picture, he simply points to me and says "You better have her her do it or you might find yourself missing a head when you get back home."

And look!  Kinsey and I both have our heads firmly in place, so kudos to Kent.

I should add, I don't share his enthusiasm for cooking or gardening, so maybe we better just maintain the status quo here if that's OK with him.


Mother's Day was wonderful.  We walked the dogs among the still blooming wildflowers near our home, and then went on a long, leisurely bike ride throughout our neighborhood.  Capping off the day we had dinner at "Olive and June" in Austin (named after the Chef's  grandmothers.)

Mother nature was feeling benevolent, and proffered beautiful weather as we dined al fresco, underneath the canopy of a 500+ year old Live Oak tree, sans insects.  

Did I forget to mention that the food was incredible?  (Locally sourced, organic, and plentiful!)

The only thing that would have made the evening better would have been if my mom and dad, brother and sister-in-law, and two grown sons had been there to join us.

  I love you mom!  Thank you for always being there for me.

"A mom's hug lasts long after she lets go." ~Author Unknown

And the Torch Award Goes to...

You know how a typical end-of-year awards program goes don't you?  Generally these type of yearly retrospective's are filled with action photos, uplifting music, inspirational speeches and heartfelt thanks. 

And then they dispense certificates of participation to everyone, leaving the coveted end-of-the-year awards to a deserving few.

On Tuesday, we attended the Round Rock Roadrunner's annual awards ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments and successes of Special Olympic athletes and coaches for the 2011-2012 year. 

It's always a festive occasion filled with smiles, laughter, and even a few tears as the school year comes to a close.  As the evening wore on, athletes and volunteers that we know and admire received special recognition from the coaches that included: Most Improved Female Athlete; Round Rock Special Olympics Family of the Year; and Unified Partner of the Year.  

And then remarkably, amazingly, and oh so wonderfully, it was announced that Kinsey received the Torch Award for female athlete for 2011-2012!

You guys, the Torch Award is the equivalent to Athlete of the Year!  

We were rendered speechless - especially Kinsey - which is something that never happens.  

It was sort of like watching an Oscar Ceremony when the actress with the 50-1 odds of actually receiving the award has just had her name called!  

Thunderous applause, and whoops and shouts of congratulations echo throughout the room. Meanwhile, the winner just sits there slack-jawed and confused, before uttering the words "OH MY GOD!" and then slaps a hand over their mouth further illustrating that they are utterly shocked that their name was just called!  And then...they begin the long walk to the stage.  

This is of course when I asked myself, "Why did we decide to sit in the back of the room?"  

And if we needed even more excitement, Jan Sartain, the head coach of the Round Rock Special Olympics program officially presented Kinsey with her letter jacket.

Without question, Kinsey was thrilled, surprised and incredibly happy!  

So happy in fact, we had a hard time getting her off the stage, as she was enjoying her 3-minutes of  fame and adulation, just a little too much.

It should be noted that Kinsey is not afraid to ask for things that she wants.  Ever.

As the evening came to a close, and her delightfully befuddled look of shock and gratitude began to diminish, she looked at me and said. "BIG surprise!  Me no ask."

No Kinsey, you didn't "ask" but the coaches must have thought you were deserving of this award.  

And the unadulterated joy emanating from your sweet face says it all.

THANK YOU for the privilege of partcipating in SPECIAL OLYMPICS!

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In order to receive consideration for this award athletes have to demonstrate a commitment to the Round Rock Special Olympics program by:

• Actively training and competing in sports throughout the the school year
• Being committed to the team and the sport in which you are participating
• Attendance at practices is strong and consistent
• Demonstrate good sportsmanship
• Represents RRISD in a manner that will make us proud

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Toby's Black & White Photo Shoot

Can you tell I've been experimenting with my new camera?

(Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Kent!)

I learned a few new things today, and one of them was how to shoot in black and white.  I think subjects have a tendency to look more thoughtful and intelligent in this medium.  Even dogs.

Toby was kind enough to actually sit still and look incredibly deep and thoughtful during his first photo shoot.  I was most grateful.  These are a few of the pictures that didn't end up in trash.

And this one is for you Susan.  (I promise more Kinsey photos this weekend!)

"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~ Ansel Adams 

Clearly I have a lot to learn, but this is the most fun I've had challenging myself in a really long time.

Photo Friday

The amazing Texas wildflower season continues, and now an entirely new variety of blooms are appearing.  I am constantly astounded by not only their resilience, but their beauty as well.  We are fortunate to live only a few miles away from Williamson County Park that has miles of biking, hiking and walking trails available for the public.

It's hard to believe this only a few miles from my house

The flowers I am forcing you to look at next were taken here.  Now I have to get a Texas wildflower book so I can properly identify these correctly.

Toby loves Texas wildflowers too!

Most Texas thistle is a lovely shade of purple, but this is the first "albino" thistle I've seen.  I took this photo on a gray, overcast day with the sun behind the subject.  This is the original, unedited photo.  The next two I played with the editing software - mainly adding sepia tones, and boosting colors a bit.  It almost looks like I know what I'm doing.  I think I am ready to take the plunge and learn more about the Photoshop software that has been on my computer for the last 5 years.

On the way to the park, there is a small herd of cows who graze amongst the ever-changing wildflowers.  Just a few weeks ago it was filled with bluebonnets.  Today it is filled with Indian Blanket.  I stopped to take a few pictures and discovered there is a brand new addition to the herd.

Momma and Baby 

The newest baby sitting in field of Indian Blanket wildflowers

And remember that other baby cow I showed you a few weeks ago?  Well, she is really growing up. And she even let me pet her while I was taking these pictures.

Well, hello there! Does that green, weedy thing look good to you?

We are headed to San Antonio tomorrow to see the Bracken Bat Cave, where 20 million bats will emerge after sunset.  I can't wait to see that amazing sight.  Plus, I love any creature whose job it is to eat bugs.

Happy Friday Folks!