New Year's Eve 2012

Tonight we are going to Luther's parent's house to finish Christmas.  Clay and Colleen were in Michigan for Christmas this past week, so we are all going out there to give the kids gifts.  We are playing white elephant again because they missed it Christmas day.  This past year has had its ups and downs, but I am happy I had such a wonderful time with my family and friends.  For the most part, it has been a healthy year and I look forward to 2013 being even better.  I know the country is in a mess, but I can make good choices and keep my family safe from the "fiscal cliff."  I am a child of God and I have faith and trust that he will take care of my family and me.  I may not be rich monetarily, but I am rich in love!

Christmas

We woke up Christmas morning and Ryan opened his gifts.  It takes forever to wrap them and five seconds to unwrap them. Haha!  Luther made us eggs and biscuits for breakfast and we went out to his parent's house for lunch.  We had Mexican food for lunch, yum! After we ate, we opened gifts and we also played white elephant, which is always fun.  It was a fun relaxing day together. 

Doc Hess Classic 12.22.12

Saturday 12-22 was the Doc Hess Classic at Bryan High School.  Ryan had to be up at his school by 6 AM to leave on the bus.  Luther and I went up to Bryan High later because the tournament did not begin till 9 AM.  For Ryan's first match he got a bye so he didn't wrestle till about 10.  Honey, Papa, Brandon and Lindsay came up there too.  Ryan won his 2nd match by points.  He did not wrestle again till around 2.  He lost his 3rd and 4th match, but was upset because he pinned the guy in the 3rd match and the ref did not call it.  We are pretty sure he is right because I have photo evidence.  We just had to let him know that sometimes the refs make bad calls.  The rest of the team had a pretty hard day as well.  But, you win some, you loose some.

Sam Houston Tournament

Last Saturday, Ryan wrestled in the Sam Houston Tournament.  He ended 4 and 1.  They gave him a metal for second place, but he really tied for first.  The match he lost, he had beaten that boy in his first match.  It was really strange how they were placing the kids because there was no double elimination like most tournaments.  He still did outstanding and was super happy.  He won one match by 2 points and the other 3 by pins.  Papa, Honey and I went together...to Houston again. Luther was not able to go because he had to work...figures. The Cougar team place first in the tournament.  It was a great day for the team!

Yes, that is my son laying on the ground!

Pinterest Lamp shade

So, earlier this week, Luther helped me with another Pinterest project.  I added a lamp shade to my ceiling fan in the living room.  I needed Luther for his height, haha.  I love how it turned out, it looks so awesome.  I have another lamp shade and I am thinking of doing the same thing in my office upstairs.

12.12.12

Today is my birthday and it is 12.12.12! How fun is that?  My friends have been amazing sending me all kinds of birthday wishes.  Last night, Luther, Ryan and I went to Koppe Bridge to eat at my request.  I wanted an early birthday dinner at my favorite place to eat.  We had a nice time and even ran into some friends.  

For lunch on my birthday at work, we celebrated by ordering Jimmy John's.  I got toasted by high fiving our sandwiches.  It was cute! Wish I would have got a picture of that.

Cy-Ridge Classic

So Friday, we headed down to Houston for the Cy-Ridge Classic.  Ryan did not wrestle because he hurt his shoulder.  Coach let him decide and he decided to sit the tournament out so he would not get hurt any worse.  I think it was a wise decision.  This being said, the tournament was not as exciting since we did not have a child wrestling.  We cheered for the others and then headed back home around 9:30PM.  We stopped at Shake and Steak, which we have never been to.  It was very good and very inexpensive.  We got home and watched some TV and Luther picked up Ryan when the bus got to the school.  Ryan went with the team on Saturday back to the tournament, but we opted to stay home.  Ryan's shoulder seems to be doing better, so we will see if he wrestles Wednesday night.  

Humble Tri

Last night, Honey, Papa and I went to Humble (suburb of Houston) for Ryan's meet.  Luther could not go because he had to work and it is a 2 hour drive to Humble from College Station.  We stopped in New Caney and picked up Luther's great Aunt Hilda and his Aunt Lucy met us at Humble High School.  It was their first time to see a wrestling match.  Ryan fought hard, but he lost both his matches again.  In the second one, he had his opponent in pin position, but the kid broke out of it and then turned Ryan into a pin position and pinned him.  Ryan still gets very disappointed, but he really is doing well.  This year is just going to have to be another learning year since his team is so young and they are competing on the varsity level. I hope he can pull off a few more wins to boost his confidence.  He has his first tournament this weekend, so we'll see what that brings.  Today is tough for me because we got home so late and had to get up early for work. Tonight I have to help Ryan with another science project, making a DNA model and then I am going to bed as early as possible.

My Car

I got my car back this weekend.  It has been in the shop for 2 weeks with a blown head gasket.  Honey let me borrow her red convertible mustang while it was being worked on.  Her car is fun to be in and drive, but I was really glad to have my car again.  Not so happy to get the $1200.00 bill.  Christmas is going to be very tight this year. Oh well, on the bright side, my car is basically brand new under the hood, so it should last me another 100,000 miles!

Bryan Duals Tournament

Saturday was the Bryan Duals at Bryan High School.  Ryan had to be at CSHS at 8AM and we had to be at Bryan High at 10AM.  Honey, Papa, Lindsay, Brandon, Carl and Jackie Perry all showed up at the meet.  It was exciting to have everyone there.  I volunteered to help take pictures for Cougar Club and I think I was just a tad bit excited because I took over 1000 pictures.  I tried really hard to get everyone that wrestled and some of the shots were amazing!

Ryan lost his first match, then won his second by forfeit. He did really well, just couldn't pull it off.  His third match was with Consol and it was very exciting, but he lost that one too.  The third match was with Bryan and he lost as well. He did really good and lasted a while in each match.  He just has to realize, he is still a Sophomore and those other boys he is going up against are Seniors and Juniors and have more experience and strength.  We were super proud of him and I know he will get more wins this year.  He has improved so much and has nothing to be upset about even when he loses.

First Wrestling Meet of 2012

Last night we went to Huntsville High School for Ryan's first duals.  He lost his first match to Huntsville, but won his second to Willis, by a pin.  He was also voted one of the team captains yesterday and I know he was super excited about that because he told us at the beginning of the year that he really wanted to win a captain position.  This season is going to be very exciting. You can see the growth and improvements since last year and it's like watching a totally different kid.  

Luther and I are super proud of him and he is also getting all A's and B's in his classes! Here are some pictures and I must say, I got so excited when he was about to win that I had to put the camera down and cheer. Then, I completely forgot to take a picture of the ref holding Ryan's arm up.  I do think I will have many more opportunities to get that shot this year! Go Cougars and Go Ryan! (Oh and for all you wondering...I did not jump up and down and dance in the stands, but Ryan did say he could hear me yelling for him, LOL!)

Here is the article from the paper:

Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2012 12:06 am

Eagle Staff Report | 0 comments

HUNTSVILLE — The College Station wrestling team fell to Huntsville (46-36) and Willis (42-36) in a tri-meet Wednesday.

For College Station’s varsity boys, Cameron Ward (106 pounds), Reed Gorzycki (170), Ryan O’Banion (132) and Noah Burns (152) earned wins by pin. Brianna White earned two pin victories in the 138-pound weight class for the girls.

Benny Conrey (170) earned a pin for College Station’s JV boys, while Devin Ragsdale (152) won a 10-4 decision and Austin Mincher (182) won 14-12.

The Cougars will compete at Bryan on Saturday.

Crazy Monday

Wow, today was an absolutely crazy day for Luther.  One of his delivery cars was stolen and was involved in 2 hit and runs and basically was totaled.  Luther was beside himself because he had to let the delivery driver go since he left the keys in the vehicle.  This was one of Luther's best employees.  Here is the police statement: 

First Degree Felony Theft

Posted Date: 11/26/2012 8:15 PM

COLLEGE STATION POLICE DEPARTMENT
11/26/2012 - News Release: First Degree Felony Theft
CSPD #12-014740

On 11/26/12 at about 1501 hours, College Station police officers were dispatched to the area of Jones Butler Road and Harvey Mitchell Parkway South in reference to a major accident. While responding to the area, officers were advised that one of the vehicles involved was stolen out of Bryan.

Bryan Police Department advised that the suspect shoplifted from the Q Beauty at 506 N. Texas Avenue. As he fled the store, the suspect set off the theft detection system. It is unknown what was taken. The suspect then went to CARQUEST at 410 N. Texas Avenue and stole a CARQUEST delivery car from their parking lot that had the keys in it. As the suspect was driving the stolen vehicle, he hit another vehicle at W. Villa Maria Road and Wellborn Road and fled the scene of the accident. A witness followed until the suspect was involved in a second crash at Jones Butler Road and Harvey Mitchell Parkway South.

College Station Fire Department arrived at Jones Butler Road and Harvey Mitchell Parkway South and began checking the drivers for injuries. Before officers arrived on scene, the suspect entered and stole the ambulance, driving toward Holleman Drive. As the suspect was fleeing the area, he drove through the drive-thru of McDonald's at George Bush Drive and Marion Pugh Drive, striking a concrete pillar resulting in a third crash. Officers searched the area and the ambulance was located at the intersection of Holleman Drive and Carolina Street. The suspect was then taken into custody without incident at that location. Non-incapacitating injuries were reported.

The suspect has been identified as: Coty Joe Lohse
28 year old Bryan resident

Lohse is currently being charged with first degree felony theft due to the value of the ambulance being approximately $250,000. The case remains under investigation.


It just seems like it is one thing after another for poor Luther.  He told me he doesn't understand why the shit storm cloud has decided to camp out over him.  On a good note, Ryan's coach announced the varsity team and Ryan made it.  We were pretty sure he would, but it was still awesome news.

Thanksgiving 2012

On Thanksgiving, we went to Luther's Aunt Hilda's house.  All of the family was there and it was a nice peaceful time.  I was really excited about going this year because I really wanted to get out of town.

Friday, Luther had to work, so I spent the day getting my laundry caught up and some housework.  I had intended to work on the office some more, but that never worked out.  I need to get that finished so I can start on even more projects around the house. My head is full of so many ideas thanks to Pinterest.  Maybe this weekend...

Saturday, Luther had to work again and Ryan and I went to his school to watch a football playoff game.  Our friend, Gary Clack was here because his son's team is in the playoffs.  They are from Georgetown and the team was 11-0, now 12-0.  The game was very exciting because the other team was also undefeated.  Luther met us up at the field after work and Gary came over to watch part of the Aggie game with us before he headed home.  It was nice to visit with him.  The Aggies, yep they won again and Johnny Manziel is in the hunt for the Heisman.  If he wins, he will be the first freshman ever to win it. Go Johnny Football!

Sunday, we just kind of hung around the house and watched football and movies.  Ryan came down with a cold, so we were pumping him full of meds and vitamins.  It has been a battle this week getting him healthy because his first wrestling match is today.  I think he feels much much better.

Wrestling 101

Last night was Ryan's first wrestling event of the season.  It was supposed to be a match against Eastview, but they cancelled.  Coach Paul asked the ref to speak to the kids and parents about the rules, points and calls of wrestling matches.  He asked for a volunteer wrestler and Ryan volunteered.  

The ref showed different moves with Ryan and then asked for another volunteer wrestler.  He had them do sample moves and they actually did some real wrestling.  Ryan pinned the other boy several times.  It was awesome to watch because Ryan is looking so good.  I can't wait till the 28th for our next scheduled meet to see what Ryan does.  I have a feeling he is going to be amazing this year!

New Bedtime!

Last night we all had to go to bed at 9PM, yes 9PM!  Ryan has to be at school by 6AM for wrestling practice, so we all have to go to bed early, so we can get up at 5AM, yes 5AM!  Needless to say, I went to bed at 9PM, but did not get up till 6:30AM.  Luther is not going to handle this very long, so I better get cracking and get out of bed!

Happy Halloween!

I decided to be the Crazy Cat Lady this year for Halloween at work today. Happy Halloween!

Here is the rest of the crew:

Back Row: Lindsay, Cindy, Justin, Me and Caroline
Front Row: Jenny, Kellie and Teyler

Animal Cell Creation

This weekend, Ryan and I worked on his Biology project.  We had to create a animal cell model.  I think we were very inventive and it turned out very cool.  I think Ryan likes that he has a creative mother at times.

Finished Cell:

Bomb Threat

So today has been a crazy day to say the least! First, Big Tex burns and then at around 11:30 this morning we got a Code Maroon to evacuate campus by foot because of a general bomb threat. We had to walk to George Bush Drive, then we hopped a bus to Anderson Park, then hopped another bus to sorority row.  Our manager came and picked us up in a van.  We had 12 of us crammed into the van and went to our main office.  I almost got car sick, boy, that would have been fun!  We sat around the main office and had to return back to our office at 4:30. I will let you ponder that....

R.I.P. Big Tex

Sad news today! Big Tex was destroyed by fire. He was 60 years old and an icon at the Texas State Fair! So sad!

No Homecoming This year

Well... you know kids at this age. Last Saturday, Bri and Ryan broke up, so no Homecoming this year.  Ryan decided he was not going to ask anyone else and just save his money. So now, I am the owner of a lovely Homecoming Mum. Yay for me!  Regardless, it was fun to learn how to make one.

Homecoming Mum

This is the first year Ryan will be attending Homecoming, so I asked my Mother-In-Law to help me make a mum.  She has a lot of previous experience and she said yes she would help me.  Last weekend, my Mom and I went all over BCS visiting every craft store in town to get supplies.  It was difficult because Ryan's school is new and the stores did not have his colors in stock.  I found a homecoming supply store online at the Woodlands, so Saturday, Luther, Ryan and I went down there to find the rest of the supplies we needed.  After a family dinner on Sunday, Honey and I spent the afternoon making Ryan's mum and it turned out amazing! Thanks for all of your help Honey, I couldn't have done it without you!

I hope Bri likes it as much as we do!

Ryan's Birthday Weekend

This past weekend, my parents came down from Plano to visit for Ryan's Birthday.  His Birthday was Thursday, but they could not be here until the weekend.  Friday night, we hung out at the house and my Mom and I went to Koppe Bridge to pick up burgers for dinner.  I have her hooked on that place.  I think it is now her favorite place to eat when she is in town.  It was game day weekend, so it was packed and that is why we picked it up because no one wanted to stand in a long line and wait.  It was fine, we got some alone time and while we were gone, Luther hung up Ryan's new t.v. in his room for him.

Saturday, Luther had to work and my Dad did not feel like going anyplace (he wanted to watch the Penn State game), so my Mom and I ran around to all the craft stores buying stuff for a homecoming mum.  We found everything except the flower, which I will try to find in Houston next weekend.  The big problem was that Ryan's school just opened this fall, so no one had the right color purple.  Hopefully I can find one. I would even love to have silver. 

Saturday evening, Ryan had some of his friends over for pizza and then they went to the movies. The adults stayed home and watched a movie at home.  It was nasty wet.  

Sunday, my parents took us out to eat at TGI Fridays for Ryan's Birthday.  They told him he could pick a place to eat over the weekend their treat.  We went around 11:00 AM hoping to miss all the traffic.  It worked, the Aggies beat Arkansas, so a lot of people were still in bed recovering from all that the day before.  Friday's was really good and when we were done eating we drove over to Sam's Club to let my parents fill up the car and then they were on their way back home.  I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and Luther took Ryan to the gym to workout.  Sunday evening a lot of my shows had the season premiere on, so I really enjoyed my evening before having to get ready for another work week.

Ryan's 16th Birthday!

Yesterday was Ryan's 16th Birthday.  He asked me the night before to not wake him up and sing "Happy Birthday" to him, but my reply was that it is a mother's right to sing "Happy Birthday" to her child and I got the big eye roll.  Well, in the morning, I did not sing to him, but asked him for a Birthday hug instead.  At first, he didn't even want me to do that, but then I reminded him I could always just start busting out the tunes and boy his arms were around me in no time. I had to finish it off with a kiss on the cheek.

That afternoon, I left work at 2:00 PM and picked up Brandon. We went to Wal-Mart to buy Ryan a 39 inch television.  My parents, Luther's parents, Lindsay, Brandon, Clay and Colleen all pitched in for the t.v. and Luther and I paid the balance.  We put it in my back seat with a blanket over it and Ryan had no clue.

At 7:00 PM, we had everyone over to our house for ice cream cake.  Ryan picked out Cookies and Cream.  It was from Cold Stone Creamery and it was yummy! We ALL sang "Happy Birthday" to him before we cut the cake. I won! I got my Birthday hug and got to sing. We had him open all his cards and then made him close his eyes while Luther and Brandon went out to the car and carried his t.v. inside.  He was very surprised and loved it!  Honey and Papa told him they were giving him Papa's old white truck.  At first he didn't believe them, but then he was shocked and happy.

I think his 16th Birthday turned out really great! I just wish he wasn't growing up so fast!

Anniversary Weekend

Today is Luther and my 17th wedding anniversary.  We started out the weekend Friday evening by going to the CSHS football game.  It was so bad, we lost 42-0.  The team we played had 23 returning seniors and they were huge.  Our guys tried to hang, but it was hard to watch. I felt sorry for them.  It was no match for our poor freshman and sophomores.  

Saturday, Luther and I spent the afternoon looking for Ryan's birthday present.  He turns 16 on Thursday.  We spent the evening at home hanging out and watching the Aggies win 70-14. Luther made some awesome chicken tacos.

Today we hung out watching the red zone and checking our fantasy football teams. I might actually pull off a win this week.  Luther took Ryan to the gym to work on some wrestling and when he got back he helped me finish my latest pinterest project.  I made decorative upholstered panels for the wall. I sure do love pinterest and the great ideas!

My Finished Front Door

Here is my finished front door.....now on to the doorbell :)

Wrestling Parents Meeting

Last night, Ryan and I went to a parent wrestling meeting at his school.  Luther could not go with us because he had a training class to attend at work.   The meeting went really well and I really like his coach.  It looks like there will be a lot of boys on the team and it should be an exciting year.  I am so excited and can't wait for the season to start in November!  Go Cougars!

Front Door "wreath"

Today I was inspired to do my front door "wreath" that I have been planning on doing for months.  It turned out really cute.  I made a monogram O because I wanted something I could keep up all year, except Christmas, of course!  I have some other things O will be adding that are going to make it even more awesome. Guess, you will just have to wait and see.

Aggies and the SEC

Today was the Ags first game in the SEC. We played the Florida gators.  This town has been crazy since yesterday with excitement.  The Aggies have been tight lipped about the team, so everyone has been so anxious to see what the new team would do under Kevin Sumlin.  The first half was exciting and the Aggies played awesome.  We left the first half with the lead. Dunt, dunt, dunnnnn.  Next it was time for the second half and in true Aggie fashion, we lost our lead and the game.  Same ole Same ole.  Oh well, there's always next year..haha!

Unmotivated

I have had no motivation to loose weight for the past month or so.  To date, I have lost 27 pounds and I have been continuing to watch what I eat so I have not gained any back.  I am determined not to gain any back that I have already lost because it is so freaking hard to loose weight.  I'm not sure how I can get myself motivated to get going again, maybe when the weather gets cooler I can start exercising more.  I am extremely happy that I have been able to maintain my 27 pound loss and not have to redo what I have already done, but at the same time I want to dig deep in my soul and get started again. Only time will tell!

Labor Day Weekend

This past weekend, we had several visitors in our house.  First, Raven came to spend the night with us on Saturday, while Lindsay and Brandon spent the night in Houston.  She did really well and behaved herself.  Bristol was not too thrilled to have her there, but it went well.  Next, my parents came down from Plano to visit.  They got here Saturday evening and we went out to dinner at The Feed Barn with Luther Sr. and Mary Anne.  We had a great time eating and visiting.  We first met at Buffalo Wild Wings, but for some reason they were packed with an hour wait time.  Luther's Dad suggested The Feed Barn and it turned out great because there was no wait and it was not crowded at all.

Sunday morning, my Mom went with Luther and me to pick up groceries.  Our house was bare, so we had to go shopping.  We bought a pork roast and Luther seasoned it and put it in the crock pot with BBQ sauce for dinner.  It turned out really good.  We had BBQ sandwiches and I baked some french fries to go with the sandwiches.  Sunday, we mainly hung out at the house and watched some movies. My Dad had never seen Moneyball, so we watched that and Luther rented We Bought a Zoo.  I loved that movie, it was so cute.

Monday, Luther and I took off work, but Ryan still had to go to school.  Luther dropped Ryan off in the morning and then we went to breakfast with my parents at Cracker Barrel.  They left from the restaurant to go home and we ran to the mall to try to find a replacement part for Ryan's Xbox headset.  After that we just basically hung out for the rest of the day until it was time for Ryan to go to MMA.  I finished some laundry left from Saturday morning.

We had a nice weekend and it was nice to be off with Luther on Monday.

Look what I did!

Today, a girlfriend at the office turned 30, so I made this:

Happy Birthday Lindsay!

Fantasy Football

I was so excited Tuesday because our fantasy football league posted our drafts.  I am in a league that does an auto draft, so we do not take turns picking players.  I was extremely happy because I got Aaron Rodgers! I wanted him so bad.  I have been playing in this league for the past 4 or 5 years for fun with some friends who live all over the country.  Last year Luther joined us and this year Lindsay will be playing with us.

I hope with Aaron, I can do really well this year. Last year was not so good for me.  In the past, the highest I finished was second and that was so amazing.  I hope to have another year like that! I get so excited on game day watching the NFL Red Zone.  I also get a little stressed when I have to make my weekly lineup, but I just remind myself, it's just a game and it's just for fun.  But, It sure is nice to end the season with Bragging Rights! Oh, and my team name is Nadda Clue :).

First day of 10th Grade

Monday was Ryan's first day of 10th grade and his first day in a new school. College Station opened a new High School this year. He impressed me because he said he wanted to be at school by 7:30.  He was up, ready and bright eyed and bushy tailed.  He even asked me when I would be ready so we could leave.  I told him not to worry, I would get him there on time.

We left and I was a little worried about traffic, but it turned out amazing!  I go the opposite way of last year and miss 2 school zones that were always packed.  There is barley any traffic at his school and it is so easy to get out and get onto Wellborn Road.  In fact, I have been getting to work so early that I have to kill time before I am allowed to clock in.

Ryan walks home from school and the walk is only 10-15 minutes tops, so that works out nice for him.  Last year he had to ride the bus or sit around waiting on Luther or I to get off of work.

He said he likes his classes and teachers, but he is a little worried about Spanish class.  I told him not to worry and that I could help him.  I took 2 years in High School and 2 years in college.  He asked me if I was sure I could help because "Mom, hasn't it been over 10 years since you took Spanish?"  I said it will come back to me and I remember quite a bit.  In fact, this morning I helped him learn a sentence in Spanish to say in class to get some extra credit. Yo tango pero negro- I have a black dog. Yay me!  I think he was impressed actually.

There was one hiccup with wrestling.  They told him he needed a physical by Friday or he was off the team and he and some other boys were not allowed to practice and had to sit out in the hallway during athletics.  We got that straightened out with his Coach and they are transferring his physical from Consol because they are good for 2 years.  We filled out the rest of his paperwork last night and he should be good to go today for practice.  

I can't wait to see him tonight to ask him about wrestling practice and how Spanish went!  I think it is going to be another great year for him!

10th Grade Orientation

On Wednesday, the 15th Ryan and I attended his orientation for 10th Grade.  It was a long afternoon, but exciting.  First, we met in the auditorium and broke into groups.  Our group took a tour of the school first.  Let me rephrase that, we took a partial tour of the school. CSHS is the largest high school in the state of Texas (building wise).  One part of the building is 4 stories tall and the other is 3.  Needless to say, we went up and down and up and down and up...  It was a stair master workout for me! Thursday, my calves were a little sore.

Next, our group went back to the auditorium to hear the principle speak.  He gave us the expectations and rules.  Ryan was a little bummed when he found out he can't wear his OU lanyard. Then our group went to pick up school ID's.  Once we got through that line we were taken to another room to get in SEVERAL lines to turn in all sorts of paperwork.

Once we finished all those lines, we were led to ANOTHER line to get Ryan's schedule.  Then MORE lines.... Pre-paid for lunches, got the most important CSHS window decal for my car and so on.  We still had one MONSTER line left after these... books!  It was the longest of them all and it didn't help that their computers went down and they had to do everything manually.  

It was very exciting. His new school is amazing!

Ryan and I are in this picture that was posted to CSHS' Facebook site.  We are at the Food Services table. I am in a red shirt and Ryan is standing next to me in all white.

A Very Sad Day in Aggieland

Today was a sad day because a constable was shot and killed while serving eviction papers to a man in College Station.  It happened in a neighborhood a few blocks away from where I work.  Another officer was shot in the leg and two others were injured by shrapnel.  A 43 year old man was killed and another woman was shot and is in critical condition at the hospital.  The gunman was firing a semi-automatic weapon at the police and the others for about a 30-minute period.  The police shot him and he later died, he was 35 years old.

It is not my place to judge and what he did was not acceptable.  I just wonder sometimes what it is that make people do senseless things and they feel the only option is to hurt innocent people.  Just like the shooting in Colorado, this was just senseless.  In fact any outright killing spree or even killing of one other human being is senseless.  I just don't understand why people think killing other innocent people is the only answer.

This officer had a wife and children.  I don't know the story on the other resident, but the rumor on the woman is that she was here helping her daughter move in for school.  I cried tears today and my heart was broken for these families. I will be praying for all the families that lost a loved one, all the families that have injured family members and all of our police officers in the community because they are all hurting tonight and will be for some time to come.

This is the timeline from CSPD:

Fidelity Street Shooting Timeline

Posted Date: 8/17/2012 2:30 PM

Since Monday, Aug. 13 College Station Police Department officers and investigators, along with investigators from multiple other agencies have been working around the clock in an effort to gather information and evidence in this case.
The College Station Police Department has been assisted by the following agencies during the initial call and the subsequent investigation: Bryan Police Department, Brazos County Sheriff's Office, Texas A&M University Police Department, Brazos County Constable Offices, City of College Station Marshall's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Division, Texas DPS Emergency Management, Texas DPS State Crash Team, Texas DPS Aircraft Section, Texas Ranger Company A, Texas Ranger Company B, and Texas Ranger Company F.
As a result of the continued investigation, the following timeline of events has been determined. Note that the times provided are approximate times.
12:11 p.m.- First 911 call received. Caller advised that an officer had just been shot and he thought that his girlfriend (Holdsworth) had been shot also. Numerous 911 calls were received including a call reporting that Northcliffe had been shot.

• Holdsworth was shot as she pulled her vehicle into a driveway in the 600 block of Highlands.
• Northcliffe was next to a parked vehicle in the 600 block of Highlands when he was shot.
• Witnesses also told police that the suspect approached Constable Bachmann, after shooting him and removed his duty weapon from his gun belt.
• During this same time period a civilian in the 600 block of Highlands fired 5-6 rounds from a small caliber handgun towards the suspect.

12:14 p.m.- First officers arrive on scene and approach from Maryem Street. They immediately come under fire from the suspect.
12:18 p.m.- Additional units begin arriving and set up a perimeter.

• Shortly after arriving on scene Officer Oehlke was shot in the calf by the suspect.

12:28 p.m.- Two officers arrive at Park Place and Fidelity. Using a patrol vehicle as cover they attempt to reach Holdsworth and Northcliffe.
12:30 p.m.- Two SWAT officers arrive on scene and formulate a react plan.
12:35 p.m.- Suspect is shot and secured by CSPD officers.
Between 12:14 and 12:35 p.m. the following incidents occurred:

• The suspect continually fires rounds at officers from his front porch.
• The suspect retreats into his house between rounds of fire.
• Several firearms were recovered from the suspect's house including Constable Bachmann's service weapon. It does not appear that Constable Bachmann's weapon had been fired. The suspects weapons are described as follows:
• Dragunov 7.62x54 semi-automatic sniper rifle
• SA vz. 58 7.62 mm assault rifle
• 40 caliber Glock Model 35 pistol
• Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle
• In excess of 65 rounds were fired by the suspect during the incident.
• The number of rounds fired by law enforcement officers are still being determined.

School Shopping

This weekend was full of school shopping for Ryan. On Saturday, we went to JC Penny here in town because I got a text they were having a huge clearance sale.  We decided to go this weekend because next weekend is the tax free weekend in Texas and there was no way we wanted to fight the crowds. Plus, we thought we could get to the stuff before it was all picked through.  We found several shorts marked down to $10.00 and several that Ryan liked.  I never buy anything for Ryan if he is not with me because he is super picky!  He also went up a pant size, so that was good to know.

Sunday morning, we decided to drive to Houston to go to the outlet mall.  Luther wanted to get there when it opened to hopefully miss some of the crowd and the heat.  We did really good there too.  We found several shirts on clearance and on sale and he got 2 hoodies for the price of one.  We were not really looking for hoodies, but we could not pass up the great price and we knew he would wear them.  They were also Under Armor brand, so that made the deal even sweeter!

The only thing we have left to buy are his shoes for school, running shoes for practice and wrestling shoes.  We have a little time on the wrestling stuff because they don't start competing until November.  We will probably get them in September or early October so he can break them in.

Tooth Nightmare!

Friday night was a looooong night to say the least.  Ryan's mouth was so sore, he just could not get relief.  He even developed a fever which had me worried.  He was so upset and in pain he asked if he could sleep with me.  I told him to sleep on the couch and then he would be close to my room if he needed anything.  He woke me up several times during the night begging for more pain meds, but there was one time he was too early and I told him I couldn't give him anymore for another hour.  Well, an hour later he woke me up and he asked for Nyquil instead of pain meds.  I gave him some and that finally did the trick an put him to sleep.  We both did not wake up till almost 10:00 the next morning.  When he woke up he had no more pain and no more fever.  His top lip was swollen and his gums above the tooth that hurt had a huge bruise.    He felt much better, but was dizzy, so I got some food in him and he took it easy for the next few hours and was fine after that.  Boy what an experience!

Poor Ryan!

This week has been kind of traumatic for Ryan. First, there was his missing wallet, then today he had to have an emergency dental appointment.  He was scheduled to have his teeth cleaned next Thursday, but yesterday he told us that his front tooth was killing him and he woke up 3 times during the night.  I called the dentist and they happened to be able to fit him in this morning.  We spent 3 1/2 hours at the dentist office this morning.  The appointment began at 8:00 and he got his teeth cleaned, but then we had to wait around to see the dentist and get the tooth that was hurting so bad filled.  Ryan has been doped up on Tylenol and Advil for the past two days, so I hope this will do the tick and he will have some relief finally!

Ryan's Missing Wallet

When I got home from jury duty yesterday, Ryan was asking me if I had seen his wallet.  I knew I had seen him with it when I gave him his allowance the last time, but other than that I had no clue.  He is very careful about keeping it in the same place and he only takes it on him when we are going somewhere and he is buying something.


We checked the kitchen and living room, both cars and his room.  We even had him bring down all his dirty clothes and Luther and I went through them one by one to see if they were in a pocket somewhere. No such luck! We even called a few places we went in the past week to see if it was turned in. Again, no such luck.


My heart was broken for him because he had saved some allowance money and he has been doing some extra jobs to earn a little cash here and there.  All I can say is it is one of those hard lessons in life and he will just have to learn from it.  


Well, I called our bank and asked about minor checking accounts for Ryan and they have them, so it looks like we will be visiting our bank on Saturday morning and he will get his first bank account!

Jury Duty

On August 1st, I had jury duty in the afternoon beginning at 1:00.  I went to work in the morning, then took my lunch and headed to the courthouse. I have been to jury duty before, but they never got to the questioning of the jurors because the defendant decided to settle and we were all dismissed.  That day there were also 200 people there for the case.


This was completely different, there were only 28 people to select from, so chances were high to be selected.  It was a DWI case and I had no idea the defendant would be present through out the selection process.


The first couple of hours, the prosecutor spoke to us and asked questions.  We were given about a 10-15 minute break and then the defendant's attorney asked some more questions. I think I was let go because they asked if we were related to anyone in current or past law enforcement.  And of course, my father in law had a long career in College Station. The jury was picked right before 5:00 and the rest of us were dismissed.  Judge Locke stopped me on the way out of the courtroom and asked me to say hello to Luther, my father in law.


I don't mind jury duty and I thought the whole thing was interesting. I really enjoyed it and I don't even think I would mind being picked.  That's just the political science major coming out in me. Haha!

Charlsie's Wedding on the Beach

Charlsie and Josh's wedding was so beautiful on the beach.  It was in the evening at 7:30, but it started late.  There was a storm rolling in and the ceremony finished just in time before the rain hit.  

She looked absolutely beautiful and so happy.  There were some very moving and tender moments during the ceremony. They had a reception in another location at an outdoor pavilion.  We got stuck in Seawall traffic because we did not know how to get to the reception by back roads.  This was the most frustrating part of the evening because it took about an hour to drive maybe 5 miles. Everything was so much fun, but it was so dang hot.  At the reception, they had dinner, dancing and CAKE!

We probably stayed till about 11ish and then just couldn't take the heat any longer.  It was still fun celebrating and being with family.

Congratulations Charlsie and Josh!

Charlsie, Josh and Peyton Trahan

Galveston

On Friday, July 27th, we took off for Galveston after work.  We were going for a family wedding, Charlsie and Josh.  My next post will have the details and pictures of their beautiful wedding, but this one is about everything else we did.


We had the car packed Thursday evening for the most part so we could leave as soon as Luther and I got off work on Friday.  We left town and on the way out went through a drive through to grab a bite to eat.  There was no way we would make it to Galveston without eating. I had my lunch earlier in the day around noon and Luther was so busy at work, he didn't get a lunch. We decided to take the tollway once we got in Houston to make sure we did not get stuck in traffic.


I guess we arrived at our hotel around 9ish and Brandon got there about the same time we did.  We were staying with Papa and Honey in their room and when we got there, Clay and Colleen and the kids were there waiting on us.  We had no clue, but there had been plans made for the whole family to go eat at the Rainforest Cafe.  We quickly unloaded Moose's kennel and put him in there and we were off to dinner.  We were not hungry, so we decided we would order a desert to share.

Front Entrance

The Gator in the water

The Gator with his mouth open

 There were so many of us, we had to sit at 3 tables.

It was a lot of fun visiting with everyone. I sat with Charlsie, Lucy, Hilda, Kayli and her mom.  Luther and Ryan sat with Honey, Papa, Kelley, Mike, Mitchell and Adam. Lindsay, Brandon, Clay, Colleen, Garrett and Payton sat at the other table. When they brought out the deserts, the staff made Charlsie, Lindsay and Kayli's mom stand and flutter like butterflies in the forrest because of birthdays and a wedding.  That was funny to watch.  They were all 3 good sports about it!  It was very late when we were done and we just went back to the hotel and finished unloading the car and went to bed.


We were sharing a room with Honey and Papa, so it was very interesting.  The room had 2 double beds and Luther and I are used to sleeping on a queen.  Let's just say we were very close.  And of course, Moose had to sleep on the bed at our feet.  I'm glad we all love each other.  Ryan slept on a blow up twin we brought with us.  We found out the next morning it had a slow leak.


The hotel was nice, it was the La Quinta on the east seawall.  You could see the ocean from our front door.  It was on a corner with a signal light, so it was very easy to cross the street to the beach.

Saturday morning we woke up and the hotel offered free breakfast.  The boys went down to check it out, but came back with McDonald's because they didn't like what was there.  It was a continental breakfast, not a full breakfast.


We got dressed and Mary Anne and Lindsay went with Lucy, Hilda, Kelley and Charlsie to do wedding stuff.  Honey was making all the bouquets for the wedding that morning with fresh flowers. We went with Papa, Brandon, Clay, Colleen and the kids to The Strand to check it out.  


The Strand was really cool, but not much of a kid place, so it didn't take long for them to get bored.  It was a lot of shops, bars and restaurants.
 It's really neat because it is historical Galveston and the buildings are old and beautiful.  It reminds me of New Orleans, but much much wider streets. It was rather hot, but we still had a fun time together.

This is the view from where we parked.

A building across the street from where we parked. 

Beautiful old buildings

You could really move these and play chess.

Haha, I kissed Justin Beiber!

 The Justin Bieber story is funny.  Ryan can't stand him and I am always teasing him about the Bieber.  This one shop had a life size cardboard of him and Ryan was not with me.  I asked Brandon to take a picture of me and the Bieb just for Ryan.  When he took the picture, he told me to act like I was going to kiss him and it turned out super funny.  We showed Ryan when we caught up to him and he just rolled his eyes. Brandon and I got a good laugh out of it!


We were also going into another shop and there was a couple sitting outside on a bench with their huge dog.  The dog lunged at the kids and scared them a bit, but they were fine and the owners had a good hold of the dog and called his name.  I thought they said his name was Moose and I asked them. It was and I told them my dog's name was Moose, but he was a little poodle. They laughed at that.


When we got back to the hotel, it was about noon. Clay, Colleen and the kids decided to go swimming in the hotel pool.  I went to Lucy's room and helped Hilda with the table decorations.  When I finished that we decided to go to lunch next door at Denny's with Papa, Lindsay and Brandon.  After lunch,  Ryan, Luther and I decided to walk down the seawall to Murdoch's.  It is a big souvenir shop on the seawall over the ocean.  It was destroyed when hurricane Ike came through Galveston, but they rebuilt a new and bigger one.

Murdoch's

The breezeway at Murdoch's

The walk wasn't too bad. It was hot, but we had an ocean breeze.  We walked around and I bought some wooden wind chimes for $10.00.  I had seen some earlier at The Strand just like them, but they were $25.00, so I could not pass them up for this price.  We got some slushies and sat on some chairs in the breezeway when we were done looking around.  It was really neat and you could feel the waves under the building. Once we finished our drinks we headed back to the hotel.  I must say the walk back was not nearly as much fun as the walk to Murdoch's.

We got back to the room and found out Moose and Papa had an adventure of their own while we were gone.  Moose scratched Papa's arm (not on purpose) and he had to get Honey to come doctor it up.  The door was left open and Moose got out, so they had to get Lindsay to come to our room and help find Moose. There was a bit of anxiety, but everything turned out fine. Lindsay found him still on the second floor, but on the other side of the hotel.  

We all took turns at this point getting ready for the wedding.  It was on the beach at 7:30 with the reception following.  My next post is all about the wedding.

Sunday morning, we got up and went to breakfast with Honey, Papa, Lindsay and Brandon.  Oh, I forgot to mention that somehow I got the pleasure of sleeping on the leaking mattress with Moose that evening. It wasn't too bad. I slept well and did not even know it was deflated till I woke up, but once you wake up, that's it unless you blow it up again.  Anyway, we packed and left after breakfast because Luther wanted to drive to Surfside and show Ryan the beach houses. Boy, were they awesome!

It was a great time with family and it was nice to be at the beach.  I would love to go back sometime and visit when we can spend the whole time just hanging out.