A Summer of Ups and Downs

This summer has been a very busy summer.  I can't believe August is already here, which means I return to work in 21 days.  I have loved being at home this summer, getting to do things with the boys. 

June was a month of winding down from the school year.  We didn't do much of anything but go through closets and clean!  The boys attended the Ricebird Baseball Camp for the second year in a row and LOVED it.  Eli was very proud of himself for not getting overheated and sick like he did last year!!!  I had workshops to attend in Victoria and then did EOC review for the freshman who didn't pass the test. 

July was a bittersweet month.  The first week of July, my Nanie took a turn for the worst.  She stopped eating/drinking and began sleeping about 90% of the day, every day.  We weren't exactly sure how long she was going to be with us.  I went about my daily routine and prepared for VBS at our church, gearing up for my 1st and 2nd graders.  We went several days of thinking "this is the day" but nanie would always pull through. On July 5th, I went for my daily visit to nanie.  Her eyes were open so I rushed up to her.  She tried to talk and I noticed her mouth was really dry.  Mom told me she wouldn't let anyone clean her mouth.  Well, I wasn't going to let that happen.  I asked her sitter for all the supplies and surprised everyone when Nanie allowed me to brush her teeth and get her mouth cleaned up!  Before I left for the evening, I noticed Nanie was still awake.  So, I did as I always did, and went up to her and said "I love you!"  She looked at me for a second and then whispered in the best voice she could, "I love you, too!"  I lost it right then and there.  I knew at that moment, if she didn't make it through the night, I would always know that I was able to tell her "I love you" one last time.  On July 7th, I decided to get a tattoo in her honor.  I got a mauve colored rose tattooed on the inner side of my right leg.  NEVER had I ever thought I would get a tattoo.  We were in Galveston, enjoying a day as a family and I got a "wild hair".  I was going to get guardian angel wings but they were too big.  So, I decided on the rose.  Mauve  - Nanie's favorite color and a rose - her favorite flower.  Well, we got home that Saturday evening and of course, I went and showed her the tattoo on Sunday.  Though she couldn't comprehend what I was saying, I was able to explain my reasoning for doing it.  She will always be with me!  Well, fast forward to Tuesday, the 12th.  I got a call from my mom, saying Nanie wasn't doing good and to come up to Wincrest but leave the boys with a friend.  I rushed to Wincrest and got there around 12:45pm.  For the next hour, we prayed over Nanie and waited.  It was shortly thereafter that Nanie took her last breath.  Though it was very hard being there when she passed, it was also very comforting to know that I got to be with her until the very end.  I look back on it now and think about a few things.  It had been pouring down rain all day long.  Then, around 1:30pm, the rain let up.  I think Nanie was waiting for the rain to stop so her hair wouldn't get messed up!  :)  She was always dressed to the best and did NOT like getting her hair messed up!  The same thing happened for her funeral.  It had been raining like crazy but it stopped the day of her funeral and was nice and sunny. 

The month of August brings us much happiness!  On the 10th, Steve is leaving WCEC to take a full-time professor position with WCJC.  He will be teaching computer science classes at the Wharton, Richmond and Sugar Land campuses.  We can't wait for this new chapter of our lives to begin.  The boys and I are looking forward to having Steve home more often and being able to take mini-vacation trips on the weekends without having to worry about him being on-call!  We are gearing up for our summer vacation in a couple of weeks and can't wait to surprise the boys. They know we are going on vacation, but have NO clue as to where we are going!!!!  I'll be sure to post pics after we get back!!!!

Until then...enjoy what's left of your summer!
Stephanie :)

Bathroom remodel

Well, what started out to be a spring break project has turned into a totally different/difficult ordeal!  We have been wanting to take down the wallpaper in our bathroom ever since we moved into the house in 2008.  But we either never got around to it, or didn't want to tackle that task.  Well...with the help of my oldest, who LOVES a hot bath and LOTS of humidity created by those hot showers, the paper started to peel.  So, after a while, I told Steve that I wanted to go ahead and tackle the bathroom.  He gave me the go ahead and we started taking down the wallpaper.  Well...I couldn't stop there.  :)  I decided to see how easy it would be to take out the pink-tiled counter top and back splash.  SUPER EASY!  So I thought!  Got the tiles taken off and then we had concrete and wire to deal with.  Steve then used his MIGHTY strength and got all the concrete and wire taken off.  After that, Steve taped and floated the entire bathroom and now has the entire room sanded and ready to texture!!!  Hopefully tomorrow, he will be able to texture in the next day or two and we can then install our new counter top.  Once that is done, I can paint!!!  and we can get everything put back in...sink and toilet!!!  I don't have any pictures to download right now because they are all on my phone.  But...I will be posting soon!

Baseball season is upon us!

Well...Baseball season is in the air!  It has definitely taken up the majority of the week days on our calendar!  Whether it is practice or games, we are busy with baseball all week long in the Lyford household!  O is on the Colts this year, with Steve managing the team.  He is one of THREE 8-yr olds on a team consisting of eight 7-yr olds!  Needless to say, there is a LOT of learning going on for those who haven't played pee-wee pitching machine yet!  I'll admit I get aggravated at times with kids who don't care, I have to remember that this is the first year for many of these boys and they are learning!  E is on the Bucks again this year.  That wasn't planned at all, just happened!  He is LOVING t-ball all the way!!!  In fact, at Friday's game he it a fly ball to the outfield and shocked himself by doing it.  His facial expression was priceless!  Though this post has no pictures, I am done with press box duties for a while, so I will get to take out my camera and get some good shots of them!!!

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole

Only one word can describe this recipe...DELICIOUS!  My entire family LOVED it, including my parents!  Steve made this recipe a few weeks ago, but since I am not the one who prepared it, I didn't post it.  But, this past Thursday I did make it and wanted to share!  If you like chicken, cheese and crescent rolls, this IS the recipe for you!  I served it with salad and NONE of it was left!!!

Chicken Crescent Roll Cassrole