My Synchro Team Turns 30

There's no doubt in my mind that each of my four kids will be involved in sports. They'll be able to try a variety of activities—starting soon, even, now that they're getting older (3) and bigger!—and hopefully they'll find something they enjoy, get excited about or display a natural talent for. But more importantly, I want them to learn all the things that being involved in a sport has taught me over the years.

Swimming certainly played a very huge and impactive role on my life, ever since the age of seven. That's the year I joined The Pirouettes of Texas (PTX), a synchronized swimming team that was then based in Irving. I loved the water and one of our neighbors at the time saw a flyer for the team then immediately brought it to my mom and insisted I needed to try it out! I truly did enjoy my first practice with them, but I thought the caps and nose clips were pretty weird. And the goggles they made back then tended to take up half your face and make you look like a bug, ha. But it didn't take long before I got on the band wagon with all the getup and was swimming away like a fish.

Swimming with my team earned me several life long best friends, many of whom I've now known for 23 years—including my coaches! I learned how to apply myself, set goals to accomplish, work hard, stay dedicated to the cause, be a member of the team, push myself both mentally and physically and support those around me as well as display good sportsmanship and set an example for younger swimmers coming behind me.

It was hard for me to leave the sport behind, I was nearly 18 and ad suffered a slipped disc in my lower back that caused me a lot of pain and made day-to-day life pretty difficult. After much therapy and many treatments at Scottish Rite hospital, I finally made a fair recovery but it came at the price of stopping swimming. The doctors warned me that if I didn't let my back recover, I would end up having to get my vertebrae fused together. Eek! I had harbored hopes of swimming through college or possibly even doing more, but I decided to take a different route and pursue my college education in Texas and follow my second passion of journalism. Thankfully, I've had minimal back issues ever since finishing treatment and even survived my quadruplet pregnancy fairly well—the extensive bed rest probably kept a lot of the stress off my back, I figure.

Through all those years of swimming, I learned a lot about myself and certainly grew as a person and a teammate. It helped me become strong, independent, strong willed and driven. And, like I mentioned above, I am still best friends with pretty much all my teammates and many of us live within close distance of each other today! We all have regular get-togethers and coordinate meet-ups when everyone's in town for special events, holidays and such. It's such a special bond and one that we will always share!

Celebrating the 30 year anniversary for PTX was such a fun, special night! We caught up with swimmers and coaches, both former and new, enjoyed watching photos from over the years, ate, drank and laughed together, honored several former PTX members by inducting them into the team hall of fame and I believe there were a least a few hundred selfies snapped.

all the swimmers and coaches (both former and current)  in attendance for the 30th anny party

my longtime coach, megan (left), and my mom!

myself, my mom and former ptx head coach patti—who founded the team in 1985

myself and megan

A couple years ago, we teamed up again to compete in the Masters synchronized swimming championship in 2008, which was held in Las Vegas that year. (A big part of what motivated us to compete, a trip to Sin City!) We ended up taking the gold and it was so awesome to be back in the pool swimming with my girls again, and we hope to do that again in the coming years.

Now with careers and jobs, spouses, kids and family, we've all certainly gotten busy with life but still keep in touch regularly and talk online just about every single day. We support each other through all the challenges and celebrations in life from near and far and I cherish my teammates and my beloved sport so much!

Here's a video I worked (many long hours) on and assembled for the official 30 year anniversary party this past weekend. It brought back a lot of memories and laughs, and you can also get a good look at the sport of synchro and the history of our team! Go Big Red!

PTX Synchronized Swimming Team 30 Year Anniversary Tribute from Texas Take on Vimeo.

I wore a red dress in support of my team—our colors are red and white—and loved every second of such a special evening. (The husband unfortunately couldn't attend since he was on quad duty that night and did an awesome job of keeping the kids. They all ended up in the front yard running through the sprinklers before showers and a freshly cooked meal he made all himself!)

Needless to say, I am grateful for swimming, for synchro, my awesome coaches and my team. I wouldn't be who I am today without them! May my love of the water never end!

{Weekend Recap} Cowboy Up!

This past weekend we were up and running as soon as our feet hit the floor. Harrison had been poking his fingers in his ears for a couple days, although he didn't have any congestion and wasn't pulling at them, but we decided it'd gone on long enough and wanted to get him in to the pediatrician to rule out an ear infection. We also had a vet appointment for our white lab, Shiner, who's allergies have kicked into high gear and he needed some adjustments made on his medicine. I rescheduled that one for a little later and we fed the babies breakfast then I whisked Harrison away to the doc—even though I almost tried to take him to the veterinarian. Hard to keep track sometimes! Little man loved getting to run around the empty waiting room, only trying to escape once or twice. The kids are getting tall enough to reach door knobs and handles and they've watched us open them enough times to start getting the hang of it. Time to child-proof entries and exits now, too!

Fortunately an ear infection wasn't the culprit, his top molars were just starting to come in and the doctor credited itchy, bothered ears to pressure from that. Shiner got some help with his allergies and we spent the rest of Saturday playing with babies, watching TV and hanging out as a family. 

Sunday morning my mom and step-dad came over so the husband and I could go to a Cowboys football game. I'd given him the tickets a few weeks ago as a surprise for our seventh anniversary (Sept. 30) and we'd really been looking forward to it. Anytime we leave for longer than two to three hours, I have to work a little harder to get everything prepped and ready. I pre-made the quads' lunch and snacks, had them all dressed right after breakfast and prepped their cribs with toys and blankets for nap time. My mom and LD did a great job of keeping them all happy and entertained while we were gone and I could rest easy knowing they had everything they needed.

The game was a lot of fun! It was our second time to the new AT&T Stadium and we both agreed we'd enjoy a laid back afternoon with a couple Cokes and some nachos, but were both jonesing for a cold beer after we'd driven past all the tailgaters to park. So we grabbed some margaritas and hung out downstairs for a little while taking in all the festivities then headed to our seats...at the top of the stadium, four rows from the back! But lemme tell ya, they sure did design that stadium well. Our seats were about in the middle of the stadium, which was nice, and despite being so far up there we had a great view and could catch all the details on the super sized TV screen.

In the photo above, the husband is holding a $20 Jack and Coke!! I'd also wondered what drinks made of gold looked like...stadium prices!

This month, the Cowboys are giving a salute to all those who have or currently are in the service. It was really touching to see the giant American flag on the field before the start of the game, and at half time they recognized several veterans from World War II, the Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq wars. There were also several men and women currently in the service who were there as well, and they all received a standing ovation. 

We got home from the game in time to feed the babies dinner then crashed hard a few hours later. It's exhausting to go out and have fun with four kiddos to come home to! But we really appreciate these opportunities to get out by ourselves and be carefree for a little while. The stress and pressures of home life are a lot for anyone to keep up with and we both agree that breaks are extremely important to our relationship. 

What do you do for date outings?

P.S. Up next, a rustic pork chop recipe!

Steaks & Good Causes

This past weekend was a fantastical time filled with BBQ, football, charitable causes and one special anniversary.

We started things off right with a Friday dinner made of all your early-fall essentials: a charcoal grill, stacks of meat, excellent side dishes, "family" (or our current house hosts, if you will), juicy watermelon and some ice cold beer!

I made my mom's tried-and-true Jiffy Cornbread casserole recipe - it was soooo good! Not health-minded since it calls for a whole stick of butter, it's still extra delicious for a good hearty dinner side dish. Add jalapenos on top for an extra kick!

Jiffy Cornbread Casserole recipe. Click on image to enlarge.

Bright and early Saturday morning, I was en route to Downtown Houston for the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was packed! Breast cancer awareness folks have done a fantastic job of marketing the logo, the cause and all the special events, so the walk is no exception. We were pumping our legs away by 8:30am, along with thousands of others who were there to support the cause, including the team of folks I went with. We followed up the walk with lunch at Phil's BBQ, a new experience for me, and I got the jalapeno sausage. It was delish!

Our group, ready to pound the pavement!

Little M went with us. She was so cute all dressed in pink for the Komen walk!

Little M and me ready to get started...

Ready, set, go!

They even had *pink* porta potties.

After an afternoon shopping spree with my friend, Lisa, and a quick recovery nap, Mike and I headed back Downtown to celebrate our anniversary. Four years of marriage and looking forward to the next 65! We ate dinner at our all time favorite steakhouse for special occasions, Vic & Anthony's. Every time we've been there in the past, it was during our trips to Vegas. So this marked our first experience at the Houston location, and it was every bit as good. From their huge cocktails served in heavy rock glasses, to their perfectly cooked filet mignon, we were in heaven. (We're also big whisky drinkers, and have been loving Crown Black. If you like Crown, you should try this! It's so smooth and yummy.)

We reminisced about our past three anniversaries, and how we celebrated each one. Our first year was in Vegas, our second year was in Houston and our third year (which will be hard to surpass) was in Scotland! Each year we were in the midst of a new adventure, just like this year. We are still getting used to being back in America and soaking up all the stuff we missed while we were gone for 12 months. Which includes steak at Vic & Anthony's.

After dinner, we stayed overnight at the Hyatt Regency, lounging around in bed till 11:30 the next morning watching football and cat napping. It was awesome to be completely alone and have some down time that we could both enjoy together. Things are always on an odd schedule when you're not living in your own home or, like me, are a full-time freelancer and work around the clock.

Our weekend was perfectly capped off with a huge fajita feast back at our friend's house, our current "home," along with family. It was the perfect, cool weather outside to relax with a cold one and watch the kids running around the yard. Mike and I are trying to be patient in our house hunt, but we are so anxious to have our own place to hosts BBQs, holiday parties and wine nights! Hoping it's not much longer...

How was your weekend?

Wednesday Night Lights!

So last week I went to my first children's sporting event. Like first, ever.

It's so different to see things from the adult perspective, sitting anxiously in the bleachers while the kiddos toddle around in front of you, doing their best to succeed at some sporting concept currently still quite foreign to them.

Our friend's son, we'll call him M, is seven years old and just started playing football. While I suck in my breath at the very thought of the wee youngsters smashing into each other and jumping into kiddy piles to make a tackle, I also adored how cute they were in their big ol' helmets, huge shoulder pads and football pants. It was charming.

Finally time for M's first game, we headed to the field as the bright white lights flicked on and the kids ordered up on the line. Every time something even partially exciting happened I wanted to jump out of my seat and scream and cheer! And every time a kiddo decided to lay on the field because he got the breath knocked out of him, I wanted to run out there and make sure he was okay. I'm not even a parent!

Little M (M's sister) had her eye on the cheerleaders the whole game...

After two 10-minute quarters, it was a 10-minute halftime and the little group of cheerleaders put on the sweetest show. I think they danced to Dynamite or something, and it was just too cute. They had on their matching outfits, their festive hair bows and sets of pom poms, and did their dance for the football players, who sat in a line on the middle of the field.

It was a close finish, as M's team just missed scoring a touch down at the end of the game and lost by a small margin. But he think even he may have been relieved to survive his first football experience. I know I was!

M&M post game. :)

One Last Weekend

You didn't think we were about to sit around and do nothing during our last weekend in Scotland, did ya?

I didn't think so!

The fun started on Thursday, which was our leaving doo (aka farewell party) with Mike's office and many of the wonderful friends we've made while living over here. It was a long night of celebrating a good year spent abroad and our return home to Texas! It was a great time and we're so thankful to everyone who came out!

We spent part of Friday morning recovering, and by Friday afternoon had booked a last-minute trip to Loch Lomond for a weekend of wakeboarding. One of our friends had been telling Mike about this place during our leaving doo - and he obviously did a good job of selling it! We ended up meeting them down there Friday evening.

Mike and I had both been wanting to take one last country drive to enjoy the pretty Scottish scenery as well as a yummy meal at a local pub somewhere, and we were able to accomplish both these things, along with some wakeboarding and R&R, at the lake! Loch Lomond is known for its breathtaking scenery and smooth-as-glass waters. You might remember reading about it when Mike and I visited there during our Scottish roadtrip.

Because I'm on deadline for a bridal magazine in Scotland, I had to bring along my laptop and do some writing in between activities at the Loch. But the peace and quiet turned out to be quite helpful, and I managed to get a good amount done on Saturday morning. The gurgling sounds of a nearby stream and the tranquil window looking out on the lake might have had something to do with that.

We sat in front of this view and sipped beers in the evening:

We stayed two nights in the white cottage up this hill:

And we tore up the water when the sun came out, using muscles we'd totally forgotten we'd had (and that later hated us for it!):

Because it was our last weekend in Scotland, and the trip was right up our alley, we really enjoyed every second of it. There's just not many places in Texas where you'd end up passing an amazing castle, like the historical Stirling Castle, on your way out of town. We stopped on the return drive to snap a few more pictures since the rain had slacked off to a drizzle.

How green is all that grass? I am trying to capture every final memory here that I can!

We took in the view at every nook and cranny. Including noting the Micra and it's determined little heart to successfully cart us all around Scotland for a year. We've put more miles on that bad boy than it'll ever see in another lifetime - and it didn't break down on us once! It sputtered up a couple hills, and refused to hold more than three suitcases, but it was a cozy car for traversing the countryside. (We appreciated it's size more than once when trying to squeeze into parking spaces that looked like they were made more for tricycles than vehicles.)

And it didn't object to one more road trip before we left!

 

On the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond...

We drove into Balmaha for lunch before returning to Aberdeen; it's a tiny, charming town with friendly pubs and picturesque streets. The pace there is quite leisurely - we had to slow down the car and wait for a chicken to cross the road. No, I'm not kidding. He had places to be and people to see, apparently.

Balmaha is pretty much smack dab in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. Here's a map and a scrawly arrow to prove it:

This is the Oak Barrell, where we scarfed down our aforementioned lunch. Adorable, don't ya think? It was the perfect end to a great weekend. Very Scottish.

I ordered mince and tatties in a Yorkshire pastry. That's mashed potatoes, ground beef in gravy, peas and a bread bowl to you Americans. :)

 

And the views on our drive home weren't too bad either. I'm really gonna miss this place.

You'll be smarter after reading this post, since I've got a little history nugget to share with you. Because Loch Lomond is one of the world's most famous lakes, it's of course been idolized in song, one that we discovered at the wedding we went to a few weekends ago. It's been playing a lot on our iTunes lately and, appropriately, during our road trip to Loch  Lomond.

The lyrics go something like this:

By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes

Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond

Where me and my true love will ne-er meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomon'.

*Chorus*

O ye’ll tak’ the high road and I’ll tak’ the low road

And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye

For me and my true love will ne-er meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomon'.

‘Twas there that we parted in yon shady glen

On the steep, steep sides o’ Ben Lomon'

Where in purple hue, the hielan hills we view

And the moon comin’ out in the gloamin’.

*Chorus repeats*

The wee birdies sing and the wild flowers spring

And in sunshine the waters are sleeping

But the broken heart, it kens nae second spring again

Tho’ the waeful may cease frae their greetin'.

*Chorus repeats*

You can listen to the song for yourself and imagine those still, pretty waters and emerald green mountains.

So you see, it wasn't just a quiet weekend where we sat and looked back on all the memories we'd made living in the UK. We were out busy makin' more!

Activities and excitement of some sort are always welcome around this household.

Pretty soon it'll be the Texan kind. Now where'd I stash my suit case?