Winter - Feb. 2011

Snow A red bird

2 doves

And very cold outside
the pictures say it all

Wiggets for people with Cancer

In October of '10 I learned to make Wiggets for people who have lost their hair due to Cancer treatment - I do this in honor of those many friends who had and have cancer - I started making them and donating them to The Cancer Center in Arlington. Marcie likes to sit outside and in Texas you can do that mostly all year round - so when we sit outside I crochet these hats and when I get 30 or so made I take them to The Cancer Center.

So many people have done for us over the years it makes me feel good to do for others by donating these crocheted Wiggets.

"Don't Ever Give Up"

When Marcie was first Diagnosed with ALS in 1994 we saw this picture hanging in one of the rooms of the doctors offices we visited - actually we saw it in the room where she had her breathing evaluated so I ask for a copy of it. Marcie colored it when she still had the use of her hands and fingers and then I shrunk it and I attach it too all the Wiggets I donate.

So in this way she is helping me send a message to others with a serious illness.Most of the Wiggets are made out of fun fur.

Rose Bowl Parade on New Years Day in Pasadena, California

Building Dreams Friendships & Memories is truly what the All Birdville Marching Band did when they were in the Rose Bowl Parade on January 1, 2011 in Pasadena, California. The 3 high schools from North Richland Hills, Texas marched as one big band - 550 members strong. Spending a week in California seeing sights before the big parade the day before they came home - back to Texas. 9th. - 12th graders were in this band. Paula Deans with her husband was the Grand Marshall of the parade.
And here they come - I think they were #10 in the parade so they were right at the beginning of the parade.
Flying that TEXAS flag proudly as they marched down the parade route!

All the drum majors from the 3 high school bands lead this All Birdville Band in the parade with the trumpet players right behind them. The drums were in the middle of the band so the 550 members could keep in step. My grandson plays the trumpet - I know where he marched in the line up so I think I see him in this picture.
Thanks to Kimba who took these pictures for me - she and her family were in California for the TCU game - I ask her is she was going to the game which was a silly question knowing what huge fans they are of TCU then I ask her if they were going to the parade and if so would she take some pictures of this band for me . Thanks muchly my friend -

All their hard work for the months before the parade paid off - they had fun, a great experience and a safe trip to and form California. Thank you God for taking care of this group of young people and all the teachers, parents and brothers and sisters who went along on this trip.

Bandfest in California - as it was happening !

One neat thing about the Internet -Marcie, my husband and I were able to watch Bandfest as it was happening in Pasadena California by way of our computer as we sat in our den in Texas. It was neat to know they were preforming at the exact same time were were watching them. Bandfest is where all the bands that are in the Rose Parade preform. They did not wear their hats this day so we could pick out our grandson since we knew exactly were he stood on the field as they preformed and where he was in the line up as they marched by - but we had to look fast~ The ALL Birdville Marching Band - as seen on my comptuer.

Then came Christmas!

With the help of my grandson we got the Christmas tree decorated and ready for our family from Waco to come on Christmas Eve. We had about 25 people for Christmas Eve dinner. No I did not cook -everyone brought something and then deli trays for the most part.

Trying to catch up over this past year!

The fall of 2010 brought high school football games ---and half time

We can watch the band from up high in a walk way out of the way of other people so Marcie can see very well as the bands preform at half time.

Rose Bowl Parade Practice
The three high school in Birdville ISD (Birdville High School, Haltom High School and Richland High School) were invited to march as one band in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena California on New Years day -they worked very hard for this event raising money for their trip and 3 bands practicing to march as one band with 550 members strong.

On Thursday before Christmas Day the ALL BIRDVILLE TX Marching Band had a practice parade down Mid Cities Blvd. in North Richland Hills.
The next day the kids had to pack their simi (each band had a simi truck) truck with their suit cases and band instruments since they were not going to check any luggage on the airplane.

Band members and family members left for California the day after Christmas or maybe it was the Monday after Christmas - 18 buses took people filling 18 airplanes heading to California to DFW - all leaving at various times of the day - about 50 students and parents went on each bus and each airplane - this way they did not have to charter an airplane. About 1,00o band and family members made this fun filled weeks trip - every day they were busy once they landed in California.

They even marched in Disney's Parade I believe that Thursday before New Years Day.

Here is part of the trumpet section lined up like toy solders about to march down Mid Cites Blvd. in front of a crowd of well wishers. The days leading up to the parade had been warm but the day of the parade was cold, damp and windy so Marcie watched the parade from our van. But she was warm and out of the weather.
After the practice parade they marched into Birdville Stadium to preform what they would play at Band Fest in California the Wed. before New Years Day.

The school district bought all new uniform for this combined fantastic band.

And yes I had a grandson in this band.

Kenney Chesney Concert - we were there !

My family of 11 and 6 friends of Marcie's went to the Kenny Chesney concert this past Satutday night - thanks to some wonderful friends from our church- North Davis Church of Christ - they gave us a a suite at Cowboy Stadium - that is the only way we could take Marcie to a concert - pictures to follow another day, hopefully !

Up date soon to come - maybe

Where has the time gone - summer of 2010 is gone so has fall of that year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, football season (watching the high school band), New Years and the Rose Parade in CA (again watching the All Birdville TX band in the parade) and now spring of 2011. One day I will catch up this poor ol' blog.

107 degrees in Dallas / Ft. Worth today

107 degrees today but the heat index was 109

Nothing more to say than it is HOT -

85 degrees in my house with air conditioner on and also fans turned on in every room!

Arlington's 4th. of July Parade

Debbie Souder just sent this to me from the parade this morning -Jane and I walking behind the float - Thanks Debbie for this picture ! It was taken towards the end of the parade.